Mamie's 2013 Madness (Page 17)

Those of you who followed my thread last year know that September is a hard month for me because my Dad died in September. It will be two years on the 13th, and I am missing him. He taught me everything I know about unconditional love.

Currently Reading

Currently Listening to:


September: (13 books)
109. Light in August by William Faulkner (4.25 stars)
110. Raylan by Elmore Leonard (3.3 stars)
111. Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs (4 stars)
112. The Judas Goat by Robert B. Parker (3 stars)
113. The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman (3.5 stars)
114. The Road Home by Rose Tremain (4 stars)
115. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett - reread (always 5 stars for me!)
116. The Asphalt Jungle by W. R. Burnett (4 stars)
117. Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs (3.75 stars)
118. Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs (3.75 stars)
119. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling -reread
120. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling - reread
121. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling - reread

September Possibilites:

Series and Sequels:
*Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch - TIOLI #13 - 2013 acquired ebook/audiobook
Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs - TIOLI #11 - 2013 acquired ebook - COMPLETED
Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs -TIOLI #11 - 2013 acquired ebook - COMPLETED
Grave Peril by Jim Butcher - TIOLI #13 - 2013 acquired audiobook - Listening
Fatal Grace by Louise Penny - library hardback - Reading
A Murder of Quality by John le Carré - TIOLI #18 - 2013 acquired paperback
The Judas Goat by Robert B. Parker - TIOLI #1 - library audiobook - COMPLETED
*The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold - TIOLI #11 - ROOT ebook
The Likeness by Tana French - 2013 acquired hardback
The Witch's Grave by Phillip DePoy - TIOLI #10 - ROOT ebook
The Various Haunts of Men by Susan Hill - TIOLI #6 - 2013 acquired ebook
Raylan by Elmore Leonard - TIOLI #10 - ROOT paperback - COMPLETED
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynn Jones - TIOLI #10 - ROOT paperback
Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs - TIOLI #11 - 2013 acquired ebook - COMPLETED
River Marked by Patricia Briggs - TIOLI #11 - 2013 acquired ebook - Reading
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling - TIOLI #10 - ROOT reread - COMPLETED
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling - TIOLI #10 - ROOT reread - COMPLETED
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling - TIOLI #18 - ROOT reread - COMPLETED
Others Candidates:
Light in August by William Faulkner - TIOLI #12/shared - 2013 acquired paperback - COMPLETED
Out of Sight by Elmore Leonard - 2013 acquired paperback
*Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston - TIOLI #12/shared - ROOT paperback/audiobook
*The Bounty Hunter by Elmore Leonard - TIOLI #1 - 2013 acquired ebook - Reading
*The Asphalt Jungle By W. R. Burnett - TIOLI #8/shared - ROOT ebook - COMPLETED
*The Road Home by Rose Tremain - TIOLI #13/shared - gift from Paul - Thank you, Paul! COMPLETED
The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman - TIOLI #1/shared - 2013 acquired paperback - COMPLETED
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett - TIOLI #22/shared - ROOT paperback - reread - COMPLETED
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale - TIOLI #22 - ROOT paperback - Reading
Beowulf by Anonymous translated by Seamus Heaney - TIOLI #20 - 2013 acquired paperback - Reading
The Tourist by Olen Steinhauer - 2013 acquired paperback - Reading

My 2013 Data (I shamelessly stole this idea from Cee!)



Total Books Read: 121

ROOTs books (off my own bookshelves): 55 counted/ 1 reread not counted

Fiction: 113
Non-Fiction: 8

New to me Authors - not including manga or graphic novels: 58

Male authors: 53
Female authors: 68

US authors: 81
Authors from other countries: 39
Unknown: 1

Living Authors: 92
Dead Authors: 29

Medium:
Hardback: 19
Paperback: 42
ebook: 50
audiobook: 10

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

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

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

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

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

June (18 books)
68. All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris - reread
69. A Touch of Dead by Charlaine Harris (3 stars)
70. The Radleys by Matt Haig (4 stars)
71. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (5 stars)
72. The Cottage at Glass Beach by Heather Barbieri (4 stars)
73. From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris - reread
74. Austenland by Shannon Hale (4 stars)
75. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - reread (4.25 stars)
76. God Save the Child by Robert B. Parker (3 stars)
77. Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris - reread
78. The African Queen by C. S. Forrester (4 stars)
79. Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris (3.75 stars)
80. The Reader by Bernhard Schlink (4 stars)
81. The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin (4.25 stars)
82. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro (4.75 stars)
83. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith - reread
84. Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout (3.75 stars)
85. Blood Kin by Henry Chappell (4 stars)

July (11 books)
86. American Born Chinese by Gene Yang (4 stars)
87. The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley (4 stars)
88. gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson (3.5 stars)
89. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (4.5 stars)
90. The Bat by Jo Nesbo (3 stars)
91. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen - reread
92. The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler (4.25 stars)
93. Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler (3.75 stars)
94. A Bride's Story, Vol. 2 by Kaoru Mori (4 stars)
95. Mortal Stakes by Robert B. Parker (3.25 stars)
96. Pride and Prejudice adapted graphic novel by Nancy Butler (4 stars)

August: (12 books)
97. Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham (4 stars)
98. Cop Hater by Ed McBain (3.5 stars)
99. Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch (4.25 stars)
100. Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold (4 stars)
101. Storm Front by Jim Butcher (4 stars)
102. Fool Moon by Jim Butcher (3.75 stars)
103. Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff (3.75 stars)
104. Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch (4.25 stars)
105. Promised Land by Robert B. Parker (3 stars)
106. Moon Called by Patricia Briggs (3.75 stars)
107. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (5 stars - It's always a 5 star read!)
108. Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs (3.75 stars)

Books Purchased in 2013:

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

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

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

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

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

June
106. Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith - Kindle Deal ($2.99)
107. The African Queen by C. S. Forester - gift READ
108. Gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson - gift READ
109. The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman - gift READ
110. Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene - gift
111. The World According to Garp by John Irving - gift
112. The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly - Kindle Daily Deal (2.99)
113. The Reversal by Michael Connelly - Kindle Daily Deal (2.99)
114. The Fifth Witness by Michael Connelly - Kindle Daily Deal (2.99)
115. Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris
116. The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler - recommended by Megan READ
117. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys - discussion on Megan's thread
118. Worlds of Exile and Illusion by Ursula K. Le Guin - because I liked The Dispossessed, which was recommended by Kerri. This book contains three more in the Hainish Cycle: Rocannon's World, Planet of Exile, and City of Illusions
119. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman - recommended by Joe READ
120. A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty by Joshilyn Jackson
121. The Beautiful and the Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald
122. Saving Cee-Cee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman - bargain book $2, set in Georgia
123. The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope by Rhonda Riley - recommended by Karen and Kathleen - deckled edge pages!!
124. The Last Original Wife by Dorothea Benton Frank
125. Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler READ

July
126. This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald - free on Kindle
127. Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff - Kindle Daily Deal $1.99 - recommended by Valerie last year
128. The Bat by Jo Nesbo - I had preordered this, the first book in the Harry Hole series - FINALLY! READ
129. The Bone People by Keri Hulme - deckled edge pages!
130. Light in August by William Faulkner READ
131. Zelda: A Biography by Nancy Milford - $2.99 on Kindle
132. Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch - ebook with audio added READ

August
133. Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch
134. Storm Front by Jim Butcher - audiobook $4 READ
135. Fool Moon by Jim Butcher - audiobook $4 READ
136. Grave Peril by Jim Butcher - audiobook $4
137. Summer Knight by Jim Butcher - audiobook $4
138. The Ice Palace by Tarjei Vesaas - recommended by Cee
139. Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain - Kindle Daily Deal ($1.99) - recommended by Bonnie
140. Moon Called by Patricia Briggs READ
141. Crown of Embers by Rae Carson - Kindle deal $1.99
142. Tilt-a-Whirl by Chris Grabenstein - Kindle deal $.99
143. Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs READ
144. Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs READ
145. Dangerous Liaisons by Choderlos de Laclos
146. Stick by Elmore Leonard
147. The Switch by Elmore Leonard
148. The Bounty Hunters by Elmore Leonard

September
149. Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry - Kindle deal $1.99
150. Get Shorty by Elmore Leonard - Kindle deal $2.99
151. Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs READ
152. Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs READ
153. The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
154. High Sierra by W. R. Burnett
155. Little Caesar by W. R. Burnett
156. Over My Dead Body by Rex Stout
157. The Mystery of Grace by Charles de Lint - recommended by Kathleen
158. Mind's Eye by Hakan Nesser

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

25. *Mercy Thompson by Patricia Briggs: Next Up: River Marked (6/8)

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

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

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

29. *Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch: Next Up: Whispers Under Ground (3/4)

30. *Sookie Stackhouse by Charlaine Harris: Next Up: Dead Reckoning (10/13)

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

32. *Spenser novels by Robert B. Parker: Next Up: Looking for Rachel Wallace (6/39) - this is Joe's fault!

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

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

35. *Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold: Next Up: Warrior's Apprentice: (3/16) - also Joe's fault! Also Richard's fault!

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

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

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

Series that I am reading out of order:

39. Bernie Gunther by Phillip Kerr (3/9)
40. Nero Wolfe by Rex Stout (3/47) - Julia's fault!

Report on current reads:

I almost finished Light in August yesterday, which is sort of amazing because I was only about half way through it. I have less than fifty pages left, and I must say that I have enjoyed the ride. The second half of the book really takes off - I will finish it up today and then have to decide how to rate it. Decisions. Decisions.

I am also making my way through:

Raylan by the great Elmore Leonard, who passed away last month. I am liking it because I love the character of Raylan Givens, but it feels more like a collection of short stories than a novel.

Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs, which is the third book in her Mercy Thompson series. Someone was talking about these books over on Richard's thread (Cobscook, I think), and they sounded like what I enjoy reading as guilty pleasures - murder, mayhem, quirky characters...These books are just pure fun - urban fantasy with werewolves and vampires. Mercy is part Native American, and she is a walker - she can change into a coyote at will. She owns her own garage and is a mechanic when she is not getting caught up in misadventures of the creepy kind.

Grave Peril by Jim Butcher. This is an audiobook narrated by James Marsters, who does a fabulous job. Book three in the Dresden Files deals with ghosts - not too far in yet, but so far, so good.

The Judas Goat by Robert B. Parker. This is the fifth book in the Spenser series, and I am listening to the audio because that is all that our library has. The narrator is NOT fabulous, but he is not completely horrible either. He does a descent Spenser, but totally mutilates Hawk. This one is fun so far because Spenser is his usual smart-mouthed self, and gets himself in a bit over his head. Set in London and Amsterdam, Spenser and Hawk work together this time which makes for a fun ride.

The Asphalt Jungle by W. R. Burnett is noir crime fiction. Written in 1949, this story is set in the Midwest - we are not told which city or even which state, but it feels like Illinois to me. The town is already dealing with corruption in its police force, and now the stakes are being raised as a criminal mastermind is released from prison with an predetermined agenda. I can remember watching the movie version of this book with my Dad more than once, but I have never read the book.

Morning Mamie- Congrats on the new thread! I think it's the perfect time to remember your beloved Dad! I see you have some interesting titles going. Have you read year of Wonders? I am nearly done with it and it's outstanding.

Hello and good morning from me, too. Hope you are enjoying the long weekend!

I am reading Boneshaker which I am really enjoying. Just saying....

Mark - You are first, my friend! Thank you! I have not read Year of Wonders - I have actually not read any Brooks, although I do think I have one of hers on the shelf. I will have to come over to your thread and see what you are saying abut it!

Karen - Hello and good morning! We are indulging in a very lazy weekend, so I am enjoying it immensely. I have read Boneshaker and I really liked it - I need to get back to that series!

I also really enjoyed March, which was my first Brooks, so I recommend that one too! We are going to a family BBQ a little later. It supposed to be hot again, but I hope it's comfortable enough to sit outside.

March is the one that I have on the shelves, Mark, so good to know that you liked it. The BBQ sounds like fun - hope you get to sit outdoors!

I well remember your tribute to your Dad last year Mamie; how lovely to repeat the same this year. I hope my daughters remember me with the same love and respect. xx

Mamie, I hope September goes as well for you as it can in the circumstances. That's a lovely picture of your Dad.

Thank you, Paul. As much as you love your daughters, I cannot imagine them not returning it in spades.

Susan - Thank you so much. That is one of my favorite photos that I have of him.

I love how you honor your Dad in September Mamie. (((hugs))) to you.

We are sharing some reads this month, including, Dresden, Spenser and The Likeness. I've started it and I'm worried for Cassie. She was my favorite character from In the Woods. I'll have to add the Mercy Thompson series to my TBR pile. I'm always looking for some fun escapism.

Roberta - Thank you. I have not started The Likeness yet, but I am greatly looking forward to it - Cassie was my favorite character from the first book, too. And the Mercy books are very fun - Craig and Abby are reading them behind me, and they both like them also. I went flying through the first two last month. It's weird because I bought the first three on Kindle, but the fourth is "currently unavailable" - what does that mean? I can buy it as an iBook from Apple, but not from Kindle right now. Strange.

I finished Light in August, and I liked it, I really liked it! Score one for Mr. Faulkner. Still thinking about how to rate it since I loved the writing here much better than the story. And the pacing was a bit uneven...but truly, the writing was exquisite. Somewhere between four and five stars I am thinking.

So pleased you liked Light in August, Mamie! it's a wonderful, immersive experience, though not necessarily immersive into a cool, clear freshwater pond. More like a dank, cloudy miasmic bayou.

I am certain your dad felt unquenchable pride in his baby girl. How could he not?

I listened to Raylan on audio earlier in the year and didn't enjoy it much. I don't think Leonard's style lends itself to audio very well, and I also just didn't like the narrator much. I agree that the story felt sort of disjointed. Have you read any of Leonard's other Raylan stories? I haven't, but I'm definitely going to get around to it one day.

Checking in on your newest thread, Mamie. How lovely to see your dad's picture up there again. What a lovely tribute. September is my departed dad's birthday month so I always remember him at this time as well. So...have you found a TIOLI placement for the latest Spenser? I wonder if there is a Judas apple? Pretty sure there won't be one named after a goat. Lol. I hope you are enjoying your Labor Day. Steak on the grill tonight for us!

Stopping by to wish you a lovely Labour Day, Mamie! What a wonderful picture of your Dad.

