Berly's Bounty #3

More Summer Reading!

1. A Book With More Than 500 Pages--The Goldfinch by Donna Tart
2. A Forgotten Classic--Cotillion by Georgette Heyer
3. A Book that Became a Movie--The Green Mile by Stephen King
4. A Book Published This Year--Hollow City by Ransom Riggs
5. A Book With a Number in the Title--Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

6. A Book Written by Someone Under Thirty
7. A Book With Non-Human Characters--Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs
8. A Funny Book--Basket Case by Carl Hiassen
9. A Book by a Female Author--Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver
10. A Book With a Mystery--Paper Towns by John Green

11. A Book With a One Word Title--Orfeo by Richard Powers
12. A Book of Short Stories--Dirty Love by Andre Dubus
13. A Book set on a Different Continent--More Than This by Patrick Ness
14. A Book of Non-Fiction--Marbles by Ellen Forney

15. The First Book by a Favorite Author--Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor
16. A Book you Heard About Online--The Godwulf Manuscript by Robert B. Parker
17. A Best-Selling Book--Life After Life by Kate Atkins
18. A Book Based on a True Story--When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr
19. A Book at the Bottom of Your To-Read Pile--French Women Don't Get Fat by Mieille Guillano

20. A Book Your Friend Loves--The Hanover Square Affair by Ashley Gardner
21. A Book That Scares You
22. A Book That is more than 10 Years Old--The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
23. The Second Book in a Series-- Hollow City by Ransom Riggs
24. A Book With a Blue Cover--Dust by Patricia Cornwell

Reading

Storyteller :The Life of Roald Dahl (572 pages) by Donald Sturrock
What We See When We Read (419 pages) by Peter Mendelsund

August (1307 pages)
46. The Gravity of Birds (294 pages) by Tracy Guzeman 5.0
45. Cat's Cradle (191 pages) by Kurt Vonnegut 4.0
44. Mortal Stakes (288 pages) by Robert B. Parker 3.5
43. The Artful Goddaughter (127 pages) by Melodie Campbell 3.0
42. The Virgin Suicides (249 pages) by Jeffrey Eugenides 3.5
41. Heaven is for Real (158 pages) by Todd Burpo 3.0

July (1612 pages)
40. Interpreter of Maladies (198 pages) by Juhumpa Lahiri 4.5
39. Crimson Joy (211) by Robert B. Parker 3.0
38. The Martian (384) by Andy Weir 4.5
37.A Second Chance (292 pages) by Jodi Taylor 4.0
36. The Hanover Square Affair (319 pages) by Ashley Gardner 3.5
35. God Save the Child (208 Pages) by Robert B. Parker 3.5

June (2772 pages)
35. God Save the Child (208 Pages) by Robert B. Parker 3.5
34. Sleep Doctor (528 pages) by Stephen King 4.0
33. Cotillion (366 pages) by Georgette Heyer 3.0
32. The Explanation for Everything (335 pages) by Lauren Grodstein 3.5
31. The Godwulf Manuscript (208 pages) by Robert B. Parker 3.5
30. The Goldfinch (775 pages) by Donna Tart 3.75
29. Life After Life (560 pages) by Kate Atkinson 4.5

May (822 pages)
28. Just One Damned Thing After Another (332 pages) by Jodi Taylor 4.5
27. A Symphony of Echoes (334 pages) by Jodi Taylor 4.5
26. The Book of Salt (156 pages out of 260) by Monique Truong 3.0

April(1601 pages)
25. The Bartender's Tale (432 pages) by Ivan Doig 4.0
24. City of Thieves (258 pages) by David Benioff 4.5
23. River Marked (304 pages) by Patricia Briggs 4.0
22. Thirteen Reasons Why (336 pages--read with my daughter) by Jay Asher 5.0
21. Paper Towns (320 pages) by John Green 4.5
20. The Rosie Project (304 pages) by Gaeme Simsion 5.0
19. Basket Case (317 pages) by Carl Hiaasen 3.5

March(2107 pages)
18. French Women Don't Get Fat (256 pages) by Mieille Guillano 3.0
17. Sisterland (397 pages) by Curtis (a woman!) Sittenfeld 4.0
16. World War Z (342 pages) by Max Brooks 3.5
15. The Green Mile (536 pages) by Stephen King 4.5
14. Shadow Spell (339 pages) by Nora Roberts 3.0
13. Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, & Me (237 pages) by Ellen Forney 4.0

February(1922 pages)
12. Chocolate War (263 pages) by Robert Cormier 4.0
11. Sisters Brothers (325 pages) by Patrick DeWitt 4.5
10. Dark Witch (342 pages) by Nora Roberts 3.0
9. Silver Borne (304 pages) by Patricia Briggs 4.0
8. Dirty Love (304 pages) by Andre Dubus--Pearl Ruled unless my book club can talk me back into it
7. Hollow City (394 pages) by Ransom Riggs 5.0

January(2340 pages)
6. Basket Case (317 pages) by Carl Hiaasen 3.5
5. When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit (246 pages) by Judith Kerr 4.0
4. Orfeo (369 pages) by Richard Powers 3.0
3. Flight Behavior (433 pages) by Barbara Kingsolver 4.0
2. More Than This (480 pages) by Patrick Ness 4.5
1. Dust, a Scarpetta Novel (495 pages) by Patricia Cornwell 3.5

Favorites from 2013

The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald 5.0
Brewster, by Mark Slouka 5.0
The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier--A Banned Book!! 4.0
The Panopticon, by Jenni Fagan 4.5
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs 4.0
The Dog Stars, by Peter Heller 5.0
What Alice Forgot, by Liane Moriarty 5.0
Round House, by Louise Erdrich 4.5
With or Without You, by Domenica Ruta 5.0
The Death of Bees, by Lisa O'Connell 4.5
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot 5.0
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain 5.0
The Fifty Year Sword by Mark Z. Danielewski 4.0
Morgue Drawer Next Door, Jutta Profijt 4.0
Sacre Bleu by Christopher Moore 5.0
A Million Heavens by John Brandon 4.5
When She Woke by Hilary Jordan 5.0

So, I did very well last month. It was my best reading of the year with a symmetrical 2,772 pages read. Yay me! And I am within reach of making the 75 this year. Nice.

However, I do need help with my Bingo card. I have read two Stephen King books, and although they were great reads, they did not scare me. I need a scary book. Any suggestions?

Way to go, Kim!

For scary books ... of course you know there are other King books that are a touch more scary than the two you read. :-) So I won't bother recommending those. But how about The Woman in Black by Susan Hill? Or Dracula or the more contemporary version, The Historian? I did a tagmash of 'fiction' + 'scary' and there may be something in this list that appeals to you: http://www.librarything.com/tag/fiction,+scary

The Frackers will scare you to leakin'.

>7 richardderus: Ha! I was going to suggest something similar - a non-fiction on a subject that frightens you - global warming or some such thing...

Happy New Thread, Kim! I hope you have a good week so far.

>6 rosalita: Thanks Julia! I have read several of King's scarier books, but kinda want something new. I have read Dracula and The Woman in Black and both were excellent. I also poked around the list (another thank you!), but The Historian wins!

>7 richardderus: Thanks Richard (well, except for the leaking part). I also like the idea of exploring a non-fiction issue. I know the basics about Fracking because it is one of the areas our water cleaning business could actually help clean up; it is definitely a scary subject and one I should learn more about. The Frackers didn't quite do it for me, too much on the financial upside for the companies (not "scary"), but I found another one that explores the economic and environmental impact entitled Snake Oil: How Fracking's False Promise of Plenty Imperils Our Future. And I love the cover! (Why else would you buy a book?)

>8 scaifea: Hi Amber! See, two of you saying the same thing. I think I will read a Fiction and a Non-Fiction for this Bingo category. Come play again, OK? ; )

>9 Ameise1: Hi Barb--A new thread is always fun. Thanks for coming to say Hi!

Happy New thread, Kimmers! Just checking in and seeing how that reading is going. You remember, you have a full wagon.

>12 msf59: Hiya Mark. Such a cute picture! And yes, my wagon is overflowing. Today I am grounded by my doctor. I am lying on the couch with my leg practically sticking straight up in the air so it will drain and I can get the swelling back down. There is a rumor going around that I did a wee bit too much over the weekend (shhhh!) and I have been paying for it ever since. Oh well. That just means more LT and book time! I am halfway through A Second Chance. Right now Troy is falling....

>11 Berly: The Frackers didn't quite do it for me, too much on the financial upside for the companies (not "scary")

Now think that through. Every dime a company has comes from YOUR pocket. When they have a lot, a real lot, a metric fuck-ton of dimes, whose pockets are emptier?

