Mark's Reading Place #9

-Pol Ledent



-Harry Truman by Thomas Hart Benton

Audiobook:



Graphic:


Books Read So Far...

February:

12) Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch 3 stars (audio)
13) The Warden by Anthony Trollope 4.2 stars
14) The Testament of Mary by Colm Toibin 4.5 stars (audio)
15) On Such a Full Sea by Chang-rae Lee 3.5 stars E.R.
16) The Lions of al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay 4.2 stars (audio)
17) Andrew's Brain by E.L. Doctorow 4.3 stars (audio)
18) Hexed (The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 2) by Kevin Hearne 3.8 stars (audio)
19) Light in August by William Faulkner 4.7 stars AAC
20) Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell 4 stars (audio)
21) Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor 4 stars (audio)
22) Being There by Jerzy Kosinski 4.2 stars (audio)
23) Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman by Haruki Murakami 3.6 stars
24) The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey 4 stars (audio)
25) The Hired Man by Aminatta Forna 4.2 stars

March:

26) In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming 3.7 stars (audio)
27) Birds of a Lesser Paradise: Stories by Megan Mayhew Bergman 4.8 stars
28) The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt 4.5 stars (audio)
29) Galveston by Nic Pizzolatto 4 stars (audio)
30) Suttree by Cormac McCarthy 4.5 stars AAC
31) An Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris 4.7 stars (audio)
32) Kids These Days by Drew Perry 3.8 stars
33) The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon 4.3 stars (audio)
34) Glitter and Glue: A Memoir by Kelly Corrigan 4.2 stars
35) One More Thing: Stories & Other Stories by B. J. Novak 4 stars (audio)
36) A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny 3.8 stars (audio)
37) This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett 4.7 stars (audio)
38) Independent People by Halldor Laxness 5 stars
39) The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion 4.2 stars (audio)

April:

40) Blood Will Out by Walter Kirn 4.7 stars
41) Agent Zigzag by Ben Macintyre 4.6 stars (audio)
42) Negotiating with the Dead: A Writer on Writing by Margaret Atwood 3.6 stars
43) The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes 3.7 stars (audio)
44) The Burning Air by Erin Kelly 4 stars
45) Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack by Haruki Murakami 4.2 stars (audio)

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 * Completed
William Faulkner- Light in August Completed
Cormac McCarthy- Suttree * Completed
Toni Morrison- Tar Baby *
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

**If you are interested in the American Author Challenge, check out the main thread. This is shaping up to be a highlight of the year, IMHO:

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

I thought this would be a good idea, to keep track of what is coming up and to supply links when they are available.

April:

Atwood April: https://www.librarything.com/topic/171813#

Toni Morrison- American Author Challenge: https://www.librarything.com/topic/171799#

Chicago Meet-Up- April 19th: My homestead.

May:

May- Murder & Mayhem- TBA

Woohoo!

Congrats on the new thread, Mark! Love the toppers, especially the Thomas Hart Benton of HST.

Burning Girls is good, btw. Both Debbi and I liked it.

Great night at the theater - Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder was hilarious and really well done. What singing voices!

Oh, nice Thomas Hart Benton portrait of Truman...don't think I've ever seen that one before. Too bad there are no titles on those books, but then I guess that means we can all imagine he's reading something we'd approve of!

Condolences on the loss of your great aunt, Mark. I had one who made it to 101, and she was quite able to enjoy her 100th birthday party. She was one of the first generation of Layton women I proudly claim kinship with. A grand generation, that one.

Thank goodness you started a new thread, Mark! I was over 300 messages behind and was far too overwhelmed to try and catch up. Sorry though that I missed offering earlier condolences on your great aunt. She had been ill earlier this winter hadn't she? I hope her passing was easy.

Second-Hand Stories, David Carmack Lewis, 2003

Megan- I'll buy you a cold beer, next time I see you. Deal?

Joe- Glad you liked the Benton. I was browsing some of his work when I saw the Truman. Had to share it.
Burning girls? You have my attention. Glad you liked the musical. Sounds fun.

Linda- Thanks! My Aunt Ellen was quite the character. Even into her 80s, she was always one of the first to arrive at a party and one of the last to leave.
Glad you liked the Benton. Have you read Truman? Dumb question?

Lisa- Sorry, I made you wait so long. LOL. I definitely didn't mean for it to go 300 posts. Great to see you. I'll have to stop by and see what you are reading.
In regards to my great aunt: I did not know she was ill. Unfortunately, I don't see that side of the family very often. You might have been thinking about my uncle, who is actually doing better now.

Sorry to hear about your aunt. My condolences. Sounds like she was a fun person.

I love that landscape, with the bright blue oriental poppies amidst the corn! Is that a bit of wishful thinking?? Wonderful vibrant colors.

Mind you, so is the Truman portrait a bit of wishful thinking -- don't we all want to spend our days curled up with a stack of books like that???

You're right, it was your uncle. I'm sorry for the mistake, and I'm glad he is doing better.

Lovely art on your new thread, Mark. Spring and a reading president. What could be better?

By the way, I love that you had a great aunt Ellen and I'm sad for your loss of her in your life. Consider yourself hugged.

Happy New Thread, Mark! Lovely bookish toppers you've got here.

As I am The Great Aunt to the kids, with whom I am going to the Zoo today, my ears perk up when hearing about great Great Aunts. I am glad she was a lively lady and that you remember her fondly. I am sorry for your family's loss today, but rejoice you had her for as long as you did.

I hope your day will be a good one, and that the more gentle weather is here to stay for you.

Happy new Thread! the painting up top is very pretty.

Beautiful art on this new thread! I like Koontz.He never kills the dog. I have liked almost all of his books ( many) that I have read. I have a couple of Vines books up.... finding time to read is so hard some days...

Happy Wednesday! Why is it happy? Because I am off today. Yah! I am feeling a bit cruddy, (allergy related, I'm sure), so I am moving a little slow this morning.
Not much planned. Oil change, other odds & ends...reading. I plan on finishing Blood Will Out which has been excellent. As good as promised. I usually do not have 2 nonfiction books going at once but at least they are both absolutely top-notch.

Juli- Thanks, my friend.

Suz- I think we can all relate to Harry, huddled down around his books. And yes, the planned topper for this thread NEEDED to contain COLOR!

Lisa- No problem at all. Thanks for your thoughts.

Ellen- It's funny, we called her Aunt Nell, all through our childhoods and about 20 years ago, she informed everyone, that she did not like Nell, never did and please call her Ellen. She was quite a character.

Amber- Thanks! Definitely needed some color. It looks like it's going to be chilly here for the next couple days, with rain around. Oh joy!

Karen- I always enjoyed my great aunts & uncles. Unfortunately, I lost my paternal side, way back in the 70s but got to enjoy my maternal side for many additional years. She will be missed.

Abby- Thanks! Great to see you!

Kath- I was a big fan of Koontz, back in the 80s. Still a big fan of Watchers. I wonder how it holds up? Never tried the Odd books. One of these days?

I have finally caught up with your threads, Mark! Love the thread topper, especially the vivid colours.

Happy Hump Day!

Mark, congrats on your new thread. I love the drawing 'Pol Ledent'. It's so colourful.
I'm so sorry to hear that you still are suffering from the chill out there in the Midwest. I send you some warming waves over.

Looks like Chicago's still laboring to shake off winter, Mark. Hope it's not too bad out there for you.

We're off to meet up with one of Debbi's cousins soon, and have brunch at a spot she recommends. It's a beaut out here for some reason, getting up into the mid-60s. Then I've got to buckle down and do some work. What?!

^The Confabulist was my ER win! Yah! I LOVED The Cellist of Sarajevo, so let's hope this is more of the same.



^I also snagged a copy, (which I have in hand) of The Farm. This is not an ER book, but Smith's latest stand-alone thriller. I was a huge fan of Child 44, but sadly did not continue the series. Hope this puts me back on track.

Lori- Good to see you! I needed a colorful topper, because I am yearning for some spring color. Everything is mute, gray, brown or green. Blah!

Barbara- Like those socks! Can I borrow them? And why is she standing on the table? Just wondering.

Joe- Glad you are having some pleasant weather in NYC. We are still stuck in a dreary holding pattern. Remember, that story in the Miniature Wife, about the jet-liner, stuck up above, circling for eternity? Yes, you get the idea.

Mark, it's all yours and she is standing on the floor. I guess that poor girl hasn't got a table ;-)

>10 msf59: Yes, I have read Truman...great stuff, but not a stupid question at all. There are way too many books I haven't read yet.

>24 msf59: Don't be in a huge hurry to take on the rest of the Leo Demidov series, Mark, a large preponderance of the reviews note that the later entries weren't of the same caliber. The Farm review will see me rapt and ready. I like the man's imagination.

Joining in the love for Benton's Harry S. Truman portrait, which I've never seen before! Is it in a museum collection somewhere?

>9 msf59: Beautimous.

I am a big fan of Thomas Hart Benton. I have not seen that particular picture of the "man from Independence" but it must be a later painting as Truman is older and the style is a bit different than the work of Benton's that I have seen.

I will second what Richard said about the Leo Demidov series. I haven't read any of the later ones as the reviews say that they don't live up to the promise of the first book.

I finished Cat's Eye and am not quite sure what to think of it. I'll let you know over on the Atwood in April thread what I am thinking after I have pondered for a time.

Barbara- Now, I am sad she doesn't have a table. Poor thing.

Linda- I have a pretty good feeling you had read Truman, which is a Bio Must Read! I have to return to reading my presidential bios. I've been neglecting them for the past few years, due to LT's overwhelming influence on my reading life.
I still plan on making my way through every president. I think I have read 20.

Richard- I have the Secret Speech on shelf and it's been stuck there for 3-4 years. I'll get to it at some point and if it doesn't cut it, I'll stop there. The Farm has been getting some solid buzz.

Benita- See if you can track down Agent Zigzag. I think this is right up your alley. I'll get to Cat's Eye later in the month and we can compare notes.

>10 msf59: I'll buy you a cold beer, next time I see you. Deal?
Woohoo! (again)
Deal.
And I will shout you a packet of Pineapple Lumps.

Garp? Yes. Liked. Lots.

Hi Mark - Happy new thread!

>4 msf59: Had I kept an eye on this handy post, I wouldn't have been confused about the meet-up location. Got it now!

