Berly's Security Blanket -- Books! (3)

Welcome One and All!! This is one of my daughter's photos, an appropriate spring green.

So, my quick bio. I am a mother of three great kids; happily married; and live in Oregon. I have a huge TBR pile by my bedside, kinda like my security blanket. : ) I was a Neuroscience/Psych major and worked on nerve regeneration for a bit; then jumped ship and worked in advertising; served as the Community Relations Manager for the MN Timberwolves; was an editorial intern at Milkweed Editions; wrote for Portland Parent Magazine; and now am the Marketing Director and Accounting Person for our own business, which cleans industrial water and brings it up to EPA standards. Okay. Kinda unfocused, but I prefer to think of it as multitalented! I am a TKD blackbelt, but am nursing a knee back to health, so that is on hold for a while. I also like to work in glass. Back to books. Did I mention I love books? I read lots of different genres and LT has truly opened my horizons! Welcome old friends and new.

Reading now
A History of the World In 100 Objects by Neil MacGregor
The Husband's Secret (417 pages) by Liane Moriarty
Bossy Pants by Tina Fey
The Bird Skinner (309 pages) by Alice Greenway

Completed in March
18. Dance Hall of the Dead (272 pages) by Tony Hillerman 2.5
17. Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant (pages 228) by Roz Chast 3.0
16. Night Broken (292 pages) by Patricia Briggs 4.0
15. Fair Game (291 pages) by Patricia Briggs 4.0
14. Three Sisters (380 pages) by Susan Mallery 3.5
13. The Secret Speech (440 pages) by Tom Robb Smith 3.5

Completed In February (1520 pages)
12. Snake Oil: How Fracking's False Promise of Plenty Imperils Our Future (124 pages) by Richard Heinberg 3.5
11. The Rosie Effect (352 pages) by Graeme Samson 3.0
10. Turn of the Screw (160 pages) by Henry James 3.0
9. All the Light We Cannot See (530 pages) by Anthony Doerr 4.0
8. The Cold Dish (354 pages) by Craig Johnson 4.0

Completed in January (2057 pages)
7. The 100-year-old Man Who Climbed out the Window and Disappeared (384 pages) by Jonas Jonasson 3.5
6. War Dances (209 pages) by Sherman Alexie 3.5
5. Invisible (399 pages) by James Patterson 4.0
4. The Girl on the Train (323 pages) ARC by Paula Hawkins 3.75
3. Station Eleven (333 pages) ebook by Emily St. John Mandel 4.0
2. Moon Tiger (208 pages) by Penelope Lively 4.0
1. The Blessing Way (201 pages) ebook by Tony Hillerman 3.0


1. With a protagonist of the opposite gender--Dance Hall of the Dead
2. Chosen by Someone Else (Paul BAC)--Moon Tiger
3. One You Have Owned More Than A Year--Invisible
5. ...On a Subject You Are Unfamiliar With--Snake Oil: How Fracking's False Promise of Plenty Imperils Our Future
6. Translated from a language I don't speak--The 100-year-old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared
7. ...with A Natural Disaster--Station Eleven
8. ...About Autism--The Rosie Effect
10. Set in a country other than your own--All the Light We Cannot See
13. With a protagonist of the opposite gender--The Secret Speech
15. Fair Game
16. Based on a Myth--The Blessing Way
22. ...Centered Around A Major Historical Event--100 Objects, when I
finish it
21. With a Mythical Creature--Fair Game
23. Whose Main Character (I changed this a little) is the Same as Ancestor's First Name--The Cold Dish (Walter)

(1/1/15) Famous last words: I like to read spontaneously and pretty much refuse to commit to anything in advance.

(1/7/15) My how quickly I cave!! I am thinking I will alternate between Paul's BAC and Mark's AAC.