Scares me stupid. (er)

>10 Berly: Double yay! One for reading The Historian and the other for the fracking book you found, which sounds plenty scary indeed. I will await your report, madam!

Sorry to hear about your "grounding". Oh, behave! You have the wrong touchstone for A Second Chance. That is book 3, right? I haven't got to that one yet.

>14 richardderus: LOL. Okay, point taken. Or maybe it should be penny taken. Dimes? Dollars?!

>15 rosalita: I promise I will report back, but perhaps not posthaste as I have a few before them. ; )

>16 msf59: Thanks Mark--good catch. Fixed now. Yes, it is the third in the St. Mary's series. Ha! I am ahead of you for once! A truly memorable moment.

Happy new thread, Kim! Carry on!

Thanks Crazy! I will do my best. : )

36. The Hanover Square Affair

Richard is right--this is a fun read and another great series. Also, his review is much better than what my brain can produce this morning. So go read it! (The review first, then the book.)

https://www.librarything.com/work/250346/reviews/110575008

Hi Kim, I stongly can recommend The Historian. I adored this story.

Hi Barb--Excellent news. I have moved The Historian to the top of my Must-Get-Now list! And did you see? I used your fancy new starring method on my book review today. It took me a little to remember that "1/2" has to be written out as "half" but then it worked perfectly.

Don't yours stars change colors though? Hmmm...off to check your thread.

>20 Berly: *baaaaawwwww* Thank you for that nice compliment! *smooch*

Deserved. And welcome!

Happy new thread!

Hi Rachel! How's it going? I love new threads. Especially mine, LOL. I think I only had three all of last year. In fact, most years. So I am ahead of schedule! : )

Hi Kim, just thought I would pop over after your lovely comment on my thread, this is my 2nd year with the 75 ers and as time passes by I get introduced to more new friends. I have had a good luck at your thread and see that our reading for the year seems to match, both by number of books read so far and you like me keep a record of pages read each month. I must admit that my record keeping is a lot more geeky although I love statistics and have done for many years.

Kim I should have said in the last post that I have starred you so I can keep up with what you are doing.

Hi John--Thanks for stopping in and the star. ; )

I was also surprised to see that we are so close in books read this year, and even the kinds of books. The reason I started keeping track of my pages read was so that I wouldn't shy away from the big ones just so I could boost my books-read number. It has worked well for me so far; this is the first year I have kept track.

I look forward to tracking your reads!

Hi Kim, I love books with over 500 pages and as part of my challenge this year I decided to read 12 books of over 900 pages, one per month. So far I am on track with books so far being, 907, 919,1299, 1076, 929 and 1391 pages long, July's is 960 pages and I am a third of the way through. I have kept a record of my reading since 1-7-95 and up to now have read 770 books, nearly 360,000 pages and 278 different authors. I always set myself a minimum of 25,000 pages per year but haven't always reached this.

It will be interesting comparing each others reads.

Okay, so here's what I did with my evening: I reviewed a book I really loved, but wasn't quite ready to run around demanding people buy or else (like The Martian). Larry Watson, who wrote my all-time favorite novel Montana 1948, has a new and marvelous read out called Let Him Go. The review is in my thread...post #279.

>30 johnsimpson: Let me get this straight. You actually PLAN to read books over 900 pages long? Every month? I can't decide if I am really impressed or totally scared of the insane man underneath your friendly exterior. I guess time will tell....

>31 richardderus: 1. You can't get me with The Martian book bullet. It is next up on my list. : )
2. I love every time you bring up your all-time favorite novel Montana 1948 because then I get to mention that I actually helped edit it. Thanks.
3. On the other hand, dang you because now I have to read Let Him Go.
4. And double dang you for telling me to read the 3rd St Mary's book A Second Chance now, instead of waiting until the next one is actually out. Do you know how it ends? Note: not a spoiler because I will not identify the speaker or the spoken to. Let me paraphrase: "Run! Get out now! They are here. They are coming!" I hate you. : P

>22 Berly: Berly, Berly, Berly, I will send you my copy of The Historian if you really insist on reading it.

Hi Kim, hope the swelling has gone down and that the reading is going well. Have you found a good scary book yet?

>32 Berly:, Hi Kim, I am a sane person but I do like to challenge myself and as I have a large number of books over the 900 page mark it was one way of getting to read them. I have thought of a new challenge for next year, only books 600 pages or over as again I have a large number of these on my shelves but I may decide this is too much. Hope you are having a good day and hope you have a lovely weekend my dear.

Stopping in to wish you a weekend full of fabulous, Kim!

Hi Kim. Nice new thread you've got here. I just finished a book that you might like if you are looking for scary: The Quick by Lauren Owen. I won't get around to reviewing it for awhile as I have a fairly busy weekend but it was excellent.

>12 msf59: aw that kiddo is ca-UTE. I love her outfit :)

Hi Kim,
You helped edit Montana 1948??! I demand/respectfully request a backstory! I will double dang you if you don't (I just wanted to say 'double dang') ;)
I think that book was my first ever LT BB, and I still haven't read it! It's a crime.

Kim, I wish you a fantastic weekend.

Happy Saturday, Kim!

>33 AuntieClio: Stephanie--That is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me! OK. If I can't hold out anymore I'll let you know. Thanks.

>34 calm: Thanks Calm. "No" on the swelling and "yes" on the reading. My plan for the scary book is to read The Historian for Fiction and Snake Oil: How Fracking's False Promise of Plenty Imperils Our Future for NonFiction. Not that I normally read both categories to check off a square, but they both sound so good!

>35 johnsimpson: John--Sane is still up for debate but I will give you the benefit of the doubt for now, seeing as we have just met. ; ) Seriously, I wish you the best of luck with your ambitious plan. I think the longest book I have read recently was probably a Gaboldon or a King book. I do have Storyteller: The Life of Roald Dahl waiting for me, but upon further inspection a lot of those pages are Notes and don't count. In any case, I hope you have a great weekend as well!

>36 Crazymamie: Thanks Crazy! And a great fun-filled bookish weekend to you!

>37 brenzi: Hi Bon--Thanks for the scary suggestion. Maybe I will save that one for October! Have a great time this weekend, even if its not on LT. ; )

>38 LovingLit: Megan--What?! Montana 1948 was your first LT BB and you STILL haven't read it? Come on girl, get a move on! LOL. Seriously though--it is a great book and you should get your hands on it.

So, I really did work for Milkweed Editions in Minneapolis back when Larry Watson was unknown and I did help edit M1948. I must confess that I was on the newbie rung at the time and did not have earth-shattering input, but I did make my own small grammatical contributions and it is still kinda fun to say. I worked there for about a year and my signed copy is sitting on my bookshelves downstairs.

I also helped edit a new edition of the Bible when I was freelancing. Guess which one was more fun to do? No sacrilege intended.

>39 Ameise1: Yay! Barb posted one of her pictures on my new thread! Thank you very much and I wish you a wonderful weekend right back. Doesn't it take you forever to find all your pictures for everyone?!

>40 Crazymamie: Happy Saturday, Crazy! Off to check out your thread and see what is happening at the Pecan. : )

So, my daughter had a sleepover last night and at about 2am one of her friends spiked a fever. We had to put her in the shower to lower her temp. I knew she was on meds for a sinus infections, but she had the shakes and chills and everything so we thought maybe it was a good idea for her to go home. She said she couldn't because she didn't have a key. (?) So we tried to call her Mom. After about three tries, my daughter woke the mom up and she said she would unlock the door and put out the medicine and then...she went back to bed! What?! We had to drive the friend home. If it were my daughter that sick, I would have gone to pick her up. Am I crazy?

Kim, it's always great fun to pick the photos for everybody.

OMG, what a mother! I would pick my daughters up where ever they are.

Whoa, what the what was that mother thinking?! Poor girl...

>32 Berly: #31.4 Heh.

>44 Berly: ...

...

...the fuck?! My daughter's 33, mother of three, and if someone called and said she was too sick to drive I'D STILL PICK MY LILY-WHITE ONE UP AND GO GET HER!!

People I swaNEE these people

Um, NO, you are not crazy. That is totally inconsiderate, not to mention that you think she would want to pick up her daughter herself to check on her.

I responded to your post on my thread, but then I worried that I sounded snarky, which I would never want to be. Well, maybe with my MIL, but I digress...Anyway, I edited it.

Thanks you guys. I feel better. I just don't get people sometimes....