I've read the Penny and the Tana French - my favourite French so far was the third one..... name has escaped me..... Likeness is my least favourite, but that doesn't really mean anything because they're all good! We have the 4th one but I haven't read it yet, spousal unit has read it - basically he wouldn't do anything else for three days - luckily we were on holiday that week.

I had a moment - when I brought up your new thread of -- uh oh, did I do something wrong, haven't I seen that photo before? but then I saw it is your September commemoration of your Dad - lovely, that is such a great photo!

Richard - I settled on 4.25 stars for Light in August for now, I might bump that up after I mull it over a bit more. You nailed it when you said it is liked being immersed in a "dank, cloudy miasmic bayou." That's just exactly it. I liked how he started a thought process at the beginning of a chapter and just let it sit there, seeming to be some kind of enigma that defied translation, only to come back to that same collection of words a few chapters later and suddenly the lights were coming on. You need to be really paying attention in order not to miss it because it is subtle.

And thank you for your lovely words about my Dad - you made me cry. In a good way. *smooch for you*

Ursula - Delighted to see you here! I think you make a good point about Leonard's writing - it's dialogue driven, so I think it would only work with the exact right narrator. Timing and tone would be crucial. I have read the other books that feature Raylan, and this one was by far the weakest of them. Still fun, but it didn't feel like a novel to me. Pronto is the first book, and the incredible thing is that Raylan is not the intended main character in that novel, but he totally steals the show. It gives the backstory about what leads up to the incident where the show Justified takes off. Highly recommended. Riding the Rap is also a lot of fun, but read Pronto first.

Donna - Thanks for checking in! I love that photo of my Dad, so I just decided to use that one again. Sort of lovely to know that we will both be remembering our Dads this month. I did put The Judas Goat in the apple challenge! That's the only place I could make it fit - there is an apple called King of the Pippens, and Madeline did say that we could use any of the words in the apple name, so... I saw that someone else had already used '''the'' and someone used '''of'''. Desperate times call for desperate measures. We enjoyed a nice lazy Labor Day, and we grilled steaks, too - great minds...

Lori - Thank you! And so glad you liked the photo of my Dad - I was about six or seven when that was taken, and I had given him that book for Christmas.

Lucy! You snuck in there while I was posting! I am looking forward to both the French and the Penny. I am glad that I know going in that The Likeness is not a continuation of the first book because I think I would be disappointed with it then. Luckily, folks here have told me that this one is from Cassie's point of view. And I am told that the Penny books just get better as they go along. I am also really wanting to get back to Jackson Brodie, but I doubt I will be able to squeeze that in this month.

Excellent memory about the photo of my Dad. I just couldn't resist using it again - he's so happy in that one! And every time I see it, I can remember exactly what his laugh sounded like, so it's good medicine for the soul.

Hi Mamie- I remember seeing a tribute you wrote about your dad last year, but somehow I missed it being such a recent loss for you. It is a lovely picture of him reading! Did he set your own reading in motion?
We had Father's Day here this weekend just gone, and the kids made a card for their dad and spent a lot of time saying "Happy Father's Day Daddy".It was so sweet. We always used to make the cards for our parents and families special days- always way better than a bought one I reckon :)

Happy new thread, even if this month is hard for you.

I'm planning to read Grave Peril this month too, for SS&S. And my dad's been gone 23.5 years, and I still miss him.

Thanks for the advice on the Raylan stories! I can imagine that Raylan is the sort of character who would just walk off with your attention.

Morning Mamie- Hope you had a nice weekend and a better holiday! And I hope your books are treating you well. Glad you are enjoying the Likeness.

Book #109: Light in August by William Faulkner

...thoughts on this coming...


Book #110: Raylan by Elmore Leonard (3.3 stars)

I finished both of these up over the weekend. I love the writing of Elmore Leonard. He creates quirky characters, great dialogue and has a feel for making the settings of his books ring true. Raylan is his third book to feature the character of Raylan Givens, who has risen off of the pages and come to life in the gritty tv series Justified. The show captures him brilliantly, and I cannot imagine anyone in the lead role except for Timothy Olyphant, who IS Raylan.

This book is the weakest of the three, I feel. My favorite is Pronto where Raylan is introduced and where, although he is not the intended main character, he totally steals the show. What didn't work for me with this third book is that it seemed, as Ursula so aptly put it, disjointed. Although the story lines do come together in the end, this book felt like a collection of vignettes, and there was a certain something missing that was present in the first two books. Still worth the time if you love this character like I do, but not the best example of Mr. Elmore's writing.


Book #111: Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs (4 stars)

This is the third book is the Mercy Thompson series, and it does not disappoint. Mercy is a mechanic by day who owns her own garage. For the past ten years she has been trying to mind her own business, even though she knew that things are not always what they seem. There are creatures out there that the local human population knows nothing about - werewolves and vampires and fae. What Mercy has learned the hard way is that once you have been dragged into the drama, there is no going back to the comforts of quiet and predictable. She finds herself in the middle of things simply because she is unique - she is a walker. A descendent of the Blackhawk tribe, she has the ability to shift into a coyote at will. And because walkers are few and far between these days, Mercy was raised by werewolves. So she understands them. She also has other unique abilities that she is just discovering.

These books are great fun, and I like how Mercy learns bits and pieces of information about the paranormal population as she goes. I also like that she has grit, determination, and a keen intelligence. So far there are eight books in this series, and I intend to read every one of them. For me, they are the perfect guilty pleasure

I'm sure that your dad is smiling down on you and feeling your love :)
I imagine that the kids are back to schoolwork and the days are falling into that routine again?

Nothing too exciting here, and that is fine, in my opinion... I have fluff on the kindle, and plan on an afternoon of reading on the agenda :)

Take care of you Sis!

Oh and I just read the Mercy Thompson synopsis... I bet you would like The Mystery of Grace of Charles de Lint. I think I would like Mercy.... I am off to investigate!

Megan - Last year this month was really hard because it was the one year anniversary of his death, and Craig was down here in Georgia while the kids and I were still in Indiana. My grief still felt raw. This year is more bittersweet. I think I will never not miss him, and it will never not hurt, but it is more of an ache now. Life moves forward, which is good. I did not get my love of reading from either of my parents. My Dad loved to read the newspaper, and he read every word of it every day, but I cannot remember ever seeing him read a book except for the one above. He had a great love of movies, and I get my complete addiction to the old ones from him. We spent many, many hours watching Humphrey Bogart, John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart... He liked the dramas and the westerns more than the comedies.



My love of reading comes from a teacher that I had for fifth grade, who had the knack of putting the perfect book in each of his student's hands. "Try this one," he would say, sounding like Mr. Ollivander with his wands in Harry Potter. He had this huge collection of books in his room, and he always made it seem like he was dealing books on the side. When you returned one, he would ask a few questions, and then make another selection. It was like magic.

Roni - Joe warns me that Grave Peril is not as good as the others, so keep that in mind. Still too early to tell for me, as I am only about 1/3 of the way into the audio. And I totally understand your still missing your Dad after 23.5 years - it leaves a hole. I can't imagine not missing mine - ever. How lovely that we had such great Dads.

Ursula - You are welcome! And yes, Raylan is not a back seat kind of guy. One of my all time favorite characters!

Mark - We had a very lazy and very lovely holiday weekend. And my books are treating me very well - they always take such good care of me! I have not started reading The Likeness yet, but I will definitely get to it this month.

Kathleen - Thanks for that! I like to think so. And yes, we are back up and running with a full school schedule as of today. I will check out that book you recommend - never read anything by that author. I think you would really like the Mercy Thompson books - they remind me a bit of the Sookie Stackhouse books, but um...less sex! It feels like a good day for fluff on the Kindle! Hoping you get to relax and enjoy. And get some real oatmeal cookies, Sis!

Snacktime treat.

Richard - Ha! I was just posting blueberry lemon pound cake over on your thread, and I come back to find that you have left me some delicious looking cookie! Thank you, BigDaddy!

You know Daniel is going to want me to make those now, don't you?

Mamie, congratulations on completing Light in August --- and I'm so glad you liked it! Perhaps you will join me in February for Absalom, Absalom!. I know others are going to do Faulkner February which I guess could mean reading several; I'm only willing to commit to the one novel.

Regarding your dad: He taught me everything I know about unconditional love.
That is so beautiful. I send you hugs as you go through this, the second anniversary month, of losing him. The missing only gets a little easier, doesn't it?

Oh, I don't know, I always imagine Raylan as a back seat kind of guy, ifyouknowwhatimean ... particularly as played by Timothy Olyphant!

I just looked and the library only has the other two on audio as well. I'll have to check at our English bookstore here.

And lovely treats posted on your thread like those cookies make me very sorry we don't have an oven. *sigh*

Yeah... Sookie and company are very . . . enthusiastic. . . about sex. And lack of a comfortable space doesn't seem to affect them in the least. My first look at True Blood was alarming, indeed. But one adapts...

Ellen Faulkner February?! Okay reading several is definitely out - I would like to remain sane. Well, as sane as I currently am, anyway. I will consider Absalom, Absalom! simply because you asked, sister. And thank you so much for those words about my Dad. "The missing only gets a little easier, doesn't it?" That is just exactly it. More of an ache now than an open wound, but it will never be the same. I miss talking to him even though he was a man of very few words - ironic, huh?

Ursula - True!! So true! LOL! I hope you can track down a copy of Pronto as least - crossing my fingers for you. And no oven?!! What? How are you living with no oven? That would be a HUGE adjustment for me. You poor, poor baby!

Sis - You made me laugh out loud!

Hi Mamie, I think it is lovely that you are dedicating this thread to the memory of your Dad.

One of the reasons we are here in Saskatchewan was for a memorial for Ken's stepdad who died last year. We had a small graveside ceremony in the tiny graveyard way out in the country. We had three guitars and a mandolin so we sang songs and played music and celebrated his life.

This morning we are heading south and tomorrow will cross into the States and visit Glacier National Park,

ABBY!! SHOW YOUR BROTHER THE ROOT BEER COOKIE SANDWICHES!!

Heh. Now you *have* to sign up for Pinterest. The recipe's there. *nyah*

Thank you, Judy. I remember when that happened last year - so sad. What a lovely tribute to his memory. I am wishing for you safe travels, my friend.

Richard - LOL! He has seen the cookies - he WANTS them!

Daniel's not the only one who wants those cookies. I want some too!

Mamie - at some point, I'm going to maybe get over my less than enthusiastic opinion of Tana French and read the next in the series. I wasn't bowled over by In the Woods but I've been promised by a few LTers that The Likeness is much better.

Congratulations on the new thread, Mamie. Great to see the tribute to your dad at the top. He obviously was a special guy, and must have been very proud of you.

My kids have such a wonderful mom that I suspect I'm a bit of an afterthought. I tease them that they need to remember to thank me, too, when they each win the Academy Award.

Caro - So does Abby! I really liked the first book, so how I feel about the second one will probably not be a good meter stick for you.

Joe - Thank you! My Dad was special to me, anyway. I like to think that he was proud of me. He only ever once said that he was disappointed in me, and it about broke my heart, but he was totally right. Now as a parent myself, I look back at that time and marvel at his self control! I love how much you love you wife and kids, but you are not fooling me one bit - I know that they must be completely crazy in love with you. There is no way they could not be. I am sure they will remember to mention you in their Academy Award speeches.

(((Mamie)))!! I love your September tribute to your dad. I was such a newbie last year but I do remember the picture and some of what you shared about your dad. Now that I know you better and have more of the story of your mother, it makes the loss of your father even more poignant since HE is where you learned your incredible parenting skills & ability to love beyond measure. I'll be keeping you close(r) in my heart & prayers this month!

I do love the Mercy series too! And now that you've mentioned that it is James Marsters who narrates the Dresdens, I'm going to have to resume with them!

Love you Mamie!

Well, I've bitten the bullet and found a used copy of The Likeness on Amazon and ordered it. My consolation is that if I don't like it, at least I didn't pay a lot for it. :-)

Root beer cookie sandwich is a bit overwhelming ---

I think the spousal unit has been getting into the Pat Briggs books...... sometimes I just avert my eyes so that I am not tempted by his piles of books......

OH, dear, I have to make those root beer sandwich cookies right now. My class about that diet which takes all things good out of my life starts on Thursday. Oh, dear. Oh, my.

(it is true that since I've been less good about what I've been eating, and sure enough, the RA inflammation in my shoulder, hands, and feet has flared up a little bit. I need to say this so that you all understand I am not undertaking the strict diet because I like torturing myself.)

Yep, I'm with Karen. ^

>52 sibylline:, 53, 54 *rubs hands in unseemly greedy glee* More for me!

Tina - Thank you, dear. I was a newbie last year, too!! I did learn a lot from my Dad, but I also learned a lot from my sister Julie, who was like a Mom to me. She is twelve years older than I, and it was she who got me up in the mornings and dressed me and did my hair when I was little. I think my parenting skills are a combination of what I learned from both of them.

I so appreciate you keeping me in your thoughts and prayers this month. That is no small gift - thank you.

We are loving the Mercy series - Abby and Craig are reading it, too! And Marsters is fabulous with those Dresden Files books!

Hoping that your week is full of fabulous, and returning the love in spades!

Caro - LOL! I hope that we both like it!

Lucy - If the root beer cookies are too overwhelming for you, we always have those ginger and lemon creme cookies that I know you love! Craig likes those Mercy books, too. Averting your eyes is a good idea so as not to get sucked into another series!

Karen - Your post cracked me up! I think we will have to try making those cookies in the very near future.

Ellen - LOL! You said it, sister!

Richard - I think that Karen and Ellen wanted the cookies. See what you started?!

>57 Crazymamie: No, no, no, my dove, they're following that *shudder* healty die-t, so they can live longer, more unhappy, gaunt, whey-faced lives. Like all those "healthy" people I see in the organic food store.

I shall feast upon refined sugar and all-purpose white flour and root beer in their stead, that we might not waste our foodstuffs.

Ok, so today was a total bust. I had to run a bunch of errands - the kind I hate because they are hit and run errands. You know, the bank, the post office, the vet to pick up heart worm meds, the library to return books, fill up the car with gas...Every where that I went there was a huge line, and evidently in Albany, Georgia, on the Tuesday after Labor Day all competent employees are still on vacation (except at the post office which had excellent staff - just very long lines). The vet's office was a joke, and I might type that all up tomorrow to share because it was like something out of I Love Lucy or Seinfeld.

