Richardderus thread 24 of 2014

I have a category called Orphans, which will still catch all the other reading I do.

My ORPHANED books ticker:




I want to treat the Short Story collection challenge as a ticker-to-itself thread, thinking 48 reviews as my goal. I'll keep the thread over in the Short Stories forum.

My SHORT STORY collections ticker:




I'm keeping a mystery-genre thread over in Crime, Thriller, and Mystery forum. Way way way too many of my reviews have been, in all forums, mysteries and thrillers, and while I love them, I don't want to get too rut-ified and read only those books while keeping up my self-made review writing census.

My MYSTERY & THRILLER books ticker:




THIS THREAD is the 75 challenge for 2014, which will be non-fiction and non-genre-fiction books published in 2013 and 2014, plus recommendations from other 75ers.

My last thread of 2012.
My last reviews of 2013 in this thread.

My 2014 NEW books ticker:




Books 1 & 2...thread 5.
Books 3 & 4...thread 10.
Books 5-7...thread 12.
Books 8 & 9...thread 13.
Books 10 & 11...thread 14.
Books 12-16...thread 15.
Book 17...thread 17.
Books 18 & 19...thread 19.
Book 20...thread 20.
Books 21-26...thread 22.
Books 27-30...thread 23.

Books are reviewed in post:

31. A Trail Through Time...#100

32. Authorisms: Words Wrought by Writers...#201.

33. Village Books...#216.

34. The Days of Anna Madrigal...#224.

THE PUBLIC SHAMING OF A REVIEW-WRITING SLACKER
updated 21 June 2014 with MORE embarrassing omissions...the bottom of the post

Books I've read that I need to write reviews for because DAMN!

Life After Life--trending towards 5 stars 9 months on
The Golem and the Jinni--settling in at 4-plus stars
The Love Box--short stories with bite, somewhere over 3 stars
The Hill Bachelors--well and truly over 4 stars, William Trevor is a story-writing demigod
An Elegy for Easterly--vacillating between almost-4 and a hair over 4 stars
The Martian--six stars out of five, the most fun I had with my clothes on in 2013 reviewed!
Outerborough Blues--a terrific Brooklyn noir, juuuuuuust misses 4 stars Reviewed!
Hedy's Folly--pretty woman with brains invents stuff the men can't understand, is condescended to and dismissed; blood-boiling almost-4 star read
Consider Phlebas--first Iain M. Banks read, not a huge success; 3 stars but they're grudging
The Player of Games--3-and-a-half because it's better than the first one, and because I suspect reading it too soon after being mad at the first one made me unfairly testy
Empire State--my first Adam Christopher read, I liked it almost 4 stars'-worth
North American Lake Monsters--over-3 star story collection infused with very very weird situations and characters
The Dinosaur Feather--I *loved* this thriller set in Denmark and am horribly ashamed that I haven't written its 4-star review Reviewed!
The Keeper of Lost Causes--simply delicious, 4 stars, go read it NOW if you haven't
Monday or Tuesday--it's Virginnie la Woolf! I'd never read it, and was very excited to; an easy 4 stars reviewed! Not quite four after all
Regeneration--late to the party; easy 5 stars; just...jaw-dropping Reviewed!
The Optimist's Daughter--at best 3.5 stars, my lady wasn't a novelist! Reviewed!
Delta Wedding--a hair more than 3.5 stars because I just *adore* hatin' on Dabney Reviewed!
Slaughterhouse-Five--six stars of five, don't anybody admit to me that they didn't like this book or it will damage our friendship...reviewed!
The Book of Matt--painful
The Daughters of Mars--trending towards almost-4 stars, the longer I'm away from it the less amazing it seems
The Goldfinch--started at 5, now down to 4-plus; another book where distance isn't making the read better
The Luminaries--oh my heck! At least 5 stars, such a joy to read!
Tomorrow-Land--the 1964 World's Fair! W00t! I'd say 3.5-plus?
1Q84--yes, I read the damned thing, 2.5 stars
Cloud Atlas--see above
Among Others--solid 3.5-plus, I like Walton a lot
The Cusanus Game--wowee read translated from the German, easy 3.5 stars
The Frangipani Hotel--a solid 3.5-star debut story collection, watch out for this lassie, there's better still to come from her pen
The Dark Vineyard--second Bruno-in-Provence mystery and I reveled in its 3.9-star glory reviewed! (and promoted to a full 4 stars
Don't Start Me Talkin'--a strange road novel, indie lit at its best and most interesting, another solid 4 stars
The Merry Misogynist--can you EVEN BELIEVE that I haven't reviewed a Dr. Siri in 2014?! The shame, the shame Reviewed!
Cold Storage, Alaska--not bad, not excellent, and worth your eyeblinks at 3 stars
Black Irish--debut thriller set in Buffalo, very very noir, pulse-pounding action that merits 3.75 stars Reviewed!

Oh gawd there are more, more, ever more, and I really need to get busy writing the reviews.

19 June additions
How can it be that I've never reviewed ANY of the Iron Druid Chronicles? Not ONE, except two of the novellas?!
Hounded Reviewed!
Hexed
Hammered
Tricked
Trapped
Hunted
Shattered (no proper touchstone yet!)
none below 3.5 stars...and I'm not gonna forget the novellas:
Grimoire of the Lamb Reviewed!
Clan Rathskeller Reviewed!
Kaibab Unbound Reviewed!--prequels to Hounded
A Test of Mettle--after Hammered
Two Ravens and One Crow
The Chapel Perilous--after Tricked

*whew*

21 June embarrassing omissions
Let Him Go--4.875 stars, Larry Watson delivers excellence but not *quite* the transcendence of which he is more than capable Reviewed!
Orchard--another Larry close-close, but only 4.5 stars...a little predictable
How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia--3.9-star wry-smirk of a read, thanks Katie!
The Faithful Scribe--3.5-star good tale, but somehow misses catching fire
The Odd Clauses--a 4-star look at the wacky world of our American Constitution, and how very strange some of it really is
Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue
Authorisms--two 3.5-plus star explorations of language, English, and its quirky, unpredictable, and downright capricious development Reviewed!
The Frackers--5-star subject, 3.5-star execution, and made me beyond boilingly furious
Hill William--4-plus stars for McClanahan's spare and simple and gut-punching prose Reviewed!
Throne of the Crescent Moon--I like the author well enough to read his Arab-culture based fantasy novel, so I should review it, right? Say three, three and a quarter stars
An Unnecessary Woman--loved this tale of hidden depths and social invisibility, at least 4 stars reviewed!

August is a-cumin in

Since July has been a big huge boost in getting unwritten reviews written, yay!, I'm going to try something similar to the Doubleday UK meme for August.

I've bought a lot of SFnal works, read many, and reviewed almost none (pace The Martian). So here's a list to be getting on with, from which I'm planning to draw a book a day for August:

The Madonna and the Starship--I like James Morrow's stuff a lot! Maybe 3.75 stars.
Mars, Inc. The Billionaire's Club--Ben Bova! Yowza! What a long career. This isn't perfect, though I'd've had complete fantods over it in 1984; maybe 3.25 stars?
Notes from the Internet Apocalypse--~meh~ 3 stars
The Cusanus Game--vivid, intense, but slow-paced and too long. 3.8 maybe?
Above All Men--postapocalyptic goodness that blows ol' Bore-max McCrappy outta the water, 5 stars
Age of Shiva--latest in a series of novels interpreting sacred texts as SF; dunno yet
Valley of Day-Glo--whoa Nelly. 4 stars Reviewed!
Dry--excuse me, I need a few gallons of water; 4 stars
The Symmetry Teacher--still digesting; maybe 3.8, 3.9 stars
Hurricane Fever--weeeeeeeeelllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll...3.75 stars?
Understories--YYYYUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMMM 4 stars
At the Mouth of the River of Bees--such an excellent title! Not bad, 3.75 maybe
Salvage--an excellent YA novel, 3.75 stars
The Burning Dark--Adam Christopher's hard-SF debut, liked it 3.8-ish stars
Living Next Door to the God of Love--quirky; almost 3 stars, maybe a wee tidge over
**more to come**

The Word Exchange--fascinating! 4 at least
The Future We Wish We Had--fun little collection, 3, 3.25 maybe
Gemsigns--cool new series; 3.75 or so
Ancillary Justice--can't wait to read it!
Indistinguishable from Magic--Cat Valente! W00t!
Hard to be a God--Strugatsky borthers' madness
The Dark Beyond the Stars--interesting to read this one by a gay SF pioneer
Irregular Verbs--gorgeous!
Planesrunner--I like his work, can't wait to start it
Railsea--China's mah boy!
Dancing With Bears--I have no idea how this came to be here

Peeking in, running off..................................................

Also checking in! *smooch*

>5 maggie1944: You're first!



Happy retirement home room! (How I want the Tome Home's rooms to look)

Yea! Yes! Yeah, baby! That is exactly it. I love the bookcases, high ceilings, the rungs, and the chairs, even! I also like the coat/umbrella stand.

And the floors. Can you tell I pay a little too much attention to HGTV? The Property Brothers. They are so cute.

OK. Back to reading. Happy New Thread, Richard.

Read well, Karen44!

Happy New Thread, Richard!

Thank you, Amber dear. Have a lovely Wednesday.