>41 Berly: You are welcome. It'll only go to Goodwill otherwise. However, I do not think you will find The Historian as scary as you're hoping for.

>44 Berly: Someone .... that's .... well I would have gotten my worried behind out of bed and picked my daughter up.

>50 AuntieClio: Yay! Poo. We'll just have to see. Who knows? Maybe I will be a wuss and scream with terror? LOL

>51 AuntieClio: Seriously! And I made sure we woke the mom up when we got to the house, which I am not sure she appreciated, but I didn't want to just dump the friend at home without someone to look after her. She was a mess!

Glad that woman isn't my mother. That's all I'm saying.

I'm all ready for a Tandem read of Cat's Cradle now. When do you want to start?

>44 Berly: Wow. That woman won't be getting any Mother of the Year votes from me.

Oh my goodness--what a mixed-up mother! I would even question her judgment on letting her daughter come when she's sick, but I guess it's hard to keep them home when they are teens.

It's great to have you posting and reading so much lately. The upside of being able to walk much, I guess!

>53 cammykitty: Oh good! This will be fun. I have to get my hands on a copy of Cat's Cradle. Not sure if it is downstairs in my uncataloged bookshelves. I will check and I can probably start on Wednesday. : )

>54 kidzdoc: Hi Darryl--How nice to see you here! Thanks. I truly loved following your adventures abroad though all the great pictures you posted. What a trip! Are you enjoying being back with your kiddos at work?

>55 banjo123: Rhonda--Thanks for popping in. Yes, I have really enjoyed my increased time on LT. Just shows you how over scheduled I was before the forced time out. I will have to try to keep thing better under control after I recover.

As to the friend, I knew she wasn't up to par and that she had the ear infection, but she went on antibiotics a few days ago so I assumed she would be doing better not worse. And, yup, teens are invincible and just keep going. LOL.

My daughter checked with her today and she is feeling better. : )

Hi Kimmers! Just checking in with my pal. I hope you had a lovely weekend. How is the Lahiri coming? Fingers crossed...

Morning, Kim!

>57 msf59: Hiya Mark--I had a very nice weekend. Best thunderstorm ever yesterday! We usually get one clap and it's over, but this lasted on and off most of the day! I loved it. The Lahiri is beautiful. I am over halfway and it is to date my favorite collection of short stories ever.

>58 Crazymamie: Hey Crazy! Happy Monday to you. My son sets off for a Timber's (that's our pro team) soccer camp today---he is very happy! I have a doctor visit in the afternoon, which is good because I have questions. Update later...

Anyone have a page count on The Martian? Sometimes the Kindle drives me crazy. NO page numbers and lack of cover image would be foremost.

The Martian has 384 pages, Kim.

38. The Martian by Andy Weir

Mark Watney is an astronaut accidentally abandoned on Mars by his crew mates. The rest of the story is his gifted and humorous attempt to contact earth, try to arrange for his rescue and survive. This is less weird sci-fi and more of a McGuyver attempt to improvise repairs and missing tools. Great wit and cool science. Highly recommended.

>60 Crazymamie: And now I know it has 384 pages! Thanks. : )

37. A Second Chance by Jodi Taylor

The third in this time-traveling series involves investigating the fall of ancient Troy: was Helen really there and did a wooden horse really cause all the trouble? These are burning questions for the Historians of St Mary's. Come on! Don't you want to know? The transitions between historical missions and the strife between our heroine Max and her lover, Leon Farrell, are rough and somewhat forced, but this is still a fun read with the requisite villain and crowd-pleasing twists and turns. I am eagerly awaiting the next installment!

Hi Kim, it looks nice with your coloured stars ;-)

>44 Berly: hi Kim. Belatedly weighing in. You. Are. Not. Crazy. That mother's behavior is outrageous. Sad, really, that her daughter is raising herself.

>61 Berly:, >63 Berly: *dislocates shoulder patting self on back*

I had a rant on my blog today.

>64 Ameise1: Barb, thanks for making my stars look so pretty! You really know how to spruce up a place. ; )

>65 EBT1002: Ellen! Great to see you. : ) Thanks for affirming my reaction. I do feel like she is raising herself and it makes me so sad. We already have one of our son's friends under our wing because his family is going through hard times. My daughter's friend lives too far away for me to be of any significant help.

>66 richardderus: There, there. It's your own fault you know. Here is an ice pack. And a drink. And a smooch. Off to check out the rant.

Saw the doctor today. Bad news is I am still very swollen and I have to ice even more now that I am starting more rehab and exercises, and I got yet ANOTHER brace! Holy shit. I think I have 5 or 6 now and they ain't cheap. Oh well.

I can live with all of that because my new brace is half as long as the previous one; much lighter weight and better range of motion AND...I don't have to sleep with it on!! Yahoo! Yes! Bonus! Celebration! I am a tired but happy girl.

Get well soon, Kim. I know that rehab takes a lot of time and is far away to be funny but it helps that you are fine later.

>59 Berly: "and it is to date my favorite collection of short stories ever." Swoons a little...start searching out Unaccustomed Earth, if you don't already have it on shelf.

I am so glad you loved The Martian. That one is a keeper!!

>69 Ameise1: Thanks Barb. My new brace is soooo nice compared to the last one. I feel positively jaunty today!

>70 msf59: Thanks for the tip--I will commence hunting. : )

Halfway through my latest Spenser murder mystery read. Crazy has some nerve! First she hooks me into starting the series, THEN! she tells me Spenser drives her crazy. Fine friend she is. ; P

I have read the first two and this month jumped to number 15, Crimson Joy, so I could join in with Mamie, Donna and Roberta.

>71 Berly: Yes, but the discussion! That is where it is at!! Who cares if the books are good? What matters is that I get to discuss them every month with the delightful and insightful Roberta and Donna! And now you!! It just doesn't get any better than that, dear!

Hooray for the new brace that allows you more movement with less weight, and that you don't have to wear at night!!! WahHOO for progress!! You go, girl!

>72 Crazymamie: Well, obviously I am in it for the discussion--and only because it is with the especially fine trio of you, Roberta and Donna! But I wanted to give you some grief. : )

I finished. Now what? LOL. Talk where? Here, there and everywhere?!

And thanks for celebrating my new leg freedom. : ) Now, instead of a sarcastic "fine friend she is," it is "she's a fine friend!" Which is what is always truly was. xoxo

Yep - we just chat on each person'e thread. You're fast - I'm still reading. Too many books going at one time.

And I LOVE sarcasm and snarkiness, so you were fine either way in my book!

OK apparently I really do have to break down and read another book that is totally out of my comfort zone but keeps getting a lot of LT buzz: The Martian. Thanks for the nudge Kim. Sorry about the knee swelling but yippee for no brace at night. I finally, after three and a half months, no longer need to sleep with pillows under my calves. Pure bliss:-)

>74 Crazymamie: Crazy--I used to read many books at once, but now I am pretty much one at a time. And I used to be nice, but now I am snarky, but only with people I care about. ; )

I was a little lost in Crimson Joy because I had no clue who Susan or Hawk were. Susan apparently always has really big, dark eyes, is really smart and always in the mood for sex. She doesn't cook though, so she isn't perfect and I can live with her. Hawk was kinda hard for me to figure out. Guess I will just have to keep trying to catchup and get the back story.

>75 brenzi: Bonnie--I am so happy for your newfound bliss! I would kill for a pillow under my legs (!) but I am supposed to prop up my feet and let the knee kinda hang down to stretch it out. And I chickened out and wore my brace last night. Shhh! Don't tell my doc. I just don't want to tweak it and I am a rather restless sleeper.

Glad you are moving The Martian up the list. : )

Susan and Hawk are both staples of the series - Susan shows up for the first time in book two, and I think Hawk makes his first appearance in book four. Susan is hit or miss for me - I liked her better before book twelve. Hawk is a keeper, and he usually has the best quotes. Hawk and Spenser go way back, so this is who he calls when he gets in over his head. Thank goodness he usually gets in over his head!

That's amazing that you can remember what book # your appreciation for Susan started to change! I will try to fit in book #3 before our next month's read. Review for CJ later. Going to bed. Night.

Good morning Kim, hope you have a lovely day my dear.

Good evening John! I hope tomorrow is a great day for you!

On my feet too much today. PT was rough. Knee is swollen. I got home and collapsed into bed. Watching Flashpoint on TV with the hubbie. And eating junk food. : )

Oh Kim, I sorry to read that your knee is swollen. I hope it doesn't hurt too much.

