Mark's Reading Place: A New Start 2014

Audiobook:


Graphic:


Books Read So Far...

December 2013:

157) Troubles by J.G. Farrell 4.6 stars
158) A Conspiracy of Faith (Dept Q) by Jussi Adler-Olsen 4.3 stars (audio)
159) Un Lun Dun by China Mieville 2.7 stars (audio)
160) Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain 4.5 stars (audio)
161) Night Film by Marisha Pessl 4 stars
162) Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan 4 stars
163) The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough 4.2 stars (audio)
164) Mrs. Somebody Somebody by Tracy Winn 4 stars
165) We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler 4.3 stars (audio)
166) Bellman & Black by Diane Setterfield 2.5 stars (Ouch!)
167) Doctor Sleep by Stephen King 4.5 stars (audio)
168) Visitation Street by Ivy Pochoda 3.8 stars (audio)
169) Dirt Music by Tim Winton 4.2 stars
170) 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff 4.5 stars

January:

1) The Tortilla Curtain by T. C. Boyle 3.6 stars (audio)
2) Little Failure: A Memoir by Gary Shteyngart 4 stars (E.R.)

American Author Challenge 2014

Willa Cather- January
William Faulkner- February
Cormac McCarthy- March
Toni Morrison- April
Eudora Welty- May
Kurt Vonnegut- June
Mark Twain- July
Philip Roth- August
James Baldwin- September
Edith Wharton- October
John Updike- November
Larry Watson- December

Mark's picks:

Willa Cather- Death Comes for the Archbishop *
William Faulkner- Light in August
Cormac McCarthy- Suttree *
Toni Morrison- Undecided. Tar Baby *, Paradise, a reread?
Eudora Welty- The Collected Stories *
Kurt Vonnegut- Mother Night. Possibly a second title. *
Mark Twain- Life on the Mississippi- Thanks to RD *
Philip Roth- The Plot Against America *
James Baldwin- Giovanni's Room- Thanks to Kerri *
Edith Wharton- The Custom of the Country
John Updike- Rabbit Run *
Larry Watson- Orchard or White Crosses or both. *

* On shelf

Of course, I can only select 12 and there are a multitude of other deserving authors but I thought this was a solid list. I left my favorite American author, Mr. John Steinbeck off the list because we recently dedicated a whole year to that Author Deity. I left off Hemingway this time around, because I didn't want RD calling 911. He has had a hard enough time lately with Chuckles the Dick.
You can read whatever you want by that particular author and if you have no desire to read that author, feel free to substitute. You will not be considered a "purist" but at least you can get a book or 2 off the shelf.

I tried to shuffle them up with past and present but that wasn't always easy. I liked Cather leading off the year, because her books are spare and I have a Bleak House G.R. to do, that month.

I can't believe this place, (LT, not my thread. LOL) keeps getting better and better. The community we have created here, is really something special and the friendships that have formed are truly awe-inspiring. I am looking forward to meeting more of you, online and in person, this coming year and to continue to read, share, gush, cajole, learn, giggle and be part of a butt-kicking group of book-loving geeks. Cheers!

I'm here! I'm here!

ETA: Oh shoot. Did I mess up your thread?

I'm here too! And I'm going to stay caught up for at least the next 3 weeks, till school goes back.

Hi Marky-Mark!

The American Author Challenge is up and running. I hope to see many of you stop by:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/162960#

Morphy- You are first, my friend and you did not mess up a thing. Hugs!

Cushla- We will enjoy your company for the next 3 weeks. Looking forward to it.

Diana- Big loving wave!

Okay, the party can start. I have arrived.

I also want a front row seat Mark. I look forward to plenty of good conversation and an almost certain mid year meet-up. Planning already and will let you know soon.

Nice new thread, Mark. There have been lots of great, icy Chicago pics lately. Love it.

Gorgeous pictures, Mark.

Mamie- I was waiting to blow the horn and throw the confetti. And now that you are here. Yippee!

Paul- If you make it state-side, that will certainly be a major highlight of 2014. I am sure you will be spreading joy, wherever you land.

Linda- I wanted to start the thread with a sunrise and then I stumbled on this winter gem. Hope you have a nice Sunday planned.

Ameise- My first Swiss visitor! Hooray! I hope you can stop by again.

Sure I will. Best wishes Barbara

I bring news. The terrible people at Amazon have put on sale the Kindle edition of a book I finally broke down and bought. Nos4A2 is $1.99 today. Some evil-hearted bureaucrat, no doubt on loan to Amazon from the IRS or the DEA, saw the "Shipped" message in my account and clicked the "Super One-Day Deal" button to make me gnash my teeth.

What? What do you mean it's not all about me? Of course it is, don't be ridiculous.

Richard--They should pay you for the excellent advertising you provide--I will have to go pay my $1.99!

Mark--Congrats on the 2014 New Thread. Whoohoo! Yippee! Huzza! I must hold off on mine until later. Today is another ski/boarding day on the mountain and then tomorrow my daughter turns 21!!! How did that happen? I swear I am only 35. Hugs.

I'm here now. You're welcome. ;-)

Mark, hope you're not going anywhere. A nice coating of freezing rain right now. I just went sliding down the driveway to pick up the newspapers. Wheeeeeeeee.

I think I will close out the year with 84, Charing Cross Road. This title has been high on my To-Read list for several years. And I know it is an LT favorite. It is also wonderfully short and will help pad my end of the year totals. I might be able to slip in another audio too, but that depends. I going to try a Sci-Fi novel called the Martian. I have heard nothing about it on LT but there has been some buzz at other online locales.

Barbara- Please to meet you! New visitors are always a highlight.

RD- It's always about you, my friend. Never forget it. I think you might like NOS4A2. It's definitively a title worthy of Mr. King. And for 2 bucks? You can't beat it.

Kim- Have another safe day, snow-boarding. And remember to be careful. I plan on seeing you in a month. Don't forget it.

Roberta- I just let out a long, deep breath. I can finally relax. LOL. Hugs!

Hah! Love the book pile! See you in 2014.

Beautiful opening picture... wishing you a beautiful New Year 2014!

Hi, Mark. I lost track of you and your last thread for 2013 is impossibly long with unread messages on my computer. Oh, poor me. I think I should get credit for reading it and calling it a book!

Congrats on your new thread!

Go look at Facebook. You're welcome.

Just here to drop a quick * and get started on the 2014 threads. I fear my eyes may fall out before I finish reading everything here! ;)

Love that opening Chicago pic, Mark. It's chilly but beautiful this time of year.

You're going to love 84 Charing Cross Road! If you're like me, you're going to wonder why you waited so darn long to read it. (It was pretty recent for me, too).

I'm finishing the year with mysteries: Tilt-a-Whirl, Fer-de-Lance, and Mad Mouse if I get to it.

Well, I seem to be spending more time on LT, than doing anything else, like cracking a book, for instance, but hey, it's for a worthy cause. We are leaving for the show in a little while, to finally see "Catching Fire" and then we will be racing back home to watch the Bears/Packers game. We have our work cut out for us. Yikes! I'll have make sure I line up a few beers too!

Linda- I can see that it might be slick out there. I will take it easy driving. I am so glad we don't have a lot snow, especially with this next Arctic blast coming.

Katie- Looking forward to another fun year on LT! Hope to see you around.

Claudia- Thank you! I am so glad you will be joining us for the AAC. That should be a 2014 highlight.

Karen- Thanks for getting caught up on my past thread and yes, by all means, count it as a book! LOL. Looking forward to the Great Portland Meet-Up! What a nice way to kick off the year!

RD- You are always thinking of me. Sniffles a little...

LauraBrook made it! LauraBrook made it! You just made a good day better and please do not let your eyes fall out. You need those guys!

Joe- Good to see you! Looking forward to your thoughts on the Tilt a Whirl books. I might join you on the 2nd one. I'll be starting one you might like: The Martian. It has that "Joe Vibe" to it.



Another fallen reader! This one via, RD! Hope she'll be okay.

Fingers crossed Mark but I think we'll send Green Bay packing tonight.

I adored 84 Charing Cross Road. It will probably send you off in quest of the sequels, including Duchess of Bloomsbury Street, in which Helene finally goes to London. My favorite of those, I think, is Q's Legacy. As Paul C. will tell you, Q is Arthur Quiller-Couch, who came from the small town in Cornwall, Fowey, which has a fabulous tiny bookstore, Bookends, that both of us want to buy and run. Clearly, we'll have to compromise. Or i can run the bookstore and Paul can open the pub to be called "The Debauched Sloth" after a particularly memorable scene in the O'Brian/Aubrey/Maturin novels. Anyway... Fowey not only was home to "Q" but also Daphne du Maurier.

ETA: Oh yes, and you're starred. Silly me. Although there's not a hope in hell I'll be able to keep up with the chit chat on this thread!

Hello to Mark!

Welcome to the 2014 challenge! Was wondering when you'd show up... :)

Hi Mark! How is that Sacco graphic novel coming along? I loved Palestine and Safe Area Gorazde: The War in Eastern Bosnia 1992-1995, so will probably get to more of him this year.

I wish the Bears well today. I wish that game was on at noon, so I could watch it. Poop. (Seahawks play at 3:25 as well today.)

I too enjoyed 84, Charing Cross Road. Sequels? Oh, my. Are they on my wishlist??

Good luck with your football game today. Happy New Year, Mark.

Hi Mark. Thanks for pointing the way over to this thread from the old one. I wouldn't want to miss out on anything! One of the highlights of 2014 will be my first LT meetup in Portland and I can't wait.

Well, I've finally succumbed to the 2014 peer pressure and started my thread. Of course, it wouldn't be half as fun around here without your thread to visit.

I just read "84, Charing Cross Road" this year and loved it so I know you will, too.

Hi Mark, just dropping off a star so I can find you again. So far, so good for the Bears...

Wow what a bizarre play. If the Bears had been more aware, they could've had a touchdown.

Well, the Bears are playing shabby again and losing 13-7 at halftime, to the Packers. We really liked Catching Fire. I forgot how dark it started to turn and I remember how dark & gloomy Mockingjay is.

Paul- Neither team is playing very good but the Bears are worse. Let's hope they come in stronger in the 2nd half.

I've had 84, Charing Cross Road waiting on my shelves for a long time. Hm, maybe this will be the year...?

Go Seahawks!!!

Mark, I have been pouring over the calendar and I'm sorry but I don't think I can do Portland this time. I need to empty two storage units so I can stop paying rent on them. And I need to have the POD delivered to the new address. I believe my first day there will be Feb. 1, Saturday. I need to do the storage units either on Saturday or Sunday. I am so sorry. Dang. Darn. and Poop! Crackers! and other more colorful expletives.

Hey Mark! I applaud you for ending the year with such a beloved book! 84, Charing Cross Rd is one you'll not soon forget. BTW: Happy New Year Thread greetings!