Happy new thread Richard.

Thanks, John!

Joyeux (joyeuse?) thread nouveau (nouvelle?)!

xoxo

Happy new thread, Rdear.

Thanks, Barbara!

>7 richardderus: There need to be foot stools.

and bean bags..

>18 laytonwoman3rd:, >19 cameling: Behind the photographer. Can't have too much cluttering up the shot!

So, the two-copy order of The Silkworm got sorted out, and I shall have a copy of The Cuckoo's Calling on Friday.

My Early Reviewers extra batch win, ANCILLARY JUSTICE, arrived!

And the other books in my Thingaversary haul, making a total of nine:

DOUBLE AGENT: The First Hero of World War II and How the FBI Outwitted and Destroyed a Nazi Spy Ring
EUPHORIA
HANGMAN: A Novel
(This group includes The Silkworm and I'm not counting The Cuckoo's Calling because it was free)

For the RL book circle, I reviewed The Inferno of Dante, a new(ish) translation of the epic poem, in my thread...post #86.

Hey you got Justice too. I'll have to hurry up and read it before you wax eloquent about it.

Richard, my dear man, I am SO glad you read and liked A Constellation of Vital Phenomena. I agree with some of your trepidations going into it, but to read a book about which one is skeptical, and to come out the other side having been surprised and moved and touched. Ah, that is the gift of reading. Yay!

Okay, enough good cheer. How ARE you? I hope you know that, as absent as I am from LT these days, I am still here. Just in smaller bits than I used to be.

xo for you and, as always, for the Stella dog.

>23 mahsdad: I was tremendously surprised, as I don't remember asking for it, but hell to the yeah! I promise not to wax eloquent until the end of the month.

>24 EBT1002: *smooch* I know you're just trying to make me feel better about the fact that you and P are going to Scotland and going to drink at the distilleries, so you're ignoring me and the rest of LT.

*sniffle*

But Stella appreciated the ear-schmoozle!

>25 richardderus: Actually, I feel no guilt --- NONE --- about going to Scotland and tasting the local libations.

But I do feel lucky.

Did I mention no guilt? ;-)

Clearly I'm not trying hard enough, then.

*vibrates with jealous loathing*

I want the room up top. Dibs!

Happy New thread, RD! Hope the week is going well. Has it cooled off there yet?

It looks like you made the best of your thingydingy

How are you feeling?

>28 Berly: You and Karen44 can cage-fight for it.

>29 msf59: Thanks, Mark! Not cool, perzackly, it's supposed to go to 84° but it's not as chokingly humid today.

>30 mckait: Guilt-free bookish goodness! I'm okay. It's summer so that's as good as it gets.

>8 maggie1944: >31 richardderus: Can we postpone the cage fight for the room until my knee heals?

I have had that Dr. Siri book on my Kindle for yonks now. Thanks for the reminder and the review.

I'll see your 84F and raise you 15 degrees. *whimper*

Ahem ahem *clears throat*

Happy new thread to you.
Happy new thread to you.
Happy new thread, dear Richard.
Happy new thread to youuuuuuuuu.
Any many moooooooooooore.

Thank you. Thankyouverymuch. I'll be here all week. Try the veal.

>32 Berly: No. NOW!

*evil laughter*

>33 tiffin: Haul it up, Tui, and read read read. Dr. Siri's a pleasure not to be denied.

>34 katiekrug: But sweetiedarling, you live in TEXAS. You're fortunate it's not over 100° at midnight. UGH

>35 Morphidae: Thank you, Morphy my dear, that was most prettily sung.

Can't wait to hear what you think of Ancillary Justice, Richard!

Ellen's trip to Scotland sounds sooo good; I'm envious, too.

Happy new thread, dear! *runs to get popcorn (and Julia) for the cage fight*

I am putting on my TKD uniform to hide the brace on me knee and make myself look more threatening. Straightening my Black Belt. Also twirling my Nunchucks. Hoping Karen will just forfeit....

Cage fight! Cage fight! Cage fight!

Mamie, I brought the wine:

Cage fight! Cage fight! Cage fight!

The violence has started before post 50.

xoxo to you and Stella.

Happy new thread, Richard! I'm afraid it's hopeless to get caught up on the old ones, but I feel I'm caught up with you through Goodreads, so it's no big deal really. Also, Happy Thursday!

>24 EBT1002: to read a book about which one is skeptical, and to come out the other side having been surprised and moved and touched. Ah, that is the gift of reading. Thanks Ellen, that is a quote I want to save and use!

>37 jnwelch: I can't wait to find out, either!

>38 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie dearest, the cage fight's shapin' up a treat.

>39 Berly: In recognition of the age gap, Karen44 gets a firearm.

>40 rosalita:, >41 Crazymamie:, >42 luvamystery65: Well now, all we need's the part of the second part....

>43 DorsVenabili: Hi Kerri! Always happy to see you here. It's been a lovely new thread so far, what with Tome Home rooms and cage matches...no need to worry about the past.

>44 tututhefirst: Isn't that perfect, Tina? I tweeted it!

OMG... the man tweets too!! Someday RD, when we rendezvous in person, you can teach me to tweet. My children and grandbabes roll their eyes and say "no way TUTU" we don't want you on the airwaves, etc etc .....I confess, I really don't need another time waster.

Bwahahahahaha is all I have to say. Work has handed me another smackeral to be highly amused over.

>47 tututhefirst: Been tweetin' since 2007. I think it'd be something you'd ***HATE*** with a passion.

>48 AuntieClio: *snerk*

I have to admit that Twitter is something that I really don't understand. I'd like to follow a few people, but I can't figure out how to turn off the infernal retweets, and I have the darndest time following tweet threads, if that's what they're called over there... *grumble grumble*

>50 scaifea: Heh. Don't! Just don't. You'll never ever enjoy it. Retweets are the currency of Twitter, so they can't be turned off or avoided. You have to unfriend people who retweet stuff you don't like. It's not for everyone, for sure and certain.

>51 richardderus: Yeah, I thought as much. I have an account, but haven't looked at it in over a year, I think.

>36 richardderus: You would not say that if you ever heard me caterwaul sing.

A couple of weeks ago, I called my mom for her birthday. I told her that her first present was that I would NOT sing Happy Birthday. She thanked me.

>52 scaifea: I'd strongly recommend deactivating/deleting it. There are pirates who can and do come along, hijack your unused account, and start spamming the world.

>53 Morphidae: Ha! Nice, Mom, reeeaaaallll nice. :-)

Hi Richard, hope you are having a good day my friend, we have had a good day after a bad start (see my thread for full details), tomorrow is Hannah day but no baking will take place sadly.

>51 richardderus: Actually there are third-party applications to access Twitter that allow you to not see retweets, to mute certain hashtags, and do other things to make your stream more manageable. I love Twitter and can't imagine not using it.

For those of you in Virginia and Texas (you know who you are), it's 63F in Seattle. Friday forecast: partly sunny and 73.

Just sayin' (and clearly playing with fire as I taunt my dear friend Richard about yet one more thing)

And am I too late for the cage fight? Did someone win?

I reviewed my guilty-pleasure book for the Doubleday UK meme. It's embarrassing to like a Scandicrime thriller with angst-ridden detectives and vile, unspeakable murder victims. But I liked The Dinosaur Feather and reviewed in over in my thread...post #215.

>59 richardderus: Hmmm.... I'm resisting.

>55 johnsimpson: I saw that! Yuck. So sorry, John.

>56 rosalita: I use HootSuite to automate some chores. I don't really like the reading on it.

>57 EBT1002:, >58 EBT1002: I. HATE. YOU.

>60 EBT1002: Resistance is futile.

>57 EBT1002: - That's just mean, Ellen... ;-)

ETA: Morning, Richard!!

Morning BigDaddy!

Cage fighting? I've been sitting here, in my new beautiful room, reading quietly, minding my own business, not even noticing all the noise and hubbub going down.

Weapons? I never even knew there were weapons in the cages. I know nothing about this world. Is it a Sci Fi book? Or a Mass Market Pulp Fiction book? Can I buy it on Amazon? Oh! Wait. Wait. Wait. I am clearly over my pay grade here. I'm going back into my quiet, lovely reading room (post #7 where I am declared the winner).

>62 katiekrug: Hiya KAK! Have a lovely Friday.

>63 Crazymamie: Howdy do buckaroo, hope your weekend will be itchless and serene.

>64 maggie1944: Sensible lady. Quite sensible. Read hearty!

I'm way to late to lay dibs on that room aren't I :/

Ah well I am no longer a person anyway, more a big bag of melted jelly. Too. Fing. Hot. Well, not too hot for the beach, but too hot for hoovering a three story house...

>66 BekkaJo: Sadly yes, Bekka dear, you're #18364615389693625 on the waiting list. And there is NO temperature in the known universe at which hoovering a three-story house is an acceptable pastime. Unless you're the maid.

Am I the only person on the planet who doesn't know what a cage fight is? I did, however, have a big *snort* at Morphy's "try the veal".

>67 richardderus: Unfortunately I find myself sans maid right now. Plus have an open viewing at 10.15 tomorrow, so must clean NOW!
I did just perform a faux pas of the worst sort - unbelievably hot I opened the front door to hoover the dirt out of the bottom of the frame. Door into the street no less. Then I realised that I was wearing bra and shorts due to the aforementioned idiotic heat. Luckily I only traumatised one person.