Hi Kim, hope you're knee is easing up my dear and that you will be able to rest it over the next few days. The weather here is glorious but by Saturday they are saying we are going to have violent thunderstorms so I am going to make the best of it.

Kim, just getting to your thread 80-plus posts in. First, love your thread topper! And I totally agree that the mother in >44 Berly: was way too unconcerned about her daughter, and rude besides (having YOU drive the child home when you had a house full of teenage guests).

So sorry to hear that the knee is being such a bear. Glad you've got a brace that's easier to live with (and that you don't have to wear at night), though the expense must be a real downer.

And so cool that you were involved in editing Montana, 1948.

Kim, I wish you a fantastic weekend.

Kimmers? Sweetiedarling? Are you okay? Surely your fingers aren't too swollen to type a message....

>81 Ameise1: >84 Ameise1: Thanks Barb. Knee is doing ok pain wise , but I am having issues with swelling. I think I am up on my feet a little too much, but I have kids and they need herding and picking up after! What can I do? LOL And I have a fondness for sunflowers--perfect picture for me!

>82 johnsimpson: John--I hope you enjoyed your sunshine and we would love some of those thunderstorms--they are rare here. We are still very sunny but have finally cooled down from the 90s to the 80s. Phew!

>83 tymfos: Terri! You found me again! Thanks for popping in and catching up on all things Berly. I feel loved. : ) How are you?

>85 richardderus: Smooch. Thanks for checking up on me, Richard. Everything just takes that much longer with the effing brace (and sometimes crutches) and I got behind on RL. You know, had to find the floor in the house under all the piles of laundry, find the counter under the dishes, etc, etc, etc. Between soccer games today and working a salsa booth at the farmer's market (Them not me), I have recruited my kids to pitch in and help today. And that meant I could go out last night on a date with my hubby and watch a Timbers soccer game -- we won! 2-1. I even had a margarita. Whoohoo!

>87 Berly: (Translation: Berly's been schnockered under the table and couldn't see to type, hangover clearing up today & kids threatened with bodily harm unless they clean up the bacchanal's mess)

Damn! You are soooo good at reading between the lines! LOL.

I finally reviewed The Goldfinch in my thread...post #193.

Cool Kim! I'll start reading Cat's Cradle tomorrow and send you an update.

>90 richardderus: Still on a roll, Sir. I have to say The Goldfinch on a desert island might cause me to end it all. Just saying. Or I did say, in my review on my last thread. : P

>91 cammykitty: I may have a small problem. I am picking up a very good friend from the airport tonight. She is going to be down with her mother until Tuesday, but if I don't get CC read before she comes back up all bets are off until she leaves--she is a whirlwind!! I will do my best.

I think I liked The Goldfinch 5% less each month after I read it that I didn't review it. Just a bit messy and bloated...but it was still, all said and done, a thumping good read.

xo

So, now that you have reviewed it, will its value stabilize? Or will you still like it 5% less each month? Hmmm. Only time will tell...

PS-- I have heard you are a Satanic Book Yodeller! (Cameling's thread)

Caro will love me still less when I review Eric Shonkwiler's stuff. Nobody's heard of him much...they will, though.

Satanic Book Yodeller? I think I'll plug my ears! But it's certainly better than a Demonic Novel Rapper.

Berly, that's ok about Cat's Cradle. I have about 100 pages left of Pawprints of History so I'll go back to that one for awhile and then switch back to CC. I'm about 50 pages in and already went to Wikipedia to do some fact/misinformation checking. It's going to be a weird read.

Hi Kimmers! Hope the weekend went well. Get any reading in?

Kim, I hope your knee swelling is starting to subside but great news on a lighter brace that you don't have to wear at night. Does that mean you can finally sleep in some different positions?

>95 richardderus: That's the risk you take when you write so persuasively and no one can resist you!

>96 cammykitty: LOL. Yes, Demonic Novel Rapper sounds awful. I'll let you know when I get started on CC. Thanks for understanding.

>97 msf59: Read another short story in Interpreter of Maladies but that's about it for the weekend. Loved it though!

>98 rosalita: So, I am afraid to sleep without a brace because I tend to jerk a tad. And, no, the swelling has not gone down so I slept last night with my leg propped up on pillows again. It looks better this morning and I do have more mobility and less pain. So I still count that as winning.

And one of my best friends is coming to visit on Tuesday from NY so that is sure to be a mood lifter! She works in post production for movies. Her latest is the soon-to-be-released The Giver by Lois Lowry, which I am sure almost all of you have heard about if not read. GREAT book! She is a pistol and I look forward to lots of laughter and wine. : )

See what I mean about you being a Satanic Book Yodeler? I came for a visit, get hit with a book yodel on The Martian and instead of adding it to my OWL like a normal person, I was compelled to open my Ammy app and 1-Click the book.

>95 richardderus: La la la la la .. Richard...

How's the leg doing today, Kim?

>100 cameling: Yodelayhehooooooo! : )

(Psssst! What is an Ammy app?)

The Leg. I am definitely making progress with the range of motion, but still can't bend enough to ride a bike or get up the stairs without hitching the hip to one side. Sooooo close though! Had PT again today and she reassured me that the increased swelling is probably due to more time up and about as well as the increased movement. She suggested more ice and putting the leg up when I get home. Darn! I still need the kids to do the dishes and cleanup. ; )

Ammy app = Amazon for Android (or iPhone) enabling shoppers to spend spend spend *everywhere*! *mwaaaaaahaaaaaahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa*

Ahah! I understand the concept if not the acronym! Ammy. Amazon My ....?

No acronym, just Ammy as a clip for Amazon.

Breathe in. Breath out. Become one with the Ammy. Learn to accept. Pull out your wallet....

No need to pull it out. They already own your payment details.

Scary, isn't it? One-click! Buh-bye now, money!

Sorry. Let me try again.

Breathe in. Breath out. Become one with the Ammy. Learn to accept. Click...click..click.click.clickclickclickclick and soon dear Berly is behind on the mortgage, gets foreclosed on and has to live on the street. But she has her books.

Now do I have it right? ; )

Lalala, not hearing. There is no amazon ap for android... There is no amazon ap for android... click your heals together and wish you were at the library.

Berly, actually glad to hear the good news/ not so good news about your knee. More pain and swelling from action? It's a good thing.

>108 cammykitty: Click those heals Katie!

>109 AuntieClio: Stephanie, yeah, I am going with the positive interpretation. ; ) Thanks!

I really enjoy seeing you posting around the threads. Just sayin'....Smiles.

And it is a pleasure to be here again! Thanks for noticing. xoxo

39. Crimson Joy (211 pages) by Robert B. Parker

In this one, Spenser and Susan are trying hard to keep their private relationship on an even keel, even thought the latest string of murders has their professional lives intersecting far too closely. This book is way farther into the series than where I am (book 2), but I jumped in to join Roberta, Donna and Mamie in a group read. There were several gaps between where I was and here: I hadn't even met Susan or Hawk yet! I liked Spenser less in this relationship than as a lady killer and I hear good things about Hawk, but he had such a minor role here. So, I guess it was a good read, but not great. I am in it of the long haul no matter what though, because I like my fellow readers!

Are you doing a group series read then? & he makes a better lady killer???

>114 cammykitty: HI Katie. Yes and "Lady's Man" might be more appropriate. ; )

So I am trying to read one catch-up and then the current Spenser read each month. I read #1 and #2 and then I jumped in at #15 for the group read. Fun!

The Spenser Project

January – Ceremony #9
February – The Widening Gyre #10
March – Valediction #11
April – A Catskill Eagle #12
May – Taming a Sea-Horse #13
June – Pale Kings and Princes #14
July – Crimson Joy #15
August – Playmates #16
September – Stardust #17
October – Pastime #18
November – Double Deuce #19
December – Paper Doll #20

Spenser had all these great lines about how women looked (totally sexist, but it was okay because he loves women and he is kinda a softie and he knows how to cook!), but now that he is in a relationship, those great lines are gone.

>116 Berly: You forgot snappy dresser. Ah, the '70s. :-)

Also, I agree completely with your Spens-analysis.

>117 rosalita: Ah yes. LOL. Bell bottom pants. My fave!

Hi Kim, I've only read Rough Weather by Robert B. Parker so far because our local library had only that one. Perhaps they'll get another one later.

Susan needs to die in a fire. Duh-readful.

Well Kim, if I've had to succumb to the convenience (and danger) of the Ammy app, then really what am I to do but to spread the threat joy of this very easy to use mobile app that you can download on any smartphone or tablet.

OMG the dreaded Amazon One-Click...I hate it....I love it....I hate it....I love it....you get the picture Kim, don't you?