Anyway, by the time I got home I was a puddle of perspiration because (apparently) in the South, summer hits in full force with the arrival of September. It's like soup out there. Yucky errands, incompetent workers, long lines, and soupy weather combine to create one Mad Mamie. Trust me, it's not a pretty picture.

I decided to fix myself a bite of lunch and listen to the rest of The Judas Goat while I'm eating. Not a good plan. Mad Mamie and an audio book that is poorly narrated result in Snarky Mamie. Now I am trying to decide if there is any way I can possibly give the book a fair review. Hmmm....


Book #112: The Judas Goat by Robert B. Parker

I don't mind holes in the plot if the book is entertaining (which usually the Spenser books are). And this one started out with so much promise - Spenser has to go to London for his latest job, and he is in over his head so he has to call on Hawk. I loved Hawk when I met him in the last book, but the narrator makes Hawk (an African American from the 70s) sound like Tonto on speed. Truly. Then there is the combination of incredibly unbelievable events that seem to just keep spinning out of control. It could just be me. I might be a tad bit irritable. For instance, when Spenser gets some money from his employer: "He gave me fifty one hundred dollar bills. I put them in my wallet." Really? Really? I want to see that wallet! Is it the same kind of wallet that George Costanza carries? Does it look like this:



And can one actually "chill" champagne glasses in the freezer for several hours without them breaking? What about shoes - when setting the scene for a sexy reunion, does the reader really need to know what Spenser's shoes look like? There is more, oh, so much more, but I do not want to spoil the plot for those of you (Roberta and Donna) who have not yet read this book.

There are some lovely lines, as always with Spenser:

"A man who sips beer is not trustworthy."

As his employer sends him off to London:
"I hope you have a good trip, and I don't quite know what to say at such a time. Good hunting, I suppose, but that sounds so dramatic.

"Except when Trevor Howard says it," I said

When conferring with the British Consulate about taking a gun to London:
"They told me that if I were bringing in a shotgun, there would be no problem. I could simply carry it in. No papers required. I had in mind a .38 caliber Smith and Wesson revolver. A shotgun in a hip holster tends to chafe, and carrying it around London at high port seems a bit showy."

Talking with Susan:
"Poor thing, she said, you've seduced a low class clientele. With a better upbringing, you'd have learned years ago how to cope with a tennis dress."

Richard - Huh. I read that post totally wrong. Good thing I have you!

OMG Mamie you are CRAZY! I noticed from the start that Robert B. Parker loves talking about clothes and accessories with Spenser and the other characters. I find it eye rolling hilarious. Especially, in the second the book when he is discussing the mother's hideously tight clothes and 70s pastel eye shadows. He even talks about the female characters earrings incessantly!

I just got my Kindle back from my mom who was reading the first 3 Iron Druid Chronicles I got from Overdrive. I really need to get her a library card from the neighboring libraries. They have better selections. I will start The Judas Goat tomorrow. It's due back next week. Now I will be picturing George Costanza. LOL

> 27 - You gave your Dad a Winnie the Pooh book for Christmas.... that is awesome! Beats any of the gifts I gave my Dad when I was a little girl.

Love root beer but not sure about the root beer sandwich cookies!

Love your review of The Judas Goat. The George Costanza wallet... brings back some great memories, and, I agree, there is no way he fit 50 bills in his wallet. That's an accident just waiting to happen..... Oops! ;-)

Roberta - I know, right? Completely insane. I am blaming it on the audiobook! That narrator was making me want to bang my head against something really hard. I think the print version would have been so much better for an already crazy lady. The constant descriptions of anything and everything were making my head spin - the hotel rooms, the sneakers, the shampoo that Susan uses...And who orders a cheese tray from room service for a hostage?!

Here's your homework - look for this sentence: "Kathy, you've got to find some other way to relate with people." It will totally crack you up.

Lori - Yes, I did. My sister took me Christmas shopping, and I picked it out and wrapped it myself. He loved it!

I couldn't decide if those cookies would be tasty or not because I am not a big fan of soda, but Dan and Abby thought they would be yummy. They do look good, though.

Glad you loved my review - we'll see if I have writer's remorse tomorrow! LOL! The kids were laughing because I was having a meltdown saying, "He gave me fifty one hundred dollar bills. I put them in my wallet." I just couldn't get past that for a while. It was about three in the afternoon, and they were looking at me like "Mom's having a mental moment - she'll be back shortly."

I did warn you about September in the south. But you have Robert B. Parker for consolation.
:-)

Yes you did, Ellen. Unfortunately, I don't think you can call my latest journey into the Spenser books a consolation!

Thought of you Monday as we flew southward on the I-75.

I tried to find the Mercy books in our system and failed. So.. I ordered the first two used at Amazon. See how much I trust you? lol

They were both sold my Ammy so will arrive tomorrow :)

eta ooops

didn't mean to click post yet...

I HATE hit and run errands, too. I do that every other friday.
Sorry it was a hot mess for you :P

Reba - That's so sweet! Thanks for thinking of me!

Kathleen - Oh, I hope you like them! I just thought that they were so much fun, and Abby loves them, too. And thanks so much for your sympathies! Even on a good day, I hate running those kind of errands, but yesterday was horrible. It was so hot and there were lines everywhere and something seemed to go wrong at each place - I should have eaten before I left home. All I'd had was two cups of coffee, and by the time I got home it was after two, and the heat was making me feel sick. Not good. At the post office, the lady in front of me had this HUGE binder that had all these page protectors in it, and the page protectors had cards in them. She conducted her transaction and then asked the Postal Lady to weigh some stuff for her so that she would know how much it would cost to mail it. Um...she would pull a card out and give the Lady a destination, have her weigh it, and then write down what the Lady told her. Over and over again. And the post office was packed! Incredible!

OMG Some people are just hard to believe. I wouldn't not even consider doing that ( At the Post Office )
I even feel guilty if I want more than 2 things at the deli.. lol

I hope all of that means that you don't have to leave the house at all today!

As for the books, they do look pretty darn good.

Right! I do not have to leave the house today. Thank goodness. So hoping you like the books!

Okay, I want to hear about the horrible vet visit!

Mamie, you have to give each of your "students" big, long, very involved assignments so that they will have their noses in their books/computers for the whole work day. Then, you put your feet up and read your favorite escape book!

I'm going to drop kids off at school by 9 am and then I get to do whatever I want, too. I think I'm going to go buy some pens with all kinds of colored ink! Or not. Something fun, for sure.

I'm not sure I do... there should be no such thing, and yet.. I have suffered through a few myownself. Sometimes, without at pet at hand. One of Duncan's meds is injectable. When I order a refill I always request syringes as well. I have a drawer full of syringes.....with no needle. It is nearly a sure bet that if I don't remember to check while I'm there, I will come home with no needles. This has been going on for nine years. no kidding. Also, my friend Jo is going to retire from there, which will leave exactly one tech ( they call them nurses. ridiculous ) who gives a damn. It makes me sad. AND the front desk is a nightmare. Turnover is crazy. They lost 6-7 people last year all because of head receptionist and office manager. And the owners were told this but...

Duncan has a pedi pedi scheduled for today... and I will pick up his meds. I sure hope that I remember to check. It's always harder to remember when he is with me, because he is so stressed. GAH!

eta

I will have to read it with my eyes closed...

That 50 $100 bills thing sure does sound like a brain glitch from Robert Parker, Mamie. Can't blame you for getting stuck on it. I read that one (Judas Goat) too long ago to figure out how I missed that. Hawk as Tonto on speed - he definitely calms down and gets more . . . efficient, as the series goes on. As I probably mentioned, my MBH's first question after I read a new Spenser always was, "How much is Hawk in it?" (She's the same way with Ranger in the Stephanie Plum series).

>59 Crazymamie: And can one actually "chill" champagne glasses in the freezer for several hours without them breaking?

Yes. I left two flutes in the freezer overnight (it would be best if you didn't ask why) and they were fine when I finally took them out.

*happy sigh*

Morphy - I will post it tomorrow. I promise.

Karen - Good thinking! They actually are old enough that they require very little of my time, and the time that they do require I love spending with them. They like to get their school work done early and then head to the pool in the late afternoon.

That must feel kind of weird to you not having the kids around, huh? Hope you treated yourself to something fun!

Kathleen - No worries! The story does not involve any mistreatment of pets - just office incompetence and a comedy of errors. Hoping that all went smoothly for you with your vet trip.

Joe - Hawk as Tonto on speed refers to the way that the narrator of the audiobook did his voice. SO very bad. I think I would have liked this one much better if I had read the print version - it was the narrator's performance that made me irritable, and then things that would have slipped by in print were getting on my nerves. I actually like Hawk - he totally cracks me up.

Richard - Well, who knew?! Besides you, I mean. I thought for sure those delicate stems would break in there.

Mamie- I actually put champagne glasses in the freezer an hour or so before I intend to use them, so I too can attest that they won't break ... unless you drop one.

"A man who sips beer is not trustworthy."
LOL.. I just loved that quote.

Caro - That's good to know! See, I'm learning new things here! And I loved the quote, too - Spenser is full of those.

(((MAMIE and ABBY)))

When I got home from vacation last night I had the most wonderful surprise waiting for me!!! I can't believe you guys! You are so sweet!!!!

It made my week! My heart did a few little flips when I opened the book. I love you gals. :)

Oh, hooray - you got it! So happy it was a sweet surprise. We love you back, Tina!

Mamie- "It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye.” I am so glad you found a copy of Fun and Games. This guy is a blast. This is the 6th book I've read by Swierczynski and they are all different. Inventive, wacky, violent and laugh out loud funny.
Hope you had a nice Hump Day!

I'm looking forward to it, Mark. And I did have a nice Hump Day, thank you. Except it was hot. Very hot. I'm trying not to whine about it.

>82 Crazymamie: sometimes hot is for to whine. not that it helps. groaning helps sometimes. also lying on your couch, or wherever, in a pose a la Gorey's damsel may also be comforting or may at least convince someone you are in dire straits thus causing them to bring you soothing refreshment. do watch out if RD is around, though. he *will* upstage you.

I don't know how we're getting by without an oven, honestly. It's sort of amazing how many things one might want to make for dinner require an oven. Not to mention baking. I thought maybe it was just a quirk of the family student housing, but we've looked at some studios/small apartments online and seen that a number of them don't have ovens either. We're hopeful we can find a place with one, though.

We're going to have a hot day today, too - it's supposed to get up to 87 degrees, which is ridiculously hot for here. Of course, the day starts out at 60 degrees with 87% humidity .... which means opening the windows near sunrise or sunset is not okay, what with having a canal across the street and no screens. I do not need a thousand mosquito bites!

Oh and thanks for stopping by my thread and wishing me luck getting rid of "stupid hair"; I think it worked!

That's right - it's time, baby! Football is back! This makes for a very happy Mamie. And who is playing tonight? The Broncos and the Ravens. Go Broncos! Go Peyton!

Ellie - I can't see that image for some reason. September is the only month that we have not lived in Georgia, and I was expecting August to be the most unbearable month, but not so. At least not this year. It is just miserable out there. I am missing reading on the deck and the screened in porch. I will try out that pose you suggest because, after all, if it gets results... And if Richard drops by I shall of course let him have center stage - and remember to take notes so that I can learn from a master!!

Ursula - That seems so strange about the oven, but we have learned that expectations are so different depending on where you live. When we started looking at houses down here, it was a big deal that we wanted a gas oven because not many homes have those here. Gas does not run directly to the houses, so one needs a tank to have gas. In Indiana it would be strange NOT to have gas running to the home. Also the whole screen thing - this is bug central, but the windows have no screens. Strange.

The weather here is nasty right now - 90s and very high humidity. And no air movement.

So glad to hear that your hair cut went well! Hooray for no more "stupid hair"!!

Oh hair. I have been neglecting mine. It's beginning to look pretty wild. Oh well. So be it. I'm not in the mood to cut it right now. No oven. That seems like saying no sinks. How does one manage with no oven? Oh Ursula. I will send find housing with oven mojo your way.

Nothing much going on here. I just had a call from the kitchen guy who wants to come later in the morning. Le sigh. Whatever. But the yard is clean and the birds are fed ( as well as the furkids of course) I noticed while doing the yard, that the weeping birch is almost completely leafless already, and the silver maple is dropping red leaves fairly regularly. It started with one two weeks ago. I am always happy ( and sad ) when the leaves fall. It makes me sad to take down the glory vines, too. But their time came early this year, so they are gone. :(

ok.. off to Earl's All-You-Can-Eat

I hope your weather cools down for you soon.....

Sis - I get mine cut every four weeks! My hair grows like you would not believe, and I like it short. But I have to make the next appointment while I am still in the shop because I am not good with calling to make appointments - hate doing that. Always forget and then, when I do remember, procrastinate.

And agree that no oven is indeed a travesty. I would have to get one of those countertop models if nothing else, but those tend to get so hot. I'll add my mojo to yours for Ursula to find housing that includes an oven.

Poor baby waiting on kitchen guy. Hope he doesn't come too late - nice to have him done and gone so you can get on with your day. And leaves falling - not happening here. Back in Indiana, we had tons of oak trees in our yard and those leaves would start falling in August, but for some reason oaks can just keep dropping their leaves right into winter without ever becoming completely bare. Don't know how they do that. Makes trying to do leaf pickup a pain in the ...rear. I am not missing that! I am ready for Fall, but I don't think it gets here until sometime in November.

I know, right?! (About ovens.) My husband just sent me a link to another place he's calling about. It appears to have an oven, but only 2 burners as a stove. I guess it's a fair trade. I have never looked for tiny apartments in the US, so I have no idea if this is a tiny apartment/studio thing or a European/Belgian thing.

Don't you usually need gas running to the house for a water heater, if not for kitchen things? I don't know that I've ever lived somewhere that didn't have something in the house running on gas.

So you have to give up two burners to get an oven? Okay, I could live with that because I mean, an oven - you NEED that!

The water heater is electric - everything is electric down here, seems like. Those homes that have gas fireplaces just have a line running from a tank to the fireplace. So we lucked out because this place has both a gas fireplace and a gas oven (this is a big hairy deal in this part of Georgia). If you want gas, you have to have an outdoor tank - the gas company comes and checks the meter on it every so often, and when it gets low they fill it and bill us. We ran out of gas a few months ago because the gage wasn't working right - it got stuck, making it look like we had a half tank. We had to call the gas company and then wait until they could come and fill the tank - no cooking in the meantime! Luckily, they were pretty fast about getting to it.

