Joe's Book Cafe 25

Art by Wayne Thiebaud

Welcome back to the cafe!

American Author Challenge 2015

January: Carson McCullers - Ballad of the Sad Cafe and Other Stories
Feburary: Henry James - Turn of the Screw
March: Richard Ford - The Sportswriter
April: Louise Erdich - The Round House
May: Sinclair Lewis - Babbitt
June: Wallace Stegner - Where the Bluebird Sings
July: Ursula K. LeGuin (read tons of hers) - Isabel Wilkerson The Warmth of Other Suns
August: Larry McMurtry - Lonesome Dove
September: Flannery O'Connor (read enough) Chaim Potok The Promise
October: Ray Bradbury - (read tons of his) Truman Capote Breakfast at Tiffany's
November: Barbara Kingsolver - Bean Trees
December: E.L. Doctorow - World's Fair

British Author Challenge 2015

January: Kazuo Ishiguro - Never Let Me Go
February: Evelyn Waugh - Scoop
March: Daphne Du Maurier - Jamaica Inn
April: Angela Carter - The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories
May: Margaret Drabble/Martin Amis - Jane Gardam The Man in the Wooden Hat
June: Anthony Burgess - Nothing Like the Sun
July: Virginia Woolf - Mrs. Dalloway or another if I've read that one already
August: Iris Murdoch - The Bell
September: Salman Rushdie - Midnight's Children
October: David Mitchell - The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet
November: William Boyd - Restless
December: Hilary Mantel - A Place of Greater Safety, and maybe a Wodehouse for fun

Favorites from 2013

Top 5

1. Longbourn by Jo Baker
2. Benediction by Kent Haruf
3. Stones for Ibarra by Harriet Doerr
4. Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed
5. The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey by Walter Mosley

Second Five

6. The Greater Journey by David McCullough
7. Wizard of the Crow by Ngugi wa'Thiong'o
8. Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
9. Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
10. A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

Favorite Graphic Novel: The Nao of Brown

Three that were hard to keep off the list: Housekeeping, Song of the Lark, and How the Light Gets In

2014 American Author Challenge (kudos to Mark)

Willa Cather- January The Professor's House
Alice Walker- February The Color Purple
Cormac McCarthy - March The Orchard Keeper
Toni Morrison- April Sula
Eudora Welty- May The Optimist's Daughter
Kurt Vonnegut- June Cat's Cradle (re-read)
Mark Twain- July Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Philip Roth- August The Ghost Writer
James Baldwin- September Notes of a Native Son
Edith Wharton- October Ethan Frome
John Updike- November The Witches of Eastwick
Larry Watson- December Let Him Go

Life-changers

Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll - opened my eyes to so many creative possibilities, including wordplay
Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury - got me believing in school again after a soon-to-be favorite teacher assigned it
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White - took a typical self-centered kid out of himself and got me thinking about others; broke my heart for the first time, too
James Wright Collected Poems - midwestern poet caught me and fueled a lifelong interest in poetry
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - read it way post-college and got walloped; started lifelong Austen fandom

Dune by Frank Herbert - got me excited about the possibilities of science fiction, and thinking about environmental effects
Dr. Strange by Stan Lee and others - this hokey, mystical comic book was my favorite as a kid, and fueled my lifelong graphic fandom
Future Shock by Alvin Toffler - he took on emerging issues like economic disparities, overpopulation and pollution; trying to look into the future fascinated me
After the Quake by Haruki Murakami - my entry into his world that started me on lifelong fandom
Remember, Be Here Now by Ram Dass - matched my youthful hippiness perfectly, still working on some of its ideas

The Chosen by Chaim Potok - for the first time, got me enthralled by lives very different from my own
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki - what a mensch this man was; still the best on this subject I've read
Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder - made me a fan of both Paul Farmer and author Tracy Kidder, and got me involved with Partners in Health
T.S. Eliot Selected Poems - bowled me over, so I felt like a patient, etherized upon a table; got the complete works later
Thank You, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse - fueled my appreciation of the absurd and started a lifelong fandom for this author

2014 Books

January

1. Mad Mouse by Chris Grabenstein
2. A Conspiracy of Faith by Jussie Adler-Olsen
3. Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb
4. The Professor's House by Willa Cather
5. Fantasy in Death by J.D. Robb
6. Die Trying by Lee Child
7. The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
8. In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming
9. Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink
10. Japantown by Barry Lancet
11. View with a Grain of Sand by Wislawa Szymborska
12. Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch
13. High Heat by Lee Child

February

14. A Fountain Filled with Blood by Julia Spencer-Fleming
15. Boxers & Saints by Gene Luen Yang
16. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
17. Cress by Marissa Meyer
18. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
19. Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
20. Stone Cold by C.J. Box
21. The Martian by Andy Weir
22. Necessity's Child by Sharon Lee

March

23. The Orchard Keeper by Cormac McCarthy
24. Indulgence in Death by J.D. Robb
25. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
26. My Dungeon Shook by Danez Smith
27. Black Boy Suite Black Boy Sweet by Danez Smith
28. Mrs. Tim of the Regiment by D.E. Stevenson
29. Little Green by Walter Mosley
30. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
31. Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen
32. A Truth Universally Acknowledged: Why We Read Jane Austen, edited by Susannah Carson
33. Dream London by Ian Ballantyne
34. Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope
35. Treachery in Death by J.D. Robb
36. Our Friends from Frolix 8 by Philip K. Dick
37. Burning Girls by Veronica Schanoes

April

38. New York to Dallas by J.D. Robb
39. Refusing Heaven by Jack Gilbert
40. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
41. Sula by Toni Morrison
42. Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor
43. Celebrity in Death by J.D. Robb
44. William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back by Ian Doescher
45. To Darkness and To Death by Julia Spencer-Fleming
46. Vagabond Vol. 35 by Takehiko Inoue
47. A Symphony of Echoes by Jodi Taylor
48. Delusion in Death by J.D. Robb
49. A Second Chance by Jodi Taylor
50. A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra

May

51. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak (re-read)
52. The Optimist's Daughter by Eudora Welty
53. Calculated in Death by J.D. Robb
54. Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
55. Hexed by Kevin Hearne
56. The Woman Who Wouldn't Die by Colin Cotterill
57. Graveyard of Memories by Barry Eisler
58. Death Without Company by Craig Johnson
59. The Graphic Canon Vol. 1 by Russ Kirk
60. Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson
61. The Boy in His Winter by Norman Lock
62. Another Man's Moccasins by Craig Johnson
63. An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield

June

64. This One Summer by Jillian Tamaki
65. Skin Game by Jim Butcher
66. Scaramouche by Raphael Sabatini
67. Redeployment by Phil Klay
68. Agent Zigzag by Ben Macyntyre
69. The Dark Horse by Craig Johnson
70. Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
71. Junkyard Dogs by Craig Johnson
72. Aimless Love by Billy Collins
73. Shots Fired by C.J. Box
74. Concealed in Death by J.D. Robb
75. The Tie That Binds by Kent Haruf
76. The Gauguin Connection by Estelle Ryan

July

77. Red Rising by Pierce Brown
78. Solanin by Inio Asano
79. As the Crow Flies by Craig Johnson
80. Exit Wounds by Rutu Modan
81. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
82. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
83. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
84. The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes
85. Incarnadine by Mary Szybist
86. To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
87. Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
88. A Trail Through Time by Jodi Taylor
89. Any Other Name by Craig Johnson

August

90. Midnight in Europe by Alan Furst
91. We were Liars by E. Lockhart
92. The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
93. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
94. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
95. Personal: A Jack Reacher Story by Lee Child
96. Playing for Keeps: Michael Jordan and the World He Made by David Halberstam
97. Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami
98. The Ghost Writer by Phillip Roth
99. Takedown Twenty by Janet Evanovich
100. A Month in the Country by J.L. Carr

September

101. The Long Way Home by Louise Penny
102. Open Season by Archer Mayor
103. The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman
104. Bitch in a Bonnet by Robert Rodi
105. Some Buried Caesar by Rex Stout
106. Hercule Poirot and the Greenshore Folly by Agatha Christie
107. The Last Policeman by Ben Winters
108. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
109. Strange Weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami
110. Leonardo and the Last Supper by Ross King

October

111. Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin
112. Daunt Books Children's Short Story Competition 2014 with an intro by Marcus Sedgwick
113. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein
114. Where She Went by Gayle Forman
115. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
116. Skylark by Patricia MacLachlan
117. The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer
118. The Haymeadow by Gary Paulsen
119. The River by Gary Paulsen
120. Angelica's Smile by Andrea Cammileri
121. Counting by Sevens by Holly Goldberg Sloan
122. Washington Square by Henry James
123. Brian's Winter by Gary Paulsen
124. Wait for Signs by Craig Johnson
125. Three in Death by J.D. Robb
126. Countdown City by Ben Winter
127. Top Secret Twenty-One by Janet Evanovich
128. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

November

129. Aya The Secrets Come Out by Marguerite Abouet
130. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
131. Blue Horses by Mary Oliver
132. Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky
133. The Fourth Secret by Andrea Camilleri
134. The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber
135. A Drifting Life by Yoshihiro Tatsumi
136. The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss
137. Tricked by Alex Robinson
138. Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin
139. The Graphic Canon Volume 2 edited by Russ Kirk
140. The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys

December

141. The Peripheral by William Gibson
142. Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant by Roz Chast
143. The Way I See It by Temple Grandin
144. Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood
145. Flying High by Kerry Greenwood
146. Americans' Favorite Poems edited by Robert Pinsky

Happy New Thread. Like the food drawings.

>3 jnwelch: Thanks, Barbara. As first in the door, you win this fantabulous red tinware coffee pot:



Glad you like the food drawings (paintings).

Oh, how beautiful. Thanks so much, Joe. I hope you have a great Friday so far.

Perfect art for the new cafe! Making my mouth water.

Finished the Capt. Cook book: Farther Than Any Man: The Rise andFall of Captain James Cook. I recommend it quite highly. The author did a meticulous job of research, and being a sailor and adventurer himself, added much good color and drama to the accounts of Cook's voyages. He treated both the sailors and the islands inhabitants with a fair hand, noting good and bad in each community. I read the book in about 2.5 days while still doing the vacation stuff: beach combing, eating out, sleeping well, enjoying the walks in the sand, etc. etc. Speaks highly for the book.

i read somewhere, probably Mark's thread that you are reading A drifting life. I really enjoyed it a few years back. Currently enjoying Fatherland and wouldn't say no to a tasty lamb tagine and a shot of pastis.

My favorite is the painting with the cakes. I like the colors and the variety.

>6 Ameise1: Ah, good, Barbara. You're welcome! So far it's been a challenging Friday, but a good one. Hope you're having a great one in your part of the world. You're probably still riding high on the excitement of that Peter Gabriel concert. :-)

>7 maggie1944: Thanks, Karen. I know, he's got a knack. My mouth waters, too.

Farther Than Any Man does look intriguing. And you galloped through it! Speaks highly for the book all right. Wishing you a continued great vacation.

>8 avatiakh: I liked A Drifting Life, too, Kerry. I want to find other of his work, like The Push Man and other Stories.

I'm not really a manga guy; the Japanese book artists I like the most are ones like Goseki Kojima (Lone Wolf and Cub, with Kazuo Koike), Takehiko Inoue (Vagabond), and Jiro Taniguchi (A Distant Neighborhood). More realistic. Yoshihiro Tatsumi shows he can do more realistic art in A Drifting Life, but his hero is the Tezuka with his more cartoon-like style. I'm not a big Tezuka fan. Tezuka is kind of like Will Eisner here, IMO - due great respect for all the ground-breaking and creative vision, but not that enjoyable to read, for me, anyway.

Oops, I got carried away and forgot your vittles. Here you go:



>9 Morphidae: I like the cakes one, too, Morphy. He's known for these kinds of paintings. With his distinctive style, you can recognize his paintings right away.

Happy new thread and happy Friday, Joe! :)

Hi Joe what a nice cafe to get comfy in. I feel like curling up with a good book today, but first I have to get on the stationary bike and get my heart rate up for a bit. Your opening artwork is very inviting and has given me a craving for (cyber) pancakes!

>11 jolerie: Thanks, Valerie! Happy Friday!

>12 DeltaQueen50: Ah, best thing we could hear, Judy. A comfy cafe is what it's all about, right? Yeah, I know what you mean about the exercise. We have to earn that curling up with a good book time.

Pancakes? But of course:

>10 jnwelch: Ha, you bet, the grooves is still lasting.

That topper is so apt! Happy new thread and Happy Weekend.

>14 Ameise1: :-)

>15 ffortsa: Ha! Isn't it, Judy? When I thought of his art (he's known for these - realistically painting the mundane is its own comment in the art world, right?) it seemed perfect for the cafe.

Thank you, I hope you have a Happy Weekend, too.

Excellent book for $1.99: To Serve Them All My Days by R. F. Delderfield is today's Kindle Deal: http://smile.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=sv_kstore_2?ie=UTF8&docId=100067... I really enjoyed it when I read it a couple of years ago.

Happy new thread, Joe! I love the artwork up top, especially the first one. Hoping that your Friday has been full of fabulous!

Happy New Café Joe. I like the new artist being featured. Have a great weekend.

Notice to cafe patrons: the eccentric proprietor has to go to that funeral service this weekend out in Pittsfield, MA, and with the traveling and the family stuff, he won't be on Librarything much until Tuesday. So guest chefs, please do your thing freely, and I'll try to check in once in a while.

>17 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie! I'm glad you love the paintings; me, too. There's an underlying gentle humor about such reverential treatment that I like in them, too.

If I use the proper Mamie clan outlook, I can see this Friday as having been full of fabulous. Ebenezer Joe might view it a bit differently, but I'm working on him.

Hope it's been a fabuloso day for you, too.