*burrows head into ground and stays there forever*

Hmmm guess that makes me 18364615389693626

Oh well...

>57 EBT1002: Not nice at all.

>68 tiffin: Quite possibly, but you're much happier that way. *smooch*

>69 BekkaJo: HA!! Oh dear, that's never a good moment. I answered the front door clad only in water-drips one annoying day. I was expecting a visitor who is often early, and ended up causing the church ladies some distress.

>70 bell7: May you live so long! *smooch*

ETA: >71 luvamystery65: Heh, nope.

>68 tiffin: Whatever you do, don't Google it!

>73 laytonwoman3rd: ...that hadn't occurred to me, so I did...TUI!! DO NOT GOOGLE IT!!!

>72 richardderus: but sometimes church ladies need to be caused distress

It is headed for 90 today with high humidity, which makes walking to and from the parking lot a real treat. At least I'm moving my body more, which is apparently important because people keep asking me about it and do not accept moving from the chair to the bed as acceptable.

>75 AuntieClio: I never regret causing church ladies distress. In fact, I live for it. And I live in such a way as to distress them, what with my unrepentant faggishness and my obdurate indifference to their imaginary friend. *happy sigh*

That is nightmare weather, and not ordinary for Saint Hose!

>76 richardderus: LOL! We get less church ladies more Jehovah's Witnesses. Would have been most amusing if it had been one of them, though sod's law it would probably have been my friend and colleagues husband and I would never have lived it down...

Also just had to google 90F into C and phew - too hot for me!

The new St. Mary's book is here! Why haven't you reviewed THAT yet? Get your priorities straight, man!

Happy Friday, Richard!

New St. Mary's Book!?! *blink, blink* What? Why didn't they contact me and let me know?

*runs to Amazon because of RD Yodeler, who started this craze*

*screams into pillow* Now two books behind. Screw it - husband shall fix my e-book software/sort out a calibre conversion from kindle or he shall face my wrath!

can't talk reading new St Mary's book see y'all

>76 richardderus: Yes it not ordinary and I am not happy with it.

Somehow your comment about your unrepentant faggishness made me think you and Allen Ginsberg might have gotten along.

When I went to events at the arena in downtown, there were "Christians" with enormous signs listing a number of reasons people would go to hell. None of those applied to me and I wished I'd had the nerve to engage and point to everything on their sign and tell them so and say, "So I'm not going to hell right?"

Yes, I know engagement with these sorts is never a good idea, there are no teachable moments with them but ...

oh hell .... new St. Mary's book ....

>67 richardderus: does the basemwnt count? I vacuum there, too :)

Also the library.. so I AM the maid ! Twice.

>69 BekkaJo: LOLOL been there!

Okay...end of chapter 5...so much sobbing

Read, read, read! No time for sobbing!

*plugging her ears* alalalalalalala

Chapter 8...totally saw that coming...still just...!!...

End of chapter 8 and OH ALL THE NOES!! NO NO NONONO!!

Chapter 9...yes, damn her eyes, she DID.

Stop it Richard. STOP!!! :-P I am bereft I can't read it over the weekend already.

"I avoided Thomas Hardy because everyone should, and anyway, I was depressed enough. And Dickens. I've never liked Dickens. I laughed like mad when Little Nell died."

I adore you, Max.

Chapter 10 and release the hounds!!

"It really was the worst thing I'd ever drunk and I once got blitzed on Babycham."

BWAAAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAA

>67 richardderus: I would just vaccuum in the nude. If I had a three storey house. And it was over 40degC. And if that set of circumstances ever come to be, I actually will vaccuum nude. *not likely*

Hehe.

CHAPTER 11 ZOMG

Z.O.M.G.

Your whole thread is now a St. Mary's spoiler alert. I am leaving in a huff. : P

Oh, Brother Anselm. Oh dear.

I'm glad you are enjoying the St. Mary's book Richard.

I am reading The Maltese Falcon! My Santee gave it to me.

xoxo to you and Stella

Now, no. Just NO. I cannot condone this. NO do you hear me Taylor. NO!

DOUBLEYOU.
TEE.
EFF.

Fix this, lady. Fix this. Or I will come to England with murder in my heart.

Well. Maybe that'll do.

Just MAYBE.

*happy sigh*

*sits in a corner and weeps*

Review: 31 of seventy-five

Title: A TRAIL THROUGH TIME

Author: JODI TAYLOR

Rating: 4.5* of five

The Publisher Says: St Mary’s is back and is facing a battle to survive in this, the fourth instalment of the Chronicles.

Max and Leon are re-united and looking forward to a peaceful lifetime together. But, sadly, they don’t even make it to lunchtime.

The action races from 17th century London to Ancient Egypt and from Pompeii to 14th century Southwark as they’re pursued up and down the timeline, playing a perilous game of hide and seek until they’re finally forced to take refuge at St Mary’s – where new dangers await them.

As usual, there are plenty of moments of humour, but the final, desperate, Battle of St Mary’s is in grim earnest. Overwhelmed and outnumbered and with the building crashing down around them, how can St Mary’s possibly survive?

So, make sure the tea’s good and strong…

My Review: This was a satisfactory entry into the ongoing series of time-travel themed novels. Several important developments occur and are contextualized. A high-stakes event is played out in such a way as to leave the reader in some doubt as to its outcome.

I passed an evening in the company of St Mary's. Perchance you would like to do the same.

Sounds like another cliff-hanger. Maybe I'll wait until the next one comes out...

RD - Nice to see you still blazing a trail with your posts, especially given my own relative inactivity this last month or so.
Pleased to let you know that you are the first through 7000 posts.

Top 10 presently for your delectation:

Richard 7047
Paul 6982
Amber 6613
Mark 4972
Joe 4446
Mamie 3365
Julia 3112
Katie 2895
Suzanne 2562
Ellen 2407

I know the fat lady hasn't sung yet but my hunch that the grouchmeister would bring home the bacon this year looks a good one.

Have a great weekend, dear fellow.

>104 richardderus: I just finished it and I want another one already!!!!!! What say you, RD?

Tears, I tell you. I freakin' love these books!

-Golden-winged Warbler

I NEED to still get to book 3 of St. Marys. You wonder what I do all day...

>104 richardderus: I don't read many sifi novels because the trend today is to string them out over multiple volumes and I don't have the time or patience (with my huge unread pile) to start on a perpetual read.

Still traveling, but at least I'm back in NJ with my son-in-law who roasts his own coffee and can brew a decent cup. Even die-hard caffeine nerds complained of the 4th day warmed-over swill in the conference center in NY so I never insulted the inside of my cup with it.

On the road again tomorrow headed for home and a great batch of the Ethiopian that is waiting for me. Gotta go home 'cause I'm outta books.

OF COURSE Book Four would come in the midst of the busiest week in memory. Damn you RL! Damn your RL! Can't wait to get started.

How would you say the series is holding up? Satisfying? Getting better? Holding it's own?

Wishing you a good weekend!

Good morning, Sir Richard! It's a bright Saturday AM here in West Virginia, and I thought I'd stop by to wish you a pleasant weekend. Cheers!

>104 richardderus:: Time travel! Historical settings! Humor! Well, now, perhaps I shall seek out book one...

>77 BekkaJo:, >80 BekkaJo: *smooch* Hot + no St Mary's = sad Bekka :-(

>81 richardderus: See >104 richardderus:; also sorta live-tweeted my responses as I went....

>79 jnwelch: Pre-order is your friend, Joe. It magically appears in your Kindle cloud! So satisfying.

>82 AuntieClio: Heh, teachable moments with the religious, I needed that chuckle. *smooch*

>83 AuntieClio:, >87 AuntieClio:, >91 AuntieClio:, >103 AuntieClio: Oh well, you know, just your usual sort of St Mary's book. Only with more love-and-loss than usual. And of course Mrs Partridge...but no, that would be telling.

>84 mckait: Ick! Hazard pay for being the liberry's maid. I know what that entails. *shudder*

Also *smooch* for happy Saturday

>86 ronincats: Oh, so much sobbing. So. Much. You just cannot begin...!

>95 LovingLit: Yeah, 40C in your neck of the woods ain't bloody likely. 40C here in NY isn't at all common, though 38C isn't entirely unknown. 35-36C is about as hot as it ever gets, and that is *entirely*hot*enough* thank you.

>97 Berly: Hiya Berly-boo! The latest St Mary's book? What, is that out already? I'll have to bookhorn it in somehow.

>99 luvamystery65: Oh I did love the latest! It's got...but no, can't tell. So many spoiler-phobes in this world.

:-)

What a wise and perspicacious Santa you must have had! A true visionary, one with a clear-eyed grasp of the uses of Santa-power.

>105 ronincats: I do not know how the hell you can wait! And, well, there's an element of cliffhanging in the end...but not really. I do have to say that the twists and turns in this one are much hairier than I expected. Stakes are waaaay high.

>106 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul! Happy to see you making your way around the world, so to speak. I've seen some of the photos on FB and, well! Smile, dude!

Over 7000 posts! Good gravy! My money's still on Amber taking top honors by December. She's 400 out of first now, and threading at 2x my rate already...I see this happening mid-September latest.