I have been looking at small, studio type apts. on line and most seem to have small ranges with ovens. I think the no oven thing might be the direction in which we are heading. There are new technologies now. I don't think anything will replace the smell of cooking turkey on Thanksgiving Day in my mind.

Mamie, my dear, I will probably watch some of that game this evening but you know I can't root for the Broncos, right? Except that they are playing the Ravens, so maybe I can. Ha.

I hope you have a lovely Thursday. It's thunderstorming in Seattle, which is a front page headlines event around here, and I'm giving myself permission to go in late to work. :-)

Funny Dog Story

So here is the vet story. For Morphy. Because she asked.

Remember how I was saying that the other day when I ran my errands weird things happened every where that I went? Well, one of those places was the vets' office because I need to pick up heart worm pills for the dogs. I usually but a one year supply at a time to get the rebate offer - one year supply for one dog that is, so a one year supply lasts us 3 months since we have four dogs. Anyway, I digress. First of all, their parking lot is really strange - it's a U-shaped lot that is very small, so one way traffic. I wish I had a photo of it - next time! I had to wait to pull into it because someone was driving through it the wrong way - so glad that wasn't me. Then there were only two parking spaces left - this is bad because not all of the parking spaces are created equally; some of them are really hard to get back out of! It also means that the office is REALLY busy. Not good. The front desk is not the most organized or efficient place. I go in to find that I am third in line - better than I expected. There is an older gentleman ahead of me, and at the front of the line is a couple that looks like they have been there for a while. The man is holding his checkbook open, leaning on the counter. The wife is texting. Two more people come in and get in line behind me. Now the office is full because the front waiting area is extremely small. The lady behind me is humming.

The people in front are apparently there to pick up their dogs from boarding - they look like they are just literally back from wherever they went. They have that "so tired of traveling" look. The lady behind the desk is going over their charges with them - so how many dogs were there, she asks them? Um…three. And how many days were they here…Um…shouldn't she know this? Now she is going over every charge - one of them had an ear infection, she asks? Yes, the man says, a little bit. And one of them was needing heart worm? Yes, a little bit. She has called to the back to have their dogs brought up, and now continues with the questioning - nail trim? Yes, Bailey, a little bit. Rabies shot? Yes, a little bit. OKAY, now I am wondering how you can give a dog a little bit of a rabies shot? The worker arrives from the back with…one dog toy. What? Where is the dog? He's coming, he says. The man with the checkbook says, Can you just give me the bottom line? He indicates his checkbook. YES, please, the bottom line, we are all thinking - give him the bottom line. Finally a second girl behind the desk is available to help and she asks, Who is next? We are standing in a line, but apparently this is not adequate - the older gentleman in front of me looks around and then says, I am. She knows him - Are you here to pick up your dog? I hope so, he says, and we all laugh. She calls for his dog to be brought to the front. Now the worker is back with the first couple's dog, Bailey. Wait a minute, don't they have three dogs? Where are the others? Are you just picking up the one dog, the worker asks? Um…no. We are picking them all up. The man with the checkbook starts gently banging his head against the wall by the counter while the worker goes back to get the other dogs. The wife says, they didn't trim his nails. The man stops banging his head and looks at the dog. Bailey didn't get his nails trimmed, he tells the lady behind the desk. She calls for a tech to come get Bailey and trim his nails. Now the worker is back again and this time he has brought…three dog beds, three blankets, and a pile of dog toys. I'm thinking these dogs could use a set of rolling luggage. But still no more dogs. The older gentleman who was picking up his dog has gotten his dog, paid, and left. The girl behind the desk asks, who is next? I am, I say, and tell her that I need heart worm pills for the dogs. The lady behind me says, I do, too. Are you together? Um…no. So what's the name, she asks me - I tell her. Name of the dog - we have four, they usually just pick one to document the pills under. Are they all under 25 pounds? 25? She should be asking me if they are all under 10 pounds - they are all under ten pounds, I say. So that would be less then 25, wouldn't it, she says. She is usually very nice, but she must be having a bad day. Mine isn't going so well either, so I take a deep breath, shoot her a look over the top of my glasses and reply, Yes, ma'am. This is my "I'm giving you one more chance to be nice" look. She brings me the pills - um… those are the wrong thing. They are heartburn pills. People buy a year's supply of heartburn pills for their dogs?! What I need are heat worm pills, I say. That's what I want, too, the lady behind me says. Are you together, the girl asks? Still, no, we are separate. Now the worker is back again, and this time he has…a DOG! Yes! This is progress! The wife says, Oh, A Little Bit, you look SO good! The lady behind me says, The dog's name is A Little Bit - I was wondering how you could get a little bit of a rabies shot! Me, too, I exclaim, smiling at her. We have bonded. We could go for coffee later if we ever get out of here.

I did finally get the right pills. But I didn't get to see that third dog because those poor people were still waiting when I left. Now I am wondering what the third dog's name was.

Ha! Love A Little Bit. That takes the cake. "Yes, a little bit."

Karen - I don't want the new technologies. I want the gas oven. And you are so right - there is nothing like the smell of that turkey cooking on Thanksgiving! My favorite holiday!

Ellen - I know you cannot root for the Broncos, but I love you anyway! I will wish you a lovely Thursday as well. Going into work late sounds like just the ticket!

Morphy - I know, right? Too funny!

Good morning, though just barely, me lurve. I'm too yeccchhhy to be much use today. Bureaucratic nonsense. Enjoy Thursday, and be glad you're not going BACK to the vet.

Richard - Morning, dear! Sorry that you are feeling yeccchhhy. Poor, poor baby! I will try to enjoy Thursday enough for both of us. And I am SO glad that I don't need to go back to the vet anytime soon!!

Haven't read all posts in this thread yet, but love the vet story. Although I'm glad I wasn't in line there, I would have lost patience or started laughing hysterically.
Happy September, Mamie!

Nathalie!! - Lovely to see you! You don't have to read all the posts - it's so fine to just jump in at the bottom. Glad you liked the vet story - my whole day was full of strangeness like that. Some days are just like that, I guess. Happy September to you, too!

>92 Crazymamie: - not done reading yet, but cracking up.
now I am wondering how you can give a dog a little bit of a rabies shot? Ha!!!

More >92 Crazymamie: - Laughing OUT LOUD!!! Now I am wondering what the third dog's name was. Me too!!!

Just what I needed, Mamie. I can't even keep coffee down this morning, but I can laugh out loud reading about your trip to the vet. Too funny!! Thank you, sister.

Ellen - You are welcome! I am always happy to share my crazy life!!

Are you really going into work late even though you are sick? When you were here earlier and said that you were going in late, I thought it was a nice lazy morning for you. But no, sickness. Poor, poor baby - glad I could give you a laugh, sister!

By the way, I put The Road Home in the serendipity challenge - #13.

Mamie, call the vet's office and ask them the name of the third dog. That'll serve them right!

LOL! Karen - That is such a funny thought!

Oh my goodness, the vet story. It would have made my eyes bleed. #NoExcuse

I have a low tolerance for bad or unprofessional support staff. I admire your intact ( now that it's over, anyway) sense of humor. I guess working as support for so many years has interfered with my ability to think its anything but terrible :(

( grumpy is me )

What a great story! I would say that assistant was having worse than a bad day.

oh that story has me sitting at my desk chuckling away!

Good morning Mamie! Your day has arrived!!!! I hope it brings a cool breeze your way~ heck, A chilly foggy morning that is cleared by a a seriously chilly wind! ( at least for the morning )

I am going to start on a Mercy book today, as soon as I finish my LTER and figure out which comes first. ( hat tip to Prime)

That's a funny story Mamie (but frustrating at the time!) Do most vets in the US do boarding? I remember coming across it when I was reading The Accidental Tourist and thinking that it was unusual - I've never come across one that does it here. But maybe it's not unusual there?

I hate people. Not you, just you know, People. Rotten-souled selfish thoughtless things, People.

People rock! Everyone is fabulous :) ( especially if they have fur)

Happy Friday to you! happy friday to us all! Whoo hoo.

Hi, Mamie! I love the vet story.

Mamie at the vets. Life is never dull with you around my dear!

Have a lovely weekend and I do hope you like The Road Home as much as I did.

Electronic tango music meets Super Mario Brothers-style graphics. Major weirdness on the internet.

What a vet story! Have a good weekend, Mamie.

Happy Saturday, Everyone! Not too much happening here - I'm waiting for Sunday for the football games! Today should be nice and easy although I do have to clean the gas oven. I have never done this before, so wish me luck. At the old house I had a range that had gas burners but electric ovens, so all you had to do was program them to clean, and they pretty much did it themselves. I just wiped out the ashes afterward. No such luck with the gas oven - manual cleaning all the way. YIKES!

Kathleen - Luckily, it didn't make my eyes bleed. They just need to organize that front office. Usually everyone in there is VERY nice, so that younger lady was just having a bad day, I think. The problem is that the space is tiny and they have two computers, but only one credit card machine and one printer. Plus, there seems to be no system for prioritizing when the office gets busy. The younger lady is not good with multi-tasking - she gets rattled easily. And she keeps answering the phone even when the office is crazy busy - let it go to message and then call them back ASAP, I say. The older lady does just one thing at a time, does it well, and then moves on. I really like the vet there, but we will probably look at changing vets just because the front office is so chaotic - it eats your time!

Lucy - Yes. The assistant was definitely out of sorts. She is always flustered, but she is usually very nice.

Lisa - So happy to inspire a good chuckle!

Sis - Yes! I love Fridays! And there was actually air movement yesterday - astonishing, as there hasn't been for the last week or so. Still hot and humid, but the breeze definitely makes it bearable. I saw on your thread that you are liking the first Mercy Thompson book - hooray for that!!

Rhian - It was a bit frustrating, but luckily there was comic relief! I think most vets do provide boarding in the US. All the ones that we have been to have boarding facilities. It's a good way for them to make extra money, I think. And I LOVED The Accidental Tourist!!

Richard - Poor, poor baby! *smooch to you, dear*

Kathleen - I don't know about everyone, but definitely people with fur!!

Karen - Thank you, dear! You know how I adore Fridays!

Terri - Hey there! So glad you liked the vet story!

Paul - Thank you, dear! I am very much enjoying The Road Home - about one third of the way in and very much liking the characters and the writing. Thanks so much for sending it my way!

Richard - Major weirdness might be an understatement! Good morning to you, dear!

Diana - Glad you liked the story! Wishing for you a lovely weekend as well!

Book #113: The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman

I picked this one up off the shelves on a whim yesterday. I noticed that someone had listed it in the TIOLI challenges and remembered that I had it on the shelves. I read it in one sitting which means that I loved the writing - reminded me a bit of Sarah Addison Allen's writing, and I love magical realism. This was my very first Hoffman, but it won't be my last. I am having trouble deciding how to rate it though - probably four stars for the writing and three stars for the story, so maybe a 3.5?

It was like a modern day fairy tale, and I love fairy tales, so that aspect really appealed to me. It just felt a little, I don't know, maybe a little too busy? Too much happening for such a small book? Although life can be like that - sometimes it feels too full. Here the main character, whose name we never learn, makes a wish one evening:

"Wishes are brutal, unforgiving things. They burn your tongue the moment they're spoken and you can never take them back....I made my wish in January, the season of ice...It happened on the sixteenth, my mother's birthday....When she went to leave, I ran after her. I was barefoot on the porch and my feet stung. The rain had frozen and was hitting against the corrugated green fiberglass roof. It sounded like a gun. Ice had slipped onto the floorboards and turned the wood to glass. I begged my mother not to go. Queen of the universe. The girl who thought of no one else but herself. Now I know the most desperate arguments are always over foolish things. The moment that changes a path of a life is the one that's invisible, that dissolves like sugar in water. But tell that to an eight-year-old girl....I made my wish. Right away, I could feel it burning. I could taste the bitterness of it; still I went ahead. I wished I would never see her again. I told her straight to her face. I wishes she would disappear right there, right then."

When her mother is killed in a car accident that night, the young girl who loves fairy tales writes her own fairy tale in her head - about a selfish girl who turns to ice. "After a while, she became invisible, queen of the ice. Silence was her language, and her heart had turned a perfect pale silver color. It was so hard nothing could shatter it."

As an adult, she becomes a librarian and proceeds to live a very carefully closed life. Then something happens that changes everything - lightening strikes. Literally. I don't want to ruin the story, so I'll stop there, but I do want to mention that I loved the language of this book. I liked how the main character talked and thought about books, and how she knew that the ones that we read reveal truths about us. I liked how the Grimm's Fairy Tales that she loved as a child are interwoven into the story and into her mindset. A charming and at times uncomfortable read that was well worth an afternoon of my time. I love books like that.

Bah, I'm getting hit by book bullets left and right today!

Morphy, PM me your address, and I'll be happy to send it your way. I got it used from Amazon for just a couple of bucks.

Seen on Twitter:

Next On TCM ‏@NextOnTCM 1m
FLIPPER (1963) Chuck Connors, Luke Halpin, Kathleen Maguire. Dir: James B. Clark 12:00 PM ET cc #adventure #TCM

ADVENTURE?! A tame dolphin saves the world? Thingz wuz differnt 50 years ago.

LOL!

Oh, I am so glad you liked your first Alice Hoffman book, Mamie! She is one of my favorite authors - and she's prolific so that's a bonus :-)

I, too, am very much looking forward to football tomorrow!

#119 OMG! Must read soon.

Hi Mamie! Just swinging through on a hot afternoon. Hope you are enjoying a lazy day!

Katie - What would you recommend next? I would like to read another by her - any suggestions? And yes - HOORAY for football!!

Roberta - The writing is lovely. The story was not quite as strong as the writing but still very much worth the read.

Mark - Yes. Very lazy. I read on the screened in porch, then poolside with my legs in the water, and now I am reading on the sofa. Are you catching the common theme here?

The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman is another Hoffman fave of mine.. second to Dovekeepers :)

Nice review :) off to thumbbb it.

eta

? not there to thumbbbbbbb?

Blueberry cream cheese coffee cake for Sunday morning coffee.

PM sent, Mamie. You are a dear!

I've only read Practical Magic and it was so long ago I can't remember if I liked it or not since it's not in my database. I do know I adore the movie based on it.

