Mark's Reading Place: Autumn Solstice #19

^Farewell Summer!

Audiobook:


Graphic:


Books Read So Far... (You can always go to my profile page and check earlier threads for my complete reading list. I don't like to make this to cumbersome.)

June:

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

July:

81) The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman 4.3 stars (audio)
82) Five by Endo by Shusaku Endo 4.5 stars (OTS)
83) Stones for Ibarra by Harriet Doerr 4.6 stars
84) The Given Day by Dennis Lehane 3.8 stars (audio) (OTS)
85) The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks 4 stars (GR)
86) Among Others by Jo Walton 4.5 stars
87) The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer 4.7 stars ER (audio) (OTS)
88) Snow Hunters by Paul Yoon 4 stars
89) Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles, Book 2) by Marissa Meyer 3.8 stars (audio)
90) The Last Policeman by Ben Winters 3.8 (audio)
91) A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry 5 stars (GR) (OTS)
92) My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf 4.5 stars (GN)
93) NOS4A2 by Joe Hill 4.4 stars (audio)
94) Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch 3.8 stars (audio)
95) TransAtlantic by Colum McCann 4.8 stars (OTS)
96) The Andalucian Friendl by Alexander Soderberg 3 stars (audio)

August :

97) Dangerous Laughter: Thirteen Stories by Steven Millhauser 4.2 stars (OTS)
98) Little Brother by Cory Doctorow 2.8 stars (audio)
99) Tampa by Alissa Nutting 4.2 stars
100) Paco's Story by Larry Heinemann 4 stars (audio)
101) The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle 4 stars
102) The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye 4.2 stars (audio)
103) Joyland by Stephen King 4.3 stars (audio)
104) The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri 4.4 stars
105) Son of a Gun: A Memoir by Justin St. Germain 4.5 stars ER
106) Thirteen Hours by Deon Meyer 4 stars (audio)
107) The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck 4.6 stars (audio)
108) Greetings From Jamaica, Wish You Were Queer by Mari SanGiovanni 4 stars
109) Lexicon by Max Barry 3.8 stars (audio)
110) Let Him Go by Larry Watson 4.6 stars
111) The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat by Edward Kelsey Moore 4.3 stars Booktopia audio
112) Safe from the Sea by Peter Geye 4.4 stars Booktopia

September:

113) Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague by Geraldine Brooks 5 stars (audio)
114) Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford 3.8 stars Booktopia
115) Point and Shoot (A Charlie Hardie) by Duane Swierczynski 4 stars (audio)
116) Raven Girl by Audrey Niffenegger 3.6 stars Illustrated Novel
117) Crashed (Junior Bender #1) by Timothy Hallinan 4 stars (audio)
118) Nine Inches: Stories by Tom Perrotta 4.6 stars ARC
119) Another Man's Moccasins by Craig Johnson 4 stars
120) Life After Life by Jill McCorkle 3.7 stars Booktopia
121) A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny 4.2 stars
122) Not Your Mother's Meatloaf: A Sex Education Comic Book by Saiya Miller 4 stars
123) Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb by Melanie Benjamin 4.2 stars (audio) Booktopia
124) Volt: Stories by Alan Heathcock 5 stars

First-Time Author Challenge 2013

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

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

Group Reads 2013:

2666 by Roberto Bolaño- October

Hi Mark!!! Love the Woody!!! A few years back they were highlighted at the Iola carshow!!

I'm a bit sad today. :-( It's my last day of vacation. I think I'll spend much of the day reading and go for a long walk.

I just finished Salt, Sugar, Fat. I found it interesting and a good reminder of why I'm working on mostly eating whole foods and cutting out processed foods.

Hope you have a great, relaxing Labor Day!!!

I'm first. I'm first! What do I win?

ETA: Dang it!

Ok, I'm here. Now the fun can start. LOL! LOVE that thread topper, Mark!

Love the opening artwork, Mark.

Enjoy the spectacular day!!

110) Let Him Go by Larry Watson 4.6 stars

The Badlands of North Dakota. Autumn, 1951. George and Margaret Blackledge are an elderly couple, trying to find peace in their waning years but there is a family issue that continues to haunt. They lost their only son James, in a horse-riding accident and he left behind a pregnant wife. The widow, young and restless, takes her baby and hitches up with a fellow from Gladstone Montana. He belongs to the Weboy clan, a notorious and dangerous outfit, that most sane folks steer clear of.
Margaret decides one day, that she wants her grandson back and convinces, George, a retired sheriff, to make the trek to their neighboring state and find the boy. The older couple have no idea what is in store for them in the wilds of Montana.
Watson is a polished story-teller and a master at evoking images of the American West. His prose is lean and his characters come alive on the page. Here he describes Margaret:
“Her neck is long, though its tendons often look taunt as the ropes that held their tent stakes. Yes, a regal profile. Yes, a woman willing to plunge into any water, no matter how icy or swift, if she has reason to get to the other side.”
This is the author’s ninth book and he seems to be as strong and agile as ever. A perfect fall read. Seek it out.

“Autumn has come to northeast Montana. The vapor of one’s breath, the clarity of the stars, the smell of wood smoke, the stones underfoot that even a full day of sunlight won’t warm- these all say there will be no more days that can be mistaken for summer.”

It doesn't feel much like Autumn here today! But I know it will soon be upon us. happy Labor Day, Mark.

NO! Say it ain't so! Summer can't be at its end!! It seemed so brief! No, No, No! I'll hang on to every bit of it as long as possible.

OK, I'm composed now. Let Him Go looks to be a good read and with a 4.6 rating one I must seek out.
Hope you're enjoying your day off :0)

Welcome, everyone! I hope my American pals are enjoying the holiday. I've had a lazy day so far and have been enjoying Songs of Willow Frost.

Tammy- Great to see you! And you are Number One visitor. Yah! Sorry to hear your vacation is ending. It's always a heart-breaker. I also enjoyed Salt, Sugar, Fat. Lots of info packed into that one and much of it, I would rather not known. LOL.

Morphy- Like Maxwell Smart used to say: "Missed it by that much!" Hope you are having a swell Labor Day!

Mamie's made it! Mamie made it! I was holding back the fun, until your arrival.

Linda P- As soon as I saw the surfboard Woody, I knew it was a future topper!

Laura- I hope our cooler weather is heading your way. It is so nice to have the house opened up and hopefully for the rest of the week. Fingers crossed.

Lynda- Hopefully just the HOT part of summer is departing. I want to wear my walking shorts for at least the next 6 weeks.
Let Him Go is fantastic! I NEED to read more Watson!

Mark - Not American but I am enjoying your holiday as the posting seems to have been re-invigorated. Congratulations on another thread mate. It is noted that RD, myself and your goodself are all well ahead of last years posting figures.

Congrats on the new thread, Mark! Let Him Go sounds good. I've got Montana 1948 coming up.

For you and Benita: I liked Istanbul Passage a lot; good spy thriller that will remind you some of Alan Furst, methinks, and I was quite taken by Outsider in Amsterdam many moons ago.

Paul- Hope you are having a nice birthday. Did you have that beer yet? I am sure RD, you & me, will be riding this wave until the end of the year. It's hard to imagine Life Without LT. Am I right?

Joe- I can't wait to hear your thoughts on Montana 1948. It should make you an instant fan. I've had an ARC of Istanbul Passage since it came out. I was hoping to read it after you did and it promptly got buried.

Summer's over!! Summer's OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Happy dance happy dance happy dance happy dance

Ever-lower risk of over-80 days, ever-lower risk of hideous blasting battering sunshine making me sweat.

^Anyone else excited about this one coming out tomorrow? I was crazy about the first 2 in the trilogy and hope she wraps it up in grand fashion. I'll probably try to track this one down on audio, since I also listened to the previous books.
Speaking of Ms. Atwood on audio, I managed to snag these 4 yesterday:

Lady Oracle
Surfacing
The Cat's Eye
The Robber Bride

See? Aready lined up for Atwood April!

RD- Now, that is quite a get-up! Yikes! LOL. And yes, I am also hoping that the intense heat, is mainly behind us.

Stopping by your wonderful new thread while I can, Mark. Year of Wonders is my favorite Brooks read! Happy Labour Day to you!

Hi Mark!
Love the new thread. Terrific review of Let Him Go -- yes, I will seek it out.

Glad you're reading Year of Wonders. I really enjoyed that book when I read it.

Lovely new thread here Mark. Speaking of Atwood, I picked up The Handmaid's Tale as a Kindle Daily Deal the other day so I guess I'll read that in April. Oh I also have a short story collection---Wilderness Tips that I might be able to get to too.

Great review of the new Watson book. I can't wait for my ER copy.

LOL.. love the picture topping your thread, Marky-Mark. That was typical of my vacations in the past before I got my first Kindle. Goodbye summer indeed ... although you wouldn't know it here in MA today with the muggy weather.

Hope you enjoyed a good LD weekend.

The ER list is up. Oh, hum...but that's good, right?

Lori- Thanks for stopping by. I'll have to swing through your neck of the woods and see what you are reading. And yes, Year of Wonders has been excellent. I hope you had a nice holiday too!

Anne- I hope I can start reading more Watson. He seems to be quite prolific over the years, so there are many books to sample.

Bonnie- I can't wait to hear your thoughts on the Handmaid's Tale. It was my first Atwood and still remains my favorite. You should love Let Him Go.

Caro- Fell in love immediately with that topper! Yes, the past 2 days has been very nice. Trying not to think much about tomorrow...

well, whew. I am caught up with you. Seems like your days off have been very fine. Mine, too. I am planning on retiring to my upstairs in a few minutes and beginning some Louise Penny. I do love the reading.

Day after tomorrow the kids will head off to school and I'll be on the hook for 2 hours, only, each school day. That leaves me a goodly amount of time to do all I have to do, and lots of time to read afterwards. I'm retiring for the second time! Retirement is a very fine thing.

Have a great week, pal, and I hope your next vacation is not too far off in the future.

I really like Atwood, but I can say that Oryx and Crake was not a favorite of mine, so I am greeting the arrival of Maddaddam with tepid response. I am glad that you are excited about its arrival and I hope you snag one of the ARC's. It interests me how different people respond differently to books. There are some books that millions of people like and others that only speak to a few. I was never interested in the Harry Potter books and I still am not. I don't always read to the beat of a different drummer as, along with millions of others, I loved the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo books.

It as another hot one in t-town today, but it is supposed to rain sometime tonight or tomorrow and cool off. People here are joking that in August it finally decided to be summer.

I watched another night of Silk on Masterpiece Mystery and enjoyed it. It is not going to set the world on fire but for a suspenseful production about lawyers it works just fine.

Tonight is Longmire. Last week's episode was a dozy and I can't wait to see what happens tonight. I think this episode will wrap up the series for the season, but am not sure about that.

Good night, everyone! See you in the A.M.!

The A.M. is here! Happy New Thread, Mark!

Well, it's Back to the Grind Tuesday! I had a nice couple of days off and it looks like the weather, for most of the week, will be comfortable and then there are the BOOKS:
I should wrap up Year of Wonders and then move on to my first S & S read, Point and Shoot. I am still enjoying Songs of Willow Frost, which might be a tad "lite" for Mark the Dark, but entertaining never the less.

Karen- I see more reading time in your future! Sounds sweet. "Retirement is a very fine thing." I can only dream.

Benita- I know you didn't care for Atwood's dystopian series but it worked for me. Books are just like that sometimes. There is no explanation.
I've been watching Broadchurch, Copper, Orange is the New Black, Breaking Bad and trying to keep up with the latest season of Longmire. I think I am 4 eps in. It's been good.

Diana- Big Waves! Hope you have a great week.

Yes, Mark, I think more reading time is definitely in my future but must get through today: the last day of summer vacations. I'm told they must have a 7-11 Slushie today as a celebration, even if the weather has turned a bit cooler, and we had quite the down pouring of rain last night. I finished Boneshaker and started A Rule Against Murder. Moving right along......

Should be a fairly comfortable day today, Mark. We spent a lot of that beautiful weather yesterday on the deck in back and the porch in front, and out walking about. Looking forward to your take on Year of Wonders when you're done.

I'm reading a gn you might like, called Joe the Barbarian. The central character boy may be deathly ill, or maybe he has been transported into another world where he's the key to, hopefully, overcoming the baddies. Very cleverly done by Grant Morrison.

Happy new thread Mark! Love your choice of thread topping pics in honor of summer (& the deer incident?).

You really had an amazing August! I'm envious of your numbers! Hope you had a great Labor Day. We're heading back home from vacation now (boo...very sad). :/

Mark - That yawning moon made me think of the moon with the rocket in it's eye from the Hugo Cabret movie. :-) I still really like that movie, as much as I did the book. I've watched it 3 times, twice on 2 of my flights.

Goodbye summer. :-(

I'm still holding on, all the way until 9/21!! Of course, it rained most of this morning, so who am I kidding?

Are you done with Year of Wonders? Did you love it?

Fall book season is here! Since Mark's thread is where lots of conversation takes place, I thought I would ask both Mark and his followers - what new books are you most looking forward to reading.

I'l start. The new book by:
Mary Oliver
Donna Tartt
Jhumpa Lahiri
Billy Collins
Larry Watson
Paul Auster
Bill McKibben
Amy Tan

Lucky Mark has already read a couple of these...

Finally dragging my tired butt over here! They sure made us pay for that holiday. The bulk-rate mail begins to pick up in September but did it all have to come today? And we were short-handed too? WTH? A nice late summer day, did help matters. Got to find those silver linings, folks! And another one of those was finishing my first September book and it was a 5 star read: Year of Wonders. My LT pals rarely steer me wrong and once again the Gang was spot-on.

Karen- Did you enjoy your Slushie? I hope so. I'll have to bookhorn in Boneshaker. I have no idea, why I've dragged my footies on that one. I don't read a lot of steampunk but I am a fan.

Joe- I LOVED Year of Wonders. And Anna might be my favorite fictional character of the year. Wow! I'll have to add Joe the Barbarian to my GN WL. Thanks!

Tina- Good to see you! I hope you had a lovely vacation and a nice holiday. Since we have our car back now, I am trying to put the "deer incident" in my rearview!