I'm sorry the knee continues to be uncooperative. I won't mention what I'm doing with my new knees. Really I won't.

>119 Ameise1: Hi Barb--They are fun, light reads. Hopefully your library will get few more in someday. Hope you continue to have a fantastic time on your trip! I keep checking in for more photos. Keep 'em coming!

>120 richardderus: Richard--Harshness! LOL. I don't know if Susan needs to die per se. Just move on or get replaced perhaps?

>121 cameling: Caro--This Ammy app thing? I will love or hate you, depending--let you know which one it turns out to be. ; )

>122 brenzi: B--Hmmmm. Dreaded eh? See above ^. : P

Are you doing all sorts of cool things with your knees, like bending it or going up and down stairs? I am soooooo jealous!! (Good for you!)

Too late to say happy new thread.. and I am not caught up at all, so I will just say GREAT looking thread! I wanted to find you and say hello and send healing energy toward your knee.

>124 mckait: Hi Kath! Thanks for finding me--it's great to see you here. And I will take GREAT looking thread any day. Not to mention any good vibes you send to me knee. Thanks. I am pulling for you on the whole work thing. Fingers crossed for you!

No, I think Richard is right about Susan. Happy Thursday, Kim!

>126 Crazymamie: >120 richardderus: Well, okay then! I was trying to be nice. Of course, I have only read one book with Susan in it. By book two of her, I will probably agree.

Happy Thursday back!

She's human at first.

Yes, I agree! She isn't perfect though, not even in book 15--she can't cook. So let's all just make fun of her. ; )

>123 Berly:. Um yes Kim, I'm doing all sorts of things like going up and down stairs, almost but not quite pain free. I almost hate admitting that. I'm not sure what your surgery entailed but it's starting to sound like you should've just replaced the thing lol. Maybe not. When I left PT I was bending it to 125 degrees. And you will too, at some point. Good luck and I hope it improves soon.

Nope. Death to Susan! Death to Susan!

Susan started to lose me in Early Autumn with her attitude toward Paul. I was done with her in A Catskill Eagle. Spenser is not as charming anymore and I do agree that it is due to Susan. Hawk is still funny.

What she said.

Kim, we all hated Susan in Spenser #11. While I'm not ready for her to die, she can take a hike and let Spenser do what he does best -- solve crimes, woo the ladies, and trade barbs with Hawk! I had forgotten about her attitude toward Paul. Hiss! Boo! I don't want to completely abandon the series, but I'm willing to try something else. I can always save Spenser for nursing home reading!

Hi Kimmers! I am so glad you guys are enjoying the Spenser books. I just wanted to add, that I read at least 9 of these books, back in the 80s and early 90s. I did like them too, but didn't feel the need for a revisit. Keeping up with series fiction is always a major task.

>134 Donna828: It doesn't have to be a violent death, Donna. Perhaps she could just...you know...roll gently under oncoming rush-hour traffic or fall delicately from a very great height directly onto the Washington Monument...

What's better than two way positive energy?

Hmmm I have to be more careful of skimming, I was a little perplexed about who was going to meet a violent death!

Remind me NEVER to get on Mamie's bad side.

Too much?

Re: Spenser project.......not yet read 'em but my sympathies are obviously not with Susan or anyone else displaying a bad attitude to Paul.

Kimmers thank you for all your lovely and supportive posts to my threads recently when I have been down in the dumps and in need of my pals. xx

Hi, Kim; just dropping by. I hope your knee is better.

>130 brenzi: >141 humouress: Thanks Bonnie and H. I had two meniscus tear repairs, ACL reconstruction and shortening and reattaching of ligament holding kneecap in place. Let it not be said I do things halfheartedly!! I am up to 90 degrees bend and I can gingerly go up stairs but not down yet. I am having great fun with wall sits...not! I am just two months out from surgery and have 7 or so months to go on rehab. (That means full recovery and starting back to TKD.) I will be mightily happy when I can lose not just this brace but ALL braces! Still, making good progress. Everyone says I am on track.

And it is encouraging to hear about your recovery. Hope the pain goes away completely soon! : )

>131 richardderus: >132 luvamystery65: >133 Crazymamie: >134 Donna828: >135 msf59: Off with her head! I just have to laugh. This is the most responses about a character that I have had on my thread...and no one likes her! A bunch of haters we are. LOL. I am game for more of the series or switching. Whatever the group rules. has anyone cheated and looked ahead to see if she "disappears" from the series? (Crazy, very nice endings you depicted!)

>137 mckait: Hi Kath! I love two-way positive energy. And no. You were never in mortal danger. : )

>136 Crazymamie: >138 luvamystery65: Be VERY nice to Mamie. You know her user name is CRAZY...

>140 PaulCranswick: Susan is totally out just because she was mean to Paul, your namesake (even though that is only a rumor from my point of view since she hasn't done anything to him yet as far as I have read.) And you are more than welcome for the support. Anytime! Although I hope you don't have need for it again in the near future. xoxo

Hi Kim!

Hawk is a wonderful character and I actually liked Susan a lot (I admit that it has been a long time and I may have bailed on the series before completing it). I thought she and Spenser had good chemistry and she was a strong and likable woman.

But characters do change. :-)

>142 Berly: Goodness! I missed your previous threads, so I had no idea you did all that. Was it during tae kwan do? I have another friend who was out of action similarly, though she injured her foot.

>144 EBT1002: Hi Ellen--Hawk really did not have much of a role in book #15, so I want to read some of the earlier books I missed to catch more of him. Susan and Spenser's relationship was under the magnifying glass in this one as she becomes one of the murderer's targets and business and pleasure are intertwined. Maybe she is more likable when there is a little less? Mind you, none of us hated the book. Just thought it wasn't the best in the series.

>145 humouress: Yes, it was TKD. Which at least makes it sound really cool and all, but I didn't injure it doing any of the athletic, fast moves. It was more like actually like walking along, missing the curb and landing wrong. All I did was take a slide back and poof! No more knee. I have had problems with the kneecap dislocating since I was a teen, so I think I have done a pretty good job of nursing it along all these years. I think it was bound to give at some point. In other words: I don't blame TKD; I can't wait to do it again; and I totally encourage others to give it a try. It is so much fun!

Maybe I will try TKD; my other friend couldn't wait to get back to it either. She took it up to keep the kids company, but when she broke her foot, she was out of action for 6 weeks. My little guy was at preschool with her youngest, so I gave him a lift back (which was the perfect excuse for them to have a mini playdate while we chatted).

On the other hand, with all these injuries going around ...

I hope your knee is well on the way to healing.

I love TKD. I have a great community of friends there now and I think it challenges me both physically and mentally--learning all those forms takes concentration! Also, I can get rid of any anger and I leave a happy camper. My heart rate is great--in the 50s--and I got flexible enough that I can do the splits!! You should totally give it a try. It keeps me young. : )

>42 Berly: *sigh* I am so far behind
Thanks for the M1948 backstory, much appreciated, even if not swiftly commented on!

I love that TKD is a passion for you. Little Wilbur (nearly 6) has started karate a few months ago and loves it. He has never had lessons in anything before, so I am into him having something to do where he can progress and feel achievements. He would love to do the splits (I know that tkd aint karate...but you know), I will tell him to keep practising.

>149 LovingLit: Megan!! I am just glad to hear from you! How is it possible that Wilbur is almost 6 already? I bet he looks so cute in his uniform; I especially love little kids when they get their serious faces on. Do tell him to keep practicing. Who knows? If I can do the splits, anything is possible.

Went to the movies tonight with ours kids and their friends. Saw "Lucy" and we all really liked it--Scarlett Johansen did a great job! I think it is very intriguing that humans use only 10% of their brains. Why so little? What could we do if accessed more?

Anybody have any movies to recommend?

>148 Berly: Oh, alright, then. I'll get off my behind and check it out. Along with all the other exercise programmes I promised to start.

My kids were popped into judo classes at 5, but they just looked drowned in the jackets :0)

The last film I saw ... hmm; I took the kids to see How To Train Your Dragon 2 a few weeks ago. I still have to get the book, though I have no idea how it relates to the film. I know the first film was only loosely based on the book, because I rushed through it before we went to watch the film. I didn't get a chance to, this time, because our bedtime TBR list is soooo long, and one or the other of the kids fall asleep before I get to the end of the chapter. *sigh* When my eldest was 5, I could get away with reading a Mr. Men book or three, and it'd be easier on the voice than a chapter.

If you haven't seen 'How to Train Your Dragon', it's fun. We all came away happy.