Sorry, I was delayed, watching the Bears lose and then I was cleaning up the kitchen, after my wife made an excellent split-pea soup, with hunks of fresh ham. Yum!
Yep, my Bears really fizzled in the homestretch. They were not a playoff team, that's for sure. At least, I can coast through the post-season, without much anxiety.

Paul- At least, it was an exciting game. Bye-bye Bears! See ya next year.

Suz- Thanks for stopping by. Good to know there are sequels to 84, Charing Cross. You know, I need to return to the O'Brian/Aubrey/Maturin novels. I stalled out after the first 4 or 5, but I loved every one I read.

Terri- Big Waves!

Jim- You knew I was going to make it over here. Good to see you posting around.

Kerri- The Sacco graphic, "The Great War" is very good and very short, despite it's size. I was hoping to wrap it up today but have not cracked a book yet. Bad Mark.

Lisa, Beth & Katie- Big hearty waves!

Pat- It will be great to finally meet you. It seems like we've been LT pals for a long time.

Julia- So, you buckled under pressure, huh? LOL. I'll stop by later. It looks like I'll spend the rest of the evening trolling the threads.

Linda- Your Pack came through! Rodgers played well. Actually, the game was pretty exciting and could have gone either way.

Amber- 84, Charing Cross Road is only 80-plus pages. You could probably read it in one sitting.

Karen- Well, I am very sorry to hear that! Sad face. I was hoping to finally meet you and with all this Great Portland Meet-up chatter, I was getting pumped. Is there any chance you could still pull it off?

My Packers will get trounced in the playoffs. They have no defense. It was a good game.

Just picked up Visitation Street on the cheap for my Kindle. It's a mystery special today.

'Twas a good game. Just wasn't meant to be for the Bears, especially that beat-up defense.

I'm here Mark! I'm here! I could not miss starring my first real LT friend could I? I will be following along with all the women (of course they're reading, sure they are;-), the beer and everything else that makes this thread move like a speeding locomotive.

*waving hello madly* Hiya Mark! Needless to say, your thread is starred, my friend.

I'm considering the American Author challenge for 2014. I didn't do great for my 13 challenge for 2013 and I dropped out of my global reading in 2013 but I did keep up with my TIOLIs. 2 out of 3 ain't bad, right? Still .. .I'm nervous about signing up for challenges again because somehow my inner rebel digs in her heels when forced to read books in a certain order. But I am intrigued...and tempted....

It is going to be a cold start to the week, only 14 and we are going to be short-handed too. Let's pray that it will not be as bad as Thanksgiving week. Ugh! Keep sending those warm, positive thoughts.
I read nothing yesterday. Bad Mark, but I will recompense. Looking forward to starting 84, Charing and on audio, The Martian.

Lynda- Thanks! I hope you had a nice weekend.

Linda- Yah, for your Packers. Boo to my Bears. At least I can rest easy in the playoffs. Visitation street was very good and it is a mystery but more of a inner-city character study. I am not sure it will be your cuppa.

Bonnie made it! Bonnie made it! Welcome to the Marky-Mark Express! Buckle your seat-belt my friend.

Caro made it! Caro made it! I created the American Author Challenge to get to authors I've neglected and to get books off the shelf, so if you want to dip in now and then for those reasons, go for it. Love to have you.

84, Charing Cross is one of my absolute favorite books.

If you like it, one day you'll want to watch the movie with Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins. Wait quite a bit after reading the book though as it is almost verbatim to the book.

The new thread is looking good. I'm with Morphy, I read 84, Charing Cross Rd in 2013 and loved it, very funny and sweet.

Waiting to hear Mark's thoughts on 84, Charing Cross Road...

I like the dipping in and out of the AAC, Mark. I might just do that ....and who knows, maybe subconsciously but not officially signing up for the challenge, maybe that'll fool my inner rebel into not realizing I'm doing it. ;-)

Ugh to the temps and being short-handed. I hope you have a giant mug of something hot when you get back to your depot, and thaw out.

Got mah popcorn and a fluffy blanket. So good to see you, Mark!

"...but it seems to me that my experience with this lovely volume reveals an awful lot about what books provide: a way of reaching across time and space to friends and strangers, and to the absent presences that play such a large part in all our lives."

-Anne Bancroft, from the introduction to 84, Charing Cross Road.

As expected, I am loving 84, Charing. If I would have had another 20 or 30 minutes to read, I would have finished it. Why, I took so long to read this gem, and a shorty at that, I have no clue.

Yes, I did see the film many years ago and remember loving it. I enjoyed Bancroft's introduction and I thought it was so cool, that she became such a fan of the book, that her husband, Mel Brooks, snatched up the film rights and Bancroft ended up starring in it, along with Sir Anthony Hopkins. I will have to line it up, for a rewatch.

The Martian is terrific. The ideal audio, for keeping me chugging a long on a bone-chilling day. It's like a mash-up of Apollo 13 and Castaway:

"Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first men to walk on the surface of Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first man to die there."

I thought this is a perfect companion to the film "Gravity", which I just saw last week, about a female astronaut, stranded in space and this one is about a guy, stranded on Mars.

Hi Mark--I realize that Visitation Street is not my usual but, when I heard a description of the book when it first came out, I thought I might like it. Especially at $1.99.

Hope you're battening down your hatches. Just heard about 8-12 inches of snow on NY Eve evening and NY Day.

We were at Timothy O'Toole's in Gurnee this afternoon. Thought of you when I perused the beer list. So many different craft beers. Christmas beers. Breakfast beer. Even a milk beer. I had a soda. Anyway, a great place if we ever want a central location for the Chicago and Milwaukee LTers to meet up.

Morphy & Roberta- ^ I hope you saw my thoughts on 84, Charing. I have only a little over 20 pages left but I know this will be a perfect end to a perfect reading year.

BookDiva- I've been waiting for a Diva to stop by. Your timing is impeccable. Thank you and I hope you drop by again.

Caro- Yes, you have a Rebel Heart, my friend, but I am glad you'll be giving the AAC a shot. Remember, we have to try to clear those shelves.

Tam- Sounds like you are getting quite comfy. Enjoy!

Mark, that is a great quote from "The Martian". Almost makes me want to run right out and read it.

Hi Mark! I am back with you for 2014. You have two of my all-time favorite, favorite books on deck: 84, Charing Cross Road and Death Comes for the Archbishop. Enjoy!

Mark- We finished NOS4A2 yesterday. I was very impressed by Kate Mulgrew. I don't know if I would have enjoyed it as much by just simply reading it on my own. We love Orange is The New Black, btw.

Mark, have you started the American Authors Challenge thread? The first author is Willa Cather, right?

Oops, never mind, I see it now.

Linda- I remember you recommending Timothy O'Toole's before. Sounds like my kind of place.

Yes, I heard about the approaching snow. I wonder if the numbers will be higher up north. I heard 2-4 on the radio, which of course I prefer over your wicked totals.

I am glad you are considering joining us, at least partially, on the AAC.

Julia- Sorry, I don't think that's a quote, from the Martian but a blurb. I liked it though. This is really good stuff. Very smart.

Anne made it! Anne made it! Always good to see you!

Tam- Was NOS4A2 your first Hill? I still have the finale of "Orange" to watch. If I would only get off this computer, during the evenings. LOL.

Ah, I see. Well, it's a great blurb because it made me want to read the book!

Happy New Year's Eve! I am working today and most likely will be a stick in the mud tonight. The wife might go out with friends but I think I will hang at the homestead, watch a movie, drink a couple beers and retire early. Exciting, huh? That's Marky-Mark!

Julia- I might even finish the Martian today. Another winner, to close out the year with. A well-beloved and a little known. Symmetry...

Morning Mark. Hope work isn't too bad.

Happy New Year Mark. Just dropping by to add a star before I continue lurking.

Oh, yes, I saw. But then I expected nothing less than for you to love it! She's so snarky and, yet, warm at heart. Hmm... reminds me of someone... *glances over to RD*

Good morning, Mark! I'm here to drop off my star. You know that I am looking forward to another year of wonderful reading and companionship on fabulous LT. And a February meet-up in Portland! Woo hoo!

I have added 84, Charing Cross Road to my wishlist (and I am now keeping a wishlist on LT rather than on pieces of paper scattered about the house).

I plan to read My Antonia in January, and perhaps The Song of the Lark if I have time. I own both of them -- they are these wonderful cloth-covered (real cloth!) editions that I snagged from my FIL's shelves when he was doing the downsize to an apartment. Really lovely books, these are.

Thank you for shuffling your AAC around a bit; the first round at the brewpub in Portland is on me!

>65 Morphidae: Hey! I resemble that remark!

Mark, found your thread. See that you're 'reading' The Great War by Joe Sacco. J had that one for Christmas - it is very long isn't it? It stretched the whole length of our sitting room and out into the conservatory!

Afternoon, Mark. I got nothing, but I did want to drop in and say hello. Hello.

My Antonia and Song of the Lark - you're going to be one happy reader, Mark. I'm reading her The Professor's House, which someone - maybe Bonnie - enjoyed. You've got me intrigued with The Martian. We liked "Gravity", too.

So far I can recommend the second John Ceepak.

>60 msf59:, yes it was! I want to know what the fuss is about Horns and Heart Shaped Box. . maybe I'll save those for October.

Mark ,Mark, I'm here !

>62 msf59: Sounds to me like the perfect way to bring in the New Year, Mark, except I'll be having hot cocoa instead of beer. I wonder if I'll be able to stand the excitement!

Happy 2014!

Hiya Mark!! Found you and starred you! Looking forward to being hit by tons of your book bullets for another year! :)

Yours is the first 2014 thread I've visited, Mark, and now I've got you starred!

Happy New Year to you and yours!

.

Happy New Year, and Happy New Thread !

Nope.. not me. I have no hope of being caught up here... zero. But off we go into the new year!

May all your wishes come true.

Happy New Year Mark! Hope you have an awesome 2014!

Happy New Year, Mark! Have fun being a "stick in the mud", I'm doing the same. I like it!

Happy New Year, Mark!

...I wonder if he froze to death out there.

Busy thread already, Mark. Happy New Year, and happy reading!

^ Guess, what time it is? Finally made it in, after a long work day, plus it started snowing around 3pm, which made the commute home slow. I am so glad I decided to do nothing tonight. Now, the mission will be to see how late I can stay up. LOL. Once I catch up over here and then visit a few threads, I think I might be ready to meet Mr. Sandman.
Of course, I loved 84, Charing but I also loved the Martian, which was a Major Space Geekfest, with plenty of thrills and white-knuckle suspense. More raves on both of those, forthwith...(Wow, I never used big words like that, pre-LT.)

Abigail- Good to see you again. I'll have to drop by your thread and see what you've been reading. Happy New Year!

Colleen- Thanks for delurking! Happy New Year!

