Mark's Reading Place: #15

Meeting Jim in DC! I think this was our 3rd beer.



^Ellen, Mark & Benita at Haymarket Brewery, June 30th.

Currently Reading:



Audiobook:


Graphic:
TBA

Books Read So Far...

March:

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

April:

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

May:

52) Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson 3.8 stars (audio)
53) Benediction by Kent Haruf 4.5 stars
54) Dark Places by Gillian Flynn 4.2 stars (audio) OTS
55) Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver 4.6 stars (audio)
56) Little Wolves by Thomas Maltman 3.5 stars
57) Iron House by John Hart 4 stars (audio) OTS
58) Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala 4.5 stars (audio)
59) The Ghosts of Nagasaki by Daniel Clausen 4.6 stars (OTS)
60) The Merry Misogynist by Colin Cotterill 4 stars (audio)
61) When She Woke by Hillary Jordan 3.8 stars (OTS)
62) Salt Sugar Fat by Michael Moss 4 stars (audio)
63) A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness 4.7 stars (audio)
64) Nineteen Seventy-Four by David Peace 2.7 stars (audio) OTS
65) The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa 5 stars (OTS)
66) Life After Life by Kate Atkinson 4.4 stars (audio)

June:

67) Enon by Paul Harding 3.6 stars (OTS)
68) Black Irish by Stephan Talty 3.7 stars (audio)
69) Looking for Alaska by John Green 3.8 stars (audio)
70) A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra 5 stars
71) The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud 3 stars (audio)
72) The Whispering Muse by Sjón 4.3 stars
73) The Absent One by Jussi Adler-Olsen 4.6 stars (audio)
74) The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller 5 stars
75) The Godfather of Kathmandu by John Burdett 2.8 stars (audio)
76) Wool by Hugh Howey 3.8 stars
77) Marbles: A Graphic Memoir by Ellen Forney 4.6 stars GN
78) There Are No Children Here by Alex Kotlowitz 4.7 stars (audio)
79) Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden 4.2 stars (audio)
80) How to Read the Air by Dinaw Mengestu 3.7 stars (OTS)

July:

81) The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman 4.3 stars (audio)
82) Five by Endo by Shusaku Endo 4.5 stars (OTS)
83) Stones for Ibarra by Harriet Doerr 4.6 stars
84) The Given Day by Dennis Lehane 3.8 stars (audio) (OTS)
85) The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks 4 stars (GR)
86) Among Others by Jo Walton 4.5 stars

First-Time Author Challenge 2013

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

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

Group Reads 2013:

A Fine Balance- by Rohinton Mistry July- http://www.librarything.com/topic/156267#
2666 by Roberto Bolaño- October

Nice, spiffy new thread, Mark!!

Love the DC photos.

Haroo!
Nice new thread, lovely top pic (looking casually cool there, Mark!) and meetup pic with the creator
How many beers did you eventually have?
:)

Woooo hoooooo! Happy new thread, Mark! Glad to see your pictures & hear about your DC trip. Sounds like you had a wonderful time!

Nice fountain shot! Happy new thread.

Hi Mark! Great photos. I love DC, and it looks like you enjoyed yourself!

Nice photos!!Great new thread! I need to make one soon.

Hey Mr Postman.. will you look at my thread and let me know what you think of my last post?

Linda is first! Linda is first! My Chicago Peeps Rule!

Megan- Yes, Jim sure is the Creator! What would we do without him? I think we had 3 beers, total. Jim can correct me if I am wrong. He is omnipotent, you know.

Tina- Great to see you and welcome to the new digs.

RD- Big wave! Hopefully you are kicked back in the a/c and enjoying Constellation.

Ann- Glad you could stop by. I had a great time in DC and of course LT Meet-ups are the absolute best!

Thanks Mark!

Hi Mark,

Great photo with Jim - beers and books = perfect!

How are you finding How to Read the Air?

Cheers,
Charles

Hi Mark - You've been busy! Glad you had a nice trip to DC and got to meet Jim for a beer or two! I hope you get to go to Booktopia in Petoskey - personally, I'd love to hear both Peter Heller and Peter Geye talk about their books. I really hope they do a podcast.

Congrats on another spiffing new thread mate and for waltzing past 75 with a half year left. You and Jim look like you were settling in for a good long session there.

A new thread! Cool beans.
I am glad you are reading Marbles. I thought it was quite good.

Going back to your question about Overdrive app from the last thread. In the version that I have you can change the borrowing time to either one, two or three weeks in Settings (I think) before you download. But I don't think you can change it after you've downloaded.

Hello, found your new thread. You definitely enjoyed the beers (with or without Jim?) Have a good day

It's already stormy out there. Thunder rumbling. I just hope the humidity isn't as intense, especially if I have to wear the gear. I should be wrapping up There Are No Children Here and continuing How to Read the Air. I will also finish Marbles, which is a terrific GN.

Kath- Big loving wave!

Charles- Great to see you sir! I hope you can visit again. I am only 50 pages into How to Read the Air and it's good so far. Have you read this one or his first?

Joanne- Well, this is unexpected surprise and it just made my day. And yes, the line-up for Booktopia looks killer. Fingers crossed. I was told I was 2nd on the list. Of course, I don't want to wish illness on anyone but still...

Paul- Yes, I think Jim and I, could settle in like this, on many occasions. Good beer, good talk. Yes, it's nice to be past the 75 mark but why does it feel like I have a million more staring at me, or is that glaring at me?

Ellen- I am really enjoying marbles. My sister is bipolar, so I recognize many of these symptoms and situations. Plus, Forney is someone I would love to have a drink with.

Rhian- Good to see you! I didn't see a setting anywhere for my digital library but I will look again. Thanks!

Paul S- Yes, I do enjoy my beer. We had no time during the day but tried to knock back a few in the evenings. It was great seeing Jim.

I've woken up to thunder and rain for the past 5 days. All I can say is, Thank goodness Charlie sleeps through it! Sending dry and not-so-humid thoughts your way today.

I love the fountain pic, too. Is it a memorial fountain?

Hiya, Mark! Congrats on the new thread. I like those DC photos.

I'm still drying out from this morning. I got caught smack dab in the middle of that downpour. Hope it wasn't too bad a work day for you.

Love the new thread toppers, Mark.

hey Mark. happy new thread. wanted to let you know Bletchley Circle has been reupped for another season but for 4 hours this time. oh goody. it was apparently an unexpected smash. i'm soooo excited. love those women.

#23
That is cool news - about Bletchley Circle. It was a very good show. How do those BBC writers and producers do it? Make such good shows.

I spent my evening last night reading 50 pages of research article for the summer course I am taking. I just want to get back to reading what I want to read.

^ Yes, I am and damn proud of it! And of course, I know I am not alone.

It rained off and on most of the morning and then moved on, so I stayed dry most of the day. Still muggy though. I did finish There Are No Children Here and it was excellent. Yes, it is hard-hitting and bleak but there is also a lot of heart & soul here. Keeping with bleak, I started Escape From Camp 14, which I know several other LTers highly praised and it begins with a bang. I don't think the most imaginative fiction author could surpass the reality of North Korea. This will go along perfectly with Nothing To Envy & Orphan Master's Son.

Amber- I think rain remains in our area through Saturday. I heard our northern suburbs received nearly 5 inches last night. WTH?

Morphy- If there was a plaque at the fountain, I didn't see it. It was on the north-side of the Mall, with a great view of the White House, over my right shoulder.

Joe- Yes, those pesky rain showers! It was raining while I was loading up my vehicle, just after 9, fortunately it stopped for awhile after that. Are you attending any of the Blackhawks festivities on Friday?

Caro- Big loving waves!

Ellie- Wow! It's great to see you and thanks for the news on the Bletchley Circle. The wife and I, really enjoyed the first season.

Benita- I am sure you would really enjoy There Are No Children Here & Escape From Camp 14. Put down those pesky research papers and pick up a book.

Mark, thanks for reporting some of the pics from your last thread. I loved the one with you gazing in awe at all those Lincoln books. Impressive.

Congratulations on surpassing the 75 book milestone. I'll get there when I get there!

Cute picture!!! :)

Hi Mark, I love your pictures. I am so glad Bletchley Circle is going to be back next year. I loved that show. Did you watch it? I always had a question about how truthful the Korean man was being in Escape From Camp 14 but there apparently was nothing to that that I could find anywhere. Horrible story. Kind of validates everything that Adam Johnson suggested in The Orphan Master's Son.

jeez, Marky, you and your cheery selections. bleak, bleak and more bleak are your recommendations and yet, strangely enough, there go more books in my audible.com cart and wish list. fortunately, Escape From Camp 14 is being recorded by NLS so with any luck and a good narrator, i'll be getting it from them.

I snagged an ARC of Songs of Willow Frost. I still have not read Hotel on the Corner. I've heard it was pretty good. Agreed?

Donna- I love reading about Lincoln. Have you read Manhunt? I thought about that book a lot, while in DC and I have that author's follow-up, but haven't got to it.

Tina- Big waves! I think that was the look on my face, the first time I saw a cold beer.

Bonnie- The author addresses that issue in Camp 14, about the honesty of the main subject. It's a short NF book, so I should finish it quick.

Ellie- I like "bleak", what can I say! It's actually more about timing than anything else. I'll have to stop by and see what you are reading.

Hi Mark, happy new thread. I like your DC photos. In that one at the top, you are posing right where I used to park on the Ellipse :-)

“You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching,
Love like you'll never be hurt,
Sing like there's nobody listening,
And live like it's heaven on earth.”
― William W. Purkey

^I never heard of Mr. Purkey, (what a name!) but I sure like that quote.

Sweet Thursday! I am off Saturday this week, so 2 days left. It will be nice to leave this rainy, muggy week behind. Looking forward to getting back to both my current reads, How to Read the Air & Camp 14.

Katie- Ain't that special! LOL. We will hook up one of these days my friend.

Like your new thread, Mark and great meet up pic with Jim. Ah hem, 3rd beer out of how many? and Where's the food?! Looks like a yummy kinda place.

>29 mirrordrum: mirrordrum

Yesterday, 9:09pm
jeez, Marky, you and your cheery selections. bleak, bleak and more bleak are your recommendations

I'm glad I'm not alone in thinking that :P

As long as you enjoy them, Mark.. that's what counts!

Good morning, Mark! Like the pic of you as a baby, gaping at the beer. I can see that's where it all started. :-)

Glad you enjoyed the "bleak" There Are No Children Here. Like you, I found a lot of heart and soul in it, and even some hope. It's also a good reminder of how lucky some of us are to have grown up in more encouraging environments than that one. I've asked myself what I would've done growing up there, and it's a tough one to answer.

The good news is it's history, as Cabrini Green's residents have been relocated and it's been demolished.

I am late to your new thread, Mark, but I am here. I will try very hard to do a better job with keeping up with you. It's almost Friday. Almost.

"I love that feeling you get when you don’t remember that you’re reading. When you’re so captured by a book that you forget you’re reading the words. All you see is the descriptions and conversations that being to play out like a movie in your head. You don’t even think about it. Then before you know it, you’ve read 100 pages without realizing it. That’s probably the best feeling in the world."

-unknown but I'll take credit!

Wait a minute. So you've decided to replace hot photos of scantily clad women with hot(?) photos of you and Jim?

>37 msf59: Love that quote!

Ugh! Another HOT one! It was mostly sunny and that sun was cruel, especially teamed with that wicked humidity. I think this is the last day of the miserable stuff. It's supposed to be more comfortable tomorrow. Yah!
I did finish Camp 14 and thought it was very good. Another bleak and haunting tale. I can't say I am crazy about How to Read the Air but so far, I don't dislike it.

Lynda- I think we only had 3 beers. These were quality ales, with higher alcohol content, so that was enough. We took the photos at the end so the remains of our burgers were long gone.

Kath- I prefer not having a steady diet of any kind of book, so I try to mix them up. Bleak- 24/7, could get old. I'll be starting the Given Day and also the new Gaiman, very soon.

Joe- I was a cute little guy, wasn't I? LOL. I did finish Camp 14 and it's another one I strongly recommend. Did you ever get to Orphan Master's?

Mamie made it! Mamie made it! Always a pleasure to see you, tardy or not!

Darryl- LOL. I am not sure how HOT I am, (my wife wouldn't think so) but Jim was a hunky guy, plus I have to spread around the joy to my female audience.

LOL ....Darryl, you crack me up!

Love the gif above. It's been horribly muggy over here this week too, and more rain to come! Ugh!

It's a proven fact. Nine out of 10 Mark thread readers prefer the current photos. Heh-heh.

It was a hot one out there today, Mark. Sort of came as a surprise, but I think it was the first time in a long time that it reached 90 degrees. Much cooler by the weekend which will feel great.

