rosalita jumps a little higher in 2014: Verse 11

I’m Julia, back for my fourth year with the 75 Book Challenge. I have no idea what 2014 will hold, but for the first time I’m going to attempt a little *gulp* planning. When it comes to reading, I am a pantser not a plotter, so I am not at all sure I will be able to follow a plan when shiny new books start popping up at the library and in other people’s threads. You might want to grab a ringside seat for what’s almost certain to be a hot mess of a reading year. :-)

2014 Category Challenge:
To help me with my planning, I am also attempting for the first time this year a Category Challenge. That link will take you to my thread over in that group, but for the record here are my categories (based on the titles of Bruce Springsteen songs):
1. Brilliant Disguise — books by pseudonymous authors
    1. The Innocents Abroad
2. Growin’ Up — young adult fiction
3. Be True — nonfiction
    1. Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919
    2. Beyond the Body Farm
    3. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
    4. Country Music Broke My Brain
4. Book of Dreams — fantasy fiction
    1. His Majesty's Dragon
    2. Wolves of the Calla
    3. Hexed
    4. Hammered
    5. Tricked
    6. A Symphony of Echoes
    7. 11/22/63
5. Highway Patrolman — police procedurals
    1. Broken Homes
    2. The Greek Coffin Mystery
    3. Whack-a-Mole
    4. Countdown City
6. Dead Man Walkin’ — books about the death penalty
7. It’s Hard To Be a Saint in the City — books set in New York City
    1. Burglar on the Prowl
    2. Three-Day Town
    3. The Golden Spiders
    4. The Burglar Who Counted the Spoons
    5. The Final Deduction
8. Reason to Believe — books with a religious theme
    1. No god but God
9. Spirit in the Night — ghost stories
    1. Shutter Island
    2. The Shining
10. She’s the One — female authors new to me
    1. Willa Cather (Death Comes For the Archbishop)
    2. Donna Tartt (The Goldfinch)
    3. Jo Baker (Longbourn)
    4. Jodi Taylor (Just One Damned Thing After Another)
    5. Kathy Reichs (Déjà Dead)
    6. Ursula K. LeGuin (A Wizard of Earthsea)
    7. Sarah Castille (Against the Ropes)
    8. Alena Graedon (The Word Exchange)
    9. Mary Balogh (First Comes Marriage)
11. A Good Man Is Hard to Find — male authors new to me
    1. John Godey (The Taking of Pelham One Two Three)
    2. Patrick O'Brien (Master and Commander)
    3. Kevin Hearne (Hounded)
    4. Andy Weir (The Martian)
12. The Ghost of Tom Joad — books by John Steinbeck
13. Local Hero — authors with a connection to the Iowa Writers Workshop
    1. The Barkeep
    2. Slaughterhouse-Five
14. Worlds Apart — books set outside the U.S.
    1. A Week in Winter (Ireland)
    2. The Panther (Yemen)
    3. Frederica (England)
    4. The Murder at the Vicarage (England)
    5. An Infamous Army (Belgium)
    6. Trapped (Greece)
    7. Hunted (Europe)
    8. A Second Chance (England)
    9. The Body In the Library (England)
    10. The Penelopiad (Greece)
    11. Deadly Decisions (Canada)
    12. Cotillion (England)
    13. Black Sheep (England)
    14. These Old Shades (France, England)
    15. The Corinthian (England)
    16. Venetia (England)
    17. The Foundling (England)
    18. The Devil's Cub (England, France)
    19. A Civil Contract (England)
    20. Faro's Daughter (England)
    21. April Lady (England)
    22. Bath Tangle (England)
    23. Arabella (England)
    24. Then Comes Seduction (England)
    25. At Last Comes Love (England)
    26. Grave Secrets (Guatemala, Canada)

Let’s see, what else?

My rating scale:
★★★★★ - completely enthralling. It enlightened or educated me in some way. I can definitely see myself reading it again. In short, a "keeper" worth buying.
★★★★½ - not quite perfect, but I will actively recommend this book to friends.
★★★★ - really great book with minor flaws, still highly recommended.
★★★½ - better than average but some flaws. Recommended.
★★★ - entertaining but probably forgettable, not worth re-reading. Recommended only for fans of the genre or author.
★★½ - readable but something about the story, characters or writing was not up to standards. Not recommended.
★★ - finished but did not like, and would not recommend.
★½ - some redeeming qualities made me finish it, but nothing to recommend.
★ - finished but disliked enough to actively attempt to dissuade others from reading.
½ - could not finish, possibly destroyed by fire (unless it's a library book)

Books Read ticker:

January
1. The Burglar on the Prowl, Lawrence Block. ★★★½
2. The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, John Godey. ★★★
3. A Tan and Sandy Silence, John D. MacDonald. ★★★½
4. A Week in Winter, Maeve Binchy. ★★★½
5. Cut To the Bone, Jefferson Bass. ★★★½
6. The Panther, Nelson DeMille. ★★★½
7. The Scarlet Ruse, John D. MacDonald. ★★★★
8. The Racketeer, John Grisham. ★★★
9. Christmas Mourning, Margaret Maron. ★★★★
10. The Turquoise Lament, John D. MacDonald. ★★★★
11. W Is for Wasted, Sue Grafton. ★★★½
12. The Dreadful Lemon Sky, John D. MacDonald. ★★★★
13. Death Comes For the Archbishop, Willa Cather. ★★★★½

February
14. His Majesty's Dragon, Naomi Novik. (re-read)
15. Three-Day Town, Margaret Maron. ★★★½
16. Frederica, Georgette Heyer. ★★★★
17. The Goldfinch, Donna Tartt. ★★★★½
18. Master and Commander, Patrick O'Brian. ★★★★
19. Broken Homes, Ben Aaronovitch. ★★★★
20. The Buzzard Table, Margaret Maron. ★★★½
21. The Wolves of Calla, Stephen King. ★★★★½
22. The Golden Spiders, Rex Stout (re-read)
23. Shutter Island, Dennis Lehane. ★★★½
24. W Is for Wasted, Sue Grafton. ★★★★
25. The Empty Copper Sea, John D. MacDonald. ★★★★½
Abandoned Without Prejudice™
The Hamlet, William Faulkner

March
26. Hounded, Kevin Hearne. ★★★★
27. The Murder at the Vicarage, Agatha Christie. ★★★½
28. Hexed, Kevin Hearne. ★★★★
29. The Green Ripper, John D. MacDonald. ★★★½
30. Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919, Stephen Puleo ★★★★
31. The Whole Enchilada, Diane Mott Davidson. ★★★
32. V Is for Vengeance, Sue Grafton. ★★★½
33. Free Fall in Crimson, John D. MacDonald. ★★★½
34. The Road, Cormac McCarthy. ★★★★★
35. The Burglar Who Counted the Spoons, Lawrence Block. ★★★★★
36. Hammered, Kevin Hearne. ★★★
37. Tricked, Kevin Hearne. ★★★½
38. Trapped, Kevin Hearne. ★★★★
39. Hunted, Kevin Hearne. ★★★★
40. An Infamous Army, Georgette Heyer. ★★★★

April
41. Longbourn, Jo Baker. ★★★★
42. Cinnamon Skin, John D. MacDonald. ★★★½
43. Turning Angel, Greg Iles. ★★★★
44. The Lonely Silver Rain, John D. MacDonald. ★★★½
45. The Devil's Punchbowl, Greg Iles. ★★★★
46. The Death Factory, Greg Iles. ★★★½
47. The Greek Coffin Mystery, Ellery Queen. ★★★½
48. Just One Damned Thing After Another, Jodi Taylor. ★★★★
49. The Gods of Guilt, Michael Connelly. ★★★½
50. A Thread of Truth, Marie Bostwick. ★★★½
51. A Symphony of Echoes, Jodi Taylor. ★★★★
52. A Second Chance, Jodi Taylor. ★★★★
53. 11/22/63, Stephen King. ★★★★½

May
54. Hit Me, Lawrence Block. (re-read)
55. The Body in the Library, Agatha Christie. ★★★★
56. The Penelopiad, Margaret Atwood. ★★★★
57. Hit Parade, Lawrence Block. (re-read)
58. Dèjá Dead, Kathy Reichs. ★★★½
59. The Father Hunt, Rex Stout. (re-read)
60. Too Many Cooks, Rex Stout. (re-read)
61. The Barkeep, William Lashner. ★★★½
62. The Litigators, John Grisham. ★★★
63. Natchez Burning, Greg Iles. ★★★★½
64. Death du Jour, Kathy Reichs. ★★★½

June
65. A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula K. LeGuin. ★★★★★
66. The Shining, Stephen King. ★★★★★
67. Deadly Decisions, Kathy Reichs. ★★★½
68. Cotillion, Georgette Heyer. ★★★★
69. Beyond the Body Farm, Jefferson Bass. ★★★½
70. The Final Deduction, Rex Stout. (re-read)
71. Whack-a-Mole, Chris Grabenstein. (re-read)
72. Black Sheep, Georgette Heyer. ★★★★
73. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, Dee Brown. ★★★★½
74. Against the Ropes, Sarah Castille. ★★★½
75. The Martian, Andy Weir. ★★★★½
76. Chestnut Street, Maeve Binchy. ★★
77. These Old Shades, Georgette Heyer. ★★★★
78. Fatal Voyage, Kathy Reichs. ★★★½
79. The Corinthian, Georgette Heyer. ★★★★

July
80. Venetia, Georgette Heyer. ★★★★
81. Countdown City, Ben H. Winters. ★★★½
82. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, Gabrielle Zevin. ★★★½
83. No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam, Reza Aslan. ★★★★½
84. The Quiet Gentleman, Georgette Heyer. ★★★½
85. Country Music Broke My Brain, Gerry House. ★★½
86. The Foundling, Georgette Heyer. ★★★½
87. Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut. ★★★★
88. The Devil's Cub, Georgette Heyer. ★★★½
89. The Word Exchange, Alena Graedon. ★★★★
90. A Civil Contract, Georgette Heyer. ★★★★
91. Faro's Daughter, Georgette Heyer. ★★★½
92. April Lady, Georgette Heyer. ★★★½
93. Bath Tangle, Georgette Heyer. ★★★★
94. First Comes Marriage, Mary Balogh. ★★★½
95. Arabella, Georgette Heyer. ★★★½
96. Then Comes Seduction, Mary Balogh. ★★★½
97. The Innocents Abroad, Mark Twain. ★★★½
98. At Last Comes Love, Mary Balogh. ★★★

August
99. Grave Secrets, Kathy Reichs. ★★★★

            

Well, I usually try to start a new thread with a review but I don't really have anything review-worthy to post at the moment. I've been indulging in comfort reads like Georgette Heyer and Kathy Reichs instead of finishing No god but God, which I swear I do find interesting but just can't commit to for long periods. It must go back to the library on Saturday, though, so I've got to get myself going and just finish the darn thing.