Morning Mamie! Yah, football day! Hope to get some reading in first. I plan on starting Another Man's Moccasins tomorrow, for S & S and because I miss the big lunk.

Oh Practical Magic was fun!

Good Sunday Morning, Everyone! There's football today. A lot of football, which has me feeling very happy. So that's where you'll find me - in front of my set! If I get time before kickoff, I might squeeze in some reading. The weather here is gorgeous but hot - going to 93F today!

Kathleen - Oh good - suggestions for Alice Hoffman! Thanks for that! I posted my review now - thanks for the reminder, sis!

Richard - Doesn't that look delicious?!! YUM! Thanks BigDaddy!

Morphy - Excellent! SO happy to share the fun. I'll get it in the mail this week. Isn't that funny how books we read before LT seem to get lost in our consciousness? I have books that I see on the shelves, and I think Did I read that or not? And I cannot for the life of me remember.

Mark - Morning! Me, too, hoping to get some reading in first - I have less than 100 pages to go in The Road Home, and I would love to finish it today. YOu are reminding me that I need to get back to Longmire, too! That's the same one that I'm ready for next.

Sis - Adding that one to my list also!

Mamie

I love your wonderful story of happenings in the vet's office. I have no doubt that wonderful events happen in your presence.

My adult life always consisted of random people approaching me and telling me their stories.

A friend became very mad at me once and confessed that she asked her therapist why people always approach me and not her.

Immediately after she told me this, a woman approached me and started to talk about the James river plantations.

That night we had dinner in Williamsburg, VA at a lovely inn. The dinner was served out doors. The people on the stage were discussing the music of Williamsburg and the incredible contribution of the slaves regarding their music.

There were about 150 people in the audience. The person on stage said, "and now I am going to randomly choose two people from the audience to come on stage." I remember holding my head down thinking oh, no, if he chooses me my friend will be upset. And, of course, the person on stage said, "you, with the blonde hair and green dress, please come up!" My friend looked at me and glared as I went to the stage.

Needless to say, she is was no longer my friend.

You have what we call in my family "charma" - it's karma+charm. Some people just walk into a room and every head turns. Not necessarily because of looks (thought that helps) but because of charisma. My mom is like that. She brings such energy into a room.

oh, dear. As the kind of person who sometimes wonders "why her, and not me" your story fascinates. The truth is we don't really know, do we. I no longer let this question be an excuse for me to feel badly about myself. It is just one of those mysteries, like: Why am I alive? Why do I have this name? Why this family and not the one across the street who seem to be so much happier?

Imponderables.

I am glad that today I am old enough to know I am good enough and if the universe wanted some other Karen in this body it would have created that person. But I am who I am, and I'm OK with that. No more comparing myself. Especially no more comparing my insides with someone else's outsides. Futility.

Hope your Sunday is special and that you are picked or not picked as you desire!

Happy Sunday Mamie. My Overdrive of The Judas Goat had to be returned today and I was only on chapter 9. Someone else has it reserved so I will wait my turn again. Of course the audio is available, but HELL NO! perhaps not.

;-)

Mamie, I really liked The River King and Blackbird House; last year, I read a YA title - The Foretelling - which was pretty good, too. I have a bunch more of hers on the TBR shelves...

Maggie

As I grow older, I have much less patience for those who are envious, bitter or negative.

I admit that I was a tad angry at my "friend." And, by the way, her therapist told her she might want to smile more and embrace life. This only made her more angry....

Alas, it did get to the point where I no longer wanted that energy in my life. Sadly, she died a very unhappy person.

I love your comments. They resonate with me.

Mamie, as always, you make me smile!

Katie, I love the writings of Alice Hoffman. she continues to be one of my favorite authors.

Linda - you are the person I would love to sit next to!! I hate being in the audience and asked to do stuff, I try to give off a very strong NOT ME vibe lol.

Yeah, I can't think of the title.. there was only one Hoffman that I didn't like much.. it was Illumination Night. I haven't read ALL of her books, but I have read most of them, and liked all but the one. Seriously, you just can't go wrong.

Linda.. I am 100% with you about negative and bitter people. That is rough. Real rough.

Bears win! Colts win! Broncos win! Seahawks win! I would call that a good day! Yahoo!

59: Oh my. I am saving Spenser #5 for a day when I am in a really good mood! Loved the wallet image, though. I find his fascination with clothing a little odd and a lot humorous. ;-)

We had a banquet to attend at Missouri State Thursday evening so I missed the first Broncos game. Then, I decided to read through the Chiefs game today. They both won! Maybe I won't be watching much football this fall if I want my teams to win.

I hope your weather cools down soon, Mamie. The mornings are pleasant here but it gets hot and humid in the afternoon. I'd like to turn the a/c off soon but not until we get some real autumn weather. I can't wait until I have my first mug of hot chocolate to warm me up!

Hi Mamie, just passing through. Hope you had a good day of football, it sounds like your team came through for you!

I'm like Donna, I always find my teams do far better if I don't watch. I must be a jinx.

I love the vet story, Mamie! Only you would have such a great story out of such a rotten experience!

I've not read any Hoffman, but I think I have a few unread on the shelf. The Ice Queen sounds lovely!

Dearest Mamie, I won't pretend to have fully caught up with everything you've been up to since I disappeared in July, but the vet story was a wonderful to come back to you! As for Alice Hoffman, I've read a few and really liked them, though I am terrible at titles. One of them had "Turtle" in the title, I think? And another one was about a little girl with AIDS that just killed me with its awesomeness. Title? I don't remember, but I bet someone else will.

Rosalita

I loved Turtle Moon, and I agree with you regarding the poignancy of At Risk.

The Ice Queen was great! One of my favorites is Second Nature. I haven't read The Dovekeepers but I know that is one of Kath's favorites.

Tina, I agree with you...Mamie is special indeed in her ability to turn a bad situation into a funny story. That is but one of the unique things of our lovely lady Mamie.

Linda, thank you for remembering those titles for me!

Okay. It's Monday again. The good news is that I am already finished at the dentist - stage three is done. Once again I have been crowned (and yet still no one is referring to me as her majesty) - just one more to go, but that one will have to wait until January when I get a refill on my dental insurance. I did not get The Road Home completed yesterday, but I am very hopeful that I will finish it up today. Rae has a doctor's appointment this afternoon, so I will get plenty of reading time there, I am sure. Other than that, I have no idea what will get done - I don't even know what's for dinner, but I am confident something will come to me.

Football went very well yesterday except for the Giants losing last night - Rae is taking it personally. To add insult to injury, Daniel and Abby were horsing around this morning and broke Rae's NY Giants M&M dispenser. Tragedy. I knew something was up when I got out of the shower and heard the vacuum cleaner being run. Luckily, they are on it and had already pulled up the website and ordered the new dispenser along with the specialized candies. They will split the cost, they said. They just needed me to finish the transaction. So, by the time that Rae got up, they had cleaned up the mess and had purchased her a new one. Abby broke the news to her, and she took it really well - I was afraid there might be tears after the loss of the game last night and the pending trip to the doctor today, but no. No tears. So, hooray for small miracles.

Mamie, please tell Rae that I share her pain. A loss is bad enough, but a loss to the Cowboys? UGH.

And I'm a little jealous of that M&M dispenser. It may go on my Christmas list :)

Linda - I don't know if wonderful events happen in my presence but for sure crazy ones do! I always try to look for the humor because I love to laugh, and if you don't look for it, sometimes you will miss it. I have seen your photo and gotten to know your personality from your posts, and I can easily believe that people would approach you - you have a warm and inviting quality about you and your eyes and your smile say, "trust me." I am guessing that you are good at making eye contact and that you feel comfortable in your own skin. My Daniel is like that - people always feel comfortable around him because he is so comfortable with who he is. Your former friend sounds like she was not really a true friend. Jealousy is not part of friendship; friends should always want the best for us and embrace our successes. I have learned in life that some friendships are not meant to last a lifetime - there can be seasons of friendship, and that's okay. At the time it was a very painful lesson, but now I understand that in order to grow, sometimes we have to let go of things (people, places, possessions) that would hold us back or keep us from becoming our best selves. And sometimes people let go of us, but that's okay because life goes on. We are always moving forward.

Morphy - I LOVE that! Charma! Totally stealing that!

Karen - I love your honesty. I think that wondering "why her, and not me" is different than resenting the other person or feeling jealous of them. And I do think that confidence and self esteem play a key role here. When I was younger, I used to wish that I was more outgoing and felt more comfortable making small talk. That is just not me - all we can be is our very best selves. I don't think we can be truly happy otherwise. I never want to be someone other than myself - I figure that if I get someone else's blessings, then I would also have to carry their burdens.

Roberta - You made me laugh! I highly recommend NOT listening to the audio! LOL!

Katie - Thanks so much for that - I am adding those to my list. And sorry about the Giants loss last night - that was a very strange game. I think they will work out those kinks in the next few games - they had a lot of young players out there, so I think nerves were part of it.

Linda - "As I grow older, I have much less patience for those who are envious, bitter or negative." Me, too! And glad I could make you smile!

Lisa - That's what I was thinking, too! I hate being singled out or being the center of attention! I like to blend in and be overlooked! Truly.

Kathleen - Good to know that I can't go wrong! I'm looking forward to reading more by her.

Mark - I know, right?! Abby was hoping that the Saints would win, but Birdy was thrilled that the Falcons beat them! And of course, we were hoping for a Giants win. And two more games to watch tonight!! I LOVE football season!

Donna - If you are reading the print version, you should be fine. Sadly, I have to listen to the audio of the next one, too - it's all the library has, so I am girding my loins (or griding my lions, as Birdy likes to say) for next month. If nothing else, you and Roberta should at least be able to look forward to another audio rant/review by the ever Crazy Mamie! And you missed a great Broncos game!! I hope you can watch and they can still win, but if not, you might have to take one for the team, Donna, and tune out! LOL! Let's hope it doesn't come to that.

Thank you for those cooler weather wishes. We could use a bit of cool. At least the breeze is back - that makes a huge difference. We are supposed to be in the 90s all week, but if we can have a breeze, it might be bearable.

Judy - It was an excellent day of football for the most part. Broncos and Colts both won their first games, so I am very happy. Too bad that your teams do better if you don't watch - perhaps you could become a Lions fan and watch every game?

Tina - Glad you liked my vet story! I always try to look for the humor in bad situations - life is too short to take it seriously! I do not have any more Hoffman on my shelves, but I am predicting that there will be some very soon - after all, I do have a Thingaversary coming up!

JULIA!!! - You're here! Julia's Here, everyone!! Welcome back, dear lady! We MISSED you! I'm so glad that you made it in time for the vet story! And thanks for those Hoffman recommendations - they have been duly noted.

Linda - Hooray for titles - thanks for that! I am adding your recs to my growing list - very exciting to get so many! And I thank you so kindly for your lovely words, dear one.

Julia - Teamwork! This group is just so great. Isn't it?

Katie - You snuck in there while I was posting! I will give Rae your message - she was so disheartened. And the M&M dispenser is so cool - definitely Christmas list worthy!

Have a great Monday, Mamie! Tonight is our real life book group meeting and we are going to start gearing up to create a list for next year. That should be interesting. I am looking forward to it.

Otherwise, I'm just trying to get some chores done. I am in a bit of a funk and could easily sit and read for another full day - which is what I did mostly over the weekend. Our basketball team lost their game on Saturday night, and our football team won their game yesterday! Go Seahawks!

>149 Crazymamie: Woo, I think I want to borrow all of your kids some time. That much maturity is hard to find in one place. You and your hubby must be doing one heck of a good job.

We're happy here that the Bears looked decent to start the season, and came back to beat a decent Bengals team. Broncos - what a day for Peyton! Colts - pretty darn good day for Andrew "Swivel Hips" Luck, too.

Mamie - Hmm.... M&M dispenser with sports team logos on the candy. You've just given me some great X'mas stocking stuffer ideas. *off to the M&M website*

Karen - It actually was a great Monday! Amazing! I hope you have fun at your real life book club meeting. How do you decide what books to read? I did see that your Seahawks won - Go Seahawks!

Joe - LOL! What a lovely thing to say - thanks! And that was an incredible opening game for the Broncos, wasn't it?!! Gotta love that Peyton! I would have liked to have seen the Colts game, but it was not being shown here in the South. We watched the Saints play the Falcons, then the Packers play the 49ers, then the Giants play the...hmmm...can't seem to remember the name of that other team. It completely escapes me...

Caro - Those dispensers are really cute. Just saying...

Mamie - I've just bought 6 of them for my BIL, 2 nieces, a friend and 2 nephews. :-) Jets, Patriots and Broncos.

Caro - LOL! I'm happy to help with your holiday shopping!!!

Mamie, you should get some sort of referral reward from the M&M folks, just for Caro's shopping alone!

Good thinking, Julia!

To Whom it May Concern,

I am writing in regards to your recent increase in sales...

LOL @ M&M letter :)

I skipped some posts up there.... sorry. So far behind... long day yesterday :P but it was pretty good.

I want to say thanks for the Mercy mention :) I still haven't gotten to book 2, as Cory was here yesterday, but maybe tonight.

Good Tuesday morning, Mamie. I thought of you when the Broncos won their game last week. My Seahawks won, as well, but in less than stellar fashion. I hope they show up with their best game against the 49ers this coming weekend.

I have about 100 pages left in The Road Home and look forward to comparing notes. I've been enjoying it, though the story has taken an odd (but interesting) twist. I added it to the TIOLI challenge with yours - thanks for finding a spot for us to record our shared read!

Off to get ready for work but wanted to stop by and say hello.

Mamie, I liked your vet story too! I was down in the canteen today where it was paella day, and the chef was putting together the ingredients for the lady behind me in the queue. He asked "Vegetables?" and the answer was "A little bit". "Chicken?" "A little bit". "Prawns"? "A little bit" and so on. I nearly looked around for a small dog.

Pecan pancakes were a lovely surprise, thanks Mamie!

Book #114: The Road Home by Rose Tremain (4 stars)

First, let me start by saying that this book was a gift from Paul, so thank you Paul for your generosity and also for helping me to discover a new author. I really liked this story and think it is one that I will revisit.