>30 msf59: Mark, shall we give her one like that? ;-)

Hi Mark, somehow didn't realize you had a new thread out. I'd been lurking on the last one, so thought I'd show my face, so to speak. ;-)

Happy New Thread! And continued happy reading. I replied to your comment about Ben Macintyre on my thread. Have also pre-ordered The Bees by Laline Paull, which is rather exceptional since I'm very rarely an early adopter and don't read that many ARCs either. But curiosity killed the cat, so I'll probably pick it up as soon as it's released in early May. The good news with Audible is that members in good standing can return any book they don't end up liking, which always encourages me to try things when I'm hesitating.

>22 Ameise1: I WANT THOSE SOCKS! Might have to take up knitting again just to get myself a pair...

What a gorgeous painting topping your thread, Mark.

Hope you're feeling less cruddy? What a bummer ... first you struggle through the arctic winter and just when things start warming up, you get hit with allergies. Can't cut a break, huh? I think this calls for a couple of beers, a good book and a comfy couch. ;-)

"He had ten thousand ways to tell you nothing."

"Clark was bulging with lies when I saw him two weeks later. They danced out of his mouth as though they'd been cooped up there and were glad for a chance to stretch their legs."

"He lived in two modes, the apparent and the veiled, and in two realms, the opera and the sewer, and he shuttled between them like a genie.”

-Blood Will Out

^This was an incredible true crime tale, although it did leave me spooked and shaken. I felt very similar after finishing My Friend Dahmer.

I heard an NPR podcast, with an interview with author, Walter Kirn and this is what prompted me to request the book. Here is the full NPR interview and it is excellent:

http://www.npr.org/2014/03/10/288580904/blood-will-out-reveals-secrets-of-a-murd...



^Would you date this man?

Great new thread, Mark, and I agree with Caro and others that that is a particularly striking piece of artwork to start things off with.

As to your question in >36 msf59: . No, I wouldn't.

Megan- Deal! Pineapple Lumps sound tasty! I had a feeling you were a Garp fan.

Kerri- Thanks! Glad you saw the Upcoming Events post! I'll try my best to keep it updated.

>33 Ameise1:- I think that table will be just fine, Barbara. Better than the cold hard floor.

>34 Smiler69:- Glad you found your way over here. Always good to see you. We will have to get you a pair of those comfy socks!

Caro- Thanks! I felt pretty good yesterday and I have been sleeping well but I just woke up feeling crappy. Moderately better, but didn't do anything all day but read...how tragic!

"I think this calls for a couple of beers, a good book and a comfy couch." Sounds heavenly. Wish you were my doctor.

Paul- It usually takes me awhile to find the right topper. This time I NEEDED color and that one seemed to fit the bill.
I am so glad you wouldn't date that man! He's dangerous.

39) The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion 4.2 stars

"Asperger's isn't a fault. It's a variant. It's potentially a major advantage.”

Don Tillman is a genetics professor. He is handsome and brilliant. He is also socially awkward, fastidious and unreasonably demanding. He has had zero luck with the opposite sex and nearing forty, comes up with “The Wife Project”: a questionnaire, to assist him in finding the perfect mate. Of course, he is confident, that this ploy will work.

Enter, Rosie! A smart, young, sassy redhead, who is everything Don is NOT looking for. She is about to turn Don’s insulated, structured little world, upside down.

This is a charmer. Filled with humor and romance. The theme is light but it is fast-paced, solidly written, with a fresh Melbourne setting. I dare you not to smile.

The Rosie Project sounds like a book I could add to my meager stash of "happy" books for when I need a pick me up. Blood Will Out, not so much. Although I find the link between the murderer's identity and literature to be a fascinating one.

I've seen The Rosie Project recommended a few times now. Onto Mount TBR it goes!

Nice review, Mark! I have The Rosie Project safely ensconced on my Kindle...

>36 msf59: oh Mark I heard the author interviewed on NPR and thought it was such a creepy story!! I think I'll skip the book ...

Hi, Mark!

The Rosie Project has been mentioned already on my April Autism Spectrum Awareness reading thread. I'm glad to see you enjoyed it. I'll be looking for it.

Lisa- the Rosie Project definitely qualifies as a "happy" read. Even, I like one, once in awhile. LOL.

Morphy, Katie & Terri- I can't imagine anyone not having fun with this one. I hope you all have a chance to get to it.

Laura- The full NPR interview with Kirn is even better. It's over 40 minutes. Fascinating stuff.

I confess I was only mildly amused by The Rosie Project. I am, however, listening to the audiobook version of The Nun in the Closet by Dorothy Gilman, which is sweet and warm and fuzzy.

Hoping you'll prioritize the Tom Rob Smith book -- purely selfishly -- so that I can decide whether to invest in it! I've read the second book but bogged down in book #3, which is on my Kindle...

Good morning, Mark. I hope the new Steven Galloway is good, as I loved The Cellist of Sarajevo, too.

My ER is The Boy in His Winter by Norman Lock, with an imaginative take on Huck Finn. I don't know the author, so this will be an adventure.

I was able to get The Rosie Project for $1.99 on Kindle! That was an easy decision.

Hope it's a okay one for you today. Weather looks like it's still struggling to get to some warmer temps, but at least we're not shoveling snow.

>34 Smiler69: & >22 Ameise1: Ilana: I had that *exact* same thought about the socks! In fact, you've reminded me to write myself a note to remember to look for some lovely soft yarn...

>39 msf59: Oho, looks like a winner - wishlisted!

"Possibly, then, writing has to do with darkness, and a desire or perhaps a compulsion to enter it, and, with luck, to illuminate it, and to bring something back out to the light. This book is about that kind of darkness, and that kind of desire."

- Negotiating With the Dead

Woke up to thunder, lightning & rain. Add chilly temps and we will have another lovely early spring day. Ugh! At least I have my books. I will start my first AA, Negotiating with the Dead and I should wrap up the excellent Agent Zigzag.

Suz- The Rosie Project really worked for me. A perfect palate cleanser. I definitely will be reading the Farm soon. Probably by the end of the month.
I plan on picking up a Zweig today from the library.

Morning Joe- Glad you have the Rosie Project on hand. It will keep you smiling. I have not heard of the Lock ER. I'll be watching for your thoughts. Enjoy your day in NYC.

Morning Amber- Looks like a wet & chilly day. Oh, joy! Have a a good one.

Thanks for the link to the NPR interview with Walter Kirn about that creepy impostor, murderer, who pretended to be Rockerfeller. I don't know if it makes me weird but my insatiable curiosity about people and who they are, and why they are who they are, and what makes them tick makes me a sucker for that kind of book. Onto the WL it will go.

Hope the day turned more pleasant for you.

I already have The Rosie Project and now I'm looking forward to reading it.

Thankfully, it stopped raining. Hope it holds off a couple more hours. Now it is just windy and chilly.

Karen- The Kirn book is a Must Read true crime book! But it is super creepy.

Juli- Glad you have Rosie in hand. It will cause smiling, so be prepared.

Those of you who are interested in Blood Will Out might like to read a work of fiction on the same subject. Schroder by Amity Gaige. I heard her give a talk about the book and she said that she had the idea for it after reading the story of Clark Rockefeller in the newspapers.

I was doing so well avoiding the temptation of The Rosie Project and then Joe had to go mention that he snagged a copy for $1.99 on the Kindle. Boom! Self-control blasted to smithereens in a matter of nano-seconds.

Okay, I did not quite finish Agent Zigzag. I think I have about a chapter left and should be able to knock that out on the way to work tomorrow.
I am enjoying Negotiating with the Dead. There are a few slow spots and then she'll rally back. I did like hearing about Atwood's childhood and school years, while growing up in Canada. She will be turning 75 this year. That is quite a reading life!

Benita- Thanks for the book rec. I will check it out. Did you have a chance to listen to the podcast? It is fascinating.

ETA- Schroder does sound interesting. It looks like it focuses more on the incident where he kidnapped his daughter.

Caro- I think you will enjoy the Rosie Project. Dig in, after reading something particularly heavy. I think it will work very well that way.

Ha! Love the painting within a painting and the apple-stealing, Mark. I think she's a Modigliani, yes.



It was a good day here, and we're heading back to Hacienda Welch tomorrow morning.

All caught up here, Mark! Happy new thread to you. I have The Rosie Project waiting for me on my Kindle, so good to know that you liked it - nice review. It's almost Friday!

It has been way too long, so just stoppigng by to say hello. Unfortunately, the new job and other things have kept me from reading and will also keep me from the meet-up on the 19th (my Mom will be visitnig me then.) But wanted to let you know I was thinking about you and all of the great books you happen to be abosrbing.

>57 jnwelch:- Good call on the Modigliani, Joe! I like that painting. Have a safe return tomorrow. Glad you guys had such a good time.

Mamie- It's always a pleasure to have you drop by. the Rosie Project is a lot of fun.

Nancy- Great to see you! It sounds like you have your hands full with RL. Hope you can still find some time for reading. We will miss you on the 19th. Maybe next time.

Morning, Mark!

^ Yes, I work today and tomorrow but I can't be selfish, right?

Amber- Big morning waves!!

Morning, Mark! Been a while since I said that! Hoping that your Friday is full of fabulous!

Happy Friday, Mark! We'll be winging our way to Chi-town this morning. Please turn the heater back on.

>24 msf59: Those books look good. I also won The Confabulist. I'm looking forward to it...

>20 msf59: I read The Watchers many years ago, and then again recently. For me, it held up well, but then I like Koontz in general, and dogs... so?

I have no idea how you manage all you do, and am not surprised that reading time is hard to come by. Your priorities... family, school...etc?

Here to wish you a weekend full of fabulousness.

Blustery, cold, dreary! Yep, another gorgeous spring day! Ain't we lucky?
I did start another very creepy audio, called The Shining Girls. This one is fiction and has been on my to-read list forever. I haven't heard it mentioned much on LT. I wonder if that will change...

Mamie & Abby- Big hearty waves from the Midwest.

Joe- Something seems to be wrong with the heat switch. Sorry. You will have to be on your own.

Kath- I hope you are having a fine day. Yucky, here.

Have a wonderful weekend Mark. Hope you'll quickly find something to fill the void left by The Rosie Project and Agent Zigzag.

I'm off today. I was planning to go to the Cubs Home Opener but I sold my ticket and will watch from the comfort and warmth of home.