Happy New Thread, lady!!

Thanks, Miss Amber! I'm sorry I don't give gifts to my first thread visitor, but be assured I hold you in the highest esteem already. :-)

And just like that you passed me with the Temperance books. *sigh* Happy new thread, Julia!!

>7 rosalita: *snork!* That's gift enough, milady.

Thank you, Miss Mamie! They are like eating potato chips — I can't stop reading them even though I know it's not healthy to read so many so quickly.

>9 scaifea: Whew!

Happy new thread!

Welcome, Carrie! I wish I had a photo of a cute pup like Adrian to post in my topper. That would really bring in the crowds. :-)

Lovely new thread Julia, and congratulations on reading over 75 books.

Thank you, Rae! I hope you have a good Fourth of July holiday.

WOW! You've read 80 books thus far...incredible!

Too many easy reads though, Linda, to really feel good about the accomplishment. I had hoped I would be challenging myself more but it's so easy to fall into the comfortable old patterns. Still, it's the halfway point in the year and a perfect time to turn over a new reading leaf!

*Wave! And hooray for comfort reads! They make it possible to get through the tougher stuff. :)

Julia, Easy reads are allowed. I know you mentioned a bad patch a while back. Easy reads are good when we aren't able to function on all four wheels.

I've read more children's illustrated books than non illustrated books. I try not to feel guilty about this, and I try not to go down the bad road of comparing my quality of books to others.

I think we read just what we need to read at a specific time. Make sense?

Hugs!

>18 nittnut: You are right of course, Jenn, as long as I actually get to some of the tougher stuff sooner or later. :-)

>19 Whisper1: You are too kind, Linda, and of course you are right, too. We read what we are capable of at the time, and there's no such thing as "wrong". I wish I could be as easygoing and non-judgmental about my own behavior as I am about others. I think I got hit with a double-dose of the self-criticism gene.

Happy New thread, Julia! I've been enjoying your music selections on FB. Some nice ones there.

Thanks! I have been listening to the Radio feature on Spotify lately. I think the last couple of time it was set to Jason Isbell, which certainly spins up some great artists that I don't listen to nearly enough!

>20 rosalita:.. A double dose of self-criticism is difficult to muddle through. It took years and years (I'm 61) to feel comfortable with who I am.

I will be 50 later this year, so perhaps there's hope for me yet!

Happy new thread, my friend!

Thanks, Katie!

Lovely new thread, and hurrah for all the Heyer reads--so much fun!

Hi Julia, I was so far bahind! The flooding on your previous thread was pretty scary, I hope the rain has let up in your area. We are just coming off our holiday and I guess you are getting ready for a long weekend to celebrate the 4th.

Whew! I think I'm all caught up now! Let's see...congrats on reaching 75 already, you over achiever you! And I love your new phone case. My turn with The Martian finally came up but since I was in the middle of a couple of other books, I handed it off to the hubby who is enjoying it. One of these days I'll get to it. (My turn with the library's ecopy came up several weeks ago and I forgot (!) to check it out in time.) Congrats on your hot review. Glad the flooding didn't cause you a lot of trouble. And Trivia Night sounds like a lot of fun!

Have a happy 4th!

Hi Julia,
I am turning 40 next year.
I am just trying it on for size, and I think I will cope with it :)
I did inadvertently insult my fancy sister-in-law a while ago though. My brother told me she is freaking about turning 40 and I just blurted out without engaging my brain, that that was because she feared that without her looks she would have nothing.
Woops.

>20 rosalita: I have been deep in to comfort books this year too and I think we should both cut ourselves some slack.

>30 LovingLit: Ouch! LOL. Hope he didn't pass along your comment. : 0

I'm well into my 50s and don't really want to read 'challenging' books any more, but I think books, such as Georgette Heyers, aren't the less worthwhile for being easy to read. I do like the recommendations and conversations about books that I find here on LT because they sometimes push me into reading books that would have passed me by or that I didn't like the look of, that I then appreciate and enjoy, but I'm passed the stage of feeling that I 'ought' to read any book. I have a finite number of reading years left but an infinite number of books so I'm not going to waste my time on books that give me no pleasure.

(I think I might copy this to my thread as my Reading Manifesto).

>27 ronincats: I can't believe it took me so long to read Heyer. Now I'm trying to make up for lost time, I guess.

>28 DeltaQueen50: A day off work is always welcome, Judy.

>29 Copperskye: My goodness, that was a lot of catching up, Joanne! I think you would enjoy The Martian so I hope you get to it someday.

>30 LovingLit: Take it from me, Megan, turning 40 was a piece of cake! You will be well able to cope, I am sure.

>31 Berly: Thanks for the comforting support, Kim!

>32 CDVicarage: I understand what you mean, Kerry. For me, when I say challenging I mean books that I genuinely am interested in and want to read, but that do require more mental attention than reading Georgette Heyer. One of the (many) reasons I read is to learn about and experience new things, and I don't ever want that to stop, so I need to find a way to accommodate both types of reading in a satisfying way.

Hello dear Julia! >4 rosalita: Some books just need to be dipped into versus read straight through. I have to stop and process information on some reads rather than just absorb it all in one go.

That is exactly the situation, Roberta! The real problem is that I am trying to read that type of book as a library book with a due date, instead of just buying the darn thing to read at my own pace.

Happy Relatively New Thread, Julia! I can't imagine thinking that anyone would need an excuse for reading Ms. Heyer. So there. I'm about to turn 70, and I still want to read it all.

Peggy, I'm just sorry I deprived myself of reading them for so long, due to my complete ignorance of their existence. Another example of LT to the reading rescue!

>35 rosalita: Julia I am going on 2 years reading Bill Clinton's autobiography. I have checked it out of the library 3 times. This includes the book and the audio CDs. I have no problem checking it out again. They are so nice to shelve my books for me and get them to me time and again. I'll probably check it out another couple of times before I finish it. I'm not ashamed. Bill talks too much. LOL!

Ha! I have seen him speak in person more than once. He does appear to be in love with the sound of his own voice, but he is partially forgiven by having some very thoughtful things to say. I just wish he could say them with less words. :-)

Happy New Thread Julia! I've only read 1.5 Heyer novels so far (well, listened to, actually); really enjoyed the first and was bored to tears with the half of the other. Romance isn't a genre I'm used to, so I really have to get over my natural cynicism to be able to relax and enjoy it, but I intend to try and try again. I was encouraged to see on the GH thread that different people have varying opinions on what their favourite titles by her are, and since I really did enjoy that first experience, I know it's bound to happen again. I lost track of you last thread toward the end, so will swing by and see what I've missed.

Ilana, I haven't run into a Heyer clunker yet. I have heard that the mysteries are not quite up to the level of the romances. Do you happen to remember the title of the one you didn't like?

Hi Julia, happy new thread my dear, I am 51 on Sunday and the greatest sporting event in the world begins on Saturday just a few miles away from me in Leeds and the stage on Sunday goes from York to Sheffield. The tour de France is awesome and as I type this I am watching the Grand Depart ceremony on T.V. from the Leeds arena. Hope you are having a good day my dear.

Thank you, John! We are almost the same age. I hope you enjoy watching the Tour de France!

Have a great holiday weekend, Julia!

Thanks, Joe! Same to you, Debbi and Becca as well.

Hi Julia, I hope you have a lovely 50th birthday as I did, we went away for a few days down to Salisbury and then had a party with friends after we got back, I got some lovely presents and cards and I hope it is the same for you my dear.

>45 rosalita: Thanks, Julia. That trio plus the furry Sherlock will be together for a week while we visit with mon pere.

I forgot Sherlock!!! Bad Julia. Please don't tell him — I'm his biggest LT fan (in my own mind, anyway).

>49 jnwelch: If it comes up, I promise I'll distract him with a treat.

>42 johnsimpson: My son is going to be there - he will be performing BMX tricks at the Harewood House site. I shall be watching on TV for the whole three weeks. I'm lucky in that I can watch TV during the day at work some of the time.

>49 jnwelch: Whew! Thanks, Joe.

>50 CDVicarage: How cool, Kerry!

>50 CDVicarage:, Hi Kerry, that sounds great to be a part of the TDF in Yorkshire, like you I shall be watching for the whole three weeks. I remember first catching the Tour in 1973 when World of Sport used to show 30 minutes of highlights every Saturday during the tour and I used to get Cycling Weekly to follow the results and then Channel Four used to have an hour long programme each day in the early 80's. I just love cycling and the Grand Tours and have a number of books on cycling and the tour. Hope it is a good race and Froomey wins again.

Have a fabulous 4th of July Julia and a great holiday weekend.

Just a feeble wave from the 52-year-old over here.

Still laughing at Megan's faux-pas... I have to say that if it's true, it's even funnier. But that's because I have relatively little compassion for those who've been cruising by on good looks and no brains, personality, empathy, etc. etc. for the last few decades!

>53 GeezLouise: Thanks, Rae! I hope you all have a great holiday weekend down there in hot Georgia!