Caro- I also loved the Hugo Cabret film. It's hard to believe Martin Scorcese directed it. He did a superb job.

Ellen- I want the warm weather to keep hanging around too, minus the intense stuff and of course, I love those cool sleeping nights, keep 'em coming.
And yes, I finished Year of Wonders and it was amazing and yes, it is now my favorite Brooks book!

Nancy- Nice list! Yes, I loved the Lahiri & Watson. I have not read Tan in many moons. I have at least 3 other Auster books waiting in the stacks.
There are many good books to choose from, that are coming out this fall and I have about a dozen of them stacked up. Of course, I want to get to the new Atwood, which I don't own...yet.

Boy, I am fading fast...

I've added Year of Wonders to my wish list; I like well written books about the plague and other pestilences. Yesterday I finished The American Plague by Molly Caldwell Crosby, a non-fiction book which, in part, vividly describes the 1878 epidemic that decimated Memphis, and profoundly impacted its history from then until the present. I'll write a review of it later today.

Good morning! Hello?? I did shower after work yesterday, so fear not. On audio, I started Point and Shoot, my first S & S. This is the final Charlie Hardie entry, in a wacky but highly entertaining crime trilogy. How can you beat a thriller that has Charlie stuck in a satellite, hurtling through space and someone knocks on the hatch-door?

Darryl- I think Year of Wonders is a Must Read. It doesn't really get into the plague in a scientific way, just one person's experiences, living it day to day. The American Plague sounds terrific.

Morning Mark! I just bought the first book in that Charlie Hardie series! "Wacky but highly entertaining" works for me, so I am guessing that I will like it when I get to it. I have added Year of Wonders to my list based on your enthusiasm, so put another in your belt - you hit me with that book bullet!

Happy Wednesday to you - may it be full of fabulous!

Year of Wonders is an excellent read, glad you liked it Mark!

Been stupid busy with work. I suggested the other day that we build a time machine and use it to somehow squeeze another week of work out of us (like Hermione and her time-turner), but one of my team mates reckoned it'd be better used if we went back a year and slapped whoever signed the contract in the first place. His suggestion won. Anyone got a time machine? :P

Oh, it's fall at last. Perfect. Happy.

Yay for Year of Wonders!

Woo, it was beautiful coming in today, Mark. Hope it's staying that way for you.

I'm entering the last part of The Telling Room, and Montana 1948 should get here today from Amazon (couldn't find it in the downtown bookstores; we need an Elliot Bay Books or Strand down here).

Glad Joe the Barbarian looked good to you.

Hi Mark! I thought I had written a post on your thread earlier, but it looks like it never arrived. Sigh. Somewhere cyberspace is jam pack full of lost messages.

Hmm, it's interesting that so many people here loved Year of Wonders. I had a very hard time with it because the main character seemed to have a 20th century mindset in the 14th century. Rubbed me the wrong way. I've read five of her books, and my favorite was People of the Book.

"Once there was a Postman who fell in love with a Raven..."

^You can't beat a book that starts like that. Can you? It's a very short illustrated novel and I am over halfway done with it. Dark & unusual. This was released back in May. I don't remember anyone mentioning it. I liked her last GN, The Night Bookmobile but have still not read any of her novels.

That is an excellent beginning!

Okay, I finished Songs of Willow Frost. It was a good solid read and the setting was fresh and interesting. Plus, this was my 3rd Booktopia read. Go Marky! And please, lets not bring up DW's progress...LOL Remember, I have to sleep here. I only have a few minutes left in Point and Shoot and it's great fun.

Mamie- I can't imagine you not loving Year of Wonders. Have fun with Fun & Games. "It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye.” I think that's one of the epigraphs. He has a twisted sense of humor that I love. Plus, it is loaded with humorous movie references.

Wookie made it! Wookie made it! Thanks for finding time to stop by and say hi! And yes, I am all up for a longer week or a longer day.

RD- I am loving the weather. Mid-70s tomorrow! Yah!

Joe- It was gorgeous today! I could have sent you a copy of Montana 1948. I think I might have an extra copy floating around here somewhere.
I requested Joe the Barbarian. thanks for the rec.

Lisa- Wow! What a wonderful surprise! How are you? All is well, in my world. Hope you are feeling good. No question, Anna in Year of Wonders is a modern thinking woman, but it worked for me and did not feel out of place, plus she was such a strong, fascinating character.

Karen- It's a dark, offbeat little fairytale.

I read Raven Girl and it was OK.

I am not getting any fun reading done. I am taking another class and have to read stuff for that. Like you, work is kicking my butt. Too much going on, and to top-it-off, they gave me another $5,000.00 to spend on books by September 15. To get that done and get my regular work done is going to take some sitting in front of a computer for hours on end. I am ordering everything in sight. Even if the reviews are tepid. Oh - and the reason why I got this windfall: I get my money spent early every year and am always asking for more. They figured that I could get it spent in the two weeks they gave me. Go figure - reward good workers with more work.

It's still hot here. No fall in sight. I pity the football team that has to play here this weekend. I hope they are from the south so that they are accustomed to the heat and the humidity. I can only say that I am glad that I don't have to sit in the stands this Saturday.

"Once there was a Postman who fell in love with a Raven..."

Great beginning and love that cover, but will I love the book? That is a ponder-able...... I have to think on that one a bit more.

Sweet Thursday! Actually this is also my Hump Day this week. Looks like another beauty: sunshine, mid-70s. Nice.
I am going to start Nine Inches, (No, it's not erotica! Get your minds out of the gutter!). It's Perrota's latest, a story collection. Another ALA acquisition. I have not read him since the Abstinence Teacher, although I intended to read his last novel too, which also looked really good.
Any Perrota fans?

Benita- I'll finish Raven Girl up today and let you know my thoughts. It's a very quick read. I love the illustrations. Good luck spending all that money on books! LOL.
Sorry to hear about the heat! Hope it cools off for you!

Lori- It's only 70 pages, including illustrations, so it's quick. I have not read Niffenegger's popular novels. Have you?

Sweet Thursday to you too, Mark! Partial success! I downloaded NOS4A2 audiobook thru my library. However, I can only download to my iPad and not my iTouch which is a bummer because that's what I use when I take my power walks. Now, I guess, it's time to buy an newer version iTouch. Ugh!

Raven Girl... I almost got sucked in!

I am about to follow your advice and dive into a book you suggested.

Hope life is treating you kindly :)

> 47 - I did enjoy The Time Travellers Wife - sweet funny and at times really poignant - but I haven't read any of her others yet. I heard that Her Fearful Symmetry was quite a different read. Since Raven Girl is so short, I can probably safely add it to my may sometime future reading list.

#34 - NOW I know why we received eight catalogues in the mail yesterday! Who knew? (Well, Mark knew.)

I'm glad you liked Year of Wonders, Mark. I thought it was remarkable. I've read March as well, and liked it fine, and I want to read People of the Book. But Year of Wonders would be hard to beat.

Look forward to hearing about Raven Girl, Mark. That she's a talented visual artist as well as writer is really unusual. I thought The Night Bookmobile was okay.

Glad the Joe the Barbarian rec sounded good. It's one of my rare gn rec's to Ms. Debbi. (The one she liked the best was Persepolis).

Couldn't get much of a start on Montana 1948 today with the religious festivities, but I'll make some progress on the train ride home. Glad to hear you enjoyed that gorgeous weather today - low 70s with a breeze and blue skies. Ahhh, I could take some more of that.

^I fear, I may have this malady!

You can see where my mind is presently located...

Okay, I finished the slim little fairytale, Raven Girl. I liked it and am impressed by her haunting illustrations, plus it features a dang postman, for crying out loud. I read the first few stories of Nine Inches and it's excellent. He seems to excel at Dark Suburbia. Exactly was it happening over those well-groomed hedges?
For S & S, I started Crashed (Junior Bender #1) and it's very enjoyable. This is my first foray into Hallinan, although I have heard of him for a couple of years. I am impressed. Has anyone read this guy? He seems quite prolific.

Lynda- So, you are not able to download any digital audio to your iTouch? If so, that's a bummer. I love my iPad but it's not made for toting around, as a listening device.

Kath- You might like Raven Girl. You could read it in 30-40 minutes. It's that short. I'll have to stop by and see what you started.

Lori- Thanks for the info. I might get to The Time Travellers Wife one of these days.

Ellen- Yes, it's like someone turned a faucet on somewhere with this bulk mail. Some routes really got hammered the past couple days. Since my route is about a 1/3 business, I get a bit less bulk than most. No complaints here.

Joe- I liked The Night Bookmobile a bit more than you but we both agree she's an interesting illustrator. She likes to dip into the darkness too, which you know I like. I picked up Joe the Barbarian today. Looking forward to your thoughts on Montana.

Hi Mark, The Night Bookmobile is one of two GNs that I've read. Not really a genre I care for but I know you like them. The Time Traveler'sWife was a DNF for me; could not get into it.

Hi Mark, it's still Thursday so happy one of those before it ticks over to Friday in, ohhh, 10 minutes or so.

I love your opening picture, Mark! What a nice old woody!

Hi Mark! I did really enjoy Niffenegger's The Time Traveller's Wife, although I can see why not everyone would like it. I was less impressed with / entertained by Her Fearful Symmetry, and I did borrow The Three Incestuous Sisters, one of her graphic novels, from the library and did like that, from memory (it was a pre-LT read!).

National election in Australia tomorrow. I was supposed to bake cupcakes for a cake stall at the kids' school tomorrow (election day is always a great fundraiser for schools where polling takes place) but am just far too tired to do so now. Possibly something to do with that bottle of Riesling I picked up on my way home tonight. :)

Happy Friday! Looks like a nice warm summer day. Hope everyone has had a good week. American football has begun, so that will be how I will be spending a chunk of my Sundays.

Bonnie- I agree that GNs are not for everyone but The Night Bookmobile is a minor representation. At least you gave it a shot.

RD- I had sweet dreams of a Book Brewery Booktopia! Doesn't that sound heavenly?

Joanne- Great to see you. Glad you like the woody. As soon as I spotted it, while browsing the web, I knew it was my next topper.

Tania- I have mixed feelings about reading The Time Traveller's Wife but we'll see. I heard you might be getting a conservative leader "down under"? That always makes me a bit nervous. How does the country feel about it?

>58 wookiebender: Hi Mark! I did really enjoy Niffenegger's The Time Traveller's Wife, although I can see why not everyone would like it. I was less impressed with / entertained by Her Fearful Symmetry

I felt the same about those books...

Friday has arrived, and with it? A.M. temps 48! 74 for high. AHHHHHH says I

Happy Friday to you, Mark! Wow, I missed your whole last thread. Nice topper for this one. It's 46 here right now, high of 69 predicted. Farewell summer, indeed! I like this weather, though -- we're having a nice week.

I'm another one who liked The Time Traveller's Wife, Mark. I got quite caught up in the story.

Hope the day is a good one for you. I suspect you've got one more day in the work week. Actually, I'll be at work tomorrow, too, but only for a half day.

Montana 1948 is quite good so far. The direction, with nefarious deeds coming to light and the sheriff dad in pursuit, is not what I expected.

happy Friday, Marky. it's fryday around here--88 effin degrees and heading for 90 over the weekend.

wish i were in your environs. i could take you to a pub, buy you a brew and sing, "hey, baby, the quaff's on me." well, what can i say. i love the Boss.

have a good one, Mark.

Hah! It's Fryday here, too, Mark (and Ellie) - 92F right now and very humid. Yuck! Stopping in to wish you a weekend full of fabulous!

“For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you. Books help us understand who we are and how we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to live and die.” ― Anne Lamott



^I know Sue would never allow me to hang this in the Man-Cave, but wouldn't this be cool?

Kath- It was warmer here. Mid-80s, same tomorrow. It looks like it'll be up and down for the next week or two. I hope to avoid turning on the a/c and I love my cool nights.

Terri- Great to see you! Wow, it's nice and cool there! I'll have to stop by and see what you are reading. Have you been by S & S?

Joe- I might have to give the Niffenegger a try at some point. I did download books 2 & 3 of the Three Pines series. Are you impressed?
I am so glad you are enjoying Montana 1948. I hope it continues.

Ellie- "it's fryday around here--88 effin degrees." You have a way with words, my friend. LOL. It's going to be warm here the next couple of days too but back to the mid-70s on Sunday, which sounds lovely.
"wish i were in your environs. i could take you to a pub, buy you a brew and sing."
You nearly made me cry...

Mamie- Sorry to hear it's hot & humid in Mamieland! Never fun! Good excuse to stay in and do some R & R! Doctor Marky-Mark's orders!

Mark, you must ask if you could hang that in your Man Cave. Sue might just surprise you and I do think it would look way cool, man.

I'm loving S & S. Except for my non-fiction book, everything I'm reading right now is part of a series. No, actually, I understand that even the non-fiction Guns of August is considered part of a n-f WWI trilogy by Tuchman. I may read all series books this month!

#65 is way cool!

Love the "read" shelf, I need one of those. :)

Yes, looks like the Liberal party will get it today, the Labor party are just hoping to not lose too many seats. The Libs are our conservative party, but, IMO, they're not as conservative as other conservative parties. (Thinking of American right wingers here, who are terrifying.) Things *will* get tougher for those already doing it tough, but the Labor party doesn't have a great track record there either of late.

I'd much rather have Labor in, but I'm reconciled for a Liberal win.

And I'll probably be voting Green anyhow. They're a good balance in the senate, and believe in what I believe in (being MUCH nicer to refugees, climate change). Unless I panic and vote Labor because my local (Labor) MP isn't a bad bloke as career politicians go and while I'm mad at them on several levels, I don't actually want them out. Argh.

Well, looks like I'll be deciding in the polling booth this afternoon. :P

Fingers crossed for a balanced Senate, otherwise the Libs will just be able to push all their legislation through, and that plain sucks. Need the moderation of a Senate.

Now off to bake cupcakes for the stall! Woke up feeling much less tired this morning (funny that), and have reinstated baking plan from last night. Vanilla with choc icing and sprinkles, I think. Forgot to buy M&Ms for toppings!