The main character here is Lev, a widower in his forties trying to raise a young daughter and take care of his mother. The sawmill in his village has closed down, and there is no more work for him. He is also still grieving the loss of his wife, so Lev is a bit closed down himself. We are not told what country he is from, but the references make it feel like Poland or perhaps Russia. When we meet Lev, he is on his way to London to look for work. He hopes to find a job, but this is much more difficult than he had thought. It is not just that he doesn't speak the language well, it's that everything works so differently and things cost much more than he had anticipated. His story is a familiar one except that Tremain's writing elevates the ordinariness of Lev's journey - it feels real, and the characters feel real, which is what I loved about this book.

I also loved how Lev wanted to move forward but couldn't resist looking back. That's how the heart works - we grieve for what we have lost, for what we can no longer have, and if left unchecked, it can threaten our forward momentum. The book beautifully captures Lev's aloneness - he is surrounded by people, but they are not his people. And Lev is fully human - he is resilient and hard-working, willing to learn and approachable, but often lets his anger get the best of him. He is both selfish and generous. Thoughtful and thoughtless. Like most of us, he is deeply flawed. So we are shown both his beauty and his ugliness. There were times when I wanted to wring his neck or, at the very least, smack him around a bit, but for the most part I genuinely liked him. And I enjoyed his journey.

My only complaint would be that the ending here seemed too abrupt. I felt cheated, and I wanted more. I don't need for things to be neat and tidy, but I like when they feel finished. And that unfinished feeling here is what had me deducting half a star from the rating. Other than that, the book is lovely.

"Lev could see that darkness was falling outside the window and he thought how, in his village, darkness had always arrived in precisely the same way, from the same direction, above the same trees, whether early or late, whether in summer, winter, or spring, for the whole of his life. This darkness - particular to that place, Auror - was how, in Lev's heart, darkness would always fall."

Kathleen - Don't apologize. Skipping posts is absolutely fine. No worries! I'm so thrilled that you liked the Mercy book - Abby, Craig and I are all on book #4! Hope today felt less long. Hugs to you, sis!

Ellen - And here is my other sister!! I saw that your Seahawks won, and I hate to say it but the 49ers were looking pretty good. Your Seahawks need to bring their A game next week. I am sending them good mojo!

I finished The Road Home in the early hours this morning when I couldn't sleep. I know just what twist you are referring to - just when you think you know where the story is going, it doesn't go there!

I hope you are feeling much better and that you had a relaxing mini-moon!

Susan - Glad you liked the vet story! LOL about your canteen story - too funny!

Richard - You're welcome! Pancakes almost always make me feel better. *smooch for you, BigDaddy*

LOL .. Mamie .. you're really going to need to send out that letter to M&M because I just ordered 25 customized tins of M&Ms for my goddaughter's birthday party next month to add to her bags of door gifts to her friends.

I've not yet read anything by Tremain but I do have 2 copies of Music & Silence in my TBR Tower. I bought a copy, forgot I did, and then mooched a copy. *sigh*

Caro - You are cracking me up!! Your goddaughter is one very lucky birthday girl - how fun! SO you have to copies of the same book - I have done that before!

Hello my dearest Majesty! ;)

I'm so proud of Rae for not melting down!!! And also of Abby and Daniel for handling their mistake so quickly! Man, you and Craig really have done a great job with them. I don't know of many kids who would have handled that same situation so quickly with finesse... and I know they did it out of love for Rae, too. That's what's so neat about knowing you! You just radiate love all around you!

***big grin***

Oh, I need a LIKE button, here (171), too!

Mamie? Dear? I brought black-bean and avocado salad for lunch:



Some extra-virgin olive oil and a bit of balsamic vinegar and we're good to go!

Tina - The check is in the mail, dear. LOL! Thanks so much for those sweet words - you always say the nicest things!

Karen - And you, too, dear! Thank you!

Richard - Now I am going to have to break for lunch - I WANT that salad! YUM! Thank you, BigDaddy! *smooch*

Great idea Richard. Lettuce, + black beans + avocado + tomatoes + balsamic and EVOO. Is that all? Looks really good, and would fit my current Plan.

Have a great day, Mamie.

It's a yummy salad indeed, as I enjoy one quite similar to it in today's miserable heat.

*waves at Karen* Wishing for you a day full of great, too!

Richard - I LOVE stuff like that!

I'm out of salad. Hope to be able to get some fixings friday. No chance before then. I had turkey chili for dinner. I hate turkey chili. One more day then it will be meatballs!

Hi Mamie! Glad to see you enjoyed The Road Home! I really enjoyed that one as well!

Wow, snap! I had a blackbean avocado and cajun grilled shrimp salad for lunch today. Totally yummy ...except that salads don't keep me full for too long so I'm dying for the hubster to get home so we can have dinner. The cushion on the couch is starting to look rather tasty......

That salad does look mighty tempting. I went out for lunch today with daughter and son-in-law and ate so much that I just skipped dinner. Probably 10:00 pm will find me poking around the kitchen looking for a little something.

Mamie, I also gave The Road Home, which I completed this evening, four stars. I was more okay with the somewhat abrupt wrap-up than I usually would be, can't say why. I did really love the story, Tremain's prose, and the several interesting characters. Paul got us just right!

Good early morning! I seem to be interested in book reviews this morning. I just gave both of you, Mamie and Ellen, a star for your reviews of The Road Home. I just can not add another book to my TBR piles so I'll duck the Book Bullet, but it does sound like a good book to read.

Morning Mamie- Just checking in with the Georgia Peach! I finished Another Mans Moccasins and it was another solid Longmire. I can listen to Walt and Henry banter for hours. I also started my 2nd Three Pines book, A Fatal Grace and I am enjoying it. Where are you in that series?
Hope things are cooling off down there. It's going to be gorgeous here today!

Good Thursday Morning, everyone! Yesterday was truly gorgeous weather here, and we spent most of the afternoon and early evening outside - Craig and the kids in the pool, and I was reading. I finished up two more books, one of which was a reread. With the anniversary of my Dad's death looming, I had decided to read some books that would take me back to my very favorite memories of him - our shared love of old movies. We loved Humphrey Bogart, and we loved noir, so I revisited an old favorite that I read every few years - The Maltese Falcon. This is one of those rare instances where I love the movie more than the book, which isn't really fair to Mr. Hammett, but the movie has Humphrey Bogart! (AND Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet!!) Not only were my Dad and I big fans, but Bogart reminds me of my Dad - he had that same build, that same less is more way of talking about things, and that same cynical and sarcastic sense of humor that Bogart displays in so many of his characters. Whenever I read books that have been made into movies starring Bogart, it is Bogart's voice that I hear in my head narrating the words. The only flaw in the movie, in my opinion, is the casting of Mary Astor as Brigid O'Shaughnessy - she was too old. Brigid is supposed to be in her early twenties, and she is supposed to be "a knockout". She plays the role brilliantly, but she never really sells me on the woman who could walk into the offices of Spade and Archer and have both of their tongues wagging. If we're going to cast an older actress for the role, I think Claire Trevor would have been a better choice. Oh well, such is life.

I am also a great fan of old movies: Bogart, Bacall, Bette Davis, Kate Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart, and on and on

I loved the atmospheric period pieces with lots of dark scenes punctuated by shafts of light, and lots of shadows.

Lauren Bacall - I wanted to be her. My date reminded me though that he was not a Humphrey Bogart. Ha ha ha

What fun. The Art Museum here used to have film series where they would show all of Hepburn's best, or Bette Davis's early films. What fun. I should make an effort to revisit some of these. I am sure netflic has the best ones.

Thanks for the picture above, I felt so proud that I looked at it and I knew which movie it was.

I want the salad in #173!!! Yum!!!

I have to admit I know virtually nothing about Bogart or The Maltese Falcon, but your reminiscing about your dad brought a smile to my face and a pang to my heart for you. Love you Mamie! (((Hugs)))

Kathleen - I can't be happy until I have that salad, so I see it coming soon to the Pecan Paradisio. Hopefully Saturday. And turkey chili? That's just wrong. I say don't eat it. Be a rebel, sis!

Chelle - I liked everything except for the abrupt ending - I wanted more. Have you read anything else by her?

Caro - I hope you didn't nibble on that couch cushion! I love a good salad!

Judy - Richard got all of us with that salad, didn't he?! Your lunch sounds like fun - I prefer to have a bigger lunch and then skip dinner or just do a light snack in the evening in the summer time, but I rarely get to do that because teenagers like dinner!

Ellen - Agreed that The Road Home was a winner - Paul made an excellent choice! It was fun knowing that we were reading it at the same time. I would like to read something else by her, but I'm not sure what to choose next.

Karen - Thank you for that thumb! It is worth the read if you ever get around to it.

Mark - That's the one I'm ready for in the Longmire series - I need to get back to that! And I am reading A Fatal Grace, too - I am not very far into it yet as I set it aside to read The Maltese Falcon. I do like how Penny writes, pulling you right into the story. We had another gorgeous (but hot...um...92F) day down here. Another pool day!

Karen - Yep! I love all of those! Netflix has a nice selection of some of those older movies. I have a lovely collection that we pull out all the time. My kids like watching those old movies, too, so we often have Old Movie night. And I don;t even want to think about how many times I've watched The Maltese Falcon - one of my absolute favorites!

Tina - Me, too! Thanks for those kind words and for those hugs. Tomorrow is the day, so it will be a difficult one. SO bittersweet.

Thinking of you today, Mamie.

(((Hugs)))

Thank you so much for that, Katie! It means so much to me. We have planned a fun way to remember my Dad for this evening. When I was younger, and all my sisters had moved out, leaving me alone with the folks - (oh, the horror!) my Dad used to show up at the oddest hours with Coney dogs. I do not know where he got them from, but they were our shared secret indulgence. He would bring them home fully loaded, and we would snarf them down. There is something decadent about eating unhealthy food in the middle of the night, while the rest of the world is sleeping. Every time he would say, "Now there's no need to tell your mother about this. You know how she feels about dogs in the house." So tonight we will indulge in fully loaded Coney dogs and watch an old favorite of his - The Asphalt Jungle.

That sounds like a lovely way to celebrate your dad, Mamie! I hope the day turns out to be more sweet than bitter, even though as we all know you can't appreciate the former without at least a little of the latter.

Oh, that is a great one! Congratulations on the Celebration of All Things Great that your Dad gifted to you, and to your kids, and probably to their kids, someday, too!

**************shooting off confetti cannons, once again, for Mamie and all her family*********

That's a lovely memory to have about your Dad, Mamie. One of my favourite memories about my Grandpa was that when I was staying with my grandparents he would bring chips home (is that French fries or just fries?) when he came home after being out in the evening. My parents would never do that and it seemed such a treat.

I was looking for avocado today at the grocery. It is too laugh. Nary a decent one to be found.
I made plain old plain old salad. It will do . The tomatoes are from a patrons tomato garden.. yummy!

I love the Coney dog idea... you are a genius! ( but we knew that.. ) Happy weekend to you !

What a wonderful, sweet remembrance of a wonderful, sweet daddy. I'll join y'all in a dog long distance, and dedicate it to him!

Love the dogs in the house story, Mamie! Sweet memory.

What a dear sweet way to remember a wonderful man & loving father. We love you Mamie. Sorry I'm a few hours late.

(((MAMIE)))

Lovely reminiscences. Oh and I adore that movie, the Maltese Falcon.

Charma! I'll remember that!

Good weekend! Have a good time this weekend, please.

So last night's celebration was a complete success - the kids and Craig hadn't seen The Asphalt Jungle before, and the last time that I watched it was with my Dad (many years ago). It felt right. It felt like just the way he would have wanted us to remember him - we even had soda out of those little glass bottles, the way they used to sell them. My Dad always said that soda tastes better out of glass than the cans or the plastic, and I have to agree with him.

It was interesting to see the movie again after having just read the book. (It was the other book I read along with The Maltese Falcon that I mentioned above.) Here, I have to say that the book wins this round, although the movie is very well done. What the books provides is much more character insight - you get to glimpse how their minds are working and why they are making the choices that they make. For those of you unfamiliar with the story, this is a very intriguing tale of a jewelry heist that starts to go wrong from the very beginning and ends up spiraling completely out of control. The novel was written in 1949 by W. R. Burnett, (who also wrote Little Caesar and High Sierra, which were also made into very famous films) and it holds up very well. I liked how the characters are at different places in their lives with different motivations for choosing to participate in the heist. And the side characters are interesting, too. The movie features Marilyn Monroe in a very bit part which led to her getting larger roles - she does a very good job playing the type of character that she probably hated playing later in her career.

.

Julia - Thank you so much for those words. Last night felt like the perfect way to honor his memory. It will for me be a tradition - a lovely way to celebrate. A shared memory that I can pass along to my own children. It was more sweet than bitter, thanks.

Karen - You made me smile! Thanks for that. Once again all of you here have helped me through a difficult moment.

Rhian - Thank you! I like you memory, too. Fries, we call them - but French fries is also correct. Isn't it funny how things that probably seemed small to the person doing them felt so large to the person receiving the efforts? I love memories like that.

Kathleen - No avocados, huh? Plain old salad is good, too. Especially with fresh grown tomatoes - YUM! The coney dogs turned out great - everybody loved them except for Birdy, who doesn't like hot dogs. The kids said, "We should do this more often!" It was such a lovely evening.

Richard - Oh, I love that! Hot dogging long distance!! Thanks, BigDaddy! It was a fun way to remember him and to share those memories with my own kids. My Dad would have liked it - he would have come in and sat down and enjoyed.

Joe - Thanks! I loved his sense of humor which a lot of people missed because he said everything deadpan.

Tina - Thanks, sweetie! And you weren't late - right on time as usual! I love all y'all back (see how well I'm adapting to Southern speak?!).

Lucy - Another lover of The Maltese Falcon!! Whoot! Whoot! And I liked Charma, too! Clever.

Karen - Thank you - I will do my best. Wishing you a weekend full of lovely as well!

What a sweet memory and what a wonderful commemoration. Blessings to you and yours and have a great time!

>190 Crazymamie: I love that story- what a wonderful way to remember your dad :)

I dont know any of those old B&W films, I confess. It looks like a whole new genre for me to discover.

Lovely thought to watch movies in memorial to your Dad. And you got to see great movies over too.

It is wonderful that your kids also get to appreciate a little of the essence that was put into you and becomes part of them too. Hope they don't get too much of your MIL though.

Struggled this week in keeping up as things are hectic here but glad I found time to catch up and wish you a wonderful weekend at the Paradisio.

I had been more than a week with no salad, and it was VERY good! Impossible to beat home grown tomatoes.