Oh good, I'll look forward to your review of The Given Day Mark. I have it sitting on my shelf. It's been there awhile.

It is entitled "Woman of Letters." It is a painting. Therefore, it is Cultural not smutty.

You're welcome.

Well, it should be called "Woman Who Cannot Possibly Be Comfortable." Can we arrange those pillows a bit better? Her neck is going to be killing her in the morning, not to mention that left arm.

Well, it should be called "Woman Who Cannot Possibly Be Comfortable

ROFLMAO

Okay, you can call me a liar, an indian-giver, a traitor or a schmuck but I stumbled on a free audio of The Ocean at the End of the Lane, read by Mr. Gaiman himself, so guess what my next audio will be? My First Ebook experience, will just have to be delayed. Thems the breaks. The Given Day will have to wait a few days.

Caro- Don't encourage, Darryl. It is supposed to be less muggy tomorrow and then a nice stretch in the 70s! Yahoo!

Linda- " Nine out of 10 Mark thread readers prefer the current photos." I call FOUL! Where exactly are you getting your data, my friend?

Bonnie- I decided to go with the new Gaiman but I will then jump right into the Given Day. It's a chunkster too. 24 hours on audio. And like you, I have had a copy sitting on shelf, for far to long.

RD- Thanks for the cultural gift! We need some more of that around here. To much stinkin' smut!

Mamie- "Woman Who Cannot Possibly Be Comfortable." LOL. Yes, she does look a bit awkward but boy is she perky!

Kath- Please do not roll around to much, my friend. We do not need anymore injuries.

it should be called "Woman Who Cannot Possibly Be Comfortable."

HA!! That was exactly my first thought, too!

If that was me I would without fail drop the book and smack myself in the face. I do it regularly even when I'm not contorting my body unnaturally being Cultural.

Scientific observation, Mark.

btw, I think you recommended There Are No Children Here by Alex Kotlowitz to me. I loved his Never a City So Real so I may give this other one a try.

>44 Crazymamie: oh, Mamie! you are sumpin' wonderful!

>47 lyzard: Liz, how funny. sounds like maybe your handle should be "unco."

and in re: bleak, Mark, i wouldn't say that Constellation and Politkovskaya's Is journalism worth dying for? are exactly buoyant. i recommend her to you, btw. even something like this piece by her in the Guardian from 2006 increase the impact of Constellation. and also it has the allure of being frightfully bleak. *chuckle*

Let me get through this one and then I have my weekend off. And as a bonus, it is supposed to be only 80, with much less humidity. Hurrah!

Liz- Good to see you over here and please don't smack yourself in the face with a book, at least not on my property.

Linda- That must be that new-fangled science, like Creationism. Thanks for the book rec. I would like to read more of Kotlowitz.

Ellie- I adore bleak, you know that. Actually, my current print, How to Read the Air is a bit of a downer too!

>49 mirrordrum: Why thank you, Ellie!

Morning Mark! It's Friday! Friday! And the month is almost over - how did that happen?

I second Linda on Never a City So Real by Kotlowitz. It's a shortie, too.

"Bleakfest" - can't wait to see the poster.

I haven't gotten to Orphan Master's yet, darn it. So many good ones out there. I'm really enjoying Song of the Lark. Cather created quite a character in Thea.

You wouldn't believe how many Hawks fans there are downtown right now. They're just pouring in, in full regalia, for the parade. I get here mighty early, and I still had to make my way through the throngs coming east from Union Station.

Looks like a good, cool-ish day. Hope you enjoy the break from the hot stuff.

P.S. Gaiman reading Ocean! For free! You live right, my friend.

Happy Coolth! (Opposite of warmth.) It's not hot here, just huuuuuuuuuumiiiiiiiid. Blerch. Rocket Science, Mark. Bleak around the edges. The writer is dying, very publicly, of cancer! And making a movie with his young daughter of their trip to New Zealand so she'll have the memory! Bleak enough yet?

Joe, are you anywhere near the parade route?

I was on call today but am off the hook so, in the end, I could've gone, or at least stayed home to watch it.

Oh well, I will catch the highlights tonight after I get home from the movies. Going to see the new Much Ado About Nothing movie tonight.

We're near Wacker and Adams, Linda, so not too far from it. We're going to have it all streaming on a screen here.

Lots of stories from co-workers about how tough it was to get into the Loop today. People learned from the 2010 parade, when many couldn't get in, and started very early! I can see Union Station from here, and there's been a constant stream of Hawks fans in red.

Can't wait to hear what you think of Joss Whedon's Much Ado. It's been getting good reviews. Sounds like Nathan Fillion does a great job in it.

^This is from the Blackhawks rally, in downtown Chicago. Wow! What an amazing shot!



^ This is my second favorite pic of the day. Is this priceless or what?

Priceless! I can't even imagine such an image being *suggested* 10 years ago.

The world is changing, and I for one welcome our new alien overlords.

...wait...

I am happy to report that The Ocean at the End of the Lane is wonderful and worth the wait. I am already over halfway done and it's a joy. And of course, Mr. Gaiman reading it, is heavenly. Thanks to Kath and Joe, for getting me on board so quickly.
I have less than 30 pages left on How to Read the Air. I have such conflicting feelings on this one, which is always frustrating. One thing is clear, the guy is a phenomenal talent.

Mamie- The week did go fast, which I am very pleased about, since it was so hot & humid here. Now, I am off for 2. Yah!

Joe- I will keep an eye out for the Kotlowitz, if you can somehow bookhorn Orphan Master's in. It's an amazing read. ALA coming up, my friend!

Linda- Even if I was off today, I don't think I would tackle those crowds. The only exception, might be, if the Cubbies win the World Series. That would be worth the sacrifice.

RD- Sorry, you guys are dealing with the hot & sticky stuff. (Wait, that didn't sound very good!) Things are cooling off here....quickly. Only in the high 60s tomorrow. WOW!
And yes, that New Yorker cover is incredible.

"Only in the high 60s tomorrow." oh just shut up! it's raining (again) and in the 70s at 3 a.m. jeebus.

and wow, that *is* a super cool 2nd favorite pick. makes me smile all over my face.

okay, bedtime for bonzo here. have a good one, Mr. 60 something disgusting degrees. enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.

>56 msf59:: Two great images, Mark. Enjoy your weekend; I'll see you near the end of it. I'm pleased that the weather in Chicago is not going to be unbearable.

That New Yorker cover is priceless. Have a lovely weekend, Mark!

" I like libraries. It makes me feel comfortable and secure to have walls of words, beautiful and wise, all around me. I always feel better when I can see that there is something to hold back the shadows.” — Roger Zelazny

Good morning! A couple things to report: My daughter and her LARGE dog are moving back home this weekend. Our quiet house, just got a bit...less quiet. She is planning to save up, so she can rent a house with a couple of friends. I'll have to run into the city with her, later this morning, to help her bring some things home. The fun never ends...
We are having our new furniture delivered this afternoon. The Marky-Mark Man-Cave is nearly complete. Yah!

Ellie- "oh just shut up!" LOL. We had a long hot week, so it's nice to have it cool off a bit. Looking forward to ALA tomorrow. Book time!

Ellen- The weather should be gorgeous. Have you left Seattle yet? See you tomorrow.

Diana- Good to see you! Have a great weekend.

Nice new thread, Mark. Great pictures.

Hi Mark - how large is the LARGE dog?

Lucky you getting a copy of Songs of Willow Frost. Hotel on The Corner of Bitter and Sweet was 1 of my favorite books a few years back.

love the quote in post #59.

I also love the beginning photos. You look like you are enjoying your time with Jim!

Happy Saturday Mark.

Cool and overcast today. I think it's only mid-60s out there.

Beth- Thanks! Good to see you!

Rhian- Her LARGE dog is a German Shepard and he is a space hog.

Tammy- Great to see you! I have had Hotel on The Corner of Bitter and Sweet on my WL forever. Looking forward to the new one.

Linda- Another successful Meet-up! Are there any other kind? And more tomorrow! Yah!

I am off to the city, to help the daughter...

Happy Saturday, Mark. I see you are having a busy one. I am enjoying our first sunny day after a string of cloudy ones. This last week has been a difficult one, but today is a day of no specific plans and lots of reading.

Congrats on getting an audible copy of Neil Gaiman's latest, a book of his - read by him - priceless!

Love the photo of the Blackhawks rally, Mark - how amazing that have that many folks gathered together like that! And the New Yorker cover is hilarious.

ALA! ALA! I can hear the crowd chanting already. See you there!

I'm really enjoying the cool weather today. It feels really refreshing after all the recent heat and humidity.

Enjoy the ALA and LT meet-up and say hi to the out of towners for me. Home Run Inn sometime this summer? We'll be up at the crack of dawn for our daylong Wisconsin excursion.

Wow! I'm so behind Mark! Looks like you had an amazing trip to DC. I'll be scarce for the next few weeks but I'll pop in and say howdy now and then. :)

I have had the Given Day on shelf for 2 or 3 years. I have no excuse why I haven't cracked this one, since I am a big fan of Lehane. Maybe, it was it's hefty size, who knows. Well, folks, the drought is over. I found it on audio and since I didn't want to finish up the new Gaiman, to quickly, I switched to the Given Day and listened to it, while going into the city and back. I like it. The opening chapter is a dandy, featuring a young, cocky Babe Ruth, talking smack and showing plenty of swagger.

Judy- Good to see you! I highly recommend finding the latest Gaiman on audio. Since, I am truly loving it, I'll probably pick up a keeper copy, as well.

Joe- I hear the chant too, my friend! What time are you planning on getting there? We should arrive between 10-11 and we are bringing a small suitcase, to check...just in case.

Linda- It's lovely out there, right now. Breezy & cool. Have a safe trip to Wisconsin. Wish you could join us at ALA.

Roberta- Great to see you. You've been missed. I'll have to stop by and see what you are reading. And please keep in touch.



^A woman reading Kafka and I am a man who never has.

Have a great weekend mate and I look forward to your report on meets and greets.
Suddenly Kafka looks a darned sight more appealing!

Happy Sunday, folks! We are going to head out to breakfast in a little while and then drive into the city, to attend the ALA Conference (American Library Association). It should be a day filled with free books, interesting authors and of course meeting-up with fellow LTers, which might be the best thing of all. It'll make for a long day but I am sure it will be worth every minute.

Once again, I apologize for being so far behind on my mini-reviews. It is so easy to get distracted around these parts. I am going to try to do better...I promise.

Paul- Like you, I am so looking forward to Kafka. LOL. Hope you had a great weekend, my friend.

You know I'm a Kafka groupie, Mark. Hope he sucks you into his bizarro worlds like he did me.

See you soon at ALA! We're going to get there between 10 and 11, too. We may run into the Gay Pride parade on Halsted and need to go south through the city for a while, we'll see. First year in forever our Becca is going to miss the parade. Her bro's going to the Seattle one today.

^ What a good time at ALA and what an even better time meeting new LT faces! Finally meeting Benita & Ellen was wonderful and drinking fantastic beer together was AWESOME! Of course, running into long-standing LT buddies, Joe, Debbi, Becca and (briefly) Kerri was a joy to behold too!



^Ellen, Me & Benita at the Haymarket Brewery. Why are the beer glasses always empty in these photos, because they never seemed to be.
Benita & Ellen were both wonderful in person (big shock, right?) and I think a bond was immediately set.

Awesome meetup! Tell me more please sir!

Lovely photos from your ALA meetup! It looks like a good time was had by all. Mark, perhaps the empty glasses have to do with the very large smiles on all your faces?

Love seeing the meet-up picture. Sounds like you had a great time.

We had a good time meeting up with our cousins in Wisconsin today.

Short week this week, just 3 days. Yippee!!

Wonderful photo! How cool you got to meet some Grandes Dames of LT in person.

Another LT meet-up -- how wonderful!

LOVE the New Yorker cover in #56, AND the quote in #50. Another reason to keep beloved children's books:
http://newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/14/a-family-ritual-gains-new-life/?em...

>72 msf59: so, you read Kafka next???

by the way: what happened to the owner of the sneakers to the left of the reading lady? Or did she leave the shoes behind because of reading Kafka? What's the story behind?

Hej Mark, do you know http://corkcicle.com/chillsner/, a beer cooler? I tried to contact them, but they only accept a form which contains a USA phone number - stupid.

Mark - Nice shot of you and Ellen and Benita. Lucky fella. Who finished all the beer?

Thanks for posting the picture :) It looks like you had a good time!
LT folks are a good looking bunch :)

Well, on to July. This would have been my 6 day work week but the holiday will break it up nicely. The weather looks to be ideal too: high 70s to low 80s. Big grin.
I should wrap up the new Gaiman today and then get back to the Given Day. I will also start Five By Endo, which is very short but reportedly very strong.