Mark - How marvellous that you guzzle into the weekend reading a book featuring Il Postino. Nice to see dear old Tania posting here sowe get to keep up a little with both you with a visit to one of Chicago's finest.

It is strange isn't that liberal has a different connotation in Australia than in most other countries. Rudd is reaping the results of stabbing Gillard in the back and taking over a shaky economy.

Have a great weekend mate (and Tania ((stop by sometime, please!)))

>8 msf59: oh boy. That one sounds good. I want to read it! (the mark of a good review, Mark!)

>53 msf59: telling it like it is, in pictures

>69 wookiebender: Well, looks like I'll be deciding in the polling booth this afternoon. :P
Woah! I cant handle that. I would have to at least decide before entering the booth :)

I mistakenly thought you were absent for the weekend, Mark, your last post being talk of it being Friday. Then I realised I am way ahead of you here, and Saturday is almost over already!
My lovely other has taken the grouchy kiddos out finally which leaves me space to cook dinner (ggrrr, still cant walk you know) and then I am helping to to a first edit of my dad's new book *excited*

Karen- Actually, I don't think we even have the wall space for the READ sign. LOL. I would sure hate to loose a bookshelf.

Terri- I've been hearing good things about the Tuchman books. I'll have to add her to the mighty list. Go S & S!

Tania- Thanks for the thorough explanation on your party system. I am glad to hear your conservatives are much milder than ours. Whew! " terrifying" is a very apt term.
And yes, good luck on that balanced Senate!
Ooh, cupcakes sound good!

Paul- My Il Postino book was read very quickly. I am now into Mr. Perrota. Hope you have a great weekend. And Go Bears!

Megan- Great to see you, my friend! I hope all is well and you are healing on schedule. You'll have to keep in touch about your Dad's new book! How exciting!

#69
Thanks for the update on the elections. It is nice to remember that there are important things going on in other parts of the world and that people the world over take voting very seriously.

Our latest election here in Tuscaloosa was a real corker. It was a local school board election. Unfortunately, for one district has the University of Alabama located in it. UA has 30,000 students and a political machine that dates back to the 1920's. The Machine is made up of fraternities and sororities. This election got iffy from the get-go with several conservative Political Action Committees donating huge amounts of money to two candidates. $160,000 worth of donations - this amount was unprecedented for a lowly school board election. The money went to two candidates - both men, both former fraternity members at UA. One of them is 26, only out of the University for one year, not married, no kids. He won his district and did so by providing any fraternity or sorority member free drinks at two local bars who cater to the frats and sororities, and providing free limousine rides to the polling place. These were stretch limos bedeck for a party and, according to forwarded e-mails, came compete with refreshments of all kinds in stock. The 80 votes that came from campus frat and sorority houses was the margin of victory. Needles to say, the local residents are very angry and the losing school board member is now contesting the election. That throws it into the Alabama state supreme court, which has several suspected former Machine members sitting in judgement. It will get interesting and the Federal government is likely to get involved. It is turning into quite a scandal, and as usual the UA administration is silent. Even though the current president of the university and the former president donated large sums of money to the business PAC candidates that won.

I forgot to mention that it continues to be hot down here. Middle 90's today. And the weather will continue in this vein for some time. Please send some of that nice cool 70's down here. I need it.

Hi Mark, I like that Read shelf but maybe a little smaller would work..

97 degrees today here on the Front Range, a new record for the date. And still 76 at 10:30 pm. But at least it's a dry heat!

Hi Mark, #65 is beautiful. Have a good weekend.

Happy Saturday! I hope everyone has a nice weekend planned. I am looking forward to watching my Bears tomorrow afternoon. I didn't watch any baseball this season, (for obvious reasons) so I am now ready for some football.
Nine Inches: Stories has been terrific! I love his straight-forward writing style. This will be one of my top collections of the year.

Back to 90 today! Better keep cool thoughts!

Benita- I think you mentioned snagging the 3rd Junior Bender book, the Fame Thief. I did too. I am listening to the first in the series, Crashed and it's very good. I'll be reading more Hallinan.
Keep cool down there in ALA!

Joanne- Great point about the READ shelf. Smaller would be much better. Keep cool in Co. It looks like a big chunk of the country will be HOT today. Have a great weekend.

Diana- Good to see you! Hope you had a nice week and an even better weekend.

Morning Mark! I am rejoicing that football season is upon us! And the Broncos are looking very good! That being said, I am wishing your Bears good luck tomorrow (since they aren't playing the Broncos or the Colts). Go Bears!

Happy Saturday, Mark! I finished Montana 1948, and liked it very much. Thanks for, in your usual fashion, vaguely suggesting that maybe some time I should read it if I could fit it in, maybe, possibly. :-)

Good to hear about the Three Pines download. That's some darn good reading, that is.

I've got some more Frankenstein to read, and I'm going to give an LTer fave, Miss Buncle's Book a try.

Hope it's a good one out there for you today.

#73> Benita, thanks for the info on your elections! Sounds utterly mad.

Well, the Libs did romp it in today, worst result for Labor since WW2, looking at the primary vote. Still, Kevin Rudd (outgoing PM) managed to make his speech look like a victory speech. :P

Had a fun day, dropped off cupcakes at the school cake stall, minimal queues so a quick vote, then partook of the sausage sizzle and the cake stall, kids got to jump on the bouncing castle and Boo got her face painted.

Spent the evening at an election party, where too much wine was drunk, and lots of silly things said. Good fun, even though the result was depressing. (And Clive Palmer got a seat. Sigh. At least the One Nation party got nowhere.)

We have lots of minority parties, and half the fun is working out who to put last on the ballot. I numbered all 110 boxes on the senate paper (yes, I am mad) and took great joy putting One Nation last. Second last to about tenth last went down to the wire between various right wing nut jobs.

Don wants us to have a Zombie Action Pary (ZAP) next election. Works for me! :)

Gadzooks, Tania. What has happened to the world? How did people get to be so vicious as to vote right-wingers into power? What gawdawful world are we living in, and why?

Wow! I brought my iPad to work today and actually connected, while on the route. I don't know who's service I am piggy-backing on but I am sure they will get over it. Remember, mums the word!

Warm out here but the cloud cover and breeze are sure helping!

I too am excited that football season is upon us. Unfortunately, it means that we are friendly enemies for a few months - GO PACKERS! My fantasy team had a nice start on Thursday - we some how managed to snag Manning in the draft. Those 7 touchdowns started my weekend off right! I even stayed up until the end of the game.

>69 wookiebender: Benita, that is unbelievable! I may have to follow what happens next. We're gearing up for a huge school board election here as well.

Oh, I am such a "follower"'. Now, all this talk about football reminds me of my yuff when I actually did watch and enjoy. And now, The Seahawks are taking to the sky, the enthusiasm around here is unbelieveable. Go to the grocery store and almost everyone is wearing "colors". You'd think we were getting ready for gang warfare, and then again, maybe we are. I see my cable TV will allow me to watch tomorrows game....

Maybe watching the Seattle Storm tonight will convince me I've had enough sports, or maybe not.

Go Storm! Go Seahawks! Go Sounders! (Seattle has three very good teams right now)

^Okay, here's the problem: This brand-new brewery opened up just a couple miles east of my house, directly in the path of my route home. Their beer is good and I am pals with one of the investors. Win, Win. My daughter was keeping a seat warm for me too! Awwwwww! Now, if they would only open up a book store next door? Can you say: HEAVEN?

Mamie- You know I also like Manning, the Colts & Broncos, so as long as they are not playing each other, we will be fine.

Joe- Glad you liked Montana 1948. Welcome aboard, to a bona-fide classic.

Tania- Like RD mentioned, it's hard to believe the conservative party can get such a toe-hold into so many governments. They talk such a big game but how often do they produce? In the US, I see nothing but destruction.
"Don wants us to have a Zombie Action Party". Now, you are talking!

RD- "What gawdawful world are we living in, and why?" Great question, my friend. I ask myself that every day.

Nancy- Yes, we are mortal enemies, but I am one of those rare Bears fans, that really admires Rogers and the Pack. Hey, Great is Great! I wish Chicago had that kind of history.
Wow, you do Fantasy football and everything, eh? I am impressed. No time for those kind of shenanigans on this end.

Anne- I know you were not talking to me but I'll give you a big hearty wave anyway!

Karen- I also like the Seahawks. With you, Kerri and Ellen around here, do I really have a choice?

This is our 19th year as a Fantasy league! (That means we started long before the internets.) My sister and I (co-coaches) have won it 5 times. We are defending champs.

Saw this and thought of you. You're welcome.

Marky-Mark! I love the "READ" wall!!

>88 Morphidae: -- Morphy loves you, huh??? ;)

Oh Mark, I didn't mean to miss you on your own thread (*waves back*).

Your nearby brand new brewery sounds great -- I don't see a problem:)

#81 & #86> I'm actually more worried by the huge swing to Liberal - especially after a huge swing to Labor not that long ago (2007). Makes us look rather mad, swapping so decisively over and over (and over?) again.

My Twitter and FaceBook feeds were filled with much wailing and gnashing of teeth this morning. There must be people out there who are happy with the change in Government, but I don't seem to be friends with them. :)

Anyway, back to happy talk: BOOKS! Miss Boo and I swung by the library this afternoon to pick up an Emily Rodda for her, and while we were there I scanned the new arrivals section, and there was a copy of This is How You Lose Her. Woot! Hopefully I'll find time, and have a suitable pause in my sci-fi/fantasy binge of late, to fit it in.

Good morning! The A.M. agenda: Coffee, fruit, LT, read, laundry, read, cut the lawn, BEARS GAME. And the game starts at noon. Sound like a plan? What's everyone else up to?

Nancy- It sounds like you guys know your stuff! Very cool. Enjoy Pigskin Day!

Morphy- Always enjoy gawking at lovely women reading. A fetish? Perhaps. Thank you.

Tina- Hope you are enjoying a fine weekend.

Anne- The beer community is very similar to the book community. Everyone wants to share their thoughts. Folks are very open about their adoration. Great time to be a craft beer lover!

Tania- You have an excellent point about such a big sweep in government. It becomes such a tangle, nothing gets done for years and then the next one steps up. Ugly cycle.
I can't wait to hear your thoughts on This is How You Lose Her. It was one of my top reads of last year.

An after dinner brew with your daughter? *envy*

Sigh, football...

Keep cool!

“Books to the ceiling,
Books to the sky,
My pile of books is a mile high.
How I love them! How I need them!
I'll have a long beard by the time I read them.”

― Arnold Lobel

^Such a joyful saying!

Kath- Love sharing a brew or 2 with my lovely daughter. And she was buying! Can you believe it?

Happy Sunday Morning Mark!

Arnold Lobel is an incredible author if children's books.

I recently read A Rose in My Garden
http://www.harpercollins.com/browseinside/index.aspx?isbn13=9780688122652

"There is a land of the living and a land of the dead and the bridge is love, the only survival, the only meaning."

-Thorton Wilder

The epigraph of Life After Life. I just started my next Booktopia selection and it looks like it will be a very moving journey through life & death.
I have not seen this title mentioned on LT. It was published this year, along with the Atkinson, of the same title. Anyone else familiar with McCorkle?

Morning Linda- No, I had not heard of Lobel, but now I have. Thanks for the link and I hope you are enjoying a fine Sunday.

Happy Sunday Mark!

Go Bears!

Looking tough for our guys right now, so fingers crossed they get something good going.

Hope you're enjoying your Sunday, my friend.

Bengals leading 14-10, at halftime. Bears look lackluster, especially the offense.

Roberta- Big loving waves! Hope you are having a lovely Sunday. Are you a football fan?

Joe- It's frustrating watching our offense. I hope they come back much stronger in the 2nd half.

Hope you're having a Brewski to celebrate, Mark. As lurchy and awkward as they looked at times, they managed to pull it out.

^Matt Forte

Bears Win 24-21! Yahoo! Also the Colts, the Broncos and the Seahawks, all in the win column. Salute!

Ooooh, Levitation. I am like Pavlov's Dog, when I see one of those. I am overdue too! Yes, Joe, that offense pulled it together nicely in the end. The Bengals made some costly mistakes too, which really helped us.

^ I plan on reading this whopper next month. I know there was some interest earlier in the year but would anyone like to make it a Group Read?

Mark, I will follow the GR of 2666 but once was enough for me to read the book. That section about dead bodies along the border killed it for me! Actuallly, I thought the book was brilliant...at least the parts I understood.

You asked about everyone's Sunday activities. I finished my second book for September today. Had a busy week last week with little time for reading or LT. I hope this week is kinder to me, although I start off bright and early tomorrow morning with back-to-back doctor's appointments. I'll be sure to have a book along to read in the waiting rooms. I'm getting my eyes dilated which means no reading for awhile after that. Boo!

Hi Mark, I'm finally getting caught up here. I was happy to see you are reading Crashed as i have it sitting on my Kindle. Also happy that you enjoyed The Year of Wonders which was an amazing book. I am currently reading The Bounty Hunters in my own little tribute to Elmore Leonard, and of course, I always enjoy a western. I'm going to pass on 2666 as I am concentrating on finishing up my 2013 Category Challenge next month.

- Also happy to see that your football team won!

#91
Those wild swings in government are really trying for the populace. In Kansas the electorate voted in a religious right wing state school board. They proceeded to insert creationism into the curriculum. It made people so mad that four years later a more liberal school board was voted in. They changed the science curriculum to take out creationism. That made the right wingers froth at the mouth so four years later they turned out a bigger number of voters and got the curriculum changed back. Finally local school boards got disgusted enough that the state legislature passed an amendment that mitigated the effect of the school board on the local curriculum by loosening the requirements for new textbooks. Now schools don't have to purchase new textbooks every time the curriculum changes so now things have calmed down.

It was at this time that some enterprising Kansan created the religion of the Flying Green Spaghetti Monster in reprisal for all the hoopla about the science curriculum and petitioned the state to have the science of the FGSM included in the curriculum. It was really funny, but tragic.