>54 Chatterbox: I have to say, 52 sounds younger and younger to me every year, Suzanne!

And an even feebler (is that a word?) wave from a 55-year-old who is still in deep, deep denial.

Hitting 40 was ok but 50 really bothered me. It still bothers me, truth be told. I know it shouldn't. Pretty soon 50 will sound good as 60 looms ever closer...

Happy Independence Day Julia!

Happy 4th, Julia! I will be hitting the Double Nickels, in a couple weeks. WTH? It sneaks up on you...

Have you heard of Parker Millsap? This is quite a jam and he is only 21:

https://soundcloud.com/thirtytigers/parker-millsap-truck-stop

Happy Independence Day, Julia!

Happy Fourth, Julia!

Happy Fourth of July Julia.

Happy Fourth of July, Julia. Nice new thread!

Hi Julia! Happy 4th! I hope your day has been as enjoyable as mine has. I've had a lazy day hanging out with Adrian.

>56 Copperskye: Having met you, I heartily reject your notions of your own feebleness, Joanne! You are young in spirit as well as appearance, my friend.

>57 luvamystery65: Thanks, Roberta! The same to you.

>58 msf59: Thanks for the link, Mark. I am not at all familiar with Parker Millsap so I will definitely check that out. I love discovering new music.

>59 DeltaQueen50: Thank you, Judy! Greetings from our northern friends are always welcome around these parts.

>60 jnwelch: And the same to all of you, Joe! (Notice how I carefully avoided naming each of you so as not to get myself into another kerfuffle by leaving someone out.) :-)

>61 johnsimpson: That's mighty nice of you, John, considering this is the day we Americans celebrate our independence from your lot. I'm glad our two countries have overcome those past differences to be such close friends today.

>62 tymfos: Thanks, Terri! I hope you are having a good holiday, too.

>63 cbl_tn: Howdy Carrie and Adrian. That sounds like a lovely day. Mine has been very laid-back as well, with lots and lots of reading time and listening to some good music on Spotify.

Happy Fourth of July!

It was, Kim!

I'll be 55 in September.

How in the HELL did that happen.

>67 richardderus: I, for one, demand a recount.

More appalling still: My Gentleman Caller turned 22 in April.

TURNED. 22. As in, "became older than he was before."

*eeeep*

>67 richardderus: >69 richardderus: What's a male cougar called? LOL Good for you!

>70 Berly: The answer to that question is "Richard Derus"! ;0)

Hi Julia --- happy new-ish thread and a (belated) Happy 4th of July!

>67 richardderus: I'll be that Monday. This is definitely not what I saw for myself at this point in my life.

>69 richardderus: Holee .... Okay, now I begin to understand. The heart wants what the heart wants and anyone who will row/hike/walk just to phone to hear your voice is worthy of consideration. xoxo

And hi Julia!!!

>71 TinaV95: & >74 AuntieClio: Welcome, Tina and Stephanie. Thanks for stopping by.

Good Sunday Morning, Julia!

Hi Julia, I hold no grudges about the war of independence and as you say we are all friends now, hope everything is well with you my dear and you had a good 4th of July. I am at present watching the Tour De France from my own glorious county and know that it is being showcased around the globe and I am having a good day because today I am 51 and have opened my cards and presents. In another hour we are going to the cinema and yesterday we went to Chester for a lovely day out.

Hi Julia! Congratulations on reading 75 books this year and for your wonderful review of The Martian. I was definitely hit by that particular BB.

Julia--Will you give me an idea or two for your suggested category of YA novels for the LT Anniversary Themes (Thinga Themes)? Thanks! Closing in. Only 4 more categories to go!!

Happy new thread Julia! We're still youngsters. That's my story and sticking with it!

>76 Crazymamie: Well, good Sunday afternoon-sliding-into-evening by now, but thanks Mamie!

>77 johnsimpson: And a very happy birthday to you, John! There was a report on Le Tour starting in Yorkshire on the public radio station last evening, with the BBC's Yorkshire man providing the information. I couldn't help but think of you and Paul as he talked about how Yorkshire is "God's Own Country". xx

>78 souloftherose: Heather, it was a marvelous read and I'm glad you may tackle it for yourself. I don't often have the opportunity to hit people with book bullets, since by the time I get around to a book most everyone on LT has already read it!

>79 Berly: I'll give it some thought, Kim.

>80 michigantrumpet: I console myself with the thought that I act very immaturely for my age, Marianne. :-)

>80 michigantrumpet: >81 rosalita: I am fifty this year, too. I think it has a nice ring to it. ; )

I think your suggestions are perfect, but if you want to switch categories just let me know!

>82 Berly: Nuts. Now I'm going to have to confess I'm *slightly*more than 50. Still a youngster, though.

It's the immature attitude that counts. Keep it up! ; )

>82 Berly: Class of 1964, unite! ;-)

>83 michigantrumpet: Trumpet players never get old, Marianne. I think I read that somewhere.

>84 Berly: Atta girl!

I'm only 46 - worst of all worlds. Old enough to start creaking and too young for senior discounts! There's a senior center in town that has great classes, but you have to be 50 to take them... I eagerly await 3 years and one month from now.

It's Monday! So, yeah.

I hope you all had enjoyable weekends, whether you celebrated a three-day holiday in the USA or a non-holiday elsewhere. Around my corner of the world, lots and lots of reading got done, which makes Julia a happy camper. Most importantly, I finally finished No god but God, just a couple of hours before the library was set to yank it out of my ereader. I hope to have a review written soon.

I also read a couple more Heyers, and a couple of library books that have gotten a fair bit of buzz around the LT campfire: Countdown City, the second book in the Last Policeman series, and The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. I'm working on reviews for those, too.

It was entirely too hot and muggy to do grocery shopping yesterday, so I'll tackle that tonight after work. I did get laundry done and put away (that last part's always the trick for me), and I hard-boiled some eggs for my lunches this week. At least, I hope I did; I've never done it before so I'm a little anxious to see what happens when I crack the shell. :-)

81. Countdown City, Ben H. Winters.

Hank Palace is back in the second book in the “Last Policeman” series. Hank is no longer a cop, after his homicide unit was disbanded at the end of the first book, The Last Policeman. Indeed, the police aren’t doing much of anything anymore, just biding their time like everyone else until an asteroid strikes the earth and destroys civilization as we know it. As the time grows nearer, people become increasingly unnerved and unpredictable, most governmental services are just a memory, and informal barter sites have sprung up to help people get the things they need to survive until the end.

That’s the situation Palace is living in when he answers a plea from his former babysitter to find her missing husband. No one he talks to can understand why he’s bothering. It’s not his job anymore, and anyway people are going “Bucket List” all the time these days, as impending disaster causes them to rethink their lives and cut to the chase of what’s really important to them. But then again, what else is there for Palace to do while he waits with everyone else for the imminent end of the world?

Palace has a quality that reminds me of Lawrence Block’s great noir series character, Matthew Scudder. Neither of them are brilliant analytical minds or geniuses at reading clues. But each has a bulldog tenacity that will not allow them to give up until they find the answers they are looking for. That stubborness leads Palace — and his bichon frise, Houdini — to a possibly mob-connected pizza/bowling joint, a commune established on the former campus of the University of New Hampshire, and an abandoned fort on the Maine coast. Every time he thinks he’s getting closer to find the answer, he realizes he’s asking the wrong question.

I found Countdown City a reasonably compelling read. As I did with the first book, I found the psychological impact of an impending asteroid strike irritatingly underdeveloped. Winters’ characters are well-drawn and interesting, and I found much to admire in Hank and his dogged insistence on doing what’s right even when no one else seems to care anymore. This one ends not with a cliffhanger but with a plot development that promises some interesting possibilities for the third book, which I look forward to reading when it comes out.

82. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, Gabrielle Zevin.

A.J. Fikry is in his late 30s, owner of a bookstore on an island that sounds similar to Martha’s Vineyard. He’s grumpy and bitter, partly because he’s a grumpy bitter person and partly because he is mourning the loss of his young wife just a couple of years earlier. So when publishing sales rep Amelia stops by the bookstore to try to sell him some books, he is startlingly rude to her and sends her on her way. Readers won’t want to spend much time with this guy unless he changes his ways quick, and fortunately a plot device baby is abandoned in the bookstore to provide the catalyst he needs.

I may have been suffering a bit from Overhype Syndrome when I read this one. I can see why so many LTers loved it, with its charming bookstore setting and its reverent attitude toward books. But I found the characters fairly undeveloped, to the extent that the bit I think was supposed to be a big emotional climax left me fairly unmoved. I also found the timeline to be a bit screwy, as the story unfolds over about 17 years. The stated lengths of time that were meant to have passed between certain events seem virtually impossible given the ages of the people involved at various points along the way.

I never expected that anything but time would help me get over my bitterness at losing this book in the Booktopia Boulder Yankee Swap, but now that I’ve read it I’m glad it went to someone else who with any luck will feel the same rapture so many of you did. That I didn’t is my loss, clearly.

Julia I wish you were with us this evening.

Me too! But I am sure that KaRo had a great time together. I'm looking forward to hearing all about it.

Morning Julia- I think we had similar feeling about Countdown City, although I am still looking forward to the next one.

Sorry, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry didn't grab you, the way it did others. I have it requested, so I'll give it a go for myself.

Hi Julia. I've been reading the glowing reviews of The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry and suspected that this might be one I would prefer to read once the hype has died down and I think you've confirmed that thought for me. I was underwhelmed by Mr Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore last year too and this sounds sort-of similarish. And it's not as if I don't already have piles of books waiting to be read and a long list of books I want to get from the library :-)

>92 msf59: I bet you will like A.J. Fikry when you get to it. Everyone does but for whatever reason it just didn't quite click with me.

>93 souloftherose: I think waiting a while is a good idea, Heather. I have not read Mr Penumbra yet, although I do have it on the stacks. It seemed to have more mixed although overall positive reviews, so I think I'll be more prepared when I get around to it.