Roberta- I'll give a full report on the books I received. Short version: WOW! There were many authors milling about too!

Julia- We took the photo, shortly before leaving, so beer glasses empty. I know, sad. I hope you can make it in one of these days.

Linda- I hope you can make one of the next events, although it might not be until next year. I hope you had a nice time in Wisconsin.

RD- "Grandes Dames" is perfectly correct. I have yet to meet an LTer in person, that wasn't even better than their wonderful LT persona.

Anne- Great to see you. I will check out the link.

Paul S- No, I won't be reading Kafka next, the book plate is completely full but I should soon. I didn't see the abandoned shoes in the photo. Must have been distracted. LOL.
Wow! The Corkcicle is quite the invention and the gal ain't bad either.

Paul C- This is just a warm-up for your US visit. Can you imagine your photo gallery? It'll be like the Dalai Lama visiting, although of course a Dalai that drinks beer.

Morning Kath- The visit went way to quickly, but a good time, for sure.

**I will back tonight with a full ALA book haul report!

Great photo of your meet-up, Mark!

I'm jealous of the meet up. What lovely smiles!

Mark, it was indeed a wonderful meetup! And I suppose we don't have to tell anyone that some empty beer glasses had actually been cleared away!

Good morning, Mark! Great to see you and Susan yesterday. Sorry we missed Ellen and Benita at Haymarket. As you know, we got to talk to Abby at the LT booth (Tim was off somewhere). She was Tim's first employee, bought their first health insurance, and reminisced about the early days when they weren't sure where the next paycheck was going to come from. Now LT has 1.7 million members and counting.

I finished The Song of the Lark and thought it was great. Quite different from her others I've read, about a small town girl with a musical gift who is driven to succeed. Just started Sum by David Eagleman on Megan's rec, and it's a doozy. Also started an ARC Scotland Yard mystery from ALA called Murder in Thrall which so far is fun.

Lovely photo, Mark! I'm so jealous that you all got to meet each other. Good times! Nothing but good times!

Monday is my least favorite day to carry mail and it was compounded this week by my being off Saturday, (the route was a mess) and then on top of that we were short-handed and I had to carry off another route. I worked to 6. Ugh! What did help, was the high 70s, we were blessed with, plus a comfortable and steady breeze.
And of course, my trusty little books, also alleviated the stress. I finished the wonderful The Ocean at the End of the Lane. I wish Mr. Gaiman could read all my British based audios. I read the first 3 stories from Five By Endo and then jumped into Stones From Ibarra, which some of my favorite LTers adore. It does not disappoint. Her writing is stunning.

Diana & Morphy- Big loving waves! You can not beat Meet-ups!

Ellen- We should have left all the glasses. We had quite a few samplers going there. I hope you had a safe trip to Nashville.

Joe- As you can see, up above. I loved the Gaiman and I am currently loving Stones From Ibarra, which I know you and Bonnie were crazy about.
I will have to make I read more Cather. she is on the To-Do list.

Mamie- I hope we have a chance to do a Meet-Up one of these days. We would probably close the bar down.

I'm here to see the books you just told me to come and see.....where are they Mark?

ETA lovely Meet-up pic!

Okay, as promised the ALA Haul! And yes, I had a goofy grin on my face as I typed this one up:

The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri- All I can say is OMG! Credit goes to my wife for snagging this one.
Good Kings Bad Kings by Susan Nussbaum- This looks so promising. Signed copy.
The Fame Thief by Timothy Hallinan- I love crime books but have not read Hallinan.
The Last Man Standing by Davide Longo- A man, an elephant, a bridge. I am there.
Nine Inches by Tom Perrotta- A story collection. I still haven’t read his last one, which I heard was very good.
The Rathbones by Janice Clark-A whaling family off the coast of Connecticut.
Snow Hunters by Paul Yoon- Gorgeous cover, plus it’s a shorty!
Zombie Baseball Beatdown by Paolo Bacigalupi- His upcoming YA. I love his books.
More Than This by Patrick Ness- Another YA, this one dark & disturbing.
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness- A gorgeous hardback. This was the only one I purchased. Can you believe that?
Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink- This is hard-hitting NF, about a hospital, during Katrina. It says she’s a Pulitzer winner, but I don’t remember her name.
Days in the History of Silence by Merethe Lindstrom- Dark, Nordic tale, plus a great title!
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card- I have read and enjoyed this one but they were giving copies away, for the upcoming movie. I think it’s a book worthy of the keeper shelf.
Somebody Up There Hates you by Hollis Seamon- A comic YA
Existence by David Brin- A Sci-Fi writer i have not read. This one was signed. Joe likes him.
Spillover by David Quammen- Could this be this year's Hot Zone
mother, mother by Koren Zailckas

And as a bonus, I received an ARC in the post today of Larry Watson’s new novel, Let Him Go. Wow!
I think this all completely changed my summer reading plans!

That is a jaw-dropping haul Mark. I'm especially jealous of the Lahiri book. We've been waiting a long time for her next book. Well I have anyway.

Great book haul. Wow, jealous that you got More than this and love the title of Bacialupi's latest. Sounds like it was a fun meetup with everyone as well, more than worth a below average Monday.

Whoa! That is a great book haul. & I get excited when I see a wee free library and score 1 book! I'm totally jealous and waiting to see what you think of all them.

Mark, you scored a great pile of books at ALA!

I'm now happily settled in with family in Tennessee, likely to get less reading and LT-ing done than I would like, but it feels good to be with these dear relatives. And it's cooler here this week than in Seattle. Go figure.

Have a good week, Mark!

I would read Kafka too if it made me as hot as that girl......perhaps if I do, I will!?

GREAT meetup shot- yo get so many meetups! Its great. And that haul, I can only go back and reread the booky goodness there. What a spectacular lot of reading you have coming your way!

WOW what a haul! Excellent work, Mark, your practice carrying heavy mail clearly stood you in good stead.

Really looking forward to your opinion of the new Brin. I follow him on FB, and he's very interesting indeed. Love his idea for sousveillance as a countermeasure to authoritarian spying.

well done, Mark. Good number of interesting books

some of the touchstones lead to other books (The Last Man Standing goes to Baldacci's mystery)

You know, I forgot to mention that I did stop at the LT booth at ALA and met Abby. I introduced myself and thanked her profusely for her involvement in this heavenly place. Tim was having lunch, so I did miss seeing him.
As far as the book haul goes, I want to thank my wife, who managed to stalk and hunt down several of those titles and waited in line to get 2 or 3 signed. She also managed to obtain some children's titles for her nieces and nephews.

Bonnie- It was an amazing book day and believe it or not, I was very selective. There were dozens I let pass by. The Lahiri will go straight towards the top. Maybe I'll start it later in the month.

Kerry- I really liked his Chaos Walking trilogy but a Monster Calls really put him on the map for me. Have you read any of his earlier stuff, besides those?

Katie- Great to see you! I have never gone to one of these before and it is a serious reader's paradise and it's so nice on the wallet.

Ellen- I am sure your Aunt is feeding and taking very good care of you. LOL. When do you go back?

Megan- You don't have to read Kafka, you are fine the way you are. It's been a good year for Meet-Ups. It should slow down the rest of the year, although a couple of us locals, will probably hook up, now and then.

RD- Benita suggested we check a small roller-suitcase and we took trips down to fill it up, which worked like a dream. I saw so many people humping bags and bags of books around. Ugh! As we all know. Books are HEAVY!
I have never read Brin but Joe does admire his work.

Paul- Thanks for pointing out the touchstone errors. Most of those haven't even come out yet, so a couple of them are not coming up. Yes, I have some reading to do! Yikes.

ALA sounds like HEAVEN!! So gald you had a great time :)

Two routs sounds more like a special kind of HELL though. Sorry

Hi, Paul

I don't know how I did it but I hit the "red ignore X" and now, as a just punishment, I have over 100 postings to read. I'll do it, but for now I'll stick this little "hello" on the end. Hope Tuesday is good to you!

Nice book haul! I might add The Ocean at the End of the Lane to Mount TBR. I'm uneven with Gaiman. I loved Stardust, liked American Gods and Good Omens, was so-so on The Graveyard Book and disliked Neverwhere.

94, 102> Mark, the touchstones behave if you tell them clearly what book you are thinking of: So take the number which shows in the URL http://www.librarything.com/work/12675314, put it before the title, add two :: and the touchstone goes to the right book:
{12675314::The Last Man Standing} (but use square brackets)

mother, mother -> http://www.librarything.com/work/13709334/summary
mother, mother = {13709334::mother, mother}

Glad you liked The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Mark, and that you're enjoying Stones for Ibarra. Willa will be there when the time comes.

I liked the second volume of Brian Vaughan's Saga even more than the first; you get more back story.

Short week for us - we're going to have Friday off, too. Can't wait!

Wow! lot's going on in your corner of the world, Mark! You lucky dog! LT meet ups and excellent book hauls! Your daughter coming back to the nest, even if for a short time, is a nice thing! Have a great Tuesday!

Wah! I don't want to navigate a new home page!! I want to be cozy & comfy & lazy, after work.

Sheesh this thread moves at warp speed!

I almost fell out of my chair laughing at RD's "cultural" share and Mamie's response! I had to show it to Lisa to explain why I was so amused!

The New Yorker magazine cover is awesome! Thanks for sharing!!

I love the meet up picture of you, Ellen, & Benita! So jealous -- in a nice & mannerly way, of course! ;)

Seriously excellent book haul too. You are on fire!

Shew, think I got everything.

<106 Paul - I learned something new! Thanks for that - I had no idea!

Mark - That is one superb haul of books up there. Way to go!

Kath- Yes, ALA was heaven but the kind of heaven that I can handle for just a few hours, tops.
Two Routs?

Karen- I was beginning to wonder if you didn't care for Marky-Mark anymore. Glad to hear it was all a big misunderstanding. Hope you can catch up!
Loved my visit with Ellen & Benita.

Morphy- I don't know where to place the new Gaiman, probably closer to the Graveyard Book, which you were so-so on but I LOVED. Hey, give it a shot, anyway! It's a shorty!

Paul- Wow! Thanks for the touchstone info. I never knew that. Fortunately, most titles come up pretty quickly but at least I'll know how to handle it next time...if I remember. LOL.
Have you heard any European buzz on any of those titles?

Joe- What a cool one today, huh? And for July? Hey, I enjoyed it. I am loving Stones For Ibarra. I like how the first half of the book is about the people around the two main characters, observing them from the outside. She is a fine writer.
I'll have to request the 2nd Saga book.

Lynda- Yep, I am a lucky dog! It's been a good 2 weeks. I am glad my wife attended ALA with me. We had a blast running around. Now, I NEED to get into the next Booktopia!

Tina- "Sheesh this thread moves at warp speed!" What? This little old, pokey thread? You must be talkin' about lightning fast Mr. Cranswick!
Yep, Meet-ups are the BEST!

Mamie- OMG, do I have some work to do, fitting those book haul titles into a very crowded summer reading list. But since most of them are ARCS, so I want to get to them.

Wow Mark, sounds like you are having a great start to your summer! Love the LT meetup photos and all the images that you have here! Here's to the rest of your summer being amazing!

>102 msf59: You don't have to read Kafka, you are fine the way you are.
Fine? Fine?. Just fine?
hmph ;)
LOL, us girls are hard to please sometimes arent we?

I saw your haul already, and I am particularly pleased for you getting a nice edition of A Monster Calls- I have me one of them too, and I often pick it up and flick through it. I love it.

Even though I didnt really like Gaimans Coraline, I get the feeling I will like his adult books, sci fi or no. Maybe hes the one to get me into that genre.

Chelle made it! Chelle made it! Hooray! Just made my evening!

Megan- My deepest apologies for referring to you as just "fine". How insensitive can a simple, not particularly bright, Midwestern man get?
How about: "you are absolutely gorgeous just the way you are." Better?

Mark- thank you :)
That sounds much better, I appreciate the amendment.
*goes off gorgeously about the day*

^ Ahhhh! I will sleep easier now, Megan...



Good night!

Mark, I'm in Tennessee until Sunday. Being shuttled from house to house, being overfed, and enjoying myself. My aunt is a reader so I'm getting a bit more reading time than I had expected. Reading The Three-Aeched Bridge at present.

I'm using my iPhone to post which is both risky and hard to see but I think I like the new look of LT.