I'm pretty sure that you are enjoying a wonderful weekend... I have been busy, but mostly good busy... things getting done ,you know? Also reading a lot of Mercy :)

Morning Mamie- I loved all your thoughts on The Asphalt Jungle. I have never read the book or that author but I LOVED the film. I am a huge fan of John Huston and this was one of his best periods. Sterling Hayden was such an interesting actor.
It's a damp, cool one here today. Perfect for staying in: books & football. Enjoy your day!

Happy Sunday! *smooch*

That's right! This is the game that we are waiting for - Broncos versus the Giants. Although the Broncos are my number one team, I have great respect for both of the Manning brothers, so I figure either way it's a win. Go Broncos! Go Giants!

I read that Peyton and Eli's parents and brother aren't fond of these games where they play each other - too hard. Their brother supposedly won't even attend any more.

Reba - Thank you for that. And blessing! One can never have too many of those! Hoping that your Sunday is full of fabulous!

Megan - How ARE you? How's that foot coming along? SO glad you loved my shared memory, and our movie/coney dog night was a huge success. So fun! I love those old black and white films, and it has been great fun to revisit them by reading the novels that came first. The Maltese Falcon is an old favorite - I would hate to have to guess how many times I have watched that movie or read that book - both versions are fabulous. The Asphalt Jungle was completely new to me as a novel, and I would like to track dow move of the novels that led to the movies that my Dad and I loved to watch together. I have made a good start by purchasing both High Sierra and Little Caesar - looking forward to both of them.

Paul - I don't know if you saw it up there, but I read and really enjoyed The Road Home by Rose Tremain, which you gifted me with last year. Thanks so much for introducing me to a new author and for the lovely paperback which I am sure I shall reread at some point.

Thanks for those thought on our movie night in honor of my Dad - it was wonderful sharing things that he loved with my own children and remembering him in a way that he would have appreciated. I am hoping that they soak up everything that my Dad had to offer me and that they learn how NOT to behave from my MIL.

Thank you for those wonderful weekend wishes - I know that you have had a lot to deal with lately, and I am hoping that the coming week brings with it an ease in your worries. Sending you some calming and relaxing mojo from the Pecan Paradisio.

Kathleen - Yes! Hooray for homegrown tomatoes!! They are delicious any way that you serve them! Our weekend has been nice and relaxing - spent most of yesterday reading outside, and our pool got a good workout, too! I have been enjoying those Mercy books, too! Just what I am in the mood for right now! Wishing for you a Sunday full of fabulous, sis!

Mark - The book is very good - I really liked the insights it provided on the characters' thoughts and motivations. I have always loved the movie - great casting and such great direction from the master, John Huston. Totally agree about Sterling Hayden. Definitely not cold here - but the humidity is low, so it feels good outside even though it is going to 90 today. 83 right now, but very pleasant. Wishing your Bears good luck this afternoon. Go Bears!

Richard - Sunday smooch back at you, BigDaddy! Hoping your day is full of fabulous!

Joe - You snuck in there while I was posting! I bet it is hard on the families! Mind boggling just thinking about it! They must be so proud, though, that not only are both men great quarterbacks, but also great role models. Now that is worth cheering about!

Looks like some good football on today. That game tonight between the Seahawks & 49ers, could be the game of the week. I'll be watching Breaking Bad, but I'll make sure I switch back over, as soon as it's through.

Mark - We are looking forward to that game tonight, too! We are waiting for the Colts versus the Dolphins game, which should start any minute - Go Colts! Hoping that your Bears beat those Vikings!

Hi, Mamie. I hope your Sunday is as lovely as you are. And that all your football teams win. And your favorite players make the best plays.

So much football love going on, I guess I'll have to turn on the Seahawks game tonight. The kids Dad will go and try to be part of the Loudest Stadium in the USA.

I "hosted" the little kids at my house today. I think both they and I are experiencing a little withdrawal. Just don't get to see much of each other. So, we all went to the basketball game last night with their Aunt Christine (the younger of my two nieces) and watched the Seattle Storm win their last game of the season, and saw one of the best players have a big retirement send off. Fun. And then, today, they came over to help me wash my dogs which coincidentally allowed Jim to go to the football game at the same time as Schelie had a training session for her exercise classes that she teaches at the YMCA. Some would call it babysitting, but since it is family it is called "visiting". You know how that goes.

So far today I have baked some breakfast muffins and some summer squash and hosted the kids, washed the dogs, and saw the last few minutes of a Stuart Little movie on TV. No reading yet, and I need to get ready for Monday Monday. Sigh.

Perhaps I'll get a few pages in before I fall to sleep tonight.

Hi Crazy!! Did you miss me? Trying to resurface here. Hugs!

Hi, Mamie! Just trying to catch up, as I've not had enough LT time lately.

I think your way of remembering/honoring your dad with the "Coney Dogs" is lovely! Today is my Mom's birthday, and to remember her I always listen to her favorite song, "Misty Blue" sung by Eddie Arnold.

Oh, it's been such a long, long time,
Looks like I get you off my mind,
but I can't, just the thought of you,
Turns my whole world,
A misty blue.

I love the way you honor and remember your dad, Mamie. What a truly treasured memory of your personal time with your dad. After my brother left for college, whenever my dad had to work late and come home around 10ish, my mom was usually asleep. He's wake me up and we'd tip-toe downstairs to eat the fried chicken he invariably brought home. He'd also then be sure to wrap up all the bones, go to our neighbor's and dump the bag in their garbage can so my mother never saw the evidence. To this day I don't know if our neighbors ever realized what my dad had been doing.... probably not because if they did, the very gossipy wife would have said something to my mom.

Mamie? Oh Mamie! Wherefore art thou, Mamie?

What rdear said... busy~ busy ~busy ~ with good stuff? Hope so sis!

Mamie! I got the book! Have I mentioned you are awesome sauce with fantastitoast? Thank you! *smooch*

Hi Mamie, you've got my motor revving for both The Asphalt Jungle and The Maltese Falcon, both of which are on my list for next year. I am a huge fan of Humphrey Bogart and love "High Sierra", but I think my favorite Bogart movie is "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" although, truth be told he never puts a step wrong.

Mamie, sister dear, I'm so sorry I missed the marking of the anniversary of your dear dad's passing. I love love love that you celebrated and grieved the occasion with Coney dogs -- it sounds like the perfect way to acknowledge the gap his passing has left in your life and the special moments you and he shared. And, of course, I think food has such a visceral way of rekindling memories.

I have always wanted to read The Maltese Falcon. Maybe in 2014?

*whispers quietly, "go seahawks!"*

Dropping in to leave a hug. Love you Mamie... And all y'all! By the way, you are adapting to Southern speak well. Just notice, FYI that "all y'all" is also accepted down here! ;)

((((Mamie))))

Maaaaaaaaaaaaammmmmmmmmmmmiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeee!! Come home, all is forgiven!

Hey, Mamie. Let the kids do their lessons without you watching and come tell us how's by you. Is the September weather still making you miserable? We are having what the weather predictions on TV are calling "the last day of summer" today. Hot sunshine for a short day, and a lovely cool night.

I'm finding letting the littlest kid go to Kindergarten all day, and not having her with me all day, is a little hard. I'm feeling sad but also I am happy to have lots of time to do what I want to do. Next big deal: Hawaii at the end of November! Putting the house on the market my November 1, I hope. Big doin's.

Mamie - Missing you around these parts and I'd holler like RD too only I am much further away. Hope you and yours are fine.

Just swinging through! Miss you, Mamie! Hope everything is okay.

A week of Mamielessness.

*woe*

*looks everywhere* Where's Mamie?

:(

Adding my voice.

OK, I'm going to go and check the pecan orchard -- someone check the pool -- someone else the screened porch -- she's got to be around here somewhere!

^The waiting crowd is growing bigger and Bigger.

Hmm. I know I've been awol. I didn't realize Mamie was awol with me.
:-/

Crazy--You can't go awol. I just got back!! Hello??

Okay, I'll take this row. Someone take the next row over.

Thought for a minute I found her, but no.

All your fweinds, large or small, are on the look-out for you!

glug, glug, glug ....gurgle...Mamiee?....gurgle, gurgle...

Mamieee! Mamiee! Nope she's not under here ...

(-; {-; (=:

ha ha ha

Ok. Don't panic. All is well. Thanks so much for keeping my thread warm and for searching for me high and low - you guys are the BEST! Last week just somehow got completely away from me - football, appointments, new curriculum, sporadic internet, football, packing for vacation, football. We have journeyed south about four hours to Santa Rosa, Florida, which is GORGEOUS! Just checked in late this afternoon - our townhome is lovely, and we were thrilled to be able to bring the dogs with us. It pretty much rained this whole afternoon and evening, which was fine because it gave us the chance to settle in and get groceries and all that so we will be ready to go tomorrow.

F L O R I D A ! ! !

How horrible! What nightmare is this?!? It is hotter and more Republican in F L O R I D A than even in Georgia!

Still, I'm thrilled you're alive and, if not well, at least able to type. *smooch*

Yep, that is Florida. I'd recognize it anywhere. Beautiful. Just don't pay attention to the politics.

And....
football, appointments, new curriculum, sporadic internet, football, packing for vacation, football.
Really, it sounds like you've got an adequate excuse for abandoning us. :-|
Watch for me in the stands at the Seahawks game tomorrow! I'll be the one in the Kam Chancellor jersey! :-)

ETA: ENJOY Florida and say hello to the locals for me!

Mamie - I'm sure you'll do a better job of selling the Sunshine State than dear cynical RD. When I think of Florida I conjure images of the Keys, Bogart, the Everglades, sunny beaches and Walt Disney lowering the tone. I don't thankfully see the place drowned in Republicans although drowned Republicans will appeal to some I'm sure.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mamie - how you doin'?

Hope you don't mind that I have skipped over the previous 245 messages (except Paul's - I can see it - suspended right above me). Just don't have what it takes to get that done. Hope your month is going well for your and yours.

I have to admit that I'm with rdear when it comes to Florida.. and Texas for that matter. Glad that your absence was for good things ... Have a blast!!! ( I know you will)

Morning Mamie- Have a great time in FLA! Sounds like a blast! Hope you can find a nice place to watch football.

I think hiding in Florida is better than hiding under the dog bed (#240) or at the bottom of the duck pond (#239). But you got to give 'em credit, we've got some creative folks in here!

I hope your vacation is great, and that your kids get some additional knowledge of our great country in their memory banks.

Have swell time!

Ah!Busy and vacation busy - that I can relate to. These first few weeks of September are the busiest of the year save around the winter holidays season, which are busy in another way. Glad all is well. Santa Rosa looks great! I assume the beach is closey (perhaps at your back in this photo?).

Photos of tiny dogs playing by the surf's edge perhaps?

Cheers to the Mamie clan and best wishes for a wonderful vacation! I'm sure we'll all look forward to hearing about it when you are back at the Pecan Paradiso (is that the right term? My memory is terrible.).

I'm in FL at the moment and I really dislike it -- especially the summer weather!! Sarasota is reasonable politically but, you're right the state is very right (and they don't even know how to vote). Hope you have a nice vacation anyway :-)

Crazy--Yay! You are alive and doing well. Sigh of relief. Although...what prompted vacation in the middle of September??

I just noticed, in the photo of your Dad a mysterious something on the wall behind him..... is the white thing a bird?

>210 Crazymamie: How's that foot coming along?
thanks for asking :)
It is very well. No longer sore at all, I can dangle it as much as I want without it throbbing, so consequently I am up and about all the time. My major issue is now shoulders from the crutches, which I can handle btw.

I haven't even caught up with your news or your reading as I have been patchy lately, with regards to my LT usage. Florida holiday sounds exciting! Have fun- we know you will :)

Glad that you and the family are off on vacation, Mamie. Have a great time!

Hope you're enjoying Florida, Mamie! It looks like a pretty place where you're staying.

*waving to Mamie in Florida* Have fun!

Whew! You had me a bit worried there. (great detective work everyone)
And here you are on vacation with the doggies! YAY!
Have a wonderful time and be sure to come home with stories ;-)

{{{{Mamie and family}}}}

Gosh I was getting worried! I've missed you on my thread AND here and was starting to think some not-so-happy thoughts.

So glad you're all ok! Enjoy your vacation, love!

New Smyrna Beach, Florida, where I spent much of my youth:

My own thread has gotten away from me, and I fear there is no catching up with it! How did this happen?! We are enjoying the vacation very much - Florida is beautiful but...um...very wet. Apparently we brought the rain with us. We have still been snagging some great memories, and so far none of us has melted in the rain showers. We did find a great independent bookstore which we plan on visiting one more time before we head home. Since my Thingaversary is coming up (it's tomorrow!!), I thought it would be fun to buy my books from there. So, I picked up The Tourist by Olen Steinhauer (spy thriller - very good so far) and Other Voices, Other Rooms by Truman Capote. I will pick up my final book when we go back. The bookstore is called Sundog Books and it is housed downstairs - upstairs is a totally cool music shop that sells those old vinyl records - remember those? They also sell coffee up there, so it is a perfect rainy day stop. What we found that we went completely crazy over are these book bags and T-shirts that feature old book covers! How cool is that? Abby bought a Pride and Prejudice shirt and a Great Gatsby bag. I bought the Alice in Wonderland bag because the graphics were just so rad - think Alice with an attitude.

Happy Mamieversary tomorrow! *smooch*

Very glad the vacation is going so well. Sending hugs and smooches to all, and am I ever glad I'm not there. *shudder* Florida in the rain.

LOVE the merch!

Hey, Richard! I am SO missing my LT time! We went to the beach yesterday, which you would have hated because it was HOT. Not much breeze, which surprised me. Luckily, the beach is only a two block walk from where we are staying, so Abby, Birdy and I ditched the others at the beach and came back to the pool when we had had enough of baking in the sun. The pool here is lovely with plenty of shady places to sit, so that's where we hung out most of the afternoon. It has been a nice stay, but I am ready to head home, as I am a completely boring person who loves to be in her own home. I am missing my pecan trees, my LT buddies, and my espresso machine. These vacations are so nice for Craig though, as it is the only time that he actually relaxes fully - at home he works on the house or out in the yard. There is always something to do, and work has a way of creeping in to his down time. When we are on vacation someplace, he has to let go and just relax.

Thanks for the Mamieversary wishes! Two years tomorrow - I stumbled across LT shortly after my Dad's death, and it saved me because the cataloging of my books was just the kind of monotonous task that I needed to escape my grief. Then I found Lucy and this awesome group and started my very first thread in mid-January of 2012. The rest, as they say, is history!