I finished All the Pretty Horses. Four starts for me. I really liked it but didn't love it? How did this one compare to McCarthy's other books, for you?

The Rosie Project author says there's a sequel in the works so fear not.

Love the apple stealing Modigliani, Mark. How are you feeling today?

Hi Mark, I am all caught up with you, and as usual you've turned my attention to a few books. I have The Rosie Project on my shelves, Agent Zig Zag is planned for later this year, and I can't wait to hear about The Shining Girls as I also have it on my wishlist. I am also interested in the Tom Rob Smith book, I loved Child 44 but was less pleased with the next two.

Right now I am reading The Absent One by Jussi Adler-Olsen. As this is ScandiCrime month over at the Category Challenge, I am also planning on reading The Bat by Jo Nesbo and The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol.

I have been catching up on The Walking Dead, have Call the Midwife waiting and I am trembling with eagerness for the start of The Game of Thrones! Between TV and reading, I have been keeping busy.

^Roosevelt's Beast is a very intriguing new title, especially for fans of T.R. and The River of Doubt. It's a fictionalized account of T.R.'s harrowing trip to the Amazon and told from Kermit Roosevelt's P.O.V.

This is a terrific review that Mary Doria Russell did, praising the book:

MDR Review

Actually, I've wanted to read Louis Bayard for years. I have The Pale Blue Eye on shelf. Has anyone else here, read him?

>39 msf59:...I've added The Rosie Project to the tbr pile. Over the years, I've found so many wonderful recommendations from you.

All good wishes for a restful weekend.

>68 PaulCranswick:- Paul, I am very good at filling biblio-voids. LOL. I just move right on. Agent Zigzag was a terrific read though. Big shoes to fill.

>69 lindapanzo:- Very savvy move, Linda! Watching the home opener, in the warmth and comfort of your best chair, is a great call. It was chilly out there and I could only imagine how cold it was in the wind-bowl.

Richard- Thanks for the "Rosie" info. Honestly, I am not sure it needs a follow-up. I think he wrapped things up perfectly. Unless he has a nice "hook" in mind...

Caro- I felt pretty good today. My foot has been fine. Knock wood. Allergies were more moderate. I think it's going to be a long allergy season.

>74 Whisper1:- Great to see you, Linda! I think you will like The Rosie Project. It's a lot of fun. Not reading much YA. I'll have to bookhorn in one. Keep myself balanced.
I'll have to stop by and see what you are reading.

Great art in your thread, Mark! I wasn't familiar with Pol Ledent--love the use of color. And now I've got Roosevelt's Beast on my WL.

Sorry about your aunt. She sounds like a hoot!

I have a hardcover copy of The Shining Girls on the TBR shelves. It sounds good and creepy; I'm waiting for just the right time to start it. Look forward to your thoughts on it!

I saw Roosevelt's Beast on my library's new book list, and an a Bayard fan, so it rocketed onto my TBR!

>72 DeltaQueen50:- Hi Judy! Sorry, I missed you up there! I am sure you will enjoy Agent Zigzag. It's amazing. I loved the Absent One, even more than several of my LT pals. I hope you enjoy it. I have book 4, waiting in the wings. Maybe, I'll save it for M & M.
Looking forward to GOT!!

Rhonda- Thanks! Good to see you. Have you read the River of Doubt?

Katie- I am finally glad I got to the Shining Girls. I heard it mentioned somewhere and yanked it out of the pile.

Jim- Which of the Bayard books were your favorites?

I LOVED the The River of Doubt. It started my TR obsession.

>73 msf59: Mark, I'm positive that I have at least one of Bayard's books on my TBR pile. That one rings a bell, so I'm thinking it's already on it.

Rhonda- Did you read The Destiny of the Republic yet? I think it's even better than "River".

Lori- I also wanted to read Mr. Timothy. I think it's about a grown-up Tiny Tim. LOL.

>82 msf59: That one is on my list too, Mark.

>73 msf59: I read The School of Night (because I'm fascinated by that Elizabethan-era literary/scientific grouping around Raleigh, Henry Percy of Northumberland, et al.) but it kinda disappointed. Perhaps inevitably; I was looking for something very very meaty and thus was doomed to disappointment, I fear! If I had hoped for less, I probably would have relished the light entertainment, though. The other of his that I've tried is The Black Tower, featuring the legendary Vidocq, which grabbed me more as a story, I think. It's been a while since I read it, however. Very creepy, if I recall!

Love the Modigliani. I always adore his faces -- elongated almond shapes. Exaggerated and yet somehow -- not.

>82 msf59: msf59: I did read Destiny of the Republic and it's really good, but I think I liked River of Doubt better. Millard is an awesome writer.

>39 msf59:: Well, I am smiling at your review, Mark, so I'm pretty certain that the book will being a smile or two. Did you plan the review of your 39th book to be in Post #39? Should we be worried about OCD?

I have The Rosie Project on the iPad and Agent Zigzag on the shelf. Now I just need to find some time to read. No more long trips until May. A little something called Booktopia in Boulder with a Baby Hope fix on the side.

Mark, I wish you Happy Weekend.

Here is just a teaser for The Shining Girls:

"In Depression-era Chicago, Harper Curtis finds a key to a house that opens on to other times. But it comes at a cost. He has to kill the shining girls: bright young women, burning with potential. He stalks them through their lives across different eras until, in 1989, one of his victims, Kirby Mazrachi, survives and starts hunting him back.
THE SHINING GIRLS is a masterful twist on the classic serial killer tale: a violent quantum leap featuring a memorable and appealing girl in pursuit of a deadly criminal."

^That's what sold me.

Happy Saturday! 50 today, with plenty of sunshine. I will gladly take it.

>83 thornton37814:- Like minds, Lori. Grins.

Suz- Thanks for the Bayard info. I think I will try the T.R. book first and then check out the others.
Funny, I went to the library to pick up a Zweig and both of the titles they owned, were checked out. I guess, this is good right?

Rhonda- Yes, we both agree she is a terrific writer. I wonder what she is up to next?

Donna- LOL. I did not realize that about #39. Cool, huh? Plenty of OCD references in The Rosie Project. Yah, for Booktopia!!

Barbara- Happy Weekend. I will go with draft beer every time, followed closely by bottle. Nothing tastes as fresh & crisp as a beer out of the tap.

Morning Mark, I am so happy to hear that it's sunny there!

Plenty o' sunshine sure helps, doesn't it, my friend? Temp ain't bad either.

We're back, and getting things sorted at the house. Finished another in Death mystery, and now I've got The Rosie Project up on the Kindle. At some point I'll start Sula, and I've got a Star Wars/Shakespeare ER to read which hopefully will be fun.

Hope it's a good one for you today.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to need to read Agent ZigZag

Another one for my "75er Recommendation' tag ;-)

>73 msf59: - Bayard has a new book out? I must investigate! I do like Bayard's stories.... he really drills into his subject and gives it an interesting spin. So far I have read and really liked The Black Tower and Mr. Timothy. Like >84 Chatterbox: mentioned, it is a creepy gritty story of the French detective, Vidocq. Even Mr. Timothy has a dark, griminess to the story.

I hope you have a lovely weekend, Mark.

Hi Mark - I had to stop reading The Shining Girls; it was too creepy for me. I'll watch for your comments. Have a nice weekend.

>87 Ameise1: Draft! Definitely draft.

Many, many bb's in here today, Mark! Hope your weekend is fabulous!

Lots of sun, little wind, good books= Happy Carrier!

Morning Abby- Big Waves!

Morning Joe- Now this is more like it. Are we turning the corner? Looks heavenward, with agrin.
Hope you enjoy The Rosie Project as much as I did.

Juli- I am afraid you will have to read Agent Zigzag. Sorry, those are the breaks.

Lori - Thanks for the Bayard info. I will have to give him a try.

Beth- The Shining Girls reminds me of Joe Hill and Mr. King's latest. Both excel at creepiness.

Rhonda- another draft fan.
Yah!

Tam- great to see you. Hope you are having nice weekend.

This year will feature two seasons: winter, and overcast with showers.

>98 Chatterbox: Reminds me of Minnesota's seasons - almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction.

^Yes, my friends! I think it's that time of day. This is a Bells Two Hearted Ale. Bells is a very fine brewery out of Michigan and this brew is one of my favorites.

Happy Saturday, Mark. What a spectacular day!!

I think it got up to only low 50s but, with no wind and with brilliant sunshine, it was a beautiful day.

Okay, it's our Wii bowling night (not here, thankfully but another friends). Beer, bowling, camaraderie, food...beer. We always have a good time.

>97 msf59:- It sure seems like that lately, Suz. Our temps look like they are warming up finally. Nearly 60 tomorrow.

Morphy- Big waves!

Linda- It was a nice day. Loved all the sunshine. It looks like our Cubbies are already stinkin' up the place. How sad.

On the subject of Bayard - I really liked The Black Tower.

Happy Sunday!

Wii bowling huh? That should be fun.

And oooooohhh, I absolutely loooooooovvvve that chair! And it would perfectly match the mirror in my room too.

"This was very reassuring to me. The books were declaring that they were my pals; they promise to accompany me on my travels; and they would not only offer me some helpful hints, they'd be right there by my side whenever I needed them. It's always nice to have someone you can depend on."

I did finish Negotiating With the Dead. I had mixed feelings about it. She does mention, in the introduction that this was not about her writing life, but that is what I really wanted. She is so smart and incredibly well-read and there is much to savor here but it also comes across dry & "arty", dealing with more the ascetic angle of books and writing. I wanted meat & potatoes, something like Stephen King's excellent memoir. Ann Patchett also had an essay or two, in her recent collection that also discussed her writing life, that I really connected with. I am judging this book on what it isn't but there it is. The opening chapter that discusses her growing up in Canada was my favorite. She also name-dropped her friend, Alice Munro a few times, which, of course I loved.

Have a great time today :) Baby seeing is always fun!

I love >104 msf59:! Beautiful!

I started The Burning Air. A work friend lent this to me months ago and of course I've been dragging my feet on it, but my wife snatched it off my Must Read Now shelf and devoured it immediately, so I thought this would be a good time to knock it out. I have not read Kelly but her first 2 books seem to be well-received.

>103 drneutron:- Thanks, Jim. I have added the Black Tower to my WL.

Abby- We have a lot of fun bowling. There were a bunch of us playing, so it seemed to take FOREVER. Too much chit-chat. LOL.