Mark I'm catching up with you here... And I'm jealous!! Of your meet up with fabulous LT peeps and bottomless beer glasses and that BOOK HAUL!! Looks like fun all around. :)

>112 msf59: Have you heard any European buzz on any of those titles?
No, sorry, I am not so buzzy about literature - working in the economics library means to be busy about economics, sociology etc. (and honestly: reading all these threads at the 75ers - what time is there left for reading anything else? *sigh*)

> 109 YAY! I'm an artist! And I had a good time last night .. I wish myLT pals could join me at Kelly's one day...

Morning! Continued cool here. Low 70s & cloudy. No complaints out of me but I wish I could send some of this cool stuff to the western states. They are broiling out there.
I am enjoying both my current reads: Stones for Ibarra & on audio, The Given Day.

**I still plan on doing a Group Read of A Fine Balance, which will commence on the 15th. I'll try to start a thread tomorrow. I hope I can get a few folks interested.

Ellen- Sounds like a great time in Tennessee. You might have to do some extra running when you get back home. LOL. Benita returned home late yesterday, but not before she sent another box of books home. Wow!

Kathy- Yes, it's been a magical time. Nothing beats Meet-Ups, bottomless beer glasses and free books! Enjoy your day.

Paul- I completely understand. Actually, I haven't heard much on any of these titles. I am sure the reason is, that most of them will not be coming out for awhile.

Morning Kath- How is my favorite Artist Friend? And I promise, if I ever make it through your area, we will have a pint at Kellys!

A group read of A Fine Balance is a good idea, Mark. I'd join you, but I've read it. I wish I had read it with a group.

Sum: Forty Tales was mighty good and a shortie. You might like it some time. Reminded me of Alan Lightman's Einstein's Dreams.

Now I'm reading a couple of mysteries that probably wouldn't be your cuppa, Visions in Death and Murder in Thrall (the latter a freebie from ALA).

Hope you have a good one today - looking forward to the day off tomorrow!

Hi Mark: I'm reading an ode to her home country of Chile, Isabel Allende's My Invented Country, for my library's summer reading club around the world. Beautiful writing.

Have you ever read anything by Allende? If so, which novel would you recommend? She talks a lot about one book involving her family's house on a corner.

Hi Mark. Doing my best to catch up! I'm hoping to join you for A Fine Balance. I just started The Long Ships for another LT GR and also Devil's Peak which I know a number of LTers have liked and my husband recommended to me as well. So I may start a little later than the 15th.

I'm glad your temperatures haven't been too bad. We've been over 100 for about 5 days now and I feel trapped in the house.

>117 msf59: oh WOW! total coolth. "say 'good night,' moon."

delighted you like Stones for Ibarra. Doerr only wrote a sentence an hour, per her obit in the NY Times. she's one of my favorite authors, spare and flint-sharp.

i actually dropped by to, well, to say 'hi,' but also to give you a hedzup on a new book coming out under Denis Lehane's imprimatur (i think that's the right word). i saw it mentioned in the local library mag and have pre-ordered it (the book, not the word 'imprimatur') from audible.com. the book is Visitation Street by Ivy Pochoda. of course, given your recent haul you may be disinterested. there are limits, after all, to the number of books one can want, right?

^This looks like me staring at my summer reading agenda. Actually, I think my waves are even bigger. Just sayin'! Another long day at work. I'll be back...



^I love that!

Love that image, Mark!

#126
At the ALA midwinter meeting there was buzz about Lehane's imprint. It seems that he was unhappy that some really talented mystery/thriller authors were not getting published so he decided to push a little and that lead to starting his own imprint. I can't remember which of the big publishers signed him up, but I am sure that they won't have made a mistake.

Joe- Hosting a Group Read of a classic chunkster, might not be the best idea, with all I have on my book-plate but I've been meaning to get to A Fine Balance for several years and what is encouraging is, how many of my dear LT pals, LOVE this book.
Speaking of mysteries, what was the author of the red-covered ARC you picked up? You had said, you had read a couple of that series.

Linda- The only Allende book I have read, is The House of the Spirits, which I read, at least 25 years ago. I hope to read more of her.

Pat- Wow! Great to see you! You have been missed. I hope you can join us for the Group Read and I am looking forward to your comments on Devil's Peak. Has your husband continued the series?
And sorry about the intense heat! UGH!

Ellie- What Doerr book should I go to next? How many of hers have you read? I would love to try her story collection. Thanks for the Lehane info. How cool. Have you read The Given Day? I have just over 300 pages left. It's a BIG BOY!
Visitation Street sounds good!

Katie- With my latest book haul, plus the army of books, I already had lined up, that is exactly how I feel.

Benita- Big Waves! Remember me? We drank together.

I had a great time at the meet-up and was so disappointed that Joe and family could not make it. I really NEED to put faces to all these posts. After all, we do spend lots of time together,so we should at least be familiar.

I had a good trip back and even with the 45 minute delay in O'Hara was able to make it back to T-town when it was still light on Tuesday. I didn't spend concentrated time in the booths at ALA this time, but I did cruise through a couple of times. I ended up shipping four boxes of books back and was so happy that the Loop post office was a little over one block from the hotel. The woman who was working the counter on Monday evening told me that one of those big bins behind her was full of boxes of books and wondered why everybody was shipping books? I explained that there were about 20,000 librarians and people associated with the industry in town for their annual conference and that as a consequence there would be boxes and boxes of materials shipped to various places around the country. I would have mailed my boxes from the exhibit hall but on Sunday the place was a zoo. The line for the post office was only exceeded by the line for Starbucks. I am happy to say that it was a little better on Monday as the folks in the P.O. finally figured out that they had to run two lines. If you had your boxes tapped and labeled you could go in the line to pay the postage. If not, you had to go in the other line. That sped things up tremendously.

On Saturday I had met a high school friend for a short time. She brought her daughter with her and the daughter was just overwhelmed by the crowds in the exhibit hall. She said that people were rude and it was worse than being in the hallway at school. Her mother was disappointed in that reaction, but they got lots of good books as well. I understand Emma's reaction as the aisle's on Saturday were very crowded. It was calmer on Sunday, but not by much. I am afraid that the visitors to the exhibit areas saw librarians at their worst. Mark did tell me later that the description of librarians as vultures was apt.

Unlike Mark, I purchased lots of my books and I think that my best find was four mysteries by Manuel Montalbano. I don't know much about him but he was one of the authors on that BBC Mystery podcast from about a year ago. He is the reason why Andrea Camilleri named his character Montalbano. I hope to get started on them once they get here, but first I have to read Long Ships for the group read and I think I may join the A Fine Balance group as well. The four books cost me $20.00 so that wasn't too painful.

I was pleased to go to the Haymarket Brewery. I didn't get to see the Haymarket commemorative statue, but I did drink some of their beer. They have these really nice sized sampler glasses so I tried four different kinds of them and had a great burger as well. The sampler glasses are just the right size to get a good taste of the beer and yet allow you to try several different kinds without walking away sloshed.

My only regret is that I didn't get to do much touristy stuff this time. I did take in a free concert at the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. It was a local band that played funk and it was such a beautiful evening that even if I wasn't that keen on the music it was fun to be outside and with thousands of other people. The architecture in that park is just amazing. The Pritzker bandshell was designed by Frank Gehry and it is an outstanding example of his work. It was rather cool that evening so I went to the conveniently located Starbucks and then back to the Chicago "Bean." That particular piece of art just makes me smile. Apparently it does the same thing for other people, so the 23 million dollars that the Chicago taxpayers paid for it was well worth the price.

I also did not get to see John Scalzi he was in the building, signing books, and talking about the sci/fi genre, but I didn't get to see him. That signed copy of Redshirts and Old Mans War will have to wait for a while.

I also did not get to the LT booth this time around. I did not get to say hi to Abby or Tim and that is just not right. They have created an amazing space for us here at LT and even gave us free passes to the exhibits. It is just WRONG of me to not have gotten to see them.

I forgot to mention that Deon Meyer was one of my ALA prepublished finds. I got an ARC of Devil's Peak a few years ago without much fanfare. It wasn't until it was announced that Sean Bean was going to play the part of Bennie Giesel that I got interested in the book and once started it was a train wreck. I couldn't jump off. I have to find the latest one in that series Seven Days but my local library doesn't have it. Looks like ILL will be hearing from me. He is simply a very good author and his translator must be amazing to be able to capture that tension and keep it there while going back and forth from Afrikaans to English. WOW!

Soho Press assured me that as a lover of David Downing Jack Russell series I won't have to wait long for the next one. It will be coming out next spring. I will be standing in line for that one.

Ha! Caught up with reading your thread. You can shoot off the fireworks now. I love the above picture and I identify!

I will be enjoying tomorrow, as a very quiet day. I'm shutting the house up, and keeping the dogs close to me. I'll be reading. No barbeque for me. No fireworks. None of it. Da nada! Quiet. Peace. and Reading. A bit unusual for me, but I think a good idea this year. The avoiding of Americana foods will help me keep the RA inflammation quiet. The avoiding of Americana noise and glory will keep the dogs a little sane, and peaceful, I hope.

I'm reading Hood by Stephen R. Lawhead. I became attached to it on the Nook and then I discovered I had a paperback copy. Horray! I can read it in the bath tub tonight.

Man oh man, you can't afford to turn your back for a second around here - trying to catch up; love the pics of your RL meet-up. I'm currently reading the A M Homes book - May we be forgiven - and gotta say I am enjoying every minute of it. It is very funny and I am fairly sure (half-way through) that it will be at least a Four Star read for me.

Mark, I'm glad you're enjoying the Doerr but she only wrote three books so her oeuvre is quite small. Tiger in the Grass is her short story collection and Consider This Senora was her second novel. They're all terrific.

I'd join you for A Fine Balance but I've already read it. It's wonderful too.

Benita- Now, there is one of your patented posts! LOL. Glad you made it home okay. I hope you can join us for A Fine Balance. I am glad to see I am not the only one who has not read that one. A few of my pals seem to be reading the Long Ships. That does sound good but I don't think I could bookhorn it in, anytime soon.
I have a few Scalzi books waiting on audio. I'll try to fit one in, in the next few weeks. 23 million for the Bean! Come on, that is freakin' ridiculous!

Karen- Fireworks going off all over the place! LOL. We are planning a quiet day tomorrow too! We might go see Iron Man 3. I hated 2 but I heard this was much much better. And then hit a brew/pub.

Prue- Great to see you! Opinion seems to be mixed on May We Be Forgiven but it sure sounds good to me.

Bonnie- Only 3 books? What? I only have about 50 pages left in Stones and it's so good. I think you should give the Given Day a shot! Yes, it's big and sprawling but he is such a good storyteller.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!

I hope all my American friends have a great holiday!

I feel much better about having no book space left...

Have a great time today :)

Nice USA graphic!

76) Wool by Hugh Howey 3.8 stars

"Welcome to the silo ... Thousands of them have lived underground. They've lived there so long, there are only legends about people living anywhere else. Such a life requires rules. Strict rules. There are things that must not be discussed. Like going outside. Never mention you might like going outside. Or you'll get what you wish for"

Sorry, I had to include that blurb from the jacket, but it fits it so well. Yes, most of us are getting pretty tired of post-apocalyptic stories. The doom, the gloom, the hard-scrabble existence and of course, the evil overlords. Finding something fresh and innovative is getting more difficult. I think Howey has pulled it off. If you were a fan of The Passage, as I was, (I did not like the 2nd book), you should enjoy this one. Howey doesn’t have the writing chops of Cronin but his prose is serviceable and he builds tension and suspense, with a steady hand.
Howey self-published these, as five separate e-books and finally landed a major publisher, which combined the books into one omnibus edition.
Give this one a try! Recommended.

78) There Are No Children Here by Alex Kotlowitz 4.7 stars

Welcome to the Henry Horner Homes! It is a public-housing project, located on the west-side of Chicago. The apartments are hot in the summer and even hotter in the winter. Poorly maintained, with broken down elevators, horrible plumbing and defunct appliances. The windows are blocked to prevent stray bullets and the occupants huddle in hallways, when the ubiquitous shooting begins.
Living in these conditions are two brothers, Lafeyette and Pharoah Rivers, ages 11 and 9. The author followed these boys for two years, in the late ‘80s, as they navigate, through a world filled with gangs, drug-dealers, welfare, over-burdened public defenders and dispassionate police. A life of violence and death, with “hope” being a foreign and elusive term.
This is an excellent nonfiction account and a perfect, eye-opening, reminder of how many live in America today. Highly recommended.

**Big thank you to Joe for recommending this one, at Lit Fest!

Enjoy the holiday, Mark!! What a picture perfect day.

I've got to get that Kotlowitz book. Sounds right up my alley, particularly for my Chicago category.

Happy day off, Mark!

Happy Independence Day Mark!

I am working today. Bonus for today is my Mom took her first steps in 10 months on the left leg! Woo!

