Mamie's 2014 Madness (Page 14)

Fall in Georgia

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October Reads: (20 books)
115. Glory in Death by J. D. Robb (4 stars) 320 pages, ebook (1995)
116. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (3 stars) 46 pages, ebook (1886)
117. Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris (reread) 320 pages. ebook (2002)
118. Club Dead by Charlaine Harris (reread) 292 pages, ebook (2003)
119. Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris (reread) 316 pages, ebook (2004)
120. The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane (3.5 stars) 160 pages, paperback (1895)
121. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien (5 stars) 7 hours, 47 minutes, audiobook (1990)
122. Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris (reread) 320 pages, ebook (2005)
123. Stone Mattress by Margaret Atwood (4.5 stars) 288 pages, library hardback (2014)
124. Driving Mr. Dead by Molly Harper 180 pages, ebook (2012)
125. Friday Night Bites by Chloe Neill (3.5 stars) 352 pages, ebook (2009)
126. Twice Bitten by Chloe Neill (4 stars) 368 pages, ebook (2010)
127. Hard Bitten by Chloe Neill (4 stars) 368 pages), ebook (2011)
128. Drink Deep by Chloe Neill (3 stars) 352 pages, ebook (2011)
129. Biting Cold by Chloe Neill (3 stars) 352 pages, ebook (2012)
130. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys (3.5 stars) 171 pages, hardback (1966)
131. Emma by Jane Austen (4.75 stars) 16 hours, 38 minutes, audiobook (1815)
132. Nothing Gold Can Stay by Ron Rash (4 stars) 256 pages, library hardback (2013)
133. Tricked by Kevin Hearne (3.5 stars) 10 hours, 41 minutes, audiobook (2012)
134. Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson (4 stars) 195 pages, paperback (1886)
135. Pastime by Robert B. Parker (3 stars) 352 pages, paperback (1991)

October Possibilities:

All Roads Lead to Austen by Amy Smith - library paperback - TIOLI #1/shared
Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris - ROOT ebook (reread) - TIOLI #1 - COMPLETED
White Trash Zombie Apocalypse by Diana Rowland - 2014 acquired ebook - TIOLI #2/shared
Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys - 2013 acquired hardback - TIOLI #3/shared - COMPLETED
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson - free ebook - TIOLI #4/shared - COMPLETED
Pastime by Robert B. Parker - paperback sent to me by Roberta (thank you, Ro!) - my Spenser read for the month - TIOLI #5 - COMPLETED
The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane - ROOT paperback - TIOLI #6 - COMPLETED
Nothing Gold Can Stay by Ron Rash - library hardback - TIOLI #7 - COMPLETED
Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris - ROOT ebook (reread) - TIOLI #7/shared - COMPLETED
Out of Sight by Elmore Leonard - 2013 acquired paperback - TIOLI #7
Club Dead by Charlaine Harris - ROOT ebook - TIOLI #8 - COMPLETED
Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson - ROOT paperback - TIOLI #8/shared - COMPLETED
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien - 2014 acquired ebook and audiobook - TIOLI #9/shared - COMPLETED
He Died With His Eyes Open by Derek Raymond - 2014 acquired paperback - TIOLI #10
Tricked by Kevin Hearne - 2014 acquired audiobook - TIOLI #10/shared - COMPLETED
On the Road by Jack Kerouac - 2014 acquired paperback - TIOLI #11/shared
Emma by Jane Austen - 2014 acquired audiobook - TIOLI #12 - COMPLETED
Stone Mattress by Margaret Atwood - library hardback - TIOLI #12 - COMPLETED
Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris - ROOT ebook (reread) - TIOLI #13 - COMPLETED
Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas - Abby's book (she asked me to read this) - TIOLI #13
The Dark Enquiry by Deanna Raybourn - ROOT ebook - TIOLI #14
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen - ROOT paperback (reread) - TIOLI #15
Glory in Death by J. D. Robb - 2013 acquired ebook - TIOLI #17 - COMPLETED
Monsters: The 1985 Chicago Bears and the Wild Heart of Football by Rich Cohen - 2013 acquired hardback - TIOLI #18

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Stephanie found this for me - thank you, Stephanie!

January Reads (10 books):
1. Ceremony by Robert B. Parker (3.3 stars) 224 pages, ebook (1982)
2. Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell (4.5 stars) 228 pages, paperback (1933)
3. Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs (4 stars) 343 pages, ebook (2013)
4. Hounded by Kevin Hearne (3.75 stars) 8 hours, 11 minutes, audiobook (2011)
5. Betwixt and Between by Jessica Stilling (4 stars) 370 pages, paperback (2013)
6. When the Women Come Out to Dance by Elmore Leonard (4.5 stars) 240 pages, ebook (2003)
7. The Hedge Knight by George R. R. Martin (5 stars) 184 pages, paperback (2013)
8. The Sworn Sword by George R. R. Martin (4.5 stars) 176 pages, paperback (2014)
9. Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather (4.25 stars), 303 pages, library hardback (1927)
10. Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen (4 stars), 304 pages, ebook (2014)

Pages Read This Month: 2,372
Hours Listened This Month: 8 hours, 11 minutes

February Reads (8 books):
11. Hexed by Kevin Hearne (3.5 stars) 8 hours, 52 minutes (2011)
12. The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold (4 stars) 309 pages (1986)
13. The Widening Gyre by Robert B. Parker (3.5 stars) 192 pages (1983)
14. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (4 stars), 224 pages (1999)
15. Cress by Marissa Meyer (4 stars), 15 hours, 40 minutes (2014)
16. The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony (5 stars) 10 hours, 54 minutes (2009)
17. Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller (4.5 stars) 336 pages (2001)
18. Another Man's Moccasins by Craig Johnson (4 stars) 336 pages

Pages Read This Month: 1061 pages
Hours Listened This Month: 35 hours, 26 minutes

March Reads (13 books):
19. Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness by Alexandra Fuller, 256 pages (2011)
20. High Rising by Angela Thirkell (4.25 stars), 288 pages (1933)
21. Live and Let Die by Ian Fleming (3 stars), 240 pages (1954)
22. Broken Homes by Ben Aaronovtch (4 stars), 10 hours, 3 minutes (2014)
23. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (4 stars), 448 pages (1986)
24. Moonraker by Ian Fleming (3.5 stars), 256 pages (1955)
25. Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare (4 stars) 2 hours, 16 minutes
26. The Dark Horse by Craig Johnson (4.25 stars), 9 hours, 32 minutes (2009)
27. A Clergyman's Daughter by George Orwell (2.5 stars), 324 pages (1935)
28. Journal of a Residence on a Georgia Plantation by Fanny Kemble (3 stars), 488 pages (1838-1839)
29. D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths by Ingri D'Aulaire (4 stars), 192 pages (1962)
30. All the Pretty Horses by Cormac mcCarthy (4 stars), 9 hours, 46 minutes (1992)
31. Valediction by Robert B. Parker (2.5 stars), 288 pages (1984)

Pages Read This Month: 2,780 pages
Hours Listened This Month: 31 hours, 37 minutes

April Reads (9 books)
32. Night Broken by Patricia Briggs (4 stars), 352 pages (2014)
33. The Ghost by Robert Harris (4 stars), 352 pages (2007)
34. A Catskill Eagle by Robert B. Parker (truly awful), 384 pages (1985)
35. Borders of Infinity by Lois McMaster Bujold (4.25 stars), 311 pages (1989) This frame story included the three novellas:
Mountains of Mourning (4.5 stars)
Labyrinth (4 stars)
The Borders of Infinity (4.5 stars),
36. Diamonds Are Forever by Ian Fleming (2.9 stars), 240 pages (1956)
37. Last Bus to Woodstock by Colin Dexter (3.5 stars), 288 pages (1975)
38. Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor (3.75 stars), 332 pages (2013)
39. Last Train to Paris by Michele Zackheim (4 stars), 320 pages (2014)
40. Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman (4 stars), 240 pages (2004)

Pages read this month: 2718 pages
Hours listened this month: 0

May Reads (10 books)
41. The Poet by Michael Connelly (4 stars) 608 pages, ebook, (1996)
42. Hammered by Kevin Hearne (4 stars) 9 hours, 40 minutes (2011)
43. Goodnight, June by Sarah Jio (3.6 stars) 320 pages (2014)
44. The Greyfriar by Clay and Susan Griffith (4.25 stars) 10 hours, 39 minutes (2010)
45. Taming a Sea-Horse by Robert B. Parker (3 stars) 320 pages (1987)
46. The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold (4.25 stars) 345 pages (1990)
47. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers (4.5 stars) 368 pages (1940)
48. Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold (4 stars) 352 pages (1996)
49. Bridge of Sighs by Olen Steinhauer (4 stars) 278 pages (2003)
50. The Crane Wife by Patrick Ness (4 stars) 8 hours, 34 minutes (2014)

Pages read this month: 2,591 pages
Hours listened this month: 28 hours, 53 minutes