>107 TinaV95: *FLOODS* of tears! Oh my. I am wrung out! I knew she couldn't kill of Leon again, but man she had me (and Max) goin'! And the whole thing with Brother Anselm will, I predict, be back. Dunno how, but it will.

Tomorrow would be good for another one to come out. Think so?

>108 msf59: Mark! FFS!! Get on the train, dude, this is just too freakin' good to miss out on.

Love that warbler, he's a handsome devil.

>109 mldavis2: Hi Mike! What a HUGE relief to have real coffee again. I'm flexible, as a caffeineaholic. I'll drink the worst plonk in the world to get the fix and throw all but the amount needed to feed the beast away.

I so so prefer a good cup. And a well-roasted bean. And, for mornings, a blend of Tanzania peaberry dark- and Brazilian Santos city-roasted, 1/3 to 2/3, with my hot milk. But I'll drink Folger's if that's what's here.

OUT OF BOOKS!! Now you see, this is the reason the NooKindlEreader exists. There is no "out of books." That is a concept that causes me to sweat in places I don't normally think about.

>110 michigantrumpet: This is the best in the series so far.

Not to make your life rougher or anything.

:-)

>111 NielsenGW: Hi Gerard! Thanks for the weekend wishes. Glad to see you around and about!

>112 dk_phoenix: Faith. Now seriously, Faith. Where have you been hiding? This series is very enjoyable, and the characters are big fun to follow around. The history bits are so much fun to read about for me, so I think of them as central to the story, but really one needn't be interested in hotly contested interpretations of historical events to get the full serving of fun from the stories.

Go. Go! Read!

I'm slowly following you on the trail through time, RD, with unwelcome interruptions from RL. But I enjoyed your exclamations and other reactions above without even knowing WTF you were talking about. Go Max and Leon!

>119 jnwelch: It's the best one I've read yet, Joe, so haste! Haste!

I am still bereft about not being able to tuck into this weekend.

OH! Add me to the bereft. Mainly cos I still haven't read book 3 and am no closer to getting it. Actually contemplating buying a sodding Kinle (on top of current 2x kobos and Sony reader in the house) just to read these! GAH!

*weeps into beer*

FYI I deserve the beer after 3 hours in a stifling 4 year olds party. I deserve much beer.

>121 AuntieClio: Poverella

:->

>122 BekkaJo: See above for evil grin

>123 richardderus: *phbbbbbbt* Meanie

HA! See I've had to sign up to a new service and sod it I don't care, but I now have at least the 3rd one! Wooop!

>124 AuntieClio: :-)

>125 BekkaJo: Heh...and #4 won't be far behind, I feel sure. These books really are story-crack, aren't they?

I can't get book 4 :( The Epub version isn't around till October. But yes, yes story-crack. Like the Rivers of London and Iron Druid ones.

>127 BekkaJo: Oh well, there are *loads* of books to read between now and October! Of course, none of them feature Max and Leon, or bubonic plague, or...well, lots of things I know you won't want to know about.

Book-A-Day #26 from Doubleday UK's meme is to discuss a book you wish you'd written. I loved THE BLIND CONTESSA'S NEW MACHINE when I first read it. I even re-read it and was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed it the second time around.

My review is here.

It's a lovely, lovely story of love, loss, and listening. Read it and weep. (But in a good way.) Pamela Dorman Books deserves loud praise for publishing this excellent debut novel.

>104 richardderus: oic

yep... I have it, haven't gotten to it... charged up the kindle while I read the patron's loaner book.. :)

*confessing to skim my way through, just to say "hey" and hope you are finding comfort in these hot summer days!

>129 richardderus: So glad you enjoyed the Blind Contessa's New Machine - it's one I also have on the "someday I'll re-read" shelf.

BTW....Someday I intend to get to the Dang St. Mary's books....sitting on my NOOKindle

>129 richardderus: I loved The Blind Contessa's New Machine. I would never have read it if not for LT. I love this place.

Mommy is back in the hospital with respiratory issues. We thought it was aspiration but it may be thrush in the esophagus that started this all. Boo! Thanks for your whammies.

>89 richardderus: I had to stop reading .... my eyes kept leaking. Poor Max.

In clearing some of the backlog of unwritten reviews, I got to Whack-A-Mole by Chris Grabenstein. It's the third John Ceepak police procedural set on the Jersey Shore, and the best so far. My review is in my thread...post #216.

>130 mckait: "haven't gotten to it" *gasp* You mean to say that you possess such superhuman self-control that you can simply let it *sit there* unopened and unread while knowing it's available to you?!

>131 maggie1944: Hiya, Karen44! Sitting here with the a/c on "scaring the penguins it's so cold" setting does me fine.

>132 tututhefirst: It's a lovely read, and I surely hope it gives you the pleasure it gave me on your re-read. Something about the knowing the ending makes it easier to rock along with the boat.

>133 luvamystery65: Yay for the book, hissssssssss booooooooo on the thrush possibility. O how that would rot!

>134 AuntieClio: YOUR eyes leaked?! Oh dear! Have you consulted a medical professional? After all, we know you're a hardened and emotionless fembot who works in Admissions. No story, no woeful recounting of misery and terror can move *you*! Dear dear dear, this is indeed worrisome.

:-)

Stopping by with a goodnight kiss. Smooch. : )

>136 richardderus: sweetiedarling I am sure there's no need to worry. It was probably just sweat my glowing getting into my eyes. It has been sooooo hot here. And yes, we all know how hardened I am, especially in the face of bambi-eyed students who think they have the best hard luck story ever, one that is sure to bring me to my knees in pity for their plight. But only for them, because they are the special butterflies which deserve to be treated with tenderness and rule bending. Somehow they all think beneath this quiet exterior is a heart brimming with compassion. That is until they experience the thunderation of my "NO" and run away before I can gather myself to say, "Are you f'in' kidding me?"

So I guess that makes me #18364615389693627 for the dang book porn way up there in >7 richardderus:? Crap.

Rdear, I am LOSING. MY. MIND! After my own loud warbles about the first St. Mary's I leant my Kindle to my Mom so she could read and enjoy - she is savoring every single word, bless her, but DAMMIT that means that I am unable to keep reading St Mary's #2! I'm just about ready to order her a Kindle myself just so's I can get my own back. This is some kind of book torture, to be sure. Aren't there some kind of laws against this persecution?

*smooch* for you for your always-excellent reviews and your dang teasers for St Mary's #4. :)

>137 Berly: *smoochings*

>138 AuntieClio: I feel sure there's a heart of annealed titanium gold under that battle armor...isn't there? *smooch*

>139 LauraBrook: Use the Kindle app on your computer! Cloud reading synchronized to last page read. I myownself would go BAnanas if I couldn't use all my devices as reading points. Cheaper than a new Paperwhite for yourself whilst gifting mums with the old one that she's now used to...

...just sayin'

Hi Richard - hope you are having a great weekend.
I'll have to see if I can get the library to buy the St Mary's books, they sound good. But I only just got them to get the Iron Druid's they were missing and Hollow City so should probably not bother them too soon, wouldn't want them to say no:)

Getting nearish the end, Richard. I agree; this is the best one yet. Where was Jodi Taylor hiding before?

>136 richardderus: I had some Vine books and last month's LT book and then 3 I needed to review for the library. Then I get to the ones that I want to read because I want to read them. That particular book was stuck in the Ammy system somehow, but I managed to free it and I am well into it now.. it's a good one!

How's the tooth.. did I miss an update?

Happy Sunday!

>143 mckait: Isn't it a corker? I was really wrapped up in it. As if that's a mystery.

What a bore and a chore to be whanging away at the haftas when they're not the wannas, eh what?

*smooch* no toof news.

Avoiding your thread with all the St. Mary's info and potential spoilers. I'll be back when I read it, which won't be for a while. Carry on!

>145 rosalita: Go read St Mary's NOW!! NOW!!!

Can't. Don't be a book bully, RD. ;-)

>141 calm: Hi calm! I didn't see these two posts, I'm sorry. It's a real balancing act to keep the librarians from declining due to over-requesting...but heck, so few people actually use that facility, why are they grudging?

>142 jnwelch: Romances, I believe. Mills & Boon/Harlequin stuff.

>147 rosalita: NOW!!!!

Stopping by to wish you a lovely Sunday, RD!

>150 lkernagh: Hi there, Lori! Happy to see you, sending happy week-ahead hugs.

>138 AuntieClio: nah ... that's just the gilding *smooch*

>148 richardderus: Really?! Ah, I'm glad she's found her way to time travel books filled with sarcastic humor.

Finis, and my that was fun. That you-know-who is scurvy knave, isn't she?

>152 AuntieClio: Heh! We'll soon have that sorted, with Archimedes' posthumous help.

>153 jnwelch: A scurvy knave indeed, a downright scrofulous rotter. Fun hatin' on Jodi Taylor's villains, ain't it?

I read the copy of Sandman Slim that has been in my tbr pile for a while to see if I wanted to get the sequels on Kindle today--but I decided I'll save my bucks for Jodi Taylor's books.

>155 ronincats: In that either/or scenario, I validate that decision with a +1.