This is A.S. Byatt's excellent review of Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/jul/03/ocean-end-lane-gaiman-review

Linda- I hope you are enjoying your holiday. We are going to see Iron Man3 and then get a bite and a brew.

RD- Big Waves! Hope you are feeling better, my friend.

Roberta- Happy 4th to you too! And yah for your Mom! That is great news!

Hope you are enjoying your holiday Mark!
Glad to see that you enjoyed Wool! I have that one on my TBR shelf!

Reading your review of There Are No Children Here reminded me of living and working in schools between 1967-1970. One school was across the street from the Robert Taylor Homes, on State St at about 44 the. How tragic and criminal that things are still the same in so many ways,

>140 msf59: There are No Children Here sounds like a tough read, I think I prefer my reality in the form of fiction, that way I can pretend its just fiction. Actually- that's not really true, I just recognise a sad read when I see one.

And I missed out on congratulating you on your 75th book!!! Hooray!

Hi Mark. Hope you're enjoying your Fourth of July holiday. My husband has read the following Deon Meyer books: Devil's Peak, Seven Days and Blood Safari. He liked Devil's Peak the best but thought they were all good and will continue to read more of his books.

Benita, thanks for the info about the movies. We'll have to keep an eye out for them. Also, I remember you talking about Devil's Peak on LT and how good it was. I told my husband about him because I know he likes detective series. So we both thank you for spreading the word. The power of LT!

Mark, I hope you like Iron Man 3. My husband and I really liked it after being somewhat bored with No. 2.

hadn't watched any of the Iron Man flicks. had noooo idea Terence Howard was in the first one. i'd watch it for him. actually, i just like the way he talks. maybe i'll try it. hmmm.

Harriett Doerr only had time to write 3 books. all are relatively short and each is nearly perfect. i think in all she wrote about 600 pages. maybe that was in the obit as well.

have a great Friday night, Marky. we'll be hunkered down watching women's hoops and trying to be calm during the firework frenzy that surrounds us. east TN folks love their fireworks. i worry about the critters and all our vets. i would!

Hi Mark, just dropping by to wish you a Happy Fourth of July. We live practically on top of the border and can usually see the fireworks that they let off in Point Roberts so I'll be thinking of all my American friends tonight.

If I wasn't so booked up for July I would join you for A Fine Balance, my brother has been bugging me to read it as he loved it. I just can't see how I could fit it in this month unfortunately.

You turned me green with envy over both your recent LT meetings and the books you scored. Lots of good reading there and I am prepared to take a number of book bullets!

My Adam just posted some photos from his trip to Chicago... they are beautiful, and he likes it. Cross some crossables with me that he finds a way to move there? ( Must find work or hit lottery. Either will do. )

Got my conference wrap-up e-mail today and I made a mistake. There were 26,000 people who attended the Chicago ALA conference. No wonder there was such a crush in the exhibit hall!

Like Karen and you and Sue, I opted for a quiet day. I made a peach cobbler for lunch with hot dogs and friends, had a short nap, and will spend the evening reading.

It was a rainy day so many people spent their picnic time indoors. However, I loved it. It was raining this morning when I woke up so I kept napping, because I got up late I didn't get the cobbler started on time and so was a little late for lunch. I decided that was OK because it is a holiday. What's the rush?

The only book I was as pushy to get as others was the Lonely Planet guide to Chicago. They had a small booth in the exhibit hall and on Friday night when the exhibits opened they gave away 100 copies of the Chicago guidebook. When I read that in the registration packet as soon as they opened the gates I made a bee-line for that booth. I handed them my filled out coupon and grabbed the book. I wasn't the only person to do so and bet that they only had those 100 copies for about 15 minutes. It was in that book that I found out all that information about Millennium Park.

Soho press gave away some free copies of Tim Hallinen's new book and the crowd around there was so thick I think those books were also gone in about 15 minutes. It is getting to be worse than the Bloomingdale's after Christmas sale!

I am glad you liked the post about the conference. I love Chicago and all those smiles make the "Bean" priceless.

^If I only had lots and lots of money and my own wing! Wouldn't that be sweet?

We had a nice 4th, but nothing traditional. We went to see Iron Man 3, which was a lot of fun, ( I detested the 2nd one) and went to a local brewery, with friends and drank, ate and shot the breeze. It was perfect.
I did finish the wonderful Stones For Ibarra. I was planning on starting The Wasp Factory tonight, but it's getting late for me and I work tomorrow. BOO!

Chelle- I am sure you will enjoy Wool! Pull that one down from the shelf and dig in.

Karen- I forgot you were a teacher in Chicago during the late 60s and at the notorious Robert Taylor too. That was mentioned in the book, along with the history of the public housing in our area. I give so much credit to any teacher that has to deal with this kind of environment.

Megan- I learn a lot from my fiction reading but nothing beats undiluted, straight to the gut, nonfiction. And yes, I can't believe I am over 80 titles already. Life is good.

Pat- I wish the Benny Griessel books were available on audio, at least here anyway, I would have a much better chance keeping up with the series. Devil's Peak still remains one of my top crime reads of the year. And yes, I really enjoyed Iron Man 3, but we waited all through the credits, about 10 minutes worth, for the cookies at the end and WHAT?

Ellie- I hope you are enjoying your holiday. Try to find and watch Iron Man 1. It's a lot of fun and I am a big fan of Terence Howard too. Avoid Iron Man 2. Ugh!
I WILL be reading more Doerr! That's a fact.

Judy- I wish you could join us on the Group Read of A Fine Balance. I intended to start the thread today but failed miserably. What's new, right? Yes, Meet-Ups are wonderful! Anytime, you plan on traveling in the states, let us know!

Kath- I'll have to stop by and see the pics from Adam. I wish him luck in Chicago. It is expensive here but there are more opportunities, no question.

Benita- Once again, it was great meeting you and thanks for all you did, on the ALA-side of things. Much appreciated. We snagged the new Hallinan too! I have not read him.

I really enjoyed Iron Man 3, but we waited all through the credits, about 10 minutes worth, for the cookies at the end and WHAT?

Mark, unfortunately, I don't know what you mean. We left as the credits started to roll. Now I want to know what we missed.

Ha! We stuck around for the therapy session after the Iron Man 3 credits, too, Mark. Amusing, but I know what you mean about the long wait.

The red covered mystery at ALA was a new one in the Bruno, Chief of Police series by Martin Walker. It's set in a small French village, and he's a great character.

Hope you're having a great 4th!

Oh Mark I can't imagine following up the sublime Doerr book with The Wasp Factory. I finished it this morning and I will try to crank out a review tomorrow. It won't be easy.

Well that wonderful review of There Are No Children Here has forced me to add it to my teetering tower. Thumb!

Mark, am having the summer cold blues, please mail me a letter bomb to put me out of my misery, thanks.

79) Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden 4.2 stars

"There is no 'human rights issue' in this country, as everyone leads the most dignified and happy life." - North Korean Central News Agency, March 6, 2009

Shin Dong-hyuk was born and raised, inside Camp 14. It is one of five, immense prisons, located in the mountains of North Korea. At a tender age, he witnessed the execution of his mother and brother. This story reads like a nightmarish dystopian novel, loaded with brutal guards, hunger, mind-control, cruelty, deceptions but in many ways it is far worse, since it is reportedly true.
In his early twenties, Shin escapes the camp. The very first to do so and the narrative follows Shin as he makes his long difficult journey to freedom and his acclimation into “normal” society.
This is the 3rd book, I have read about North Korea, in the past year or so. The first was the stunning Nothing to Envy and the 2nd was the trippy fictional odyssey, The Orphan Master’s Son. This one is not as strong as that pair but it still fits in, just fine.

Happy Friday! Unfortunately, I have to work the rest of the week but then I am off Sunday, Monday, which is my favorite combo. I will start The Wasp Factory for the Group Read and I'll be continuing The Given Day on audio.
I do feel better after knocking out 3 mini-reviews. I'll probably do one or two more.

Pat- It's not much of a spoiler but at the end of the endless credits of Iron Man, Stark is having a therapy session with Dr. Banner, (Mark Ruffalo) and listens (and dozes off) as Stark relates the story of the film. Cute but hardly worthy. At least on DVD you can zip to it.

Joe- Hope you had a nice 4th! It was a little noisy when I first went to bed but I eventually drifted off. Thanks for the Bruno rec. I'll have to track the first one down.
I might slip over on Sunday and see the new Star Trek film. We'll see.
^Did you see the Byatt review in #144? It's a good one.

Bonnie- I was hoping to read a few pages of The Wasp Factory yesterday but didn't get to it. I'll dive in today. Thanks for the Thumb! It really is a Must Read!

RD- Ugh! Sorry to hear about the summer cold! What a drag. I hope it wraps up quickly.

Well, the move isn't a THING yet. It is something that he is considering, with the encouragement of a good friend. . First a job.

Hi Mark. I'm adding There Are No Children Here to my wishlist and feeling nudged by your review of Escape From Camp 14 to get to Nothing to Envy when I return to real life. Meanwhile, I'm enjoying Ed McBain and I bought The Bat at O'Hare. Vacation reading. :-)

Sorry you have to return to work today, but I trust you'll be listening to something good.

Enjoyed your comments on Escape from Camp 14, Mark. Great quote: no human rights issues in North Korea. I am always struck by how fortunate a life I live here in my little corner of Canada -- but for literature, I cannot imagine the realities of Shin Dong-hyuk and millions of others like him.

Hi Mark! I hope you're doing well.

Sorry I couldn't chat longer when I ran into you at ALA. I was running to meet someone who was only going to be in that location for the next 5 minutes. You must have thought that I was a crazy person.

Wonderful book haul! Maybe someday I'll be able to experience that conference from an attendee perspective. How lovely that would be. Sigh.

Hiya Mark! I feel your work related pain. I am off today but I did work yesterday and I'll work this weekend. Such is life.

Escape from Camp 14 is one I plan to get around to one day.

THREE books about North Korea in one year, Mark? I read 'The Orphan Master's Son' and wanted to pull the covers over my head permanently afterward. Three books about that blighted place would have me driving straight into a bridge abutment.

I'm happy. I discovered that my public library has an audio copy of human Division (on CD, no less), so as soon as I get Redshirts and Old Man's WAr read I can get that one for my car. Oh boy, do I have a long list of reading for the rest of the summer. I don't think there is an audio version of Deon Meyer. Maybe that could be a request that those of us who are fans of his here on LT should make? I know that the early books by David Downing - the Jack Russell series - weren't available in sound recording. I think that publishers wait to see what the response is to books and then does audio recordings. I'll do some checking on that and see what I can find out and let everybody know.

i've been wanting to read Nothing to Envy but NLS doesn't have it and on the audible.com version, the mic catches the narrator's every in-drawn breath as a gasp, which is a bit grating. reviewers say, though, that in spite of that recording flaw, the book is so good it's worth putting up with for 12.5 hrs. is it up there with Behind the beautiful forevers and Garden of evening mists? it gets a 4.5 over 1000+ ratings. pretty big thumbs up but i'm such a picky listener. oh, the dilemmas i face. pretty rough.

oh gawd. it just started raining again. we're supposed to get 2 or 3 more inches in the next two days. we'll be found covered in mold one of these days. what's that great horror story about a ship found dead in the water with the passengers and crew all covered in mold? creepy thing. wonderful if you're a teen!

Ha! I love Julia's response to your N. Korea reading, Mark. Your tolerance for bleak is impressive. All three N. Korea books sound very good, and I need to get with it on those. You also read Pyongyang, so you can chalk up another one. I need to get to at least one of those soon.

I forgot to compliment you on that excellent review of There Are No Children Here. Thumb from me, too.

Hope you're setting up for a good weekend. What beautiful weather we're having!

I hope today and tomorrow do not have too heavy loads and that the coming weekend will be a fine, light hearted, and relaxing one! I'm smelling the end of Hood and do not know if I dare pick up the next in the series... I have so many other books to read. ALA books, and Booktopia Books. I know here are some good ones there and I still need to get back to my LBJ book (I was so excited to see it when it came out).

Still picking away at the big downsizing job. That is a lot of work.

Take care of your Man Cave! And enjoy every reading minute in it!

^ Yah, baby! I loves me my American brew!

Kath- Thanks for straightening this guy out! I appreciate it. Sometimes, we get caught speed-reading around here. Yes, it is come to that. LOL.

Ellen- Yes, I have learned to make the best of things. LOL. I think you will like both those NF titles and they are both of reasonable length.
I am behind on my Nesbo. I should try to bookhorn a Harry Hole in, soon.

Nancy- Good to see you. Have you read Nothing to Envy? If not. It is a MUST!