Ha! Your reviews are timely for me, Julia! I have The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry out from the library, and I have not gotten to it yet but cannot renew it. Now I am feeling better about it! I can just return it, no worries, and check it out again later if I feel like it. Yeah! Something I don't have to rush to get to!

Aha, yes, this is kind of what I had suspected about "Fikry": curmudgeon is won over to sociability. Frankly, the premise irritates me. It's as if we're all not chipper and upbeat, we need to be force fed prozac or something. There's nothing wrong with a bit of honest irascibility, especially in the face of perky chipper idiots.

OK, now that I have that off my chest... The strained timeline thing would probably bother me no end, too. Putting this book very far to the bottom of my to-read list.

>95 Crazymamie: Don't you hate when all those library books come in at the same time?! You might love AJ Fikry when you get to it, Mamie.

>96 Chatterbox: I'm with you, Suzanne, and especially annoyed when the catalyst for un-curmudgeoning is a baby. As if everyone with a soul would naturally be rendered sweet and docile by finding themselves responsible for a helpless child not their own. I shouldn't feel so defensive about it, I know, and it doesn't mean I hate kids, but I recognized early on that I would have been a terrible mother.

I've selected, after much deliberation, my favorite Great War novel: Regeneration, the Pat Barker work, is a beautiful and challenging book to read. The Doubleday UK meme, a book a day in July, has really focused my attention on getting the excellent reading I've been doing reviewed and therefore fixed more firmly in my mind.

See my review in my Orphans thread...post #49.

>98 richardderus: Funny, I've seen that same post all over LT today. I was starting to feel left out, so thanks for dropping it here, too. ;-)

Have to make sure the people I want to read my stuff know it exists, you know. xo

*smooch*

The best spam I've received at work in a long time:

Privet my friend
When the eyes meet and hold strongly they are bound to meet again.
I am looking for eternal love here. Maybe it sounds unbelievable, but I know that one day my dream will come true. Just writing that puts a smile on my face. I am waiting for your sweetness, kindness, tenderness and thoughtfulness I will love because you will be my dearest friend and loving companion.
I will smile on your silly jokes and enjoy your playful spirit.
We will spend many evenings holding each other hands and talking about our happiness. I am waiting for you, my romantic love.
Let enjoy the time together
Marie

*baaaaaaawwwwwwww* I hope you two will...be...waitaminnit..."Marie?"

O.o

...ummm...is there a li'l sump'in you'd like to share, Julia...?

I guess I should come clean. It's true. My name is Privet and I am a lesbi-hedge.

*repressing bad jokes and dirty puns by the carload*

>102 rosalita: Sweet and very interesting.

Julia gets sweet spam at work.

Joran van der Sloot kills two girls and gets married in jail.

Me? I've got Jack Bauer on the DVR. Yay!

>105 richardderus: Bwahaha!!!

>104 rosalita: Hahahaha you almost made me laugh out loud, and I'm sitting at the reference desk... that would've been a difficult joke to explain at work!

That's some A-level spam, Julia.

>105 richardderus: I certainly hope you weren't thinking of making a joke about the location of birds in relation to shrubbery, sir!

>106 luvamystery65: You could do a lot worse than ol' Iron Velvet, Ro! And what is up with women marrying killers in prison? I'd rather marry a privet hedge.

>107 bell7: Sorry, Mary! *not sorry*

>108 MickyFine: Isn't that a good one? Usually the only spam I get at work are the ones pretending they are the university IT department and they are going to cut off my email account unless I give them my password. (Like not getting work email would be such a disaster?) This is much more pleasant.

>102 rosalita: Wow, you're so lucky to get such great spam. All I ever get is offers of 1.5 million pounds/euros/etc. in exchange for helping my dear friend transfer his large inheritance into US funds.

Hey! I thought that guy was my dear friend, Carrie!

I am advertising to hire three student workers for our office next year. So far we've gotten over a hundred applications and the announcement has only been posted for less than a week. It's fascinating to me to see the different approaches that students have. Some of them write quite comprehensive emails extolling the qualities that they have that make them a good fit for the job. Others just attach their resume to a blank email. Two have misspelled my last name, another gave me a completely different last name that isn't even close to mine. Tonight one of them started their email applying for the job "Hi Dear!"

Class of 2015-2018, everyone!

Chuckling my way through......

Hire the spammer! Bwahaha!

>113 katiekrug: I'm here all week, Katie. Don't forget to tip your wait staff.

>114 luvamystery65: Now why didn't I think of that?!

We just hired two interns. The first one started yesterday and is off to a great start! The second starts on Thursday. Yay! It was very interesting to read the different resumes and also the thank you notes (or lack thereof) after the interviews. These two fellas got it right!

I love employing students Julia and get so much of a kick when they leave our temporary employment kitted out more fully for the rest of their studies and work. I have two staff who joined me on work placement and came immediately back for full employment when their studies were completed.

I am behind more than a smidgeon buy at least made it to your thread this time around. Thanks for your messages of support to me over the last few weeks. Greatly and profoundly appreciated. xx

Julia, Carrie, I thought it was my BEST friend who wanted help to transfer funds in Pounds sterling for his inheritance, I feel duped now, ha ha.

Just released the bird we rescued last evening (see my thread for details) and feel really good that we nursed it back from the dead.

Love the spammer - hilarious!

And, ugh, don't let's get me started on students and email etiquette. I finally broke down and added a disclaimer in every syllabus stating that I would ignore and absolutely not respond to - no matter how important the content - any email which started with the likes of, "Hey," "Hey Prof!," "Hi!," "Yo,"... I mean, really.

Hi! just a quick scroll down your thread to see how things are going.

"Hi Dear"!!???? Ack! Gag! just curious, which gender submitted that one!

>116 Berly: Sounds like you got a couple of good ones, Kim!

>117 PaulCranswick: I bet you're a good boss, Paul. It's very rewarding to start working with baby freshmen who don't know anything and see them leave four years later full of confidence and ability and know we had a little something to do with that.

>118 johnsimpson: Everyone is your best friend, John!

>119 scaifea: Just as bad, a couple of the emails were written in all lowercase. Which, no. If you don't know that you should proper capitalization and punctuation when you are applying for a job, you probably don't know a lot of other very basic stuff that I don't have time to teach you.

>120 Carmenere: That particular gem was written by a female, Lynda. A female you will not have the opportunity to chat with in our office next year. :-)

Too many things cracking me up here to single out any to highlight. Glad to see the Julia humor train is chugging along.

BTW -- that e-mail I sent you was *private* (damned autocorrect!) Why did you share it with everyone? I'm crestfallen. ;-)

>122 michigantrumpet: Ha ha ha ha ha! First belly laugh of the day goes to Marianne. Sorry about airing our privet private business in front of everyone! Next time sign it "michigantrumpet" so I'll know it's you!

>122 michigantrumpet: & >123 rosalita: Ha ha!

>123 rosalita: What? You get so many love notes you can't keep us all straight? And here I thought we had that hand holding and silly playfulness going for us. :^(

Signed, Chopped Liver.

>125 michigantrumpet: Come to think of it, maybe that email wasn't spam after all. It sounds an awful lot like a typical LT meet-up. ;-)

Haha, you guys. Privet. *still chuckling* I usually automatically delete without reading any email I get that starts "Dearest One." NOBODY I know who knows me and would be remotely likely to send me an email would ever call me "Dearest" ANYTHING.

>102 rosalita: I would e-mail back and say I can't love anyone who can't get their prepositions straight.

>112 rosalita: It must be nice to have the option to hire student workers. Where I work, financial aid sends them to us, and we pretty much have to take the ones they send. We can turn someone down if their schedule doesn't meet our needs, but it's like pulling teeth to even get them to send enough to cover our student worker staffing needs.

Lori, that does not sound like a great situation. This year is the first time I've been allowed to consider students who don't qualify for work-study as part of their financial aid. When students have work-study our department only has to pay half of their salary and the other half comes from financial aid. One of the reasons we've gotten so many more applications this year is because we are drawing from a pool of all students instead of only the ones who qualify for financial aid.

So if financial aid is sending you students, does that mean your department doesn't have to pay any of their salary? Because if you are paying you should get to choose!

Glad you no longer need to fret over losing Fikry in the swap but sorry you didn't like it more. :( Oh well....different strokes and all that.

Interesting spam you get at work. I got something like that a year or so ago, also at work, which kind of freaked me out because are filters are set pretty high.

Chris would have loved to work in the English Dept offices or the library at school but they are all work study jobs. I think working for dining services was a good experience for him. I almost fell over when I heard he was making omelettes to order last semester...he's pretty helpless in my kitchen. Perhaps on purpose...

>130 rosalita: The money comes from work study. We used to be allowed to hire persons who did not qualify for work study, but those days are long gone.

>131 Copperskye: I'm sorry too that I didn't like Fikry more, Joanne. I did like it but it just wasn't quite the magical read for me that it was for so many other people. Clearly, I am the outlier on this one!

Now you need to get Chris to start making you breakfast when he's home on visits!

>132 thornton37814: That's too bad, Lori. It is a mixed blessing for us, as I have long advocated for hiring an actual professional to work full-time as our receptionist due to the complexity of that task (managing calendars for 11 advisors who each specialize in a different region of the world and set of programs, along with scanning and cash handling and lots of other specialized tasks), but it's cheaper for us to cover the hours with a set of students so that's what I have to work with. The situation is frustrating because it's almost impossible for students working 10 hours a week to fully understand the position, but to use a much-loathed phrase, "It is is what it is."

When I was in college, any students with work/study as part of their financial aid package *had* to work in the dining hall their first year. After that, you could apply for any campus job openings. I kind of forgot about that and neglected to apply for anything, so I worked in the dining hall another year. But I did move out of the cafeteria service line and dish-washing onto the short-order station, so I know my way around a flat-top grill :)

After that, I got a job in the library for the last year and a half (the other half a year was spent doing a semester in DC).