Kath- It seems to be baby-time. This one is my wife's cousin's baby boy and my cousin just welcomed his first 2 grandchildren, these past couple of months. We have not seen them yet. Waiting on an invite. LOL.

>109 msf59: That could be me who is entering into the book. :-D

The Shining Girls had great reviews when it came out so I doubt it will disappoint you. I took a look at it in the library and then dropped it because I thought it sounded too much like Jo Nesbo and the violence in those books has turned me off. I just didn't want to put myself through that. I enjoy a good thriller but I am not into gross descriptions of torture and killing. I think that you will like Shining Girls and be sure to let me know what you think. If you like it - I may look at it again.

I have the two Louis Bayard books, the ones on the French detective, but have not read them. They too had excellent reviews.

I'm reading Bel Canto and so far am liking it.

Hope you had fun with the bowling, Mark. How'd you end up at Half Acre Brewing? That's not far from where we live. I know, I've got to get there. Becca likes it, too.

Finished a good book of poetry that Jesse loaned me, Refusing Heaven by Jack Gilbert. Won the National Book Criitics Circle Award. Plan to start Sula tomorrow. I've got The Rosie Project going on the Kindle, and it's good fun so far.

Hi there Mark!
So glad to hear you have had some delightful weather - but it sounds like allergy attacks are the trade-off. Boo hiss. I can't imagine anything growing quite yet... maybe in a couple months.

I've decided NOT to even think about reading The Shining Girls. I need a book that scares me for my Bingo card - but it won't be that one! Yeesh!

I started my Toni Morrison book today Song of Solomon and read my homework. Off to another class tomorrow looking for my purpose in life - lol. Right now I think it's getting the LR finished (painted).

Howdy Mark!

Much catching up to do here, but then... GAME OF THRONES in just 10 minutes! So I'm sure you'll understand if I say I'll be back to catch up and comment later on. Enjoy the show!

Mark, just talked with Mr. and he and I both agree that since I'm going solo that weekend (he's occupado), I should look into a hotel room. Any recommendations in your area? I remember last time I left your house at dark, so hotel it is rather than driving home 3 hours.

Usually I go with La Quinta if I have no idea of the quality because I've always had a good customer service experience with them and the rooms are clean and quiet.

Oooh, Wii bowling?? Sounds fun!

Sounds like you are having a good weekend, Mark. I am excited that both Call the Midwife and Game of Thrones is being recorded this evening for my viewing pleasure.

It just twigged that Lauren Beukes of Shining Girls is the same author who wrote Zoo City which was a very interesting urban fantasy.

Whoa! Was that something, or what? What I call much-needed escapism at it's best.

Had a busy day. We went into the city to see a new baby in the family, (a cousin of ours first) and he was adorable and slept the entire time. We then hit Half Acre Brewery, which was only a mile from where we were. It was our first time there and they have excellent beer. We then hustled back to the 'hood, had dinner out and returned in time for Call the Midwife. Unfortunately, we have to put Game of Thrones off until tomorrow night. Sacrifices have to be made...

Barbara- I will be following you inside those books, to make sure you don't get lost.

Benita- The Shining Girls is creepy but not super-violent. I should finish it tomorrow. Glad you are enjoying Bel Canto.

Joe- We LOVED Half Acre. Try to stop by there and have a pint. Glad you are enjoying "Rosie".

Claudia- It looks like we are finally warming up. High 60s on Wednesday. Allergies haven't been bad, the past couple days. I'll be watching for your thoughts on Song of Solomon.

Roberta- Big Loving Waves!

Ilana- We ran out of time tonight and will have to watch GOT tomorrow night. I'll stop by and let know.

Tam- I will talk to Sue about accommodations and let you know. I am so glad you'll be able to make it.

GAME O' THRONES!!!!

Mr. and doing research on trip advisor and it looks like Holiday Inn Express has pretty good ratings but I'm holding off until I know what Mrs. Mark thinks. ;)

How did it come to this? That you started a new thread when my back was turned and I am now over 100 posts behind, though I swear I've been faithfully following your thread. Ah, well, you LT rock stars... :)

So, I just ordered The Rosie Project from the library, as well as The Speed of Dark, both in honor of Autism Awareness Month.

Hope you have a great week, and that the Weather decides to cooperate and get with the proper Season.

Okay, it's Monday again. Oh, joy. I should finish my audio, the Shining Girls and will be continuing The Burning Air. I read very little yesterday, so I better step it up.

>117 DeltaQueen50:- Glad you have the shows recorded. Did you watch one of them? We'll watch "Game" tonight. I saw that Beukes wrote Zoo City, but I am not that familiar with it.

Tam- We will watch Game tonight. I like the response I've been hearing. The hotels in the area are not very close but I am sure they are all "good".

Mary- Me, a Rock Star? Humble little, Marky-Mark? Glad you got caught up my friend. I hope you enjoy the Rosie Project. It is a lot of fun.

Morning, Mark!

Mark, I spent weeks thinking I could resist the GoT and save a little money and wait and see it later. Nope, did not work. Yesterday afternoon while still working at the Clubhouse as "security" I picked up the phone and ordered HBO, and it was only $7-$8 a month with no "commitment". Too good to resist any longer. When I sat down to see what the schedule looked like I saw there was a previous shows marathon preceding the beginning of season 4, so I watched 3 of last season's episodes, and then the first for Season 4. A very satisfactory evening. I had missed The "Red" episode so was glad to catch up with it. I think there is some good character development going on. I imagine you will enjoy it this evening.

Happy Monday. I have a busy week with people coming to do some work on the gutters and I have plans for the yard. Also, Blonde: A Novel still needs me to finish it.

I liked The Speed of Dark a lot, Mark. Sci-fi take on autism by an accomplished author Elizabeth Moon who has an autistic son, so she knows whereof she speaks. Pretty sure it won the Nebula that year. A really good YA featuring a high functioning Asberger's Syndrome main character is Marcelo in the Real World.

Hope you're enjoying the day. We're finally getting around to something resembling Spring.

Hi Mark, happy Monday!!

I liked the Call the Midwife episode but that Doris story was sad. That's not how I was hoping it'd turn out.

Still reading a cozy and a baseball book. When I finish one, hopefully, I will turn to Toni Morrison's Jazz in earnest.

Hiya Amber!!

Karen- Hooray for catching up with GOT. Looking forward to watching it tonight. Have a good week.

Joe- It's much nicer out here than I expected. Maybe rain later but no complaints right now.
The Speed of Dark sounds like a winner.

Linda- I agree with you on the Doris storyline. For a minute there, I thought the ex-nun & the doctor were going to take that baby. They look like they are ready. I will start my Morrison later in the week.

That's what I was hoping for, Mark.

I liked the little bit afterwards talking about the filming of CTW.

Did you set a time for the meet-up next week?

Hi, Mark. I keep feeling as if I've dropped by your thread since I'm keeping pretty up to date with the American Author threads, but no, I'm very far behind.

Not only have I read Bayard, but I went to college with him (and he lives here in Washington). Like others here I've read and enjoyed The Black Tower, and I have a couple of others in my TBR pile. But not the new one--I've read some good reviews though and will be interested in your thoughts.

I've got to agree on Bell's Two Hearted--it s one of the draft options at a place around the corner from me and it is one of my favorite options.

Hi Mark! Just catching up after our visit to London. It's impossible to read everything and in your case I'm not even trying!! 180 new posts!

I almost got to see the complete episode of "Call the Midwife" last night. But alas, not to be. Sister called and disturbed an otherwise thoroughly enjoyable episode of real life. I also watched "Mr. Selfridge" but it just doesn't have the same irresistible quality as does CtM.

I finished The Shining Girls. I will still recommend this but it did run out of gas in the final third, although the ending was fairly solid. I am enjoying the Burning Air. My wife was right! Yah!

Linda- 2pm for the Meet-Up on the 19th. I think this gives us the whole afternoon and if someone needs to head back before it gets to late, they could take off at a decent time.

Anne- It's great to see you! I don't think I've been by to see you in quite awhile either. I will have to remedy that.
That is very cool about Bayard. Did you actually know him? I will definitely have to get to his books.
And yah for Two-Hearted and it's great on tap!

Connie- You didn't want to read 180 posts? What if you missed something very very important? I am kidding of course. Hope you had a nice trip.

Benita- RL intrudes again, eh? You can finish it tonight, right? Never had any interest in Mr. Selfridge and I didn't see any LTers try to convince me.

Mark, I hope you enjoy GoT tonight!

Thanks, Mark. About the only thing I could see interfering would be a Blackhawks playoff game. We've got one game...no idea when though. If that should occur, maybe I could have my friend pick me up somewhere down that way.

I'm getting excited about the visit!

^Getting ready to watch GOT. We have the 15 minute preview first, just for a refresher. Of course, I'll be reporting back...

Karen- I am so glad you got caught up. Hooray! Wasn't that Red Wedding brutal?

Linda- I hope we have you for the whole day. Yes, we are greedy.

Tam- I can't believe how fast it's coming up. Wow!

The famous Red Wedding was brutal however having read the books I was clearly ready for it. It was brutal in the reading of it, too. I remember gripping the book tightly, and most likely shedding a tear, too.

^Arya Stark

I loved the GOT episode. I think they kick-started this one perfectly. I loved the opening scene with Tywin & Jamie. I think Jamie is the only one who can say NO to Pop! I also liked the way it ended with Arya & the Hound.

Karen- I was very pleased.

Hi Mark! I liked the GOT episode too. Very much looking forward to this season, but wish I could find it in me to read the rest of the darn books. I loved the first one, but they're so long. Gah!

>106 msf59: - I still think this sounds good. I may check it out...

Morning Kerri- I can't see you being a fan of GOT and not enjoying the episode. I think it put everything in motion perfectly. That is a helluva cast.
I just gave the Atwood away, otherwise I would have saved it for you.

Weighing in with agreement on the Doris storyline on CTM. It was sad, but on some level that's good for the series. On the whole there seem to be a lot of happy endings, so it's "good" to have a sad one once in a while. If that makes sense.

Mr. Selfridge: blech.

And now for something completely different: the new series of Veep on HBO also started Sunday night. Enjoyed it on DVR last night.

>119 msf59: Mark, that's a wonderful idea - we both on a story expedition :-D

I am glad you thought the GoT episode hit the mark. I agree. I am very afraid for my growing fondness of Arya....