I am really in love with the Bruno, Chief of Police series. Just reviewed the third entry, Black Diamond, in my thread...post #219. I mean really, what's not to love about a series of mysteries starring a rugby-playing, champagne-drinking, truffle-hunting police detective with a basset hound named Gigi?

Lisa glanced over at me at one particularly sobbing point of the story, eased her headphones out of her ears and says, "Are you okay?" How do I explain the level of devastation I felt (book 3 when Leon died )? Thank goodness she was asleep the next night when I was reading & couldn't sleep and all the tears started in book 4.

Jodi Taylor is killing me... but I'm dying for the next. Who above called them story-crack? That is precisely on the nose!

I've been busy today and haven't had time to dig back in. I'm not sure I'm ready since Max told Leon about Bear, and since Leon went away.

You guys are killing me! That's it - on finishing3 I'll just have to read 4 on the darn computer and have done with it. No way I'm waiting another 3 months midst the winking and nudging. GAH!

*sulks off to read book 3 and be a dreadful mother by blatantly ignoring her son...*

>157 TinaV95: They really are story-crack, aren't they? I'm so amazed by the way I got sucked in from the get-go. Usually I'm ready to stand back and wait for the good stuff to flow, but she honeyed me up from p1!

I thought the horrors of Leon's death couldn't make worse the problems coming out of the Helios situation, but they sure did...and then the Helios problem has that cruel, cruel solution in book 4, and man-o-mighty was I mad!

>158 AuntieClio: Oh. Ohhhh owwwwwwww and all the feels!

>159 BekkaJo: laaah-deee-daaaah, voe-deee-oh-doe

:->

PAH!

Temporary bliss... daughter still in holiday club, son playing dinosaurs upstairs, rice pudding in oven, me reading St. Marys book 3 and, slightly randomly, listening to a Mariachi version of the rock song Lithium. Estimates on duration of bliss?

Edited to add: EEEEp... not feeling better about my daughter being called Cassandra after this. Note to self. Research more before naming children...

Extra edit to add: nonononononononononono!!!!!!!

>161 BekkaJo: *dooobeee dooobeee dooooo*

>161 BekkaJo: Bekka: Rice pudding?! I'll be right over...

Hi, Richard! Skimming most of the recent chit chat here, as I've not, uh, *ahem*, well, I've not *whispers* read the St. Mary books yet.

>163 scaifea: Hi Amber! You know, I couldn't quite understand what you whispered. It sounded like you said something about not having read any of the Chronicles of St Mary's, but that's clearly arrant nonsense. No one hasn't read at least one. And for YOU as a classicist, well, it's especially ridiculous given that major parts of the story take place at Troy!

Heh, so, what was it you actually said again?

>164 richardderus:, I thought that's what Amber said too.

>164 richardderus: & >165 AuntieClio: Well, they're on the wishlist, of course. I'll get there eventually.

>163 scaifea: More than welcome :) Though I ballsed it up somewhat - my usual 'I know better than the packet and the cookbooks and that doesn't look like enough rice' routine...

I just had a major strop at my husband for interrupting my St. Mary's reading... oops.

>167 BekkaJo: *snork!* Rice pudding isn't the easiest or most intuitive dish to concoct, as I can bear witness from experience.

>165 AuntieClio: ggggbbaaabbbggggggg
she meant it

*faints*

>166 scaifea: Really. No. Really? Wow.

>167 BekkaJo:, >168 scaifea: Heh, ricey puds can be tricky indeed. I like mine with candied ginger instead of raisins.

>169 richardderus: *fans Richard* Amber! Look what you've done! :-)

Oh, and hello Richard's Gentleman Caller.

Oh. OH! Candied ginger! Oh my yes!

Waiting for the latest St. Mary's book.

>170 AuntieClio: ...Maud Martha...? *smooch*

>171 tiffin: I hope it arrives soon, and that you like it somewhere near as much as the rest of us have.

Candied ginger takes the whole ricey puds thing to a new level, it's true.

OK. You got me! I'm on the floor, having been hit with a Foodie Bullet. Candied Ginger in the Rice Pudding! Yes. Yes. Yes.

Dried currants are also tasty, but the candied ginger is wow city.

I need .... I'm not sure what I need because I just finished the 4th book and I have a huge case of the feels and am pissed the book's over already and I wasn't ready for it to be over. That cliffhanger is almost as big as the one for book 3. Richard, what have you wrought?

You all make me LOL with your talk about the St Mary's books. I will give Amber some support and admit I have not yet read any of them either...although I do have book #1 on the Kindle. I will get there I swear...don't kick me out of the cool kids club! *smooch*

>175 AuntieClio: I know, sweetiedarling, I know. You're not all the way back to this reality yet. I confess I prefer the alternative reality that the different St Mary's are in to our own, but tomorrow we won't wake up in that reality.

Or at least it's highly improbable.

Can't you just see this as a Brit version of Sliders?

Oh, whoa. I don't think I've ever given any man the vapors before.
*preens just ever so little*

Oh, wait, no - I have! Just the other day I think I sent Erik (Oberon) into near hysterics over the idea of going to the Mall of America instead of something more respectable. *snork!*

MALL OF AMERICA!!

*screaming meemees*

I won't even go to Roosevelt Field! It's 3mi away and I've been 3x in 6yrs. Not one of 'em was voluntary.

Oh, we had a great time! Charlie loved the mini golf and the Lego statues, the people watching was spectacular, and Lindt was having a sale: 100 truffles for $25.

>177 richardderus: A Brit version of Sliders would be great, so long as Max gets to keep kicking ass. And Leon ... well, yes ... that might need to be toned down just a bit for TV

>180 scaifea: ::side-eye:: uh huh

>181 AuntieClio: Not on cable! BBC America could and should do it.

>182 richardderus: well yes, there is that and then I will wait until Netflix starts streaming it a season later.

waving a late night hello!

Wandering in to wish you a Happy Tuesday, RD!

Who or what is St. Mary's? (I know I'm going to regret this question.....)

>185 karenmarie: "Who or what is St. Mary's?" Ooh, is Karen going to get an earful!

Morning Waves to RD!!

.

>185 karenmarie: This isn't going to be pretty, I fear....

>185 karenmarie: Well...since you've asked...the Chronicles of St Mary's is a series of Kindle-original time-travel novels. Jodi Taylor, the author, created a school-ish thingummy called St Mary's wherein historians investigate the events of history in contemporary time. Or, as it is better known, travel to the past and attempt not to bugger it up too badly or the Fabric of the Cosmos will squash 'em like a bitty little bug.

They're quite funny. They have a lovely set of mad characters dashing about time while attempting to do serious scholarly work in between disasters. They have some nasty enemies, people who want to use time travel for purposes nefarious and people who want to stop different St Mary's-ites from living for a variety of reasons.

I've been warbling my fool head off about the books for a little while. They're addictive. My reviews are linked below.

Just One Damned Thing After Another

A Symphony of Echoes

A Second Chance

*smooch*

>183 AuntieClio: Ha, yes, that's the way I see TV now, too. The show finishes its season so I can go and watch the whole thing in a day. I wonder when the show-runners will make that adjustment in storytelling.

>184 Whisper1: *smooch* Hi Linda! It's probably not good that you were awake late at night...hope there's something good on the pain front soon.

>186 msf59:, >187 mckait:, >188 michigantrumpet: Now really! What would make you three think I'm going to be loud or demanding to dear OLD Horrible? Simply because she's not been paying me the smallest, slightest bit of attention? Because her utter and cold indifference to me and my reading habits is laid starkly bare by her question?

Pshaw! Faugh! And a hearty razzberry to ye of little faith!

I like the idea of a BBC St. Mary's series a lot. Can we get a Kickstarter campaign going, or is it too early?

Tuesday. This day of the week seems to lie there like white bread on a kitchen counter, bland and inoffensive, but also uninspiring. It's not Monawfulday, it's not Hump Day, it's not Sweet Thursday, it's just . . . Tuesday. Is there anything that can be done to perk it up?

>191 jnwelch: Drink heavily while eating fatty foods.

Then again, that's my perk-u-uppo for any day of the week.

BBC America is a great place for it IMO because they've started producing good stuff like ORPHAN BLACK and COPPER. The market is absorbing a lot of SFnal programming and not showing many signs of saturation: SLEEPY HOLLOW, ONCE UPON A TIME, BLACK SAILS, DA VINCI'S DEMONS, MUSKETEER, et alii, and the good news is they're not crummy shows.

There's hope yet!

Richard

I've added the following to the tbr pile: Am I missing any of them? This series is something I know I'll enjoy.

When a Child is Born
The Nothing Girl (which probably is not part of the St. Mary's group
Just One Damned Thing After Another -- Book One
A Second Chance -- Book Three?
A Symphony of Echoes -- Book Two

Thanks, as always, for your excellent recommendations.

You're missing the latest, A Trail Through Time, and one other short story, Roman Holiday. *DO* read When A Child is Born between A Symphony of Echoes and A Second Chance, though, as it makes a small appearance in the latter.

The Nothing Girl is plain ol' romantic fiction.

Thanks!

>192 richardderus: Makes sense to me. We love Orphan Black, and our daughter is a big Musketeers fan. Sleepy Hollow for all of us, too.

Smooch.