I can't say I would have enjoyed working in the cafeteria, Katie. Perhaps it's just as well I ditched college until I was old enough to have a real job. :-)

It sucked hard core. And the smell! Ugh, my clothes always smelled awful after working. The library was so much more civilized!

Guh. Libraries FTW.

Oh the library would have been my dream student work assignment. I got the Business Education department. It wasn't terrible. I got the great job of grading papers & such and I loved that part... still the ***library***! :)

Wouldn't that have been awesome, Tina? Although I must say I would have quite enjoyed grading papers, too. One of my favorite games as a little kid was playing teacher. Well, that and grocery store checkout clerk. :-D

Yeah, I worked in the kitchen too. Loading the industrial-sized dishwasher. Yuk! Luckily I had a good friend with me so we laughed a lot.

Shared misery is always better than suffering alone, Kim!

I did bookkeeping one year and then library the rest of my time in undergrad. I actually liked both jobs.

Both of those sound better than running the industrial dishwasher, that's for sure!

I worked in the teacher education office one year even though I wasn't on that program, and then the rest of the time I worked in my father's office. He was the Dean of Students, which is now the VP for Student Services.

Chiming in as another former work-study gal; for four years I worked as a receptionist in a student service office and loved it. The people were awesome and amazing and so supportive, and my neurotic tendencies meant that I loved the filing and organizing and such. My BFF did his work-study in the library for those same four years. At first, he repeatedly got caught sitting in the middle of the stacks reading one of the books he was supposed to be shelving - they fixed that problem by re-assigning him to the Slavic Languages floor...

>145 scaifea: if ever there was strong motivation to learn a Slavic language!

>146 michigantrumpet: Marianne: *snork!* Yes, but we were both too busy learning Greek and Latin at the time...

>144 cbl_tn: That must have been interesting working in your dad's office, Carrie.

>145 scaifea: & >146 michigantrumpet: & >147 scaifea: That would be my biggest problem working in a library. In fact, that's my problem at home when I'm trying to enter books in LT!

Good Friday Morning, Julia. Friday!!

Friday, Mamie! And not a minute too soon, I must say.

I couldn't agree more!

hi Julia - hope things are going well for you and that you at least get some literate students for the job.

Happy Friday Julia!

>152 calm: That's my hope, calm — my top priorities are reliable and unflappable. Knowing the alphabet helps with filing, too. :-)

>154 rosalita: Heh. I'm a trained secretary - a Katherine Gibbs graduate - and have worked as the same for...about 3 years, over about 7 (temp work, mostly). Plus an avid reader, of course. And I still sing the alphabet song when I need to do filing...

So do I, Jenn. Especially once you get past the first letter and have to line up Bowden, Buffington and Brighton.

'a b c d e f g, h i j k lmnop ...'

just noticed you put stars next to the book title and author in a review. I might have to start doing that, though it makes for easy skimming and I like to think that a few people might read my reviews ;)
*going back now to read your reviews instead of just the star ratings*

eta:>89 rosalita: LOL love the plot device/slash baby quip. I knew I was doing you a disservice in not reading the words of the review ;) Looks like a read I would not sneeze at.

Ah, mon petite shrub ...

Thanks for agreeing to mind the threads while I'm away on Girl's weekend. I know I'm in good hands!

I read that one should sing the ABC song while washing one's hands to have the most effective cleanse. I was surprised once to hear the woman next to me at the sinks actually singing it out loud. When she saw me looking at her, she sheepishly admitted to forgetting to use her *inside* voice... Ha!

Morning Julia! It's been raining here since the early hours. I hope it clears up. Are you guys getting wet?

>158 michigantrumpet: A woman who used to work with preschoolers at church had the children sing Happy Birthday through twice when they used hand sanitizer. It's just the right length to make sure it all gets absorbed.

Boy, it took me a while to find my way over to your new thread, Julia, but I am here now!

>89 rosalita: - I love your review of the Zevin book. I have that one on hold and will be reading it soon but book hype does has a tendency to colour our expectations. I try to cycle down my expectations but its not always easy.

>102 rosalita: - I never get spam emails like that at work. I usually get the 'help us with our money transfer' spam and of course, now that Canada has anti-spam legislation, I am now receiving spam emails asking me to register with them so that they can... wait for it..... send me spam email. *rolls eyes*

*delurk*

Waving

*relurk*

Happy Greetings from a 61 year old who will be 62 in September. Life is good. Dealing with an aging body can be challenging, but I'm feeling might fine to be alive!

Good morning Julia, hope you have a really lovely Sunday my dear.

Morning Julia!

Hi Julia! It's taken me a while to find your new thread, too. Very belated congrats on passing the 75 mark! One thing I have gathered from reading this thread is that most of you are very young! >163 Whisper1: is closest to me - I'm 68. I will say the advantage to being "old" and retired is that it frees up a lot of time for reading!

Just checking in, Julia! Hope you are having a good weekend.

>157 LovingLit: I always stop to read reviews that have a book cover photo. Having the stars is nice but it never stops me from reading the review because everyone's rating scale is different. And thanks for noticing my snarky comment. :-)

>158 michigantrumpet: I'm afraid I've let down the team this weekend, Marianne. I have been really under the weather and have not checked LT once until now. I hope that doesn't make you want to prune me into a topiary.

>159 msf59: We've had buckets and buckets of rain this weekend, Mark. More flooding and water damage all over eastern Iowa, I'm afraid.

>160 cbl_tn: That makes sense, Carrie!

>161 lkernagh: Thanks, Lori. I think going into the book with tempered expectations is a good plan.

>163 Whisper1: We're glad you're here, Linda!

>164 johnsimpson: Thank you, John. And the same to you and Karen.

>165 Thebookdiva: Hi, Abby!

>166 LoisB: It's wonderful to have you here, Lois! We are all young at heart, anyway.

>167 katiekrug: Hi, Katie! Not good, actually, but that's life. Tomorrow's sure to be better. Or worse. Or possibly just the same. At any rate, it will be.

>160 cbl_tn: >168 rosalita: i went to a nursing home this morning to visit my great aunt. In the restroom there is a sign with instructions for handwashing. One step says to rub your soapy hands for the length of time it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice. I should have taken a picture of the sign.

Well, poop. I'm sorry you haven't been feeling well. That's no way to spend a weekend :(

Well, ding dang, Julia. I hope you're feeling much better this morning!

Bummer. Sorry you've been sick, and I hope that today you are feeling much better. Sending you good mojo.

>170 cbl_tn: It must be very festive at that home, with everyone singing the Happy Birthday song all the time!

>171 katiekrug: & >172 scaifea: & >173 Crazymamie: A little better today, Katie, Amber, Mamie. Enough to get to work, anyway. Hopefully back to full strength tomorrow!

Oh dear, sorry to see that you have been under the weather, Julia. glad to see you are improving!

So sorry you've been under the weather (no pun intended) this weekend, Julia. I didn't do much online the past couple of days and didn't see your posts until this morning. Anyway, hope you are feeling better today and that the weather clears up too. Speaking of rain, we had a monsoonal rainstorm on Saturday the likes of which I've never seen before. Literally sheets of rain in waves! And so sudden that we didn't manage to get the windows closed before it flooded the front room! I'm so glad that's over (I hope anyway).

Hope today was a better day, Julia.

Migraine for me...so it's been a bit on the quiet side here.

I loved the work study discussion above. Brought back lots of fond memories. :)

I certainly hope that you are feeling better now, and that you continue to do so until you are feeling most excellently, Julia.

Morning Julia! I did not know my pal was feeling poorly. Sad face. Are you doing better? Your LT family is concerned. Gentle Hug...

Hi Julia, I hope you are feeling better and sorry to read that your weekend was taken up with not feeling well. I am finding it hard to stay current these days as there always seems to be something else I have to do in the summer months!

Oh, and for >166 LoisB: Lois - there are a few of us "oldsters" here lurking around, but even though my body is telling me that I am over-the-hill, inside there is a youngster still rarin' to go!

Julia - I've heard that the flu is going around. We've been dodging it so far. I hope you are back to full strength today!

Keep that flu right there. No pointing it eastward.

Be well and we'll put of trimming the juniper until next week

Thank you for your good wishes, Lori, Mary, Tina, Roni, Mark, Judy, Amy, Marianne. No need to worry about contagion. My illness is not flu, thankfully, but something more ... gastrointestinal, shall we say. I am feeling much better today but very tired, so I'm off to bed early. I quake to think what state the unread threads are in!

Sleep well!

Take care of yourself my friend!

Oh dear! Sorry to hear you're under the weather, Julia. I hope a good night sleep leaves you feeling much better in the morning.

Hi Julia, sorry to hear you are not feeling too well at the moment my dear, I am sending love and hugs to you for a speedy recovery from this side of the pond, looking forward to seeing your cheery comments soon.

Julia please get better soon. :)

Sending healing thoughts from Missouri. Take care, Julia!

Thanks for the well wishes: Kim, Katie, Joanne, John, Ro, Steve. I think they've worked, as I feel so much more human this morning. It's been a while since my gastro issues have flared up so I guess I was due, but it sure isn't much fun when it happens. I haven't even dared look to see how many unread posts are lurking under the Talk tab. I want to know what you all have been up to!

Hope you are feeling better! If not, perhaps you should think about seeing a doctor. Three days of "GI" issues could lead to serious dehydration.

Adding my wishes for healing and feeling better, Julia. Continue to rest up and take it easy to the extent you can.

Love how you've used Springsteen's songs to define categories. Me gonna steal the idea!

Happy to hear that you're feeling better, Julia!

So glad that you are feeling better, Julia! It's only 66 here this morning, and I am LOVING it. Unheard of for Georgia in July! Hoping that today is full of fabulous for you!