June Reads (21 books)
51. Heat Wave by Richard Castle (3.5 stars) 240 pages (2009)
52. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut (4.25 stars) 288 pages (1969)
--- I Murdered My Library by Linda Grant (4.5 stars) 28 pages (2014)
53. My Salinger Year by Joanna Rakoff (4.5 stars) 272 pages (2014)
54. Peril at End House by Agatha Christie (3.5 stars) 256 pages (1932)
55. The 13 Clocks by James Thurber (4 stars) 136 pages (1950)
56. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (4.5 stars) 464 pages (2013)
57. Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman (4 stars) 128 pages (2009)
58. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Frankilin (4 stars) 304 pages (2010)
59. The Shining by Stephen King (4.5 stars) 688 pages (1977)
60. The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper (3.75 stars) 320 pages (1973)
61. Cotillion by Georgette Heyer (3.75 stars) 368 pages (1953)
62. Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold (3 stars) 256 pages (1986)
63. A Cold Day for Murder by Dana Stabenow (3.5 stars) 208 pages (1992)
64. The Thirteen Problems by Agatha Christie (3 stars) 256 pages (1932)
65. The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap by Wendy Welch (4 stars) 304 pages (2012)
66. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin (3.75 stars) 320 pages (1968)
67. Pale Kings and Princes by Robert B. Parker (3 stars) 320 pages (1987)
68. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (4 stars) 7 hours, 10 minutes (1925)
69. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (4 stars) 13 hours, 11 minutes (1847)
70. The Pretenders by Charlaine Harris and Christopher Golden (2.5 stars) 128 pages (2014)
71. The Snow Queen by Michael Cunningham (5 stars) 272 pages (2014)
72. The Martian by Andy Weir (4.5 stars) 384 pages/10 hours, 53 minutes on audio (2012) - I switched back and forth between reading and listening

Pages read this month: 5748
Hours listened this month: 25 hours, 47 minutes

July Reads (13 books)

73. The Snack Thief by Andrea Camilleri (4.25 stars) 304 pages (1998)
74. The Hanover Square Affair by Jennifer Ashley (4 stars) 319 pages (2011?)
75. The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton (4.5 stars) 29 hours, 14 minutes (2013)
76. The Best Man by Kristan Higgins (3.4 stars) 432 pages (2013)
77. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (4 stars) 5 hours, 37 minutes (1953)
78. Murder in the Marais by Cara Black (4 stars) 369 pages (1999)
79. The Hours by Michael Cunningham (5 stars) 240 pages (1998)
80. Crimson Joy by Robert B. Parker (...) 304 pages (1988)
81. The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly by Sun-Mi Hwang (4.5 stars) 144 pages (2013)
82. In Paradise by Peter Mathiessen (4.5 stars) 256 pages (2014)
83. Middlemarch by George Eliot (5 stars) 35 hours, 40 minutes (1872)
84. A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (3.5 stars) 144 pages (1912)
85. The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith (4.5 stars) 464 pages (2014)

Pages read this month: 2,976 pages
Hours listened this month: 70 hours, 31 minutes

August Reads (12 books)
86. Monitor by James Tertius de Kay (4 stars) 224 pages (1997) - library hardback
87. The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye (4.5 stars) 432 pages (2012) - 2014 acquired paperback
88. Playmates by Robert B. Parker (3 stars) 288 pages (1989) - library hardback
89. The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje (4.5 stars) 305 pages (1992) - ROOT paperback
90. The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan (3.5 stars) 134 pages (1915) - 2014 acquired ebook
91. Stoker's Manuscript by Royce Prouty (3.5 stars) 352 pages (2013) - ER paperback
92. Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill (Um...NO) 352 pages (2009) - ebook
93. The Voice of the Violin by Andrea Camilleri (4 stars) 256 pages (1997) - library hardback
94. Dear Daughter by Elizabeth Little (4 stars) 384 pages (2014) - library hardback
95. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (3.5 stars) 432 pages (2012) - ROOT ebook
96. The Plot Against America by Philip Roth (3.5 stars) 391 pages (2004) - library hardback
97. Down the Rabbit Hole by Juan Pablos Villalobos (4 stars) 130 pages (2010) - library paperback

Pages read in August: 3,680
Hours listened this month:

September Reads: (17 books)
98. The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick (4 stars) 304 pages (2008)
99. A Passage to India by E. M. Forster (4.25 stars) 11 hours, 6 minutes (1924)
100. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris (reread) 327 pages (2001)
101. The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings (4.5 stars) 320 pages (2007)
102. This Time Together by Carol Burnett (4 stars) 5 hours, 43 minutes (2010)
103. Burglars Can't Be Choosers by Lawrence Block (3 stars) 320 pages (1977)
104. Vanessa and Her Sister by Priya Parmar (5 stars) 368 pages (ER book - available on 1/13/15)
105. Jane Austen Cover to Cover: 200 Years of Classic Covers by Margaret C. Sullivan (5 stars) 224 pages (2014) - ER book available on 11/11/14
106. Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen (4 stars) 8 hours, 9 minutes (2007)
107. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (4 stars) 6 hours, 43 minutes (1883)
108. Cooking in Cast Iron by Valerie Aikman-Smith (4 stars) 112 pages (2012) - library hardback
109. A Month in the Country by J. L. Carr (4.5 stars) 135 pages (1980)
110. West With the Night by Beryl Markham (4 stars) 320 pages (1942)
111. Naked in Death by J. D. Robb (reread) 314 pages (1995)
112. Arctic Summer by Damon Galgut (4 stars) 352 pages (2014)
113. Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues by Diana Rowland (4 stars) 320 pages (2012)
114. Stardust by Robert B. Parker - to quote Roberta: "blah, blah, blah. snooze"

Next one's yours!

Hi Mamie! Happy new thread!

Hi Carrie!! Thank you! I am just starting fresh and hoping that people will forgive me.

Lovely new thread mom, I like your topper.

Thanks, Rae!

Forgive you for what, silly woman?

Happy new thread!!

You are definitely my kind of people! Thank you, Katie!

And you mine! Yummers :)

*grin*

I spy (I loved that game as child) a new thread and - hey, look! - there's even Pimm's on this thread! Happy new thread, Mamie!

Oh, I loved Pimm's back in the day when I was a "drinker"!

Happy New Thread, dear lady. Enjoy your weekend, too.

Wow, the Luminaries id a 29 hour read!!!? Excellent. What value for money!!!!

Hi, and a happiness-filled new thread to you and yours :)

Hi Mamie!

Mamie, Happy new Thread. I wish you a fabulous weekend.

Good Saturday Mornin', everyone! I am excited because it is supposed to be cooler today and tomorrow, and we could use a good dose of cooler. Only going to 72F today according to the weather forecast, so hooray for that! I am craving Fall weather.

>17 lkernagh: Howdy, Lori! Good to see you here! As long as there is Katie, there MUST be Pimm's, right?!

>18 maggie1944: I have never had Pimm's, Karen! Never even heard of it until Katie, but I am wanting to try it. And thank you for those good wishes! Hoping that you also enjoy your weekend.

>19 LovingLit: Ha! It was actually excellent on audio since I had attempted it before in print and so was familiar with the very large cast of characters. I thank you for those lovely wishes, Megan!

>20 SandDune: Hello Rhian! Nice to see you here!

>21 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara! You always find the loveliest images to post - and you know how much I love fabulous!

Happy New Thread Mamie! So good to see you about! Hope your presence here means your carpel tunnel is giving you a break. I really enjoyed the first Sookie Stackhouse book, and I might very well add Living Dead in Dallas to my audio listens this month. I also added Kidnapped and Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde to the TIOLI after seeing you and Heather had listed it there, so it won't be said you don't influence my reading choices!

Wishing you a great October!

>23 Smiler69: Thank you, Ilana! I have been sleeping with supports on both wrists and trying to ice my right one more regularly, and I feel like I am finally making progress. Just have to be careful not to aggravate them too much. I am currently reading the third Sookie Stackhouse book - a reread for me. You asked on my last thread if I had read them all, and I have not. I have read the first nine books. I am wanting to try them on audio since you recommend the narrator. These books are like brain candy to me, so they have been a welcome addition to my reading lately. I love rereading favorite books - right up there with comfort food!

I have been using the TIOLI challenges to read things that I already have sitting on my shelves, and it is working out wonderfully. Makes it fun to see what I can match each month - I started rereading the Sookie books because you had listed the first one there, so you have been influencing my reading, too!

I thank you for your kind wishes - here's hoping that your October is full of fabulous!

I might have mentioned this on your previous thread, and if so forgive me for repeating myself, but having watched the first few seasons and been a fan of True Blood I was amazed with Dead Until Dark how much of the show was actually based on the book, which was basically ALL of it. For some reason I thought they might have made up some of it, but I was blown away by just how imaginative Harris had been. In the HBO version, Anna Paquin was good at conveying that Sookie was basically a decent girl with moral values who was shocked at the goings-on, but I like that in the book she tells us how she sees things, because of course the HBO version celebrates the gore-fest and sex to a point that is nauseating and is maybe meant to make viewers like me feel like Sookie? In any case, I didn't watch the last two seasons, because it just became too much for me. With all the series available as downloadable audiobooks from the library, I think I'll try to get to them all within the next couple of years, unless I try to keep up with you, that is.

I get the strange feeling I've said all of this already. Either that or déjà vu?

I agree rereading favourite books is a great kind of comfort, whatever the genre. But yes, the Sookie series would definitely rate as brain candy! Nothing wrong with that of course.

Glad to know you've been taking good care of yourself and trust you won't overdo it.

Pimm's!!! You're a bit late, Pimm's is only legally allowed to be consumed during the months of May, June, July and August, and is sent away to distant sunny climes from October-April to mature and mellow before returning to these sunny (ho ho ho) shores the next year.

In another month it will be mulled wine time so we can't have that yet. I think port would be good as hunting season has started and it is essential that you carry a silver flask of port in your pocket for easy consumption on horseback.