>190 richardderus: That's a very good question. I binge watch Netflix originals "House of Cards" (love Kevin Spacey chewing the scenery ... who am I kidding? I just love Kevin Spacey.) & "Orange is the New Black."

It's been interesting to watch myself become an old fuddy-duddy, "Why in my day, our phones were plugged in to the wall and if no one answered, you couldn't leave a message. We didn't have these fancy dancy phones with the calendars, and the calculators, and the watching video on it. We had a WATCH with a calculator and thought we were fancy!"

>193 Whisper1: Yay! Linda is joining the St. Mary's consortium :-)

oh, and *smooches*

Review: 32 of seventy-five

Title: AUTHORISMS: Words Wrought by Writers

Author: PAUL DICKSON

Rating: 3.8* of five

The Publisher Says: William Shakespeare’s written vocabulary consisted of 17,245 words, including hundreds that were coined or popularized by him. Some of the words never went further than their appearance in his plays, but others—like bedazzled, hurry, critical, and anchovy—are essential parts of our standard vocabulary today.

Many other famous and lesser-known writers have contributed to the popular lexicon. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, Sir Walter Scott ranks second to Shakespeare in first uses of words and giving a new and distinct meaning to already existing words (Free Lances for freelancers). John Milton minted such terms as earthshaking, lovelorn, by hook or crook, and all Hell broke loose, and was responsible for introducing some 630 words.

Gifted lexicographer Paul Dickson deftly sorts through neologisms by Chaucer (a ha), Jane Austen (base ball), Louisa May Alcott (co-ed), Mark Twain (hard-boiled), Kurt Vonnegut (granfalloon), John le Carrè (mole), William Gibson (cyberspace), and many others. Presenting stories behind each word and phrase, Dickson enriches our appreciation of the English language in a book as entertaining as it is enlightening.

My Review: The Doubleday UK meme, a book a day for July 2014, is the goad I'm using to get through my snit-based unwritten reviews. Today's prompt, the 28th, is to identify the most endearing villain in a book.

That has me stumped. So I'm ignoring it! Haha, take THAT you silly meme!

Authorisms could, I suppose, be about a villain, if you personify the English language. It's fiendishly difficult to learn, and native speakers are almost to a being woefully (or blissfully, depending on whether you're a teacher or a speaker) ignorant of the rules of proper usage, grammar, syntax, punctuation...you know, the basics.

Whatevs, the book is BIG fun and, being arranged as a dictionary, is set up for easy browsing. Dickson gives a very satisfying cross-section of author-invented words, and with great care distinguishes the nonce words from the lasting contributions to the lexicon. Goalless, for example, is an Emily Dickinson-coined nonce word...one that only appears in reference to her or her work, and hasn't been absorbed into the language...versus babbitt and its kin babbitty et alii, Sinclair Lewis's invaluable eponym for a provincial, boosterish, snobby little nobody with delusions of adequacy.

Dickson himself coined the useful and well-used demonym, personal identifier with a place such as Angeleno or Cockney. I quite enjoyed this word-book, as I do almost all word-books, and I'd recommend it to the more wordophile of my pals.


This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Hello Richard, we are having a great time here in Salisbury and have been to Bournemouth today and had an LT meet up with Barbara (ameise1), it was as if we had known each other for years, friends for life now. Love and hugs from me and Karen.

>195 Whisper1: De rien, ma belle amie.

>196 jnwelch: I quite enjoy TV the way it's produced today. So many more good shows than 20yrs ago, but with the price of WAY more commercials. I hate that. Which is why, more than 90% of the time, I Netlix/Acorn/Prime my shows.

>197 Berly: *smooch*

>198 AuntieClio: to >200 AuntieClio: *smooch* for the fuddiest duddy of 'em all!

>202 johnsimpson: Hi John! So glad it was a lovely meet-up in good weather. Isn't it wonderful how we can know one another instantly after our LT connections? I like that!

Oh, dear. Even I might try these books, if I were not so time travel resistant. But I am. It's really a thing with me.

>201 richardderus: - This sounds entertaining. Thank you.

>205 DorsVenabili: I suspect that time-travel resistance makes the Chronicles of St Mary's a very bad fit, Kerri. But AUTHORISMS is just delightful!

>201 richardderus: - That one does sound like fun!

So, are these St. Mary books only available in e-format?

>207 katiekrug: Oh, it was indeed a lot of fun, Katie. It's worth the price and then some!

>208 scaifea: Nope, tree books as well. Never let it be said that the author's unwilling to take money!

I cannot seem to locate the books at any of my three superb libraries.

>203 richardderus: Oh, for an internet connection fast enough for streaming... My DSL just keeps up with 360dpi but can't possibly handle Netflix in real time. But then I record virtually everything but the evening news and watch it later when I can jump through the ads. Jon Stewart is a lunch-watch from the night before. (As someone once said, I get my news from Stewart and my comedy from Faux.)

I have DishNetwork for TV, as our local DirectTV service is a dirty word due to local franchise mismanagement, and the internet with both of them is farmed out to a subcontractor which is unreliable and more expensive. Very frustrating, but I wouldn't trade it to live in the big city where you trade traffic speed for internet speed.

>205 DorsVenabili: I'm very Time-travel resistant as well. I am dodging this bullet with great ease. The rest of you, though...carry on and have fun!

>201 richardderus: Lovely review. If enjoyed that one, you MIGHT like:

Alphabet Juice: The Energies, Gists, and Spirits of Letters, Words, and Combinations Thereof; Their Roots, Bones, Innards, Piths, Pips, and Secret ... With Examples of Their Usage Foul and Savory by Roy Blount Jr.

Lots of fun to dip in and out, although I'm not sure I would read it in one sitting.

ETA: trying to correct the touchstone without luck. Alas.

Oh that Roy Blount Jr. is a funny, funny guy. But I've never read any of his stuff, only heard him on "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me!"

>210 Whisper1: I expect they're not on any library's list in the US, Linda. The publisher is in England and their only US distribution is Ammy.

>211 mldavis2: Ah, tradeoffs. We all make 'em. Fast internet is a must for me, since 1) I'm homebound, 2) I'm easily bored by TV, and 3) there is no other way to interact with the bureaucracies that doesn't demand I do things I cannot physically do.

>212 laytonwoman3rd: Take the challenge, Linda3rd, and step outside that comfort zone!

>213 michigantrumpet: Thank you, Marianne!

>213 michigantrumpet:, >214 AuntieClio: I like Blount's books, too.

Review: 33 of seventy-five

Title: VILLAGE BOOKS

Author: CRAIG MCLAY

Rating: 3.5* of five

The Publisher Says: Village Books is a local institution…which is good, because most of the staff probably belong in one.

There’s the manager, Dante Andolini, who’s hiding more than just his hypochondria from his overbearing mother…Sebastian Donleavy, whose hedonistic lifestyle is two rails short of being on the rails…Aldous Swinghammer, whose philosophical eccentricities have not been the biggest hit with the ladies…Ebeneezer Chipping, whose crotchety exterior hides a burning passion for the Spanish émigré next door…Mina Bovary, whose crazy husband may have just gone AWOL with an arsenal of fragmentary explosive devices…and the store’s long-suffering assistant manager, who is spinning his wheels in retail while he waits for something better to come along.

That something better may be new assistant manager Leah Dashwood, an aspiring actress with an ambitious plan to transform the store and its staff in a way that will turn their carefully disordered world on its head. Will the store survive? Will it be bought over by its evil corporate competition? All questions will be answered (but not necessarily in that order) in this hilarious debut novel.

My Review: The Doubleday UK meme, a book a day for July 2014, is the goad I'm using to get through my snit-based unwritten reviews. Today's prompt, the thirtieth, was a "double-dip" and frankly I don't care what they picked, I was ready for this game to be over last week.

This is a first novel, and it's not too awful terrible well-constructed on a plot level. Too many things are dropped, then re-appear; too many people are shuffled from pillar to post and then needed back at pillar so whoopsie-daisy there they are. Motivations are, to put it mildly, unclear.

But you know what? I liked the characters. I liked the crazy bookstore people. I laughed out loud several times:

Trying to make her angry is like trying to find a corner on a bowling ball.
***
He went to India to "find himself" last year, but evidently he wasn't there, and he came back empty-handed.

Most of the humor isn't pull-quotable because it requires some familiarity with the situation. No matter, it was amusing, and several things rang very true. The Irish publican who served a drink called "the Englishman's Tits" to people he doesn't like. It's a shuddersome decoction. It involves beets.

So I meandered through the plot holes, I skipped over the male fantasy-fulfillment stuff, I sighed in mild annoyance at the pat ending. And I enjoyed a few hours of uncomplicated pleasantries exchanged among people I thought needed a swift kick. I'm not going to tell you to break your thumbs one-clicking it, but believe me it's got a little something extra to reward the tired, smile-hunting Kindle reader.


This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

A book which can help you laugh out loud can not be all bad. And I like reading about bookstores, too. but I'll duck, and let the BB pass over my head.

I'm still reading The World Inside with some appreciation, but really I do not much like early Sci Fi which was all about populating and IDEA with people, and a transparent plot which did not go much of any where. But it is for my book group, and I love those guys, so I'll finish it. Too many not finished books this year for the group.

So, to add to my enjoyment I am listening to The Fault in Our Stars and I avoid being bored to death in the grocery store parking lots.