Paul's British Author Challenge (BAC)

January : Penelope Lively Moon Tiger ✔
& Kazuo Ishiguro
February : Sarah Waters & Evelyn Waugh
March : Daphne Du Maurier & China Mieville
April : Angela Carter & W. Somerset Maugham
May : Margaret Drabble & Martin Amis
June : Beryl Bainbridge & Anthony Burgess
July : Virginia Woolf & B.S. Johnson
August : Iris Murdoch & Graham Greene
September : Andrea Levy & Salman Rushdie
October : Helen Dunmore & David Mitchell
November : Muriel Spark & William Boyd
December : Hilary Mantel & P.G. Wodehouse

Here is the link to the latest thread : https://www.librarything.com/topic/182914

Mark's American Author Challenge (AAC)

January : Carson McCullers
February : Henry James - Turn of the Screw ✔
March : Richard Ford
April : Louise Erdrich
May: Sinclair Lewis
June : Wallace Stegner
July : Ursula K. Le Guin
August : Larry McMurtry
September : Flannery O' Connor
October : Ray Bradbury
November : Barbara Kingsolver
December : E.L. Doctorow

**If you are interested in the American Author Challenge, check out the main thread:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/185195

In addition I have committed to Roberta's (luvamyster65) Navajo Mystery(Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee)/Walt Longmire Project.



January - The Blessing Way ✔
February - The Cold Dish ✔
March - Dance Hall of the Dead ✔
April - Death Without Company
May - Listening Woman
June - Kindness Goes Unpunished
July - People of Darkness
August - Another Man's Moccasins
September - The Dark Wind
October - The Dark Horse
November - The Ghostway
December - Junkyard Dogs

And I also have to keep an eye on Morphy's Thread on Mercy Thompson and the Alpha Omega Series by Patricia Briggs. I have read a lot, but not all, and would love to reminisce on the one'e I have read and hear people's comments until I get to the new-for-me ones.



MT = Mercy Thompson series
AO = Alpha and Omega series
WM = World of the Marrok

January: Moon Called MT
February: Blood Bound MT and Alpha and Omega AO (short story)
March: Iron Kissed MT
April: Cry Wolf AO and Star of David WM (short story)
May: Bone Crossed MT and Seeing Eye WM (short story)
June: Hunting Ground AO and Mercy Thompson: Homecoming MT (graphic novel)
July: Silver Borne MT
August: River Marked MT and In Red, With Pearls MT (short story)
September: Fair Game AO ✔
October: Frost Burned MT
November: Night Broken MT ✔
December: Dead Heat AO (NEW!) and the remaining stories in Shifting Shadows

'Course then there is My RL Book Club.



February 11th -- All the Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr ✔
April 8th -- The Husband's Secret by Liann Moriarty
June 10th -- The Sense of an Ending - Julian Barnes
August 12th -- Little Failure - Gary Shteyngart
October 14th -- The Good Lord Bird - James McBride
December -- Choose NewBooks!!


And now (1/10) I have committed to read The Worst Hard Time in March with Julia.

: )

Good thing I like books!

I didn't quite make the 75 goal last year, but close. I managed to read almost 22,000 pages, which sounds impressive and since I have never tracked this before and have nothing to compare it to, made me quite happy. Don't burst my bubble if you left me in the dust!! ; )



My top 5 favorite reads from last year were (in no particular order):

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
The Gravity of Birds by Tracy Guzeman
The Martian by Andy Weir
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
The Rosie Project by Gaeme Simsion

and then also

Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter
The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride
All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews
The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness
Interpreter of Maladies by Juhumpa Lahiri
Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Hollow City by Ransom Riggs
More Than This by Patrick Ness

All clear?

Hope you're having a good start to the week!

Hi Laura! You are first!! Which treat would you like? (And I love that picture!)

Hi Kim, I never knew you liked books my dear, I wonder where I got that idea, lol. Hope you had a good weekend my dear, love and hugs.

Hi John! Books? Who me? Whatever gave you that impression? I trust you had a lovely weekend! I am slowly trying to get caught up again. It's dangerous to take a day off here! ; )

It was a mixed weekend for us, we had a good day on Saturday and yesterday got off well but then while we were out having a nice lunch I came down with a head cold that took the edge off it and now I feel awful. I am just having a quick check on LT so that I don't get too far behind.

Oh John, so sorry! I hope you feel better soon. Take care.

Thanks Kim.

>7 Berly: Ooh, I'll take them all and distribute them throughout the lovely visitors to your thread. :)

Happy new thread, Kin!

Pretty new thread, Kim!

Happy new thread, Kim. You need some more challenges. :)

Yay for me, getting in here before the crowd. Happy new thread Kim:-)

>13 LauraBrook: Laura--Thank you for sharing your virtual desert with everyone. Let me know when you run out, please. : )

>14 banjo123: >15 katiekrug: Hi Rhonda! Hi Katie!!