>25 Smiler69: I have been watching the True Blood series lately, and I think that the first season sticks to the books more than the following seasons. I am currently in season four. What the tv series lacks, I think, is the humor that is found throughout the books - Sookie has me constantly laughing out loud with her thoughts! I'm glad, however, that the show felt free to alter the storyline so that I could get more of some of my favorite characters in the books. And I know what you mean about the gore-fest and sex - sometimes I think that I am not adult enough to watch the tv show, but I keep coming back for more anyway. Definitely have to be in the right frame of mind for it!

I promise to be careful, but I am oh so happy to be back!

>26 lunacat: Jenny!!!! I did not know that about Pimm's! And I LOVE the idea about carrying a silver flask in my pocket. Not sure where I would get the horse though...

LT has definitely not been the same without you. I'd grown so used to your presence, as you spoiled us so much with your generous loving being. It would be nice if you could stick around of course, but only if you can do so without harming yourself, because I don't think any of us enjoy the though of you hurting. xx

I've never tried Pimm's, but of course have often read about it in my British novels!

Sometimes you need the alcohol in a hip flask in order to be brave enough to get on said horse ;)

I personally don't have a silver flask as I don't do enough hunting to warrant the purchase but people tend to be very generous with sharing and we have a glass of port (or two) before we set off. Nice and warming!

Yup, didn't you realise that's how Pimm's is made?? And even more remarkable is that the bottles migrate on their own, no human assistance required. Their little legs pop out and off they toddle to lounge on deckchairs on the beach in tropical countries.

>29 lunacat: I have a hip flask, but have kept cologne in it for the longest time! Not for drinking of course! lol!

>28 Smiler69: You are SO sweet! Thank you for that! xx

>29 lunacat: Ha! Sadly, I also have no silver hip flask. I know nothing about Pimm's except that Katie adores it. I love the thought of the bottles migrating on their own to lounge on beaches in tropical countries! Maybe someday I will spy one on my deck gazing out at the pecan trees, after all, Georgia often feels like a tropical country!!

Jenny is certainly spot-on about Pimm's season, but it only holds for places where it is readily available. I've decided I am allowed to drink Pimm's in the dead of winter if I actually see it offered on a cocktail menu, because it is too rare a sight here in the US :)

Sounds like an excellent plan, Katie! I love that Pimm's has its own season!!

Hehehe, I hope that some stray Pimm's get lost on their migratory path and end up on cocktail menus in winter.

And I'm sure they'd enjoy gazing at pecan trees, particularly if they can put their feet up while they do it!

Nothing to forgive, Mamie! We are just all delighted to see you around here again.

>34 lunacat: Crossing my fingers now.

>35 ronincats: Thank you, Roni! I have truly missed hanging out with all of you and appreciate the warm welcome back.

Happy new thread, Mamie! Lovely thread topper too.
I read Shakespeare & Co. several years ago and loved it. Hope you do too.

Happy New Thread, Mamie! Good to have you back! Hope you're feeling healthy and enjoying the weekend.

>37 Carmenere: Hi Lynda! Glad you love the thread topper - Birdy took that photo, and that is Abby in the foreground. I am liking Shakespeare & Co. a lot - I do wish she had been a better writer and that she had gone into more detail, but still, it is fascinating.

>38 jnwelch: Thank you, Joe! We are having gorgeous weekend weather - in the low 70s and sunny. Perfect for reading on the deck or the screened-in porch, which is what I have been indulging in. Tomorrow, of course, is football!

Take good care of those wrists so they really really get better! I've missed your presence too, but totally understand.

I will, Lucy. SO lovely to be missed! Thanks for stopping in.

Yay! She's back!! You were very missed. But please take care of yourself--that way we will get to keep seeing you. : )

Happy New Thread, lady!!

>42 Berly: Kim! Hey there! I need to come check on you and see how that knee's doing.

>43 scaifea: Thank you, Amber! Lovely to see you here!

Mamie, it is lovely to see you posting again. Now all we need is to find that Richard is able to be back, too. Happy new week to you!

Oh, thank you, Karen! It's great to be back. And YES, we need Richard to be back, too! Hoping that your week is full of happy!

Just make sure you take care of those wrists and don't go pushing yourself too soon!

Just stopping and waving!!

>47 lunacat: I am, Jenny. Being very careful - taking it slow and easy.

>48 connie53: Hey, Connie! *waves back*

Nice to see you back Mamie. It has been a funny year with so many of us off the ball for a while at different times. Trust that everything is going swimmingly at the Paradisio.

Good morning Mamie. It's great to have you back. Take it easy but steady. I wish you a lovely day.

Good morning, Mamie. We brought over your usual.

Dang! How can I get that kind of service? Yum!

>52 jnwelch: hey that's my usual too!! Mamie and me must be destined to meet, if not just to make the cafe order easy ;)

>53 Berly:, >54 LovingLit: :-)

Today is Birdy's 16th birthday! Remember last year when she got blue hair for her birthday?! Nothing so dramatic in the works this year, but that is such a fun memory that I had to show the photo again. The bummer is that this year the rest of the kids are really sick, so the festivities are a bit on the down low. Still, there will be cake and candles, singing and presents, so all is not lost.

October is a big month for us - Craig and I celebrated 24 years of marriage on the 6th, Birdy's birthday today, and the anniversary of our BIG MOVE to Georgia is on the 12th. Yep. It's been almost two years already - hard to believe! And those pecan trees still make me smile every day. I am a lucky, lucky woman.

Wishing all of you a Wednesday full of fabulous!

>50 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul! Things are not going as swimmingly as they might - the three oldest kids are sick, so the Pecan Paradisio is much quieter than usual these days. Hoping that they mend fast because I am actually missing the chaos!

>51 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara! Yesterday was indeed lovely, so your wishes worked!

>52 jnwelch: Perfect, Joe! Thanks for that! And I didn't even have to leave my own thread!!

>53 Berly: I know, right, Kim?! Joe is THE best!

>54 LovingLit: I like how you think, Megan! Here's hoping that someday that happens!!

>55 jnwelch: *grin*

Just reposting this from the top part of my thread in case you wonder what I have been working on in October so far:



...

...

October Reads: (7 books)
115. Glory in Death by J. D. Robb (4 stars)
116. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (3 stars)
117. Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris (reread)
118. Club Dead by Charlaine Harris (reread)
119. Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris (reread)
120. The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane (3.5 stars)
121. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien (5 stars)

*edited to add The Things They Carried, which I just finished last night.

Happy Birthday to Birdy! I love that blue hair.

And congrats on 24 years of marriage to Craig! What a couple, and what a family you have.

Wait, there's more - two years at the Pecan Paradisio coming up. You are one lucky lady!

Happy Birthday Birdy! And, goodness Crazy, your October reads so far have been truly Deadly!!

Happy Anniversary and Happy Birthday to Birdy!

Happy birthday to Birdy! I still love that blue hair — she wears it well. You can tell her that people born in October are demonstrably smarter and all-around more awesome than people born in any other month. I know this for a fact. :-)

Hi Mamie, welcome back. October is a busy month for me as well with my youngest daughter kicking off the month, then my birthday and later on Hubby and I will be celebrating 36 years of wedded bliss.

Good to see you back on the threads, sorry to hear that there is some illness at your place, but I hope Birdy was able to enjoy her birthday!

Oh, happy birthday, Birdy! I'm sorry that everyone else is not feeling well, though. And seeing that photo again takes my breath away - again - at what a beautiful family you have, Mamie.

Stopping by! Happy Birthday to Birdie.

Sounds like a little bit of sickness can not hold Pecan Paradisio down! Have a sweet Thursday!

Morning Y'all! Birdy's birthday went as well as could be expected with half of the household sick, and her cake - chocolate ganache - was extremely yummy. I pulled this picture off the web, but this is exactly what it looked like:



On the reading front, I finished another book last night - The Things They Carried.


I switched back and forth between the ebook and the audiobook (gotta love that Whispersync!), and I have to say that it was a perfect read for me. 5 stars. The audio is narrated by Bryan Cranston, and I just cannot praise it highly enough. I think this one belongs firmly on the shelf besides the works of Ray Bradbury - why? Because like Bradbury, O'Brien defies the boundaries of genre, creating something that is hard to define. His memories of his days in the Viet Nam War are subtly molded here to give us a sort of memory novel - a melding of memoir and fiction that reaches out and grabs you by the throat. Highly recommended with a strong caution for those of you who cannot handle cruelty to animals (too late for me because I had listened to it before I knew what was coming) - there are two stories here that will break your hearts.

>59 jnwelch: Thank you, Joe! October has always been my favorite month, which is why Craig chose to propose in October and we chose to set our wedding date there. The BIG MOVE and Birdy's birth were bonuses!! Now, if we could just get some of that Fall weather - 90F here yesterday and going there again today. UGH!

>60 Berly: Passed along those birthday wishes - thank you, Kim. And I know, right? I have been indulging in rereading the Sookie books - the other books just happen to have a lot of dead in them! Of course, since my favorite genre is crime fiction...

>61 ronincats: Thank you, Roni!

>62 rosalita: Thank you, Julia! I loved the blue hair, too! I am sensing that you also have an October birthday...LOL!

>63 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy! Sounds like your October is packed with goodness, too! And 36 years!! It is great to be back on the threads - finally starting to catch up with people, but slowly so as not to overdo. Birdy did have a good birthday even though it was much more subdued than our usual birthday bash.