The Burning Air sounds like one Becca would like, Mark, so I passed it on to her. Should be a decent week weather-wise, finally! Don Tillman has reached a new understanding re Rosie in The Rosie Project, and now is trying to change directions. Very funny.

Getting caught up. Hectic court schedule last week and bleeding into this week and next. Will keep trying to check in, though!

So sorry about your great aunt. Sounds so similar to my Aunt Ruth -- last of my grandmother's siblings, another family line lost -- a real hoot at parties. I feel your loss almost viscerally.

>36 msf59: "...He had ten thousand ways to tell you nothing." Yep, another book bullet squarely between the eyes. Will be picking up Blood Will Out soon. Have heard Walter Kirn speak before and I'll bet he writes a great book. Intrigued by the whole story in part because of the Boston Connection.

>142 lauralkeet:- Hi Laura! It looks like it's going to be another strong season of CTM. I have not watched Veep yet. I do like her.

Barbara- A story expedition sounds wonderful.

Karen- I agree. I think Arya has turned a dangerous corner.
Also, I think Jamie has become my second favorite character behind Tyrion.

Joe- The Burning Air is shaping up to be a good read. The writing is surprisingly good. Yah, for Rosie!

Marianne- Good to see you. Thanks for finding time to stop by. Have you read any of Kirn's other work? I saw and loved the film Up in the Air.

Did you somehow stumble and get diverted on your way to a dark and gritty book, Mark? The Rosie Project was witty and charming - the comparison to screwball comedy makes sense. But nothing awful happened, and there didn't seem to be any dark and grimy stuff anywhere. Have you been feeling okay? Fever? Disorientation? When people ask you about your favorite book, have you started answering, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm? Or was this just a wrong turn on your way to the Jo Nesbo Memorial Library?

>147 msf59: HAven't read anything else by Kirn, but also saw and enjoyed Up in the Air. I was intrigued when I heard him speak. I rmemebr thinking I'd have to keep an eye out for him in the future. The funny thing is I somehow keep getting him mixed up in my mind with Walter Lamb -- a decidedly different writer to whose work I've taken a sudden dislike. I come across WAlter Kirn and I have to think -- is this the one I don't like? Or the one I'm keeping an eye out for?

Be careful, Mark, you know what happens when you like a character in GofT .... the potential for disaster is all over the place.

Yes, I'm liking Jamie, too; and, his sister is becoming a wee bit more attractive, too. Not to the point of liking her, but maybe understanding her.

I skipped the first episode of GoT--thinking I still need to finish with Season 3--but I'm already past this point in the books, so no spoilers. What to do--abandon Season 3 and just dive into season 4, or stick with the plan to watch the seasons in order.

Still have neither read GOT nor seen any of the series. Eventually I'll probably do both but since everyone is talking about it everywhere I don't feel left out at all.

>152 SuziQoregon: Ha! I haven't read or seen any of GoT either. What's more, I don't think I will. Sometimes, it's pleasant to be able to put something in the "not for me" box. It feels like I'm giving myself more time for the things I do hope to read and watch!

Mark, Tom Robbins's book B is for Beer is a whopping $1.99 on the Kindle today!

Nice day! Still wearing a jacket but very pleasant. I am even getting a little sun on my pale mug. After being a little disappointed in Blind Willow, (a first, after reading 6 or 7, of his books) I decided to give Murakami another shot: I started the audio of Underground, which I know Joe praised and of course my Chicago Peep, is right on the money. It's very good, deftly letting the victims recount their own horrifying experiences.

I am also enjoying the Burning Air. It's turning out to be a dark, devious, revenge chiller.

>148 jnwelch:- "Or was this just a wrong turn on your way to the Jo Nesbo Memorial Library?" Thanks for the chuckle, Joe. That did crack me up. A steady diet of anything is not good for the soul, so I like throwing a lighter title in the mix every once in awhile. That's why the occasional YA fits in perfectly.
Glad you liked Rosie!!

Marianne- I will definitely read more of Kirn's work. His book Thumbsucker also was made into a film, but I don't remember seeing that one around.

Karen- Yes, I know Martin can be utterly ruthless, with his characters but I have read through book 5, so I have some clue. I think this is going to be a terrific season.

Anne- If you are finished with Storm of Swords, you are safe. Season 4 is the 2nd half of book 3. Is that where you are at?

Juli- If you LOVE fantasy, I say give GOT a try. If you can handle the books, read them first. The first 3 are excellent. If not, jump into the HBO series. They capture them perfectly.

Linda- I agree! If it's not your cuppa, don't bother, but if your curious enough, try the cable series.

>154 richardderus:- Thank you for the kindness, RD! I might give that one a try.

If it is any comfort - I didn't think that Blind Willow was very good either. There were only two stories in it that I liked, while After the Quake was a much stronger group of short stories, in my opinion.

I started Bel Canto and then left it at work for a day or two and got sidetracked by Cinder. This one has me intrigued.

Dreams of Gods and Monsters is on sale today! I may have to go get this one. I can't wait to find out what happens to the hero and the heroine.

It was a long day at work but a really nice day down here as well.

#153
I have read the first two of the GoT's books, but haven't felt the call to read the third or any of the rest of these books. I think they just started to turn me off and I don't want to get disgusted with them like I did the Jo Nesbo books. Maybe someday the next one will call to me from the shelves, but not now and, like you, I am OK with that. Besides, from what I hear, the TV show people are beginning to screw with the order of things and how they appeared in the book, so I wonder how long the writers will be able to sustain the momentum.

#155
I wonder if they are trying to stretch the TV show out long enough for Martin to get the last installment published? If so they may have to make this into the second longest running TV series in history.

Benita- I think you would really like Underground as well. It's a good audio too, with multiple readers. I hope you enjoyed Cinder as much as I did. I NEED to bookhorn in Cress. I also NEED to get to book 2 of Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

In regards to Martin: I don't think they are stretching the show out for him but trying to do the massive books justice by taking extra time. But you do have a point: The HBO series could easily pass "old slowpoke".

I've read the books and I liked them all.

I've watched much of the shows but not all of them.

I am enjoying it but I don't feel the loyalty that I felt to M.A.S.H. and Mary Tyler Moore and Carol Burnett. I think TV watching is very different from what it was when we all sat in the break room talking about the show we'd all seen the night before.

And I think we also talked about the books we were reading...

And then there was the conversation when we saw the first Star Wars!!!

Mark, as you probably know, I'm a huge fan of the HBO series, which is what got me to read the books finally, even after I'd seen the books recommended here on LT millions of times. I've read all first four and am sort of holding out on the fifth book, but have found them all absolutely gripping, each in it's own way. I switched to the audiobooks at book 3, and unlike others who've criticized Roy Dotrice for changing his delivery and pronunciation with book 4, it didn't bother me in the least; I was too gripped by the narrative to much care about that. Really excited about this season. They certainly pack a punch, and the production quality... WOW!

Mark and other GOT fans:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEg4SEch27w

I made this my ringtone, teehee!

I've read the first four books of GoT but have stopped for the time being there. No real urge to go further for now, and lots of other stuff awaiting my attention!

Hi Mark - I've been absent for a while as your thread moves so fast. I read The Rosie Project last year and thought it was lots of fun.
Another Australian caper you'd probably like is A man you can bank on by Derek Hansen (he's actually a lapsed Kiwi).

>162 Chatterbox: Suzanne - I've read 3 books and will possibly wait for the 5th book to have a publication date before I start reading again.

I haven't watched any of the GoT series, but have read all of the books so far and absolutely loved them (even though I only have 2 favorite characters left still kicking!).

>159 maggie1944:- Sounds like you are an old-schooler, my friend. LOL. I enjoyed those vintage TV shows too but I think TV has gone to a whole new level, especially since The Sopranos came on board to reboot things. We still have water-cooler discussions on many shows.

>160 Smiler69:- I think that was very cool that you watched the 1st season of GOT and then jumped into the books. I listened to part of book 5 and read the rest. Unfortunately, I think the books have tapered off since book 3.

Tam- I will check that out. Thanks!

Suz- I think that is a good place to stop. Book 5 rambled on and on and...I hope book 6 is much tighter.

Kerry- Great to see you and thanks for the book rec. I heard there is going to be a follow-up to The rosie Project. I don't feel that is necessary but we will see.
The 5th GOT book, A Dance with Dragons has been released. Now, we WAIT for book 6.

Amber- Another GOT fan! Yah!

Very nice day out there, Mark. Finally!

Sula is good, although so far not as soul-piercing as Beloved. She sure can write, though. The third volume of Saga is out, btw, so I'll be reading that one at some point. Did I tell you I'm reading The Graphic Canon Vol 1? It's huge, and very interesting. Different graphic treatments of classics like Gilgamesh and Beowulf, up to Shakespeare and others. There are three volumes altogether.

My PBS station is advertising the season starter of Bletchley Circle. They say it will start at 9:00 p.m. on Sunday night. Does anybody know if this is true? The end of last season was a nail bitter and I can't wait for the new season to start.

Wow - if Bletchley Circle starts on Sunday that will mean that PBS is a contender for the Sunday night TV audience. They have a zinger of a schedule starting with Call the Midwife and ending with the women of Bletchley. i don't know if I can stand the excitement! It will mean a non-stop knitting and TV watching night for me. If it is true and Bletchley starts.

Nice day. Mostly sunny. Hope to shed the jacket after lunch, so I can start working on my farmer's tan.

Joe- I read Sula but it's been a long time. I plan on starting Tar Baby by Friday. I need to request that 3rd Saga book.

Benita- I also heard Bletchley will start on Sunday, along with Mad Men. What happened to the other 6 days in the week?

The AAC produced another winner this month for me Mark. I listened to The Bluest Eye. Difficult but excellent I say.

CTM is really good this season so far. I'm excited about Bletchley Circle.

The first part of Bletchley Circle #2 was compelling, but then it kinda dwindled for me, alas & alack...

Oh well.

I do have a couple of new BBC series in view, including series 3 of "Silk", which just shipped yesterday -- Woot!

>167 benitastrnad: If it is true and Bletchley starts. My DVR automagically scheduled a recording of Bletchley Circle this Sunday, and the description says it's the season 2 premier. So be sure you have plenty of knitting on hand! ( I do that too -- knit & watch my Sunday shows).

>168 msf59: "...I also heard Bletchley will start on Sunday, along with Mad Men. What happened to the other 6 days in the week."