>18 Smiler69: Thanks, Ilana. It always feels good when you as an artist like what's on the new cafe's walls. It should be a great weekend, even though centered around a memorial service. Madame MBH's Uncle Milt was much beloved, and his family is as - irreverent isn't quite the word, but, let's say, unlimited by traditional views - as he was, so I believe there will be a lot of jokes and stories and entertainment to go along with us all missing him so much. At 91 he had a long and full life.

Happy New Thread, Joe! Nice culinary toppers! You just needed to throw a beer painting in there:

Another shiny new thread, more wonderful art at the top, and this time of cakes and ice cream, two of my favorite food groups!

I'm excited that I actually have a hardback of To Serve Them All My Days somewhere in the stacks, though not where it belongs (on one of the TBR shelves). I'll have to find it and reshelf it on the To Be Read Soon area.

My condolences on your loss, Joe. Safe travels, and I hope the weather behaves for your trip!

hi :=)

Great art at the top, Joe!

hehe, beer paintings. Of course.

Love that salt/pepper/sugar shaker painting the most. Cool!

>19 jnwelch: sorry to hear you are away for so long, and for a sad circumstance. I hope the journey goes well.

I join the well wishing for your journey. Come back ready to party, oh, I mean, join the reading conversations.

It must be the name. My dad was also named Milt, and was irreverant and funny too. He would have been 90 next year. He's been gone since 2000, and I miss him every day.

We will keep your thread nice and warm while you are away Joe!

Love the Wayne Thiebaud art and congratulations on the successful opening of a new cafe. ;-)

I hope you have an enjoyable and relaxing weekend.

Love the OP paintings!

>16 jnwelch: my mother was a big fan of RF Delderfield, so I read the A Horseman Riding By series, and enjoyed it. Years later I found a bunch of that author's works in used bookstores, and they went on my TBR bookshelves. After being unable to "get into" God is an Englishman, I culled them all. Perhaps I was hasty.

I have a recommendation for all: Unbroken: by Laura Hillenbrand. Wow, can that author WRITE! I am debating between giving it 4 1/2 or 5 stars, but it will definitely be on my "Best of 2014" list!

I see the coffee pot is getting low, I'll brew some more... :)

Safe travels, Joe.

Joe, I'm sorry to hear about your loss. Safe journey.

I'm so sorry to read about a funeral, but please have a safe trip, Joe.

I too like the thread toppers, particularly the salt/pepper/sugar one.

Hi, for those of you who don't know me, I'm the proprietor's daughter, Becca :) Just got a text from my parents that their flight is taking off. Thanks so much for keeping the cafe running while he is gone! :)

Happy New Thread, Joe! Safe travels this weekend, friend.

Happy new Thread, Joe and I also would like to wish you and Debbi safe travels this weekend.

Perhaps you are now hurtling through the air in the magic contraption some call an "air plane". I don't for a minute believe those things actually "fly". They don't flap their wings, after all. They just hang there, in mid-air. My explanation is magic. And time travel. And I do indulge from time to time. Our scheduled time "in that contraption" is on Monday. So, I do hope your magicians do a very fine job and take you there, and bring you back safe and sound. Then they can muster and do the same for myself and my good travel companion and friend, Robin.

Nice new café, Joe! I'm still waiting for a branch of Joe's to open in my neighborhood.

Safe travels to MA, and my condolences go out to you and Debbi.

Safe Travels .... I'm with >36 maggie1944:

So sorry to see of your loss.

For a little levity, I bring you this:



True facts to get people interested in science!

#39
This sounds like something you would read in Mary Roach's book Gulp.

Dear Joe, I am sorry for your loss. I always enjoy my visits to the cafe -- this one is as mouthwatering as ever. Safe travels, and a speedy return.

Great cafe toppers. We had friends over for brunch this morning. P made the best pumpkin waffles ever and we had fresh fruit and coffee. It was lovely.

So sorry you're off to a funeral; I didn't see anything about who passed but know that we're all thinking of you and wishing you safe travels.

I'll serve up some of those pumpkin waffles for folks.

Good morning, everyone. We arrived safely and had a good time with the family last night. Dinner at Milt's house; big group. We kept thinking, he would've loved being there.

For those tuning in late, this is Madame MBH's uncle who passed away at 91. She was very close to him, as to some extent he took over the father role when her dad died in an accident when she was young. He was very funny and an all round great guy. His kids are witty and gracious, and his wife Ruth is one of our favorite people ever, a writer like him and very strong. Tough to see her without him.

The memorial service will have one granddaughter singing, one playing "Variations on Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" on her violin (Ha!), and his son talking about what it's like growing up with a dad who's always the funniest man in the room (the son is successful as a tv producer). Madame MBH is going to share the thoughts of one of his interns at the newspaper who went on to do well as a writer. There'll be a jazz quartet, not sure who or how that's going to work. His professor daughter, who we love, will run the show.

Seems like another event he would've loved to attend, and I hope he'll be somewhere laughing about it.

Thanks for checking in, Joe! Glad you are enjoying time with your family and remembering a special man.

Joe, that sounds like it will be a fantastic memorable day even though the occasion is a sad one.

Thanks for checking in and sharing your family's plans. It sounds as if it will be a special time for everyone, and it is comforting to be able to come together in a moment of sadness, and yet celebration of all that was and is good about family.

Beautiful service. What a family. Off to Ruthie's. One of Milt's favorite (printable) silly jokes, as recounted by his son: Doorbell rings, and man answers the door. Opens it to find a snail waiting on the doorstep. Man picks up the snail and throws it as far as he can.

Three years later. Doorbell rings, and when man opens the door, there's the same snail. The snail says, "What the hell was that all about?"

Can we have a few of the unprintable ones as well? :)

Glad to hear he is having a great send-off.

Hi Joe, this funeral sounds like a perfect event for your 'uncle' to enjoy from somewhere up there sitting on a cloud. I hope you had a impressive and memorable funeral. And I'm very sorry for your loss.

>47 jnwelch: I love that joke!!

OK, let's catch up a bit.

>21 msf59:. Thanks, Mark. We knew we could count on you to have a good beer painting on hand.

>22 Storeetllr: Thanks, Mary. Glad you're liking the shiny new thread and them toppers. Cakes and ice cream = two of my fave food groups, too.

To Serve Them All My Days is definitely worth a move-up on the tbr. Wonderful book. Just thinking about it puts me right back in it.

>23 AuntieClio: Hi, Stephanie. Hope that wrist is healing up, and you've had a good weekend.

That is a great joke, Joe! Thanks for sharing.

>24 ronincats: Thanks, Roni. Good to hear from an artisan like yourself. Seems appropriate for a cafe, right?

>25 LovingLit:. Rumor on the street is Mark's house is filled with beer paintings, Megan. Not to mention, beer.

I love that salt/pepper/sugar painting, too.

The journey has gone well, and it's been sad, but also not sad. What a life he lived, and he was loved by so many. And his wise-cracking spirit had its effect on all of us.

>26 maggie1944:. Ha! I'm definitely ready to party and join the book conversations, Karen. Lots of book talk here, actually, as a lot of writers were present.

>27 ffortsa: Ah, I bet you miss him every day, Judy. Sounds like the best kind of guy. Maybe there is something in that name.

>28 jolerie:. Thanks, Valerie! You all sure have kept this thread nice and warm.

>29 lkernagh: Thanks, Lori. Glad you like the Wayne Thiebauds and the new digs.

It's been a good weekend spent with the Bass family.

>30 fuzzi: Thanks, fuzzi. Yes, Delderfield is definitely worth another swing-by.

We loved Unbroken! Remarkable (!) story, and she tells it so well.

We head back to Chi-town tomorrow.

>31 Ameise1:. Thanks, Barbara. I appreciate it.

>32 DorsVenabili:. It has felt like a celebration of a life, I must say, Kerri, and that's what we really hope for. It was held in a theater, and his wife Ruthie had planned it all beautifully. One of the highlights for me was funny tales of their friendship with the jazz musician Paul Desmond, who wrote Take Five, followed by a beautiful rendition of that piece by the jazz quartet that played throughout.

>33 seasonsoflove:. Nice to meet you, Becca. Your name seems so darn familiar. I must say, your parents sound like the best ever.

Wish you could have been with us. Milt would have LOVED this. I hope somehow he got to see it.

>34 scaifea:. Thanks, Amber. It was a smooth and fast flight here with a lot of tailwind. It'll be slower winging back westward tomorrow, but word on the street is the weather isn't too bad back in Chi-town.

>35 drachenbraut23:. Thanks, Bianca. We were just talking about that Alan Turing movie you saw. If Debbi and I see that one along with the Stephen Hawking one, will we be a lot smarter?

>36 maggie1944:. Safe travels, Karen! I hope you and Robin have a comfortable, smooth trip.

Son #1 was just commenting on how utterly amazing and magical it is that we can get into these big metal contraptions and fly elsewhere in the world. I'll be with my good friend Debbi, so all will be well.

>37 kidzdoc:. Thanks, Darryl. Right now Joe's seems dedicated to the online experience, but Debbi and I are hoping we may get our own selves into your neck of the woods in the not too distant future.

>38 roundballnz:. Thanks, Alex. We've got the return trip in one of those not-very-big planes out of Albany, NY tomorrow. It'll be good to get back home. With the Thanksgiving holiday coming up, Madame MBH is trying to talk me into taking the week off, but I'm going to behave responsibly for a couple of days. Hmm. As usual, her idea seems better than mine.

>39 lunacat:. Such a lovely thought, Jenny, and educational, too!

I look forward to your tales of the Snot People.

>40 benitastrnad:. That's a Mary Roach book I haven't read Benita. Your comment makes me think I can put off reading it a bit longer.

>41 AMQS:. Thanks, Anne. You know, it is a loss, no question about it. We're all going to miss him terribly. But my goodness, what a life he led, and what happiness he left behind him.

>47 jnwelch: I love the snail joke as well. One doesn't have to be profane in order to be funny.

>42 EBT1002:. Those pumpkin waffles look excellent, Ellen; brunch with friends is one of life's great pleasures. Now there's lots on the thread about Milton Bass. You would have enjoyed him immensely.

>43 jnwelch:. Well said, whoever you are.

>44 msf59:. Thanks, Mark. Yup, you've got it. We've really enjoyed spending time with the family, and remembering a special man. We're going to miss him like crazy, but nobody gets to stay here forever.

>45 Ameise1:. It was a fantastic memorable day, Barbara. Music (good jazz, If Ever I Would Leave You (lovely soprano) Blowin' in the Wind (sung by a granddaughter with a sweet, pure voice), poetry, stories (including one by Madame MBH that got me a bit misty), lots of jokes, and more. Followed by a reception with tons of folks, followed by a smaller family get-together back at the homestead.

I felt honored to be part of it.

Thanks Joe, for this update. I'm glad you had a good time.

Joe it is lovely to see that yours is one of the few threads still zipping along at a fair rate of knots these days - one place which always literally whets my appetite and long may it continue.
I trust that you were able to provide a shoulder to MBH and that her uncle got a deservedly loving send-off.

Must also chime in on R.F. Delderfield. Missed my BAC challenge by an absolute whisker and would certainly have gotten included if I was picking 12 favourite male authors from the Old Country. To Serve Them All My Days is my favourite but the A Horseman Riding By series is also worth a god look.

>54 jnwelch: It sounds like a wonderful event for a special fellow!

Oh, it sounds like an amazing gathering and tribute - what a wonderful way to celebrate a life!

Our plane got delayed a half hour, so let's catch up a bit more.

>46 maggie1944:. As usual, you nailed it, Karen. It was a celebration of all that was and is good about family. And what a family.

>48 lunacat: :-). Actually, Jenny, the closest it ever got to unprintable was a tale of a Smothers Brothers tv show skit he loved in which half a dozen comedians behind podiums gave only the punch lines to unprintable jokes. Milt roared, both because he knew all the jokes, and because the CBS censors, who were always wanting to censor bits in the show, couldn't come up with a basis for censoring that one.

One was, if I remember it right, "The parrot says, yeah, mine's fat, too. It must be the salt water." His son said we could Google it.

Drove the kids crazy at the time, because Milt found it so funny, but wouldn't tell them what jokes preceded the punch lines.

>49 connie53:. Very nice of you, Connie, thanks. I hope Milt has been sitting on a cloud, enjoying it all. He would have had a great time at his celebratin.

>50 EBT1002:. Ha! I'm glad, Ellen. Me,too. His son did a great job of telling that one and others.

>52 msf59:. Thanks, Mark. :-) Glad you got a kick out of it.

>57 fuzzi:. Ain't that the truth, fuzzi? I actually may enjoy the non-profane ones more, because they're more unexpected these days.

>59 Ameise1:. My pleasure, Barbara. Thanks for all the support. This was tough for Madame MBH in particular, as she grew up with him, and he and Ruthie did so much for her. She feels much better after the celebration and the time with family.

>60 PaulCranswick:. Good to see you, Paul. Always a pleasure to give a shoulder to my MBH, and Uncle Milt did indeed get that deservedly loving send off.

Glad To Serve Them All My Days had the same impact on you. Beautifully told story. Fuzzi mentioned the A Horseman Riding By series, too. I'll check it out.

>61 DorsVenabili:. 'Twas, Kerri. You would've loved it. He was a special fellow. There's a video interview with him by Gene Shalit that I'll try to link when we get back.

>62 scaifea:. It was, Amber. So right for Milt and this family. His wife pulled all of it together; she's remarkable. We hope to get her out to Chicago, and we'll be coming back this way on a regular basis.

Happy Monday morning spoiled for me, will spend day working hard to get my suitcase closed. It is another full day in Paradise as the plane is not scheduled to leave until 11:55 pm, but I will unfortunately be in a fit of anticipation.

I'll be much better by tomorrow morning, I imagine. I've had news that Greta Garbo is missing me, looking up with perky ears every time Melissa mentions my name; likewise the two kids have been pestering their Mom with questions of when will I return. I is nice to be loved and sometimes it takes going away to get the feedback. Smiling, I am.

Sorry to hear of Uncle Milt's passing Joe. Loved the snail joke, and tried googling the parrot joke, but what I found didn't make much sense, so I prefer just the punchline as it is I think. Hope you had a good return flight.