Morphy- I will be on the lookout for the sequels to "84". And I would love to see the film version again.

Ellen- The other good thing about 84 Charing, is it's length. Less than a 100 pages. Yeah, baby! I was considering doing an additional Cather title also, but I am also looking at reading Bleak House, which is a major chunkster. Maybe, I'll squeeze in another, later in the year.

Rhian- I plan on finishing Sacco's "the Great War" tomorrow. And, the good news is, it is not that long, it just looks like it is. LOL. The illustrations fold out accordian-style but the text is brief.

Mamie- I hope you have a lovely NYE in Mamieland!

Since it's a balmy 10 degrees F where I am, I'm sure it's not that much warmer a little further South where Mark is. We're supposed to get up to 2 inches of snow each day for the next few, but it sounds like Chicago will get lots more. I'm sorry to say, but I'm glad it's not me! Mark is probably deep into a book with a beer by his side...

You were monosyllabic pre-LT? I don't believe you. I'm thinking of curling up before midnight tonight too so I'm awake when I'm served New Years brunch tomorrow. I'll toast you with a mimosa.

Hey, it looks like I will not be sitting home alone, on NYE! I have my LT pals! Awwwww....swipes a stray tear.

Joe- I am looking forward to reading more Cather! I think you will love the Martian and I think you should mention it to Jesse too. I will try to bookhorn in the 2nd John Ceepak book.

Tam- I loved Horns. It was my first Hill too. Haven't seen the film version. Not sure I want to. Heart Shaped Box is very good too and they all make excellent audios, FYI.

Cindy made it! Cindy made it! Yahoo! I hope you can stop by again.

Mary- Thank you! Happy New Year to you too. I will toast your cup of cocoa with my pint glass.

Tina- It's going to be tough to top 2013, for book reading but I am going to try like hell. LOL.

Joanne- Yah, I am first and I am honored. Hugs to my pal! You must have a lot of 2014 threads to catch up on. Good luck.

Kath- Happy New Year, my friend. I hope you are surviving the holidays.

Happy New Year, Barbara, Chelle, Pat & Nancy! Hugs to all!

Laura- We are sticks in the mud! How quaint. Happy New Year! I hope you can squeeze in some reading. I doubt I'll be able to. We are supposed to get 4-6 inches of the dreaded white stuff. I am hoping for less.
I would love to try Old Reading Beer!

RD- I did not freeze to death! Yah! You guys would have sent out a St. Bernard with a mini-beer keg, to save me anyway, right?

Happy New Year's Eve Mark!

Happy New Year, Mark!!

The guy on channel 7 is predicting about a foot of snow here. We'll see. I think about 6 inches of snow came down during my Call the Midwife-a-thon. Looks like the new year will start with lots of shoveling.

Wow, Mark, as usual you are the popular guy at the water cooler! I starred you a couple days ago and thought I commented but I guess I didn't after all. You know my brain is like swiss cheese sometimes.

Anyway, happy new year and new thread!

And btw, my little town now has its very own craft brewery. I'll check it out and let you know how it is. Yes I know it's a sacrifice but I'm willing to do that for you. ;)

Linda, was the Call the Midwife Christmas special a new one? I missed it and now it's not coming on again.

Well, so far, I have not turned on the TV, so I doubt there will be any movie watching. It seems like I am glued to LT and can not turn away. Can I get a little help here? Hello?

Katie- Happy New Year! I hope you have a great day tomorrow. We are going to just bum around the house. Maybe start taking down some of the decorations.

Happy New Year, Roberta & Linda! it looks like we will be doing some shoveling tomorrow. Boo!

Kathy- Great to see you and Happy New Year! Let me know about that local brewery.

I think there was a Christmas special at the end of season 1 and a new one this past Sunday. It might be viewable on PBS.com. Not positive though.

My 2014 wish for you! Books to infinity!

To the Postie with the absolute mostie - Happy New Year dear friend. Thanks for all your visits, for all the fun and warmth given out in your thread and for being a pal. Look forward to meeting-up this year.

Linda- It is available on pbs.org, thanks!

Happy New Year Mark! I'm relieved to see I've stepped in before the very end of this thread! Wishing you good cheer, lots of great books and beer in 2014. And whatever else you desire I might have left out. Will come back to catch up. xx

Happy New Year, Mark !!!! I've been away so have no hope of catching up on the last 10 days of 2013, especially on an active thread like yours. So I'm starting fresh with 2014! Looking forward to sharing book thoughts with you.

Yep! 👍

Silly double posts.

Good morning, Mark! So, how much did you get last night? We barely made it home yesterday before the serious snowfall started, and it looks like we have 4-5 more inches this morning. And, great Googly-Moogly, is it cold: -16 windchill out there right now!

I very much like the sound of The Martian; adding it to my wishlist.

Happy New Year, my friends! Are we ready for another awesome reading year? Well, of course we are and the bonus is, sharing it all with each other, with joy, insight and camaraderie. Throws confetti! Picks confetti out of coffee and off key board.

RD- I think that says it all, my friend.

Paul- "Postie with the absolute mostie." My wife would have a fine eye-roll at that one! Thanks, bud and Happy New Year.

Ilana- Happy New Year! I'll have to drop by and see what you are reading.

Laura- This is a fine place to start. Happy New Year!

Did you join me in missing midnight completely?

Happy New Year, Mark! I mean to keep up with you this year. There's a little core group of LTers who always seem to get away from me every winter and I never seem to be able to catch up again. That's not happening this year.

^(Cover of first serial, March 1852)

Okay, I finally posted the Group Read for Bleak house. I apologize for the delay. I am sure there will be new year groans, but come join me and RD for a fun-filled January. I will not be starting this one until the 10th or so. I think I will knock out my Willa Cather first.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/163277#

Barbara- You are beginning to spoil me with your lovely visits. Keep it up and Happy New Year.

Amber- You really wanted to get your message across this morning! LOL. It doesn't look bad out there. Maybe, 3 to 4 inches? This I can gladly handle. It sure beats 6-10. I am not sure how cold it is and I am not going out, to find out.
Have a nice New Year's Day!

Morning Kath- LoL! I made it until 10:45! Woo hoo! That actually surprised me.

Charlotte- Happy New Year! Keeping up with the threads is a major under-taking and it seems to grow more daunting every year. And then you have the real chatty threads, like Paul & RD, which far surpass this humble, little abode.

*SNORK!* Ha! So sorry. I was so irritated when that first one didn't show up for me and had to re-type it, and now I'm even more irritated that apparently I didn't need to retype at all. *sigh*

Okay, this was difficult! Like oral surgery. A biblio- Sophie‘s Choice. I had a stellar reading year. Maybe the best in decades and trying to pare this down to a handful…Yikes! So here goes, before I change my mind again:

My favorite fiction of 2013:

A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie
The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Honorables:
Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

My favorite nonfiction of 2013:

Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar by Cheryl Strayed
Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala
My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor
Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder
Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink

Best Short fiction:

The View From Castle Rock by Alice Munro
Volt: Stories by Alan Heathcock
Nine Inches: Stories by Tom Perrotta
The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie

Best YA:
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness- Yes, it is on here twice for a good reason.

Best Graphic Novel:

My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf- Still gives me the chills.
The Nao of Brown by Glyn Dillon- Thanks for the reminder, Joe!

Great reads Mark! Just passing by as I get caught back up on the threads. *waves*

Good morning, Mark!

So glad My Friend Dahmer made your list. That was a good one, and I thank you for the recommendation!

Part of me really wants to read Bleak House (the bleak part?), but I don't think it's going to happen this year. Good luck!

>105 msf59: Sooner I would die, thank you please.

Ahh I was just about to ask how you got RD to read a Dicken's book but I see now that it was foolery instead! I know it's cold out but I hadn't realized hell had frozen over! ;0

Have a wonderful day Mark!

Happy New Year, Mark! Your 2013 honors list looks pretty darn good. I'm surprised not to see Munro on there somewhere ... :-)

Happy 2014, Mark! Love the "Best of" lists. I loved that Sherman Alexie, too, and A Fine Balance was powerful and sad. You'll have a good time with Bleak House. Perfect title for a lover of dark books, too, although the content really isn't.

An LTer send me the third Carl, Assad and Rose, so I'm going to start with that as soon as I finish the well done second John Ceepak mystery.

Mark - You must have like the Sherman Alexie as you included it twice!

I started reading Little Failure, a memoir by Gary Shteyngart. I have not read any of his novels, although I have Super Sad sitting on the shelf. I am really enjoying it so far. It is both snarky and vivid. Has anyone here read him?
I received this as an E.R. selection and that is why I decided to dip in, before my January reading starts to blast off.

Abigail- What is more impressive about my best of list, is what I had to leave off. Wow!

Kerri- My Friend Dahmer made an indelible mark and I had to include it somewhere on that list. Have you made up your mind on bleak House? Hmmmmmmm?

RD- We do not want you to die, old friend! So, steer clear of Chuckles.

Chelle- " I hadn't realized hell had frozen over." LOL. I bet that was close. I do not think any convincing or bribe money would work for RD.

Julia- I appreciate your sharp observation and included Ms. Munro! Hugs! It, so belongs on there.

Joe- I love scanning through my books for the year and titles just keeping popping out and the Alexie was one of them. Wow! Same thing happened with the Strayed. Can't wait to hear your thoughts on the 3rd Dept Q book, (you will love it!) and I am going to line up the 2nd Ceepak book, for sometime this month.

Paul- The Alexie needed to go in both places. It had that kind of impact.

I might get started on The Song of the Lark today to knock out this month's AAC. I think it might go very well with the lamb stew I have in the slow cooker for dinner tonight. :-)

Afternoon, Mark! Just checking in over here. I like your Best of 2013 list - it is so hard to pick and choose, isn't it?

Ha, I knew it! Hugs back at ya, friend.

Hi Mark! Happy New Year!

I've read some Shteyngart... he's a love it or hate kind of writer. I think if you understand his style/where he's coming from, you'll like it. I'm well enough versed in his genre that I "get" it, and while he's not my favorite I can enjoy his books.

Happy New Year, Mark. The year has just begun and I'm already far behind. The world needs plodders, too! Sounds like a good thread title. Ha!

Mark, I've read only one book by Gary Shteyngart--Absurdistan. It was one of the NYT 10 best books of the year in 2007 or 2008. I rated it 1 1/2 stars. I've never read anything else by him.

My son and I just came in from shoveling. Ugh! It's only about 3-4 inches, deeper in some places and a light snow but we have a BIG driveway! I thought the snow-blower would be more of a hassle. At least, it's done, although light snow is still coming down. Time for a cold one...ahhhhh!

Caro- Lamb stew and Willa Cather? Sounds like a perfect mix. I'll start Death Comes for the Archbishop next week.

Mamie- I am still feeling guilty about my Best of the Year list. So many were left off. Poor little fellas.