>64 scaifea: Thank you, Amber! For the wishes and for the lovely complement! I am still in shock that my baby is sixteen. My baby!!

>65 sibylline: Hey Lucy! I will pass along those wishes -she is so thrilled with all of you for your kindness!

>66 maggie1944: Not too much holds the Pecan Paradisio down, Karen, it kind of has a heart of its own. Last night we watched the blood moon rise above the pecan trees, and it was just so very beautiful. A lovely quiet moment with all of us out on the deck - it felt like a deep breath of fresh air. Full of magic and wonder. I love moments like that. Sweet Thursday to you, dear lady!

For those of you who have not yet been to Morphy's thread, she could use our help. Here's the link

Woo, that cake looks delish, Mamie!

I loved The Things They Carried, too.

It was SO good, Joe, and I am not normally a cake person.

The Things They Carried is one that will definitely stay with me. Beautiful writing that strikes at the heart of things.

Eek! 90F! I always think I'd love weather like that and I do, on holiday. I forget about having to actually function and get things done. Horses and heat is not much fun.

Then again, I might swap. Would you like high, gusty winds and and sudden, sharp downpours? It wasn't much fun riding Connie out in the wind today (think of the effect wind has on children and double it for horses) but at least we avoided the rain.

I know, right, Jenny! I am ready for Fall! Last weekend we got two gorgeous days of weather in the 70s, and that is what I am craving. I think that I would swap you for the high, gusty winds and sudden, sharp downpours just for a change of pace. Of course, I wouldn't have to ride a horse in it...

This is the view from the back window:



And this is the view from the front:



Bit of a variety!

These were the views from Connie this morning :)

Morning Mamie! Yes, I haven't uttered that phrase in quite some time. Bad Mark. But let's not focus on the negative...I am so happy you loved The Things They Carried. 5 stars isn't quite enough for that one and it will stick with you for years. I will have to try the Cranston audio, for a reread.

How is the Rash coming? Of course, not the skin condition but the author...

Happy Friday!! Hope everyone is on the mend at your house. My household is finally well. Thank goodness!!

Mamie, I wish you a fabulous weekend.

Mamie I'm glad you are getting back to LT. It is not the same without you. I am loving my brain candy in the form of Mercy Thompson and the Alpha & Omega series. Thanks to you and Morphy. I am headed to her thread right now.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

I'm so glad to see you back and posting!

Happy belated 16th birthday to Birdy! I do still love how she rocked that blue hair! I can't believe it has been a full year since we were talking about that! Time sure does fly these days...

Good Sunday Morning, everyone! Nothing much going on at the Pecan Paradisio today except the watching of football. I am thinking that the sickness is finally on its way out - poor Birdy was the last victim, but at least she made it through her birthday before getting sick. I feel like we need to open all the windows and bleach the place down. As it is going to 90F today, that will not be happening. Where, oh where is my Fall weather?!!

On the reading front, I have finished rereading another Sookie - Dead as a Doornail, so I am moving on to Definitely Dead. I also started a steampunk adventure - Retribution Falls, and so far, so good. Still working my way through the hodgepodge of books posted up top - Birdy and I should finish up Oliver Twist this week if all goes according to plan.

>74 lunacat: Lovely photos, Jenny! Thanks so much for sharing them. That first one really captures the menace of the weather you were describing. Still hot here...

>75 msf59: Morning Mark! Cranston was a perfect fit for the audio of The Things They Carried - you would love it if you ever decide to revisit it. I am liking the Rash although I wish some of the stories were a bit longer - the title story was a slight disappointment because I wanted more. Still, I do like how he writes and he creates interesting characters. I have just finished Part I, so I am about 1/3 of the way through the book.

>76 Berly: Hi Kim! We are finally all headed towards good health here! Glad to hear that all is well with your brood, too! I NEED to come catch up with you!

>77 Ameise1: Beautiful, Barbara! Thanks for that! Wishing you also a weekend filled with fabulous!

>78 luvamystery65: Thank you, Roberta! I am seriously considering a reread of all the Mercy Thompson books - maybe starting in December. Craig has recently reread them as well as the new book that just came out last month that is a collection of short stories- in there he read the prequel story to the Alpha & Omega stories, so now he has gobbled those up, too! I will get to them eventually, I am certain.

>79 TinaV95: Thanks, Tina - feels good to be back! I will pass along those birthday wishes to Birdy. I can't believe it has been a year since our blue hair adventures, either. I told her it would be fine if she wanted to slow down growing up.

>81 Crazymamie: Mamie I have that short story collection ready to go! If I may make a suggestion since you are planning to reread Mercy and try Alpha & Omega, read both series as one in chronological order. I have been reading them that way and it really adds to the story line because you get filled in on little comments that get dropped in the books. Also you MUST read Alpha & Omega novella before Cry Wolf or else you will be scratching your head. It literally starts off as if it were the next chapter in Alpha & Omega.

OH! Thanks for that, Roberta - great idea! I will follow your advice. Craig said that the novella in the short story collection is what got him interested in the Alpha & Omega books.

Happy Sunday Mamie :)

I bring you Autumnal cat:

Thank you, Jenny! That kitty is lovely! Happy Sunday to you, dear!

Happy Sunday to the Pecan Infirmary! Glad to hear that all are on the mend. Now, sending you fall weather vibes! It's so nice to have you posting again. And, yes, you should come say Hi! when you get the chance. I need to get to Mercy and crew ASAP! : )

Ha! I am catching up with your thread right now - I just left it to add The Gravity of Birds to my WL, and when I came back to the talk thread to go back to your thread, you had been to mine! Serendipity! And YES - you need to catch up with Mercy!

Timing is everything!! LOL. Have a great Sunday. Everyone in my camp is off to paintball for my son's very late birthday party. I am not going because I still cannot run around and would be a sitting duck...literally! That's okay, it means a day to myself to putter and read. Perfect.

^Found a T-shirt for my pal! Grins...

Happy Sunday, Mamie! Hope you get in plenty of R & R, in between some football viewing of course.

>88 Berly: So true! And a quiet house!! Score! Enjoy it while it lasts!!

>89 msf59: LOVE that, Mark! Craig is making me homemade Chex Mix for the games, so I am very excited! Hoping that your Sunday is full of fabulous!

>89 msf59: Love that t-shirt, Mark and Mamie! We need one for guys, too.

Hope you're having a great weekend, Mamie.

>91 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe! So happy that the Broncos won today although they made me nervous there for a bit.

He's a ridiculous cat, that's for sure. His name is Bobble and we call him Wobbly Bobble cos his head never sits straight.

If you could tell him to come in now, that would be good, it's raining and he's out playing in the garden!

Time to come in, Bobble!

Hope that works, Jenny! If he is ridiculous, then he would fit in just fine here!

Go Broncos! Nice job, Manning!

Go Bears! Leading at the half.

BTW- LOVE that fall topper!!

ah..... (heard from the far upper left corner of the USA) Go Hawks!

>95 msf59: I know, right?! Good job, Broncos! And what about those Bears?!!! They played MIGHTY FINE! GO BEARS!

And I'm glad you love the topper - Miss Birdy took that photo.

>96 maggie1944: Sorry about your Hawks, Karen. I was shocked when I saw the score.

I'm glad to learn that the Broncos won today! I was on the road and didn't get to watch any football today, other than about 10 minutes of the Bengals & Panthers game. On the other hand, I did get to visit with friends I don't see often enough to suit me.

Sorry that you didn't get to see the game, Carrie, but it sounds like a good trade-off. The Broncos did a good job today, and of course, Peyton is closing in on that NFL record. Very exciting, that!

90 degrees?! That's nuts!
I am happy, though, to hear that everyone in your house is on the mend.

I agree, Amber! Much too hot for October. And yes, finally everyone is headed for healthy. Happy Monday to you!

" finally everyone is headed for healthy." Hip-Hip-Hooray!!

Morning Mamie! Hope you have a nice one. Are you reading a Wharton?

Morning Mark! Looks to be pretty but hot. No plans today, so hooray for that. The kids are all still sleeping which is very unusual - Birdy beats me up in the mornings most days. I miss her chatter, but the quiet is nice, too. I am not reading a Wharton - the only one we have is Summer, which I read ages ago. If I get up the energy, I might check the library. Not sure I'm in the right mood for Wharton, though...

>103 Crazymamie: If your library has short stories by Wharton then I would go for it. She is excellent in this format. I'm reading the New York stories collection but I believe she has a collection of ghost stories.

Glad to hear that everyone is on the road to recovery, fingers crossed it's not the start of winter illnesses already!

>104 luvamystery65: I will check. Thanks, Roberta! The ghost stories would be perfect!

>105 lunacat: Thanks, Jenny! And UGH for winter illnesses.

yes, the Seahawks shocked the home town crowd by playing a bummer game. This is the first loss at home since 2011. Amazing.

Just a bump in the road, Karen. They are a strong, fabulous team, and they will bounce back from this loss better than ever, I predict.

Wishing all your family a prompt recovery Mamie. I was hoping to keep up with you with the Sookie series, but you're going too fast for me, so I'll have to content myself with lagging behind. I've been wanting to read Wharton's ghost stories for a while. That'll be for another year though, as I'm listening to The Custom of the Country right now. It's really excellent, but the main protagonist is such a monstrous selfish woman, she's driving me absolutely up the wall!

Thank you, Ilana! Sorry about the Sookie books - I have been in a Sookie mood lately. Of course, by the time you are ready for the next one, I may just reread again with you - I love rereading old favorites, and that sort of reading pairs well with some of the more serious reads, so...