Haha, Uncle Milt sounds like a great guy ~ love his snail joke! Just wondering: did people ever call him Uncle Miltie? :)

>66 Smiler69: About the parrot joke, salt water is an astringent. (I had to look it up.) Kind of lame, but it does make sense if you know that.

>65 maggie1944: Sorry your trip is coming to an end, Karen. But there's a lot to be said for returning home - and it sounds like you have some furry pals and kids who can hardly wait for you to get back!

Safe travels.

>66 Smiler69: Return flight was fine, thanks, Ilana. Good to be back home. I haven't Googled the joke yet, but I'll give it a try tomorrow. Glad you liked the snail one. :-)

>67 lunacat: I love it when Spock does the Sloth greeting with his fingers, Jenny. Hope you're feeling slothperous today.



>68 Storeetllr: I'm sure someone had to have called him Uncle Miltie some time, Mary. Hard to resist. Milton Berle, right? Our guy was more Zadie (Grandpa) Miltie. He got the Miltie from his first grandchild who called him that, and it caught on with everyone.

>69 Storeetllr: Hmm, thanks, Mary. You've got me curious. I'll check tomorrow.

Hi Joe! Hope you are warm & snug at home! On the GN front, I started Snow-Piercer. I really like it so far. Great premise. Did you see the film yet? On audio, I started A Sudden Light, which Valerie recently warbled about and it is very good.
I am also reading Ancillary Justice for the Sci-Fi Book Club, I joined with dear Kerri!

^I just heard that Longmire is being picked up by Netflix, for season 4. It will air next year. Yah!

>71 msf59:, >72 msf59: Yay for Longmire! Excellent show rescued by Netflix.

I haven't seen the Snowpiercer film yet, although Debbi says she's willing, so we'll cue it up soon. It is a great premise, and a very interesting (if confusing at times, for me, anyway) gn. I've started the second one, and I'm liking it, too.

Yes, Kerri told me about the sci-fi book club. Good for you - that should be a fun time. Ancillary Justice was a nice pick to start with.

>71 msf59: "Dear Kerri!" I must be moving up in the world, as I used to be Kerri Kranky Pants. Yay!

Do you think I would like Longmire? We're looking for a new crime drama. Is that the one that Lieutenant Starbuck is in (because that would help a lot, honestly)?

>74 DorsVenabili: Lieutenant Starbuck is indeed in Longmire, and she plays a snarly, irresistible character. The whole cast is excellent. Mark can weigh in, but IMO you should definitely give it a try, dear Kerri of the Kranky Pants clan.

I thought The Crimson Petal and the White was wonderfully written, and ambitious, with sordid, brutal depictions of 19th century London that were often hard to stomach. Not a pleasant read, but a powerful one demanding respect. Michel Faber's latest, The Book of Strange New Things is in many ways even more ambitious, but at the same time a gentler read. It centers around the global corporation USIC interfacing on a far away planet called Oasis with an alien race that has become fascinated with Christianity. Peter Leigh is the pastor on Earth selected to satisfy the "Oasans'" request and become their minister. His dedicated wife Bea literally rescued him from a destructive, dissolute life while nursing him in a hospital, and turned his life around. The beginning of the book shows them to be a loving, well-matched team. But she is not allowed to go with him to Oasis, and what effect will light years of separation have on their relationship? They can communicate by the equivalent of time-delayed email, but no images. Meanwhile, the Earth he leaves behind is experiencing global environmental and economic problems.

The result is a book that meditates on the nature of religion and circumstances that test beliefs, the nature of love, the sacrifices made in the name of peace, and the role of passion and individuality in our lives. Faber does a hypnotizing job of bringing us into the environment of Oasis, that includes strange dancing rains and sometimes beautiful insects, and the exceptionally pragmatic pueblo-style architecture of the Oasans. Contrasted is the human USIC headquarters, a white-walled, personality-free institution seemingly designed to soothe and smooth. Also contrasted with the repressed, project-oriented USIC employees are the wonderfully depicted Oasans, with faces that look to Peter like “a placenta with two foetuses – maybe three-month-old twins, hairless and blind – nestled head to head, knee to knee". They wear hooded pastel robes, the differing colors of which help Peter distinguish among them. They struggle with "s" sounds, but otherwise have learned to speak serviceable English. Their own language sounds like "a field of brittle reeds and rain-sodden lettuces being cleared by a machete". A large group of them love Jesus and the Book of Strange New Things (the Bible). These profess that, “We also love those who have no love for Jesus. However, {rather than living forever}, they will die.”

In many ways these Oasans, with their religious enthusiasm and desire to learn more, are an ideal flock for Peter. As he gets more caught up in their harmonious style of living in rhythm with the planet and its resources, emails reveal that both Bea and Earth are beginning to fray. At the same time Peter begins to understand his omnipresent unease at the human base, and Oasis begins to show some of its previously unknown dangers. Peter struggles with his distance from the problems of Earth, and his increasing empathy with the Oasans. There also is a woman, Grainger, who shares his concerns about the USIC base and also has a strong attachment she left behind on Earth.

The underlying mysteries, the adept unfolding of events, the vividly rendered strangeness of Oasis and the Oasans, and the book's large philosophical themes, all pull the reader on a fast track through the book. Do the Oasans have a hidden agenda? Does USIC (well, it must, right?) What will happen with Peter and Bea, Peter and Grainger, Oasis and USIC? What do events mean for the future of the Earth? Where will this science fiction-y book be shelved in bookstores? In Literature, I suppose, along with Brave New World, The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Sparrow, and Station Eleven, and other ambitious explorations of what humans are and can be. Four and a quarter stars.

Bravo, Joe! Excellent review. It is not an easy book to review, without divulging to much and you did it brilliantly. Let's hope you can land a few BBs with that one.
Everyone, please give Joe, a Big thumb!

I recently heard Faber on the NYT book podcast and was surprised to hear he is a devout atheist. I am no theologian but I thought he really nailed the religious tone and theme of the book.

>74 DorsVenabili: I love Kerri Kranky Pants but you have your Dear Kerri moments too. Smiles...

And yes, watch Longmire. It might be a bit formalic at times but the cast is really terrific.

Excellent review of The Book of Strange New Things. Since I recently read The Sparrow I was already thinking of it before you mentioned it. I'm definitely intrigued.

>74 DorsVenabili: - yes - Watch Longmire!

BBC Radio 4 recently had a dramatisation of The Book of Strange New Things, and while I kept falling asleep 15 minutes in (the desired outcome as I put the radio on to help me deal with my insomnia, but kind of irritating as I can listen to really boring things without them getting me off to sleep!), it definitely made me want to read the book.

>77 msf59: Thanks, Mark! That's interesting about Faber being a devout atheist. Easy to see, although I agree he nailed the religious tone and theme in the book. I was trying to explain to someone that it could have been one of any number of religions he picked for the book; he goes at it in an almost anthropological way, although its role in Peter's life of course is very personal.

I was struggling in reviewing this one for the reason you give - hard to do it without spoilerizing. Glad the review worked for you. Thanks for recommending the book.

>78 SuziQoregon: Thanks, Juli. Yes, I think Sparrow fans will be drawn to this one. The different perspective given to religious beliefs and assumptions when being conveyed, not only to those unfamiliar with them, but those unfamiliar with the way we are and where we live, those who live so differently from our way of living, is one of the major themes here.

Glad to see more Longmire love! Phew. That was a close one as to the series continuing.

>79 lunacat: How intriguing - BBC Radio 4 was brave to dramatize The Book of Strange New Things. Too bad (this time) it was effective in achieving your goal, Jenny. Seems like it has a lot of potential to be a mesmerizing radio play. There is so much mystery and unusual atmosphere that would be conveyed well in that medium, where you're using your visual imagination based on what you're hearing.

I have The Crimson and the Petal on my TBR mountain so maybe I should get around to picking that up before The Book of Strange New Things!
I also have a copy of The Sparrow on the same sorry shelf of shame, but this story is getting old..haha!
Glad to have you back, Joe. :)

Sherlock and I wanted to pop by and wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving :)

Caught up at last! Limited time and access to LT for a few days puts a person so far behind around here. My condolences to Debbie and the whole family on the loss of a beloved uncle.

Morning, Joe! I thought of you last night when Charlie and I had a conversation about how he remembers (out of the blue) that I used to read to him during his bath time and how he wanted to start that back up again. I asked him what he wanted me to read to him (because it clearly needs to be a different book from the bed-time read, as Tomm listens to that one, too) and he said, "Is there a book for the Wizard movie?" Ha! So guess what we started reading last night at bath time...?

Happy Wednesday, Joe! I hope this is your last work day of the week. I know you are a fan of Hayao Miyazaki. I saw his latest film, "The Wind Rises", which is reportedly the last film he will make. It is a bio-pic and as usual, the animation is stunning:

>81 jolerie: Thanks, Valerie. All good ones! I know finding the time to read ain't easy with the young monkeys, but I hope you get a chance to get to the three some time in the near future.

It's good to be back, and after today, a long weekend!

>82 seasonsoflove: Ha! What a champ that Sherlock is. He seems quizzical - another crime need solving?

>83 laytonwoman3rd: Good to see you, Linda! I know, a little time off from LT and there's lots of chat to catch up on. Appreciate the condolences. I think we all feel that Milt would have just loved the weekend's events, and that's about as good as you can hope for.

>84 scaifea: Ha! Morning, Amber. What could that lively Wizard movie tome be, I wonder? I look forward to hearing what young Charlie thinks of it. I got hooked - the L. Frank Baum's are the best, of course, but the Ruth Plumly Thompson follow-ups aren't too shabby either.

>85 msf59: Happy end of the work week day, Mark! Yes, this is the last work day for me, and for you, too, I hope.

You're right, I'm a huge Hayao Miyazaki fan. Thanks for reminding me about this one. I immediately added it to my WL, as I missed it in the movie theaters. Can't wait to see the animation.

Nice place to hang out, read and daydream:

>87 jnwelch: MINE! MINE! MINE!!!!

BTW, this morning I told someone the joke about the snail, and got a hearty laugh in response. :)

Which reminds me of a favorite joke of mine:

A pig, a cow, and a horse walk into a bar.

The bartender looks at them and says, "What is this, some kind of joke?"

Ba-dum-ching! :D

>86 jnwelch: We have the first 5 or so of the Baum books on Charlie's shelves, but I admit that I got a bit burned out at that point (I read them when Charlie was not yet a year old, I think) and stopped getting them. But it he shows great interest in them, I'll happily complete the set for him!

>85 msf59: Chiming in to say this was an excellent movie. I prefer his more mythological films (Spirited Away, Totoro) but this was still very good and well worth seeing.

Hi Joe! I hope the work day is zooming by for you. Sadly I work Friday & Sat, but I can handle it.
I forgot to mention: Did you see that Redeployment won the National Book Award, for fiction? Very cool for Klay.

>90 Oberon: I completely agree. This was pretty much a straight bio-pic but well done.

>88 fuzzi: What a room, isn't it, fuzzi. Hope you'll allow visitors. :-)

Glad the snail joke got a hearty laugh. Got one from me, too.

I like that pig, cow, horse one, and its rim shot.

>89 scaifea: It's great you've been reading to Charlie all this time, Amber. Just about the best thing you can do for a kid. I'll hope Charlie takes to the Oz books. For a number of years another one was what I wanted most for my birthday and Christmas.

>90 Oberon: Good to hear, Erik, thanks. You've picked my two favorites there (Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro), but I've liked all the others I've seen, too. Kiki's Delivery Service, Howl's Moving Castle and Castle in the Sky would probably come in after those two for me. Princess Mononoke and Nausica of the Valley of the Wind are really well done, but too message-y to be favorites. His landscapes and other background settings are always knockouts, aren't they?



ETA: >91 msf59: We cross-posted, Mark. Yes, pretty zoomy day, and we're going to close early. So no complaints on my end. Sorry you have to work Friday and Saturday. It is supposed to warm up, so I hope that helps some.

Yes! I was jumping up and down over on Darryl's thread about Redeployment winning the National Book Award. Terrific book. I should've said something over here about it. I'm glad you did! Never thought that would happen, but I'm really pleased. That should mean he picks up a bunch more readers.

Sounds like an interesting book, Joe.

Remember a short story in a similar vein years ago - was it James Blish? - about an astronaut and a priest who encounter a very literal minded alien race. Everything they are told they put to immediate practical test.

So the priest unwinds some good Christian Doctrine, and the aliens, to test the theorem, up and crucify said priest to see if he comes back from the dead three days later. (Spoiler alert: he doesn't)

It is the principle attribute of the religion of science, viz., that it works, and its blessings and curses are generally more effective than the faith-based kind
--Isaac Asimov

>93 magicians_nephew: Thanks, Jim. It sounds like the Harry Harrison short story, The Streets of Ashkelon. Blish wrote the religion-based A Case of Conscience, right?

The priest in Harrison's story meant well, but, hmm, oops.

Parts of The Book of Strange New Things, particularly those in the Oasan village, reminded me of Ray Bradbury's Martian stories. The mystery of trying to understand an alien species, with haunting atmospherics.

I enjoyed catching up with your thread, Joe. Such interesting stuff, a cute dog, and a handsome inviting place to imagine book reading. I liked this place because rather than being an ode to the architect, or the designer, this one looks like a reader had some influence: comfortable chairs/sofa, good reading light, a light blanket or throw for those chillier nights, and lots of books. Yay!

Have a wonderful holiday weekend and give Walklover and seasonoflove and, of course, Sherlock lots of hugs from me. (or in Sherlock's case, skip the hug, and give him a good belly scratch)

>92 jnwelch: The older I get the more "left" I get in my opinions on environmental policy so I don't really mind the whole message of doom to mankind if you neglect the environment that you get in Nausicaa and Mononoke (or Ponyo for that matter). We own virtually all of them.