Julia- LT pals, take care of LT pals. That is how we roll!

Tam- Big loving waves!

Kathy- Thanks for chiming in on Shteyngart. He does seem polarizing and I haven't seen his name mentioned much around these parts.

Donna- Happy New Year! Nothing wrong with a sweet plodder! It helps balance things out in the world.

Pat- Not a big fan of Shteyngart, eh? LOL. If I read something and gave it 1 1/2, I do not think I would be returning for additional abuse.

#116 - Have you made up your mind on bleak House? Hmmmmmmm? Yes. The answer is no, but one of these days... I haven't read Dickens since I was in junior high, I think, so I'm probably due.

Happy New Year Mark! Love your favorites, a few of which are my favorites too. As a matter of fact my present read, which is hitting it out of the park, is one of your favorites: Five Days at Memorial. Yikes! I'll go out on a limb and say that you will love Bleak House just as much as I did:-)

Hi Mark, Happy New Year!!

Still watching those Call the Midwife episodes but shoveling too. We're now up over a foot of snow and it's still coming down.

We've (Debbi the Amazon and I have) been out five times today shoveling snow, Mark. We decided we're done until tomorrow. Supposedly more is coming!

I'm with Bonnie on Bleak House. You'll love it.

We watched "Prisoners" with Hugh Jackman. It's a good creepy thriller but way to long. What happened to the days when films were 90-100 minutes? I miss those days. Sniffles a little...

Kerri- I am going to try to read a Dickens a year. While reading his great biography last year, this book really jumped out and I do not see it talked about as much as his other classics.

Bonnie- Glad you are enjoying Five Days. She's a smart writer. Looking forward to Bleak house.

Linda- I love it when you binge on TV shows! We were hoping to get caught up on a couple today and the day slipped away. Sorry, to hear about the snow. we might end up with 5 inches or so.

Joe- Sounds like you guys are going to sleep good tonight. We only went out once and there is another 2 inches back out there. Looks like I'll be trudging through snow tomorrow. Ugh! Looking forward to Bleak house. Plan on starting it next week.

>83 msf59: etc...I cannot believe that (a) I have not read 84, Charing Cross Road and the (b) this is my first visit to your thread, Mark! Can either of these things be true!?
Tsk tsk on both accounts, really.

Your best of list for last year has me drooling with several probables there for my reading year. *excited*

Love your favorites list, Mark!! Hope you had a great day today!

Clearly, I need to get my hands on a copy of A Constellation of Vital Phenomena. It has made several "best of 2013" lists around here.

Hi Mark! I hope it's not too terribly cold as you head back out there after the new year's day off!

You know that your AAC is going to be the centerpiece of our new year, right?

Not So Sweet Thursday! It's been snowing since Tuesday afternoon and will continue. Ugh! Wish me luck, trudging across the tundra. Let's hope my books keep me, distracted and moving forward.
I LOVE T.C. Boyle but sadly, I have not read him in several years. Bad Mark. I will remedy that, because I am starting The Tortilla Curtain on audio. I've also have a print copy, languishing on shelf, but I can't seem to get to it in that format. I've not listened to him before.
Any Boyle fans out there? I don't see him mentioned around here, very often.

Megan- First you have not read "84"? And then this is your first visit to my humble abode? What is the world coming to? Eh? Well, I am shrugging it off and giving my pal from NZ a big hug.

Tina- Yes, I had a great year of reading and see no reason why this one shouldn't be the same.

Ellen- Yes, try to track down a Constellation. And yes, the AAC, really took off, well beyond my expectations. I am already considering a global author read in 2015. LOL.

You know, I would like to do a best books for 2013... but it was not a great reading year for me for a long list of reasons. I might have a go at it though. I have been quite lackadaisical about even keeping track of my reads for the year, and know that I left out a kindle read or five.. whatever. None of them would have made the list anyway.

Stay warm out there... and take a snow blower..

Mark, I can strongly recommend The Wild Child by T. C. Boyle. It's a fantastic story.

Chilly and snowy greetings, Mark! Happy New Year to you and yours, my friend. Stay warm and dry and enjoy the thermos I discreetly cyberdelivered to your mailbag.

Mark, I've read "Tortilla Curtain" and mostly liked it pretty well. It helps if you are unfazed by coincidences as big as woolly mammoths. :-)

Stay warm, stay dry, and stay safe out on your rounds today, friend.

Hi Mark! Be careful out there today - what a mess! My office is closed today.

I think Ms. Beth is a T.C. Boyle fan. I've never read him.

Shoveled again this a.m., Mark, and I bet it's all covered up again. After trudging across the Arctic to and from the train, I feel like I've had a full day before doing any work. Hope it's not too bad out there for you - I suspect it's going to be a challenging day, both driving and perambulating.

I started A Conspiracy of Faith, and I'm already sucked in. Rose is a hoot.

Mark, hope people shoveled so that you could get to their mailboxes. Also hope you're thawing out. Stay warm, my friend.

Well, that was a tough one. Especially the first half, when it was still snowing and NO ONE had shoveled yet. With the drifting, it was a good 15 inches in spots. After I had lunch, it stopped snowing and people were out in force, shoveling away. Bless their hearts! Early to bed tonight, that's for sure!
I am really enjoying the Tortilla Curtain. A nice reminder, why I like Boyle so much. You can't beat that straight-forward, no nonsense prose. I am also enjoying Little Failure. It's not always a smooth read but it is quite a family tale.

Kath- I wish I could have rigged up a snow-blower to take along. Earlier today, I took a look at some of those houses, with snow all the way to the front door, stairs included and just groaned.

Ameise- I've had the Wild Child on my WL for a couple years now. What other Boyle books have you read? My favorite remains Drop City.

Lynda- Thanks for sneaking that thermos in there. It sure helped. Could you do it again on Monday. It is supposed to be -6 for a high. WTH?

Julia- I am not bothered by the "big" coincidences in the Tortilla Curtain. At least not yet. Many books & films use that device, for dramatic effect and as long as it doesn't get silly, it doesn't bother me.
How many other Boyle books have you read?

Kerri- I hoped you enjoyed your snow day. Yes, I am jealous, but still happy for you. Try to track down Drop City. That is Boyle's masterwork.

Joe- It was a messy commute in this A.M., although I didn't have it to bad. It took Bree 2 hours to get to work, because of accidents and drifts.
I knew you would love A Conspiracy of Faith! This is such a terrific series. I think Roberta mentioned that the 4th book will be getting it's US release later this month.

Linda- I gave folks a pass today, about not shoveling. It couldn't be helped. Tomorrow, it will be another story. Might be skipping a few. I wish I was on vacation next week. Did you see those temps? OMG!

Hi Mark! I am going to do my very best to keep up with your thread this year. You've already hit me with one book bullet for The Martian which sounds fantastic!

I am looking forward to participating in the AAC....I will be reading Death Comes For The Archbishop this month.

I hope tomorrow is a bit better for you weather wise. This winter has been a brute already.

Very late in finding your 2014 thread over here, Mark.... and I can't even claim that I was hampered by a snow drift or deal with winter storm traffic to get here! *hangs head in shame*

Here is hoping your Friday is a good one and that a relaxing weekend awaits you!

Hi Mark, glad you're enjoying The Tortilla Curtain. That was my first Boyle and I loved it. I bought Drop City based on LT recommendations but haven't gotten to it yet. Hope you sleep well tonight. That sounds like too much snow to deal with.

Ah, Chicago snowstorms! I remember them well. Which is why I am not back living there. LOL Denver is bad enough! (Actually, it's disconcerting to have it snowing with the sun shining, which I'm told is a regular occurrence here.)

Hmmm, I love Boyle but had mixed reactions to The Tortilla Curtain. Totally mixed. I read it over a year ago and I'm still not sure what I think. I'd love to talk to you about it after you're finished.

& I read The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. Totally agree with you there, it belongs in both places. Have you seen Alexie's movie sort of based on that, Smoke Signals? If not, it would be worth renting it.

Terribly behind, but Happy New Year, Mark! I'm now caught up with you, at least, so carry on!

Happy new year, Mark.

I've been a fan of Books on the Nightstand since the beginning. I'm considering attending Booktopia Asheville, a short drive for me. Katie Krug says you have been to previous booktopias. Have you found them worthwhile? Worth the cost? I would value your opinion. Thanks.

June

Mark, sorry but The Wild Child is the only one I've read but it's worth to read it.

It looks like another rough one for you. Good luck!

Happy Friday, for the lucky ones. It will be cold today, (-10 right now) but no snow. Lots of extra walking, though. Glad I have my distractions.

Heidi- I need to do much better with my mini-reviews but I have to write up one on the Martian. Word needs to get out! I hope to start Death Comes For The Archbishop by the middle of next week.

Lori- No worries! Trying to catch up on the threads, especially these past 2 weeks is like a dog chasing it's tail. Whew! Good to see you and Happy New Year!

Pat- Glad to hear you loved the Tortilla Curtain. I am enjoying it too, although he doesn't sugar-coat anything. Try to slot in Drop city. It is incredible.

Mary- I lived in Colorado for a year and sure you could get 2 feet of snow but then it could be 60 degrees the next day. I loved it there.

Katie- I am really enjoying The Tortilla Curtain. It seems to be a bit social commentary and he delivers it with a heavy-hand, but I don't mind. Hypocrites & immigrants. We can talk more, when I finish...

Katie 2- The 75ers have been awful chatty, lately, haven't they? Have a great weekend.

June- Happy New Year! You might have to be my next BFF, after seeing your best of lists, from the past few years. Impressive! Anything that includes The Sparrow & Cloud Atlas raises your status immediately. LOL.
Yes, Booktopia is worth attending! At the last one I got to meet MDR, do I need to say more? Remember registration, is next Thursday and these spots go QUICK!

Barbara- I will be try to read at least one other Boyle this year. Try to track down Drop City!

Kath- I hope this Arctic blast, isn't coming your way! It will be the coldest temps in 5 years, starting Monday. Mommy!!

Good morning, Mark. Stay warm out there! It looks like I've read six books by T.C. Boyle beginning with TTC in 1998. The last one I read is East is East two years ago. I own several others that I need to get to. You might say I'm a fan. ;-)

Thank goodness the snow stopped, right? I've got an embarrassment of riches right now with all the books on the dining room table (somehow happens every holiday season), but I'm still excited to hear that the 4th Carl/Assad/Rose is coming out. I'm a little past halfway in the third, and they're closing in on you-know-who.

Hope you're setting up for a great weekend, my friend.

Ooof! I just saw the weather forecast for Chicago (I have a sister living on the west side). Below zero and don't even want to think about how cold with the wind chill factor! I apologize in advance for this, but it's warm enough today here to have sat out on the back patio for a half hour in my tee and light sweatpants and bare feet, getting some sun. Of course, I think the forecast is for snow by tomorrow. *eyeroll*

Hope you managed to stay warm and dry today! We are in a blizzard so I'm refusing to leave the house!