Okay, now we have an Early Fall Heat Wave in progress! Ugh! Is that anyway to start a work week? 90 today. 95 tomorrow. WTH?
At least there are my books to keep me cool & distracted: Life After Life, which I am enjoying in the early going and Another Man's Moccasins, a return to Mr. Longmire for S & S.

Donna- One of the many things I admire about you, is your fearless approach to tackling big books. I am still awestruck that you took down Infinite Jest. I need some of that to rub off on me. A tepid response so far on a, 2666 G.R. Might have to fly solo on that flight.
Hope it slows down for you this week.

Judy- Good to see you! Yes, Crashed was very entertaining. A perfect introduction into Hallinan. I immediately snagged the next 2 books in the Junior Bender series.
Glad you are dipping into a little Leonard. I hope I can do the same.

Benita- What's the Matter With Kansas? That would make a good book title. LOL. I love Thomas Frank. Wow, what a Kansas story. Keep cool down there in ALA.

Hey Mark! 2666 sounds grim. I don't think I feel like venturing into grim, but I hope the book works well for you :)

Mark, I don't think I can fit in 2666 next month, but I'll be interested in your thoughts.

I won the McCorkle Life After Life as an ER but haven't read it yet... Hope it remains good - maybe that'll get me to finally read it :)

Sorry about the heat. High 90s here for the foreseeable future...

Ah. I now know who to blame for the three day heat wave that will hit Philadelphia tomorrow through Thursday, after a splendid week of weather here.

Damn Cowboys.

ETA: I read 2666 several years ago, so count me out of the proposed group read.

I'm going to take a pass, too, Mark, on 2666. I probably should read it some day, but the day hasn't come yet.

I'm enjoying the heck out of the gently satirical Miss Buncle's Book. Although it has been a long time for me since I read Diary of a Provincial Lady by E.M. Delafield, that's the closest analog I can think of at the moment.

Hope you're doing okay today. The heat has arrived, and tomorrow sounds pretty awful.

Go Bears! The more I think about it, the happier I am that Cutler never got sacked. How many times have we been able to say that in the past few years.

I am not up for a re-read of 2666, Mark but I would be more than happy to discuss the book with you if the group read falls through.... keeping in mind that my assessment of the book mirrors Donna's - the book was brilliant...at least the parts I understood. ;-)

It's HOT! I want to be home in the man-cave, with the a/c blasting! Wah!

Kath- it looks like 2666 will be grim and difficult, which should make an interesting group read. I've had a brand new copy of shelf for a few years now. It's time.

Diana- No problem! It's a thousand-pager, so it'll probably take most of the month.

Katie- Good to see you! McCorkle will be attending Booktopia, so I wanted to at least knock out this one. Keep cool down there in Texas!

Darryl- Damn those Cowboys! Shakes fist at merciless sun!
What did you think of 2666?

Hi Joe- Yes, it's ugly out here. Sweating, just sitting having lunch. Hope the rest of the work day goes quickly for you!

Hi Mark: I thought it was going to be just a single day of heat and humidity but now I hear it'll be two, possibly three days long.

Stay cool, my friend.

Mark - you've got my sympathy and empathy, buddy. Lots of water. Cool, wet cloth around your neck! Do whatever to stay as cool as you can. And then, get home and hit the Man-Cave! cool evening will feel so good!

2066 is "grim and difficult". That's your equivalent of Godiva truffles for chocolate fanciers, right? You're going to be in book heaven, sounds like.

Nasty hot. Get into that man cave, Batman. One more bad day to go, then it's supposed to cool down. Silver lining: cold beer is going to taste better than ever while this goes on.

Sorry it's nasty and hot for you today, Mark. Hope you've got your feet up with a nice cold beer in your hand now.

We're getting nasty hot weather come mid week, but for now it's actually pretty cool.

If it makes you feel any better, I'll tell you that we are experiencing unseasonably warm weather this Autumn, too. When does it end?

I admire Donna's ability to knock off so many big books too Mark. I try to do one big book per month but that's about all I can do. Count me out for the Bolano as I struggled before giving up on The Savage Detectives and have no desire to take him on again.

Thanks everyone, for the support and cool thoughts! It all helps. I actually had a headache, which I rarely get. Two more days of this crap! Ugh!
Lori- I think I might be flying solo on 2666. LOL! Hey, I read mostly alone anyway! Plenty of practice. I'll keep you in mind, on the discussion front.

Linda- This felt much worse than our last little Late Summer Heat Wave. The humidity was brutal. 70s on Friday, that's what I am focusing on.

Karen- I am safely ensconced in the delightfully cool Man-Cave! I wish we had more cloud cover. That was a desert sun out there this afternoon and it was relentless.
I love autumn weather, so I hope this levels off and we get at least six weeks of seasonal bliss.

Joe- "That's your equivalent of Godiva truffles ." LOL. You got it, my friend. Yes, I like the dark-side but I thought 2666 would be perfect for a G.R. It can help you get over those humps and help you navigate those 1,000-plus pages.

Caro- Sorry to hear this blast furnace is heading your way. Ugh! Did not crack a beer this evening. I was afraid it would knock me out! You know I don't drink the wimpy stuff.

Bonnie- I give you a lot of credit for attempting one LARGE book a month. I try to target one every 2 or 3 months, longer for the real lunkers. I still have War and Peace, the Bleak House and Infinite Jest on the distant horizon.
You seem to rarely abandon a book, so sorry to hear The Savage Detectives didn't connect. I also have that one on my To-Read list.

Mark, I'm trying to think of this late season hot spell like one of those late-season cold snaps during the winter. The end is in sight.

I don't necessarily go after large works of fiction but I do like long nonfiction works. The new Doris Kearns Goodwin, due in Nov, I think, weighs in at around 900 pages, I think. I love her stuff though, regardless of the length.

Hi Mark, when I began to catch up with you I was 500 posts behind and during the course of catching up I covered a further 200 posts. Your threads moves very fast.

I had fun reading about the various hit n run animal accidents. I hit a monkey once.

Some nice books here and many books added to the TBR list.

Linda (and Mark and all the others who visit this thread) -

I had to check out the new Doris Kearns Goodwin book, since I couldn't recall what it was about. (I like her too, although I don't read her books.)

Have you seen the count down clock? http://www.doriskearnsgoodwin.com

WOW! Book publishing must have come into the mainstream. Down to the seconds prior to publication? That is like day-of Super Bowl. Wonder who thought this was a good idea? Days maybe, but hours, minutes and seconds? This is not HP.

Mark, it was 101 degrees here in Iowa City today. I sincerely hope it was at least a tiny bit cooler where you are, since you have to walk around and lug a big mailbag with you at that! You've got the right idea; concentrate on Friday and high temps in the 70s.

As for '2666', I don't think so. Hey, I read 'Under the Dome' last month; doesn't that count as my chunkster for the year? :-)

Nancy, I had no idea. Knowing the number of days til the Goodwin book is published would be sufficient. Actually, 56 days from now would be extremely convenient timing for me. It's doubtful that I'd go to some bookstore and wait in line for the Goodwin book at midnight, like I used to do, back in the day, for the new John Grisham book.

rosalita, ugh. I hope it doesn't hit triple digits here tomorrow. Poor Mark.

I hope so, too, for Mark's sake. They have been letting school out 2 hours early during this last heat wave, because quite a few schools here in Iowa do not have any air conditioning in the classrooms. I heard some districts are actually just canceling class tomorrow — as if it was a snow day or something! Madness in the atmosphere, I tell ya.

>86 msf59: Urban Legend? Sounds great! (and convenient!)

>106 benitastrnad: sheesh, that sounds like a ridiculous turn around, and the kids must be so confused about who runs the school/universe after all of that every few years!

>121 msf59: Did not crack a beer this evening. I was afraid it would knock me out!
Wow, it must be hot ;)
Sorry to hear about your late summer heat wave. We had warnings today of gale-force winds but apart from a few heavy gusts, we haven't seen much of anything bar some lovely sunshine, which has been fantastic.

"I don't want to work
I want to bang on the drum all day."

-Todd Rundgren

^Sing it Todd! Just substitute "read books all day".

Unfortunately, that's not going to happen. Hopefully, I do not have to do anything extra at the P.O. today and I can get out of the swamp by 4. Fingers crossed.
I am enjoying Life After Life & Mr. Longmire.

Linda- According to the weather on my web-page, it might not even get to the 70s on Friday! WTH? Hey, spread those cool temps around, will ya!
Goodwin loves her chunksters doesn't she?

Gautam- Great to see you, my friend. I am glad I added a little to the WL. And thanks for the chuckle I got over "I hit a monkey once." How did monkey fare?

Nancy- I really liked Team of Rivals but I am not a big enough fan to have a "countdown clock". LOL. I am sure they do this with other authors too, right?

Julia is back! Julia is back! No matter what happens today, at least I know you are back in the fold. Grins. Keep cool in Iowa today.
And yes, Under the Dome surely counts as a chunkster and it's one I've been meaning to read since it was released.

Megan- Thanks for hobbling over! Always a pleasure. It's nice having a brewery 10 minutes away. The beer community is very similar to the book community. Instant bonding. My daughter might try to pick up a couple of weekend shifts over there and then she could slip dear old Dad, a glass or 2. LOL.
That's right, your summer is just getting started, am I correct?

Hot day in Sydney today too, but not *that* hot! Complete with smoke from a nearby bushfire. And it's only early spring! And our football season is almost over, while yours is just starting. :)

#106> oh, the Flying Spaghetti Monster has a few converts down under, too. Several of my friends have been touched by his noodly appendage.

Mark, I'm going to skip on 2666, life's just too busy for anything that isn't pure entertainment at the moment. Sorry, I was interested earlier.

Yeah, the weather gives me headaches at times, too. Sorry it has been so rough out there for you.
It surely can't last much longer. It was hot and humid here yesterday, and same planned for today. ugh! Good for you for carrying on with 2666666666666666 all by yourself :) As Joe says, it sounds like it will be a Mark winner.

I thought that 2666 was a bit uneven and overly lengthy in spots, but I enjoyed it overall. I see that I gave it 4-1/2 stars on LT after I read it; that's probably 1/2 star too high.

OH! DKG's new book is about journalism and Theodore Roosevelt and more... I'm a sucker for nonfiction about historical politics. Right up my alley, I guess. I think I'll stick it on our real life book group's list for potential books for next years. I love LT!

Hope today goes by quickly and the relatively cool and comfortable Friday arrives before you know it!

You're right, Mark. Group reads really help with whoppers - the Anna Karenina group helped me get through that one. Maybe there'll be a War and Peace one some day?

The new Doris Kearns Goodwin looks like another candidate. 900 pages on Teddy is a lot, but I sure did like Team of Rivals.

I finished Miss Buncle's Book, which is probably yin to Bolano's yang. Not dark and grim, anyway. Light-hearted, whimsical and good. Now I've started Me Who Dove into the Heart of the World, about an autistic girl.

Hope you survive today okay, my friend. Like being out in the middle of the desert, only with too much humidity added in.

Although we won't be as hot as you all in Chicagoland, we are supposed to break records for heat on Thursday and Friday.

Mark, I'll be interested to hear your take on today. It seems hotter, if that's possible, but not nearly as humid and there's a nice breeze. Still pretty miserable though.

Hope you're hanging in there ok today.

Low 80s and humid now, which makes sense for early fall. Hope all's well.

Lunchtime check-in: As advertised it is HOT! But like Linda mentioned, the humidity is a bit lower and there is a better breeze but the worse part of the afternoon is still ahead and I am carrying extra. Ugh! I am now ducking into a Dunkin Donuts to eat my lunch. Waves damp bandanna...

If it is any comfort it is hot down here as well. It seems that summer has finally arrived in the South. Just in time for football season. Today it will be a bit cooler than yesterday. Only in the middle 90's. However, the real hot spot in the U. S. is west of the Mississippi. It has been in the 100's for two weeks already, and this when some places should be thinking about frost. (in my hometown of Kansas, September 20 is the first frost date.) I paid my August air conditioning bill the other day. $63.80 for the whole house. That is how cool it was in August. I can guarantee that it won't be that low in September.

Hi Mark! I've been following your reading and am also loving the Longmire series. I'm listening on audio and am on the third - Kindness Goes Unpunished. George Guidall is the perfect narrator, don't you think? Keep sending those book bullets!

Mark - your humidity has made its way over here, I think. Whooeeee is it muggy out there today. I got caught in the rain coming back from lunch so of course now I'm freezing in the office from being damp with the ac blasting.... good reason to go home early, surely?

Mark, here's a cool thought for you. The Blackhawks start their training camp in 2 days and their regular season starts 3 weeks from today.

Unlike the Doris Kearns Goodwin site, I'm not sure how many hours, minutes, and seconds that is.

I read & reviewed the McCorkle Life after Life as an ER book. I enjoyed it, until the ending. :) Can't wait to see your take on it when you finish.

I don't think I can handle another chunkster this year. I barely managed to finish Anna Karenina! I applaud you, though.

^Yes, I did! And I am having a cold ale to celebrate. One more hot & muggy day tomorrow and then I am off Thursday, (yes, I am not volunteering this week, thank you very much) and then a a much cooler weekend ahead.

Tania- Sorry to hear you are having a HOT early Spring. That is always a bummer. We actually had a comfortable Spring, (and wet!) here in the states.
I remember, at least 2 or 3 LT pals being interested in 2666. That is why I had it planned, since early in the year. Hey, I am a big boy. I can handle a lonesome trip.

Kath- It looks like a big chunk of the country is suffering through this heat wave. It cools off here on Thursday. I hope yours follows soon after.

Darryl- Thanks for your ratings on 2666. Even 4 stars is pretty good for a difficult book.

Karen- Theodore Roosevelt is one of my favorite historical figures. I can not read enough about that man. Glad to hear the latest DKG book includes him.
Have you read River of Doubt?

Joe- It would be a good idea to read the classic chunksters, as Group Reads, although I think Benita's still reading David Copperfield. Poor thing.
Yes, I think we should do a War and Peace Group Read at some point. I think I will kick off the new year with Bleak House.
I think I would also like to do a Toni Morrison Readathon.