I read a lukewarm review of "Lucy" yesterday but it did point out the Scarlet was wonderful as usual. I will see her in anything. I recently saw her in Under the Skin. What a creepy disturbing film. I loved the book too.
Did you see "Her"? It's very good. Scarlet is only a voice in the film but what a VOICE.

>152 humouress: H--I loved the first How to Train Your Dragon, so I would probably be up for the second one as well. Great suggestion! I miss reading to the kids at night. They are past that now. Sadness. Enjoy it while you can! That and oversized outfits. ; ) The karate uniform might fit you very nicely though....

>153 msf59: Mark, I haven't seen "Her" or "Under the Skin"--thanks for the ideas! You are always full of them. Which is good news, bad news. I have wonderful lists to read (and see), but my lists are sooooo long now and you are very much to blame. : P

Hi Kim - hope that you are healing well and getting more flexibility in that knee.

Thanks! I have been granted permission to use the bike, but I can't make a full rotation yet. I go up one side as far as I can and then I stop and come back down the other way. Repeat. I am not sure I would say I am using up too many calories yet though, LOL.

Speaking of calories, since my accident I know a lot of the muscle has turned to fat, but at least I didn't totally balloon. I have just kinda been happy that my weight has only gone up a few pounds. It's hard to go from exercising five times a week to none! And , of course, when I feel like crap, I want my comfort food. So, now that I am off pain meds, but still can't quite burn calories besides mere existence usage, I am going to start a wee diet. TODAY! I hope. Wish me luck. : )

40. Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri (198 pages)

This debut of short stories is stunning! Set in India and America, these are quick glimpses into the lives of people looking for love and acceptance, sweeping between generations and nations. My favorite collection of short stories of all time. Winner of the 2000 Pulitzer. Need I say more?

I was being a good mom, really, and then it became all about me...

I picked up the required HS reading book for my son, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. Good mom.

And I stayed on track when I picked up one I ordered to fulfill a Bingo Square (A Book That Scares You): Snake Oil: How Fracking's False Promise of Plenty Imperils Our Future by Richard Heinberg

And then the two nice guys at the counter at Annie Bloom's starting making suggestions and before you know it I left with:

The Skies Belong to Us by Brendan I. Koerner
Stormy Weather by Cal Hiaasen
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman and
The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson.

The last four weren't even on my WL. What can I say? Yay me!

A note about Speak. I read this six years ago and I made both my daughters read it. Now my son's school has assigned all incoming Freshman Speak as a required book for summer reading. Excellent choice! Here was my review from back then:

I just read Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson and it was really, really good! Rather than voice the truth, Melinda chokes back her words until they don’t come anymore. An amazing look at how trauma can isolate the victim from friends and family as well as a fiendishly realistic immersion in high school drama, lingo and insecurities. The book has a certain lightness to it that makes the tragedy bearable: I mean, how can you NOT laugh at such characters as Hairwoman (her English teacher) and Mr. Neck (Social Studies)? I definitely want my sixteen-year-old daughter to read it. An absolute 5 Star!

I love Speak too, and most kids like it. I had this weird feeling that Anderson & I went to the same high school, same cliques & same mascot.

Remember your veggies! (speaking of, I was at a Convention this year and the hospitality person put out baby cucumbers and snap peas with hummus! Yum.)

I'll be ready to start Cat's Cradle as soon as I'm finished with Marina, so that probably means Tuesday. It isn't a terribly long book, so I'll risk depressing. As for no humor, I think it does have humor. Dark, politically incorrect humor. We'll see. I may be wrong.

Lol. Did someone tell you I have been skipping my veggies or is that your hint for my diet?

OK. I am good to start CC later today. : )

I loved Interpreter of Maladies!

Enjoy Spenser #3. It's a good one. #4 is good. #5 meh but #6 & #7 are THE BEST. ;-)

>162 luvamystery65: Roberta, That is excellent news about Spenser! I'll just keep plugging away knowing that the best is yet to come.

Got an ER copy of The Artful Goddaughter by Melodie Campbell (Raven Reads)

Description: Mob goddaughter Gina Gallo stands to inherit two million bucks from her great-uncle Seb, a master forger. But there’s a catch: Uncle Seb wants Gina to make things right and return an extremely valuable painting to the City Art Gallery. If she can’t do it, her rat-face cousin Carmine gets the boodle.
Reluctantly, Gina comes up with a plan for a reverse heist, as she has learned things never go as planned when her family gets involved. The wrong painting gets replaced, and Gina finds herself with two priceless masterpieces in hand! It won’t be long before someone realizes what’s going on.
The Artful Goddaughter is the third novel in a series featuring Gina Gallo, who wants nothing more than to run her little jewelry store. But try as she might, Gina can’t escape the family business, with hilarious consequences.

Should be fun!

Hi Kim, had a great meet up with Barbara in Bournemouth, we got on like a house on fire, Karen and Thomas were with us and we all got on really well. Karen and Barbara had a real good natter and me and Thomas had a good chat, hoping to meet up again sometime, we swapped addresses etc and will be keeping in regular touch besides here on LT.

Hi John-- I am so glad you had such fun! An dhow nice that LT is going to spill over into RL. Did you post any pictures? Off to check out your thread...

Your ER copy does sound fun! & yes, the veggies order was my hint for your diet. No one told on you, but it's always a pretty safe bet that someone needs to eat more veggies. We've all been plagued by rutabagas in the past.

Cat's Cradle: I'm on chapter 68, and finding it quite amusing. One of the blurbers compared it to Dr. Strangelove, so that's how I'm interpreting it, and I'm expecting the world to come out in the end just about as well as it does in Dr. Strangelove. So how does our Bokononist live to tell the tale? Haven't the slightest. I'm thoroughly expecting the world to be destroyed by ice 9 because of something "political" ie involving Mona and her admirers. It's quite a crazy tale filled with characters so off that they actually start sounding believable because they are so ridiculous. At times, I forget this is science fiction, but of course, Dr HoHoenikker's last discovery is pure science fiction.

I am about halfway and I have the same Spoiler Alert expectations that you do. I am actually finding Cat's Cradle very amusing, and the words of wisdom from Bokonism, not to mention the vocabulary, are truly cracking me up!

Hi Kimmers! Yah, for finishing Interpreter of Maladies! That one is such a joy! And congrats on snagging the latest Gaiman and the Family Fang. I am a BIG FAN of both!

Glad you are enjoying Cat's Cradle. I also thought that was a lot of fun.

Scary thing is Bokononism makes a certain amount of sense to me.

Now I've got about 50 pages left and I'm thinking that Frank made the whole island. There's a model of it at Jack's house. So that would make bug-torturing Frank a sort of god??? busy, busy, busy

Hi Kim. I loved Interpreter of Maladies too. Now you must read Unaccustomed Earth...just as good IMO. Glad to hear you're able to ride a bike now:-)

>61 Berly: I'm on a very long list at the library for this one! I hope you are feeling better dear friend!

>169 msf59: Mark, I am glad to hear you like my new books. That means they are sure to be a hit with me.

>171 cammykitty: Katie--Didn't have a chance to read today at all! So I am not gonna read your Spoiler yet. ; ) Hoping more time tomorrow.

>172 brenzi: Oh sure, Bonnie! Pop in and add another book to my TBR Tower. I don't even have to leave my own thread to get in trouble! LOL. Thanks for the recommendation. : )

>173 Whisper1: Hi Linda! I AM feeling better. Thanks for asking. I stayed at the office all day today for the first time since surgery and my knee only swelled up slightly. Whoohoo! Normally I have to head home about 2:00 and get my leg up. Got a ton done. And you must be feeling better since you are making the LT rounds. Yay!

*peeks in* Hello, hello! Coming in to star your thread. No idea why I didn't have it starred previously.

The 10% of brain use is a myth. It's such a common one it has its own Wiki entry:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_percent_of_brain_myth

I'm glad to hear your knee is feeling better, however slowly it is healing. Yay!

Hiya Morph! I have no idea why you haven't starred me before either. Glad you fixed it!

The 10% brain usage may be a myth, but sometimes I wish it was true and that someone could give me a quick boost! Some days the ol' synapses are just not firing. ; )

Thanks for the knee well wishes. PT today was harsh. I am climbing lots of stairs, trying to get my knee to bend with weight on it. I have my limit though--one flight is more than enough. I took the elevator to my car in the parking garage. : )

Well, just join me here on the Memory Issues Bus. *pats the seat next to her*

Hi Kim! I am glad that the knee is improving, though it sound frustrating. At least you have books to console you!