Thanks to Lois, Joe, Amber, and Mamie for the well wishes! Although I am feeling pretty much back to normal (physically anyway, ha) I am busy catching up with things at work and so not able to make my usual perusals of LT whilst on the job. I considered filing a grievance with the union but decided perhaps I should refrain. :-)

>193 sanz57: Thanks for the kind words and I hope you do steal the idea, sanz57! I actually came up with about twice as many songs/categories as I ended up using, so I think I may have another go at it next year as well. It would be fun to compare ideas with you.

Morning Julia! Glad you are feeling better, just in time for an R & R weekend. Yah!

I guess we can allow you back on the threads now you're healthy. Hope you have something more planned for your weekend than catching up on unread posts!

Hi Julia…or should I say Hi Dear?…no, probably not. I did get a chuckle out of some of the responses from the hopeful would-be student workers. I hope you found some good ones in the bunch. Don't worry about Fikry not working for you. I can't believe how many beloved books are just so-so for me, including Mr. Penumbra. Oh well. I knew the book was contrived but loved it anyway. I'm a sucker for a plot device baby! I thought it was a good book about grief recovery. I used to do some volunteer work in that field and know there are no easy answers when one's heart is broken.

I hope you are reading something great this weekend. I just finished two good books in a row. May the good times continue!

Glad you are on the road to recovery, Julia! You really should speak to your union rep about your worker's rights. :)

Glad to hear you're feeling better, Julia. Those threads move fast...

Loved the spam! Privet! Yeesh.

Re Georgette Heyer. I read and adored them as a teen (the headmistress of my school recommended them when I had a kind of.... who knows what, mini-collapse from stress in high school - boarding - and spent a few days mostly sleeping in the infirmary - she brought a couple of her Heyers in and said they would help me relax! - and they did!)

- I felt the same way when I 'discovered' Bujold a few years back. Blazed through them in a state of bliss!

>197 msf59: It's been a good weekend, Mark. The heat roars back tomorrow, though, so brace yourselves.

>198 michigantrumpet: Thank you, Marianne! I read a bunch of threads yesterday and then couldn't tackle anymore. I'm back today to try again.

>199 Donna828: Thanks, Donna. I do feel sad that I didn't love Fikry as much as lots of people did. I have Mr. Penumbra but haven't read it yet. That one I've seen more mixed reviews so hopefully my expectations have been appropriately tempered.

>200 TinaV95: I know, right? You'd think that would be in the contact somewhere ...

>201 souloftherose: They sure do, Heather!

>202 sibylline: I can definitely see Heyer being a good antidote to stress, Lucy! In fact, while I was feeling lousy I read several of them because they seemed to be the only thing that could hold my attention. I have yet to read Bujold but that would be lovely to have a similar reaction to her.

Happy Sunday *smooch*

Hi Julia, happy Sunday my dear.

Hi Julia, I find when I get behind it's impossible to get caught up in one go, after a while the threads start to blend together and I find myself just skimming. Best to just do a few a day.

>204 richardderus: *re-smooch*

>205 johnsimpson: Thank you, John!

>206 DeltaQueen50: It's like rolling a boulder uphill, Judy. I get a few threads cleared and stop to do something else, and when I come back they all have unread posts again! Maybe if everyone went on vacation at the same time?

There's no hope in ever completely catching up--just roll with the waves, Julia! Glad you are feeling better.

So glad you are back and feeling fine. The Threads are supposed to be fun--Don't let them turn into a responsibility! ; )

So true, Roni and Kim!

83. No god but God, Reza Aslan.

There was a lot to like in this book, subititled "The Origins, Evolutions, and Future of Islam". It served me well as a good introduction to the Muslim faith, about which I knew lamentably little. I have a new appreciation for the diversity of belief that Islam encompasses, and I finally (mostly) understand the differences between the Shi'a, Sunni, and Sufi branches of Islam.

The biggest and most important takeaway, of course, is reinforcement of the knowledge that a very small percentage of the world's Muslims hold the kind of fundamentalist viewpoint that has led to terrorist attacks on the West. Aslan's explanation of how the words of the Quran have been interpreted in ways that seem completely contrary to the actions and words of its prophet, Mohammed, is akin to describing a centuries-long game of telephone played to advance political viewpoints. Things get lost in translation and interpretation, accidentally and deliberately, but once lost they are difficult to retrieve.

It's also less than heartening to read that much of the growth in fundamentalist Islam came about as a direct result of Western colonial activity in the Middle East, India, and Africa. It's difficult to read about brutal suppression and the deliberate pitting of one faith's true believers against another's in order to ensure native populations would be too fractured to mount a successful revolution, especially with the hindsight of what those actions wrought over the long term and into our current political landscape. In that sense, this book only reaffirmed my belief that we have no place, militarily, in the Middle East today. What is happening in Iraq is tragic, to be sure, and partly our fault, but nothing we do now is likely to make it better. We would have been far better off never to have started the war in the first place. Perhaps it's no use crying over those past decisions but we need to keep reminding people that time has proven them to be total failures lest we stumble into the same minefield all over again, as has happened time and again.

Given all of that, Aslan seems unduly optimistic that the current brand of fundamentalist Islam that has led to so many terrorist attacks will wane as the overwhelmingly young Muslim population moves away from that message and toward a version of populist democracy. He cites the people's uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya to support his view, although a reader can't help but notice that the book was written before the "Arab Spring" failed to truly catch hold and in some places was brutally suppressed or slid backwards into tyranny once again.

Aslan also is optimistic that Islam and democracy can (and will) co-exist, though he rightly points out that we in the West must stop thinking our brand of democracy is the only right way to do it. Certainly we have an innate distrust of government that overtly espouses a religious viewpoint, but Aslan argues that just as Muhammed ruled the city of Medina without persecuting the Jewish and Christian minorities who lived and traded there, the same sort of faith-based governance could work today.

As you might expect from a book that encompasses more than 900 years of history in just 300 pages, the best that can be said about No god but God is that it is a decent introduction to Islam for those like me who knew little. Further reading would be necessary to truly understand many of the complex subjects that Aslan only lightly touches on, but he provides a strong starting point for the curious.

>211 rosalita: *not looking*
Too late! I saw.
*sigh*

>212 LovingLit: Gotcha!

Really enjoyed that review of No God but God, Julia. I hope you post it on the book page so I can thumb it.

Your wish is my command, Joe! Thanks for the reminder.

Thanks! Duly digit-ized.

85. Country Music Broke My Brain, Gerry House.

Gerry House spent many years inside the country-music establishment in Nashville, both as a writer of hit songs and as a popular radio deejay whose show frequently hosted many of the big stars who cut his songs. In other words, he is perfectly situated to know all the juiciest gossip and behind-the-scenes details in what often seems more like a small town barbershop than a multi-billion dollar industry.

Alas, House is apparently a little too closely associated with the movers and shakers in today's country music scene to write the kind of book that truly breaks new ground. Never mind not dishing the dirt; House barely has anything even slightly critical to say about anyone who is still alive. A couple of mildly scandalous stories are told as anonymous fables, and it wasn't even worth the time to try to figure out who they might be referring to.

I was also annoyed that he takes a swipe at the Americana genre (or, as I like to call it, country music that's too good to get played on the radio) by referring to artists in that genre as people who aren't good enough to get a record deal; in addition to being surprisingly mean-spirited for a guy in whose mouth butter seemingly wouldn't melt, he's just flat-out wrong. Those little digs made me think that House is well aware of the artistic deficiencies in today's brand of radio-friendly country music but you'll never get him to admit it, apparently. And that's a shame. A book that offered a thoughtful critique of the state of the genre wouldn't have had to slander anyone to make its points, and it would have been a heck of a lot more readable than this frothy mash note.

If you're interested in a truly insightful behind-the-scenes look at country music, I recommend Three Chords and the Truth: Hope, Heartbreak and Changing Fortunes in Nashville. It was published in 1997 but I think it holds up well. It's a good honest look at how the musical sausage gets made in Music City.

No God but God sounds fascinating--it is a subject I really should explore more. I know only a little from a freshman college class way back when (one that I will admit took me a week to figure out that Islam was a religion and not a country--totally uninformed!).

>217 rosalita:: Too bad about that one, but No god but god sounds like one for the Someday Swamp. Thanks for the rec!

Glad to hear you're feeling better!

Glad you're feeling better Julia!

I enjoyed Reza Aslan's Zealot, I'm pretty sure No God but God, is on my wishlist. If not, it should be.

Hi Julia, hope you have a lovely day my dear.

>218 Berly: I felt much the same, Kim. I wanted to know more than what I was getting from news reports. It was an excellent primer in that respect.

>219 swynn: It's definitely worth throwing in the Swamp, Steve.

>220 Copperskye: Thanks, Joanne! I am, too.

>221 AuntieClio: We are opposites, then: I've read No god and have Zealot on the wishlist. ;-)

>222 johnsimpson: Thank you, John!

I'm joining >221 AuntieClio: Steph in having liked Zealot. I've been meaning to read some of his other work.

Sounds as if things are returning to a more healthy level these days. Have a good night.

I need this map (the image takes you to the page where you can buy the print):



It's a map where all the place and road names are titles of books. So you travel on The Famished Road to get to Gorky Park, which is connected to Mansfield Park by Strange Highways. And of course The Road to Wigan Pier passes by The House of Seven Gables. So clever.

I love that! How every fun. Now what wall could I put that on...?

Duplicate...oops!

>225 rosalita: That is fabulous. I have a similar one based on a page from the London A-Z where the streets, parks, tube stations etc are named with song titles.

>225 rosalita: I want to live there when I retire. :)

>226 Berly: Isn't it great, Kim? I feel like I need to buy one just so I can see all the details.

>228 CDVicarage: That would be very cool also, Kerry!

>229 cbl_tn: Me too, Carrie! Maybe the fabled LT Tome Home for retired LTers could be located somewhere along Howard's End, or near Gorky Park.

>225 rosalita:, >229 cbl_tn: What Carrie said!

Morning, Julia! LOVE that map! How cool is that?!

That whole website is a dangerous, dangerous place to visit! I saw a dozen things I wanted to put in my shopping basket immediately.