Lisa- Wow! The Pacific Northwest usually doesn't get hit with the heat, especially late in the season. Keep cool.

Linda- You were Spot-On today! The lower humidity and that steady breeze sure helped. Of course, it was still 95, but a tad more comfortable than yesterday.

Glad you survived the heat today, Mark. I haven't heard much about whether tomorrow will be like yesterday or like today. Interestingly, I heard that, because it's been so dry, the corn crop is drying fast and sending extra moisture out into the atmosphere, contributing to the humidity.

I'd consider both War and Peace and Bleak House. I've always wanted to read both but just never seem to do it.

Yes, I think the DKG new book should be interesting with her focus on journalism. We are in a crisis for journalists I think and reading some of the history of it could be a good thing to do. Maybe a group read? Yes, I like reading about Teddy Roosevelt, too. My high school was named after him so I've always had some interest. I enjoyed River of Doubt and The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America by Timothy Egan.

I'd consider a group read of real classics which have survived for a long, long time meaning thousands, perhaps millions, have thought it worth reading. So, yes, to War and Peace and perhaps to Bleak House. Probably will not jump for 2666.

Where's the LIKE button?

>148 maggie1944: Ask _Zoe_. She keeps shouting the idea down.

Way to go, Mark! Chill out in the Bat Cave. Tomorrow's supposed to be a bit better, and then Canada's going to send us a merciful cold front.

I'd kibitz on Bleak House for sure, one I liked a lot. A Toni Morrison Readathon is another great idea.

Sorry guys! I found myself vegging on the Man-Cave sofa, watching the Syria debate on MSNBC and then catching up on a few Daily Shows. Now, it's time to pay a visit to Mr. Sandman. I'll respond to everyone in the A.M. Buenos Noches!

Nighty, night, Mark!

Our heat has changed to rain and hail and cooler temps...ah, Colorado!

P.S. Try Tilt A Whirl...

Mark, listen to Joanne. She knows a good mystery when she reads one! The Tilt a Whirl series is awesome.

I read and loved Bleak House ages ago, but don't remember it very well. I tried to watch the BBC movie version, but could not get past Agent Scully playing the lead.

^Okay, you know what day it is? Let's get through this last warm one, (I hope we get some rain later) and I am off tomorrow and the temps are back in the 70s. Win, Win!
I finished Another Man's Moccasins, another strong Longmire entry and on audio, will start A Fatal Grace and see if I can get back into the Three Pines Swing.
I am enjoying Life After Life but I am reading it sloooooooowly...

Benita- I hope it cools off for you! And I agree, I don't want to see the next electric bill either. Ugh!

Vivian- Wow! It's great to see you. And yes, George Guidall does a wonderful job narrating the Longmire books. Now, I am picturing the actor that plays Walt on the cable series, while I am reading.

Caro- Lets hope this HEAT just keeps moving east and you are also free of it by the weekend. Fingers crossed.

Linda- I am hoping for the same breeze and lower humidity too! Let's pray. I will probably kick off the new year with Bleak House but I do not know when I'll finally tackle war and Peace.
And yes, the Blackhawks season is right around the corner. Yippee!

Tina- No one wants to join me on 2666. Wah! I'll be alone and I'll be afraid. Marky-Mark in a dark and foreboding place. (Sounds like I should love it, right?)
I am still less than halfway done with Life After Life but I like her writing.

Karen- Yes, we love our narrative nonfiction, don't we? I hope to start another very soon. I am still kicking myself for not getting to the latest Egan. Bad Mark!

RD- Big loving waves! "She keeps shouting the idea down." Does she explain why?

Joe- "then Canada's going to send us a merciful cold front." Of course I just broke into a broad grin. Enjoy your Hump Day!

Joanne- I am sure we will get the same cool weather, as this CRAP moves eastward. Hooray. I heard it might struggle to hit 70 on Friday. Wow!
I've been seeing/hearing some buzz on Tilt A Whirl. You rarely steer me wrong.

Julia- A 2nd endorsement! Moves up another tick!

Lisa- After reading the terrific Dickens bio, I knew I have to get to Bleak House. Agent Scully seems to thrive on these classic productions. Did you see her on the recent Great Expectations adaptation? She was good.

^I hope I didn't miss anyone! Have a great day and keep cool!

Too Hot In Too Many Places.

War and Peace ? Thanks but no thanks... it was so BORING when I tried it before... but you go on, chances are good you will like it :) I think I'm just going to hang with Were's for a bit. Here's hoping you can catch a cool breeze!

I'd be up (maybe) for Bleak House. Hopefully work will be less stupid busy by 2014. But I'm not holding my breath. :)

The other week, we had an "interesting" conversation with the business along the lines of:

THEM: You have to do all this work.
US: We have no time.
THEM (in a whingy tone): But you have to do it all.
US: Why didn't you give us this project 12 months ago, not 6 weeks ago, then we could have finished it.
THEM: But you HAVE to get it done, otherwise we'll look bad (and we'll blame you).
US: Gah.

So, my plan: throw quality out the window, code like crazy monkeys, and get what they want done when they want it done. Just not done *well*. Funnily enough, everyone bought it (although we did shed a tear for our standards), and this evening, we pushed it out into the testing environment. Hopefully not too buggy (we all caved and worked extra hours where possible, so it's looking pretty good), and we can do all our quality stuff while they test the buggy code. :P

So now I'm having a glass (or three, er, make that four) of wine, buying music on iTunes as a reward (oh, and just ordered a book, how on earth did that happen, oh my...), and looking forward to my soft comfy bed and my current read. Totally over work, they don't deserve us. (Wonder if I can persuade a child to be sick tomorrow so I can have a day off...)

Sorry for the rant. It's been a long project (well, a long project shoved into a stupidly unrealistically tight timeframe).

Cool change came through Sydney, much nicer weather now, and all the smoke has blown away. There is some rain forecast for later this week, which will be nice. The garden's looking a little thirsty.

ETA: Agent Scully rocks!! Ahem.

Ah, Mark, we are having a very hot day today.... mostly in the 90s.... warm tonight... but a marine cold front is heading in. Tomorrow cool, Friday cooler yet, Saturday... RAIN. Won't the kids love that. Sunny and hot for school, cold and rainy for weekend. I'm going to paint my front porch today so the sun can bake it dry, and then feet up, and reading! I'm enjoying my second retirement.

Hope you can stay reasonably cool today, Mark, or at least not melt into a puddle on the sidewalk.

I actually thought Agent Scully was really good in Bleak House. Kath isn't wrong about War and Peace, from my POV; I found it boring, too, and stopped halfway. But I'd like to finish it, so at least I can have some idea of why it's held in high esteem by so many. A GR would help.

I'm having an intriguing time with Me, Who Dove into the Heart of the World. Have you ever read one where you want to protect the main character from RL's hard knocks? That's what I'm going through with this one. She's a brave one, but not well-designed for our world.

War and Peace is like Ulysses, or Lord of the Rings...like it or don't, that's your taste and therefore inarguable...but look at the story being told, look at the level of storytelling behind the words on the page, look at the sheer astonishing sweep of the story being told, and I dare you not to stand slack-jawed at the achievement these authors attained.

Me, I detested the elf-ridden one, found the Irish one more work than it was worth, and am abjectly devoted to the Russian one.

It's good to see you're surviving Indian Summer! Doesn't sound PC but I don't know what else to call it.
at some point I'd love to read 2666, but not this year. Nope, no can do. Hope you have a relaxing evening planned.

Hola, from the jungles of the Midwest! The humidity is back with a vengeance. It looks like a Last hurrah, so it's wringing every last drop of sweat from my beaded brow.

On a day like today, it's refreshing being in the chillier climes of Three Pines. I am enjoying it in the early going. I also find it interesting that Gamache doesn't make an appearance until the 2 hr mark, on audio, of course. This happens a lot in the Jackson Brodie books too.

Kath- I hope you are surviving the day. So, I can't count on you to co-host the W & P Group Read?

Tania- You stop by and vent anytime, my friend. I am sure we can all sympathize with work woes.
Hope you enjoyed your wine and that your cool weather sticks around.

Karen- I talked to my sister, in Salem last night and she said they were also experiencing record breaking heat. I hope you are kicking back on that porch, with a good book in hand.

Joe-Gillian Anderson may have done a fine job in Bleak House, I don't know, because I couldn't get through it. Every time I see her face I think "Agent Scully", and looking for aliens in Bleak House just didn't work for me. :-) Some actors are so typecast in my mind that I have a hard time seeing past it. Fair? No. But alas so it was.

Once you read Bleak House, Mark, you may decide that aliens would make for a nice addition. I liked it as is, but then I liked that BBC production, too. Maybe you can get Richard to host the GR.

I know, actors in a successful tv show have that dilemma. Leonard Nimoy, who I saw in an avant-garde film in college, will forever be Mr. Spock. He no doubt had other aspirations, but is now an indelible part of history and I expect pretty darn wealthy from that part.

Joe, have you seen Nimoy in The Lazy Song video? He's an absolute stitch.

Meanwhile, I'm not so interested in a Bleak House group read. I'm want to hit up Great Expectations next and I can handle only so much Dickens. But I would be willing to do War and Peace.

Great Expectations is one of my faves of his, Morphy.

I hadn't seen LN in The Lazy Song and just watched it: hilarious! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dULOjT9GYdQ

Lots of great moments, but I particularly liked the nunchuks and Shatner on TV and his rolling at the end. Thanks for tipping me off.

HI Mark. Hopefully your weather will cool down for you soon! Tropical storm somethingorother is supposed to be here this weekend so I see lots of rain in my future.
Glad you are enjoying your visit to Three Pines. I am looking forward to getting the next instalment!

I'm reading MaddAddam right now and really enjoying it. I think you will like it!

Meeeelllllttttt! Oh Mark .. I surely hope you had a much cooler day than I am having today. It was brutal from the moment I opened the door this morning to go to work. It was like breathing water through a blanket.

^Okay, you can see where my head is at. Yes, it's Miller Time, (No, I do not drink Miller but you get the idea). The top picture is a collaboration beer between Half Acre & Piece Breweries. Yes, I want some. Yum!

^I've been hearing a lot of buzz on this title but haven't heard it mentioned on LT. I just snagged an audio copy of it. Yah, Me! Actually I was looking for MaddAddam but had no luck with that hot ticket item.

Joe- Yes, I came through just fine, sir. And now I can enjoy a day off tomorrow and return on Friday to much more comfortable temps.

RD- I loved your comments on tackling the big classics. Despite not being blown away by Anna Karenina, I am still glad I read it and appreciated it's grand storytelling and flashes of greatness. That's why I will still take on War and Peace one of these days.

Lynda- This weather is giving Indian Summer a Bad Name! Ugh! Hey, back to normal tomorrow and at least for the next week. Yah!

Lisa- I've had that happen with TV actors too, fortunately not with Anderson. The one actor I give a lot of credit to, is the late James Gandolfini. It was hard not to see him as Tony Soprano, in nearly everything he did, but the man kept trying and pulled if off a few times too!

Joe- I do not expect or want to see any aliens in Bleak House, just those perfectly crafted characters. Leonard Nimoy is an excellent example. Fortunately his acting career was extremely limited. I'll have to check out the video.

Morphy- I'll have to check out the video. Thanks! So, you won't be joining me on 2666 either? That's a joke question, in case you are wondering. It does not look like a Morph book.

Chelle- Great to see you! Yes, it is going to cool off nicely, starting tomorrow. How far are you in Three Pines? Are you reading Maddaddam or listening to it? I loved the audios of the first 2. Either way, I am seriously jealous.

Caro- "It was like breathing water through a blanket." Amen! It was nasty here too! Once it clouded up later on, along with a steady breeze, helped matters a little.
I hope it moves past you guys for the weekend.

Yup, we are breaking the pac northwest records: 91 today at our airport; one suburb experienced 97. Not going to be cooler tomorrow, going to continue to be hot. Interesting.

I pretty much did not do much of anything. Took a load of stuff to the charity truck, gave a bookcase away to my friend who helped me with painting and then mostly sat around thinking, reading, watching a little TV, surfing on the web. Second Retirement going well.

Mark, I picked up The Bone Season pretty cheap for the Kindle after hearing a bit of buzz. But you're right - not a lot of talk on LT...

There has been lots of buzz in the book world about Bone Season. I just ordered it for the library so hope to get it soon. ... and then perhaps even read it someday. I heard that there was a special on the e-versions of the title, but didn't buy it since the library will be getting it.

All this talk of Bleak House makes me think perhaps I should dig out the second half of David Copperfield and read it. When was that group read? Two years ago. And that book is still on my shelf.

^Okay, speaking of buzzing books, this one is reaching a fevered pitch. I just saw the Pulitzer-Prize winning author on The Daily Show. She just made an appearance on the latest NPR Book podcast and Michael, from this week's BOTNS was raving about this title. The good news is, I snagged an ARC of this one at ALA, so I hope to get to it later this month.
You can NOT beat narrative nonfiction.

Karen- I know we were just raving about nonfiction and Five Days At Memorial looks like another powerhouse. And keep on enjoying that "Second Retirement". Green with envy.

Katie- My audiobook back-up, is becoming as bad as my print book pile-up, but I will try to bookhorn in the Bone Season, in the next few weeks.

Benita- I couldn't remember if you finished DC or not! I say: Finish It! Yes, it was a big book but I thought it read pretty fast.
Just over 2 more weeks and....Booktopia! Ahhhhhh...!

Mark, I'm eager to read that one and will be interested to hear your thoughts. It's right in my wheelhouse, I think.

Mark, I won that one in an ER batch but I haven't received it yet. I very much want to read it.

I'd pack up some of that cool Canadian weather to send down to you, Mark, but we are having a mini heat wave ourselves. Hope this weather breaks soon, I am so ready for autumn weather!

Hi Mark,
I got Raven Girl from the library today based on your recommendations (and someone else, right?). I look forward to reading it. Oh, and I picked up The Night Bookmobile, too.

Sending you lots of ice cubes and cool breezes.....

I'm sorry you don't have any takers for 2666 yet Mark! Must you read it now or can you wait until some other folks join in? I'm sure you're perfectly capable of reading it alone, I just know how helpful it was having the support during AK's really long spots.