Trying to find something to read. Do you ever feel like all the TBR books on your shelf are uninteresting? I'm in a funk but hoping to find something here that interests me enough to snap the funk.

Mark - I hope you're wrapped up all warm and well lined boots and extra socks on today. I've not read any Boyle yet. What am I missing?

Ooh, Tortilla Curtain looks good. I might be adding that to this year's list.

Help!! Somehow on my home page I must have deleted the talk threads that I had starred. I tried to figure out how to put them back on my home page dashboard and it says in the help section that you can go to "customize your page" which is supposed to be located beside your name at the top right of the home page. There is nothing there! So please if someone can help that would be wonderful. I know Mark on your thread you have so many talented Lters!
thanks

Never mind….I figured it out (after grueling hours!)

"I am already considering a global author read in 2015."

I'm in!

I have a few works by T.C. Boyle sitting on the TBR shelves. I just haven't gotten around to reading them yet.

I hope you survived the cold today. Check in and let us know you're head is above the snow drifts, okay?

Yes, I survived. I worked late again and we had a late dinner. Getting people to come to work is still a problem and it got my blood-boiling this morning. The same ass-wipe that called in during Hell Week, (during Thanksgiving) has not been seen since last Saturday and then another guy called in sick today (and probably tomorrow) and that is on top of several people being on vacation. And of course, the crappy weather doesn't make any of this easier. At least we did not get snow but the winds really picked up this afternoon and it got COLD!

Deep breath, deep breath....swig of beer...repeat...

Donna- I forgot you were a Boyle fan. I really want to get to the Women, which has been on my To-Read list since it came out. I like the Tortilla Curtain but it is the most heavy-handed of the books I have read. How was East is East?

Joe- I think most of us have a mountain of books, looming over us. I can't believe my January is already booked solid. Unfortunately, I have a one day weekend to look forward to but I plan on making the best of it.

Mary- I do not even want to think about next week. OMG! The Chicago school system is deciding whether to close school for Monday, due to sub-zero weather. I think we should cancel mail delivery too but I doubt that will happen. My day off is Wednesday, just when it starts to warm back up a little. Sad face.

Chelle- "Do you ever feel like all the TBR books on your shelf are uninteresting?" Honestly, that is extremely rare for me. I have such a variety on both audio and print, I can always find something to slip into. I am very lucky. Boo to book funks! For some people, revisiting a favorite, can sometimes snap it.
It looks like you guys are really getting hit this winter. Good luck.

Sorry to hear about your miserable day. I'm actually wearing a hat and gloves, something I rarely ever do.

Just heard...50 below wind chill on Monday morning. I already had planned for that day off (to celebrate Mom Panzo's 77th birthday) and I'm glad. I may not go anywhere from Sat night til Wed morning. We just rescheduled my poor niece's 13th birthday get together (which was supposed to be on New Year's Day) from Sun afternoon to Sat afternoon.

Nice time to stay home and get some reading in!!

Caro- The good thing about Boyle is, he has a terrific range. There should always be something in his catalog to interest you. I highly recommend Drop City which remains my favorite.
It looks the Boston are is getting bombarded again. I hope you didn't get hit to hard.

Tam- Have you read Boyle?

Mdoris- I am glad you figured it out. That can be frustrating. Happy New Year, by the way!

Ellen- Boyle has an effective prose style and he goes in so many directions. I think you will like him. So, the Around the World Challenge is already taking shape? LOL. See, I found a title and everything?

*scroll scroll*
Yikes on all that snow! It must make your work that much harder. If I was in a house that needed shovelling for the postie- I would get up early to ensure it was done in time.

*scroll scroll*
my Blue-Blockers are on the blink again, as I noticed the book The Tortilla Curtain on my journey and it has reminded me that I need to read it, but my tbr pile has been shaved down to a tbr list, and the book is not on it!

*scroll scroll*
...The same ass-wipe that called in during Hell Week...
So, is "ass-wipe" really a term that people there use? Here it would be a jokey American reference, I find it hilarious!

>165 LovingLit:: "It's pronounced, 'azwEEpay.'" Sorry, couldn't resist.

Mark: I've been thinking about you all day with these ridonkulous temperatures, and honestly even worrying about you and all the other folks who make their living mostly in the outdoors, especially this coming Monday. Hoping you find some way to keep warm and stay safe! I'd be happy to skip a day or so of getting mail, but I suspect that you're right about them not letting you off...

Yeah it's cold here too Mark...this morning it was -7 on our thermometer. Brrrrrr. And Monday will be even worse with howling winds to boot. Fortunately, in my unemployed status, I can stay home and curl up with a nice hot cuppa and a good book. Just finished my first 5 star read of the year---Five Days at Memorial. NNF is gradually making its way towards being my favorite genre.

Megan- Thanks for scrolling through! I am sure you would take very good care of your "postie". Actually, my customers did a pretty good job shoveling, especially by the time I started today. I would say nearly 90% had it cleared. They like me, I guess.
Have you read Boyle? He seems to be your kind of author.
And yes, ass-wipe is a term we use but one I normally reserve for serious cases.

Amber- LOL. That sounds much more sophisticated. French, right?

I will spend Sunday, trying to get in the right frame of mind for Monday. I will be taking a lot of warm up breaks in the vehicle, that's for sure.

Bonnie- I think a lot of us are going to be hit with this arctic blast! Ugh! I heard 20 to 30 below in upper Minnesota. WTH?

I am so glad you loved Five Days. You know I love my NNF too, although 2013 wasn't as strong as 2012, in that department. Curious to see what will come out this year.

Mark - Nice to see you are just about staying warm mate.
I'm about to start My Antonia this morning and will drink a hot toddy in your honour if it goes down as well as I am guessing it will.

Have a great weekend, mate.

Happy New Year, Mark! Sorry my wishes are a bit late, but better late than never. :)

Looking forward to your 2014 reading!

^DA, (Downton Abbey) starts Sunday night. Check those DVRs. I had mixed feelings about the 3rd season but liked it enough to continue. I hope it delivers. Okay, who will die, this time? The Death Watch begins....

**It looks like Call the Midwife has also started. Have not watched the first episode....yet.

Ah, it's that time of the year when I have to avoid Mark's thread on Mondays until I have a chance to watch the online stream of "Downton Abbey" in the evening. Can't wait! :-)

Happy Saturday! It will hit nearly 30 today, which should feel comfortable, but then tomorrow the bottom drops out. Tear runs down cheek...

I should finish The Tortilla Curtain and I will continue Little Failure, which has been very enjoyable. A unique and funny memoir.

Paul- Enjoy My Antonia. Is this your first Cather? Have a great weekend.

Tania- It's never to late, my friend. Happy New Year. Let's have another stellar reading year. Hugs!

Mark, you have been on my mind. I'm so sorry about the ones who call in. That type..well, I bet they don't read books!

>168 msf59:: It's a quote from a Steve Martin movie (or SNL skit?), but I can't remember exactly which...

>171 msf59:: It looks like Call the Midwife has also started. Mark, I think it was just a Christmas episode (which I have waiting on the DVR ... hey maybe we should watch it tonight ... ). The new series starts ... checking ... March 30.

Happy New Year, Mark, a bit late. Thanks for the DA announcement--I wasn't paying attention to that at all. Actually my family still has to catch up on a few episodes of season 3 so it may require TiVo.
I hope to pick up Death Comes for the Archbishop just as soon as I finish my current book. Keep warm!

Awe Mark, You've gone and done it again! I was trying my hardest to avoid the talk of curtins and boyles and the like but I had to click on the blue letters and they got me good. It's a subject I find fairly interesting so now it's on my wishlist. Once again the mailman delivers!

Whew Mark your thread's hopping! I'm all caught up now though.

Morning, Mark! Enjoy today before "the bottom drops out"! Yikes.

I still have not watched DA... I have the first two seasons on DVD (Amazon offered up the set for $15 at one point), and I KNOW I will love it, so what's my problem?

So with the Bears out, is there a team you're rooting for in the playoffs?

Morning Mark! I have not read any Boyle but The Women had been in mount tbr for a while.

ETA: I also see he has a book called The Road to Wellville, about Kellogg. Wow! Adding. .

And Sherlock comes back soon, too!! *happy sigh*

"I am already considering a global author read in 2015."

I'm in, too!

It's going to be -30F STANDING AIR TEMP here in Minneapolis on Monday morning. That is just all sorts of wrong. Looks like it will be a record breaker.

Our mail delivery person is in a truck. So she'll be okay, thankfully. I feel back for you though Mark. How will you not get frostbite?!

No Mark I read O! Pioneers a fair few years ago so I'm quietly confident I'll love it.

Me, too - in for the global author read. So there.

Morning, Mark! I am still waiting for my Willa Cather book, and wondering just how long a book can be "in transit". Are they toying with me? I did download Song of the Lark just in case - available for free on Kindle. SO now I have a backup book.

Mark, I keep forgetting that DA starts the 4th season here tomorrow so thanks for the reminder. It always seems that it's such a long wait in between seasons that I find it hard to believe it's actually time. I was reading something yesterday that said there will definitely be a Season 5.

>173 msf59: eek, I am so behind that I didn't even know you had started The Tortilla Curtain! Ack- and I would have considered bookhorning that one in to read with you too, Mark. Not that I can get through many pages these last few weeks. Kids...awake...half the night time...sore eyeballs....you remember the days?

I haven't read any Boyle, hadn't even heard of him and chose my edition of The Tortilla Curtain based on its cool cover.

How can I be 130 posts behind already?!

Mark, can you believe this weather??!!?? Oy vey!

Hi Mark - It's impossible to keep up with you.

Good luck with this horrible weather. Our governor just called off school in the whole state on Monday.

I am a T. C. Boyle fan. I haven't read Drop City, but on your recommendation, I will move it to the top of the pile. I loved Tortilla Curtain and, maybe a little more, When the Killing's Done. Well, off to look for my copy of Drop City.

And, your off to a good start! 191 posts and we are a few days into the new year.

I'm marking my star


and will be back often. Happy year of reading Mark!

I watched the special episode of Call the Midwife last Sunday and it was quite good. The series will start after DA is finished and then Bletchley Circle will begin after Midwife is done. It's all good:-)

Wowza Mark, I can't believe how cold your weather is right now. We are finally inching up on the thermometer....and the forecast is calling for a high of 40 degrees F on Monday here. Of course its right back down in the subzero temps by Tuesday but hey, I will take any respite at this point!

Hope you get some rest and relaxation tomorrow!

I'm feeling so sorry for you Mark. It's supposed to be a high of 25 here and low of 7 -- in "Hotlanta" on Monday. How cold are you going to be???? :( Can't they skip mail when it's that miserable outside?