Oh, dear.

Howdy Julia! I am very behind but happy to know you are feeling better.

>234 Crazymamie: Seriously, Mamie, don't click on the picture! DON'T DO IT!

>235 luvamystery65: Thank you, Ro. I am so very far behind myself so no judging from me.

Well, now I have to click on the picture!

Hi Julia! I love the biblio-map up there. How very cool.

Hope the week is going well and your books are treating you swell. Hugs.

Julia, there's going to be a cage fight on Richard's new thread. I've got the popcorn - bring the drinks, will you, dear?

Whoa! I'm on it — I'll grab a bottle of wine on the way.

Julia! How are you?! Oh, my gosh!

>217 rosalita: - This sounds awful. How did you get through such a thing?! I like the following bit from your review though: I was also annoyed that he takes a swipe at the Americana genre (or, as I like to call it, country music that's too good to get played on the radio) by referring to artists in that genre as people who aren't good enough to get a record deal Obviously, I'm on your side.

Ok. No more illness? We're all good? Have you lisened to that Angel Olsen record that I play on Spotify all the time? (I actually play it more than that. I just have to set it to private, because the number of my listens is totally embarrassing.) It's my other favorite of the year. It. Kills. Me. Good grief. I don't know if it's your thing though.

Kerri!

It was pretty bad, but the worst part is that I actually bought the damn thing in one of those Kindle sales. At least it was only $1.99, I think, but boy was it disappointing.

I have listened to some of the Angel Olson. I don't hate it, and it might grow on me with time but it didn't quite grab me on firs tlisten. We can still be friends, right? I'm sure I listen to all kinds of crap you don't like. Like all that saxy Bruce. ;-)

I never remember to set my Spotify session to private, so all my embarrassing choices are out there for everyone to see! I should just apologize right now for anything I've subjected you to.

>242 rosalita: - Ha! Yes, we can still be friends. I will say though (See? I told you I can't stop.) the last few songs on the album are a bit more mellow, particularly "Enemy" and "Windows," and you might like them. Of course, I'm not saying that I think you only like mellow stuff, but I think maybe you're not into Pixies-esque guitar rock.

I do have some embarrassing stuff on Spotify, namely a particular workout playlist (oh, dear) and a guilty pleasures playlist that may or may not include quite a hefty dose of Journey and maybe also a Cher song and then also "Big Pimpin" by Jay-Z. So, obviously, I keep those particular lists private. :-)

>243 DorsVenabili: "Big Pimpin" by Jay-Z I think Dolly Parton did a cover version of this. Just kidding! She could though. She can cover anything.

>225 rosalita: Aaargh- what to do what to do. I love maps I love books, this is the perfect marriage. I might just go see how much it is...just a wee look now ';)

Loving that bibliomap. Aren't you the clever buttons for finding it!

Don't be taking any anti-Bruce crap around here! ;-)

Hey Julia, very awesome map! Very awesome book review of No god but God. I'm with you and know little about the factions but I'd like to learn more. going to thumb.

I've started the thread for the August-October group read of The Stand by Stephen King. Join in if you are interested.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/178358

>243 DorsVenabili: Don't ever stop giving me musical advice, Kerri! (I mean advice about music, but if you want to sing advice about other things like flossing or whatever, feel free.) I will give Angel another listen, especially the songs you mentioned.

>244 luvamystery65: Dolly totally would rock that song, Ro! I have her album "Little Sparrow", and there are covers of Steve Young and Collective Soul on it, and I know she recently covered a Bon Jovi song. She's the bomb.

>245 LovingLit: I thought the price was pretty reasonable, Megan. That of course is what makes it a dilemma and not a pleasant pipe dream ...

>246 michigantrumpet: I need that map, Marianne! And thanks for having my back with Bruce. Kerri's a good egg, she just has the misfortune of hating rock saxophone and Bruce ... doesn't. ;-)

>247 Carmenere: Thank you for the thumb, Lynda! I hope you read and enjoy No god but God.

>248 luvamystery65: Oooh, awesome! Thanks for the heads up, Roberta. Off to take a look right now!

WHAT a wonderful map!!! Desire. Desire. Save the pennies.
I have shied away from your thread for too long because it was too long. I see that you've been reading and listening and being ill and feeling better. Hope your weekend is going well.
Take care of yourself!!!

Love the map, not visiting the site though. Hope you are having a great weekend Julia.

>250 LizzieD: It's good of you to stop by, Peggy!

>251 calm: I don't blame you one bit for not visiting the site. There's all kinds of temptation lurking there.

>244 luvamystery65: and >249 rosalita: - Oh, what I wouldn't give to hear Dolly cover "Big Pimpin'. Ha!

>253 DorsVenabili: Now wouldn't that be something to hear?!

That map is pretty awesome, Julia!!! :)

It really is, Tina!

I thought of next year's thread topper theme and was so excited about it that I had to come and tell you.

Kick Ass Ladies of Rock.

Oooh, I like it! Who ya got? You will know more than I do, and mine are all older since I am old myself ... Bonnie Raitt, Melissa Etheridge, Chrissie Hynde, Johnette Napolitano (I think that's her name, the lead singer for Concrete Blonde), the lead singer of Jefferson Airplane/Starship (totally drawing a blank on her name).

What a great theme idea!

I was thinking Angel Olsen (she's totally kick ass, by the way), that lady from the Kills. Probably Joan Jett, of course. Tanya Donelly as well. I will most definitely feature Chrissie Hynde (who is more kick ass?). Truth be told, I absolutely can't stand Bonnie Raitt and Melissa Etheridge. I will mull over the Concrete Blonde lady and Grace Slick. So, they have to be kick ass and I have to like their music. Those are the rules. Always taking suggestions though. Also, I'll have to be way more social if I want to fit them all in. Ha!

Grace Slick! Of course. I didn't mention Joan Jett because she seemed so obvious I knew you would have thought of her. I'm devastated that you don't like Bonnie Raitt, although she is more blues than rock so I suppose she doesn't necessarily fit your criteria anyway. I'll take your word for Angel Olson. I don't think I know the Kills or that lady but I'm sure she kicks ass.

No mid-year sabbaticals in 2015 if you want to have enough threads to do your ladies justice!

Oh, I'm so sorry that I don't like Bonnie Raitt. :-( I actually don't like much, if any blues rock, if that helps.

You are correct about no sabbaticals next year! I promise to do better.

Ok, I think dinner is burning, so I should sign off here....

Wow ... no mention of Janis Joplin?

That was certainly an oversight on my part, Stephanie! Good call.

Oooh, I love the idea of the Kick Ass Ladies of Rock! I need to think of a new Thread Theme myself, since I've pretty much exhausted the list of my favorite illustrators...

Speaking of Rock n Roll... I hope this isn't too weird, but yesterday as I read your comment on my thread, Julia, for some reason I started singing your name in my head to the tune of Phil Collins' Sussudio. Apologies for linking you in my head to Collins - just a typical hazard of a slightly nutbar brain, I think. ("Ju-Ju-Julia!")

Did anybody ask KAK, about her suggestions for the Kick Ass Ladies of Rock? Just wondering.

I would go with Patti Smith and Liz Phair. 1st album is a masterpiece.

Morning Julia! Hope the week is going well. Loving this cool weather. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....

(Apologies to Ms. Julia for hijacking her thread to discuss this nonsense!) I like the Patti Smith idea, although I appreciate her more as a total artist, than as a musician. I must admit Liz Phair and Janis Joplin don't make my own personal list (sorry! I feel bad!). I will add the following to my potential list: Kim Deal, Kim Gordon, Carrie Brownstein, and Ani DeFranco. Clearly I'm stuck in the 90s, but there it is.

>264 scaifea: - And now I have that godforsaken song in my head and I blame Amber. :-)

Did Chrissie Hynde get in there? From way back, but she totally kicks ass. I saw her live with The Pretenders and it was one of my best-evers.

Good morning, Julia!

>267 jnwelch: - Yes, absolutely! I saw them too - fantastic! There's actually that iconic photograph of Chrissie Hynde helping Joan Jett take off a particularly stubborn pair of leather pants after a show. It would kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. I think it's appropriate for a thread-topper, but I wouldn't make it my first one so as not to scare off all the new people...as I believe my Buck Owens photo may have done this year. Ha!

>268 DorsVenabili: :-) I remember the Buck Owens photo!

KAK has nothing to add to the discussion because her musical taste is pretty lame. I could come up with a list but Julia and Kerri would just laugh and laugh and point fingers at me ;-)

How about Pat Benatar? Debby Harry? Cher? *tongue firmly in cheek on the last*

Hi, Julia..... No name to add. I do remember Janis Joplin and Grace Slick, but even Bonnie Raitt is almost too new for me.

Ha! Someone beat me to Pat Benetar! How about Aretha Franklin? Mama Cass Elliott?

Tina Turner? Patti Smith did the song 'Because the Night' which Bruce helped to write. Of course, you knew that already.

>264 scaifea: I'm charmed, Amber. I think. I just wish it was a song I actually liked but I have to admit that one is annoyingly catchy and my name does fit the rhythm alarmingly well. ;-)

>265 msf59: Patti Smith is a pretty good choice, Mark. I have heard of Liz Phair, at least, but I will take your word on her general kick-assedness.

>266 DorsVenabili: No apologies necessary, Kerri! I'm enjoying the discussion immensely. And I've heard of 3 of your 4 new additions, so that's not too bad, right? The only one I'm drawing a blank on is Carrie Brownstein.

>267 jnwelch: Oh yes, Joe, I mentioned Chrissie way back in >258 rosalita:. I bet a live show with the Pretenders was brilliant.

>268 DorsVenabili: Bite your tongue! Buck was an absolutely inspired choice to kick off your first thread of the year, Kerri.

>270 katiekrug: No one has lamer taste than me, Katie, so spill it! Besides, it's not a contest and I like learning about new artists. Please?