I was not familiar with Custom of the Country, so I just looked it up. I do think that for me, I have to be in the right mood to read Wharton - read quite a bit of her in high school, and reread Summer when the girls read it, but she is not an author that grabs me. The ghost stories might be a good fit if I can get them from the library, but I still probably wouldn't read the entire collection - maybe just dip in and out of them.

Speaking of libraries, the last time I was at ours, I snagged a brand new copy (with deckled edge pages!!) of Margaret Atwood's story collection entitled Stone Mattress - the first story in there is fabulous. Here's a lovely quote from it:

"The implication is that Constance has failed to be prepared, which in fact is true. It's a lifelong failing: she has never been prepared. But how can you have a sense of wonder if you're prepared for everything?"

Unlike you Mamie I'm very fond of Edith Wharton, so I was quite looking forward to October to get back into the AAC, though I did participate last moth with James Baldwin too. I'm hoping to get to Dead in Dallas this month, which I hadn't planned originally, but added when I saw you'd put it on the TIOLI wiki. Don't think I'll be reading more than one per month in that sereis, even though I enjoy them. I got a copy of Stone Mattress from the library, but on audiobook. I hope to fit it in soon as it's been getting quite good reviews.

I do like her writing, I just have to be in the right mood for it. My favorite would have to be Ethan Frome. There are just some authors, that, while I liked them when I read them, I am not overly eager to revisit - Twain would also fall into that category.

I'll be anxious to hear how you like the audio of Stone Mattress!

Ah made it! Hi Mamie, have been missing you too. But then I haven't exactly been very sociable myself lately. *hugs*

Lovely to see you here, Stephanie! So happy that you stopped in! *hugs back*

LOL, love Mark's "crazy book lady" Tshirt.

Also, am struck (again) by Birdie and her blue hair (>56 Crazymamie:) and how much she looks like my friends ex! it is uncanny. Never mind that she is a 35 year old Australian....

So did you finish Wide Sargasso Sea yet? (or am I premature). I believe I sent my copy off to someone who was in need of a good book, which reminds me. Help- I am charged with suggesting a book for a friend. I am bad a recommending books - so often what I like is not so with others. Someone who likes Taylor Swift, and One Direction, who is an academic, but a right wing one....and someone who is eternally blessed with seeing the silver linings wants a rec. What am I to give her?

>115 LovingLit: Tell her to choose her own book ;)

Recommend I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. ;-)

Just stopping in to say Hello

>115 LovingLit: Well, they say that we all have a double somewhere, right? Birdy is getting ready to get a different haircut again, and when she does I will post a pic of it. I love that she thinks of her hair as an accessory!

I have not yet finished Wide Sargasso Sea, but I will be sure to share my thoughts when I do - liking it so far but wishing the pacing was a bit faster. The change in POV threw me at first, but I love the different viewpoints.

Um…about the book rec…I would love to answer your query, but you didn't tell me how tall your friend is. Just kidding. DO you know what genre she likes to read because that would help to narrow things down a bit. Let's see:

non-fiction - The Elephant Whisperer, My Salinger Year, Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight

fiction:
magical realism - Garden Spells
space opera - Shards of Honor
science fiction with humor - The Martian
urban fantasy - Moon Called
contemporary fiction - The Shipping News
crime fiction (noir) - The Big Sleep or The Maltese Falcon
crime fiction (not noir) - The Black Echo, In the Woods
historical fiction - The Lotus Eaters
western - True Grit, The Sisters Brothers
YA - A Separate Peace, Tangerine

Of course, our music tastes and our politics do not align, but I do try to look for silver linings...

>116 lunacat: LOL! You crack me up, Jenny! I always think it is interesting seeing what people choose at the book store.

>117 maggie1944: Good suggestion, but that is also so sad.

>118 SuziQoregon: Hello, Suzi! Lovely to see you here!

>119 Crazymamie: Cool list, Mamie.

Glad you are all finally healthy again.

>121 sibylline: Thank you, Lucy! I need to come see what you have been up to lately!

Morning Mamie! Yah, I caught you early! I am getting ready to head out, in just a minute. Happy Wednesday, my friend. I am loving Station Eleven and I am starting the new Murakami today. All is good...

Welcome back Mamie! Happy anniversary to you and Craig, to all of you at Pecan Paridiso and a belated happy birthday to Birdie! Sorry to hear you've all been unwell though.

>119 Crazymamie: Oh, we loved Garden Spells in our house. Hope you have a good time with it, Mamie.

>123 msf59: Morning, Mark! Happy Wednesday! I am delighted to report that today is going to be BeaUtiful - sunny and only going to 75F! I'm so excited! *does happy dance* I will be awaiting your thoughts on the new Murakami - I still need to get to Kafka on the Shore, which has been waiting so patiently for me. I am also happy to share that Margaret Atwood's new short story collection is brilliant! I gobbled it up in just one day, and I may have to purchase my own copy of this one.

>124 souloftherose: Hi Heather! Thank you for those kind wishes! We have definitely turned a corner - there is a bit more energy at the Pecan Paradisio and a lot more laughter.

>125 jnwelch: Hi Joe! I have read Garden Spells multiple times - it is my favorite book by that author. The list of books is a recommendation for Megan's friend.

>127 Crazymamie: Oops! Of course. I was just testing your memory, Mamie. Now that you mention it, I remember it's your favorite of hers. Mine, too. :-)

Hi Mamie, Happy Anniversary to the young couple (!) and glad to hear the kids are on the mend.

I guess I'll have to make room for the new Atwood story collection soon. In the meantime, I started Living Dead in Dallas last night. Was not prepared for Lafayette to be killed off so soon in the series since he's such a major part of the TV show, but in a way it's nice to see differences between the books and the show. Also, I guess her friend Tara, who is Lafayette's cousin and is Sookie's best friend and on the show from the first episode, was added on by the HBO people? or maybe Charlaine Harris brings her on later? If so, please don't tell me! :-)

>128 jnwelch: LOL! So happy that I assed the test!

>129 Smiler69: Thank you, Ilana! And Sookie - I know, right?! I'm so glad that they kept his character on the series because the actor who plays him does such a fabulous job. And Tara ... I won't tell you, since you asked me not to! Let me know if you change your mind.

And you can do a happy dance without becoming a puddle of sweat! Yay!

True. So true, Jenny. Excellent point!

Oops! Sorry, Katie. Although really, it's not a plot point, and it does happen at the VERY beginning of the second book.

Ha! Still a spoiler, though, after reading the first one.

(I don't actually have any plans to read them. I just like to be a curmudgeon now and then.)

True. That's actually what I figured, since I haven't seen a lot of urban fantasy being discussed on your thread. You are SO my kind of people!!

Sounds like your day is a clone of min--75 and sunny. It was cloudy (marine layer) this morning and I finally got outside and dug up the sweet potatoes from my garden and we cleaned off the deck. Glad you are all feeling better, Mamie.

Oh! Sweet potatoes! I LOVE those, Roni! And thank you.

Morning, Mamie! High of only 75 sounds lovely - I hope you have another today!

Mornin' Amber! Today is supposed to be about the same - hugh of 76F, then back to the 80s for a few days, but the low 80s, so I'll take it! And tomorrow is FRIDAY!

Mamie, I wish you a fabulous weekend.

Happy Saturday, Mamie! Hope the week went well and you have plenty of R & R on the old agenda.

>67 Crazymamie: I've bumped up The Things They Carried from my Maybe collection to my LT Recommended collection.

>80 Crazymamie: Those ice creams were such a tease. I thought they were real and went Googling to find out their ingredients. Caught me!

>81 Crazymamie: I was thinking about a Mercy re-read too. How about a group read where we do one a month?

>119 Crazymamie: Aaaand, I've just added another list to my collection. Dagnabit.

***

So what are each of your kiddos up to this year?

There was great jubilation at the Pecan Paradiso last night. Just saying...

So, this was a great weekend for us - big breakfast both days, lovely weather if still a bit on the warm side, everyone finally well, and of course, there was football. Craig was on call, but he still managed to make screens for a bunch of our windows (remember that I said there were NO screens in this house except for the screened in porch?!). He used pet friendly screening, which is actually very cool - no need to worry about Mercy putting holes in this stuff. The evenings have been cooler here, so I have been wanting to open the windows at night to take advantage of the cool air, but alas, no screens. And, because we have had snakes, and because bugs are a BIG part of life in Southern Georgia, there was no way I was going to open the windows without screens. Problem solved - Craig built them for me! I mentioned that screens would be a lovely gift for our 25th anniversary next year, and he went our the next day and bought the stuff to make them. This does not count as a 25th anniversary gift now, I told him, just to be clear. I didn't want you to have to wait, he replied. Lovely, lovely man. I'm keeping him.

Not too much on the agenda for today: I found a recipe for pumpkin Nutella muffins which I am wanting to try, I need to make up a menu plan for the rest of the week and go to the market either today or tomorrow (leaning towards tomorrow), descale the coffee pot, and schedule the dogs for grooming. Tonight's dinner is slow cooker pork chops with a delicious gravy, rice, and steamed broccoli. That's plenty for a Monday. Also reading, of course.