I especially like that Miyazaki has been something that I can share with my kids. The only one that they haven't seen in Mononoke. I know that the world is more accepting of an adult man watching animated movies alone than it used to be but it is still nice to have the kids along as cover. I especially like how "foreign" or non-western his movies can be. It is a fun way to show the kids an entirely different world view. Even the slower films, Secret of Arriety and From Up on Poppy Hill are gorgeous films. I truly hope that he decides not to make The Wind Rises his final film.

>67 lunacat: that sloth pic looked at first to me like a kiwi, with 2 beaks! *local interpretation*

Glad to hear the sendoff was fitting for the man, Joe.

>95 maggie1944: Thanks, Karen. I agree about the room in >87 jnwelch: - we tried to find a more comfortable one. I could definitely hang out there.

Thank you for the holiday wishes - I read them out loud to walklover and seasonsoflove and Sherlock, and seasonsoflove then gave Sherlock a good belly scratch. He's quite happy, and all of us hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend. You're smart, giving yourself some nice transition time after the vacation.

>96 Oberon: Oh yeah, I have no problem with the messages in Nausicaa and Mononoke, Erik, it's just . . . they're not exactly heart cockle warming movies, right? Maybe kinda homeworky, beautiful and well done as they are? The others fit "favorite" better for me.

My kids did love My Neighbor Totoro,and liked Spirited Away, but otherwise didn't get caught in the Miyazaki spell. So I've had to bravely go it alone for a lot of his movies, pretending to take notes so maybe the parents in the audience will think I'm a movie critic.

His films are gorgeous, for sure. I also hope this isn't his last one.

>97 LovingLit: You've got to cut back on the amount you're wearing those KiwiVision glasses, Megan. Take them off for a second: how many sloths am I holding up? Right, sloths, not kiwis, and three is approximately correct. Good answer.

The sendoff suited the man to a T, thanks - he would have enjoyed the heck out of it.

>96 Oberon: my adult son (31) watches animated, even Disney movies, alone. He loves film, especially GOOD film.

My favorite Miyazaki's are Princess Mononoke and Howl's Moving Castle.

>87 jnwelch: Ooh...

Happy Thanksgiving to you, Debbi and your family, Joe!

Happy Thanksgiving, Joe & Family! Enjoy that LONG holiday weekend. And: Go Bears!!

>99 fuzzi: Like your son, fuzzi, I've seen a lot of animated ones alone (and didn't actually pretend to take notes). Because Madame MBH likes them, too, we often go together. We'll probably see Big Hero 6 at some point this weekend.

>100 Morphidae: Happy Thanksgiving, Morphy. Two good Miyazakis, all right. And I know you've seen a bunch.

>101 kidzdoc: I know, right, Darryl? >87 jnwelch: looks like a great place to settle in and read.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your folks! We have a Turkey Trot starting in our neighborhood in about an hour (just human turkeys), with the national anthem (sung by a neighbor's 8 or 9 year old enthusiastic son), a mile walk/run, and then brunch at the neighbor's house (lovely people - they started this a few years ago). Then some reading (I hope) and football and dinner and hanging out. We've got lovely daughter Becca and her boon companion Sherlock this year.

>102 msf59: Thanks, buddy! Loving the long holiday weekend already. Sherlock has decided I'm a good resting place, so I'm starting the morning slow (luckily I made some coffee first).

Happy Thanksgiving to you and the family! Go Bears!!

Happy Thanksgiving to all, but especially our host, Joe.

Happy Thanksgiving to the whole family, Joe :-)

>105 fuzzi: Thanks, fuzzi! Happy Thanksgiving to you!

Let's get some pies out for cafe consumption:



>106 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara! Nice to hear that from across the pond. I hope all is well for you.

Can't wail, I'm just terrible tired.

>108 Ameise1: Napping is a favored Thanksgiving activity, and might work well for you today?

>76 jnwelch: Great review, Joe! I thought this was already on my wishlist, but it wasn't, so I added it.

I wish and the family a happy thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family Joe!

>43 jnwelch: What a wonderful way of seing a beloved person off on his last way! If he was such a fun loving person as you described him, this was just the perfect good bye for him.

>47 jnwelch: Love the snail joke as well and for a change - I even understood it straight away and not three days later *grin*

>55 jnwelch: Yes, the combination of Alan Turing AND Stephen Hawkings definitely should help to make you smarter LOL. Alex loves the documentries by Stephen Hawkins. I have to admit that I am not really interested in that stuff.

>76 jnwelch: Brilliant review of The Book of Strange New Things, whilst reading it I thought this is well along the lines of The Sparrow and Children of God and once I finished reading I saw that you mentioned the book anyway. Well, I loved the duology and I am sure that I will enjoy Michel Faber's latest book as well.

>54 jnwelch: Unbroken: is available today (and maybe tomorrow) on Amazon.com for only $2.99! See here: http://www.amazon.com/Unbroken-World-Survival-Resilience-Redemption-ebook/dp/B00...

Joe, to describe you as a stalwart in the group is something of an understatement. The cafe and its Prop continue to be a haven of warmth, understanding and good cheer. The world and especially and pertinently this one is much better for your presence Buddy. Have a wonderful holiday.

Hi Joe! Happy Belated Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Catching up on your warm and lovely threads this Black Friday morning. I'm so sorry to hear about your loss - Miltie sounds like a wonderful guy - I miss him and I didn't even know him! In trying to ignore all of the blue type, it's only cemented my desire to read The Book of Strange New Things. And it's been a good reminder for me to watch more Miyazaki. I've only seen a few (I think Totoro, Howl's, Kiki's and The Count of Cagliostro), but they're so wonderfully enchanting that I know I need to watch more, and soon!

Happy Black Friday to you! I don't think you're a shopper this day, are you? I only went once, around 8:30 (so "late" in the morning), and there was no one there so I had the place to myself! My Mom is still here, and won't be leaving until later, so, if anything, I may head out to Half Price Books tonight to take advantage of their online coupon and get a few more Christmas gifts. Or I could stay in my pajamas too, that sounds more likely. :)

>110 DorsVenabili: Thanks, Kerri. Glad you're adding The Book of Strange New Things. I'm looking forward to hearing what you think when you get to it.

Hope you and yours had a happy Thanksgiving, too.

>111 drachenbraut23: Thanks, Bianca. It was a good relaxing Thanksgiving at Casa Welch.

They say one of the hardest things is to get jokes in another language. Good for you for getting the snail joke right away!

Like, Alex, I get a kick out of trying to understand this weird universe of ours with the help of folks like Hawking. The Cosmos series with Neil DeGrasse Tyson was good, and now I want to try Morgan Freeman's Wormhole. I'll have to check out the Hawking documentaries.

I'm glad you liked the review of The Book of Strange New Things. Many thanks to everyone who has thumbed it. It does make you think of Sparrow and Children of God, doesn't it? It would be a load of reading, but the three would make for quite a book club discussion. You could almost design a college course around them.

>112 fuzzi: Thanks for the heads-up on Unbroken for that bargain price, fuzzi. We already had it, but our daughter snapped it up for her Kindle.

>113 PaulCranswick: Thank you very much for those kind words, Paul. I love hanging out on LT with the 75ers, can you tell? The cafe and its Prop continue to be a haven of warmth, understanding and good cheer. Great! That's sure a perfect description of what we aim to provide here.

I could say much the same about you and your thread, although maybe not so eloquently. I'm still mulling over those thoughtful Favorite 15 lists you recently posted, and my tbr has already improved due to additions from them.

>114 LauraBrook: Happy Belated Thanksgiving, Laura! I hope you had a good one. Staying in your pajamas today sounds like a fine idea. We're going to brave the cold to go see Mockingjay part 1. We're hooked!

Glad you liked that review of The Book of Strange New Things. This Michel Faber is one bright guy.

I don't think there are a lot of us who have seen The Castle of Cagliostro, so props to you for that one. If you haven't seen Spirited Away, that's the one I'd recommend next. It won the Academy Award for best animated film that year, and is pretty remarkable.

Something warm please Joe! We are freeeeezzzzing up here. :)
Happy Black Friday. I can't believe we Canadians have officially adopted that tradition north of the border. I don't like being squished by crowds so I will happily avoid, but I hear there are tonnes of good sales to be found if you don't mind braving the congestion and the cold!

I'm glad to see there was plenty of pie in the cafe for Thanksgiving, even if I didn't make it in to claim a piece. My mother's homemade pies were in abundance at our feast, however, so I really cannot complain of missing anything. AND there was a piece of her apple pie left for my Friday morning breakfast...THAT's what I'm talking about!

Happy Friday, Joe! I hope you are kicking back today and relaxing with the books. I am trying to walk off some of that holiday meal. It is an uphill battle.

Joining in on the Happy Friday wishes. Relaxing the day after Thanksgiving is an excellent tradition. I'm at my niece's watching the kids play Jenga, and tickling each other, and playing on on the edge of mayhem and chaos. The older boy is glued to the computer. I'm must peel him off it so he can follow through on his promise to empty the dishwasher, and then I can fill it up again.

Good times.

Hi, Joe ~ Just stopping by to say I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day and that you enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend!

>120 msf59: Happy Friday, Mark. Good kicking back day. Some relaxing with books, then a long walk to the movies to see Mockingjay (excellent - that Jennifer Lawrence is really something). Now we're watching a tape of the Bulls game, and then off to City Lit theater to see their adaptation of two Sherlock Holmes story - #1 daughter is quite pleased.

Hope you're doing okay; not too bad out there today. I'll stop by your thread and find out what you're reading. BTW, I got the Roz Chast from the library and I'm liking it a lot.

>121 maggie1944: Happy Friday, Karen! We just had some of our leftovers from yesterday - delish. Ha! I know what you mean about the dishwasher. That's my domain at Casa Welch, and it's getting a workout.

Good times, for sure.

>71 msf59: Ancillary Justice excellent choice if I may say so ......

>98 jnwelch: well, my KiwiVision glasses might be needed again soon as we are off to Okarito again next week. The sight of my one and only kiwi-in-the-wild sighting. I am glad they worked then!

>115 jnwelch: here's my thought train, anyway....Children of God reminded me of Children of Men, reminded me of the author: PD James, reminded me that she died a few days ago.
Just for what it is worth :)

Hi, Joe! Sounds like you had a great kick back day and I am glad you are enjoying the Chast memoir. Sue can't make it to see Mockingjay on Sunday, so we'll have to wait a week. I am glad you thought it was excellent.

Joe, I wish you a fabulous weekend.

>124 roundballnz: Agreed, Alex. Ancillary Justice is a good 'un.

>125 LovingLit: Good luck with the kiwi-spotting, Megan. We saw platypuses in the wild near Cairns a few years ago. Very cool.



I know, too bad about P.D. James, although she was in her 90s, right? I read a lot of Adam Dalgliesh mysteries back in the day. I think the first of hers I ever read was Death of an Expert Witness. My mom loved reading her, too.

>126 msf59: Yes, the Chast memoir is excellent, Mark. She makes it seem so easy and informal, somehow.

Apparently some wanted more action in Mockingjay, but we all found it riveting. A bit heartwrenching to see the late Philip Hoffman, who's, as you would expect, so good. The whole cast is topnotch. But a lesser actress playing Katniss would deep-six it, I think. Madame MBH now wants to see every movie Jennifer Lawrence has acted in.

We also went to a small theater's (City Lit's) really nice production of "Holmes and Watson", comprised of Scandal in Bohemia (with "the Woman", Irene Adler), and The Final Problem, with the Holmes-Moriarty face-off at Reichenbach Falls.



>127 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara. That's a lovely photo, and it's a fabulous weekend so far. Hope you're having the same.

What the weekend is all about:

>129 jnwelch: oh, I wish...but, alas! Real life and chores/errands are needful.

Ah, yes, I will be doing some of that reading right away....

I like Thiebaud a lot Joe. We always check out his works on display at the de Young Museum in San Francisco on our semi-annual trips there. His gumball machine one is one of my favorites. I was lucky that he was a professor at UC Davis when I attended there in the early 70's. I was exposed to him and Robert Arneson at an early age as a result.

Great review of The Book of Strange New Things. I'll be on the lookout for that one.

Joe I hope your Thanksgiving weekend is splendid so far. I am about + 130 post behind. I am so sorry for the lost of your wife's uncle. Very sad indeed. He sounds like a wonderful man.

Whoop on the Longmire series being picked up by Netflix! I will have to resubscribe to them now.

>130 fuzzi: Today's a new day, fuzzi. Get crackin' on that reading! Don't get distracted by chores and such.

>131 maggie1944: Good for you, Karen. Me, too. I've started The Way I See It, by Temple Grandin, and I'm really liking it. Did you ever read/see her? I imagine you might have. Fascinating.

>132 RBeffa: Ah, good, Ron. Our son's godfather (old pal of mine) lives in SF, so we're dedicated to trying to get there more. I've been to SF MOMA, but not the de Young, so thanks for the tip. How was Thiebaud as a prof? Robert Arneson - you had a lot funner time in college than yours truly, sounds like, than moi, although mine wasn't too shabby.

Glad you liked The Book of Strange New Things review. Report back whenever you give it a try.

>133 luvamystery65: Splendid weekend it's been, Roberta. We were just cutting up apples to make applesauce - we do it every year, with just some cinnamon added, and it's really good. Can't wait.

Thanks re Milt Bass, Madame MBH's uncle. What a guy. Wish he could have lived forever.

I join your whoop re Longmire renewed on Netflix! Way too good a series to let die. Yeah!

Robert Arneson, per Ron >132 RBeffa::

Yes, I've read several books either about or by Temple Grandin. She combines my interest in education, special needs people, and animals. She seems, to me, to be brilliant in her own unique and special way. She is an advertisement for why "special needs" is not necessarily a pejorative term.

I'm laughing at myself. I had to run look up pejorative as I'd spelled it wrong, and was not 100% sure it was the word I meant to use. Results: spelling is correct, and yes, that is what I meant.

>136 maggie1944:, >137 maggie1944: Ha! I know what you mean, Karen; sometimes I have to check myself on both spelling and meaning - is it really spelled that way? Does it really mean what I think it does?