Amen to that! The DVR is getting a real workout!

Today has got to be about the nicest day of the year so far. Mark, hope you enjoyed it. I just went outside and sat on a park bench for awhile and got a bit of sun.

Mark, I hope you have a wonderful day.

>174 Ameise1: Oh man, I want a pair of those!

I've got to get myself out into this nice weather, Mark. I hope it went well for you today. I probably missed it, but what do you have on audio now?

^ A guy can dream, can't he?

I guess I can get excited about my Sunday nights now. I also wonder what happened to the other nights of the week? I was watching Longmeyer on Monday nights and he disappeared. I have been reduced to watching old reruns of Antiques Roadshow. I couldn't even get excited about basketball this last week and last night listened to a couple of BBC4 podcasts.

How can season 2 of Bletchley be blah? The ending to season was 1 was such a cliff-hanger!

Roberta- You are batting a 1,000 on AAC, right? That is pretty impressive. I read the Bluest Eye many years ago and like all of her work, I have to give it a reread.

Suz- Sorry to hear about Bletchley. How are you able to watch it in advance or would you rather not tell? LOL. I have heard nothing about "Silk".

Laura- It looks like our Sunday nights will be action-packed. I don't knit but that is quite alright.

Marianne- Is that the only night they think people are home? With DVRs, is it even necessary?

Linda- I agree, it was very nice. I didn't slip out of my jacket, but I was very close in doing so.

Barbara- Those are perfect outdoor chairs! I LOVE Dogfish Head. Yum!

Joe- Yes, it was a good day and I am off tomorrow. Yah! My audio, is Underground, which continues to enthrall.

Benita- Most of the week the TV stays off. I do catch up with the Daily Show here and there, because I record them all. I am considering if I'll continue Longmire, once it comes back on. Good but not as good as the books.

Mark - Longmire lost my interest when it became a 22 episode show instead of a 10 episode show. I just cannot manage that many episodes.

Roberta- I didn't realize it was that many. No wonder it took forever. That's ridiculous. I do love the cast though.

Hey Mark!

Reporting in that as you predicted, I really enjoyed Oryx and Crake! It took me a while to get into the groove of it, but I loved it!

I've got The Rosie Project sitting on my shelf and home and waiting on me, so now that I know it was a hit with you, I'll try to get to it even sooner!! :)

I get the DVDs from the UK, Mark... They're very cheap (relatively speaking) and I have a multi-region DVD player (so don't need DVR...) "Silk" is a series about London barristers -- very edgy and dramatic. A newcomer, Maxine Peak, and Rupert Penry-Jones, who made his name in MI-5 and also has starred in Whitechapel.

Things that are cheaper in the UK than in the US: Theater tickets (in London vs NYC); cleaning ladies; DVDs. It used also to be train tickets and local transit passes, but no more...

>176 msf59: Cute!

Goodmorning Mark!

>165 msf59: My bad, Mark, I meant the 6th book. My son has read all five books but I hit the wall after book 3 and decided to take a break and will read the next three when #6 is out.

Morning mark!

^And I know I am not alone. Smiles...

Sweet Thursday! I have a day off. Yah! We have a few chores to do this morning before the wife heads to work and then I hope to get some reading in. I plan on finishing the Burning Air, which is turning out dark & twisty the way I like it, an Anglo-version of Gillian Flynn.

Tina- I hope you can get to the other 2 MaddAddam books. She has created quite a world. Did you see Joe's review of The Rosie Project? That should have you scooping it up in a second.

Suz- I figured you had an "angle". LOL. Don't tell my wife about "cheaper" cleaning ladies.

Loving waves to Rhonda, Diana & Abby!

Kerry- So you haven't watched the HBO series?

I am about 60 posts behind... sorry. Long week. No reading for a few days... Today, I hope? but probably not until tomorrow.. Enjoy your day off!

>187 msf59: Well, as long as it's certified....

Been working in the Marky-Mark Man-Cave. Need to get things tidy for The Great Chicago Meet-up, which is coming up in just over a week. Hooray!
It's nice having the doors and windows open. Ahhhhhhh....

Kath- I always enjoy my day off, no matter what I am doing. Good to see you.

Marianne- I think we are all certifiable. LOL.

I'm a fan of the Longmire show, too, Mark. Is it back on? Maybe someone said something up above, and I missed it.

Glad you have the day off. Enjoy these warm temps!

We're getting a little high-falutin' tonight and going to see Christopher Tetzlaff play Dvorák’s Violin Concerto and a couple of other works with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Should be good - what a gem of an orchestra we have.

Joe, we sure do have a gem of an orchestra, as well as a gem of an opera company and a gem of a ballet company. Sometimes, I think we're spoiled by the quality and quantity of our cultural offerings.

Lately, I've been going more to the opera and less to the CSO but I've got a CSO concert coming up soon, I think.

I'm very envious of your triple-threat cultural offerings! The CSO is indeed a gem. the Dvorak is a lovely piece; don't know Tetzlaff?

Have not been to the opera all year; very little live music at all, to my shame. I'm less of a balletomane, I confess. But I would like to get to something at the opera. It used to be very, very difficult to get tickets -- I believe they were routinely over-subscribed.

>194 Chatterbox: Actually, I wish I lived closer to the city and could go more often. It's about a 75 minute train ride into the city for me.

I take my friend from work to the opera occasionally (I go to 4 or so a year) and she'll occasionally take me to a ballet. In both opera and ballet, I like the traditional. I think I'm joining her next season for Swan Lake but not for the modern dance performances.

At the CSO, unlike the Lyric Opera or the Joffrey Ballet, I'm more willing to try something new/different.

I think I actually prefer a lot of modern dance -- at least, I find it interesting. With opera, I'm divided. I actively dislike Philip Glass -- there's that metronome-like beat that underlies EVERYTHING he writes and it literally makes me want to stand up and scream. But I like a program that adds one new commission to the mix. With opera, I suppose I'm still exploring Britten, so not really that "new". I've listened to newer stuff, and liked it, but not seen it staged. Anything extremely atonal is going to make me run the other way, though. There is a lot that I listen to today that I wouldn't have tried 10/20 years ago.

Yawns...

Glad you're able to enjoy a day off when windows and doors can be left open. I let my balcony door briefly open too to let the cats wander about if they liked, but they're pretty much homebodies like me and probably found it too chilly still, with not enough rays of sun to make for cozy spots to laze in. I'm having a good day, spirits-wise, which comes as a huge relief after the dark days of the week past, as you can imagine. Hope is always a good thing. Always uplifting, that. Sorry you aren't so crazy about the rest of the Game of Thrones books. I'll probably have to listen to book 4 again before moving on to book 5 since it's all quite hazy in my muddled mind already, though I do remember enjoying it a fair bit.

Still trying to wrap up The Burning Air. 15 pages to go. Boy, my off day went fast. Come on, slow down will ya!

Joe- We were talking Longmire but not about the new season. I am not sure when that starts. Have a good time with the CSO tonight!

Linda & Suz- I have never seen an opera or a ballet and probably won't. Sure, I am a book fanatic, but I am also a beer-loving blue-collar kind of guy. I do like the occasional play though.
Ann Patchett had a terrific essay on the opera in her latest collection. She was researching opera for Bel Canto and became a die-hard fan herself. Her descriptions of it, were quite stirring.

Ilana- I am glad you are having a "good" day. Yes, it was very nice here. I just closed the door, off the Man-Cave, because a slight chill was creeping in.
I also liked A Feast For Crows, even though they introduced a whole slew of new characters. I had more problems with book 5. It began to drag.

Hello, dear Mark! The bad penny has turned up again, I'm afraid. No sense trying to catch up with everything that's happened while I was gone, but I'm going to try to keep up with you from here out.

^Julia made it! Julia made it! Yippee!

>199 msf59: Well, if I come to Chicago during opera season, or if there's an opera being staged at the outdoor classical music venue (what is its name?? I have been struggling to remember...) I shall pick something interesting & take you along, Mark; or to an HD performance. Plenty of beer-loving blue-collar guys like opera. It's all about finding the right entry point. Like, probably NOT Wagner? I shall give this some thought, but I could see "Ghosts of Versailles" being a great option.

Heh. Wagner was my first opera (put on by the second-tier Dallas Opera in the crummy venue they had before the Winspear opened). Almost ruined opera for me. It was redeemed when I saw Rigoletto at the Met...

Morning, Mark!

I wish I could make it there for the meet-up next weekend, but being the day before Easter, I don't think I can swing it this time. Dang.

-Roger Chapelain-Midy

68 today! Our warm streak continues. I should wrap up Underground and I will start Tar Baby. I see no reason why the AA Express doesn't continue with resounding success.

Suz- That is a heck of a offer. I'll buy the beer. You are probably talking about Grant Park or the Pavilion in Millennium Park. Patchett talked about the HD performances and how amazingly popular they have become.

Katie- See, you hung in there! I am not sure I would have went back. LOL.

Amber- I was hoping you could make it down. We'll have a nice bunch attending. Maybe next year??

Rain! Not real warm yet.. but 60 is nothing to sneeze at, and I'll take it.

As predicted, no reading yesterday. I wasn't scheduled to work until 7p, but I suspected it might happen.

Time to get in a few errands this morning, then? I hope down time this afternoon. Another meet-up! Sounds great :)

Good morning, Mark! CSO was excellent. That violinist was really something.

Finsihed Sula; loved the writing, found the story a bit lacking, particularly in comparison to Beloved. I'm going to try Jazz some time, based on your positive comments about it.

Now I'm reading the RD-rec'd Just One Damned Thing After Another, and it's quite entertaining so far.

I've put in a request through ILL for The Rosie Project. I had forgotten about Terri's yearly Autism in April group read so this is perfect, although it may no longer be April by the time I get it. :-)

I'm giving the ILL (Interlibrary Loan) system a good work out and a chance to shine. I wonder if they appreciate me?

Mark, I hope you have a gorgwous day.

Blue sky, lots of sun, no jacket: Sweet! Just started Tar Baby. Her prose envelopes you.

Kath- Rain moves in tomorrow. Right now it is gorgeous. Hope your work day goes quickly with low stress levels.

Joe- Glad you liked the CSO and Sula. And yes, put Jazz on your To-Read list. Hope you get out today for lunch.

Janet- I am glad you can squeeze in Rosie. It's a lot of fun.