I can barely imagine ear-reading in a car, Karen44. For me it would be a complete disaster. I'd fall so heavily asleep that the paramedics would have trouble waking me with anything short of the electric heart-attack paddles.

*smooch*

The Fault in Our Stars is a marvelous book Karen!

Richard, great review .... as always. I wish I could write like you.

>201 richardderus: I couldn't read a dictionary - I'd find it too boring - but I am fascinated by the idea of common words originating with authors. I knew that Shakespeare was known for that, but I didn't know other authors did it, too!

>217 maggie1944: >218 richardderus: Ear reading is the only way I can stand my commute. Though I will admit if car-narcolepsy starts coming on, I have to switch to some singable music and embarrass myself with the windows up.

Karen, for those times when you don't have a book going, I would also suggest subscribing to podcasts I have a whole bunch that I always have on my phone. I can make some suggestions if you like.

What a great idea. Unfortunately, I need to save the charge on my phone as I need it when I get an order for buying groceries. It is the iPhone which gives me the all important details on what I am to buy. The Instacart company has an app. It is very cool, and makes the shopping a snap!

Yes, Richard, I do tend to begin to drift off. Then I sit up straight, and go back to reading. Or doodles.

>222 maggie1944: As a fellow iPhone user who also has trouble with iPhone Battery life, the Battery banks come in really handy.

Review: 33 of seventy-five

Title: THE DAYS OF ANNA MADRIGAL

Author: ARMISTEAD MAUPIN

Rating: 4.8* of five

The Publisher Says: Suspenseful, comic, and touching, the ninth and final novel in Armistead Maupin's bestselling Tales of the City series follows one of modern literature's most unforgettable and enduring characters—Anna Madrigal, the legendary transgender landlady of 28 Barbary Lane—on a road trip that will take her deep in her past.

Now a fragile ninety-two years old and committed to the notion of "leaving like a lady," Anna Madrigal has seemingly found peace in the bosom of her "logical family" in San Francisco: her devoted young caretaker, Jake Greenleaf; her former tenant Brian Hawkins; Brian's daughter Shawna; and Michael Tolliver and Mary Ann Singleton, who have known and loved Anna for nearly four decades.

Some members of Anna's family are bound for the otherworldly landscape of Burning Man, the art festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada where sixty thousand revelers build a temporary city (Michael calls it "a Fellini carnival on Mars") designed to last only one week. Anna herself has another Nevada destination in mind: a lonely stretch of road outside of Winnemucca where the sixteen-year-old boy she used to be ran away from the whorehouse he then called home. With Brian and his beat-up RV, she journeys into the dusty, troubled heart of her Depression-era childhood, where she begins to unearth a lifetime of secrets and dreams, and to attend to unfinished business she has long avoided.

My Review: The Doubleday UK meme, a book a day for July 2014, is the goad I'm using to get through my snit-based unwritten reviews. Today's prompt, the thirty-first and (blessedly) last, is a book that reminds you of someone special.

It took so long to find you...and now I don't want it to change. I want it all set in amber. I want us and nobody else in the most selfish way you can imagine. I can't help it--I'm old-fashioned. I believe marriage is between a man and a man.

My Gentleman Caller. My own dear love.

A series of novels spanning 40 years (give or take) is bound to cope with the facts of aging, exactly as the author himself is. The dealing is by doing, as it is in every other facet of life. At least, of a life that one would want to live.

Doing something has always been Mrs. Madrigal's way. It takes some doing to change one's body from male to female. It takes some doing to create a life that doesn't simply pass by. It takes a lot of doing to love anyone on the surface of the earth, doing and doing and doing. Anna Madrigal has never not done her part.

Endings frightened me for many years. They never, ever seem to look the way I want them to. I can't fathom why it took me so very long to learn that endings aren't real. The story never ends, it never begins either, it simply is. So this final installment in a series of novels I've never not set store by should have me shaking in my boots.

I'm so happy I've left the party. I'm content to be right here, right now. Anna Madrigal helped me see that more clearly than any actual physical person I've ever known: Here is where you are, so be here.

It helps to know, like Mrs. Madrigal, that all times are now, and all places are here, it's just perspective that causes things to look so different.

I've loved growing up with these books, seeing them in different ways at different times in my life, loving and hating and understanding the complex people that weave in and out of the tales. Forgiving them. Becoming so much like them that it scares me sometimes. And now, aspiring to be Mrs. Madrigal after years as Mary Ann, Mouse, Brian, and *shudder* feeling like Norman.

None of which will make even a little bit of sense to the uninitiated. Never mind, loves, it's all still there. If and when you want to find it, Barbary Lane will be there, a Brigadoon of deeply felt and nourishingly offered drafts from the Well of Loneliness.

It was like school spirit back in high school. He didn’t have it then, and he didn’t have it now. To him, the biggest advantage of being queer was being queer.

We're all queer in our own ways. Drink it down and savor it. Try not to piss it away.


This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

I loved these books when I first read the first ones. And I especially love the very, very true idea of it is all now, and it is all here. The best cliché is "when you have one foot in the past, and the other foot in the future, you are pissing all over the present". Don't do that.

I think I must read this series all over again from the top. I did not know there was a final book. BB has hit me, and how.

Richard, I could just hug you for that review.

>225 maggie1944: That's very true, Karen44, and it's worth making an effort to remember.

>226 tiffin: *baaaaawwww* Thanks, Tui!

Tomorrow is 1 August...

>224 richardderus: So, Armistead Maupin liked my review...even retweeted it! I am giddy with the happy.

What's your twitter handle, I'll follow you over there too.

I'm @expendablemudge on Twitter.

xoxo to you and Stella. Mom still in the hospital. Discharge has been postponed. :-(

Headed to thumb your review and follow you on Twitter.

Oh boo hiss!! Poor mom, and poor you! Thrush is hard to beat in chronically ill people. Is that the delay?

Thanks for the thumb!

>231 richardderus: Followed. I'm @mahsdad

>229 richardderus: oh yay for the love from Maupin

busy today

*smooches*

>234 mahsdad: Followed back!

>235 AuntieClio: Busy?! How unusual, but quite pleasant as a change.

*smooch*

>236 richardderus: Yup, got handed a big project auditing electronic files. Now also have dual monitors, and one is really big. I put my hand on my manager's shoulder as he was explaining to me and said, "Oh! This is stuff I'm really good at." Not having issues trying to stay awake that's for sure.

I thumbed the Maupin.... I loved that book.

I so delighted for you that Maupin saw the review and loved it. Of course, we loved it. But we're family. Well, we do have some Critics Chops so we don't love every review, but yours as you know are excellent!

>237 AuntieClio: That makes a lovely change, doesn't it?

>238 mckait: Thanks, sweetness, it's a wonderful way to end the series. I love Anna!

>239 maggie1944: Thanks, Karen44! I was a bit star-struck. He noticed me! *swoon*

I'm happy for you that he saw it :)

Me too!! *smooch*

Hi RD! Just checking in. Hope your week is going well. Good review of The Days of Anna Madrigal. Sadly, I do not think I've read any of the Tales of the City books. I might need to remedy that.

>243 msf59: Hiya Mark, it's a week, it's passing...you know.

I'd say it's high time to get your ears around some Tales of the City goodness. What wonderful, fun people you'll meet!

It is firmly on the WL. Thanks!!

Several thoughts...

Had to immediately thumb that review & add that series to my wishlist (I've not heard of it before). No wonder the author loved your review!! You're amazing; as always!

I've now followed you on Twitter! ;) Not that I'm ever on there, but more followers is better for you, right?

I think we are coming to NYC for the week of Christmas! Any chance I could get to see you?

>245 msf59: Don't wait! Buy now!

>246 TinaV95: Thank you for all that good news, sweetiedarling! Smoochings to you and Mrs. Tina.

Xmas might find me elsewhere than NY, but if I'm here I'd **LOVE** to meet up with y'all!

Wow, Richard, fantastically written review!

Congrats on the Maupin love! Course he is just the latest to fall under your review spell. ; )

Well, if Maupin knows a good review when he sees it, then he deserves my attention....I've been waffling over Tales of the City for years. Will I, won't I? Should I, shouldn't I? Now I know. I should. I will. Thanks, Richard, for adding NINE more books to my virtual piles.

I can't imagine not loving the Maupin books. They have everything. I hope he knows that he has begun a resurgence for him here on LT :)

I liked Night Listener as well as I liked his Tales of the City books.

Happy day to you as I whiz by.. errands .. always errands.

Library Thing readers so much deserve the fun of reading Tales of the City books! And I'm thinking of trying a little "collecting" as in pick a certain look and see if I can find several books from the same publisher with the same look. Might happen....

Congrats on the re-tweet! What a lovely thing! I've not read them either.

>248 scaifea: Thanks, Amber!

>249 Berly: *blush* So sweet, Berly-boo.

>250 laytonwoman3rd: Only nine...nine...lemme see here, what else can I force Linda3rd to add to the piles...

:-)

>251 mckait: I'm tweeting my fingers off about the review, and after a day of that, have ~80 views. Maybe a sale or two, I hope.

Errands aren't flying-solo-behind-the-desk! *smooch* Enjoy

>252 maggie1944: I wonder if they've made a uniform collection. You'd think that they would, with NINE of 'em!