On the reading front, I have finished several more books. This seems to be the month for brain candy for me - I have been reading a new to me urban fantasy series which is not brilliant, but it is fun - the Chicagoland Vampires series by Chloe Neill. I read the first in the series last month, and I was not impressed - I liked the premise, and the first 2/3 of the book was okay, but the ending was totally crazy. What kept pulling at me was wondering why this series seems to have readers continuing with it. SO, out of curiosity, I tried the second book - much better, and I liked the fast pacing and humor in it. No Mercy Thompson, but not bad for a quick fix of vampire and shifters. Anyway, I'm now on book four. Works well with my heavier reading - Oliver Twist, Wide Sargasso Sea, and Kingdom of Ice. I am also continuing with the other books posted up top. I should finish several, if not all of them, up this week. And I guess that's it.

Happy Monday to you!

>144 Crazymamie: :)

I should hope you are keeping him after nearly 25 years together!

>146 cbl_tn: I know, right, Carrie?!!

>147 lunacat: *grin*

>141 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara, for that bit of beautiful! Hoping that your weekend was as fabulous as mine.

>142 msf59: It was so very perfect for me. Unfortunately, the girls are NOT happy about the football results (except for the Broncos win, of course) - each of their favorite teams lost. So you are not alone with your football hangover.

>143 Morphidae: Morphy! SO lovely to see you here! The Things They Carried is so worth your time, but remember that I warned about the cruelty to animals - there is one story that made me sob in there. It's the one with the buffalo. The ice creams were a scream, weren't they? I wish they were making those flavors! And I would LOVE to do a group reread of Mercy with you - let me know and I will be there! Sorry about the new list - I am betting that you have read several of those.

Thinking of you today as I know that MrMorphy has his appointment today. Keeping the both of you in our thoughts and prayers.

Jeez, we may ask to borrow Craig for our house! He made the window screens for you? Holy handyman. I'd do that at our place, except all the duct tape I'd have to use would get pretty unsightly.

You're smart to keep him. Consider renting him out on occasion. I have to earn my bonus points with my wife other ways, like not being a knucklehead every once in a while.

>150 jnwelch: Yep - he made them. Craig grew up on a farm, so he is VERY handy; he knows how to do just about anything as far as the house and yard are concerned, and if he doesn't know, then he will get a book and figure it out. BUT, do not ask him to fix anything concerning computers or cell phones - these are major mysteries to him, and he will be lost when the kids move out.

I am picturing your handmade screens with duct tape, and it is cracking me up, Joe!! And DO NOT underestimate the power of not being a knucklehead - you are very wise and very blessed to have this gift, Grasshopper.

>151 Crazymamie: Ha! Thanks, Mamie.

I was our computer guy before son #1 took over, so at least I've got that on your super-husband. I'll keep working on the non-knuckleheadness. :-)

So, see?! There you go - we each have our own strengths. The key, I find, is knowing what they are. *snerk*

*waving* at Mamie

*faints* Stasia!! Is that really you?!!

The Buffalo story in TTTC was awful, truly awful. It's such a great story collection, but I was listening and listening, and sort of numb to it all, not to how great the storytelling was, but I mean to the horrors, which is kind of strange for me, since I'm usually so oversensitive to that stuff, and then with less than 2 hours to go, all of the sudden I had this sudden extreme reaction with the next story where the violence and atrocity of it all just hit me all of the sudden and I had a sort of minor meltdown and simply couldn't continue, so I stopped right there. Seemed sort of silly at that point, but that was that. Oh well. Lots of other books around, right?

Pumpkin Nutella muffins definitely sound intriguing. Do tell us more once the taste testers have had their fill.

Hello lovely Mamie and the denizens of Pecan Paradiso. *hugs*

Didn't you realise that most places are held together with duct tape, string and hope?

And yards/barns etc are held together with duct tape and the thick string that ties up bales of hay and straw. It's orange here, so you can always tell where it is ;)

Chiming in to agree that Handyman Husbands are fantastic - I've got one myself!

Morning Mamie! I am jealous you are reading In the Kingdom of Ice. I love Sides and that was high on my To-Read list. I think I will grab it on audio. I just finished the fantastic Endurance, which would make a wonderful companion piece to "Kingdom".

I started The Custom of the Country. Have you read this one? I think this would be your cuppa!

How about we read one Mercy Thompson a month starting in January?

Whew! Finally caught up on your thread! (Just crawling out from under my rock...) So much happening here. Pumpkin nutella muffins? were they any good? recipe?

Adding my thumbs up to The Custom of the Country -- Love the character of Undine Spragg...

Hope all's well!

So sorry to hear of your carpel tunnel. I recently had surgery in my right hand. It is still sore, but the awful pain from the carpel tunnel is gone.

Take care of yourself.

#155: Have you managed to get up off the floor yet? I am back (at least temporarily.)

Mamie I finished Spenser #18 and it was mostly good.

Mamie, I wish you a fantastic weekend full of R & R.

>166 Ameise1: - I love the kitty stretch photo!

Happy Saturday, Mamie!

>165 luvamystery65: Gorgeous. You can't beat a happy cat. (Well, you could beat one but that would very rapidly cause to become unhappy, and that rather ruins the situation as well as the photo).

Just wandering through to catch up and wave hello

Mamie, I'm just cruising through and wanted to say Hello and hope you are having a great weekend. Hopefully it's so great that the dreaded Monday won't seem so bad. I just read The African Queen and it was pretty much as fabulous as the Humphrey Bogart/Katherine Hepburn movie.

Hi Mamie, just passing by and saying hello. Hope you've had a lovely weekend and wishing you a good week ahead.

Hope you had a good weekend, Mamie! To trot even further afield, The Making of the African Queen: Or How I Went to Africa With Bogart, Bacall and Huston and Almost Lost My Mind is also a fun read...

>172 michigantrumpet: - Oh, I will have to keep an eye out for The Making of the African Queen, it looks like an interesting read.

That's a great cat photo!

Hi Mamie, just checking in, so glad that your wrist is getting better. You are getting the good weather now while we are deteriorating fast!

I may have read The Making of the African Queen because somehow I seem to know quite a lot about the setting and various incidents that happened during filming! It and It Happened One Night are among my top ten ever movies!

Hi Crazy! Long time no write. RL in the way...again! Glad that your hubby was able to make screens for you. Phew! Glad that you are back here--I assume that means your wrist is cooperating?! Anyhow, way behind. Got to run. Hugs from Portland. : )

Waving hello! Just trying to check in with all my LT friends. :)
Hope RL is treating you well and you are reading some excellent books, Mamie. Will try to stay on top on the threads as much as I can for the rest of the year. Emphasis on the TRY...haha!

Can't believe that November is almost upon us! Once again I have been mostly absent from my thread, and for that I apologize. Things here have been busy, and the days seem to be flying by. We are excited that this weekend promises cooler temps - so looking forward to that. It is pecan harvest time, and so the grove behind us has been busy with the first harvest - it kicks up a lot of dust, but I love that nutty smell that lingers in the air when the day is done. The evenings have been perfect for sitting on the screened in porch and on the deck. I find myself continually thankful that life brought us to Georgia and that each and every day I get to look at those pecan trees that speak to me.

About the only thing that I am current on around here is the books read post at the top of my thread - hoping to finish up a few more before the month gets away from me, but so far I have completed 17 books. Those of you who are current here know that I have mostly been indulging in brain candy this month...um...vampire books. I have also managed a few reads that were more thought provoking. I am not a huge fan of short story collections, but I have read two this month that were excellent - Stone Mattress by Margaret Atwood and Nothing Gold Can Stay by Ron Rash. I can highly recommend both of these, but Stone Mattress was my favorite of the two - not a bad story in the bunch, and I loved the first three stories that were interconnected. Nothing Gold Can Stay was a bit more uneven, but still very worthwhile with a few gems in the mix. AND - it is currently available on Kindle for the bargain price of $1.99! I had it from the library, but when I discovered that Amazon had it for such a low price, I snapped it up, as I will certainly read it again.


I have also recently finished up Wide Sargasso Sea, which I was a bit disappointed with - I gave it 3.5 stars. For those of you unfamiliar with its premise, it is a sort of prequel to Jane Eyre - it is the story of Mr. Rochester's first wife and how they came to be married. I was hoping for more insight into Mr. Rochester, and I was devastated to be so put off by him. The sense of place and the atmosphere were beautifully done, but the changes in POV were very jarring for me. I am not sure if this was intentionally done or not - I do think that the author intends for the reader to get glimpses but no true clear vision of the backstory. She wants the reader to decide what is truth and what is misdirection. I am intrigued by this, and so I think that I will revisit it at a later date. I do think it would benefit from rereading now that I have been through it once.


I also finished listening to Emma by Jane Austen - narrated by the fabulous Juliet Stevenson. I absolutely loved this story; it had me laughing out loud at Emma's misguided attempts at matchmaking. It is slightly longer than it needs to be, IMO, as the last bit dragged for me, but still delightful in all. Pride and Prejudice remains my favorite Austen that I have read so far, with Persuasion a very close second. Poor Emma comes in fourth, on the heels of Sense and Sensibility. Still, at a rating of 4.75 stars, not too shabby.

Morning Mamie! Yes, it is still morning here. I miss seeing you around. Glad to hear the Atwood collection is a keeper. I also have the Rash on my TBR list.

I hope to start Lila soon. You a Gilead fan? Fingers crossed.

Your order for the Jane Austens matches mine, Mamie. Then would come Northanger Abbey, and at the end, but still good, Mansfield Park. Her "juvenalia", like Lady Susan and Love and Freindship (sic), are fun, too.