I agree, Temple Grandin is brilliant. Debbi is the one who got me interested; Madame MBH was a speech pathologist back in an earlier period, and worked a lot with special needs kids. She'd agree, no doubt, with that not being a pejorative. Part of what I'm enjoying is how well TG explains the different ways in which those on the spectrum learn. Madame MBH and I have spent a good part of the morning discussing it.

Part of what fascinates me is that we all have these qualities, in one way or another, but off the spectrum we deal with them differently - e.g., I learn rules and follow them, but I'm not obsessed with them the way some on the spectrum might be. I learn "top down", in her words, that is, if you teach me to look both ways and be careful crossing the street, I get that, and apply it to all streets. Someone on the spectrum may initially see the lesson as only applying to the street where taught - they learn from the bottom up, and may need several specific ex's before being able to generalize - needing to be taught the lesson in crossing the street by school, the street by grandma's, the street near the grocery store, etc., until enough specifics can become a general category.

Another ex: she's a visual thinker, and could never understand algebra, because there's nothing visual in it. Yet now, as you know, she designs livestock environments and uses all sorts of engineering skills. Those on the spectrum thought limited in math abilities may do perfectly fine in geometry and trigonometry, but not algebra. (Her other two main categories of learning types, besides visual thinkers, are pattern recognizers, typically adept in math and/or music, and verbal thinkers, adroit with words. But no category is necessarily exclusive to the others).

Anyway, I could go on and on. Loving it. We got to see her at a book event; amazing what she has taught herself.

Happy Sunday, Joe! Hope you are enjoying the day. I am glad I don't have to watch the hapless Bears. It is very liberating. I only have a few pages left in Ancillary Justice, so I will be knocking that out shortly. It was not a smooth read for me. She baffles me at times but I do admire her ambition and world-building.
I will then start the new Mantel collection, The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher: Stories, which I snagged on a Good Reads giveaway. It looks really good. I have not read Mantel.

>139 msf59: I think I know what you mean about Ancillary Justice, Mark. Her ambition and world-building are great, as you say, and it's a pretty good book. But its garnering all the awards is a bit baffling. There'll be more - Ancillary Sword is already out, so we'll see how it goes.

I thought Mantel's Wolf Hall was good, although the infamous pronoun choice was irritating and, IMO, unnecessary. I've got A Place of Greater Safety on tap for Paul's BAC, based on all the LT raves. I'll be interested to hear what you think of the short stories.

I'm nearing the end of Americans' Favorite Poems, which Robert Pinsky curated. You might take a look - the submitters (folks like us) briefly explain why the particular poem means so much to them, and there are a bunch of stellar poems collected in it. It's a different and thoughtful way to read some good poetry, often made even more moving by the significance of the poem to the submitter.

Happy Sunday! I'm glad you're getting a breather today.

I hope you and the family are having a lovely holiday weekend!

I heard about a new graphic novel the other day: Probably Nothing by Matilda Tristram. It's sounds good. Have you heard of it?

The Temple Grandin book sounds interesting. I'll put it on the list.

Thanks, Kerri. It's been a great holiday weekend. I hope you and the Mysterian and your family have been having a lovely one, too.

Probably Nothing is new to me and does look good. I added it to my graphic novel WL. (Right now I'm reading the Roz Chast graphic memoir about taking care of her elderly parents).

I'm impressed by the Temple Grandin book, as you can tell, and it's really making me think about the ways we learn.

I'm also reading William Gibson's The Peripheral; he gets complex, and I need to read it in the contemplative environment of, say, a crowded, noisy el train, to really sink into it.

What are you thinking about Ancillary Justice so far?

Joe, I hope you had a relaxed Sunday. Is there any ice cream in your café?

>142 jnwelch: I have the Roz Chast on my wishlist and am really looking forward to it!

What are you thinking about Ancillary Justice so far? I'm about 50% in and I really like it. It does take a bit more concentration and note taking than your typical sci-fi novel, but so far, it's worth it. Explores some fascinating concepts and the world-building is great.

>143 Ameise1: Yes, thanks, Barbara. It's been relaxing, and there's more to come. I've been called downstairs to start watching the movie Snowpiercer, which we've heard good things about. I liked the two graphic novels that it's based on.

Ice cream? But of course! Here you go:



>144 DorsVenabili: Good - I look forward to hearing what you think about the Chast. I suspect it'll be of the greatest interest to those who have or had elderly parents, although she's such a good storyteller that the audience is probably bigger than that.

I like it re Ancillary Justice. You all in the book group are going to have a great discussion, I imagine.

Thanks SO much, this bunch is very appreciated :-)

Joe! You have me adding The Book of Strange New Things to my wish list (although not without a wee bit of trepidation). The trepidation is just that I am still a somewhat reluctant reader of Science Fiction. But your review is persuasive and I'm willing to give it a go.

Oh goody, you are reading the Roz Chast. I think I may have mentioned that I loved that graphic memoir, although I know that not everyone has felt similarly. I really liked how honest she was about the myriad of mixed feelings she experienced, including anger and guilt. I also like that she made me laugh more than once. I also just tend to like her pieces in The New Yorker, so there is that.

Have a great week, Joe!

>135 jnwelch: ha! I'll confess that I thought Arneson was shall we say "eccentric" when I was at school but he populated the campus with some interesting things over the years esp after I left with his "eggheads" series. But they were great to discover on return visits. His ceramic creations are really wild. In later years he lived and had a gallery one town away from us and enlivened local culture in the last few years of his life. I only saw Thiebaud for a guest lecture, probably in connection with an exhibition in our memorial union gallery. I should have appreciated each of them more in their time. I never realized both of them would become as renowned and famous as they did.

Hi Joe! Good Packers/Pats game. Nice to see 2 quality teams battle it out.
I am watching Snow Piercer. It is okay so far and completely different from the GN.

I was about to complain about the lack of food, but then you delivered some ice cream cones, so I can't complain!

>147 EBT1002: I'm glad you're going to give it a go, Ellen. I really don't think the science fiction-y aspect of The Book of Strange New Things will affect you much. The writing will carry you long, and the themes are universal. (Hmm, was that a pun?)

I just finished the Roz Chast graphic memoir. I'm with you - her honesty is a big part of why it works so well, and she has such a wonderful sense of humor. I like her pieces in The New Yorker, too.

I'll do my darndest to have a great week, and I hope you have a great one, too!

>148 RBeffa: Hmm, his "eggheads" series, eh, Ron? Oh yeah!



I'll bet he was eccentric. Different way of looking at life. Yeah, if only we knew how things would work out. I saw Jennifer Beals in a high school play here and felt sorry for her - pretty, but couldn't act. Now she probably has trouble finding enough places to put all her acting money.

I don't know if you saw my post in #149, but I ended up liking Snow-Piercer. It had a better 2nd half. More off-center and surreal, reminding me more of Terry Gilliam's work, like Brazil or Twelve Monkeys.
This film-maker took the initial idea and ran in a whole different direction. Pretty cool.

^^We lost one of our favorite writers, Joe! Kent Haruf died, at age 71. Bummer, dude!

>92 jnwelch: I love this image! Happy day to you Joe

*waving* "hi" on my way through. Must go get ready to leave for the kids' house. But I'm trying to catch up on my threads first. I'm still reading The Garden of Evening Mists but have not had as much reading time as I did while on vacation. I think I need two full days each day, one for regular life, one for reading life. Off I go......

>149 msf59:, >152 msf59:, >153 msf59: I must have jumped off LT right after Ron's post, Mark. Debbi let me know about Haruf. 71? That's too young these days. What a shame.

She did say he had completed all work on one more book, so we'll eventually have that. But this is a big loss. Bummer, bummer, bummer.

I missed the Packers/Pats game, but caught a good Bulls win over the Nets. When they have all five starters, they are something to watch.

Yeah, sounds like my reaction to the Snowpiercer movie was much like yours. He did go in a different direction than the GN, and he did it well. #1 son and bride-to-be just saw it, too, and thought it was great. We're going to check with them about what they thought about the ending. We think others must have survived the train crash, and the daughter and Tim would connect up with them. Also, not much food to be had out there in the snow, so they'd probably scavenge the train and collect all of that they could. What did you think?

>150 thornton37814: Hmm, ice cream helps, but it's probably time for some breakfast, right, Lori? This may be a book site, but we all need some kind of sustenance to keep abreast of the reading.

As many of you have heard, Kent Haruf, author of Plainsong and others, passed away at age 71. Too young! What a loss. He became my favorite living American author. Rest in peace.

Madame MBH says he finished all work on a new book that eventually will be published. It looks like it's called Our Souls at Night and is currently scheduled to come out in June next year.

I just picked up the one of his I haven't read, Where You Once Belonged.

>157 jnwelch: Yes, 71 does sound younger and younger these days. Upsettingly close to my own age.

I haven't read any Hanuf, but I have Plainsong on the shelf.

>158 ffortsa: I know, Judy, right?

If you're like me, you'll love Plainsong when you get to it.

I'm almost glad I didn't get to Plainsong earlier---I had it on my shelf for several years before reading it in 2014, and very soon after grabbing Eventide from the library. My delay means I haven't yet read all he has written; if I'd started earlier I might now have no new Haruf to look forward to (except the one yet to be published, of course). I think I scored a hardcover copy of Eventide from Paperback Swap today; if whoever listed it doesn't suddenly find it's gotten "lost".

>160 laytonwoman3rd: I know what you mean, Linda. I had read his first one, The Tie That Binds fairly recently, but was glad to find that there was one I still hadn't read, Where You Once Belonged.

I'm sure I'll re-read Plainsong at some point, as that remains my favorite. I mentioned a few months ago that we got to see a very well done play adaptation of Plainsong by a small theater company here. Love those McPherson brothers.

I am reading Ancillary Justice and so far am really liking it. She is building a universe in this book, and I also like the characters. From what I read she is getting awards because of the way she plays with gender and is being compared to Ursula Le Guin in that regard. At first I found the book very confusing but as I get farther into it I am starting to figure out some of what is going on. It has just enough action interspersed with passages of the back story that keeps me interested. I hope to read the second book Ancillary Sword this month as well. ... If I like the first one enough to continue.

Hi Joe, very sad news about Kent Haruf. I loved Plainsong and have the next two on my shelves, I shall certainly savour them.

>128 jnwelch: aw, now I feel at home:)

>135 jnwelch: that guy reminds me of NZs own Ronnie Van Hout who does some crazy self portrait statues, including one 10 foot tall one of him with his arm out on top of a local cafe

Morning, Joe!

Coffee, coffee...

>162 benitastrnad: Hi, Benita. I liked Ancillary Justice, too. I liked the way she addressed gender; this one just didn't rise to the level of ones like The Left Hand of Darkness and The Dispossessed for me. Maybe as the series develops it will. I look forward to hearing your thoughts as you finish it and try the next one.

>163 DeltaQueen50: It is very sad, isn't it, Judy? Such an insightful and wonderfully skilled writer. I would have liked lots more stories from Holt, Colorado. As you can tell, I savoured Eventide and Benediction. I'm sure you will, too, if you loved Plainsong.

>164 LovingLit: Ha! We loves kiwis here in the cafe, Megan.

I've heard of Ronnie van Hout. Is this it? (I couldn't find a better pic).



>165 scaifea: And a good morning to ye, young Amber! Hope you're off to a good start today.

>166 fuzzi: Hear, hear! Coffee is a most excellent idea, fuzzi.

Can we have some nibbles to go with the coffee, I'm starving!

>168 lunacat: Good idea, Jenny. :-) Here you go:



If you want something more substantial, just let us know.

It's strange to think of the river Thames, that flows through London, ever freezing over. Apparently that has happened only forty times in recorded history. In The Frozen Thames, Helen Humphreys imagines short, poetic stories, often rooted in historical events, for each of those times. In the first one, in 1142, Queen Matilda, under siege in her Oxford castle and on the brink of starvation, sees the freezing as a last chance to escape. She and her cohorts dress all in white for camouflage and carefully cross the ice in a snowstorm, with the resulting appearance of ghosts. A later story describes one of the 18th century "Frost Fairs" on the river that celebrated its freezing. At times little villages would even spring up on the ice for the freezing's duration.

The stories typically are only two or three pages long. There's a remarkable one about the Tudors hunting released hares on the frozen river, with the dogs well-trained, and the hare-keeper wishing to give the hares a chance to escape. In another story a little girl awakens to a little robin sitting on her bedpost. Because of the bitter cold, animals have been dying. The birds fall from the trees. They tumble from the roofs and chimney-pots where they have perched. They are heavier in death than they were in life. Solid and flightless, they fall to the ground like dark, feathered apples, with exactly that weight, the weight of an apple. In her story, people have been bringing the little birds into their homes to help them survive. The little girl is excited to find them nesting above the fireplace in her home, and waits for baby birds to appear. One boy is thrilled by his ability to warm fallen birds with his hands, so that the ice on them melts and they are revived, while another is frightened by the melting of the river's ice. The thaw goes just as badly as the freeze.... It is as though the people of London need reminding that the river is a wild thing and this cannot be forgotten because, if it is, the Thames will simply arch its back and throw anything off that tries to tame it.

This is a lovely little book, with the stories interspersed by quiet paintings and woodcuts and other illustrations. Her spare style makes it all feel dreamy and timeless. You may want to bundle up while reading this, as you will feel you are there, out there on a rare and precious, but often dangerous, occasion when the river froze. The old London Bridge was demolished in 1832, and the river's flow was altered with the changes. Forty times in 700 years the river Thames froze, but it's unlikely to ever happen again. Four and a half stars.

>170 jnwelch: Ooh, nice review! Interesting concept. I just put this on my wishlist the other day, due to Lori's recommendation. I didn't realize you were reading it! A thing like that!