Barbara- Happy Friday to you too. Thanks for the leggy gal!

Love that Roger Chapelain-Midy painting Mark. Another artist I must look up.

OMG Mark, I am so out of touch! I've just missed your entire thread! Ack!
I quickly scrolled - so hope all's well in your corner. At least it looks to be a warmer corner than it was, finalllly! and sadly briefly!
Have a wonderful weekend.

Hmm "Anglo-version of Gillian Flynn" definitely has me intrigued. I put that on my maybe list.

Suz, Ravinia, perhaps?

Today would've been a nice day to be outside at a concert. Absolutely spectacular. Sunny and 70 degrees.

This woman likes to go to the opera or the ballet, and then head over to the hockey game.

I like opera and to hear it in the Pritz concert shell in Millenium Park would be wonderful.

I got caught up in Cinder so put Bel Canto aside for the time being. It too is interesting but Cinder has just captured me.

Yes, Linda! Mark, I was thinking of Ravinia... :-)

Sigh, we only just broke above 60. Not that I'm going to complain; that was revolutionary enough!!

^"Girl Reading" - Di Li Feng (^I love that face!)

I did not quite finish Underground, maybe a half hour left. Tar Baby sucked me right in and since it is more dialogue driven, it's reading quickly. This one has a bit of a different feel to it, than others I have read. Morrison is always interesting.

>212 Smiler69:- I will also be looking for more of Roger Chapelain-Midy's work Some odd, intriguing angles happening there.

Lynda- Glad you could stop by. All is well in Chicagoland. Hope you have a great weekend too!

>214 SuziQoregon:- The Burning Air was a good read and my wife was crazy about it too!

Linda- Hockey & opera! Good combination. LOL. I haven't been to Ravinia in nearly 10 years. It's a beautiful setting but it became ridiculously crowded.

Benita- I haven't heard any music at Millenium Park but I heard the acoustics are terrific in the Shell. Glad you are enjoying Cinder.

Suz- Close to 70 here and a lovely evening out there too. Lots of people out strolling. I haven't seen that in nearly 6 months.

^The Chicago Meet-Up will be held in ONE week, (next Saturday 2pm). All are welcome. We should have a decent-sized group already. Books, buddies, beer, pizza, more books! Be there or be square.

>218 msf59: You are absolutely right - that face is beautiful!

You do manage to meet a lot of LTers... I wonder who has met the most? Caro? Maybe? Darryl?
hmm.

Temps today:



^Is this a beautiful thing or what? I think I might cry a little...sniffs.

Amber- Yes, that is a great face and makes me smile when I see it.

Kath- I am not sure who the King or Queen of Meetups is but Darryl and Caro are right there at the very top.
I am lucky that I live in a city where I can meet LT pals on a fairly regular basis.

Mark, I'm glad to hear that spring has finally arrived at your place.

Happy Chicago, a day of warm weather! Hope you are enjoying every minute. We are also predicted to have a day or three of nice spring sunshine and temps might hit mid 60s. Lovely. Time for a little yard work, and unfortunately less reading. Oh, well.

Good morning Mark!

We are firmly into spring here. Mid 70s yesterday with brilliant blue skies - it was the nicest day of the year so far. Heavy wet snow on tap for tomorrow. Gotta love it!

Have you heard of The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry? A bookishly charming little gem, just sayin'...

This weather is more like it! I guess they're predicting a hiccup of lower temps early next week, but then it goes back up again.

Had some Revolution Anti-Hero yesterday evening, and it was delicious. Good Bulls win last night, coming back from 18 down. Going to have a lazy day today once I leave work, which is going to be quite soon! Hope the day's going well for you, buddy. Looking forward to the meetup!

Driving home from grocery shopping just now, I got caught in the hail storm. Ugh. That hail was huge. Hope it missed you guys.

Looking forward to the meet up. Just a week to go. Yay!!

Just a fly-by, from the windy but warm Midwest!!

I'll join Linda -- I love theater, opera, ballet and fine dining, but I also adore a good neighborhood bar, hotdogs and football/hockey/baseball. The DH on the other hand, only goes with me to the ballet if I can't find someone else to go. I'll try to point out how athletic it all is. He'll agree it is physically demanding, but insists it would only be athletic if someone else were trying to knock them down while they're doing it! ;-)

>231 michigantrumpet: Combat Ballet--what a good idea!

Oh, trying not to be too sad that I won't be at your meet-up! I would so love to meet you in person!!!

Can't wait to see tons of pictures, though!!

-Jeff Donovan (2009)

"His gray eyes drifted over the faces of such guests like a four 'o clock shadow on its way to twilight."

"He had a smile like Sunday."

- Tar Baby

^Read another nice chunk of this one today. If anyone is looking for something a bit more accessible, by Morrison, this one might fit the bill.

Barbara & Karen- It was definitely a nice warm spring day today. Almost hit 80F. Just very windy.

Joanne- Good to see you, like always. Sounds like your weather is just about perfect. I've been seeing The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry pop up all over. Good to see an LTer reading it and recommending it.

Joe- Yah, for Anti-Hero! One of my favs. And yes, it was a nice one today. Go Bulls!

>229 lindapanzo:- I saw the northern sky get very dark in the early afternoon but nothing drifted our way. I am not disappointed. Hope there was no damage.

Marianne & Rhonda- Big Waves!!

Tina- We would LOVE to have you attend a Meet-up! We usually have it in April or May. Keep it in mind. Have you guys considered having one in Georgia somewhere?

I won't be there -- but I prefer to be trapezoidal, if it's all the same... thank you!

Wow, we hit 65, and I though we were lucky. Actually, I thought I was hallucinating!

Mark, those are fantastic temperatures. I hope you'll have another fantastic day with less wind this time. :-D

>218 msf59: wow, she is beautiful! And so serene.

>220 msf59: OK, I guess I will be square then :(
How fun it will be for you all though. (trying really hard not to sound jealous, but not pulling it off!)

Thanks for bumping me to read Atwood for Atwood April, Mark. As you remember I started crazily early for it and that turned out just as well seeing as I have slowed considerably. BUT, right now I am about to hit the hay and get some pages turned before I nod off. Handmaid's Tale here I come!

Happy Sunday! House chores & reading are on the agenda today. And then CTM & GOT tonight. I am still deciding whether to watch Mad Men, since I was disappointed in last season. Maybe I'll record it and see the response...

Suz- I hope you are having a fine weekend. Minimal pain and good reading.

Barbara- It was windy but gorgeous yesterday and back to cold tomorrow but we are moving in the right direction.

Megan- I think you said, you've been to Chicago in your "wild" youth but I hope you can make it back here one of these days. Glad you are enjoying the Atwood. I hope to start Cat's Eye in a week or so.

Having a great Sunday, Mark! I am looking forward to GoT tonight, too. I am almost 100% off the TV. This morning I've been listening to Soundscapes... music the Provider puts on the TV for "our listening pleasure". Right now it is some lovely flutes - Elixir (2013) Yang Ying, on "Heaven, Human, Earth". At least that's what's on the TV screen. Lovely. I will watch Sunday Morning in a few minutes and GoT tonight, and in between: New Refrigerator Day. I'm scheduling a scrub down of the wall behind, and the floor beneath, before they get here. I might even throw a coat of paint on the wall.

It will be a good day!

^Book Porn. I have stacks of books but thankfully nothing like this. It's looks like it could explode any moment.

Trust that your Sunday will be a good one buddy. Started Beloved yesterday for your American Author challenge and took it with me when I went to meet a couple of pals to drink dry a fresh bottle of single malt. Well we did just that of course but I went home without my Beloved so to speak.

Bought the bloody thing again today but I also got Sula as well and decided to substitute it as my challenge read accordingly.

OMG, I really hope those books have been read. I just try to imagine what would happen if I take one from the middle out.

>242 msf59: You realize they have it stacked to look like a person's head, right?

>244 Ameise1: That's exactly what I thought at first. And what good is the most elegant stack of books, the most artistic representation of a head, IF YOU CAN'T REMOVE THE ONE YOU FEEL AN URGENT NEED TO READ?? Just sayin'...

>241 maggie1944:- Karen- I hope you are getting through your chores and finding a little reading time. I haven't cracked a book yet. Yah, for the new fridge.

Paul- I bet that single malt was tasty, eh? Whichever Morrison you choose, I hope it works for you. I loved both of those.

Barbara- That is exactly what I thought. LOL.

Morphy- Yes, I did.

Suz- " IF YOU CAN'T REMOVE THE ONE YOU FEEL AN URGENT NEED TO READ??" Amen, my friend. Amen!

>246 Chatterbox:, >247 msf59: :-D

I did my housekeeping yesterday. I cleaned out two cupboards from top to bottom. Then baked cupcakes for the book discussion. They turned out well. Seems like housecleaning is in the air. I am loving the Cinder series. I am not quite done with it. Will finish tonight.

I don't know if I will get to watch CTM. My channel has no picture. I can hear it but not see it. I may just get to listen. That will be an experience. Will that be like radio?

Hiya, Mark! There's a Tar Baby character in Sula. I wonder whether it's the same one in the Tar Baby you're reading?

We've been moving books into our newly fixed up back room, including some favorite gns. It's starting to fill up and look good.

Hope you're having a good Sunday.

Dropping in to catch up with you and to wish you a happy Sunday. Hope it's been good to you so far.

Hope you're enjoying the warm sector, Mark. I met some friends for brunch. It was 47 here and, half an hour away, it was 69 there. By the time we were done, the cold front moved through there and it was cold and foggy there as well.

Looking forward to CTM tonight and maybe getting some reading in, since the Cubs/Cards are in a rain delay.

Mark I'm so far behind but here I am my friend.

Working in the Man-Cave, getting things tidy. Transferring my audiobooks from the old PC, (which I am abandoning, since XP expired for good) and placing them on my laptop. I have acquired a hefty sum. It's like my TBR shelves for crying out loud.

Benita- Hope you are having an enjoyable Sunday. Is TV broken?

Joe- Yes, there is a Tar Baby character but its been to long since I've read Sula to know if there is a similar character.

The bookshelves sound great. One of these days I'll get a chance to peruse them.

Mamie- Good to see you! Getting things done around the house, not a lot of reading yet, but hopefully I'll still have a chance.