Stay warm out there Mark!

"Deep breath, deep breath....swig of beer...repeat..."
Well, at least I see that you have good coping skills!

Sunday is, I am certain, a day off for you. You deserve it, Mark. I hope you enjoy it and get some good reading time.

Belated Happy New Year, Mark. I got home today and now I am madly trying to catch up with everyone. Looking forward to this year and all the book bullets you will be issuing.

Wow, you are really getting some frigid weather right now, so I will add my "Stay Warm and Be Careful"s to everyone elses.

I am looking forward to sampling some of the American Authors you have chosen for this year, starting with Willa Cather, I chose to read One of Ours and should be starting it sometime next week.

Brrr! Hope you all rug up warm. My sister is skiing in Colorado at the moment (she's also taken mum along as a babysitter, so my primary book buddy is gone for my summer holidays, wah!), so I'm sure she's getting good snow. Just trying to look on the bright side. :)

Hot and muggy in Sydney. Gah, hate the humidity.

Morning! Yes, I am alive and kicking. I am not stuck in a snow drift, with my boots waving in the air. I worked til nearly 5, yesterday and then raced home to get ready to go out to dinner with friends. The roads were bad and we nearly got clipped by a vehicle spinning out, next to us.
We are bracing for some BAD weather. 6-12 inches of snow, (which is coming down right now in big merciless flakes) followed by wicked temps. Tomorrow might be the coldest day I have ever worked. -6 for a high, with dangerous wind chills. MOMMY!!

Hypocrites and immigrants! Oh, my! I did finish the Tortilla Curtain. I was just a tad disappointed. Boyle delivered this one with a ham in each fist and he pummeled his message across on nearly every page. He is a fine writer but some subtlety would have helped balanced things.
BTW- He narrated the audio himself and did a terrific job. I did not realize it was him until I was finished. That is impressive.

My Sunday plan: coffee, LT time, coffee, laundry, books, shoveling, books, DA and mentally preparing myself for tomorrow, which will be my biggest task.

Mark I find it incredible that you are still working in those conditions! Coming from a country which tends to shut down all non-emergency services if the snow is deeper than an inch it just seems amazing. Wrap up warm!

^Okay, starting way back up there...

Kath- A couple people put in for vacation next week, (I should have too!) but I'll refuse to do anything extra for the next couple of days. Safety first, right? And getting through my own route will be a big enough chore.

Amber- I don't remember the skit but still found it funny.

Laura- Thanks for the clarification of CTM. Glad to see I have a couple of months to catch up on some other shows.

Anne- Good to see you! Yes, make sure your DVR is set, to record the new season, although you might need some time off, after the season 3 finale.

Lynda- the Tortilla Curtain may be my least favorite but I still recommend it and highly recommend that you read something by Boyle. Yes, occasionally the postman does deliver.

Abigail- Big waves from the Arctic Midwest!

Katie- When you find some quiet time, try to slowly get caught up on DA. It has it's ups & downs but well worth watching. No real favorites in the playoffs. I do like the Seahawks. Might be the best team in the league.

Tam- The Road to Wellville has been on my To-Read list too, along with The Women. He does recent historical fiction very well. I also really loved the Inner circle, about Alfred Kinsey.
And yes, this weather is ridiculous!

RD- For some reason, "Sherlock" doesn't click with me. I love the leads but it gets to "busy" for me. I like quiet & smart.

Morphy- Glad to see interest in the Around the World Author Challenge 2015, building already. We sure get ahead of ourselves, don't we? LOL. Good luck in Minnesota, the next few days. Stay warm & snug.

Good morning, Mark! Glad to hear you're ok. It's crazy out there, and I'm very happy I don't have to leave the house today!

That's cool that T.C. Boyle was successfull at reading his own book. I know that doesn't always work so well.

Finally, trying to process the fact that "Pickaroo T.V. Critic Mark" is still watching Downton Abbey after the complete mess that was last season. In fact, I think my head just exploded. :-)

Paul- Cather seems to be the perfect author to kick off the month with. I hope to start my pick, early next week, if I am not frozen stiff.

Morning Mamie- ^ See my comment to Morphy about the Global Author Challenge. You don't have any other Cather title, to fall back on, eh? If not, I hope it comes in soon.
Go Colts! What a comeback!

Pat- I haven't heard much about season 4, other than it was well-received. They seem to keep a better lid on it. I did have problems with season 3, but I will watch a few episodes and see if it's worth continuing.

Megan- Boyle is big on social commentary, so I think you would like him. I think he just slammed it a bit to hard in this one. Sorry about the kids and the sore eyeballs. I hope that is getting better.

Lisa- Yes, this place has a mind of it's own, sometimes, even without me. LOL.

Beth- Good luck up there, the next couple of days. Yikes! The Chicago schools will be open but they are leaving it up to the parents to decide. I am sure the suburban schools will all be deciding too.
I am not familiar with When the Killing's Done, so I will add that one and please find a copy of Drop City. I think that's his masterwork.

Linda- Always good to see you, my friend. Thanks for the lovely star!

Bonnie- Thanks for the CTM info. We are going to try and watch the special before DA starts tonight. I am glad to hear The Bletchley Circle is returning. We really liked that 1st season.

Heidi- We had our warm day yesterday. It was about 30, but we won't see that again for awhile. Ugh! I hope you guys survive the next Arctic blast. Enjoy your Sunday!

Tina- I can not believe how cold it's getting in Atlanta. Wow! It has got to be especially tough for folks not used to it. I do not think they will cancel mail delivery for the COLD, although I completely support that idea.

Joanne- Thanks, my friend. I will do my best. This will be a true test for this old carrier.

Ellen- I am going to need my coping skills the next few days, that's for sure. LOL. I am going to try and squeeze in plenty of R & R today.

Judy- Happy New Year! I know it can be pretty daunting to try and catch up on the threads, after being a way for awhile. Good luck. I am not familiar with that Cather title. She was very prolific.

Tania- "Hot and muggy in Sydney." Poor, poor thing! LOL. I could use just a touch of that now. I hope your sister is having a fine time in Colorado. She should have plenty of snow to ski in. Keep cool!

Rhian- It looks beautiful out there right now, with the snow falling and beginning to pile up but looks can be deceiving. I hope you had a great weekend.

#203 - Don't skip Kerri! "Hs!"

Happy Sunday Mark!

Morning Kerri- Did not forget you, my friend. It took me quite awhile to catch up over here and then I got distracted doing a few other things.
You "outed" me on DA, Kranky Kerri! LOL. Yes, last season wore my patience thin and I did consider giving up, but the wife and daughter want to continue to watch it, so I'll give it a few episodes and see. Are you done with it?

Roberta- Thanks! Hope you have a fine Sunday too. Are you working?

#207 - Yeah, I think I'm done, but if I hear it's not a complete disaster this season, I may go back and watch it. Not sure yet.

We're heading out to Cambridge this afternoon for brunch with some friends so I am assured of a visit to the Harvard Book Store .. I'll keep an eye out for TC Boyle and your recommendation of Drop City, Mark.

At 25F, it's starting to feel almost tropical today, after the last few days of arctic weather. It's supposed to even hit the 40s tomorrow. Talk about wide swings.

I hope you'll be able to stay warm enough while your working, Mark. Arctic weather doesn't sound good.

Hi Mark, are you still getting socked by cold and snow? We've had snow for the past two days here.
I didn't realize there would be a GR of Bleak House. It is the first and only book I downloaded onto the iPad, after I hurt my wrist trying to hold the gargantuan hardbound copy I borrowed from the library a couple of years ago. Maybe I'll drop in.

Happy Sunday, Mark! I think we had pretty identical reactions to "The Tortilla Curtain". I saw you recommended "Drop City" upthread to someone else, so I think I'll try that for my next Boyle. I will be thinking of you tomorrow and hope you stay safe and warm, my friend!

I hope you have a lovely Sunday, Mark. :) Stay warm!

Okay, mid-day check in! Trying to get a few things done around here. Pulled the snowblower out of the shed and have it lined up and ready to go. Since it's still snowing and blowing, I'll wait a couple more hours before starting. I did shovel a path to the backyard for the dogs. Our little guy, (or little shit, depending on my mood) is up to his neck out there. I have slotted in a little reading too and after my allotted LT time, (15-20) minutes, I'll get back to it.

Kerri- I guess, I am being a bit more tolerant of DA, because of my wife and daughter, but if it dumps early, I'm outta here.

Caro- We had our balmy day yesterday and I doubt we will see another one for awhile. Boo hoo. And if you find a copy of Drop City at the bookstore today, snatch up that baby!

Diana- Last winter, we did not get our first inch of snow until late January. We are probably over 20 already. Crazy!

Anne- I think much of the country is getting socked, so we are not alone. Single digits in Atlanta? Really? I hope you can slot in Bleak House, especially since you have it on ebook. I'll start my copy later next week. Remember to stop by the correct G.R. I abandoned mine, due to the fact that there was already one going.

Julia- Drop City! Drop City! Of course I felt sorry for the Mexican couple in "Tortilla" but did we have to see them abused relentlessly for 300 pages? And the yuppies being selfish arseholes for that same length? I didn't.

Tam- Most of the day will be spent inside, warm & snug. I hope you are having a good one too!

Hi Mark, stay warm and dry. We really lucked out on this snowstorm. Only two or three inches and it stopped by 9 am so we could shovel before it got too cold.

Now I'm under a throw with football on and a mystery for the commercials/halftime show.

Hi!

I am writing from a Starbucks in Hopkinsville, KY. I found that I had missed a whole bunch of threads and so just went to this one and will start anew with you. I hope I didn't miss anything important.

I survived Christmas (all that snow and -8 degrees) and now I have friends calling from Alabama warning me that it is going to be cold when I get back. "All the way down to 20." When I asked if that was -20 they didn't get the joke. I try to charitable and realize that for them 20 is cold, but it is darn hard when my nephew is finding it hard to drive electric fence posts into the ground with a post driver, and insulated Carharts are not a fashion statement but a necessity.

The Fed Ex and UPS debacle made people in Munden, KS laugh. We have never had overnight delivery, the fastest is 2 day, and the guys at coffee had great fun making fun of those who EXPECTED delivery in two days at Christmas time.

I don't now if I posted to you my saga of driving home, but in Manhattan, KS you get a free newspaper when you pay $90.00 for a night in a hotel room. When I asked if the hot water was also free the desk clerk didn't get that joke either.

I did not have a great reading vacation but did manage to finish un Lun Dun and think it was an average book. The literary puns were great fun but the book was too long, ponderous, and heavy handed. Right now I am reading a couple of biographies and started listening to Saving Fish From Downing in the car. I haven't read Amy Tan and I know that this one did not get great reviews but so far I am liking it.