The Out of Print merchandise is eye popping! They have a whole wall of the T-shirts. Abby took a photo, so I'll have to see if I can snag it and post it here.

*smooches* back to you, BigDaddy!

Happy (almost) Thingaversary, Mamie!

Thanks, Katie!

Happy early Thingaversary, Mamie! Mine is coming up as well, in 10 days I think. I've never really paid attention to it, but I had to explain the concept to my husband this time around. He said that sounded fine until he heard how many years I've been here, haha. :) (8)

Sorry Florida has been rainy, but it sounds like you've been making the best of it at least. The bookstore sounds awesome - just the kind of place my husband and I would hang out ... I could shop for books while he shopped for records, and then have coffee. Nothing like that around here, that I know of, unfortunately.

Hi Ursula, and thank you! Eight years for you - WOW!! I missed mine last year, so I wanted to be sure to celebrate this year - such a great excuse for snagging a few more books. We did catch a break in the weather yesterday, and enjoyed both the pool and the beach. Shopping and sight seeing can be done in any weather, and the pouring rain was a great reason to stay holed up in that bookstore. I wish we had something like it close to us - both levels were inviting and filled with great stuff. And the staff was great!

Hi Mamie!
Happy Thingaversary ! What a treat to be able to get your required anniversary treat in such a great bookshop :)
Glad you finally got some nice weather. You must be so tired of rain! At least winter is coming and it should be lush and warm in GA, I'm thinking. You'll be lovin' it and we will be wishing to read by the pool with you.
Safe travels home to your expresso machine!

Best wishes on your Thingaversary, Mamie! Known you but a short time, but you are definitely one of the Stars of LT!

We love reports from Mamieland! Yah! If I can't get by here tomorrow, Happy Thingaversary! You've been such a wonderful addition over here. I could not imagine the place without you.

Happy Thingaversary, Mamie!

Happy Thingaversary and hope you have a good/safe trip home.

Happy Thingaversary!! Hope you have a great rest of the trip and safe travels. Buy at least one or two extra books just for good measure, cuz you deserve them! :)

Happy Thingaversary! Glad to see you're having a great time in Florida.

Happy Thingaversay Mamie! It looks like you have plenty of books to choose from at that great shop.

Oh dear... sorry about the rain, but it looks like you are making the most of it anyway :) LOVE the tee shirts. Love them!

Glad you are having a great break!

Happy Thingaversary! Love the new T's!

Happy Thingaversary, Mamie!

Ooooo happy thinga!

***shoots off the confetti cannons***

whoop whooop whoop horray!!!

Happy Anniversary to you, happy anniversary to you, happy annniverrrrrsssssarrrrrrryyyyy to YOU - oo - ooo, happy anniversary to you! (boy, are you lucky there is not a way for you to hear me....)

LibraryThing is much more fun for your being with us. Thank you. And I hope you enjoy reading your anniversary bought books!

Happy Thingaversary, Mamie!

So, we're going to stay an extra day, actually, which will interfere with my football watching - see how I sacrifice myself for my family?! We went back to the bookstore today, and I ended up buying not one but three books since Tina encouraged me to splurge. Here's what I got:

Plainsong by Ken Haruf
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich maria Remarque - I read this many years ago in high school and loved it. I thought this would be a good one for the kids and I to read together and discuss.
The Storycatcher by Ann Hite - autographed copy!

We ate at Pickles, which has truly excellent Philly cheesesteak sandwiches. They are known for their fried dill pickle spears -um...can I just say YUM! So fabulous!

We're off to the pool - back in a bit to respond to individual posts. Thanks so much everyone for your good wishes - I am missing all of you!

Happy Thingaversary Mamie. Like you really need an excuse to buy books. LOL!

Cee - Thanks so much for stopping by - I have been sending you good vibes and keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. It was indeed a treat to be able to purchase my Thingaversary books from such a lovely independent bookstore - so fun, and I love to support the brick and mortar stores. Rae picked up the coolest copy of The Wizard of Oz - one of her favorites. I hadn't seen this line before - it's called Puffin Chalk. Lovely covers that look like they are designed with chalk and deckled edge pages!



I am very much looking forward to my second Fall and Winter in Georgia - I know you love snow, and I do, too, but I am so very happy not to have to shovel it. I love just being able to go Christmas shopping in jeans and a sweatshirt. Thanks so much for those safe travels wishes - I cannot wait to reunite with my espresso machine!

Charlotte - Thank you so much for those kind words. It has been so much fun getting to know all of you - I have no idea how I managed without LT!

Mark - Such sweet words! Thanks for that!

Roni - Thank you, dear lady!

Reba - Thanks for those good wishes. We will do our best to reach home safely - luckily it's only a four hour drive.

Tina - Thank you! I took your advice to heart and purchased two extra books! See how influential you are?!! Remember to only use your powers for good!

Rhian - Thank you! Florida is lovely, but I am missing my Georgia. It is nice to be here in the off season - no crowds but the temps are still great for the beach and the pool. Last night we were able to sit out on the balcony of our town home and listen to the live music from the pub down the street. Delightful!

Susan - Thanks! There were indeed many books to choose from - the selection was fabulous, and I loved how they had them organized. What was really cool was that they had so many books that I see here on LT all the time, but that I have trouble locating in the local bookstores (think the Dr. Siri books).

Kathleen - The rain has cleared out and left us with absolutely GORGEOUS weather. The T-shirts and book bags were just so awesome - I wanted them all! It has been a great break from the routine, but I am ready for home. I am such a pathetic homebody!

Carol - Thanks! We love the shirts, too.

Joe - Thank you! Love that graphic!

Lucy - Thank you! I owe my thread making success to you - you were so right that the 75ers are where it is at!! Thanks again for helping me to get started!

Karen - Ohh...confetti canons!! Thanks for that!! And singing, too!! You are just so fabulous! And thank you also for those kind words - you always say the loveliest things!

Pat!! Pat's here! So wonderful to see you here! And thank you!

Roberta - Thank you! And right - I don't need excuses to buy books, but still...it's nice to have them!

You are not going to believe this. I don't believe it, either. I have managed to break my big toe. Good thing vacation is almost over. I stubbed it yesterday, and it has been really hurting, but I took my ibuprofen and sucked it up, thinking it was just a nasty stubbing. Then when we were heading to the pool today I looked down and thought, how did my toe get so dirty. Um...it's NOT dirt. I showed Craig, and he said, "Let me really see that." It's broken. And bent. How did I not notice this sooner? Good thing I brought a doctor with me.

You've picked up some great books down there in Florida, Mamie! I adored Plainsong. I'm sorry about your toe; I hope it heals quickly and you are bouncing around in no time.

Hey Julia! A lot of LT people were singing the praises of Plainsong, so when I saw it, I snagged it. I am sure the toe will heal quickly- I don't know about the bouncing around part. LOL!

Broken toes hurt! Tape it to the next one over and hang in there. Nice having your own personal physician. ;)

I'm sorry to hear about your toe. I did something similar last year--stubbed my toe while on vacation hard enough to break it. It's painful in the beginning and then becomes annoying because it takes weeks to heal. Oh well, time will pass and it will get better. Make sure to take that ibuprofen!

Broken toe - OUCH!

The fried dill pickle spears caught my attention.... what is the dipping sauce in the picture? It looks like a creamy dill sauce or something along those lines.

Sounds like your Florida vacation has been a wonderful... except of for the broken toe, of course. ;-)

Roberta - Pain? Check! And I am a big fan of the buddy taping - this is my third broken toe, so I am a veteran toe breaker. But I have never broken the big one before - see how I am always embracing new things?

Pat - Thank you. I can't believe I broke it. You'd think the big ones would be harder to break. I'm just glad that I did it at the end of vacation and not the beginning. I will be sure to take the Advil!

Lori - So true! Ouch sums it up perfectly! The dipping sauce is a homemade ranch dressing, which was really tasty. And Florida has been great fun - even with a broken toe, I can't complain.

Mamie - Happy thingaversary from me too my dear. (RD's Mamieversary is much better methinks). Rae's buy is a copy to die for.

LT is a much better and brighter place with you inside it.

Have a lovely weekend. xx

Paul - Thanks so much! I like Mamieversary, too! And I thank you for those kind words. We have one more day of vacation left, and then we will head back to the Pecan Paradisio on Sunday. I am hoping to be back in time to catch the Broncos game. Rae's book is so gorgeous, and you know how I feel about deckled edge pages!!

Wishing you a weekend full of wonderful!

Just finished a thoroughly unpleasant argument with someone who calls herself a christian. I think Jesus would flee screaming at the sight of her bigoted soul. So, of course, the only logical thing to do is come bask in some Mamie.

I feel better now.

A broken toe sounds nasty! At least it wasn't at the start of the holiday.

Ow. Broken toe is terrible - I've managed to break the second one in left twice if you can believe it. I'm so paranoid now I rarely go barefoot, which I love to do..... but oh it hurt!

Safe trip home.

Nice grab at the bookstore, Mamie. I don't know The Storycatcher, but I'm a big fan of Plainsong and liked All Quiet on the Western Front a lot, too. Great cover for The Wizard of Oz; that was a favorite of mine when I was a wee lad.

Take care of that toe (you're smart to always travel with a doctor), and safe travels back to Pecan Paradisio.

Good Morning, Y'all! This is our last full day - hitting the road home tomorrow. It has been a fun stay; our town home was only two blocks from the beach, and there were many shops and restaurants within walking distance. While it rained hard and often at the beginning of our vacation, the weather here at the end of it has been glorious. And a week away has gifted us with that indelible blessing that traveling always fills me with - a longing for home. And not just any home. The one that we chose just under one year ago with that fabulous screened in porch and that lovely pool. And most of all, those beautiful pecan trees that speak to me.

Richard - That is just the loveliest compliment! Thank you, BigDaddy! Glad I could help. *smooch for you and scratch behind the ears for Stella*

Rhian - So very true. I am skipping the final walk on the beach.

Lucy - I broke that exact same toe a few years ago. The last time we were on vacation, actually, now that I think about it. It was a truly freak accident - Craig twitches sometimes, and he kicked me in his sleep. I knew that it really hurt, but when I got up the next morning it looked horrible. Craig felt awful, and it seemed like it took forever to heal, but it made a great story. And the kids still like to say, Remember that time...

And thanks for those safe trip home wishes!

Joe - Thank you. I bought The Storycatcher because the author had just been in the store and had left autographed copies. She is a Georgia author, and the story is set in the deep South, so I thought I would give it a go. It was a fun bit of serendipity. I knew that you, Mark, Julia and Judy had all recommended Plainsong, so that was definitely an easy pick. All Quiet On the Western Front was a favorite of mine in high school, and I thought it would be good to revisit it with the kids, who have not read it before. And Rae's book is lovely - they also had Peter Pan and Pippi Longstocking in those covers. I always love seeing what she chooses because she is impossible to predict in a bookstore.

I promise to take care of my toe, I wouldn't think of traveling without my own personal physician, and I will do my best to have safe travels back to the Pecan Paradisio. Thanks for your good wishes!

You've been dipping your toes in homemade ranch dressing?

Kinky.

Um...no. That actually never even occurred to me, Morphy. The ranch dressing was for the fried pickle spears. I didn't dip my toes into anything except the pool and the surf. Well, and the baseboard, which is how I broke one. I hate to loose the mysterious aura that the adjective kinky provides, though.

Well, you can keep the mysterious aura by not saying just exactly what you were doing when you kicked the baseboard...

LOL!

You're such a great planner!!! Break a toe and have a doctor right there to tell you!
And fried pickles. Awesomeness.

I am out of Patricia Briggs books and feel rather bereft. Any other suggestions for me ?
And yes.. I did read the Alpha and Omega books, too.

Glad you're having a mostly fab time... take pics of all of you in your new book tees!!!!
Rope in a stranger to snap the pic!

>308 mckait: I'm going to suggest Jeaniene Frost and Ilona Andrews. Start with Halfway to the Grave and Magic Bites. Those are the only other contemporary fantasy series besides Briggs I've given 8 out of 10 stars to. Halfway to the Grave got 7 stars but other books in the series got 8s. Every book in the Magic series by Andrews has gotten an 8.

Oh Mamie!

I broke the toe both times on vacation too. So what is it about vacation? It made going to the beach a nightmare and swimming almost impossible. Twice! Two years in a row.

Welcome home!

Morphy, I am in your debt :)
many thanks !!

They aren't as light in tone and have a bit more sex, but, in general, they are about as good as Briggs.

Ouch! So glad you waited until it was time to go home to do it, though, and the pluses of having your own personal physician are inestimable at such a time. I've only managed to break my little toe, and that by stumbling into things in my own home--yours make much better stories. Hope you can relax when you get home.

We made it home safe and sound late Sunday afternoon, so now we need to play catch up with the laundry and the school schedules. A return to order. Okay, so we never actually reach the that level of organization. A return to slightly organized chaos. Okay, not quite that bad either. A return to structured mayhem. That sounds about right.

And time for a new thread. Definitely time for a new thread...

Kathleen - Leave it to you to put a positive spin on the whole broken toe thing!! Thanks for that, sis! And the fried pickles were AWESOME! I see I am late getting to you with book suggestions to replace the hole that Mercy has left. Luckily, Morphy was on the job! I will have to look into those recs myself when I finish with the Mercy books. Abby still needs to upload the photos that we took on vacation, so I'll see what I can find for you. We did not all get shirts, though - just Abby. I bought a bag, and so did Abby, and Birdy bought one to send to a friend, so we'll see if we can get a photo of those.

Morphy - You are FABULOUS! Thanks for those suggestions - I am going to check those out, too.

Lucy - Right! What IS it about vacation?! I skipped the last walk on the beach and the last round of shopping. The sacrifices that those of us who choose to break toes have to make...

Richard - Thank you, BigDaddy! We were home in time to watch the Broncos game, so I was very happy about that!

Sis - Morphy is da Bomb, isn't she?

Roni - I was so happy that it happened at the end of vacation, too. And I'm really happy to be back home with no stairs to climb on a daily basis. The town home we were staying in was nineteen steps up to the main level, then another nineteen steps up to the bedroom - not good with a broken big toe! Back home, the master is on the main floor. Hooray for small blessings!

Welcome back, Mamie. I hope your toe is not handicapping your reading activity!