Morning, Mamie! I've only read one Austen - I need to get back to her! Also, I felt the same way about Wide Sargasso Sea: a bit disappointed because there was so much potential for it to be great. *shrug*

Hmm, maybe I should try Austen in audio form. I might enjoy them more then. I've never 'got' her in the way that so many others have, including a lot of my friends from school. Mostly her characters irritate me, but perhaps I'd find them more amusing if I listened rather than read.

Jane Eyre was ruined for me by having it as a set text in many separate school years - I had it the last year of Middle school (12-13), the first year of Upper School (13-14), and as a GCSE text (14-16) so I was completely done with it by then. It was simply unfortunate that I happened to end up in the different groups that had that as a text - it was a choice of the teachers in the first two years so was just unlucky it was repeated, and then there were four texts (I think) assigned for GCSE's and I was in the half that got given Jane Eyre and The Handmaid's Tale. The other group got Of Mice and Men, but I'm not sure of their other text.

So now it's impossible for me to have anything to do with the novel or story and enjoy it. Not helped by the fact I didn't like it to begin with! Thankfully I loved The Handmaid's Tale so that made it just about bearable.

Popping in to wish you a great weekend. You are a step (or two) ahead of me. My "read" list at the top of my thread isn't even up to date! Hoping this weekend I get some free time. : ) Hugs.

Mamie, I wish you a fabulous weekend.

Trying to catch up with my thread:

>156 Smiler69: It took me by surprise, too, Ilana. So unnerving to listen to, and I almost stopped there because I was just so horrified with that particular story and wasn't sure if I wanted to go forward or not. I am glad that I finished the collection, but YIKES!

I still have not made the pumpkin Nutella muffins yet. Bad Mamie! However, Abby did make pumpkin chocolate chip muffins with streusel topping that were incredibly delicious.

>157 AuntieClio: *waves back to the lovely Stephanie* Sending hugs back your way from all of us!

>158 lunacat: So true! Orange duct tape! I passed a sign the other day that read: "Silence is golden, but duct tape is silver." It made me laugh out loud.

>159 scaifea: Hooray for handyman husbands!

>160 msf59: I did not get to finish In the Kingdom of Ice, Mark - someone requested it so I had to return it to the library before i was finished with it. The Nerve!! I will check it back out again when it comes back. I will have to track down Endurance - unfamiliar with that one.

Since you declare it's my cuppa, I have picked up The Custom of the Country - it's free on Kindle. I have no idea when I will get to it, but it's in the stacks now!

>161 Morphidae: Morphy, that sounds good - I am going to do as Roberta recommended and read the Alpha and Omega books where they fit into the chronology, so reading one Mercy/month will be perfect pacing to allow me to do that. Good plan!

>162 michigantrumpet: You caught up with my thread before I did, Marianne! We are going to make the pumpkin Nutella muffins today, so I will let you know and share the recipe when I report back.

Now I am even more excited to get to The Custom of the Country! Perhaps I will try and squeeze it in this year.

>163 Whisper1: I am so glad that your surgery was successful, Linda! I am trying desperately to avoid it - wearing the supports to bed has really helped with the painful numbness/tingling that I was getting down the sides of my index fingers, which was even more painful than the wrist pain. And A LOT less time on the computer. So far, so good. You don't realize how much you use your wrists until they hurt with every movement - so annoying.

>164 alcottacre: I have, Stasia, I have! So lovely to see you back here!

>165 luvamystery65: I will concur with that, Roberta! So lovely that it wasn't horrible - I just finished it up yesterday!!

>166 Ameise1: Oh! I LOVE that, Barbara!! SO cute!

>167 lkernagh: Me, too, Lori! Happy Saturday - exactly one week later! Strange weather here today - it's only 54!

>168 lunacat: Your post made me laugh out loud!

>169 SuziQoregon: Hello, Juli! Thanks for stopping in!

>170 DeltaQueen50: I really liked The African Queen when I read it, too, Judy - just last year. And you know I am a HUGE fan of Humphrey Bogart, so of course I adore the movie.

Mamie I finished Spenser #19 and it is short, Hawk is predominantly featured. Pearl is back and so is Susan but she doesn't suck up the entire book. All in all I will say good.

ETA: I'm going to copy and paste and make this my review. LOL!

>171 Smiler69: Thank you, Ilana! Last weekend was lovely, and this weekend looks to be more of the same. Enjoying some MUCH cooler temps here today - Craig and the kids are taking advantage of the lack of heat to get some much needed yard work done.

>172 michigantrumpet: Thank you, Marianne! I actually read The Making of the Africa Queen right after reading the novel last year (Dejah and Kathleen both recommended it), and it was so wonderful - such a bummer that it is out of print. I got it from the library, and I did not want to return it - the photos and stories in there are fabulous. I loved that Bogart and Huston were the only ones not to get sick because they only drank alcohol!

>173 DeltaQueen50: It's out of print, Judy, but you might find it at the library or a used book store. It really is fabulous - hoping you can track it down.

>174 sibylline: I thought so, too, Lucy! The wrist is hanging in there, and I am being really good about limiting certain movements and avoiding things - like opening cans - that seem to really irritate it. We have very similar taste in old movies - I love both of those as well!

>175 Berly: I am loving having the screens, Kim! Now I can open the windows at night and let that lovely night air in - makes it feel fresher inside. I am thinking that I will just continue to play catch up for the rest of the year because I am really limiting my computer time. Oh, well. I am missing being current with everyone.

>176 jolerie: *waves back at Valerie* I hear you with the TRY! I am not keeping up, either. It is so wonderful to see you back here!

>178 msf59: Thanks for missing me, Mark! I am missing being around. Maybe next year will be better - I have given up on this one! You will like both short story collections, Mark. I have not read any thing by that author - where is a good place to start?

>179 jnwelch: I still have to read the rest of Austen's canon, Joe, but since we match up so far, I am guessing that I will concur with you in the rest. I am thinking that Northanger Abbey will be up next, and I need to go find that tutorial thread that Liz did on that. I hope I am remembering right that there is a tutorial thread.

>180 scaifea: Okay, Amber, don't keep me in suspense - which Austen was it? I am thinking that I will try Wide Sargasso Sea once more (maybe next year) and see if it fits better. The POV thing was driving me crazy because I had to keep rereading parts to identify who was talking - sometimes she switched right in the middle of the page, which was disconcerting and confusing. And you are right - so much potential there that felt lost.

>181 lunacat: I really like Austen in audio form - Juliet Stevenson is the best narrator for this, I think. She does a wonderful job with the voices and the intonation. I have yet to be disappointed with anything that she has read.

I know exactly what you mean by Jane Eyre being spoiled for you by school - I bet all of us has at least one book that falls into that category. Dan had the exact same thing happen to him with Bridge to Terabithia, and now he groans every time he hears that title.

>182 Berly: Thank you, Kim! Hoping that your weekend is filled with fabulous! Good luck catching up - I have finally almost managed to catch up with my thread, so HOORAY for that! Hugs back to you!

>183 Ameise1: Beautiful image! Thank you, Barbara! Hoping that your weekend is also filled with fabulous!

>186 luvamystery65: Roberta!! DOn't laugh, but I have to admit that I was secretly delighted when I saw the size of this month's Spenser! I am Spensered out! But I like Pearl, so there is that. You are on top of things - tell the truth, did you read it already just to get it out of the way?!!

A fine review! And it premiered here first!!

>188 Crazymamie: tell the truth, did you read it already just to get it out of the way?!! YES! The blurb sounded like I might be disappointed and if it weren't for Hawk I would have been. He saved the day.

LOL!! I think I will get to it sooner rather than later for the same reason. Thank goodness for Hawk!

Great Expectations was the school book for me. And it put me off classics for decades. I recently re-read it and it wasn't so terrible. It was the teacher and micro-analysis that killed it for me in 6th grade.

Morning, Morphy! Yep - micro-analysis will do it every time. Daniel's favorite teacher was in 5th grade, and he had a great love of reading - his approach was to have each student read a book of their own choosing each and every week. The book had to be a least 100 pages and in their reading level or higher. On Fridays, he sat down individually with each student and discussed the book for a few moments. He would often recommend other books that the student might like and, if the student recommended the book and it was one that he hadn't read before, he read it and then reported back to them. It was an amazing thing, and it made Dan's reading really take off.

Mamie, I've added Stone Mattress to my November lineup, mostly because of your high praise. I did get the audio as a download from the library a few weeks ago, but it might have lingered for goodness knows how long. I hope I do manage to fit it in as I have loads of great stuff planned this month.

I liked Wide Sargasso Sea a lot better than you did, but then I never thought well of Mr Rochester to begin with and wasn't particularly curious about his inner workings either. He's always been a sort of selfish tyrant to me. I've reread Jane Eyre several times and have just ordered a gorgeous new edition from the Folio Society with a binding and illustrations which celebrate it's classic gothic origins and I can't wait to get my hands on it. I reread it just last year, so might wait a year or two, but when I do get back to it, I'll reread WSS as well because I found it amazingly intriguing, though of course that's highly personal.

I'm so glad you're loving Juliet Stevenson too. She always chooses great books to narrate, but then she makes them that much better to listen to as well. I think I have everything she's done at this point, save for a couple of children's titles and plays maybe.

Hope you've been enjoying your weekend. xx

>181 lunacat: Jenny, I disliked Jane Austen until I started following Liz's tutorials in which she explains so much about the times, the customs, the motivations the thinking and and the humour we might not pick up on with our modern mindsets, and her gentle guidance has helped to turn me into a true fan, which honestly would have seemed completely impossible ten years ago. Not to say everyone must love Jane Austen, but sometimes it's just a question of interpretation too. If you ever feel so inclined, the old tutorials for S&S and P&P are accessible via the work pages. We'll be doing one for Mansfield Park sometime early in 2015 and everyone is more than welcome to join along, and furthermoe I know she's always happy to do one over for whoever asks for it.