I finished listening to Blind Willow Sleeping Woman a collection of short stories by Haruki Murakami. I did not like this collection as much as I did After the Quake but it is full of weird and off-beat stories. I liked the female narrator better than the male and I wonder if it was a coincidence that the stories I liked were those read by the woman? If you can find that collection on audio I would be interested to hear what you have to say about it.

Time to leave and move on to Alabama. Hope to get there to see THE EPISODE.

Mark I am thrilled that you are listening to the audio of Hounded! This is currently one of my favorites. Luke Daniels does an excellent job narrating. Mamzel hit me with this book bullet last year and I inhaled this series. I am turning into Mark recommending it and the Department Q!

My 2014 Challenge is an homage to the Iron Druid. Stop by for a visit. http://www.librarything.com/topic/160701#4452614

^Wow, was I overdue! And this is somewhat chaste.



^This is a bit more showy but she does make me a little nervous.

Okay. NOW it is a Mark thread. I was starting to get worried about you.

Hi, Mark. The temp is starting to drop out there. I'm with Rhian; I can't believe you've got to be out there tomorrow. I'm cringing just thinking about a commute. Debbi is on me not to try it.

I didn't like The Road to Wellville much, but you might like it more than I did. It was recommended to me by someone who gave it high marks.

I wasn't sure whether you already had this poster up, but figured it couldn't hurt in these chilly times.

Well, the driveway is cleared. My son and I make a good team. It took over an hour. The snowfall is diminishing but now the wind is picking up. Fingers crossed that we don't have drifts across the driveway in the A.M. I don't want to shovel in -20 weather.

Roberta- You are starting to spread the biblio-joy, my friend. Nice feeling, right? I will start Hounded tomorrow and hope it keeps me perfectly distracted. Thanks for the link. I will stop by.

Mamie- I did not realize how delinquent I was with naughty librarians, I am glad I remedied that oversight.

Joe- OMG, it's getting cold and that nasty wind is picking up too. Do you have to work tomorrow? Thanks for the poster. That is one of my favorites.

^We watched the Call the Midwife Christmas Special. It was very good. Heart-warming as usual. It was nice to see a little more of Trixie. She usually doesn't get a lot to do on this show.

DA starts in a few. It's a 2 hour premiere, so I won't be finishing it. I need to get plenty of rest for tomorrow. Shudders...

>200 msf59: Boyle delivered this one with a ham in each fist and he pummeled his message across on nearly every page.
What a fantastic description!

>200 msf59: Sorry about the kids and the sore eyeballs. I hope that is getting better.
See my facebook post and you will note that it got a lot worse. LOL (if I didn't lol, I'd col).
OM
*chanelling inner Buddhist*

eta: spelling, see my eyeballs aren't just sore, they aren't functioning

I'm skipping work tomorrow, Mark, under heavy pressure from my MBH. She asks that you let us know tomorrow when you're done, because she's worried. She's much nicer and more sensible than I am.

Take care, Mark. Everything around here is closing, even the trash pickup is cancelled due to the cold. The library, restaurants etc.

Good luck tomorrow, Mark! May Hounded keep you warm & toasty as you laugh your buns off! ;)

Take care in the a.m, Mark. In our thoughts you'll be warm and all paths to mailboxes will be clean. Hot toddy and a good book will great you at days end. Be safe

^Yes, you saw that right! And let's not talk about wind chills, which are through the roof. I kept waking up during the night thinking about it. Ugh! They did close all Chicago schools. This has got to be the coldest or close to the coldest, I've ever worked in.

Warm Vibes Needed!! Keep 'em coming.

Only watched the 1st half of DA. We started late, due to female delays. Try to watch the rest tonight.

Benita- Sorry, I missed you up there. You got lost in the naughty librarians. Hopefully, you are home safe and sound. It looks like we felt the same way about Un Lun Dun. I hope to get to that Murakami in the coming weeks.

Megan- Sorry, you have not been able to sleep. Poor thing. I hope that improves soon. I would like to hear your take on the Boyle.

Joe- I wish I would have had a call this morning, telling me to stay home. LOL. I hope they handle this well at work. I will have little patience for incompetence.
Thank you both for your concern. I'll try to text you later and give you a survival report and you can pass it along.

Linda- Are you staying home? I hope so, for your sake. I expect the roads to be empty.

Tina- Thank you. I think hounded will be the perfect distraction. And one of those I will need.

Lynda- I will have little patience with people that haven't shoveled. I plan on skipping those. I don't like bringing back mail but this is all about survival today.

Warm vibes!! Warm vibes!! Sending you some Sydney humidity....

Oh Mark, I'll be thinking of you today! Stay safe and stay warm if you can. No guilt about skipping the folks who refuse to shovel, either. What do they expect?!

Adding my worries about you to the pile - will be awaiting your "I'm home and not frozen" post along with everyone else!

Oooh, Hounded. I think Oberon is one of my favorite fictional characters! He makes me laugh.

Lots of people having to work in this weather... not a good thing.. and warm vibes for all of them.

Mark I hate that you are out there in this weather!

Hope it's not too slippery out there today, Mark. Be safe, sending you warm thoughts from Georgia.

Hope it's not too awful, Mark. There should be a cutoff where work just plain gets canceled. This is crazy. A text would be welcome.

Warm vibes being sent your way!

No union rules about too hot or too cold Mark? I like to come on over and have a wisecack or two but those temperatures are just not funny. The naughty librarians however are most welcome to come on round and turn my page.

*anxiously awaiting check-in post*

Is it yet time for a lunch-break?

Here ya go

Mark? Mark?? Are you back inside yet? Stay warm!

Hope these'll warm you up, Mark!

I'm sorry you have to work in this nightmare weather, Mark; we anxiously await your return.

Marky Mark! Are you thawed out yet? Come back inside!

And hey-- my husband made up words to the Beastie Boys' "Girls" tune, something like this: Beer! All I really want is Beer! Frosty Foamy Frothy Beer! And... now my daughter can't stop singing it. I thought about you while listening, lol.

Oh Mark, I hope you're ok. I took the day off to celebrate Mom's 77th birthday. We went out for an early dinner to celebrate. I took my gloves off for a minute to take their picture outside. Thought I was gonna get frostbite just from that. I can't imagine how cold you were today.

Our family's mail came about 3 hours early. Our mail lady delivers by truck and she was motoring.

Not sure about tomorrow. Supposed to be bitterly cold but then hit zero mid-day. I might go in tomorrow. Not sure.

"I'm home and not frozen"! See? All the warm vibes helped! A directive came down from the district and we had to make an attempt to deliver our residential, deem it unsafe, and then bring it back. We all agreed. LOL. So, I ended up delivering the business portion of my route, along with all my parcels and returned in about 3 hours, with hardly any walking. We then worked mail inside the office until the end of the day.

OMG, was it COLD, though! The wind was like razors. I felt like I was at a much higher elevation and couldn't catch my breath. This will make for a much tougher & heavier day tomorrow but we will deal with that then.

Hugs to all the warm vibe givers!!

I'll be back. I NEED a hot shower...

What happened to "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." The motto on the New York City Post Office.

Whew! So glad to hear that you didn't have to be out in it for any longer than you did!

Hi, Mark! Happy New Reading Year. I have you starred. Sorry the weather is so rotten. It seems to be coming our way now.

I'm so glad they went with safe and sensible Mark.

Glad you're home safe and warm, Mark!

Tania- I did not feel any of that Sydney humidity but thanks for those warm vibes. It helped.

Julia- The problem with shoveling today, was of course the wind, which was steady and gusty most of the day and caused constant drifting. I talking to one of my older customers, while delivering a parcel and he said that this was his third time shoveling, which was nuts. Go inside and relax!

Amber- ^ I gave you the full report! LOL.

Morphy- I only listened to a small chunk of Hounded but I really like it so far.

Kath- We definitely caught a break today! I did not expect that. I am curious what they will say for tomorrow, which will still be pretty damn cold. I need to make it until Wednesday, my day off.

Hearty Hugs to Roberta, Abigail, Joe, (nice hot-tub!) RD, Diana, Lynda, Jim, Katie, (Now, that's what I am talking about!) Gail & Kathy- You guys are truly the best!

Paul- Hot tubs & naughty librarians! The mind reels! Nope, no specific Union rules about the cold but safety first is always key, no matter what.

Linda- Hope you had a nice day with your folks. I saw the photo on FB. Nice job, despite the numb fingers. Our mail wasn't delivered, when I got home. And I am not going back out to check. LOL.

Benita- Thanks for the warm, sympathetic comments! LOL. Actually, this was only the 2nd time we didn't deliver all the mail, in the 27 years I've been here.

Terri- Thanks! We have one more frigid day tomorrow, then the temps slowly begin to rise. Might hit 30 on Friday. Heat wave!

More hugs to Roberta & Julia!

They were just saying on the news that airline officials at O'Hare report that their antifreeze is freezing.

Glad the mail came today. I got a book in the mail. Frozen in Time.

So glad to hear you did not freeze your face off! I'm fine going without mail for a day or two if it means mail carriers don't have to be out in this.

Glad you're home safe, Mark! Good move on leaving the residential alone. Can't believe you were out there at all. Enjoy that hot shower, and your beverage of choice!

So happy you are safe and warm Mark! I'm glad the powers that be were smart about the deliveries too. I hope you will start seeing a bit warmer temps now.

Okay, I needed to squeeze in a little reading time, so I finished Little Failure. This was a good memoir, despite it being uneven at times. A solid, warts and all, immigrant story. Next up: Death Comes for the Archbishop. Time to jump on the CatherExpress. I will follow this with Bleak House, for the Group Read, which was my creation and now belongs to someone else. And yes, I am secretly pleased.

Linda- I can't wait to hear your thoughts on the Zuckoff. I've been waiting for the audio to pop up.

Kerri- "So glad to hear you did not freeze your face off!" I am too! You have a way with words, my friend. Hs! We did not get mail either.

Joe- It sure turned out better than I thought it would. Might be paying for it tomorrow, but it was worth it.

Heidi- Thanks! The temps will be climbing but very slowly. Only 4 tomorrow. Ugh! But close to 30 by the end of the week. Shirt-sleeve weather! Kidding, of course.

OMG, Mark! Here's some hot apple cider for you.

Hs! indeed!

Glad to hear they made an exception today. My mail is usually so unexciting, it wouldn't bother me to miss a day. And if it was that cold here, I'd be happy to give up mail for a day!

Did you read Little Failure or listen to it? I've been hearing some interesting buzz about it.

...first post with new iPad, this is going to take some getting used to... :)

I was outside in 17 degrees for only about 5-10 min to walk the dog and I felt like my fingers were going to fall off. I mean to-the-bone cold. I'm not sure how you're supposed to work in weather that cold safely. I'm just now warming up to where my fingers and toes feel normal. PLEASE be safe, all joking aside. You know they have these hot pack things you can put in your gloves that create warmth. Do you have any of those? I've seen them at Home Depot (they also have them for feet).