Hope you're able to cool off soon!

My docenthood of the Bleak House group read:

"Okay, who finished it? You DID?! Why? It was horrible! Let's re-read Harry Potter novels now to wash the horrible taste of Dickens *ptooptoo* out of our minds."

'What?! Have a discussion as in talk about Dickens? There's this thing called the Geneva Convention that forbids suchlike. Yes, it does. Right there next to waterboarding, no Dickens exposure."

Sweet Thursday! I plan on enjoying a well-needed day off, although my supervisor tried her best to get me to come in. Sorry, Charlie! Not this week. My wife starts later, so we might go out to breakfast and my son is also off today, so we plan on seeing an early movie and then having a later lunch. And somewhere in here, I will try to get some reading in. Life After Life has been taking me awhile to get through, so maybe I can knock out a chunk.

Linda- I couldn't wait to get up this morning, to throw open the windows and shut off the a/c. Deliciously cool out there this a.m. Looking forward to the reprieve.

Julia- I can't remember if me or my wife grabbed a copy of Five Days At Memorial, while at ALA, but regardless, it's in my greedy hands now.

Judy- It looks like we will be getting plenty of Canadian weather the next week or so. It will barely reach 70 tomorrow. Wow!

Ellen- You can read both of those titles in less than an hour. Perfect "tweener" books. Nothing earth-shattering but entertaining.
Thanks for the "ice cubes and cool breezes"! Always welcome.

Tina- That's okay! I think I'll stick to 2666. If I put it off, God knows when I'll get to it. I have a nice 3-volume softcover set, which will be perfect for toting around.

RD- So you aren't joining us?

Have a great day "off". Sounds like you have some fun, relaxing plans. Way to go!

Enjoy your Sweet Thursday off, Mark!

Mark, I will likely join you for 2666 in October.

And I'm starting another Alan Furst today: The Foreign Correspondent. I noticed that you mentioned on Joe's thread a desire to get back to reading some Furst. He's a good one to have tucked away.

Enjoy your day off. I hope you knock off a chunk of Life After Life. I thought it was a wonderful read.

Question: Has anyone read The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb? If so, would you recommend it? Benjamin is one of the Booktopia authors and I was considering bookhorning this one in. Fortunately, I have it on audio, unless I am not able to renew it.

Karen & Joe- Thanks! I plan on having a good day off.

Ellen- It would be nice to have some company on the 2666 Group Read. There is still a couple weeks left, to snag a few more LTers. And yes, I will be reading more Furst.
Are you referring to Atkinson's Life After Life? I have read that one and loved it. This is the McCorkle version.

I saw on Joe's thread that you are finally reading A Fatal Grace, Mark. yaaay... you're joining the LP bandwagon. This series does get better and better as you move along ... wait until you get to The Beautiful Mystery. I think that's close to being her best one.

I'm so glad Ellen is joining you. I felt sorry for you, but not enough to commit to another tome! :/

I have to make it to 75 first! Still love you Mark!

Got my copy of Let Him Go. 50 pages in and I can see why everyone - including you! - was raving. So glad I didn't wait, even though I have an unread Larry Watson on my shelf.

I took my son to see The World's End, with Simon Pegg & Company. I loved the first half, with the pubs, the brew and the laughter. Wasn't as thrilled with the trippy, far-out 2nd half. It did have some great late 80s & early 90s British pop. And it was interesting to see Rosamund Pike, who is slated to play the lead in Gone Girl. She isn't given the chance to really do anything in this film, but look surprised, so it is hard to tell.

Caro- I normally space out my series fiction, but I might try to get caught up with the Three Pines books.

Tina- If you want to leave your Chicago pal high & dry, you just go ahead. Of course, I am kidding and completely understand. Got to hit that 75 target.

Nancy- I am glad you are enjoying Let Him Go. It's a very strong book. I am still wondering if he'll make it through our area on a book tour. Hopefully, you'll get to his other books.

Oh, I can't image that he wouldn't make it that little way south. He was at our local indie (former Schwartz shop) here on Tuesday, but I didn't go.

I read Bleak House last year Mark and loved it. Loved the BBC production too, and thought Gillian Anderson gave a perfect interpretation of Lady Dedlock.

>185 msf59: 2666? i looked at that. it's over 52 hours long in audio. do you realize how long it would take me to listen to a book that long? do you? huh?

>191 brenzi: ditto on Bleak house, Bonnie. it's my favorite Dickens thus far. i did enjoy GA as Dedlock but fell in love with Anna Maxwell Martin, who was then new to me, as Esther Summerson. i think she got a BAFTA, didn't she? i believe she was up for a BAFTA and an Emmy. nope, just checked and she won the BAFTA but, typically, was totally snubbed by the Emmy nominating folks in favor of GA. humph! BAFTA rules. Charles Dance was also excellent. he's a perfect Dickens character. it's the nose i feel sure.

almost happy Friday, Marky.

Mark - Looks like Larry Watson will be at the Chicago Public Library on the 18th.
http://www.larry-watson.com/newsletter.htm?newsletter=

We are still watching and enjoying the Netflix cable series Orange is the New Black. We just watched episode 5. Piper, the lead character, was reading Gone Girl. I got a kick out of that. I know there are a few LTers that have watched the show, has anyone else started it?

Nancy- I think I did see that notice about Watson, making an appearance at the CPL. Trying to get into the city or to the far northern suburbs, is pretty difficult for me, that's why I was hoping he would show up in the western 'burbs. Maybe, he still will. Thanks for looking for me.

Bonnie- I think I will kick off the new year, with Bleak House and plan on seeing the BBC production shortly after. Would you be up for a toni Morrison Readathon?

Ellie- LOL! Yes, 52 hours is a long listen. I think my longest, to date, was Team of Rivals. It was around 40. I own the 3-volume edition of 2666, so I am determined to read it in print.

I was thinking you may have been talking the burbs, but when is saw Chicago thought I would share anyway. Where do you live again? Surprised he isn't scheduled for Anderson's or Book Stall.

Watson was at a local library near the WI state line last Saturday but I missed him. Mark no doubt is hoping for an Anderson's visit.

A long weekend ahead and I might pick up the sequel to Code Name Verity. It's Rose Under Fire.

Hi Mark, I'm behind in my TV viewing and have only watched the first episode of Orange is the New Black. I'll get back to it, though! We just finished watching Top of the Lake. It reminded me a lot of Twin Peaks. Breaking Bad will be too soon gone... :( I'm finding each episode to be nearly emotionally exhausting. Speaking of which, the latest issue of the New Yorker has a great profile/interview with Bryan Cranston.

Have you watched Broadchurch? I have that one on the DVR.

I'm glad to see you are listening to A Fatal Grace. As much as I adore the series, I don't think I could have gotten through the first few books in the series without Ralph Cosham's wonderful narration. The books get better as you go along.

Haha HA
Trying to get RD to read Bleak House - the very definition of "pointless endeavor".

>194 msf59: 52 hours of an audio book! That is quite a time investment.

Ooh, Linda, I didn't know there was a sequel to Code Name Verity. I must find it!

Be careful out there today: do not walk under any ladders, step on any cracks and avoid anyone in a hockey mask. Only 67 today! Wow! What a difference a couple days can make. It was nice snuggling under a sheet & blanket last night. Mmmmmm...
I have 70 pages left in Life After Life. I think I will end up with mixed feelings on this one. Someone has to be blamed for the book taking so long to read. Looking forward to returning to Three Pines too!

Nancy- Unfortunately our bookstores are slim out in the western suburbs. Andersons is about the only one but it's fairly close. I'll keep an eye out.

Linda- Thanks for the reminder on Rose Under Fire. I'll have to check with my library on that title. Loved the first book. Have a great weekend.

Joanne- I don't watch a lot of TV but I do try to keep up with the few I do watch. Yes, we are watching Broadchurch and it's pretty good. Strong cast. You'll really enjoy "Orange". It's a refreshing show. Speaking of BB: "each episode to be nearly emotionally exhausting." Amen, sister! I can't wait to see what happens Sunday, once the dust settles and the firepower stops. It probably won't be pretty.
And yes, Cosham is the perfect narrator for the Three Pines series.

Megan- Have you read bleak House? I wish you could join me on 2666. It looks like it will be a LONG, dark, twisted story.

Lisa- I'll be looking for it too!

Mark, I started watching Orange is the New Black last weekend. I've seen 4 episodes and may watch #5 tonight. I'll be looking for Gone Girl! It's a really good show although not for the faint of heart.

It's going to be a *beautiful* day outside today! If Friday the 13th means this sudden change in the weather, I'll take it!

It's only going to 67 today? You are making me miss the Midwest, Mark! It's already 69 here and going to 93. UGH! I am also reading A Fatal Grace - not very far in yet, but so far, so good. I was glad to see that you liked Another Man's Mocassins as that is the one I have on deck for that series. Not sure when I'll get to it.

I'm ready for the weekend even though Craig is on call. Tonight we are doing a little salute to my Dad and watching The Asphalt Jungle - it was one of his favorites. Hoping that your Friday is full of fabulous!

Hi Mark, I did my best to catch up with you and think I'm updated on all the salient points. I'm glad you liked The Good Earth, which was one of my favourite reads last year. I was dreading it a little bit, but it's now among my all time faves. I've got the next book in the trilogy Sons on my audio tbr and hope to get to it in good time.

Ellen picked out Year of Wonders for me last year and I'm planning on reading it very soon. Very encouraged by your enthusiasm for it and imagine I'll wonder why it took me so long to get to it when I do.

Seeing your first time authors challenge, I was inspired to add State of Wonder for this month and The Siege of Krishnapur for November to my reading schedule, having already read Bel Canto and Troubles, both of which I thought were very successful, so it won't be a "new to me" challenge, but will get me to read books off the shelf, besides which I recently got a gorgeous Folio Society edition of the Farrell book.

Am also lined up for 2666'which I've got both on audio and print form, my new preferred method for getting through huge tomes, alternating between the one and the other. I got through Lonesome Dove within a reasonable delay that way, but I think it still took me at least 10 days if not two weeks, so can't imagine how long the Bolaño will take, but I guess there's only one way to find out!

Oh I've read The Bone Season, and rather liked it, but with quibbles. My copy was from a friend who works in publishing. She loved it, I thought it needed at least one more edit before hitting the shelves. I think I've probably got a review on the work's page.

Cool weather! That's a welcome change.

Me, Who Dove into the Heart of the World was okay but not great. The main character dealing with her autism was well done, but the way she was treated by others and the world she lived in didn't seem realistic. It was a little disappointing after reading some positive reviews.

I'm quaffing an in Death mystery now and enjoying it.

Sounds like you're getting well set up for Booktopia, yes?

67 degrees! Jealous of Malaysia wishing you a very happy weekend.

67 sounds divine...it's 77 here, and that's not shabby at all, but it's not 67. Curiously enough, I saw a man in a hockey mask driving by this morning when Stella and I went out to get the trash can. I figured something was up, but it wasn't until after coffee that I twigged to what it was.

Derp.

Julie Newmar and books.

You're welcome.

Can't call this one a lucky day. They decided to do route inspection on me, so I have a shadow all day. Ugh! It's interupting my FLOW! Very little audio & print progress. Boo! Maybe Jason will jump out with a chainsaw and scare the supervisor away. You can only hope.

This is just routine, so at least I am getting it over with, until next year!

Great to see all the visitors and the delicious Julie Newmar. I'll see everyone tonight!

>192 mirrordrum: i did enjoy GA as Dedlock but fell in love with Anna Maxwell Martin, who was then new to me, as Esther Summerson..... Charles Dance was also excellent. he's a perfect Dickens character. it's the nose i feel sure.

Absolutely right Ellie. Anna Maxwell Martin is wonderful in just about anything she appears in. She was also great in South Riding and Bletchley Circle which will be coming back for a second season. Yay! And Charles Dance was just so good and you may have hit on something with his nose haha.

In no way, shape or form is 2666 a Morphy book. So, no, I won't be joining the group read. LOL!

This made me think of you:

https://scontent-b-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1185360_10151779634090095_17588...

Hope your shadow wasn't too much hassle today...

Just stumbling my way in. Sorry, for the delay. It was one of of those very rare days, that I did not read one printed page. WTH? I did listen to a small chunk of a Fatal Grace, so the day wasn't a total waste. I am sure I will be heading directly to bed, after my LT time, so bear with me.

Laura- Glad you are enjoying "Orange". The reason I am watching it as slow as I am, is that I am trying to watch it with my wife and narrowing her down isn't always easy. She has a ton of shows she keeps up with.

Amber- I thought it was a lovely day. Cool, but plenty of sunshine and nice breeze. Thanks for the Beer Welcome Mat. That's perfect.

Mamie- Sorry, to hear you guys are still dealing with the hot weather. Boo! It looks like we are reading the Three Pines & the Longmire books at the same pace. Keeping up with series fiction is a full-time job! Wouldn't it great to be paid for it?

Ilana- Great to see you over here. Always a pleasure. I'll have to read more Buck. I am not as familiar with her other books.
I hope I can squeeze in Bel Canto this month. I have it both in audio and in print. I've done a good job keeping up with my First-time Author Challenge, so I don't want to blow it now. The Booktopia Homework has become a bit more daunting, than I expected, but of course in a very enjoyable way.
It would be great to have you on the 2666 Group Read. I'll probably post the thread in a week or so.

Tania- Thanks for your thoughts on the Bone Season. I have seen very little LT input so far. Since I have it on audio, I'll probably give it a shot, in the next few weeks.

Joe- It's hard to believe, that we'll be in Petoskey MI, 2 weeks from today. I am really looking forward to it and I think I am doing a fine job with the Booktopia homework.
Hope you have a nice weekend planned.

Paul- Big hearty waves from cooler climes!

RD- I LOVE the Julie Newmar! She was quite the looker. Glad to hear, that your run-in with the guy in the hockey mask, was a false alarm. Whew! That could have been ugly.

Hasn't anybody read Orange is the New Black? It was one of the required readings a few years ago for students incoming to the College of Education and has been out for a few years.