"A bookshelf is as particular to its owner as are his or her clothes; a personality is stamped on a library just as a shoe is shaped by the foot.” ―Alan Bennett

A nice warm summer day! And the humidity was still tolerable. It gets worse tomorrow. As advertised, I started The Wasp Factory. I had completely forgot what this one was about. I liked it immediately. Just my cuppa: Dark, inventive and creepy. I am still plugging away with the Given Day. It's a big sprawling boy! Just under 700 pages. I HOPE to finish it up tomorrow. My other audios, (their numbers are vast!) are beginning to grumble...

Kerri made it! Kerri made it! I knew you were going to be busy at ALA, you warned us, so it was no big deal. I had a good time at ALA and would attend again. And finishing the day at Haymarket Brewery....HEAVEN! Mathias Rules!

Roberta- Sorry, you had to work the holiday. That must be tough. It went well at work today. The volume was decent, especially after a day off. I hope it goes well tomorrow too and I get off on time!

Julia- "Three books about that blighted place would have me driving straight into a bridge abutment." LOL. Thanks for my first big chuckle of the evening. I wanted to read Nothing to Envy before the Johnson novel, to get the framework in place and that was a perfect idea. Actually, reading a difficult book about the Chicago public housing situation, followed by a brutal prison camp book, was not one of my brightest ideas.

Benita- Did you have to go right back to work? I wish the Meyer books were available on audio. I can get to them so much faster that way. I do have, several of the Scalzi books waiting on audio. How do we ever keep up?

Ellie- It was awhile ago, but I listened to Nothing To Envy and I remember it working just fine. And yes, it is a fantastic read. My favorite, the year I read it and yes, right up there with the wonderful Boo book. Sorry, about all the rain. Ugh!

Joe- "Your tolerance for bleak is impressive." Well, thank you, kind sir! I am actually proud of that fact. LOL. I did think of the Pyongyang GN, after I posted my comment and it should be included but thankfully it had a good sense of humor, to balance it out.
Hope you enjoyed another fine day off.

Karen- The volume wasn't bad today. Close to a normal Monday, so it worked out just fine and the nice weather always helps. We had to return our sofa because it had a flaw in it but they are delivering a new one tomorrow. I hope to spend some time Sunday and Monday, putting things back in order. I can't believe it's been nearly 4 months, since the Man-Cave incident.

Mark, thanks for the tip on Nothing to Envy. Woot! That is a well-loved book here on LT : ).

One more ALA story to share with all of you.

On Monday night I was at the Pritzker Pavilion for the free concert. I sat down on the steps and spent most of the evening people watching. During the concert a woman sat down beside me and asked to see my program because she thought she might come back later in the week if there were more free concerts. Something in her accent tipped me off and I asked her if she was German. She was very surprised but said that she was. It turned out she was from Rostock. I told her that I knew where that city was located. (It's on the Baltic coast, in Pomerania.) Again she was surprised , but I really surprised her when I said that I had a friend who lived there.

Tallula_Rose, if you are lurking on this thread, there is one of your fellows citizens vacationing in Chicago this week.

I think that LT has made my world smaller because I now have friends in such far flung places. Who would have thought that I would have a friend living in Kaula Lampur? Or Paul in Switzerland. Or Wookiebender in Sydney? Rather amazing when you think about it.

Mark,
I looked and the Deon Meyer books are available in sound recording. Both MP3 and CD. I would suggest that you put in a request for your library to purchase them. You could also ILL them. Oftentimes, sound recordings can be loaned through libraries Inter-Library Loan services. It doesn't hurt to ask, and of they can't or don't do ILL's for recorded books, put pressure on them to purchase the recorded versions. Libraries would rather buy what people have said that they want than guess.

^Wah! I want to hang out at the Beach Library all day!

Happy Saturday! Like I mentioned, I should be wrapping up the Given Day, so I can move on to a multitude of other things. I'll be continuing the Wasp Factory, despite the fact that Bonnie, one of my leading LT Guideposts, gave it a big thumbs down. You know what? That happens sometimes around here. What are you going to do?

Nancy- Demick is a terrific author. I read her book on Bosnia too!

Benita- Yes, my friend. We are global! We need to have an International Meet-Up. Lisbon, perhaps? I will check again with my library on the Meyer books. I think the last time I did check, nothing on audio cam up. Thanks for checking.

Happy Saturday, Mark! Enjoy your Sunday - Monday weekend!

I think my back would get sunburned while browsing at the beach library :0}

>176 msf59: Beach library - are the books printed on sand paper?

>176 msf59:: I want to go to an international LT Meet-Up in Lisbon, or Paris. I think Paris. My French is marginally better than my Spanish. Oh, my, goodness. Wouldn't it be fun to all gather together and just talk about books.

Happy Saturday eveyone, and happy reading, too.

Love that beach library, Mark!

I'm a little worried about The Wasp Factory given Bonnie's comments, but I will give it a try.

>179 maggie1944: - But, Karen, how's your Portuguese?!? ;-)

oh, yes, how ignorant of me! No Portuguese on board, none at all. Sigh.

Me either, so I second your vote for Paris!

How about a London/Paris LT meet up? We could spend one or two days in one city, then travel by Eurostar to the other city and spend a day or two there. Count me in if this ever comes to fruition!

Happy Saturday, Mark! I want to go to the beach library, too.

Hanging out on the porch today before going to the movies. It's a rough life. I did have to go into the hospital first thing to get my ribs x-rayed, but that should turn out okay in the end.

Hope you have a good one today. The storms are supposed to hold off until tonight.

^Amen!



^This looks like the closet in my mud room. Paradise in My Mud Room. Sounds like a C & W song.

>179 maggie1944: I want to go to an international LT Meet-Up in Lisbon, or Paris............Oh, my, goodness. Wouldn't it be fun to all gather together and just talk about books.
I second that. There'd (hopefully) be so many of us we could book out a whole hotel- it would be so much fun. I haven't stopped in Paris (I whizzed past on the fast train) but I would give it a good try for an Intl LT party :)

If we call it a conference, is it tax deductible?

Lynda- I hope there is a small but well-stocked bar next to the Beach Library. Hey, wear a hat and plenty of sunscreen and you'll be just fine.

Paul- I sure hope not. LOL.

Karen- It might be a few years before I can do an international Meet-up but it sounds like a wonderful idea. I am glad I have many LT friends that speak multiple languages. I am a typical lazy American and know precisely one.

Katie- It looks like many of us like the Beach Library. Let's go! I am 2/3rds done with the Wasp Factory. I like the book. Very creepy and original. We will see...

Psst - most all of Paris speaks English even though they hate to admit it, unless you want to spend some money with them....

I like Megan's idea of making it a conference of some kind so it can be tax deductible! Who here has the knowledge to figure that out??

Marky--- I just HAD to buy my own copy of A Monster Calls today when I was shopping at a book fair to sponsor my local library. I loved that book so much ~ and I heard a little voice reminding me that if MARK thought it worthy of his shelves, I should allow myself a copy for my shelves as well. After all, I will have to read it again one day and this way, I don't have to request it from the library again.

Ahh, the rationalization! :)

Happy Sunday! The house is perfectly quiet. I am nearly done with my first cup of coffee. Now, it's LT time. One of my favorite parts of the day.
I did not quite finish the audio of the Given Day but I think I will switch to the print book and wrap this baby up. I should also finish the Wasp Factory.

Darryl- I have been to both London and Paris but that was in the early 80s. I would love to return, especially with my wife. I just don't know when we would be able to. Years, perhaps?

Joe- Hanging on the porch sounds perfect. It turned out to be a nice night last night. We went over to friends and hung out on their back deck. Talked, laughed, ate and sampled a few mighty fine beers.

Megan- Yes, an International Meet-up would be a blast, wouldn't it? Imagine 20 or 30 of us in the same room. Wow! It would be beautifully riotous!
And yes, it better be tax deductible.

Karen- Yes, Europeans are much better speaking English than we are speaking...anything else.

Tina- Yah, for a keeper copy of A Monster Calls. My wife started a library copy a few weeks ago. I hope she can now return to my copy and finish it. It will look so nice on the shelf.

We'll have an International Meet up as soon as I win the big lottery. I'll rent a big hotel and buy everyone plane tickets and reimburse any lost salary. Then we'll cater every meal and have some authors come in and chat with us. We'll have Tim come talk to us about LT, too. Pets and kids will have day care. And we'll have a dealer's/publisher's room with books and book stuff like bookmarks and fun book knick knacks to buy. We'll have a coffee room called Joe's Cafe and a room that plays book-related films called Morphy's Movies.

Mark, I read and reviewed Enon yesterday; apparently I liked it a little less than you did.

I hope that the "years" pass quickly so that we can organize a large scale LT invasion of London and Paris!

Morphy for President! Morphy for President! Fingers crossed she wins that elusive lotto! I just hope there will be beer available in the coffee room. With all that gabbing, you need a good lubricant.

Darryl- I just read your review of Enon. You rated it less than I did but I think we felt very similar about it. The guy is just not cutting it. Hey, I sampled a Brother Thelonious Belgium Ale last night. I remembered you recommended it years ago. That is such an excellent beer. I wish it wasn't so expensive.

*cheers, waving pom-poms, and does a virtual back flip*

Morphy for President and Mark for Prime Minister! Let's get these lotteries won! Darryl can plan all the arrangements for appropriate hotels in London and Paris!

I'm reading Bend, Not Break now. Finished well over 1/2 yesterday and it is an amazing story but I have to say the writing is very drab; and some small details seem very incredible. Nonetheless, fascinating story of a Chinese woman who survived the Cultural Revolution as a child, and immigrated to the USA just in time to participate in the Dot Com bubble. She was successful in starting her own company which perhaps suggestes that a very difficult childhood is what is needed to become a successful entrepreneur.

I'm spending a good part of today doing my downsizing, but some reading and some jig saw puzzle work will also occur. Hope your Sunday is swell.

I am riveted by the beach library, and wondering if it is photoshop or read. The catastrophic possibilites are enormous!

Hi Mark.. sticking with just that for now.. although it is tempting to go on and on. Did I tell you that I went to a deli the other day and saw a man that looked so much like you I was staring? He then became afraid that he had cut in front of me and apologized. Poor guy. I explained and he thought me a wee bit daft, but there ya have it. I really wanted to ask for a photo... but I restrained myself.

I am happily anticipating you thoughts on The Wasp Factory Mark. I am probably in the minority and I probably should have been less harsh considering the author dies recently but I didn't have it in me to fudge my impressions. We so seldom disagree on books that it was probably just a blip on the screen.

Karen- Prime Minister Marky-Mark! It sounds both prestigious and nerdy. That will work. Bend, Not Break sounds interesting. I'll have to see if that's available on audio.
Have a good day downsizing but sneak in some R & R too. I'll be doing a mix of chores and reading myself.

Kath- I know it's not a good idea to assume but I do think that Beach Library is the real-deal and if it's not-So What! It's a great idea. LOL.
Wow! You saw my doppelganger, eh? You should have asked him if he was a reader.

Bonnie- Sometimes certain books rub the reader the wrong way and it looks like that's what happened with you & the Wasp Factory. I only have 50 pages left, so I'll to see how he wraps it up but I like the evil creepiness of it.
I did finish the Given Day and think you should give it a go. It's a mix of many things you admire. I think he could have used some liberal trimming but I say that about many books.

The Wasp Factory is definitely evil, and certainly creepy. Unsettling to boot.

I was quite taken by Bend Not Break. I agree with Karen about the plain vanilla writing, but the story is amazing. There is a vociferous group against the book over on Amazon, rumored to be paid by the Chinese government. Never seen anything like it.

I'm at sixes and sevens over what next to read, but I think I may go with that Willa Cather I found at ALA.

Hope you're enjoying the day, my friend.

Mark - I very rarely get 100 posts behind. Says volumes for my busy week but more so for your rockin' thread.

Loved the book haul way up above and for the nicely apportioned beer pics.

Have a great Sunday mate polishing off The Wasp Factory.

I think the Beach Library might be real. There is a group that designed and built a portable library that is designed for use in public parks and playgrounds. In that one the books never get wet. The installiation stays for three days in one spot and then moves to another. I think it is in New York City. I will try to find it and let you know.

I went out and cut the grass and it is hot & muggy out there. Ugh! Plus I disturbed a wasp nest, burrowed in an old bird feeder and they immediately got very pissed, so I have to delay a portion of my grass cutting at the rear of the house. Did not get stung, thank God!

Richard mentioned that Spielberg was planning on bringing the grapes of Wrath back to the big screen and we were having fun casting the film on his thread. I like John Hawkes as Jim Casy, the preacher and Margo Martindale as Ma Joad.

RD- I am going to shower and then try to finish the Wasp Factory. I actually saw one of those in my backyard.