>157 Berly: yikes. I STILL have to read that one, I hope Mark doesn't read this, as it was him who was persuading me a long time ago to get to it asap!

>158 Berly: I think "Yay me!" just about captures it. I adore Carl Hiaasen's works (Tourist Season is his best) and The Ocean at the End of the Lane was quite good, even for someone who tends to shy away from YA novels.

I'm glad you loved Interpreter of Maladies. I think I need to do a re-read.....

>177 Morphidae: I would but I can't remember where the bus stop is!! ; )

>178 banjo123: Hi there. Did I mention that I can be somewhat impatient?! Everyone says the knee is improving very well. So, I just need to suck it up. And buy more books. LOL

>179 LovingLit: Mark! Oh Mark! Megan still has not read Interpreter of Maladies. Oh, sorry. I misread that. I somehow thought that you hoped Mark would continue to encourage you to read it. My bad. : p

>180 EBT1002: Another Hiassen fan! I think I have enjoyed every book of his that I have read, YA and adult. Some more than others, but still, always a good read. I also just realized I seem to have underreported the Hiassen books I have read in my library. I should fix that...

I just got my latest Indiespensable book from Powell's and it looks like a great book!



The Great Glass Sea by Josh Weil, winner of the National Book Award 5 under 35.

From the back cover: "...our world made uncanny: the Russian countryside of folktale and literature turned darkly luminous, menacing and brittle. I was intoxicated by this novel's brains and I feel hopelessly in love with its heart." --Lauren Groff

And the plot overview taken from Powell's interview book with the author: "Dima and Yark are twin brothers in a Russia set in a slightly alternate universe, in the city of Petropoplavilsk. The city is in perpetual daylight, thanks to the Oranzheria -- a 'sea of glass' greenhouse built over farmlands lit by mirrors in space. Though inseparable in childhood, Dima and Yarikl begin to take radically indifferent paths as they navigate adulthood, family, responsibility and ideology...steeped in Russian folklore and fable."

I have to read this one soon!

It also came with a really cool water bottle, perfect for us readers!

>183 Berly: I WANT that water bottle.

>182 Berly: That sounds like a good book. I would not want to live in perpetual daylight.

>184 Morphidae: : )

>185 luvamystery65: Roberta--I would not like perpetual daylight either. If I forget to close the blinds at night I am up with the sun, which is entirely too early in the summer. I would be a grumpy farmer.

>183 Berly: Gimme!

Have patience with the knee; but I'm glad to hear it's improving.

Glad the knee is still improving, though it would be nice if it would hurry up.

Love that water bottle!

>186 Berly: Tease!

Love the bottle - and at #176, the 10% of your brain is a myth, and it originated with L Ron Hubbard and Dianetics.

>186 Berly: What a great water bottle, Kimmers! Although I am sure it could also work for beer. Just sayin'...

Hope you had a great Saturday, my friend.

>188 humouress: Nope. Mine!! : ) Nice knee, pretty knee, BEND KNEE!! How was that for patient?

>189 tymfos: ^see above. LOL

>190 Morphidae: Who me? Grins innocently.

>191 cammykitty: Thanks! I just want it to be true that way I can always hope that the other 90% is gonna kick in soon...!

>192 msf59: Beer...hmmmm. 32 oz might put me under the table. I am a little out of practice -- I believe the term is light-weight.

I have one of those bottles!

skimming and saying hello :)

>194 AuntieClio: Hurray! But what are you doing up at 4 in the morning?

>195 mckait: Hi Kath. Thanks for stopping in. I know you are swamped with work, so even a quick hello comes with lots of love. : )

Well, you better start getting in beer shape, for the next time we meet. Smiles...

I am really enjoying Dirty Love. I am on the last novella, it's the title story. I know you had problems with the book (I think so anyway) but it is working for me. I can see why he is not everyone's cuppa.

Happy Sunday, my friend.

>197 msf59: Just give me a little heads up and I will practice my beer curls. ; )

I am glad you are enjoying Dirty Love. I have to admit that was one of my abandoned books. I wonder if I should give it another try now that I am off the pain meds: They tend to give me a really negative view of live and I could see how the seediness of DL might have gotten blown out of proportion under the influence. Maybe....

Happy Sunday to you as well.

I really liked Dirty Love but it is very, very seedy.

>199 banjo123: Well, it is about the dirty side of love...But he does write well, that is for sure.

>196 Berly: stupid timestamp, I was not up at 4, it was only 1AM.

Hiya, Kim! Happy Sunday!

@193 The brain can grow new neurons. I'm sure Cat's Cradle will make your brain function better... or not. My mother was reading Dianetics in the 70s, so the whole family was trying to figure out how to use more of our brains. It wasn't till much later that I learned what an interesting and ridiculous crackpot L Ron was and put that self-help book that everybody's mother was reading together with Dianetics. Oddly enough, I don't ever remember my father saying that it was "hogwash." "Hogwash" was a favorite phrase of his, followed by "sheepdip."

Happy week ahead, apple blossom.

Hi Kim, I wish you a lovely day.

Happy Sunday again! Are you offline for a few days?

Hi Kim, I wish you a fabulous Sunday.

>199 banjo123: >200 msf59: Yes, great writing, but not enough to pull me through the seediness.

>201 AuntieClio: Glad to hear you were sleeping. : )

>202 Crazymamie: Happy Sunday...a week later! Hell of a week here.

>203 cammykitty: I was a neuroscience major in college and worked on dendritic growth experiments after graduation, but I can always have my miracle wishes, lol. Hogwash indeed.

>204 richardderus: Thanks Richard. I hope my next week goes better than last.

>205 Ameise1: >207 Ameise1: And I wish you a happy Monday!

>206 cammykitty: Happy Monday! Hoping to be online this week.

Hi Kimmers! I have a feeling you've been busy again. I hope you enjoyed your weekend. check in, when you can. Hugs!

Morning Kim, hope you had a lovely weekend my dear and wishing you a very good Monday.

Ha, I see we have lots of water bottle envy here. Me too! I want one of those. How's that knee coming along, Kim. You are probably being tempted to overdo things as it begins to cooperate more. Take care!

>209 msf59: Hi Mark! Yes, RL is getting in the way again. As soon as I get caught up somewhere, I fall behind somewhere else. The good news is I cannot claim to be bored!!

>210 johnsimpson: Thanks John. I felt those good wishes yesterday. : )

>211 Donna828: Hi Donna. It is an awesome water bottle! My son wanted to borrow it for soccer practice, but he didn't understand the true coolness of it--he only wanted it because it is big! So I said no way. ; )

Last week was spent at a Stormwater conference here in Portland. I think it went very well, at least the collateral pieces I designed for the Clarus booth looked great. We will have to see what kind of leads it generates. Then my brother-in-law was in town Wed thru Friday. Haven't seen him in a while so it was great to catch up. And, of course, I took him to Powell's! I will list my loverly new books soon. : )

My knee is doing OK. I got permission to go without the brace at home, but I am not gaining ground on the bending aspect. So I have three weeks to get it from 105 degrees to 130. If I can't make it happen, they will have to put me under for a couple of minutes and do something to break up the scar tissue. That sounds really nasty so I am doing my best to really push it! Of course, that hurts like heck and then my whole leg swells up. Grrrrr!

On the up side, I slept last night without a brace!!!!! I actually slept on my side and stomach. Whoohooo! I kept waking up when I changed position-- a little nervous maybe? But nothing was hurt during the night and I am so happy.

Lunchtime is over--back to work.

xoxo

Berly, good luck with the bending without surgery. You can do it!

SO understand the bending issue. *smooch* for successful non-surgical solutions!

Congrats on successful sleeping without the brace! I'm sure if it's possible for you to get that knee bending you will because you seem to be working awfully hard at your PT. If it's a scar tissue thing, though, the surgery may be the only option. Do they really have to put you under? Can't they do an arthroscopic sort of thing? I hate general anesthesia so I try to avoid it whenever possible.

Hi Kim. Good luck with bending the knee. As Donna says, don't push too hard and make it worse (though I know it's frustrating when it's almost there, but just won't work properly). Can you massage it to prevent the swelling / encourage it to bend?

>212 Berly: No, no! That water bottle is far too cool to hand out to mere rabble rousers. (Sorry; I don't mean to imply that your kids are trouble. I'm just going by my boys) ;0)

I've just noticed on your profile that you do glass, so I'd like some advice, please. I bought a glass pendant which is shaped like a hollow square, but it has unfortunately snapped in half. I've glued it back together, but I'm too nervous to wear it, in case the glue gives way and I lose the pendant altogether. Is there anything I can do to mend it more securely?