>193 Smiler69:

Unfortunately I don't think it's a lack of understanding that's the problem - I've tried four of the six novels (P&P, S&S, MP, E) and my main complaint is that there hasn't been a single character that I'm rooting for or like enough to care about. I know a lot about the period, having had to study it for English Lit at A Level, and I can see the humour etc, but I never feel it.

Don't think I'll be trying again! Sometimes an author just doesn't work for me and she's one of those I fear.

>192 Crazymamie:

Interestingly, The Handmaid's Tale worked wonderfully for micro-analysis, because there was so much depth and hidden meaning in there, particularly Biblical references I would never have got on my own. It's the ONLY book I've ever done as a set text that I still go back to for my own enjoyment.

Other books I studied - I compared/contrasted The Old Man and the Sea and Life of Pi as my main coursework for A-Level (at which I got the top grade) but haven't read either of them since and won't be any time soon.

>194 lunacat: Bah! It's not like she's lacking fans! I'm not too worried about it Jenny, to each his/her own. I just thought if I could be converted everyone could be, though of course that doesn't mean I think everyone should be. Big distinction there.

Howdy do, Mamie! Your comments on Wide Saragossa Sea are quite interesting and I will keep them in mind when I get to it. I'm not surprised Mr. R was off-putting, I think that suggests that the woman (Jane) made the man. Off to check if I can pick it up cheaply. Have a wonderful day!

>192 Crazymamie: How brilliant to have a teacher like that Mamie. My old Headmaster in my Middle School in Wakefield kept a personal library of sorts in his study at the school and he would take me aside and recommend books to me. I read The Fellowship of the Ring from his study collection and fell in love with early 20th century english poetry from his collection of Larkin, Auden, MacNeice and Betjeman. Marked me for life having such a teacher and I much the better for it. xx

I liked The African Queen, too. I came to it mainly because I'm a nut for his Hornblower books, and wanted to read the others he wrote. The movie, of course, is classic - different ending, which surprised me a bit when I read the book.

Happy Tuesday, Y'all! Still recovering from my football woes, but very excited about the cooler temps that seem to be settling in down here. And it's harvest time for pecans, so there's that! The manager of the pecan grove behind us has offered again to shake our trees, and since this is a boon year for the pecans (every other year), we decided to take him up on the offer. I was joking that we were going to send Birdy up in the trees to do the shaking as part of her history unit, so I guess she is off the hook for this year.

Not too much on the agenda today, although I really need to get to the grocery store. And I have a library book that must be returned today. Still deciding on supper - last night was pizza...hmm... I need to make grooming appointments for both the dogs and myself, as we are looking a bit unkempt. Also have to pay the bills - UGH. I really hate doing that even though it is easy and straight forward. My Tuesday is sounding very boring, so I will have to figure out how to add some excitement to it. But for now, a second cup of coffee...

I'd love to climb trees and shake them. Hmm.............wonder if that's a new career move for me - there has to be a job where I can climb trees all the time. I considered tree surgeon but don't think I should be let loose with a chainsaw, given my accident prone ways.

Isn't a second cup of coffee excitement enough for anyone?!

Pecans? *bats her eyes*

>188 Crazymamie:: I am getting "Spensered out" as well, Mamie. I do love the addition of Pearl, though. I may continue on with the books a few at a time...just because I'm a completist!

I'm glad to hear that your sore wrists and hands are getting better. I washed some windows yesterday that involved ladder climbing. Everything hurts!

>200 lunacat: Haha, Jenny! Craig has actually fallen out of a tree with a chainsaw. He is not allowed to do that anymore - be in a tree with a chainsaw, that is.

And since I am now on my third cup of coffee, I guess that is enough excitement for today!

>201 Morphidae: Don't you worry your pretty little head, Morphy. I remember!

>202 Donna828: You snuck in there, Donna! I am SO not a completist! I might read some in the future if you point them out as good ones. Never say never, and all that. ANd YIKES to the ladder climbing - I really try to leave that kind of thing to Craig and the kids. I only climb ladders for books. When Daniel moves out, however, I see a lot more ladder work in my future as I am just 5'2'' and he gets a lot of things down for me right now. Hoping you feel less achy very soon.

Okay, is anyone else having trouble with the new comment system - I keeping sending comments to myself!

Me, too. You have to be sure to reply to the comment of the other person. Scroll over the bottom of their PM and the reply link will appear.

>205 Crazymamie: The real question is whether you reply to yourself or not. I mean, if you don't then you're being awfully rude. And if you do.............oh look, the men in white coats are coming down the path.

oh! I do that, too. Now I both talk to my self during the day, out loud, and talk to myself in writing on the conversation threads on my profile. Hmmmm

I wonder if I need to call that retirement place and build a fire under them to find me a slot to fit into....

...with trees and flowers and chirping birds and basket weavers...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Fn36l_z3WY

>206 Morphidae: Oh, good. So I am not alone! It was cracking me up when I saw that I had sent myself a private message! I think I've got it now. I hope.

>207 lunacat: LOL! SO far so good, Jenny - the men in the white coats can just hang back a bit and observe.

>208 maggie1944: I talk to myself, too, Karen! I will try to limit my written correspondence with myself, though, since I am trying to use the computer LESS.

>209 Morphidae: Oh, dear, Morphy! Hopefully I won't be singing that anytime soon. Too funny!

Catching up with my thread:

>193 Smiler69: Stone Mattress is a great short story collection - the first three stories are interconnected, and I loved that. After those, The Dead Hand Loves You was my next favorite, but they are all good.

I am curious to see what I think of Wide Sargasso Sea on a second go round. Now that I know what to expect, and I understand whose POV each section is from, I think I could enjoy it more. Not going there any time soon, though, so we'll see, I guess. What I should do is reread Jane Eyre before tackling it again. I did see those beautiful Folio editions of both Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, and I was very tempted to indulge. I did make my very first FS purchase, you will delighted to know - Pride and Prejudice, and it is absolutely gorgeous. Saving it for December to sit down and sink into it. Abby and I were both drooling over it when it arrived.

>194 lunacat: I could see that with The Handmaid's Tale, Jenny. I really loved it, but I am sure that I missed some things the first time around. Looking forward to revisiting that one in the future. I do like comparison/contrast discussions, but only if I am truly interested in both stories. *grins* The only thing by Hemingway that I have absolutely loved is A Moveable Feast, although DOnald Sutherland does a very lovely narration of The Old Man and the Sea that I quite liked.

>196 Carmenere: Hello there, Lynda! Hoping that you find a cheap copy of Wide Sargasso Sea so that we can compare notes - such a good point about the woman making the man.

>197 PaulCranswick: He was indeed a wonderful gift to us as a teacher - I wish the other kids had gotten to have him. FIfth grade, and that is such a turning point for kids - right there on the cusp of being a teenager. He and Daniel shared a love of Gary Paulsen, Jean Craighead George, and Tolkien. Reminds of that quote that goes something like: "I am a part of all that I have met." Who said that? Tennyson, perhaps?

>198 jnwelch: I was surprised that the movie and the book ended differently, too, Joe! I had discovered the movie many, many years ago with my Dad - we both loved that one. I didn't even think about there being a book until last year when I started tracking down the novels that inspired all those old movies that are such a lovely memory of my Dad. Reading the books and then revisiting the movies with my own kids is such a wonderful way for me to keep him alive.

>212 Crazymamie: Yeah, I can't say I enjoyed either book I did the essay on but it got me a good mark, and it was easy to contrast and find hidden meaning in.........waffle waffle waffle with some key words the markers like and it's all good.

Falling out of a tree with a chainsaw is something I would definitely do, and I'd come out fine doing it. I've had some awful accidents but never when doing anything dangerous, just normal life things! Riding Connie has never injured me, other than a graze or a bruise or two. My friends joke that I could go sky-diving, have the parachute fail, somehow survive and then the ambulance would crash on the way to the hospital, or I'd break my leg climbing into the car going home.

>213 lunacat: You make me laugh, Jenny! Sounds like you and Craig have the same guardian angel.

>205 Crazymamie: LOL!~

The porch pecan watching sounds lovely :)

>215 LovingLit: I know, right?! And watching the grove is every bit as lovely as it sounds. And the smell!! Love that nutty smell in the air!

>212 Crazymamie: Oh wow, way to go Mamie! I'd say if you were going to indulge in just one Folio to get you started, then Pride and Prejudice was a great choice. I have it too and it's a winner all around. I love the Balbusso twins and have bought almost all the books they've illustrated, even non-Folio books. The binding is gorgeous on this one too. I was expecting them to come out with a new version of Emma too at this time, since there's been noise about it, but seems it'll be released later in the year. No idea about illustrator, but I imagine they'll keep it in the same format and make the binding similar in look so they work as a series.

I had no idea what to expect with Wide Sargasso Sea either, so it was a completed surprise for me too, which is why I look forward to revisiting it.

>217 Smiler69: Thank you, thank you! I have been looking at it since it came out, and I finally just went ahead and purchased it. SO GORGEOUS! And I read Pride and Prejudice every year or two, so a good investment for me to have a copy that I will love reading so much. And the illustrations are just so beautiful. If they come out with Emma, then I would probably have to purchase that also.