The only way in which the Thames would freeze again is if the Gulf Stream that is the main reason we have such temperate and unusual weather for our latitude were to be interrupted. Which isn't outside the realms of possibility in the near future as more cold water gets released into the North Atlantic from the melting ice in the Arctic - it's one of the many impacts of climate change that has been suggested by scientists over here.

I was fascinated learning about how the Thames has changed, and Westminster Palace etc starting off as an island before the land was built up. Seems impossible now, such huge landscaping done with so little technology!

I'd love to have seen London Bridge with the houses on it, it must have been quite a sight.

I keep meaning to read The Frozen Thames. Hmm, maybe I should ask Father Christmas for it as my stocking filler this year - I always get at least one book from the kind, jolly sir.

Many thanks for the nibbles by the way! Most appreciated. I had some dental work done earlier and wasn't allowed to eat for at least 2 hours, and unfortunately hadn't had any breakfast!

>170 jnwelch: Lovely review, Joe. It sounds like a great book to read by the fireside on a winter's night.

>171 DorsVenabili: Thanks, Kerri. I can't remember who first got me interested in The Frozen Thames, but I kept wanting to read it and then not getting to it. Benita gave me a general nudge recently, and I'm glad I finally picked it up. Lori has recommended others by Helen Humphreys, too, and I think I'll read her Coventry next.

>172 lunacat: Yeah, Jenny, maybe we'll all have to worry about rivers (and more) freezing if it happens again to the Thames due to climate change.

The Frozen Thames would make a great stocking stuffer, IMO. I'm already thinking about who I might give it to for the holidays.

Ah, my sympathy on the dental work, and involuntary fast. Glad the nibbles helped. :-)

>173 ffortsa: Thanks, Judy. I agree; reading it by the fireside on a winter's night would be perfect.

Hi Joe! Good review of The Frozen Thames. Laura mentioned she had an extra copy of this one and would send it along to me. Looking forward to giving it a try. I have not read Humphreys.

I hope to get a couple hours of reading time in, before heading out on my second round of errands.

Of course it may well freeze without it being necessarily due to climate change as we head into another mini ice age. The period (roughly) 1550-1850CE had many more severe freezes than before or after, and the temperatures in winter stayed consistently lower, though I don't know the exact statistics.

I believe the temperate period we are currently experiencing is a fairly rare phenomenon for the Earth as a whole, but the 'mini' ones supposedly occur about every 1500 years so we won't see one in our lifetimes! Of course all the rule books have been thrown out of the window now we have had such an incredible impact on the world so there is no knowing what will happen next. It makes me wish for some kind of afterlife where we could live eternally and watch what happens to the world - I'm so insatiably curious as to what is going to happen in the next 200, 300, 1000 years.

The request for The Frozen Thames has been duly dispatched to the appropriate personage, so hopefully it will show up in my stocking on Christmas morning. Thanks for the review!

BB hit!!!

just bought a used copy of The Frozen Thames. Sounded, per your review, like a nice little book for those of us who love England, and London, and history.

>176 msf59: Thanks, Mark. Extra copy from Laura=perfect. You'll like this one.

On a day off, you sure deserve some reading time, although I sympathize with the need to get some errands done.

>177 lunacat: It hasn't felt like a temperate period in Chicago, Jenny, although prior to last year's long and frigid onslaught we'd had multiple mild winters. Weather is so complicated. I agree, it would be fascinating to see what happens in the coming centuries. Due to our continually growing numbers and needs (e.g. drinkable water and fuel), I think we're going to have an increasingly prominent effect on world environments. We're probably going to need to colonize another planet at some point, too. Big challenges ahead!

Glad you're likely to have a copy of The Frozen Thames show up in your stocking - you're welcome!

>178 maggie1944: Yay! Great to hear, Karen. The Frozen Thames is a nice little book for those of us who love England, and London, and history. Well put!

Haven't stopped by the cafe in ages (knee surgery) and what do I find but Wayne Thiebaud, a couple of whose prints have decorated my kitchen for years! They always make me smile ... and make me hungry.

Haven't had my reading mojo back in a while but I'm hoping to get some suggestions from these posts.

Hi Joe! Just swinging by for some warm hospitality. I promise to keep the germs mostly to myself. Wouldn't want to infect your other lovely guests. :)

I haven't read any Humphreys yet, but maybe I can remedy that next year. Hope you are doing well.

>180 NarratorLady: Good to see you, Anne!

Thiebauds on the kitchen wall - I love it. He does make us smile, doesn't he?

Sorry to hear about the knee surgery, but I hope it has left you much improved. Bionic hips have made a world of difference for me.

Hard to imagine you without your reading mojo. I'm pretty sure The Frozen Thames would suit you to a T.

>181 jolerie: We all could use some warm hospitality, right, Valerie? One of the beauties of a virtual cafe is we can keep it germ-free, although you want to watch out for those keyboards. :-)

I hadn't read any Humphreys either, and with this one and Lori's comments as an inspiration, I now plan to read more. She's got a lovely way about her.

Sorry you've been feeling lousy. How about a cuppa?

The conversation regarding my stocking choice went as follows (via email - Father Christmas is very up with technology):

Lunacat: Dear Father Christmas,

Please may I have The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys.

I have been behaving myself this year :)

Reply: Request noted,

Love from one of the elves

>183 lunacat: :-) I'd stay in touch with that elf, Jenny. He seems to appreciate you.

Is "behaving myself" relative? I've certainly been better behaved this year than most.

Behaviour is done on a personal points system, so as long as you have more points than you did in previous years, you're fine.

Of course the only way to consistently be better is to carry over excessive points to the next year in order to give yourself a head start. For example, if you end up 15 points better on actual behaviour than the same place last year, you can carry the 14 superfluous points over. It gives you a buffer from which to carry out dastardly deeds without damaging your target too much.

After reading Frozen Thames myself, I did a little research because the author states that the Thames will never freeze over again. She is correct. It is due to the building of modern bridges and the flood gate system. All of these things allow the river to flow faster and straighter. Moving water doesn't freeze like slow water does, (unless it gets really really cold.) All of these factors make it so it would be highly unlikely for the river to ever freeze again.

I wonder if Helen Humphreys would ever write a book about the freezing of the locks at Sault St. Marie? That would make an excellent stocking stuffer as well.

BB here, but I'm on a budget, so I'm going to search the libraries for The Frozen Thames. Thanks, I think... ;)

Joe, glad to hear that you liked The Frozen Thames. I received a copy of it from last year's Christmas Swap or maybe Santa Thing. Either way, I've had it for nearly a year so it's about time I got to it.

Joe, I bought a copy of The Frozen Thames after Bonnie raved about it. Here it sits on an end table in the family room. Such a winsome little book and I have yet to read it. Sounds like the perfect thing to read on a cold winter day. Thanks for the good review and the reminder.

*lurk*

>167 jnwelch:
Hmmm I think The Left Hand of Darkness is a great book, but definitely of its time in the way we think of gender, that either/or viewpoint, Male/Female 2 sides of a coin etc, Whereas i enjoyed Ancillary Justice & Ancillary Sword because it wasn't that & reflected todays's growing views, including fluidity, or maybe its just the circles I sometimes run in ..... somewhere more there but sure how or if this is the best place to speak it.

>185 lunacat: Ha! I do think I've behaved better than last year, Jenny, although I may not be a totally unbiased judge. Madame MBH has agreed to stay married to me, so that's a good sign.

Your point system is intriguing, and the ability to carry over points to the following year - I could sure use that. It gives you a buffer from which to carry out dastardly deeds without damaging your target too much. LOL! I love the word "dastardly", but I've become so much tamer with age that at best I might be able to come up with a "bastardly" or "hardly bad" deed.

>186 benitastrnad: Right, I was curious and found she was right about the not freezing again, too, Benita. Did you like the book?

I'm not familiar with the freezing of the locks at Sault Ste. Marie (and probably should be, as originally I was a Michigander). But my understanding is that Humphreys is Canadian, so the idea of her writing about it certainly isn't farfetched.

>187 fuzzi: :-) You'll thank me once you get your hands on The Frozen Thames, fuzzi, I'm sure. Glad the review caught your attention like that.

Hmm, getting your hands on the frozen Thames doesn't seem like a chilly idea and maybe not the best way to put that.

>188 lindapanzo: Oh yeah, you'll enjoy it, Linda. There's something about being vividly carried back to times not our own that really gets me. Plus the unusual frozen Thames situation(s), and she writes so beautifully.

Hi Joe,
lots of catching up. >138 jnwelch: now you got me interested in The Way I see it by Temple Grandin. Sounds indeed like a very fascinating book.

I haven't read anything by Kent Haruf yet, but I see that you actually do recommend Plainsong I will keep an eye out for this one :)

Have you finsihed already the Roz Chast GN?

>189 Donna828: You're welcome, Donna. Yes, I just went back and saw Bonnie raved about it. She's probably the one who got me thinking I wanted to read it. I kept thinking I would for the longest time, and I'm so glad I finally bit the book bullet and read it.

You're right, it makes for a perfect read on a cold winter's day. That's a little counter-intuitive for me - shouldn't we be wanting to read something warm on a cold winter's day? But in fact it does fit perfectly; I found myself easily transported to the frozen river and all she tells us. We don't have a fireplace in our urban house; reading the book by that would've made the experience even one increment better.

>190 ronincats: *waves at where welcome lurker probably is, although cloaking device remains effective* Is that you, Roni, over by the cookies and coffee pot?

>191 roundballnz: Hmm, sounds right, Alex, with the either/or, male/female idea in The Left Hand of Darkness versus more fluidity today, as exemplified in the Ancillary books (I've only read the first - what did you think of the second?). I wonder what others think of that? I haven't read that one since I was a young roustabout, but it really knocked me over at the time. I've thought about re-reading it, but then another bright shiny book distracts me.

Appreciate your wondering whether this is the place to say more about that topic of gender fluidity; it sure is in my mind. I like learning more about gender issues, which is one reason Gracefully Grayson worked so well in my view. Our kids are much more sophisticated about them than I am, but I keep trying to catch up.

>193 drachenbraut23: Hi, Bianca! I can honestly say I'm blown away by the Temple Grandin book. It may not be everyone's cuppa, but she gets me with her knowledge and wisdom about the autism spectrum and what needs to be done to help people on it, plus she has such a strong, common sense voice. Plus it's fascinating to hear her own story along the way; she gives a lot of credit to her mother and teachers she had who took the time to figure out how to get through to her and teach her. She has other books, too, of course. I've been wanting to read something of hers since my MBH got so interested in her, and so excited when we saw Grandin at a book convention. Debbi says I should also take a look at some of Grandin's Ted lectures on Youtube, too, which I'll do after I'm done with the book.

Yes, please read Plainsong! It's so good.

I did finish the Roz Chast gn, Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant, and I liked it very much. I can see why parts of it bugged you; it's not the American-style humor, I don't think, that caused that, based on your comments. She's just very honest about her reactions to having to take care of her parents, and the ways they drove her crazy, and so on, and I can see how that would annoy someone as dedicated as you are to the care of others. For me, her honesty about it made the memoir that much better. Although my parents were a lot easier than hers from the sound of it (my dad's still around), I'm sympathetic to the kinds of frustrations she describes. For me, the memoir rang true, and was interesting, in a way it wouldn't have been if she had portrayed herself as a saint.

For me, the memoir rang true, and was interesting, in a way it wouldn't have been if she had portrayed herself as a saint.
Very true and that's why I now feel in hindsight that I might have been to harsh with Roz Chast :). I feel that I actually have been to expectant and maybe a little intolerant towards her. Instead of appreciating her honesty - as I am pretty sure that a lot of people might feel that way, but don't allow themselves to voice this as such - I got cross with her, because I thought she was heartless, in a way, and I couldn't fathom her helplessness. Well, she did especially show at the end that she isn't heartless at all in the way she still clings to both Urnes in her closet. I am pretty sure that I will give this GN another go next year and might look at it from a slightly less expectant view.

Definitely will look out for Plainsong and you should listen to your wife and give The Night Circus a go. Such wonderful descriptive book. and here you can see what I thought about the book.

>196 drachenbraut23: Good for you on the Roz Chast book, Bianca. That all makes sense to me. I'm pretty sure a lot of people would share at least some of her feelings, too. That part at the end with her closet was very interesting, wasn't it?

Yeah, I can't tell you how many times you should listen to your wife has proven to be true. I'll give The Night Circus a go. She's also very selective in recommending books to me, and feels my lack of enthusiasm for circuses won't overly affect my enjoyment of The Night Circus.

Nice review of the book you did there; thanks for the link. What a family background you have relating to it! It's on my TBR shelf, so eventually I'll get there.

Joe I remember reading The Left Hand of Darkness and Joanna Russ's The Female Man and others at the time and saying, more or less, Thank the Goddess that someone is writing these and someone is publishing them.

Not sure if I would have the same response reading them now.

The locks at Sault St. Marie are closed each year in January (usually sometime around the 15th) because they freeze up. The Soo Locks (Sault is pronounced Soo) are located in the St. Mary's river where it joins Lakes Superior and Lake Huron on the Canadian/U.S. border. Before global warming and bigger ships the locks were closed in late November due to bad weather and freezing. The locks remain closed until late March when they are opened up to shipping.

In the past most of the shipping was iron ore freighters coming from the Mesabi and Iron Ranges of Minnesota to the big steel plants at Gary, Indiana and the coastal cities of Ohio as Detroit, MI. However, now the majority of shipping is of grain coming out of the Midwest and into the grain silos at Duluth, MN headed for the rest of the world.

The November closing date was made famous by Gordon Lightfoot in the song "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald." That ship was the last one to go through the locks back in 1975 before they were closed for the season.

>198 magicians_nephew: Right, Jim, although I've never read The Female Man. I don't know how they'd come across now. We're going to have people reading LeGuin for Mark's AAC challenge in July next year, so we'll at least get to see what they think.