Linda- When I went food shopping, late morning, it was balmy out there but just after I returned home the temp dropped like a rock. Not much rain though. I NEED to get outside and do my yardwork. I am way over due.

Roberta- I hope you are having a good day.

My old desktop (which I have been using to store all my photos and for Photoshop) is XP, so I've taken it offline. When I buy a new gazillionterrabyte laptop, I'll start transferring stuff to it. (Stupid Microsoft.)

Hope you're having a great weekend, notwithstanding the stormy weather! But don't feel alone. It's snowing here. Ahahahaha.

How I picture your computer move.

Mary- With XP going to oblivion, it forced me to start using my new laptop again. I wasn't happy with it at first but it is growing on me quickly and I am starting to really enjoy Chrome which I didn't care for at first. See, all is good? My new hard-drive is 750g, which is also nice.

We are going to have a couple chilly days ahead of us but then it rebounds again. I can handle that.

RD- LOL. That is perfect. He looks very intent.

Hey there, Mark. Just checking in with you. I see your thread is busy as usual with lots of book and beer talk. I think there must be an unending supply of cool book pictures out there. You find some of the best ones. Cat's Eye was the first Atwood book I read so I have a fond feeling for it. I need to get busy and decide which one of hers I'm going to read. Right now I am leaning toward Lady Oracle, though the other one I own, Bodily Harm, is slightly shorter. Decisions, decisions. Have you read either of these?

Donna- Great to see you, as usual! I have not read any of Atwood's earlier work, although I have Lady Oracle and Surfacing saved on audio. Looking forward to Cat's Eye.

Excellent episode of CTM tonight. Everything I like about it. I really liked the story about Stella, the woman in prison.

btw, we just heard that our Blackhawks playoff game is on Wed night, 4/23, so I'm good for Sat.

>240 msf59: I think you said, you've been to Chicago in your "wild" youth
I am sure I never said 'wild', but you may have read (correctly) between the lines. ;)
Yes, once, for 5 hours I was in Chicago. Part way between London and Mexico City we had a stopover. I liked what I saw, but I cant say I saw all that much. And I do hope to return one day!

Good luck transferring the audio books, sounds like a mission!

Another WOW episode of GOT tonight. My heart will be racing for a while, I think. I'm guessing you'll be watching it tomorrow, so won't say anything further.

Linda- I liked CTM too! Another solid episode. Do you have Bletchley Circle recorded?

Megan- Sorry, I put the "Wild" in on my own. Seeing Chicago from O'Hare airport isn't really seeing much. You'll have to come back and really see it.

Ilana- I watched GOT! It was a good one and I was quite pleased at how it ended. Snickers softly...

^oh no. I got to go on the train into the city. That was how wild I used to be. To make use of my 5 hour stopover I went to a bar by a lake in town and had a beer. *crazy* ;)

GOT- I need to read it and see it, methinks.

Morning, Mark!

Ugly Monday! It is supposed to drop into the 30s through the day, with rain and possible snow. Seriously? Back to normal temps on Wednesday. Whew!
I am continuing Tar Baby. I am not sure it is one of my favorites but it is still very good. I am also enjoying Brilliance, which is a smart fast-paced thriller.

Megan- Now, that's my girl! Taking the train into the city for a pint. Yeah, baby. Not every one is crazy about GOT but you won't know until you try, right? Hope you have a good week.

Amber- Back to pulling all my warm weather stuff on. I was just thinking about when I was going to put on my walking shorts. Ugh!

Morning, Mark! Yuck to that weather. Glad to hear that by Wednesday things will be better. It's supposed to rain most of the week here, but the temps will be warm.

>247 msf59: Well, you know, I'm so oblivious to stuff like that. I figured maybe other people were, too. It took me a couple of minutes to realize what it was. "Is that? Maaaybe. I *think* so. Okay. It is. Maybe." Even when I posted I wasn't more than 90% sure!

Good morning, Mark! I'm hopelessly behind with no time to catch up, but wanted to wish you a great week!

Any time you're in town, come over for a book perusal, Mark. We're having fun with having more shelves to fill.

I finished Just One Damned Thing After Another, and you're probably going to want to heed that angelic book warbler Richard on this one. An entertaining read with a kick-ass heroine.

Now I'm reading an ER book, the Star Wars/Shakespeare mashup, The Empire Striketh Back. Not a world-changer, but very amusing.

What a crappy weather day out there. I hope it's better where you are.

Cool, with spotty rain. Not horrible.

Mamie- make sure you have your rain gear for your walks or do you use an umbrella?

Morphy- I didn't catch the "face" at first, either. I usually don't spot things like that.

Terri- Hope you have a good week too. Nice to see you.

Howdy Joe- thanks for the book rec. If it's from both u and RD, I gotta check it out.
I am hoping the rain holds out a few more hours.

It felly chilly to me but not horrible either.

What's Bletchley Circle? What night is that on?

Happy new week, Mark, and I'm here to reinforce the urging to join the Chronicles of St Mary's conga line...free...freeeeeeee

It is winter here - again. Cold, wet, and grey. 'nuf said.

Got to watch the Sunday night line-up on PBS so I am happy. CTW was very good, and I enjoyed Bletchley Circle as well. Love those women. It was not the TV it was the station, but they got it fixed by the time I got home from book discussion group and I got to watch my shows. And knit.

Did you hear the great review of Mad Men that was on NPR this morning. It almost made me think that perhaps I should try to watch that show sometime. But since I have not ever watched it I figure I don't need to start now.

Ha!! I made it onto this thread before it is continued!! Hello my friend. Headed back up to the top to catch up on all things Mark. : )

I was sorry to hear about your Aunt. You hit me with a Book Bullet: Tom Rob Smith's The Secret Speech (Child 44 Trilogy). Thankfully, I have already read the Rosie Project and loved it! Passing on the mass murderer. Wishing you lots of fun at the Chicago Meet-up!! Hugs.

>272 msf59: Sadly, I have no rain gear. I do have an umbrella, but in Georgia, one really needs actual rain gear because when it rains, it RAINS. Usually steadily and all day long.

What a dya yesterday was for TV! We had a large group over for an impromptu Masters Golf Final watching party ... and they just wouldn't leave. Good thing I had all the shows already lined up for taping on the DVR.

Managed to catch CTM later. Another great episode. Hoping to get to Selfridge and Bletchley tonight.

Yay for DVR!

On this day in biblio-history:



"April14th, 1939 THE GRAPES OF WRATH by JOHN STEINBECK was published. Epic of the Great Depression chronicles the Dust Bowl migration of the 1930s and tells the story of one Oklahoma farm family, the Joads-driven from their homestead and forced to travel west to the promised land of California."

^My favorite book of all-time and one that changed my reading life, in many wonderful ways.

It was really warm here this afternoon. Actual summer weather! I had no clue because hadn't checked the weather as I usually do. t was just in time to take advantage of it with Coco on our trip to the market and just as I got home a big rainstorm started. I'm happy to look at it from the window, though my head's not liking the low pressure system.

As having reading the first two Chronicles of St. Mary's books I ponder this, what's keepin' ya? Good stuff.

38 with snow flurries on my way home. WTH?

>260 lindapanzo:- "The Bletchley Circle is a television mystery drama miniseries, set in 1952, about four women who used to work as codebreakers at Bletchley Park. A series of murders takes place that seem to have a pattern. The police apparently overlook the pattern, so the women start investigating it themselves."

^You will love this show, Linda. It is also on PBS. It is also on Sunday nights. Look for a repeat.

RD- I will add Just One Damned Thing After Another to the WL. I buckle under pressure very easily.

Benita- Wow! You are getting a bit of winter down south too, eh? I am sure it will be brief. We will try to Bletchley Circle tonight or tomorrow night.

I have watched Mad Men from the beginning. It's not always perfect but for the most of the time it is excellent. I wasn't crazy about the last season, so I was waffling about watching the final season but that could change...

Hooray for The Grapes of Wrath! That is one of my all time favorites, and it changed my reading life, too.

Hey Mark! Stopping by to wish you a good week.

>276 Berly:- Kimmers made it! Kimmers made it! Hooray! Great to see you, my friend. I NEED to read the Secret Speech but I will probably get to his new one first. I'll have to stop by and see what you are reading.

Marianne- This Sunday night line-up is a real joke. Doesn't anyone in broadcasting realize there are six other nights in the week?

Mamie- Just pick up a good rain poncho and something to protect your shoes and you will be set. Do you listen to anything while walking?

^Another TGOW obsessive! Yah!

Stephanie- I am not familiar with the Chronicles of St. Mary's series. I better start paying closer attention.

Abby- Great to see you. I hope your week is going well too.

Hi Mark, I am another one who counts The Grapes of Wrath among my favorites so am more than happy to be wishing it a happy 75th anniversary.

Hope you have a good week.

>285 msf59:
Mark, it's the series Richard and Joe have been Warbling about. Just One Damned Thing After Another is the first book.

Stephanie- LOL. I just realized, (DUH!) and was going to come back and comment. Another fan, huh? I better get cracking!

So this is only available on ebook? My local library has no clue...

Judy- I own one of those fancy Viking Press original copies of The Grapes of Wrath, with a protective sleeve. It is gorgeous.

>285 msf59: I have to listen to music while walking because I find I need a beat to keep up my pace. Abby loves to listen to audiobooks while walking - she just finished up Wuthering Heights on our walk today.

Just One Damned Thing After Another was FREE on Kindle today. : ) Richard hit me with that bullet.

Kim- I GOT IT!! Yah!

Mamie- What music do you listen to? I'll have to stop by Abby's place and see what she thought of the Bronte classic.

>291 msf59: I like almost everything - not big on synthesized stuff. Love blues and jazz, old rock and some country. I am a bit of a nut when walking, and I always listen to Mad Season by Matchbox Twenty. I know you are not a big fan, But I adore Rob Thomas/Matchbox Twenty, Mumford and Sons, and Coldplay. But Johnny Cash, Howling Wolf, Muddy Waters, Norah Jones, Rolling Stones (the older stuff), the Eagles, and Creedence Clearwater Revival take up equal space on my iPod.

And Abby LOVED Wuthering Heights!

>280 Smiler69:- Sorry, my friend. I missed you up there. I was clumsily typing away and skipped right over you. Bad Mark!

Mamie- You seem well-rounded in the music department. Books have completely pushed my music listening out of the picture, which is sad but books can be bullies! I try to listen to the NPR music podcast every week, to at least stay current.