Joe- I hope you are reclining somewhere cool. More Cather on deck, eh? I think I'll start Among Others. Have you read that one. I know it's an LT fav.

Paul- Great to see you! You were missed. You always boost morale around here. I'll be back on my thoughts about the Banks book.

Benita- You are our resident researcher. LOL. And a very fine one, at that.

Dang, just read through your ALA haul! Wowzee - that is something! How did I miss Larry Watson has a new one coming out? Added a few others to my wish list too.

Since I don't make it to BEA anymore, I might really need to get ALA Chicago on my calendar next year.

>193 msf59: I agree, Mark; Paul Harding is a bit overrated I think.

Actually I haven't tried Brother Thelonious Belgium Ale yet! I forgot who told me about it. I do want to give it a try, though.

Funny, I thought you were the one that recommended it a few years ago. Like I told Joe, this is a great beer. Give it a try!

Nancy- Wow! It's great to see you. You've been missed. I was very happy with my mostly free book haul from ALA. Now, I have to try and weave these titles into my To-Read schedule. It's going to be tight. I think ALA is in a different place every year, so you'll have to keep an eye out. I think it's in Vegas next year.

I wanna come tooooooo! Can we carpool to Paris?

^ ALERT: Okay, the thread for the Group Read of A Fine Balance is posted. It will kick off on the 15th, but you may start anytime you're little heart desires. Like me, if you still have not got to this beloved classic, come on over and join us. It may not be a breezy summer read, (you can read that fluff any old time) but it is supposed to be a jaw-dropper and completely unforgettable.

Here it is: http://www.librarything.com/topic/156267#

It's also in msg# 3, if you lose it.

Yes, I read Among Others, Mark, and I'm another LTer who liked it. Mori is straightforward and sharp, and you get to decide whether you're dealing with coincidence or something more like magic.

We kept cool for a lot of the day, and got a visit from the wily Sherlock and his human friend Becca.

Hope you've had a good one, too.

Very muggy today, Mark. We put the AC on in the house for the first time this summer.

Shame on me. I read Among Others and I remember liking it, although I did not write any comments or review. Must have been busy, or tired, or some other lame excuse. I gave it 3 1/2 stars. I hope you enjoy it.

Yes, car pooling to Paris is encouraged. We'll have to do some research on amphib cars I guess.

Sad News: I had to empty a large chunk of my Must Read Now shelf, to make room for my ALA book haul, which includes many ARCS, that can not be shunned to the lower rungs. Much caterwauling ensued. I felt like a back-stabbing traitor. Are you happy now, ALA?

Kathy- I wish Paris was close enough, so we could all drive. One big, happy bus!

Joe & Karen- I know many of my LT pals enjoyed Among Others. I really wanted to find it on audio but had no luck. I almost sent the library copy back unread but I have a solid week before the Group Read starts and I would have felt guilty as hell.

Linda- It was a hot one! We have had the air one quite a few times, already. Talk to Sue! And it looks like it will be warm for the next few days.

Karen- Walton seems to be very popular around these parts. Time to give her a shot.

I just had to sell a bunch of books because I needed to pay for rent...I feel a little less whole now

Don't feel so badly. I sold some books today and spent the money on groceries. We do what we have to do and there's always libraries!

I love being off on Monday! And today, with the heat, humidity and the rain moving through, it's especially delectable. I have a mix of chores, errands and R & R to accomplish and will cap off the day, meeting an old friend for burgers and brew. Sweet!
I'll be starting 2 fresh books. Among Others, an LT fav and a library book that needs to be returned soon. On audio, I'll be listening to the Interestings. I received this as an ER selection a couple months ago but managed to snag it on audio, so I can finally GET to it.

blackwhiteandgray- Good to see you! Are you going to add any books to your LT library?

Karen- As long as they were books you had already read and needed to find homes. Hope the groceries were good.

I've got A Fine Balance on order from the library.

How do you get to see your haul from ALA? I want to find out what you got. I went to your page but I can't seem to get to the recently added portion.

ALA moves around every year. Next year it will be in Las Vegas. The winter one will be in Philadelphia. About every 5 years it is in Chicago because that city is the home headquarters for ALA.

Hmmm. Philly I could do...

Maybe I could go to Los Vegas.....

#217
It is usually in January and is a much smaller conference than the summer one. We had a LT meet-up at the Seattle conference, so when it gets closer to the time of the conference I can start planning a meet up for the Philadelphia area. Abby and Tim are usually very cooperative when it comes to planning this kind of thing.

It's been pouring for the past 2 and a half hours! Did I pick the right day off or what, (even though, I really had nothing to do with it)? I even had to cut short my errands, it was raining so hard. Time to dig into, Among Others.

Morphy- It will be nice to have you along on the G.R. Stop by and drop a star on the thread.

Benita- The book haul and all it's glories resides in post #94! I stop by and just look at it sometimes. Ahhhh! I would be ready to attend again in 5 years. Sounds good.

Big waves to Jim & Karen!

And to think I thought the list was on your profile page.

It has been cloudy with rain off and on here in T-town for the last four days. It was so wet on Friday that the powers that be sent out an e-mail to our library telling us to watch for flooding. It is supposed to cut loose and rain hard later today.

191: Morphy doesn't mess around, does she? Can't wait until she wins the lottery!

Mark, Big congrats on that awesome haul from the ALA. That sounds like an amazing experience. I'm sure your TBR books will get over their displacement. You'll just have to read faster!

Thanks for keeping up with me on my recent trip to Minnesota and Michigan. I hope I can return the favor if/when you go to Booktopia in Petoskey.

Enjoy your rainy Monday at home!

Wah, I want to hang out at the beach library all day, too!

"This isn’t a nice story, and this isn’t an easy story. But it is a story about fairies, so feel free to think of it as a fairy story. It’s not like you’d believe it anyway.”

“It doesn't matter. I have books, new books, and I can bear anything as long as there are books.”

-Among Others

^Of course this grabbed me right away. My only regret is that I haven't read more Sci-Fi & Fantasy. Walton references and refers to many titles in the early going. Maybe I'll have to reread this, somewhere down the road, when I catch up, 15 or 20 years from now.

Benita- I never thought of adding my ALA Book haul to my profile page. LOL. That would really be bragging wouldn't it?
Did you pick up any of the same titles?

Donna- Welcome back! Glad you had a great time in Michigan. Fingers still crossed, that I can get into Petoskey. I was told I was 2nd on the list, which isn't shabby.
Funny, the sun is out now but it is HOT. More storms roll in later.

Nancy- Maybe if we wish hard enough, we will be transported to that spot. Don't give up.

Yes, I thought of all those references to sci-fi fantasy books when you said you were going to read Among Others, Mark. Having grown up reading those, I can say that, to me, she certainly picks top of the line ones - cherce, as Spencer Tracy would say. It does add to the fun, when reading this one, to know them, but it isn't a big deal in terms of the plot.

I'm enjoying the Willa Cather book. Another one different from what I expected. I figured her for a writer about pioneer times in Nebraska, then I read Death Comes for the Archbishop set in New Mexico, The Song of the Lark set in good part in Chicago and New York, and now Alexander's Bridge, set so far in Boston. She's much more wide-ranging in a whole lot of ways than I realized.

Hope you're getting the cool down from the rain that we got, and didn't get drenched in the process.

BTW, the Five Lizard Latin Style Witbier, that unlikely idea, was pretty darn good.

I have to admit that reading Morphy's grand lottery plan (>191 Morphidae: ) made me more than just a bit excited. *fingers crossed*

Good luck with A Fine Balance- it is quite a journey (in a good way). I am also looking forward to your thoughts on The Wasp Factory! *uncrosses, then taps fingers*

# 174 Hello there, I hope I'm not intruding this thread. Great you had such a brilliant time over in Chicago and thanks benita, for sharing this story with me. Rostock really isn't a big city and it is really a coincidence that you met some one there.
Yeah LT made our world smaller in some way, but also way richer. Thanks again for sharing this story. I find it really touching.

Not intruding at all. Welcome!

Joe- I am really enjoying Among Others. You can feel the book love. It vibrates through the pages. I'll have to add Cather to the To-Read Soon list. She sounds like a must.
Sorry, to say I tried the 5 Lizards Witbier tonight, (fortunately just a sample) and was underwhelmed. I bet the members of Matchbox 20 love this stuff!

Megan- I think many of us, are hoping Morphy wins the lotto! What a grand time we will have. LOL. I really liked The Wasp Factory. A review will be difficult...

T.R.- Anyone named Tallulah Rose is welcome here! Stop by anytime. Sadly, I have not heard of Rostock. I was stationed near Nuremberg for close to 2 years in the early 80s. I loved Deutschland!

I'm thinking Las Vegas sounds great, not because I have ever wanted to go to that city, but because it's close to Seattle!! It's too bad the winter ALA is in Philly and the summer one is in Las Vegas. I would think librarians could perhaps think to do that in the other direction? It wouldn't take a lot of research to figure that out (I know, I know, it's cheaper to go to each location off season. I'm just sayin').

Mark, I'm glad you enjoyed your Monday off. I think you will like A Fine Balance.

I hope I get to come to Chicago again and drink another Mathias with you and Susan!

Happy that you are enjoying Among Others. Nina has a couple of lists going of the books mentioned in it, I think there might also be an LT library somewhere as well. Here's the link to her message on my thread: http://www.librarything.com/topic/155426#4152268

^Let's start the morning with a little humor. Okay?

Another hot & muggy one here. Ugh! It is supposed to get more comfortable, later tomorrow. As I mentioned, I am really enjoying Among Others and just took a sample of the Interestings, which also holds promise. Anyone else a Wolitzer fan? This will be my first.

Ellen- I hope you are all settled in back home and getting into the swing of things. We enjoyed our visit with you and hope to do it again sometime.

Kerry- Thanks for the link. I will check it out. Like you, I haven't heard of most of the Sci-Fi & fantasy titles, that Walton continues to toss out, but those are both genres, I am least familiar with.
ETA- I just took a peek at the list. WOW! Looks like I have some serious work to do. Yikes!

Oh dear... it's your "monday " ! Hope the weather is not too unpleasant? Nothing much to say. Life is fairly dull around here. I am not complaining, believe me. I like dull!

So, that beach library is a thing? wow. Amazing!

>232 msf59: Okay. That made me snort.

>229 msf59: Ha! Good for you for at least trying the 5 Lizards Latin Style Witbier, Mark. It may be the beer of choice for Matchbox 20; I'll check next time I hang out with them.

It wouldn't be at the top of my list, but I thought 5L put together the different flavors well. It hit the spot on a hot day. Better by a long shot, from my POV, than the Dogfish Head Fiesta Peche.

Yes, read some Cather; she can write like nobody's business. I'd suggest starting with My Antonia or O Pioneers!, although you can't go wrong with any of them, as far as I can tell. I just reviewed The Song of the Lark, and I just finished her Alexander's Bridge. The Professor's House, mentioned by Bonnie, may be my next one of hers.

Right now I'm following your lead and I've started Five by Endo. It feels good to finally be reading something by him.

I really enjoyed Among Others and found it surprising how many of the books I had read. But I have to say that I was flabbergasted by the number of titles I had not read, and, had not heard of. I thought that I was fairly well read in the Sci-Fi genre, but after reading this book I think that I have been reading mostly Fantasy and not as much Sci-Fi. I thought that the idea of the book club that read only Sci-Fi was great. I have trouble getting six people to meet once a month to read titles across the spectrum and can't imagine that a small town would get that many people to read in one genre. For me that is the real fantasy in this book. I love to get together and discuss books.

I also love that library in Among Others. So glad you are reading it. It is a little bit different for a book in this genre, but is a peon to the wonders of reading.

Would you go to this Starbucks?
It is a Starbucks in Tokyo that looks like a library from the outside. I tried to copy the picture but couldn't.
Here is the URL for the story.
http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/starbucks-builds-a-library-themed-pop-up-st...

You crack me up, Mark!

I hope you're staying hydrated today, Mark. Just the short walk from the car into the building makes me glad that I work indoors. Muggy.

Especially glad to be indoors when, as today, the AC is working. Sometimes, on Mondays, it's a bit warm/stuffy, til they get the thing going right in my part of the building.

Joe, thanks for the suggestions about which Cather to start with. If I finish my 2013 category challenge early, I'm hoping to do some nonmystery fiction reading during the last couple months of the year. I've never read anything by her before.

You bet, Linda. You're in for a treat. I hadn't read any of her either until the last couple of years or so.

CRACK HOUSE, LOL! I needed that laughter, Mark! :)

Howdy everyone! Yes, it was another hot one but the cloud cover and a decent breeze kept it tolerable.