>199 benitastrnad: Thanks, Benita. That's a load of interesting info. I know that Gordon Lightfoot song very well, but I never made the connection (bad on me). It did cross my mind that, given your detailed knowledge of the freezing locks, you might consider writing that book yourself in your spare time. :-)

All this talk of freezing makes me need tea...listening to "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" always does that to me anyway. *breaks icicles out of hair*

Happy Hump Day, Joe! Hope it is moving right along for you. Not a bad day out here. The sun always helps.

>201 laytonwoman3rd: Breaks icicles out of hair? That is mighty cold, Linda. I don't often drink tea, but I'm coffee-ed out at the moment, so I may join you.



>202 msf59: Happy Hump Day, buddy! It is moving fast, thanks though to too much needing to be done. I'll be going out into it for lunch shortly, so it's good to hear it ain't too bad out there.

>167 jnwelch: *impressed*
Glad you found a picture where I didn't :)
That is him, he stands atop the building which houses C1 cafe (where I like to take Wilbur to play pinball), and Alices Cinematheque and a temporary art gallery (until the proper one re-opens after earthquake repairs). It is quite the marker in a city where buildings are still coming and going a pace faster than you'd expect from bricks and mortar.

>197 jnwelch: I agree with your wife that your lack of love for the circus will have no bearing on enjoyment of the book Night Circus. But just to be clear, I really didn't enjoy that book. It was the fantastical element, I think. My brain just does not get it.

Just checking in, Jim.

Sad about Kent Haruf. I have one of his books hanging about, but then I froze -- should his trilogy be read in order?

That Roz Chast is definitely on everyone's radar!

Ah! The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. One of our favorite old party tricks: People don't want to leave? Put that one on. (Turning down the thermostat also works!)

>199 benitastrnad: interesting information, thank you. I loved "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" when it came out in the 70's...now I can hear it playing, on a loop through my mind... ;)

Joe, our public library does not have a copy of The Frozen Thames, so I have requested it through ILL. :)

Loved the Night circus - regretted it sat on my shelves for months before i succumbed ..... really is worth a
read.

>194 jnwelch: Read The Left Hand of Darkness about a year ago, as a good-reads group I'm in there was reading it, that stark either/or viewpoint stood out to me, Enjoyed Ancillary sword as with many second books it was definitely consolidating/bedding in the world, setting down the seeds for plenty more, Good story enough to keep you interested.

I realise 'Gender fluidity' ideas can make some very uncomfortable, in doing so challenge their world view, but for me Gender fluidity is something i live rather than being an idea on a page, that said don't go out of my way to make others uncomfortable, before they are ready to :)

Woo! Recommendation time!

Yesterday after work I stopped by the library to drop off some books I'd borrowed. On the table by the door was a display of Christmas-themed books, one of which caught my eye: The True Gift: A Christmas Story. It wasn't just the cover that got my attention, but the author's name, Patricia MacLachlan, who you might remember wrote the Sarah Plain and Tall series.

So I borrowed it, and read it before bed last night, and it's a keeper! My review:

I have fallen in love with this story about Liam and Lily, who make one Christmas a happier time for a lonely individual. It's written for "young readers" age 7 and up, but was a delightful tale for all ages. As an added bonus, the illustrations are superb!

Now I'm going to go get a refill of my first-thing-in-the-morning-at-work coffee...

Ah! What a sweet drawing.

>204 LovingLit: Ha! I was glad to have to really stretch out my google-fu (or bing-fu, in this case) skills to find his rooftop sculpture in >167 jnwelch:, Megan. I can imagine it's a major marker in the city. Pinball in the cafe? Now there's a good idea! We'd have to make sure it's quiet, so as not to disturb the book readers and writers.



Thanks for the support on The Night Circus, even if it didn't suit you. I'm very much at home in the fantastical; it's RL that's challenging sometimes.

>205 michigantrumpet: Ha! My Jim nickname lives on. It's only on LT I get that, Marianne. Must be the jnwelch. In RL I get "Bonehead" or "Move it, Buddy".

Yes, I'd read the Plainsong trilogy in order, with that one first. It has a natural progression that works well, and Plainsong gets it set up so beautifully.

I saw the Roz Chast is a NY Times notable book for the year, which doesn't happen with too many graphic ones.

Ha! I love the idea of putting on The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald to get the stragglers to leave your party. Turning down the thermostat to get rid of them - in Chicago in winter it's still going to be way warmer with a turned down stat than stepping outside. Maybe a subtle dumping of ice cubes down the back of the pants?

>206 fuzzi: Good for you, fuzzi. While in my mind of course every library should have The Frozen Thames, it is a bit of an unusual one. I'm glad you could figure out a way to get it.

I've Gordon Lightfoot hits looping thanks to all this - Sundown, If You Could Read My Mind, The Wreck. What a distinctive voice. I'm crotchety enough to miss being able to understand every single word in a song, too. Maybe that's the bookreader in me.

>207 roundballnz: Good to hear, Alex. I've avoided The Night Circus on yawn the circus grounds, but Madame MBH says I'm going to love it, and you and a legion of others speak highly of it. It'll be a while; I'm looking at an embarrassment of riches at home, urging me to hurry up and get to them.

Right, I think gender fluidity concepts are (finally) becoming much more mainstream. The woman who wrote Gracefully Grayson, about a 12 year old who knows she's a girl but was born in a boy's body, said that she hardly ever heard the word "transgender" here in the U.S. when she started writing the book in 2010, and now she hears it all the time. Madame MBH just read me a mother's delightful Facebook post in which she said, we thought we had a girl, but oops, turns out we had a boy.

When our son lived in Seattle, the slam poetry scene was filled with pieces on gender issues, and I met my first transgenders (that I know of!) Neither of our kids presented these issues while growing up, but we would have gone with whatever, as long as they gave best efforts and treated other people well.

I'm reading the Temple Grandin book on autism issues right now (The Way I See It), and one of the points she makes is that, IHO, there isn't some point where the autism spectrum ends and a different neurotypical experience begins; instead, (my words), we're all on a spectrum, and, for example, what once might have been viewed as eccentricity is now labeled autism. She thinks, as another example, there's an element of autism in an awful lot of our techies and engineers, and that Einstein likely was on the spectrum. Anyway, the fluidity concept may apply in a lot of different spheres for we fascinating humans.

>208 fuzzi: Wonderful illustration, and thanks for the Patricia MacLachlan recommendation, fuzzi. She's really good. Madame MBH and I were just talking about needing to read more of her books. I read Skylark a little while ago and thought it was excellent, and we've got Caleb's Story on hand. I've yet to read a review that doesn't sing the praises for her writing. I'll keep an eye out for The True Gift.

>209 maggie1944: Isn't that a sweet one, Karen?

Hello Joe hope you have a great day.

Joe please listen to your wife. The Night Circus has less to do about a circus and more to do with life and finding a true path.

>212 GeezLouise: Hi, Rae! Good to see you. Hope you have a great day, too.

>213 luvamystery65: You know the saying, fuzzi, Happy wife, happy life. Although I spend a lot of time with my head in the clouds, or hanging from a tree limb, I try to pay attention to what she says. As I mentioned, she's very selective in what she recommends to me, and hasn't missed yet. Good to hear your confirmation that The Night Circus is more about life and finding a true path than the circus.

Hi Joe!
I can't wait for this week to be over and the weekend to be here. Doh, still 2 more days to go...sigh.
Do you generally don't like books that have to do with the circus. Does that mean you've avoided Water for Elephants as well?

>215 jolerie: Ha! I was just over on your thread reading your excellent review of Gretel and the Dark, Valerie.

Yes, you got it. No Water for Elephants for me. I'm stretching to do this Night Circus one.

But Gretel and the Dark moved up my TBR thanks to you.

I can't wait for this weekend either. We've got dinner with friends tomorrow night, a book convention here Saturday, and then a Chicago Bulls basketball game Saturday night. None of those contains the word "work." :-)

Sweet Thursday, Joe! Yes, read The Night Circus. It is wonderful. I can't imagine you not liking it.

I answered your question about current GNs on my thread. Hope the day flies, my friend.

So sad to hear about Kent Haruf's passing. He was too young to die.
I read and loved Plainsong and I believe I have Eventide on hold at the library.

Happy Thursday, Joe!

With The Night Circus it's more of a Cirque de Soleil with performance pieces than a "big tent" circus like in Water for Elephants.

Oh the theater production of Holmes and Watson sounds good!

I thoroughly enjoyed The Night Circus. I have the audio narrated by Jim Dale on my ipod and one of these days that will be my re-read format.

>219 Morphidae: I totally agree with the Cirque du Soleil vs Ringling Brothers for The Night Circus.

>219 Morphidae: >220 SuziQoregon: yep, absolutely right it is much more along the Lines of the Cirque du Soleil, which i utterly adore.

Sad news about Haruf. I was just thinking I wanted something hot to drink and saw that tea. I guess I know which hot drink I'll be opting for this evening. I'll make sure to put some honey in it.

>170 jnwelch: - Wonderful review, Joe! Humphreys does have a wonderfully poetic approach to her storytelling. I read The Frozen Thames during the hot days of summer and even then I managed to feel the cold Humphreys was describing. ;-)

I loved both The Night Circus and Water For Elephants for different reasons, both of which had nothing to do with the circus theme they share. Water for Elephants has a wonderful depression era setting that Gruen captured really well and The Night Circus is more a sensory experience of texture and filigree-like detail of a fantasy world.

Great conversation here. With all the holiday baking I have been doing lately - and the quality assurance testing of the finished goods - I don't require any sustenance, although a lovely cup of double bergamont earl grey tea (my current tea addiction) with some honey and and splash of milk would not go amiss. ;-)

I put this on my own thread but I had to share it here as well, it's too good not to.

Captain Picard's version of "Let it Snow"!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mBZFlteYRE

>208 fuzzi: >211 jnwelch: I read The True Gift not too long ago and liked it lots, too. And if you like that one, you'll *love* The Angel Tree... Just sayin'...

>217 msf59: Ha! The day flew so well, Mark, that now it's Sweet Friday!

Thanks for the GN thoughts. I need to get my hands on The Property again; I missed it at the library when we were away.

Hope you have a good one out there today.

>218 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen! Eventide is really good, too, IMO, and Benediction even more so. I know, hard to believe we've lost him. Too soon.

>219 Morphidae: Sounds good, Morphy, thanks. That's more my kind of big top.

>220 SuziQoregon: Thanks, Juli. Good to hear the confirmation on Cirque versus Circ.

We had such a good time at the Holmes and Watson. Really well done, on a small theater budget.

Jim Dale! I was lucky enough to see him in Candide on Broadway way back when. And listened to him for the Harry Potter books on car trips (Madame MBH read them to us the first time around). I bet that will be great. Please report back when you get to it.

>221 drachenbraut23: Hi, Bianca. Good to hear. Lot of love for this book!

>222 thornton37814: I know, Haruf will be greatly missed, Lori.

Tea with honey - we can help with that.



>223 lkernagh: Hiya, Lori. Glad you liked The Frozen Thames, and I can believe Humphreys transported you onto the icy river even in the hot summer.

That's a good angle on Water for Elephants, and I'll keep it in mind.

Earl Grey hot? Why do I feel like we're on a starship? "Double bergamot" is new to me, but apparently b. is the key ingredient in Earl Grey tea? Anyway, we did indeed have some on hand:



>224 lunacat: Speaking of Captain Picard! Thanks, fuzzi. I'll check it out when done here. It's sure to be Shakespearean.

>225 scaifea: Thanks, Amber. Good to hear. Ah, The Angel Tree isn't Patricia MacLachlan, but one you recommend for those who love her The True Gift. Got it.

Loved the Captain Picard thing! It was great. Thanks for posting that.

I spent Wednesday after work making a Butter Sage Herb Bread and it turned out simply wonderful! The bread was all buttery goodness with just a hint of lemon. I chopped up my homegrown Sage and decorated the loaf with sage leaves and it looked amazing. It also tasted very good and didn't need anything on it, like honey, butter, or jam. I don't think it would go very well with the Earl Grey but it would be wonderful with a cup of Darjeeling and honey.

I used the recipe from the December 2014 Martha Stewart Living magazine. It is right in the front of the magazine in the section where Martha Stewart writes her monthly essay. She makes the Butter Yeast Dough and uses the same basic dough in three different recipes. The Butter Sage Herb Bread is one of the three. If you are looking for something to give to friends or family for Christmas and you like to cook I would recommend that you try this. It was beautiful and the recipe was easy to follow.

I often make braided breads for gifts and put a monetary value on them of $25.00 per loaf. That includes my ingredients and time. This makes it a very nice hostess gift or just a gift, as who couldn't use a completed beautiful loaf of bread for the holidays?

A loaf of this bread, some hot tea, and a book. What could be better?

YA fantasy rarely disappoints me, but the Childrens/YA novel Seraphina did. It was a great recorded version of the novel, but the novel never engaged me. I hope to hear more from this narrator as she did a fantastic job of reading the book, but if there is a sequel published I doubt I will pick it up.

Happy Friday, Joe! I am looking forward to the book club meeting tonight. I sure wish I didn't have to work tomorrow. Sad face.
Let's not even mention that so-called football last night...

>228 benitastrnad: Sounds awfully good, Benita. I'm not much of a baker myself, I just play one on the internet. But I'd be happy eating that Butter Sage Herb Bread and braided bread, I'm sure. I bet others with better baking skills will be glad to have this info.

A loaf of bread, some hot tea, and a book. Why am I thinking of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam? (We've got to sub in for the jug of wine):

A Book of Verses underneath the Bough,
A Cup of Tea, a Loaf of Bread-and Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness-
O, Wilderness were Paradise enow!

We get all too few chances to say enow! these days, too.

>229 benitastrnad: Sorry Seraphina didn't work for you. But kudos for giving it a try. Your positive reaction to The Girl of Fire and Thorns has put that one on my WL.

>230 msf59: Happy Friday, Mark! I didn't realize you all had boldly scheduled the book club meeting for a Friday night. That should be a lot of fun, and I understand beverages will be served. I hope we get to hear some of the comments about Ancillary Justice tomorrow.

I'm copacetic about not mentioning any supposed football team from our region that may have embarrassed itself again on national tv last night . . .