>253 DorsVenabili: Thanks, Kerri! They're lovely books. I so enjoyed my years with them.

De-lurking to prove I'm still around :)

Glad to hear of the re-tweetage - agreed with others, glad he saw how good!

Grammar has deserted me. FF it's Friday.

>256 BekkaJo: *smooch* Hiya Bekka, and thanks!

I forgot my smoochies! *SMOOOOOchies*

Lovely review of The Days of Anna Madrigal, Richard. Thumb from me, too.

>258 BekkaJo: *blush*

>259 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe! It's a rare thing for me to feel good about the way a series ends.

*smooches*

>261 AuntieClio: *smooch*

Not that you need another one, but I'm off to thumb that lovely review, too :)

I'm back after a crazy few weeks and checking in with all the usual suspects.

So Hello Darling - I've missed you.

I did get The Hubster to read Just One Damned Thing while we were on vacation so chalk up another one to your score. Now I need to get the second one!!

I need to get to Tales of the City soon too. It's already on the eReader. Very cool on Maupin liking and sharing your review. One of those things that thrills a book bloggers heart.

Hi Richard, we are back from our little holiday and we had a lovely time and did a LT meet up, 30th wedding anniversary and a meet up, a good week in my book. Hope you are well my friend, love and hugs from Karen and I and a special hug from Hannah.

>263 katiekrug: No, no, not that I'm interested in validation, perish forbid, madam! Go and remove that thumb immediately! note to self six thumbs now if KAK removes one set nuclear option to detonate

>264 SuziQoregon: Hi Juli! So happy to know the Chronicles of St Mary's are on the march. You'll enjoy the second one, I'm sure, but just you wait until you get to #4!! *fans self* Such a quantum leap in the stakes, you can only imagine!

>265 johnsimpson: Hi John! Happy to know all's well, and I send much hugging and suchlike right back to you, Karen, and the adorable!

>254 richardderus: ONLY nine....that's just the Maupin series. You've hit me with a few others recently and previously....don't stress yourself.

*lalalalalala* ignoring all blue type as I leave a smooch for you! *smooch*

Well, retirement funds be damned, I ran right out and bought a brand spanking new copy of Maupin's Tales of the City. It is the Harper Perennial copy and has a darling woodcut like drawing on the front. I hope there are more looking just like this one for books 2....3.....4.....etc.

Hi, Just to let you know. I am reading Tilt A Whirl. It is so much fun. Was at a library book sale and found the next two of the series. Picked them up for 50 cents each. Really excited to being reading a new author. Thank you.

Richard, you may be making the Earth tilt a bit. I hope some of our dear friends here who have not been acquainted with Maryanne, Michael, Mrs. Madrigal, and all their friends will give this series a try. As I believe I mentioned before, I read and LOVED the Tales of the City series eons ago and essentially all in one sitting. The series is a treasure. I may throw caution to the wind and run out to see if I can find that same Harper Perennial copy of the first, and I am certainly going to obtain and read The Days of Anna Madrigal.

Wishing you a cool and comfortable weekend!

>267 laytonwoman3rd: Nonsense! Only nine! Clearly I'm slacking. Must find more to add to your list or I am a failure as a human being. *chinwobble*

:-P

>268 LauraBrook: Never mind, dearie, I'll come and post the reviews in your thread and on your profile. For your comfort and convenience, of course.

Heh. *smooch*

>269 maggie1944: Much fun to be had, dear Karen44. Much fun indeed.

>270 cindysprocket: Hiya Cindy! *smooch* Chris Grabenstein is a fun guy to follow around. I hope they're all as much fun for you!

>271 EBT1002: Ellen dear! I'm cool and comfies because I ain't *budgin'* from in front of this here air conditioner for nobody or nothin'.

*smooch*

Clearly Jodi Taylor and now this Maupin fellow need to add you to their payroll!! If they had ANY clue the power that your pen (figuratively) wields!!!

>273 ronincats: *smooch*

>274 TinaV95: I'm mid-experiment with Twitter-plus-blog right now. So far, Maupin's review has just under 100 views in 2 days...and my Brooklyn noir Outerborough Blues review has, in 3 weeks, 680 views with many daily tweets and some lucky retweets.

Reviews I don't tweet about, like Taylor's books, get 30-40 views and then die completely.

I have no way to know if those views turn into sales. I would guess ~1% do, since that's a direct mail response rate to be pleased about. This weekend I'm tweeting my fingers off about all the mysteries I've reviewed, starting at 8p EDT (when Blogger's new day starts). Friday's a decent day for me...this one 229 unique views...and Saturday ROTS ON ICE, usually about 150 unique views on a GOOD day. Since I've been hollering, however, that's been turned on its head as there are *already* 235 unique views!

You get back what you put out on Twitter, for sure.

hmmm. 1% You probably get more than that just here.......

Have an awesome weekend Richard!

#189 - re St. Mary's. Thank you for the synopsis. It sounded so interesting that I went to Amazon and looked up the first one, and discovered that I bought it for my Kindle a while back. I got it for free..... *grins sheepishly*

I haven't been consistently adding my Kindle Library to my LT Library, so missed it. Sometimes I miss my mind.

Have a loverly Saturday, RD.

*smooches* from Horrible

>276 mckait: Well, yes I'd have to! It's a statistical improbability that 0.0000003% of a person (about 1% of my LT friends) can buy a book.

:-)

>277 Thebookdiva: Many thanks, Abby! You do the same.

>278 karenmarie: Heh! I admit I was shocked to imagine you hadn't at least put the freebie on back when someone (wish I could remember who) turned me into a Book Warbler.

Interesting! My Saturday experiment, a day I normally expect ~150 or so visitors to my blog, has gone well. I've tweeted a boatload, put up five new or tarted-up reviews, and attracted 575 viewers! Not quite 4x the expected turn-out.

Wow. May tomorrow be like today! That would mean almost 800 viewers!

- Eliot Porter, 1975, oil on canvas, by Fairfield Porter

Howdy, RD! So your blog is kicking ass, eh? Go for it, my man. Hope you are having a fine Saturday.

Just dropping in to say....O.M.G. Just One Damned Thingis so fantastic and fun. I am not finished but am zooming through it, laughing out loud in places and gasping in horror in others. I can see lots of one clicking in my future to get through to where this series stands at present!

Also, congrats on getting author recognition for your review in >224 richardderus:. Well deserved of course. And another series BB for me....sigh.....

Saturday evening smooch.

I wasted the day looking at furniture and then not buying anything, and napping. I love naps.

Awesome blog numbers!

>281 msf59: What a beautiful portrait that is, Mark! Just gorgeous, thanks for sharing it here.

Not like I'm getting money for it, but the blog does help keep me in freebies.

>282 Cobscook: *preen* Ya know what, Heidi? They get better as you go along!

Enjoy, and *smooch* back

>283 katiekrug: Shopping but not buying? I'd need a massive amount of booze to make that NOT a reason to divorce you with extreme prejudice via the Court of Cousin Gaetano. And to think you could've been READING before the nappage! SMH kids these days

If you happen to get an extra copy of The Bone Clocks or the new Murakami, keep your pal in Chicago, in mind and no not Joe. Yes, I am shameless.

^I wasn't sure you would like the portrait but I am glad you did. Smiles.

>285 msf59: Should that eventuate, I shall potlatch them unto your good self forthwith.

I think the Murakami comes out in about a week, so I might have to preorder that one.

Well, Richard... I just purchased my first Maupin last night on my Kindle. That would have never happened without you. I don't know if you want to add that .00003% or not. ;)

And counting all the Jodi's I've purchased JUST because of your warbling?? No telling how much she's made just off of your LT praises alone!

>287 msf59: *shudder* On your own head be it...

>288 TinaV95: The Force is with Jodi Taylor, for sure. She's got a legion of excited fans around here! I'm very pleased about that, I think her stories are well worth the piffling sums we have to pay to get them.

xoxo and enjoy that Maupin!

Hi Richardmydear!

Good morning, RichardDear!

Today is daughter's 21st birthday - milestone - so off I go to make a special breakfast, later on make carrot cake with cream cheese frosting (homemade, of course), then relax with husband and daughter and try to fit some reading in. Dinner at our once-a-year-splurge Angus Barn in Raleigh NC.

*smooches* from Horrible

Happy Sunday sweetness.

xoxo to you and Stella

Sleeping in? What Tina said about Jodi Taylor. She should send you a thank you note. So should I! Sookie & St Mary's...love!

>290 connie53: Connie! How lovely to see you! Sending hugs Holland-ward.

>291 karenmarie: Good morning, Horrible, homemade carrot cake = home invasion. What time are you going to the restaurant, he asked ever so innocently....

*smooch*

>292 luvamystery65: Hi Roberta! Stella sends slurps...she's lovin' this cool snap we're having! (It's only 70° now.) Schmoozle the Devilles' ears from me.

*smooch*

>293 mckait: Hiya sweetness, I slept WAY in because I was so engrossed in Irregular Verbs that I stayed up past 4am. I love this book!

My blog experiment, mystery weekend supertweeting blast, is working well...better than I'd expected. 300 blog-views already, and on a Sunday! Lotsa work, though.

Annoyingly I forgot to renumber the next thread, but it's up.