Hi Kim, take it steady with the knee my dear, good news that you could sleep without the brace though. Karen goes for her MRI results at the doctors tomorrow so hopefully she will find out what the problem is with her knee. Hoping you have a really good day my dear from this side of the pond.

>214 AuntieClio: Thanks for the encouragement!! I need some.

>215 richardderus: Yes, you would get it. Sorry that you understand all too well. Hope your kiss works!

>216 rosalita: I think the surgery is because they just kinda yank the knee to break the scar tissue and I am not sure I want to be awake for that! Although I would prefer that to another incision. Hopefully it won't be an issue because I will be flexible by then!

>217 humouress: Massage, ice, elevation. I am trying it all! I think what everyone is saying is that now i do have to push it, even if it does hurt, because I have to tear out the scar tissue best I can. Yuk!

As to the bottle--rabble rouser applies! LOL. We go through more water bottles and I don't want him to lose this one!!

>218 johnsimpson: Hope the MRI helps to figure out the problem and that it is an easy fix. Wish Karen good luck from me!!

>219 Berly:, Hi Kim, Karen went to the Doctor's this morning for her MRI results, not good. It seems that she has floating pieces of bone, a lateral tear in the ligaments and severe osteoarthritis that appears to have changes, whatever that means. She has now made an appointment to see a specialist at the end of August.
Hope you are ok my dear and that you are still able to have the knee brace off at times, hope you are having a good day.

>220 johnsimpson: John, I'm sorry to hear about Karen. Best wishes as you go through this together.

>221 AuntieClio:, Thanks Stephanie.

>181 Berly: *peeks in to see if Mark is on my case about that book*
>192 msf59: Heh, Mark totally missed that :) *phew*

Hi Kim!
How's that knee freedom feeling these days? It's a long road to recovery huh, and LT time is so much shorter than RL time, which means you must have been ailing for months!!!

I hope that your knee mobility improves and your pain lessens soon, Kim!

Kim, I finally caught up on your thread and events. Glad you're recovery is progressing and the next procedure goes well.

Hi Kim!

>219 Berly: Hats, bottles ... like water through their hands *despairing sigh*

Kim, I'm so happy for you that the recovering is going fine. hugs

Hi Kim, have you read any more Spenser books lately? I'm lining the September book up to read after I finish the two books I'm currently reading. I'll be ready for something fun after finishing The Luminaries!

Kim, I wish you a gorgeous weekend full of reading.

Kim I wanted you to know that I actually enjoyed Spenser #16. It was reminiscent of the early Spenser. Good news!

So are you telling me Dianetics is not a standard college text in neuroscience? I'm shocked! (not) I'll bet it was an interesting thing to study. I only know bits and pieces, mostly picked up while reading books about dog behavior. I sure hope dogs use more than 10% of their brains! Their brains aren't that big. Random! Sorry. Hope you get to that 130* mark. More surgery doesn't sound like fun.

Kimmers I trust that your recovery is continuing nicely and that it will not impede on a great Sunday for you.

Swamped with life, back to school stuff, out of town visitors and PT. That and my laptop, which the interns are using at work, keeps getting left at the office and by the end of the day I want to climb into bed and ice my knee and be on LT, but I do NOT want to sit at a desk!!! So I have been MIA lately. Sorry. Here I am for quickie. : )

>220 johnsimpson: John-- Sorry to hear about Karen's knee. That doesn't sound good. Wish her good luck from me!

>221 AuntieClio: Hi! More good wishes for Karen.

>223 LovingLit: Hi there. Yes the knee thing has been going on for about half a year now. Injury and then had to wait for swelling to go down before operating and now recovery. About halfway to wellness I think. : )

>224 kidzdoc: Thanks so much--I will take all the well wishes I can get!! I have PT tomorrow and we will see what new range of motion I have achieved. Pushing it hard!

>225 ffortsa: Thanks for popping in--great to see you. Winning the war little by little. : )

>226 katiekrug: Hi Katie!!!

>227 humouress: Yep. They lose everything, I swear! Apparently the cool thing for boys now is the socks. My son has more pairs--it's crazy! But then I guess they don't get to change it up with skirts or dresses, so why not.

>228 Ameise1: >230 Ameise1: : ) Way behind on posting my reading. Soon though....

>229 Donna828: Ummm....August isn't over yet. I still have time to read Playmates!!

>231 luvamystery65: Yay!! It is the next one on my TBR Tower. Okay, it is actually on my Kindle, but you get the idea. ; )

>232 cammykitty: I am still working on the 130. Made it to 122 last week. It is not easy and PT is basically me trying not to cry (or crying and trying not to make her feel bad about it) as she works on the knee mobility. So much fun. NOT! >: (

>233 PaulCranswick: And a wonderful Tuesday to you!! Thanks.

Hugs everyone. Kids start school soon. Yay! Boo! I have mixed feelings. Can you tell?

Just checking in with, Kimmers! Back to busy, huh? Check in when you can and let us know what you are reading.

Hiya Berly-boo, busy with life-stuff is a good way to be. Still and all, the impingement on your online time...well...permaybehaps there's a way around that. Buy yourself a Chromebook! They're so cheap.

Just stopping by to say hi, Kim!

Good to see you back here, Kim!

>236 msf59: Hi Mark! I am awake in the middle of the night. Otherwise me no have time to postie today.

What am I reading? The Gravity of Birds by Tracy Guzeman and What We See When We Read by Peter Mendelsund. And I owe several reviews....

>237 richardderus: I don't want to buy anything new...my laptop should find its way back home after the summer interns head back to school in a few weeks. Then I can post comfortably in bed whilst icing. : )

>238 tymfos: Hi! By all means, stop in!!

>239 kidzdoc: Hiya Doc. Thanks for checking up on me. ; )

So, I failed to make progress on my knee bend. Rats!! Still at 122: a week and a half to make 8 more degrees. I think I need to ice and elevate more than I have been because the swelling makes it painful. PT says she doesn't feel anything "in the way," which is good.

First day of school today for Sarah. She is a senior!! I can't believe it. She has one of her favorite teachers for Homeroom, Biology, and she is his Teaching Assistant in art, so she should like at least half her classes this year.

Jack was the only Freshman (I can't believe he is in High School!) that made JV1 in soccer and his best friend was the only Freshman to make Varsity. They are quite the proud pair.

That's it for news for now. Going to try and sleep again. Zzzzzzzz.

>240 Berly: Bummer that the knee isn't progressing, Kim. I'm really sorry to hear it.

Yesterday was my son's first day of Senior year, and he says it is going to be challenging. Isn't it unbelievable how quickly they grow up? Best wishes to Sarah, and congrats to Jack and his best friend on their soccer success!

Hi Kim! Just getting caught up here! Sorry to see you are having trouble with your knee :(

Woot! for school! Sounds like both your kids are off to a good start. And the 130 might not happen in a week, but it will happen. & yes, I did miss you!

>235 Berly: If you mean losing socks, that's old news in our house.

If you mean socks are in fashion, it hasn't hit here yet. My older one prefers Bonds (a big Australian brand?), but he likes the ankle socks, so I can't actually see if he's wearing socks sometimes (and sometimes, he actually isn't). My younger one is still into super heroes and so on (so I usually raid Mothercare - the big UK children's shop).

I'm sorry the knee didn't improve, but don't overdo it! Lots of small, gentle doses. Um ... still haven't got around to TKD yet.

Yay for Sarah and Jack!

Exciting times with a senior and a freshman.

Good luck with your knee rehab.

Hi Kim, I wish you a gorgeous weekend.

>241 tymfos: Thanks for the knee condolences. : ( Good luck to your son! Sounds like he has the right attitude for graduating. : )

>242 ChelleBearss: How awesome to see you in these parts! Life must be settling down a bit?!

>243 cammykitty: Thanks for the Woot! Yes, bummer about the knee, but I am still working it and it is progressing...albeit s...l...o...w...l...y.

>244 humouress: Not losing socks, no. That is a given! I always seem to have only one of a pair come out of the dryer. How does that happen?

No, socks are all the rage here for the boys as a fashion statement. They are calf-high and athletic looking in all sorts of colors and apparently the brand name is VERY important! LOL

>245 SuziQoregon: Senior and freshman in high school AND a senior in college. Very exciting times! ;)

>246 Ameise1: Love those walls of living art. Never seen it on a building before. Very cool! Happy weekend to you too. : )

I hope you are doing great today, and that everyone else is, too :) You studied WHAT in college? You are one smart cookie!

hugs