>271 ronincats: Roni, your tongue may be in your cheek but you could make a case for Cher without much trouble in my book. Maybe not in Kerri's book but you never know ...

>273 michigantrumpet: I didn't think of Joplin because she really was before my time, although of course I've heard her music. Some of it's pretty good.

>274 michigantrumpet: I wish I'd thought of Tina Turner, Marianne! And yes, anyone who covers Bruce deserves some consideration for that alone. If I remember correctly, Bruce gave a half-finished version of "Because the Night" to Smith's producer, who passed it along to her and she finished it. And she did a great job, too. I like her version as much as Bruce's, and I believe he now sings her version in concert, as well.

Did any one mention Ann and Namcy Wilson of Heart?

Plus, I didn't say Joplin, >273 michigantrumpet:, but Mama Cass and Aretha Franklin

My bad, Marianne, it was Peggy who mentioned Joplin again in >272 LizzieD:. Have I mentioned I have trouble with numbers?

>276 michigantrumpet: Heart!! Yes! Love those feisty ladies!

JU-JU-JULIA!!

(Sorry, but I just can't stop singing that in my head now! But it's okay, because I'm celebrating you! Just say the word!)

Hi, Julia! Just catching up after a long week of fun with family.

No god but God sounds good. It's going on my ever-lengthening TBR list.

>225 rosalita: Love it and must have it!

>278 scaifea: You're cracking me up, Amber! Just so you know, I often hear your name crooned in the style of that Jefferson Starship classic, "Sara". So there. :-p

Earworm special coming right up:
"Aaaaam-ber, aaaam-ber, no time is a good time for goodbye ..."

>279 Storeetllr: Yay for TBR'ing No god but God. And emphatic "yes!" on the map acquisition.

I will say there's a place in my heart for Pat Benatar.

>275 rosalita: Carrie Brownstein was in Sleater-Kinney (I can't get out of the 90s!). Also, she's the woman on the tv show Portlandia.

Also, I wouldn't make fun of anyone's taste in music, even Katie's. Ha! No, really.

>280 rosalita: *SNORK!* Jefferson Starship? I'll take it!
On a related note, some friends of mine had a running game, in which we all competed against one another to come up with the best Weird Al-like parodies of songs that came on the radio. The best one ever was crafted, on the fly, but my friend, Peter, to (Jefferson) Starship's We Built This City; his version: We Heat This City with Steam and Coal. Ha!

>266 DorsVenabili: " Kim Deal, Kim Gordon, Carrie Brownstein, and Ani DeFranco." Great suggestions, Kerri! Love those Kims!! LOL. Crazy about the Pixies, Sonic Youth and Sleater-Kinney!

Howdy, Julia! Nice discussion. I love Chrissie Hynde too. I saw her a couple of times.

>283 scaifea: Steam and coal? Cool, a steampunk rock song! :)

>282 DorsVenabili: Ah! Well I have at least heard of Sleater-Kinney so I don't feel quite so stupid now. I don't have a TV so have never seen Portlandia although I've heard it's quite funny.

>283 scaifea: That is a good one, Amber! (And yes, Starship is a much better name-check band that Phil Collins.)

>284 msf59: I think my Spotify account is going to be getting a workout checking out all these new-to-me bands.

>285 drneutron: Amber has witty friends, Jim.

>286 rosalita: Ha! Now is probably a good time to mention that Charlie's babysitter, when we lived in Ohio, was one of my students, whose name was - wait for it - Witty (nickname for Whitten).

>288 rosalita: I'm psycho psychic!

I've been taking Wednesday off for the past couple of weeks (and for another couple of weeks, until the semester starts). A day off in the middle of the week is always a great day but yesterday was especially lovely because I had lunch with one of the students who used to work for me. We sat and talked for three hours, and for once in my life there were none of those awkward pauses where nobody knows what to say. She graduated this past May, has passed her nursing boards and is now working as a nurse at an area hospital. Eventually she intends to return to grad school and become a nurse practitioner but she wisely chose to get some clinical experience as a nurse first. She's a great "kid" and she's got her whole life ahead of her.

It's especially rewarding to see because I can remember when I first interviewed and then hired her, the summer before she started her freshman year at Iowa. She was a first-generation college student from a very small Iowa town with high financial need, had little work experience other than babysitting, and was really quiet and shy. Over the four years she worked with us she really blossomed into a smart, confident young woman who was the kind of student assistant you dream of: She not only did what she was asked to do, accurately and in a timely manner, but she actually thought about what she was doing and would ask questions if she thought something wasn't right, or suggest something else if she thought it was needed. I'm sure she's a great nurse and much loved by her co-workers. I wish I could take all the credit for her blossoming, but I think she had it all inside when I got her, and the most I can say is that I nurtured instead of stifled it.

You can imagine it was a breath of fresh air to talk with her at this moment, as I am preparing to interview and hire another batch of students. I only wish I could pinpoint exactly what it was about her application and interview that made me think she would do a good job!

Lovely story! The world needs more supervisors like you, Julia!

Lunch with a former student and protegée is the best! She sounds like a good one - and a lucky one to have found your for four years!

>290 Storeetllr: & >291 LizzieD: Thanks, Mary and Peggy. I am keenly aware of my shortcomings as a supervisor, because I get impatient with people who don't think before doing something. I get too easily frustrated, but students like Lexy could make anyone look a star.

>265 msf59: def Patti Smith. Kick ass Lady of rock, if ever there was one. And I am with Kerri (>266 DorsVenabili:) on the other 90s rock girrls. ;)

>289 rosalita: awesome! Very happy-inducing to see your peeps doing well :)

Love the Kick Ass Lades of Rock and Roll discussion! And I love your phrase about your protegée >289 rosalita: " I wish I could take all the credit for her blossoming, but I think she had it all inside when I got her, and the most I can say is that I nurtured instead of stifled it."

What a great story about your former student! We first-generation, shy small-town/farm girls usually have a pretty good work ethic, if I do say so myself... *ahem*
Also, I used to love having lunch with former students and to follow them through their college careers and beyond. Now I still follow some through Facebook and some email me regularly, too. And, of course, I married one of them, too...

Lovely story, Julia, about a lovely Wednesday. Moments like this are such a treasure. So happy you shared it so we all might cherish it !

Happy Friday, Julia! I am off next Wednesday. If you lived closer, we could do lunch. Grins...

>289 rosalita: - That is a wonderfully heartwarming story! Thank you for sharing, and have a lovely Friday!

>293 LovingLit: It most definitely is, Megan!

>294 Berly: Thanks, Kim. It's good to have a reminder now and then that most young people are going to turn out all right, when they are never the ones you hear about in the news it seems.

>295 scaifea: FGSSTFGs unite! She and I had a lot in common in that way (though separated of course by *cough* almost 30 years) so I think that was one reason we've bonded so well. I have had some post-graduation contact with a few other students but in a much more casual way.

>296 michigantrumpet: I'm glad you enjoyed it, Marianne! It's nice to share happy things sometimes, too. :-)

>297 msf59: Mark, I'll start driving east, and you start driving west, and we'll meet up somewhere in between! Probably DeKalb Oasis. :-D

>298 DorsVenabili: Thanks, Kerri. I suppose other people have these sorts of moments all the time but I have such a difficult time connecting with people that when I do it feels like a treasure.

>289 rosalita: That is a perfect reward of a lunch. *smooch* Happy weekend, and here's to the next one to make that change.

>299 rosalita: - Being an introvert who passionately loathes smalltalk, I think I can relate. :-)

>300 richardderus: Thanks, RD!

>301 DorsVenabili: It's a wonder either of us actually managed to say anything when we met at Mark's. :-)

>302 rosalita: Ha! I'm fine around people who share my narrow, obsessive interests, and in other situations, I can usually fake it. I have to be nice and chit-chat a lot for my job, but it doesn't come naturally and it's exhausting. :-(

Also, funny thing, in post >301 DorsVenabili:, I had originally typed "unsociable misanthrope" instead of "introvert," but then thought I should change it, so as not to frighten people. :-)

>303 DorsVenabili: I'm so much better in one-on-one situations it's not even funny. Or small groups, especially of people I've already "met". Oh, dear. That sounds like I make a practice of picking up dates online, doesn't it? Oh well.

I double-checked the definition of misanthrope: a person who dislikes humankind and avoids human society. I don't dislike humankind but I like it a lot better when it's somewhere else. ;-)

That sounds like I make a practice of picking up dates online, doesn't it? It totally does! What else are you hiding from us, Julia?!

You'll have to wait until next year's Windy City Meet-up to find out for sure, Kerri.

From your spam email I am convinced you do online dating. ;-)

Popping in to wish you happy Saturday.

>304 rosalita: I don't dislike humankind but I like it a lot better when it's somewhere else.

Hahaha! I so identify with that!

Have a great weekend, Julia!

Hi Julia, hoping you are having a happy Saturday my dear.

Drive-by hello to you, Julia!

>307 luvamystery65: Ha! But that was from Marianne, she says. ;-)

>308 Berly: Happy Saturday right back, Kim.

>309 Storeetllr: You too, Mary!

>310 johnsimpson: So far so good, John. Hope the same for you and Karen.

>311 tymfos: Howdy, Terri!

>312 rosalita: Hmm...still an online relationship. Bwahahaha!!!

What would your profile say?

Hi, Julia! I'm coming by to drop off a star. I'm late to the party this year.

>313 luvamystery65: Well, that quote about liking humankind better when it's far away would work, right?

>314 Cynara: CYNARA!!! Is that really you? How absolutely delightful to see you. It's never too late to join the party, my friend. Do you have a thread? I must investigate and find you. Welcome back!

>299 rosalita: Maybe, we'll try to pull together a Meet-Up of some sort, in the fall. Mr. Cranswick is still planning on making a trip to the humble Midwest, so we will see.

Hope you are having a nice weekend, Julia!

>303 DorsVenabili: Oh I love the phrase unsociable misanthrope!