It is still hot down here. However, it is supposed to cool off tonight. That is a good thing as I have a date with a very prickly holly bush tomorrow. The darn thing is growing up and covering my gas meter. I was not relishing the idea of cutting it back in the heat. However, trimming it to manageable heights and breadths is more bearable when the temperature is 70 and not 90.

I anticipate a nice day shopping as there is a big football game tomorrow in College Station, Texas and most of T-town will be inside tomorrow evening watching that. I might, but think it more likely I will be reading a couple of academic articles with titles like "Representing Discourse: The Rhetoric of Transcription."

Who is Julie Newmar?

#180
Richard - I agree with you about Charles Dickens. Boring, with short flashes of humor that don't make up for the boring. However, I disagree about Harry Potter. Never read'em because they sounded boring.

#204
I have all three of the J. G. Farrell books still to read. I want to get Siege of Krishnapur of the shelves but keep getting interrupted by other books who call me in a more strident voice than it does. However, I did read Long ships and enjoyed it. It was funny in places, and a great adventure story.

Kerri has been talking about Orange is the New Black on her thread. I'm in a huge line for the book at my library, but after that I intend to start watching the show on Netflix! :)

#216> Julie Newmar was one of the actors who played Catwoman in the 1960s Adam West "Batman" TV series. That's her claim to fame for me. :)

(Although Eartha Kitt will always be *the* Catwoman.)

Nice weather in Sydney, busy Saturday today doing tech support for my parents (who aren't tech heads and have both bought iPads and iPhones and then decided they wanted wifi, which is what I was helping to set up) and then lots of house stuff in preparation for my MIL's arrival this afternoon. House is still a mess, but at least I got a nice dinner into her before she had to go to sleep. :)

Happy Saturday! Nice and chilly out there this morning, about 50. I'll have to throw on my hoodie, for the way in. Glad the walk-out inspection is behind me. I NEED to wrap up Life After Life and I should finish A Fatal Grace.
Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Bonnie- Big Wave!

Morphy- "In no way, shape or form is 2666 a Morphy book." Aw, come on! LOL.

Benita- I know there are a couple LTers that have read "Orange". I'll get to it at some point. Hope it cools off for you down there. It's going to be rainy & in the 60s here tomorrow.
Julie Newmar played Catwoman on the original Batman TV series.
I am looking forward to the Farrell books. It's been a LONG time coming.

Tina- I would still like to try the "Orange" memoir, maybe on audio, if it's available, although I heard the series veers away quite a bit from the book.

Good morning to you! I have to look at Orange is the New Black..it keeps popping up. I have no idea what it is. Happy weekend to you!

eta I'm waiting to see how you like it though... if you like it too much then... ?

lol

Good morning, Mark. I hope your weather is less brutal for you now. It is about time for the heat to go away and bother someone else. Someone in the southern hemisphere, perhaps.

I am glad your "official" walk along with you is done and over. I hope you "passed" the test, I am sure you did. Now you can relax and just do the good job you always have been doing. Right?

Today is kind of "iffy" for me. I've got some aches and pains which may slow me down but I'd like to get the trim on the front of the house painted white before the rains arrive. Our weather is predicted to change tomorrow... but I think we still have a few summer like days left. I don't give up hope until October 31. Then, I know we are done.

Yeah, Mark, I was thinking the same thing as Karen. What a pain to have someone following along while you work. Hope it all went sufficiently well.

Julie Newmar also made for a good Stupefyin' Jones in the old Lil Abner musical.

I threw on a hoodie this morning, too. Hard to believe we were in the upper 90s just a few days ago.

I'm goofing off, I guess, with an "in Death" mystery; this one is Born in Death. I've got an ER book that came in called Death of a King, which looks to be a YA book set in Scotland during the time of William Wallace, so that'll probably be next, although I also want to read A Bit of Difference, set in London and Nigeria.

Have a good one today, unsupervised and unsidekicked, with something you enjoy on the audio I hope.

Happy Saturday, Mark, and good fortune finishing up your audios.

Gorgeous day! Sunny, 70, cool breeze. It's also nice not having a shadow. I can maintain my own pace and enjoy the mild adventures of Inspector Gamache, undisturbed. I am nearing the end of it and have to say this one made me a convert.

Tania- Hope you have a nice weekend and enjoy your MIL visit. You get along, right?

Kath- I've been watching the series "Orange" but have not read the memoir. I think you would like the show. Humor with just the right edge.

Hooray for a gorgeous day!
You've earned one by now, surely.
I am just cruising by, for now. But I can confirm that I wont be joining you on a GR for Bleak House. I just have too many others to bookhorn in, and with those oldies, I find I cant handle too many in a row.

I read (listened, actually) to Bleak House a couple of years ago. SUPERB! Will make for a great GR, and don't forget to watch the BBC classic when you've finished. It is SO well done!

^I don't know, I just like it. Be back in a flash...

I'll have the UN forms complaining to the International Criminal Court of UN Charter violations for y'all when Mark finally coerces enough of you into a "Group Read" of *shudder* Chuckles the Dick's work.

Okay! Ta-Da- I finished Life After Life. I did like it. It does contain strong writing and some vivid characters. I just think the pacing was choppy and a bit uneven, which I think slowed my reading down.
I did LOVE A Fatal Grace and I think this one firmly put me on board the Three Pines bus. I know I am only on book 2, but I am going to try to get caught up.

Karen- It was much better walking the route, unencumbered. And the few minutes I can make up, here and there, are spent with my nose firmly in a book. So, I really waste, no time. LOL.
Hope you are kicking back this evening and enjoying a fine read.

Joe- I can handle a walk-out once a year. Last year, they walked out with us 3 days in a row and counted our mail for 5. That was a big shakedown and they added many stops to many routes. I ended up with a very moderate addition.
I am feeling a bit under the weather today, I don't know if it's allergies, a cold or a combination, so I am taking it easy tonight.

RD- Hey, Birthday Boy! Yes, I love the Inspector Gamache experience on audio. Series fiction works very well in this format, especially with a continuing narrator.

It looks like Benita is joining you on the Chuckles the Dick Hate-Wagon. You should make her Sergeant At Arms. I think she would do a fine job, in that position. I just had a flash of the drill sergeant from Full Metal Jacket. LOL.

Megan- Bleak House isn't until January. I wish you could join me on 2666. I think that would make a good "Ireadthereforeiam" Read!
I have a hard time, slotting in the oldies. I really have to have a plan. Over 90-95 per cent of my massive TBR shelves, are books from the last 25 years or so, with a big chunk of those, probably from the last 5-10 years.

Nancy- Good to see you! That is exactly my plan. Book in January, followed closely by the BBC production.

SOrry to hear that you're not feeling 100% - Tomm and I have been suffering from a very slight under-the-weather-age, too, and we think it's the change of weather/seasons and allergies. Hope you'll be feeling better tomorrow!

The weather was a bit better this morning, but the afternoon was ugly. Hot. I finally decided to tackle the yard and since the neighbor came and mowed the Big Green Monster I felt I had to do my part and cut back the trees that have been growing unchecked around the foundations, AC unit, etc. I have a full blown holly tree right next to my gas meter. A year ago, when I moved in I got a new gas line and meter. The meter is less than 6 inches from a tree stump that measures about 6 inches across. That stump is the remains of a holly tree. Holly trees will grow back from the roots and with all the rain early this summer this tree went to town. I trimmed it back and hauled the branches to the street (I have the scratched up arms to prove it) but long term that stump will have to come out and now it is too close to the gas line and meter to make this an easy job. Arrgh!

I guess this is an example of the joys of home ownership complete with yard?

Gloomy and chilly morning out there, with rain on the way. I have a cold, so this matches the way I feel, to a T. Hey, at least it's Sunday, I am off, I have my books and the Bears play at noon. I think I can handle that.

Amber- I try to stay as healthy as possible but sometimes you just can't avoid it. Normally, I don't get fall allergies but it has flared up the past 2 years but fortunately not as hard-hitting as my spring maladies.
Hope you have a great Sunday!

Benita- "joys of home ownership". Amen, my friend. I've been a homeowner for just under 25 years and there is always something. Fortunately, the pluses outweigh the negatives.

Wishing you a great Sunday, Mark. We're having one of those transition days, too, probably with some mild rain, and a little bit chillier temps. I can take it.

Hoping I can get some reading done this morning as this afternoon I'm gifted with a visit from the two little kids who arrive to help their Aunt Karen wash the two dogs. They love the dogs and the dogs love them. It is great fun and a little bit like The Keystone Cops. Makes me smile even thinking about it. I've missed hanging out with the kids.

Last night the two of them, and my younger niece (their aunt) attended the last Seattle Storm game and wished farewell to Tina Thompson, a wonderful veteran player (two Gold Metals!) for 17 years. She has been with the WMBA from the very start and it was wonderful to see her history as a tribute to her fine skills and great heart.

Retirement is a good thing, I say, and I'm planning on doing some of that sitting and reading that my retirement has plenty of, I hope....

185 - I read The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb and really enjoyed it. Very interesting to read about that time period and how fame affected them. Thought provoking.

Happy Sunday, Mark! Hope you're feeling better, and have a day full of B's ahead of you (Bears, Beer, Books and Breaking Bad).

I finished my mystery, so I'll move on to the ER YA set in William Wallace's Scotland. Jesse gave me a sci-fi-er I want to get to, too.

Lazy, rainy day - love them!

A walk along sounds awful. I would hate it. Glad it's over. I want to win the lottery so as not to have to deal with crazy work stuff. Dout that will happen though.....

Hunker down in Mark's Man Cave, beer it up, and let the rest of the world do its own thing. It's Sunday!

Sorry to hear that you're feeling under the weather, Mark. Poor baby! Your weather sounds good - it's a bit cooler here today as well, just 79 right now although it's supposed to go to 90. The good news is that the humidity is very low, so it feels very fine out there! We get to watch back to back games featuring my favorite teams, so I am very excited about that. Colts up first, followed by my Broncos. Wishing your Bears good luck today - Go Bears!

Oh, is there a planned group read of Bleak House? Count me in when it gets going.... I think you mentioned to Megan that it will occur in January. Happy Sunday Mark!

^Game time, in about 45 minutes. I still feel cruddy but at least I can read. I FINALLY started Volt: Stories. This one has been high on my To-Read list, since RD & Joe raved about it, a couple years ago. The first story strikes like a rabbit punch. Perfect stuff for Mark the Dark.

Karen- Hope you have a nice time with the dog-washing. Cool & rainy here. Ideal day for, bumming around the house.

Diane- Good to see you over here! Please drop by again. I knocked out the first couple chapters of tom Thumb and I like it so far. Hope you are having a nice Sunday.

Joe- "Bears, Beer, Books and Breaking Bad". You must be reading my mind, my friend. I don't think I'll be drinking any beers, but maybe I'll get in the mood later on. I'll be watching for your thoughts on the William Wallace YA book. Sounds interesting.

Kath- Normally, they only walk with us once a year, unless they make a route change and then they do it twice. Hopefully, they won't be adding on anymore. I like my route the way it is.

RD- Yes, I've been huddling in the Man Cave since the wee morning hours. My kids will probably be invading in a little while to watch the game, since I won't be reading, I will not mind the company.

Mamie- I usually rebound quickly. I hope I feel better tomorrow and have the strength to tackle Monday. I am on vacation in a week, so I just have to muddle through. Booktopia coming up! Yah!
Go Colts, Broncos, Bears!

Lori- Glad to see such interest in a G.R. of Bleak House. Of course, I'll set it up later in December. Hope you are having a nice Sunday.

Yesterday was football day in Alabama. While I was out doing yard work and suffering in the heat most of Tuscaloosa was doing some version of tailgating. I could hear people yelling so knew the score was bad. It was - Alabama won. I did catch some of the Nebraska game and think it is great that they lost. Also thought it was funny that the Oregon Ducks fans were chanting "bring on Bama" in the stands of the Tennessee game.

Today I get to spend quality time reading three more of those academic articles for my class and then cooking for the next week. But the big time will be tonight. PBS is were it's at. First there is Last Tango in Halifax, then a new season of Foyle's War (this time it is the Cold War), the Bletchly Circle season 2. That means that Marky Mark will have to run the DVR so he can keep up with the ladies while he drools over the bad guy.

I think that good beer when you have a cold sounds like a winner of an idea.

So were you a Julie Newmar fan? I have to confess that I thought she was some character in Mad Men.

Remember to keep Paul posted on the Bears game.

I just checked the Booktopia site for petovsky and noticed that the bookstore has added a wine and cheese event for Thursday night. Maybe you and Sue should sign up - if you will be there on Thursday.

Bears lead 24-21 at the half. Very entertaining game!

Benita- I didn't realize Bletchly Circle Season 2 started tonight. Thanks! I'll have to see if I have it recorded.
I liked Julie Newmar on the Batman series but that was nearly 50 years ago.

We are not getting to Petoskey until early Friday afternoon, but thanks!

Sorry to hear you're battling a cold, Mark. Hot toddy? Would be good for a rainy day in front of the tele with football, feet up, bowl of popcorn or chips and salsa close at hand. ok, a book for commercial breaks.

Hope you feel better soon.

Go Bears, Colts and Broncos.

Bears win! Bears win! 31-30! Touchdown with 16 seconds left! What a crazy, highly entertaining game.

Holy Guacamole! What a crazy game. Give up a kickoff runback TD, give up a fumble runback TD, throw an interception on their one yard line, and more goofs - and still win. Are you kidding?

Joe- "Holy Guacamole!", is right! It was crazy. Fortunately, the Vikings made even bigger mistakes and we pulled it out. Nothing, boring about that one.

Caro- I've been distracted most of the day, plus I am masking it with a couple cold ones, but I can feel it, lurking in the background. I hope I get a good night sleep and feel better in the morning.

Congrats on the Bears win, Mark - sounds like it was "a crazy but highly entertaining game"! Good description. Broncos won, but the Colts lost- and poor Rae as her Giants have lost two games in a row now. She is NOT a happy camper.