Kath- They had a nightmare at the P.O. yesterday, with many routes down. Carriers were coming back at 10pm. The businesses on my route didn't go out til 6pm, of course a slew of them were closed already. I still have no regrets not working my day off. Ugh! I had a mess to clean up today but it's back ship-shape.

Morphy- I snagged that off FB. It's nice to start the day with a chuckle.

Joe- At the bar I was at, they also had Dogfish Head Fiesta Peche, but I don't like fruity beers. I don't mind just a little wisp of flavor but nothing in YOUR FACE.
Funny, I was going to give you my copy of Five By Endo, (since Caro sent it to me) and was going to mail it out this week. You beat me to it, dude.
Thanks for all the Cather info. I have read My Antonia and have one or two others, in the stacks.

Benita & Joe -Did you see the link (in post #231) to the list of all the books mentioned in Among Others? That will put your jaw on the floor. Sadly, I have only read a fraction of those titles.

Benita- I do like the library in Among Others and the book club and the librarian and her deep love for inter-library loan. LOL.
The Starbucks novelty looks cool but it also looks like a little work. Rather grab a cuppa and sit down and read.

Darryl- Nice come back. LOL!

Linda- Yes, I did keep hydrated. I am pretty good at that. There were a couple light sprinkles but fortunately that was it. I sure would have hated putting on that dreaded & hot rain-gear.

Tina- Glad you got a kick out of it!

Mark, glad you got just sprinkles. We had heavy downpours a few times. One time, it knocked out power in the office for 5 mins, even the emergency lighting for a time. I put my Kindle and my smart phone on so I had a little light.

Mark, I appreciate your giving us the "other side" of the whole post office/mail delivery experience. It's awfully easy for people (me) to get irritated when mail isn't delivered at the same time every day, and little thought is given to why that might happen or what else postal workers are having to deal with along the way.

(Although, and I hate to say this, I find myself little concerned with whether the mail is delivered on a particular day anymore, as virtually all of it is junk mail or bills. And I say this as someone who made checking the mail every day the first thing I did when I got home from work. There was always something interesting: a magazine I subscribed to, a newsletter from an organization I belonged to, or even (gasp!) a letter from a friend. Now I read my magazines and newsletters online, pay my bills online, and email my friends. I don't have any answers on how the postal folks can change that, sadly.)

Geez, I'm a real Debbie Downer tonight, aren't I? Sorry about that. Hey, I like your crack house! (That doesn't sound quite right ...)

HA love the crack house! Thanks for the giggle Mark!

Love the crack house cartoon Mark:)

I am extremely careful to maintain the dignity of my trousers Mark to ensure that I don't get featured in a sketch such as yours!

RD mentioned the article about the most anticipated books in the 2nd half of this year and I think it was an incredible list and might just prove that this will be a stellar year for book releases, possibly one of the best in years:
http://www.themillions.com/2013/07/most-anticipated-the-great-second-half-2013-b...
I saw the description of the Rathbones and went bonkers immediately, especially since I snagged an ARC of this at ALA:

"The Rathbones by Janice Clark: The Rathbones is the most sui generis debut you’re likely to encounter this year. Think Moby-Dick directed by David Lynch from a screenplay by Gabriel Garcia Marquez…with Charles Addams doing the set design and The Decemberists supplying the chanteys. Initially the story of the last surviving member of an eccentric 19th-Century whaling dynasty, it becomes the story of that dynasty itself. I should also say that this was the single most exciting thing I read in manuscript in graduate school, where the author and I studied together. Clark writes a beautiful prose line, and the story, like the ocean, get deeper, richer, and stranger the farther out you go."
Yeah, baby!!

Oh, my, what a wonderful thread. It is difficult to keep up with all the posts, so for now I'll say, I love the meet up photos!!!!

Isn't it just amazing how we all click right away when meeting in person!!!!

All the best to you!!!!

Oh my! The Rathbones sounds great - crazy - but great.

Linda- I am looking forward to it cooling off later tomorrow. We did not have any of those storms. I think more might be rolling through tonight.

Julia- Yes, we have our share of drama too! LOL. I am just so glad I wasn't part of it yesterday. Hey, I pay most of my bills online too. The P.O. just has to roll with the changes. Be creative and smart. I think us being incredibly competitive in the parcel trade has been a coup. I have never delivered this many parcels, on a regular basis, in over 25 years.

Chelle & Bonnie- Glad I could get some giggles. We aim to please!

Paul- ROFL! You have to be very careful around here.



Good night, folks...

^This looks like me making the moves with my summer reading fandango. (of course, I am not this suave).

Happy Hump Day! I am really enjoying both my current reads, Among Others & The Interestings. I love it, when that happens!

Linda- Great to see you! One of these days, I'll make it to PA!

Katie- I think my wife grabbed that title from the Random House booth, at ALA. So I will give her all the credit but I can't wait to dive into "crazy" waters.

I am still envious... what fun the ALA must have been!

Hope you have a good day today. Glad the P.O. has had their melt down day for the year ( I hope it's a one off ) and that all is now well. WEird huh? At any workplace there are days that are total melt down crazy days now and then. weird...

Carry on and happy day to you!

Thanks for the reminder to look at the Among Others list of books, Mark. Woo, I didn't remember it as being that long. I have read a ton of those listed, but there are many I haven't. I'm printing it out.

Five by Endo was good. The first three were a bit . . . low key? But I liked the last two a lot, with Madame Louge being asked to spy, and Isolbe dealing with his wife's condition and issues of reincarnation.

I got home from work about 6:00 p.m. last night and the a few minutes later the mail delivery truck came by. That is really late for them in my neighborhood. I figured it was the amount of stuff that accumulated due to the holiday. And then since there as only Friday and the weekend I figured that lots of stuff didn't get mailed until Monday. Makes for an interesting Tuesday. If you are the Postman.

Checking in to say hi, Marky-Mark ... love the book tango .. what skill!

“I don't want anyone writing in to point out that I spend too much money on books, many of which I will never read. I know that already. I certainly intend to read all of them, more or less. My intentions are good. Anyway, it's my money. And I'll bet you do it too.”

―Nick Hornby, The Polysyllabic Spree



^And I have a lot of company over here! So, there!

Hi Mark!

Flying through - looking at the pictures and skimming the words - just to let you know I didn't forget you.
Even whizzing through, this is a good thread :-)
Glad I didn't miss it entirely :-\

Kath- ALA was a blast, but I don't think I could handle it every year. I think Benita said it hits Chicago every 5 years. Perfect.
After the P.O. meltdown on Monday, (which I fortunately did not attend) everything has been nice and smooth. See, I am a stabilizer.

Joe- "I have read a ton of those listed." Wow! That is impressive. It looks like I need to get on the Sci-Fi/fantasy ball! If you have a few minutes, jot down a few absolute Must Reads, off that list and pass it along. I love the moment, in Among Others when Mori receives the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, as a gift. She says the title and the cover were crap but ended up loving the book. LOL.
Glad you liked the Endo. Yes, he writes in a quiet fashion but I think it packs a nice little punch.

Benita- Did that mail truck have any boxes for you? Inquiring minds and all that.

Caro- Good to see you! That is the only dancing I do, on a regular basis. I sometimes do the "white guy shuffle" at weddings, of course after some lubrication, if you know what I mean. Wink, wink.

Claudia made it! Claudia made it! The flame has not gone out. Whew! Great to see you, my friend.

>237 benitastrnad: well, I like the coffee shop library idea, it is so interesting and different, even though I dont go to starbucks, i would go to this one just once to see.

Hi Mark- your books are vying for your attention like attention-starved toddlers huh? Looks like you need more shelving!

Love the crack house and the chain reader, Mark! Don't know where you find all of this stuff, but it's great : ).

^ I think I found the ideal part-time job, after I retire. And of course, I would pay particular attention to the ladies and make sure all their reading needs were filled, promptly and with great care. Dreamy, huh?

Megan- " like attention-starved toddlers huh?" You are right on the mark, with that one! Fortunately, mine do not throw temper-tantrums...yet, anyway.

Nancy- We aim to please over here. Most of this stuff I snag from FB. It's the best thing about that site. LOL.

Ahhh! How would you ever get any work done? You'd probably just wander off with the cart...

Hi Mark, nice pics on your thread and quotes too.

Hi Mark, wandering through. Nothin' interesting to say.

Now Mark, you know darn well if you had that cart of books at the beach you would get so caught up in reading the books that you would forget to, er, service all the lovely beach bunnies who need something to read while they work on deepening that tan.

Kathy- I would never wander! I am a professional. I might sneak some reading in here and there but that's it!

Gautam- Great to see you, sir! And see? We've really cut down on the weather talk.

RD- Big Waves!

Julia- You know me so well! LOL. I do love the sound of "lovely beach bunnies"!

Hi Mark, I've spent the last 5 minutes catching up on your thead and enjoying your cartoons and pictures. I have been totally absorbed in my current read, The Long Ships is a great viking adventure story.

Has anyone ever called you a crackpot, Mark?

By the way, I thought you would like this. These are all over Seattle. I run past three of them on my basic 3-mile route from my house.

Sweet Thursday! It is supposed to be a gorgeous summer day. 81, sunny, low humidity. Ahhhh...I have about 90 pages left in Among Others, which has been a blast and I am into the 2nd half of the Interestings, which is long but always engaging.

Judy- Thanks for catching up! I'll have to keep an eye out for The Long ships. It sounds good. Have you read Among Others? It's a keeper.

Ellen- Yes, I have been called a crackpot, thank you very much but usually it is delivered with a healthy dose of affection. Have you ever checked out one of these "Little Free Libraries"?

I will return this evening and start the new thread!

I just love Seattle. Those little libraries are the best!

>269 EBT1002:: Recently I visited my brother in Minneapolis and saw a few little free libraries there as well. And I just visited the Little Free Libraries website, where there's a link to a map of all locations, and discovered one just a few miles from my house. I'm going to have to pay them a visit.

I think Mark will be watching the lovely ladies and will forget the books!

***

Found a Little Free Library near me that is adorable. It has a bench and a little dog treat house, too.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/68010601@N03/7883069448/

Hi Mark! I'm so glad the humidity is going down today - for you and me, who must work out in the yard today.

FYI - ALA will be in Chicago on a more frequent basis during the next few years. January 2015 and June 2017 are the next ones. No five-year wait for you! Here is the handy schedule: http://www.ala.org/conferencesevents/ala-upcoming-annual-conferences-midwinter-m....

It's a picture perfect day. The low humidity is the best part.

Actually, the best part is that today's my Friday as I'm going to the Cubs/Cardinals game tomorrow.

Weird but, starting today for the first time, we have to start wearing ID badges at work. I feel like I'm working in a hospital or something.

Sounds good on the sci-fi fantasy, Mark. I'll start with the Among Others list. At some point I'd probably go off-list for others, but that can wait.

Some on it aren't really what I'd call sci-fi or fantasy, like Vonnegut and Mary Renault. And you'll see Dickens and Trollope and T.S. Eliot and others get in there, too. But if you haven't read LeGuin or Zelazny or Heinlein, those would be some authors to start with. I'll get you more of an answer soon.

Good news from Kerri on 1/2015 for ALA in Chicago. That's a ways away, but closer than I expected. And 6/2017 after that. Then we need to figure out a way to spring Kerri from her duties for a little bit, or at least visit her wherever she may be at ALA.

Little Free Libraries!?
I love it!

#257 'I'm a chain reader' hmmm... methinks my chain may have, somewhere alone the line, become mesh...

There is a Little Free Library out in a field not far from my home in Kansas. It is very close to the Orphan Train Museum and the idea was that it could provide reading material for people traveling through. I wonder what the turn-over in books is at that one?

Love the Little Free Libraries!

^ A few of my non-reading buddies might not agree but.... to hell with them, I say!

I'll be back...

Karen- Have you checked out one of those Little Free Libraries? If so, you find anything good? And then you leave a book too, right?

Laura- Big Waves!

Morphy- "I think Mark will be watching the lovely ladies and will forget the books!" Okay, now i am offended. Does that sound like something I would do? Alright, never mind...
I love the photo you shared and the cute dog bowl.

Kerri- It was much better today! Mailman kind of weather. Thanks for the ALA info. I might just go 1/15! It's nice to have something to look forward to.

Linda- Yah, for a long weekend! And yah for the Cubs & Cards game. Those are always entertaining and hard-played, no matter how the teams are doing. Enjoy!

Joe- Of course, I have read some of the non-Sci-Fi & fantasy titles listed in the book but not many of those genre titles. I only have a few pages left. It's such a fun read!

Bekka- I would think all of us would qualify as "chain-readers". LOL.

Megan, Benita & Roberta- Big hearty waves!

^Okay, time to grab the summer books, sunscreen, beach-towels and flip-flops and head over to the Sweet 16:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/156559