I was just talking with Barbara about Grittibänz on her thread. She says they're heavenly with jam. Seemed appropriate to give them a try in the cafe.

Well done! It's an absolutely perfect seasonal breakfast.

>233 Ameise1: :-) Thanks, Barbara. I'm going to look for them in Chicago. We have a large Swiss population here.

>234 jnwelch: Wow, I had no clue. I hope you find some of this little fellows.

ah, they look quite edible! Just nip off those appendages.

>232 jnwelch: We got them as well. As far as I know you find them under lots of different names across the German speaking countries. Where I come from we call them "Stutenkerl" or "Weckmann" :) and they look slightly different to your variety.

Happy Friday Joe! Hope you have a fantastic weekend. I'm just glad I made it..haha! Time to kick back, relax with a book, and watch my husband take over duties with the boys. :P

>237 drachenbraut23: I love the long pipes on those little things.

>235 Ameise1: NYC and LA are ahead of us on the Swiss scale, Barbara, but I'm not sure anyone else is.

>236 maggie1944: Just nip off those appendages, Karen? Just be sure to try some jam on the appendages before nipping.

>237 drachenbraut23: Oh, I like the look of those, Bianca. This is a tradition among German-speaking countries I didn't know about. I'm guessing that's a "pipe" they're holding, right? What's it made out of, sugar?

>238 jolerie: Happy Friday, Valerie! Weren't you a day behind this week? Ha! I'm glad you made it, too. Hope you have a fantastic weekend, too - I'm sure your husband and the boys will enjoy hanging out together, and you can get some no doubt much-needed relaxation and book time.

We had a most excellent dinner at an English pub-like restaurant last night with some friends. Yes, I had fish and chips (really good - haddock), and my very tasty ale was Spitfire:



Later this morning we're going to check out a Chicago author book fair, and then tonight we've got a Bulls b-ball game against the Golden State Warriors, who have the best record in the NBA right now. Should be a good one.

>239 ffortsa: Me, too, Judy. Those must be pipes. For a minute I was thinking they might be shofar-like horns, but they look much more like pipes.

I loved The Way I See It, subtitled "A Personal Look at Autism and Aspberger's", (the touchstone won't include that) by Temple Grandin. I'll try to write a review of that one and The Peripheral (also excellent) in the coming days.

I got a kick out of the first Phryne Fisher mystery, Cocaine Blues, too, and I've already started the second. She's a powerhouse in these Melbourne-set mysteries. I've also started Let Him Go by Larry Watson, for Mark's AAC Challenge, and I'm liking it a lot. So no complaints from me about current reading. I do wish someone would come up with an "instant fireplace and comfortable chair" that you could use anywhere.



P.S. Apparently Oliver Sacks profiles Grandin in An Anthropologist on Mars. Has anyone read that one?

Joe, the 'pipe' is made of clay.

I wish you a fabulous weekend.

Happy Saturday, Joe. Hope you have a nice day planned. It is kind of chilly out here. I am waiting for that sunshine.
Glad you are loving the Watson. It is a terrific read.

Despite two cups of strong coffee, the antihistamine is winning the battle...I am going to lie down for a bit, and read until/unless I fall asleep. ;)

I definitely want to read Cocaine Blues.

That bread was so good I made a second batch of the dough today to give as Christmas presents. At the rate I am baking this bread and using my home grown sage the poor plants will not last for another week. However, that is OK, as sage won't overwinter down here, so I expect the plants to be frozen by the time I get back after Christmas. Given that fact, I might as well use them now and enjoy the tasty goodness of their flavor.

I haven't read An Anthropologist on Mars but expect I would like it.

Your current reads sound pretty good, Joe. I'm reading The World Before Us for Early Reviewers and am quite enjoying it so far!

>246 benitastrnad: Could you transplant a couple of cuttings into pots indoors and keep them on your kitchen windowsill for use during the winter? That's what we do with our mint, it works really well and they grow reasonably quickly in the warmth of the kitchen.

Morning Joe! It's about time I stopped by, I've been the world's biggest lurker lately. *waves*

>242 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara. So you remove the pipe and then eat the rest, I assume. Are the pipes kept as keepsakes?

Lovely photo. Those large vases are beautifully highlighted.

>243 msf59: We had an absolutely great Saturday, Mark. That book fair of Chicago authors (Chicago Book Expo) at Columbia College was way more fun than we expected. We met such nice folks (authors, publishers), and, shocker alert, bought a bunch of books. A couple of the authors even live quite near us.

Then last night we went to the Bulls-Golden State game. The Bulls lost, but it was a very good game, and that Warriors team is playing so well right now! They've got the best record in the NBA, and we can see why. The good news on the home team front is it was easy to see how the Bulls are going to get better (they're still learning to play together, and the injuries seem over for now). I'd much rather they learn lessons like this early and play well at the end of the season.

Today we're off to a Krampus fair, which I can't explain other than there are unusual gifts on sale and good food. We'll meet Becca and her furry companion there, and then circle back here for some not-too-bad chores.

I'm hooked on the second Phryne Fisher, so I'll have to find time for that, too.

>244 fuzzi: Hope you're feeling better by the time you read this, fuzzi. A good lie-down on the weekend is nothing to sneeze at - although in some instances a sneeze or two can lead to a good lie-down.

>245 seasonsoflove: There's my Miss Fisher Mysteries watching partner! You'll love Cocaine Blues, Becca. I'm already most of the way through the second one.

I got them on Kindle, so that's no help for you, but I did check the library, and it has them. We're going to try to pick them up on Paperback Swap, too.

>246 benitastrnad: Makes sense, Benita, and your bread sounds great. We need someone to invent a teleporter.

>247 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen. I liked his The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, and have read excerpts from others that I also liked. Having become quite intrigued by Temple Grandin, I'm going to track down An Anthropologist on Mars so I can read what he says about her.

I'd heard nothing about The World Before Us, so I'll look forward to your comments on it. My ER hasn't arrived yet.

>248 lunacat: Sounds like a good, practical suggestion, Jenny. No wonder you're so good with algae.

>249 Thebookdiva: There's our Abby! Good to see you. Enjoying those 70s temps at the Pecan Paradisio, I imagine, you lucky one. *waves*

Although I'm glad it's not freezing here, I could stand for some chillier weather. I want wind, scarves, and jackets.

Ahh yes, my algae cultivation. I'm looking to expand my basic range of algae species and want to introduce some 'fancy algae', so if I could drop by yours to take some samples to grow from, that would be great ;)

Happy Sunday Joe!

I recommend you read some more of Temple Grandin's books. Reading about what she does to help others understand animals is quite inspiring, and gives content to understanding people with Autism can be very talented.

Happy Sunday, Joe. Hope you had a nice morning. The Book Expo sounds great. Any choice book finds? Enjoy your day at the Krampus fair.

The Book Expo sounds wonderful. What did you buy? You know you're required to share that information, right? :-)

>252 Thebookdiva: If you'll give us 20 degrees Farenheit warmer weather, Abby, Mark and I will gladly ship you wind, scarves and jackets. How does that sound?

>253 lunacat: Is fancy algae an oxymoron, Jenny? No, of course not, for fanciers like us. The fanciest we have on hand is called Black Beard algae:



Light, fluffy, and easily turned into a Dr. Seuss character. Feel free to sample as much as you want.

>254 luvamystery65: Happy Sunday, Roberta! Hope all is well down your Texas way.

>255 maggie1944: Thanks, Karen. I will read more Temple Grandin, that I can promise. I do look forward to learning more about her work with animals. She feels very strongly, as you know, about how talented autistic people can be, and how many recognized geniuses like Einstein were either autistic or had autistic attributes (if there's a difference). She thinks the tech sector is full of them, and should be fuller, as more of those on the autism spectrum should be employed there, IHO. From what our Google-employed son says, she's right on the money with there being a lot in the tech industry already.

>256 msf59: Happy Sunday, Mark. It twas indeed a nice morning, and I can report that the wily Sherlock is in fine fettle, as is his amused human mom. He was a bumptious lad today. We had a good time at the Krampus fair as well, with a nice quaff of Guinness for yours truly.

For choice book finds, see >257 DorsVenabili:.

Hope you've been taking it easy today.

>257 DorsVenabili: The Book Expo was a ton o' fun, Kerri. It helps that Madame MBH likes to chat up the world, and her dopey husband gets to tag along. When I posted about it, I thought someone might be curious about what exactly came home. I can't tell you one of them, because a curious daughter likes to peruse this thread, and it's going to make its way to her one of these days, and there's another we'll be silent about just in case her brother happens to stop by. Here are the other ones I brought home:

"Places We've Been: Field Reports from Travelers Under 35", edited by Asha Veal Brisebois, with personal stories from all sorts of folks, including a BBC journalist, a producer of The Amazing Race tv show, and the 2012 Air Guitar Champion

"Santa Muerte" by Cynthia Pelayo, a YA novel set in Chicago with an American-born girl running up against a Mexican criminal organization

"The Mind of a Poetic Unsub" by G.P.A. (Greatest Poet Alive) (what a plus to finally find out who is the Greatest Poet Alive), poems and stories by James Gordon, a local storyteller and Moth winner

I'm not finding touchstones, but you can read about them on Amazon.

Sounds like a successful book club meeting; hope you've been having a good rest of the weekend.

>258 jnwelch: That very fancy algae is in Seahawks colors. Go Hawks. A good game, and an excellent score right now: 24 - 14. I think we are in the 3rd Q, 9 minutes left in it.

I think one of the best new techniques in education is to find each kid's particular strengths and talents and try to use them for all the learning work. So if a kid has musical talent you might ask him/her to write a poem for music, or develop a rap, or whatever when learning their history. Lame example but I think you know what I mean. And clearly autistic kids can benefit from that approach.

I just finished Station Eleven, a pre & post apocalyptic novel of North America. It's amazing and I think you'd love it so I thought I'd drop by and recommend it. Complex, cleverly woven together and beautifully written with sub plots that keep you desperate for more. A very very good novel and an author I'll definitely be looking to read more of.

Hey Joe, I just finished reading another Gary Paulsen book, The Island. It's a good one, like the others.

The Green Dragoneers are reading An Anthropologist on Mars for the December group read. Everyone is welcome.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/183384

Hi Joe :-)

First, have you seen this TEDX talk by Billy Collins? https://www.ted.com/talks/billy_collins_everyday_moments_caught_in_time The more I hear, the more determined am to get some of his collections.

Second, Thank you so much for your encouragement and support, I'm so grateful to have you and your lovely book reccomendations around.

My surgery support fund raiser is here: http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/help-stephanie-pay-for-wrist-surgery.... if you cant't help financially, thoughts, prayers and messages of encouragement are also welcome

>262 Morphidae: Oliver sacks is always a interesting,fascinating read .... Not read this one yet

I've got a huge craving for doughnuts but that would require getting dressed and leaving the house..........argh, decisions decisions. Maybe I'll just bring some here instead.

>259 maggie1944: Nice Seahawks win, Karen. I'm pretty sure Philly hadn't lost at home in forever. Every time I watch that Russell Wilson, he seems so composed. Wonderful quality to have at that position.

I think one of the best new techniques in education is to find each kid's particular strengths and talents and try to use them for all the learning work. So if a kid has musical talent you might ask him/her to write a poem for music, or develop a rap, or whatever when learning their history. Agreed! That's exactly what Temple Grandin urges we do in connection with those on the autism spectrum, as you probably know. I was just talking to Debbi about how great it would be to see that done with neurotypicals (non-AS-ers), too. One problem, as always, is money, and another is having enough high quality teachers, and another is giving them that direction as an emphasis, rather than emphasizing standardized testing prep.

Anyway, I agree with you. School got turned around for me when a 9th grade English teacher assigned us good books to read, including, memorably, Dandelion Wine, and encouraged us to write about what interested us. His enthusiasm and genuineness and lack of pretension and lack of rule-following made all the difference. The paper I remember writing for him was about Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising their black-gloved fists at the '68 Olympics. Although it's a long time ago now, he must have liked it, given what came after. From there I went from discouragement and disassociation to - realizing it's all there in front of us.

>260 lunacat: I really liked Station Eleven, too, Jenny. I just realized I never got around to writing a review of it. Shame on me. I agree with all you say. I'm giving it as a holiday present to my picky English prof BIL, so that'll tell you I think it stands up well.

Glad you had such a good time with it. What a horrifying character that preacher was.

>261 fuzzi: Good for you, fuzzi. I'll be trailing your blaze on the Paulsens, but I've yet to read a clunker. I just started the fourth Brian book, Brian's Return and, no surprise, I already like it.

>262 Morphidae: Ah, excellent, Morphy. I didn't know there was a Group Read this month of An Anthropologist on Mars. The timing probably won't work for my reading it, but I"ve starred that link so I can at least follow the discussion.

>263 AuntieClio: Oh, I love that man, Stephanie. Thanks so much for the link to that Billy Collins Ted talk. We saw him in person here, and I'm a pushover for his sense of humor. Really, is it okay to be a skilled poet and be funny? Aren't you supposed to be serious and scholarly? Those animations were a great idea. I'm sure they were a lot of work, but I hope they do more of them.

Yes, do get more of his collections. I'm sure the library has them.

You're welcome on the encouragement and support. I hope your tough time gets easier. I'm glad LT folks are contributing.

>264 roundballnz: Agreed, Alex.

>265 lunacat: Oh my, those donuts look awfully tasty, Jenny. Good call.

>266 jnwelch: Good teachers make all the difference, don't they? I was pretty independent in English, but I ran into some great math teachers and got much more out of math than I had expected.

>268 ffortsa: Good teachers do make all the difference, I agree, Judy. Wouldn't it be something if it were a financially desirable profession, as well as a rewarding one?

I was good at math (engineer father), but never had a teacher turn me on about it, unfortunately. Son #1 had a wonderful computer science teacher early on, and like a flash he was off and running with something he loves to do.

OK, the new cafe is open. Come on over!