Hi Mark, I'm back from my annual family reunion up near the Dells. Saturday was spectacular but Sunday was kind of chilly and rainy. Probably similar to home, I would imagine. The get-togethers were fun, as always but I've gotten absolutely no reading done in the past 4 or so days and very little the past two weeks or so.

Glad to see that you're getting going with Louise Penny, my favorite.

So, football fans, you have encouraged my latent inner football fan, plus the Seahawks potential this year, and so I tuned in to the Seahawks vs. San Francisco game this evening and ha! Rain delay. We rolled out the thunder and lightening. I think I'll call it a day and go read a book.

>251 msf59: oh. my. god.

I am alive!!! Hi there. ; )

It's Monday. Oh, joy. I am still not feeling 100% but I will march forth. Cool today, only in the mid-60s. I will not vanquish the walking-shorts.

I will be continuing the collection, Volt: Stories and on audio, my latest Booktopia pick, The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb. It's actually pretty good so far.

Mamie- It was a good football day. And I saw that the Seahawks pounded the 49ers. Sorry to hear about Rae's Giants. Maybe next week??

Linda- Glad you had a nice time at the family get-together. And yes, yesterday was a good day to stay in and chill. Hope you can get back to the books.

Karen- I flipped over to the Seahawks game, last night and saw the delay. I checked this morning and saw that they hammered the 49ers. Yah!

Joanne- LOL. Very well said! It always goes where you least expect. Only 2 left!

Kim- Wow! It's great to see my long lost pal! Hope all is well.

Good morning, Mark. Hope you're enjoying Volt as much as I did. There's an extended story about a woman sheriff that really knocked me out.

Death of a King has picked up, as our time traveler gets mixed up in the King Edward-William Wallace war in the 13th century.

Still shaking my head over that Bears win. They pulled it off. Great throw at the end.

Not a great football weekend for me. K-State, Oklahoma, Ok-State and Alabama all won. The only bright spot was that Nebraska lost. I didn't even turn on the TV yesterday until in the evening in order to devote my time to producing some killer Porcupine Meatballs to eat all the rest of this week. I did turn on the TV to watch the stellar PBS line-up. However, to my surprise, the Bletchly Circle was a rerun of season 1. Not - as advertized - the opener of season 2. I thought it was a bit early for a PBS season starter, but was so wanting it to be true. However, since I had missed most of that episode the first time around I enjoyed watching the whole thing this time.

I am still reading on Guns of August (150 pages left) and have fallen behind on my academic journal article reading for class tomorrow night. I will have to devote my lunch hour to them and this evening as well. Bummer. I would rather be reading books four and five of the Matthew Shardlake series.

Heavy Monday! My least favorite day to carry and I am dragging a little, but it is cool, the sun is shining and I am enjoying my books, so I have to keep the complaints down to a minimum.
See everyone, this evening...

The day's almost over, Marky-Mark .. hang in there. I hope you're feeling better ...didn't all those beers drown the little buggers? Hot toddy tonight to hammer in the nail to their caskets?

> 259 Monday...My least favorite day Ditto! Just for a different reason! ;)

Okay, made it in. I am loving both Volt: Stories & Tom Thumb. I came very close to not reading/listening to the latter, but I am so glad I decided to. It's actually good historical fiction, from a very unusual perspective.

Joe- I am loving "Volt" and I just finished the story you were referring to, "Peacekeeper", which was excellent. Heathcock is a major talent and I see he is from the Chicago area. Cool.

Benita- I saw that you mentioned that The Bletchly Circle, season 2, was starting last night. I looked everywhere and could not find it. Now, I know why. LOL.
I would love to try those Porcupine Meatballs. Do you take the quills out before you start eating?

Caro- I only had a couple beers yesterday, so I am not sure if that was enough to kill those "little buggers". I felt okay today, just got tired early.

Tina- We hate Mondays! Yah!

Mondays are horrid. End of transmission.

Oh. My. God.

The Good News--Monday is over in your neck of the woods!!

>230 msf59: 90-95 per cent of my massive TBR shelves, are books from the last 25 years or
Me too, only I'd stretch that to the last 100 years :)
I like post 1950 most, I suppose.

Monday's.....much muchness for me. Just as weekends mean not much :) No sleep ins round here- ever! But I wont complain just yet, as it is not all bad. We have our health and a roof over our heads afterall!
Bring on hump day!

Booktopia update: We leave, a week from Friday, so the time is approaching. My Booktopia homework was been a success. I think there are nine authors attending and I've read 7. I am still listening to tom Thumb but my next print book will be Children of God, which has taken me forever to get to, (Bad Mark). This will be my 3rd MDR book, though.

Julia- Tuesdays are just a little better, IMHO! At least, the mail is generally light on these days.

Bonnie- LOL. Have you recovered? This show needs to finish, just to rest our nerves.

Kim- 2 visits! 2 days! Am I blessed or what?

Megan- My point about the TBR shelves, was that, I have very few classic books, (50 years or more) on those shelves, although there are many many classic titles that I still have yet to read.
"I like post 1950 most" ???

Just finally stopping by and skimming through...

Not much going on to tell... same old around here thank the goddess! Just finished the last Mercy Thompson I have in my possession.. (Wah) so I need to find a book. Booktopia.. *envy*

Oh, I'm suffering.... from Booktopia envy. Please tell us all, everything you get to do and see and hear!

Children of God should boggle your mind a bit, Mark. Good follow-up to Sparrow.

I'm with Kath and Karen on the Booktopia envy. Should be great - can't wait to hear.

That Alan Heathcock book is so you, as you know, I thought you'd already read it! So good. "The Peacekeeper" - thanks, I couldn't remember the name. This is one of the two I gave my BIL, along with The Miniature Wife. As I mentioned, he liked them both, but said, "I don't think of you as being that dark." LOL!

Lunch time check-in: Cool, cloudy, cicadas buzzing. Not a bad day. Both my current reads continue to entertain.

Kath- I hope you found a book that grabs you. Looking forward to starting Children of God. I remember you being one of the first to sing the praises of MDR.

Karen- It looks like they will be announcing the sites for '14 Booktopia, next month. I plan on making at least one.

oh, well, I will have to watch for that. Will you be sure to mention it here, and then I'll be sure to see the announcement. Exciting to think about it.

I really loved the books I've read for Booktopia. I am sure what you are reading is also great!

Children of God should boggle your mind a bit

I'll say. Got to love MDR.

Children of God is one of those sequels that is equal to the first. It also ties up some loose ends, but don't be surprised by the direction in which the story goes, or where it takes you. When I heard that the new Pope was a Jesuit I thought to myself "Mary Doria Russell predicted that.

>274 benitastrnad: equal and completely different, I think? Those are two very good books.. This Jesuit Pope has been a source of entertainment for me. I am pretty sure that the Vatican feels like they stepped through a looking glass. Too bad they didn't elect him last time instead of Old Red Shoes.

Hi Mark, i had a lot of catching up to do here. We had the grandkids staying for the weekend which really cut into my LT time as one or the other usually was on the computer. On the bright side, I got a lot of reading done!

I remember the first time I saw Julie Newmar. She played a robot-maid and I believe she worked for Robert Cummings, who of course, was quite taken with her. I don't believe she ever developed much as an actress, but I do know the fellows liked to look at her!

The first of the Louise Penny novels, Still Life was televised and shown on Sunday here. I have PVR'd it for later viewing, but I do like the actor who is playing Gamache. At this point I have only read the first book, so need to get going on that series.

Hope you are feeling better.

^ Mercy Lavinia Warren Bump, aka Mrs. Tom Thumb (1841 – November 25, 1919) Born in Middleborough, Massachusetts

32 inches tall
29 lbs
Her younger sister Minnie was only 27 inches tall and was her maid of honor.



^the famous marriage between Charles Sherwood Stratton (Tom Thumb) and the petite Lavinia

Joe- Yep, getting pumped about Booktopia and I am pleased with myself for getting my homework done. If only "real" school would have been this easy.
2 stories left in Volt. This is shaping up to be a 5 star read.

Karen- I'll have to see if Ann or Michael will tip their hand at Booktopia MI, on next year's locations. Maybe if I lubricate them enough with fine ale. Hey, it would be fun trying.

Lisa- Another COG fan! Yah! I meant to get to this one sooner and then she went ahead and released Doc which also blew me away and COG was forgotten on the shelf...until now. I've been following MDR on FB and she is in the final editing process, on her follow-up to Doc.

Benita & Kath- I can't wait to dive into COG, probably tomorrow. I also have A Thread of Grace on shelf too! I must have lent out my copy of the Sparrow and it wasn't returned, so I think I'll have to buy a new one and have the Goddess sign it.

Judy- No worries, my friend. I am having a hard time keeping up around here too. I haven't been by S & S in awhile. I'll have to stop by and post an update.
Please get to A Fatal Grace. It's stronger than the first entry. I wonder if they are showing the Gamache series in the states?

Struggling to catch up buddy but enjoying trying anyway.
I thought the wedding scene depicted in the photo above was Tiny Tom Cruise's secret first wedding.

Have a great week mate and I hope I see some light through the tunnel by the week end.

Hi Mark, just catching up here. Looks like you've had ups and downs with your weather, and we certainly have, too!

Will there be a GR of Bleak House? I tried and did not succeed to read it when my book club read it last winter. I couldn't even go to book club last year, so I'm not sure if many members actually read it or not. I checked it out from the library -- a giant, hardcover book I could not lift. Really. So I downloaded on an iPad (hooray for classics being free!), which makes exactly one book I've downloaded, but I still have not read it. Maybe the GR will be the nudge I need.

Hope you're having a great week.

Mark I have been missing your thread. I had someone shadowing me for two weeks so I couldn't even peek at LT on my phone at work. Boo! I'm finally on staycation but have spent some of it taking my mom to doctors appointments. I have been able to to do some reading though. Yay!

Have fun at Booktopia and I should be starting Gods of Gotham next week. Lyndsay Faye will be in town next week for a book signing of the next one, Seven For a Secret. I'm going to try and pop in but not sure if I can.

Hope you had a good Tuesday, Mark! Count me in with the 'Children of God' lovers. A very satisfying sequel.

^See you good people in the A.M....

>281 luvamystery65:: I had someone shadowing me for two weeks so I couldn't even peek at LT on my phone at work.
I love these little mini-admissions that some of us, sometimes, look at LT while at work. It probably still represents fewer lost work-hours than Fantasy Football (I don't recall the numbers, but someone estimated thousands of productivity hours lost at work to FF activity).

I know you're looking forward to Booktopia, Mark. I will certainly watch for the 2014 locales and try to make one of them into a little vacation.

Happy Wednesday to you when you see this!

Morning! It's warming back up to 80 today, after a few days of cool temps. I should wrap up both of my current reads today. I was hoping to get my library audio copy of Bel Canto, which is part of my First-time Author Challenge, but no such luck. I might be delayed on getting to that one. I also have it in print but the mighty MDR is standing firmly in the path. I have at least 2 or 3, S & S books to get to, so I'll probably go that route.

Paul- Ooh, Tom Cruise dig! Come on, let's be fair, he's a few inches taller than that. Hope the week is going well.

Anne- I plan on doing a G.R. of Bleak House in January. After reading the terrific Dickens bio, I knew I had to get to this one. I hope you can join us and I hope it works for you this time.

Roberta's back! Roberta's back! Always a pleasure to see you over here. Looking forward to your thoughts on Gods of Gotham. I wish I could have made a bigger dent in my series fiction, for S & S, but it always an impossible task.

Julia- I should be able to crack COG today. Did you read Doc?

Ellen- I am actually fortunate I have very limited access to the internet during the day. It's a dangerous time-suck and robs my precious reading time.
Yep, I think many of us are waiting with bated breath for the Booktopia announcements. If there is no where in the Midwest, I would be tempted to go back to Vermont, which will always be one of the locations, according to Ann & Michael.

Thank you for helping me out, Mark!



Some cold Dutch beers for you.

Mark, in fact 'Doc' was the first MDR I ever read and I loved it. Then someone recommended 'Sparrow' and besides thinking it's one of the best books I've ever read I was gobsmacked that those two books could have been written by the same person. What an amazingly talented author she is!

Enjoying all the MDR talk, Mark.

Hope you enjoyed the cold Dutch beer.

I finished Frankenstein, and found it much better than I expected. I was unduly influenced by the old movie, I expect. I just started A Bit of a Difference, and so far so good. Fingers crossed that this turns out to be an exceptional one. Looking forward to your reaction on COG!

Mid-Hump Day check in. All good. Finished Volt. WOW! This is why I adore short fiction and why I trust my LT pals, above all others. High Fives to RD & Joe!
I started Moon Over Soho. What a fun series!

What day is it?

Week is half over! Yay!!

Anxiously awaiting loads of Booktopia news, Mark. I hope you have a blast!

I LOVE book turn-over day, especially when the books are as good as these have been. I finished Volt: Stories. My second 5 star book of the month and my second outstanding story collection. Let's keep it real simple: If you have not read Volt. Find a copy and READ IT. Capiche?

I also finished The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb, which turned out to be my most pleasant surprise of September. Looking forward to meeting the author. If you like historical fiction, little people, P.T. Barnum, circuses or tiny women, give this one a try.

I started Moon Over Soho. I love this series. Big smooch to Roberta, for putting me on this joy-ride. I also cracked...drum roll please: CHILDREN OF GOD! Spoken in the voice of Charlton Heston.

Diana- You are welcome. Lonesome Dove is one of my favorite books of all time, I love talking about it and of course recommending it. Thanks for the Grolsch. I just downed 2. Ahhhhh...

Julia- I read those 2 in reverse order and felt exactly the same way about MDR. She is a Goddess. I've been following her on FB and she sounds like she is in the final editing stages of her follow-up to Doc. Yippee!

Joe- Expect much more MDR talk, in the next week or so. I hope Mary drinks beer. Fingers crossed. I NEED to get to both Frankenstein & Dracula. Maybe, I could bookhorn in one of the audios for October. 2666 looms LARGE.

Caro- You know it my friend! Actually I will probably be working 6 days this week, so tomorrow would technically be my hump day, but I'll take two.

Tina- We leave a week from Friday! I am happy with my homework and think I am ready to mix it up with some authors.