Warm yourself up buddy, make a new thread.

Glad they went with safe at work, I hope it's better weather for delivering tomorrow!

And our humidity and warmth went *somewhere*, dagnabbit. Pleasantly cool today.

And the postie delivered a couple of books for me too. Quite a surprise, I only ordered them yesterday. But woot!

The frigid weather of Chicago was featured on our National News tonight, Mark. I couldn't imagine how you could possible be trudging around in weather like that. Brrr.. Hope this artic weather retreats back up north where it belongs soon.

Yes, we got the arctic weather on the Australian news too! They said it would clear up in "a day or two" which didn't sound at all hopeful to me. Best of luck, I hope it clears sooner than that.

^Okay, registration for Booktopia Asheville starts on Thursday. 12 ET. Remember, these spots go fast. I am going to try to register, but I am not completely sure I will go. Is anyone attending this one? Come on, don't be shy!

Here is the link:

http://booktopia.booksonthenightstand.com/asheville/

Another cold, bitter day. High, just 4 above and the winds do not diminish until noon. Ugh! We'll see what they do at work but I can't imagine them skipping another day. Since, the warm vibes worked yesterday, shoot a few more this way.
I am starting Death Comes for the Archbishop and I see Kerri just gave it a very high rating. Cool beans.

Tam- I will save one of those delicious hot ciders for my return home. Thanks!

Kerri- I heard the trains were a mess again this morning. I wonder if you'll be able to go in.

Joanne- I received an ARC of Little Failure from E.R. I see no reason why it wouldn't be a good audio.

Good luck with the ipad. It does get some getting used to it but you'll get there. Sadly, I haven't used mine much, because I can't take it to work.

Tina- Thanks for the warm words. I am sure dealing with those icy temps, down South, is hard to get used to. Lets' hope we warm up soon.

Paul- Those new threads warm you up, eh? You must be Red Hot! I am off tomorrow, so I''ll probably do it then.

Tania- I hope you are keeping cool, my friend. And yah, for books in the post! It supposed to start gradually warming up here, starting tomorrow. I can not wait!

Morning, Mark! -14 here with -31 wind chill this morning. Yep, still cold. Hoping you get another reprieve today, and also hoping that Tomm will be able to make it out of Chicago and home today...

Sending keep warm vibes again today.

Lots of virtual heat being sent your way, Mark. Stay warm and safe.

Warm vibe, warm vibe, warm vibe...

I'll be waiting to see you made it home safe and sound Mark.

Warm vibes heading your way, buddy!



Be careful today - not worth having your nose fall off. Leave that to the Walking Dead.

Hope you're staying warm today. I'm working from home today. I'll venture out tomorrow when it's above 10 below.

Stay warm, Mark. It will be spring soon. :)

Warm whammys!

Something to help you warm up the inside when you get home.

Ooooh....fires...just what I need. -1 at my house this morning. Office is very cold today, and the landlord insists there's nothing wrong with the heating system. We all have space heaters going, and managed to trip a circuit breaker (the one controlling our main server), but STILL nobody does anything about the central heating. *grump*
Oh, HI, Mark! Hope you're wrapped up well and your feet are insulated...it's no day to be a mail carrier, that's my take on it.

Mark> I'm not sure that I can do the Asheville Booktopia but I might be able to drive over the mountain for a LT meetup if we could find a time. Of course I have no idea yet what other things might vie for my time. I haven't looked at our 2014-15 academic calendar yet.

"I'm home and not frozen"! Once again, the warm vibes came to the rescue! Hooray! The weather wasn't as cruel & bitter but I walked outside, for much longer than yesterday, so it did wear me out. I am off tomorrow, so it gives me a chance to recharge those batteries. High Fives!

I just quickly browsed the E.R. list. Meh! Anyone else zero in on anything? I am not displeased though, I still have a couple past ER books to get to.

Amber- It was 2 or 3 degrees on the way home and I don't think it got much warmer than that, but it did feel a tad more comfortable than yesterday. Did Tomm make it back okay?

Kath- I have a little solar panel, I wear on my back and it collects those warm vibes. I NEED to patent that wonderful invention.

Hearty hugs to Julia, Jim, Roberta, Joe, (great crackling fire), Linda, Beth, RD ( another fine fire and a pair of cute little feet)! Thank you guys!

Mamie- The perfect after-work drink! Thank you. Love my Dogfish Head!

Linda- Sorry to hear about your office heating issues. That must be uncomfortable. Funny, we were having heating issues, in the office too, while we were casing up our routes. I prefer it cooler than hotter, while working indoors but our supervisor was wearing her coat and hat. Come on! The warm-up begins tomorrow.

Hi Mark, can't believe it's been nearly a week since I've been here, but then time does fly. Which isn't to say I haven't been thinking of you—quite the contrary since the weather here has been particularly nasty to start off the year and I've had in mind all the poor outdoor workers who have to put up with this weather more than anyone else. It's punishing enough being forced to take Coco out at least twice a day...

I'm more or less all caught up here, have starred, then unstarred the Bleak House thread (how were you to know another group was having a GR too?), have just now signed up with iTunes to get my episodes of DA as they are released each Monday and... so far so good. I started reading BH on Friday and am halfway through now, as I'm doing both the audio and print version because I've set so many goals for this year and this month in particular that I don't want to be bogged down with it for weeks on end. Haven't read my portion of Willa Cather yet, but O Pioneers will be up soon.

I thought the ER batch was pretty meh, too, although I ended up requesting two: One is "Dakota", the sequel to an ER mystery by Gwen Florio that I won last year, and the other was "March 1939: Before the Madness--The Story of the First NCAA Basketball Tournament Champions", which looks like it could be interesting.

I had a few that were somewhat interesting to me, including that basketball one. No "must haves" though.

I agree about no "must haves", Linda.

I finally finished the premiere episode of Downton Abbey IV. I thought it was very good and it showed some promise for the rest of the season. Interesting to see how much of a Do-Gooder the Lady Dowager has become. I may have preferred her crankier. I think Edith is evolving in engaging ways. I hope she finds happiness. Glad to see Bates less gloomy. That was getting tiresome. Thomas is still a pain. And no one upstairs sees this?

I haven't seen anyone else chime on the latest episode. Thoughts?

Mark, I have tried to watch DA on the PBS website the past two nights, and it gets stuck in the exact same spot both times, only about 25 minutes in. I'm very frustrated! I guess it's a sign that I'm not meant to watch this season. All I can say is they better get it fixed before Sherlock starts!

Mark, after watching so much Call the Midwife in the past week, DA seemed to pale in comparison. For me, it was good, not great. All that backstairs intrigue kind of bored me.

Still, some promise for the upcoming season.

More warming vibes coming your way Mark! I hope you get a bonus for all this work, which borders on the torturous I am thinking. Really, is it OK that you are having breathing problems in the freezing cold!!?

Julia- How frustrating! I even watched 30 minutes of it, off the PBS website last night, because my Man-Cave TV was being temperamental. I didn't see any problems. I hope you can watch it. It was a good one.

Lori- I'll keep that in mind and let you know. Did you hear of any other LTers going?

Ilana- Good to see you. No worries. I haven't been as attentive lately either. Work and weather have been draining. Funny, that you mentioned reading and listening to Bleak House. I was considering doing the same thing, especially since BH, is over 800 pages. And I just snagged it from Audible for 5 bucks. Great timing. Are you enjoying it?
I am loving Death Comes for the Archbishop but I would really like to bookhorn O Pioneers later in the year.

Linda- Of course, I love snagging good free books, but sometimes it is a relief too. Did you see DA? We really liked the CTM Christmas special.

ETA- ^It looks like you beat me to it! LOL.

Hi Mark. I'm going to try and register for the Asheville Booktopia. I'm from NC and can make a stop at my parents house in Hickory on the way if I'm lucky enough to get a spot. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Mark, I'm enjoying Bleak House more now that I'm about halfway through. It took me quite a while to warm to it, though I couldn't say why.

>281 msf59:: Nope, he got a flight out tomorrow night. Sigh. Thanks for the full report again today! Ha!

Glad to hear you stayed warm, Mark. :)

One more day of ridiculous cold gone by. Very cold for here in the south too. Finally forced myself out to pick up the suitcase that had been sitting in Atlanta since Sunday morning. Brr...

Warming up tomorrow, but this has been an exceptionally cold winter starting in November.

Stay snuggly tomorrow.

I watched DA and loved it. I think Mary has the potential now to be more interesting. Rose, the young guest, is that her name? I find her a bit annoying.

I finally watched the Call the Midwife Christmas special, it made me teary. I' m looking forward to it returning.

ER list was a little unexciting...

I am planning to register for the Asheville Booktopia, Mark. We were supposed to go to Asheville last summer, but it fell through, so this would work out perfectly. My husband did some research and apparently it is a craft beer destination. You have to go!

^I love Katie's selling point to get you to Booktopia Mark.

Sorry, I've been absent on the threads! I will catch up. I'll see everyone in the A.M. Nightie- Nite!

Sweet Wednesday! This will be an off day I will savor. Plus, the Good Wife lined me up a massage later this morning, where she works. Yippee! I haven't treated myself to one of those, in ages. I expect to walk out of there like jello-man.
Other than that, not a whole lot planned. A few errands, library run and hopefully plenty of R & R!

Diane- Let me know if you get in. I plan on bringing my ipad to work tomorrow and hopefully I can find a connection in time. LOL. I would love the idea of more LTers attending.

Ilana- As soon as I wrap up Death Comes for the Archbishop, I will jump into Bleak House. I feel much better and less daunted, having the audio to fall back on.

Amber- He should have no problem getting out today. It's a heat wave! Although, 14 is still darn cold.

Tam- Thanks! I will have a perfectly "thawing" out day, today!

Gail- Wow! It has been frigid down there. That must have broke all kind of records. Yep, snuggling is the plan today.

Joanne- Good comments on DA. I agree with you about Mary. Maybe, having a purpose, will broaden her character. Do you see something evolving between her and Branson? I also agree with you a bit of Rose. We'll see what they do with her.
And what a perfect teaser for CTM! Should be another solid one.
How far did you make it in The Returned. We finally watched episode 4. It is a creepy, unusual show.

Katie- Seeing more LTers making it to Asheville, will definitely increase my chances of attending, although I will register regardless. It doesn't look like my wife will make this one, which is to bad, she had a blast last time, with all the book geeks.
Funny, Anne Kingman teased me about touring the Asheville brewery and she was considering adding it to the agenda. Don't you love her?

Roberta- I am with you! LOL.

Oooh, a massage! Excellent!

I'm glad you're off today. The walk home yesterday ( where my specs partially froze over) made me think of you...

Grab your suntan lotion, beach towel and current book and come join me on Thread #2!

Waves to Amber & Kath!