>16 BLBera: Beth, I do NOT need more challenges!! I am in danger of losing my spontaneous reading!

>17 brenzi: Bonnie--You are in the nick of time. I am sure the crowds are coming any minute....Here they are!

Happy New Thread, Kimmers! Hope you had a nice weekend and I bet you are enjoying that gorgeous weather. Yes, I am extremely jealous.

We are stuck in an arctic holding pattern. Ugh!

Turn of the Screw by Henry James (AAC)

I don't know why I was so irritated this time round, but I was. It was a chore to read. The writing seemed so roundabout, with sentences wandering hopelessly. Several of the premises didn't ring true and I felt no love for the governess or the children. And the ending...did her young charge, Miles the boy, die?!? What then happened to his sister? Was Flora never to return? Was the governess discharged? Who was the man she "loved" as hinted at in the beginning of this tale by Douglas? The questions go on and on. It was stipulated that The Turn of the Screw's "very ambiguity, its resistance to any final formulation in terms of the realistic or actual...is a major source of its strength." I would disagree. Most unsatisfying.

>19 msf59: Well, Mark, I hope your reading is more satisfying than mine! LOL. My choice for the AAC was a bust, although I have enjoyed Henry James before. *Shudders and quickly moves on to a new book.*

Kim - Your description, "The writing seemed so roundabout..." sounds like pretty much all of James to me. :)

Sorry, your James fell flat, Kim! I have not read Turn of the Screw but I really enjoyed my pick, Washington Square.

>22 BLBera: >23 msf59: Beth and Mark, I enjoyed Washington Square much more. And I remember not liking The Screw much the first time. I was hoping the second reading would appeal more, but no.

I am enjoying The Rosie Effect a lot. It is most amusing!

I'm sorry that you didn't like The Turn of the Screw more, Kim, but I have to say that I'm glad I'm not the only one who was completely confused about it - I don't feel so dim-witted now! Ha! I keep thinking that I should give it another go at some point... At any rate, I'm loving the James I'm reading now.

Happy new thread Kim! Sorry you didn't enjoy The Turn of the Screw more. I still need to try Henry James.

>25 scaifea: Amber--It's just frustrating when the book is considered a classic and I don't feel the love--it makes me wonder if I am being dense somehow and missing the finer points of the book. I glad to hear from you that I am not alone in my confusion regarding The Turn of the Screw!

>26 souloftherose: Heather--Yes, you should still try Henry James, but perhaps not The Screw first off. ; )

Happy new thread, Kim!
Too bad The Turn of the Screw didn't quite work for you. I haven't read that one yet, but I'm still intrigued. Hope your next read is more satisfying!! :)

Happy New Thread, Kim! xx

Hi Kim and Happy New Thread. I'm kind of glad I didn't choose The Turn of the Screw for the AAC. I'm just about to dig into Washington Square and Katie's comments on the common thread have me interested.

I see that you're one who liked The Rosie Project a lot. I was skeptical (something about the title, which I realize makes no sense) but people I trust are recommending it.....

I hope your week is off to a good start!

>28 jolerie: Val--Well, better luck next time, they always say. ; ) I actually do enjoy James, just not that one. My other reads are going much better: I have four going: The Rosie Effect, A History of the World in 100 Objects, Snake Oil and The secret Speech.

>29 Ameise1: HI Barb! Nice to see you here as always. I love your skiing photos and I am glad that you are finally feeling better.

>30 EBT1002: Ellen--I hope you enjoy Washington Square; chances are it will be more than I enjoyed the Screw!! And I definitely enjoyed The Rosie Project. It was a hoot!! You should move it up the list.

Happy new thread, Kim! Sorry you didn't like The Turn of the Screw. I liked it, but that was years ago that I read it -- don't know how I'd feel about it now.

Hi Terri! I am glad you liked The Screw. Some of the descriptive passages, describing the governess' feelings from the ghost, were eerie and chilling and quite good. I will leave it at that. ; )

Found and starred your third thread, Kim.

Happy Wednesday!

Congratulations on your latest thread, Kimmers. xx

I better put The Rosie Effect in the queue. Fortunately, I have it on audio. Hope the week is going well, Kim!

>7 Berly: *drool*
I got stuck here at this post....I can't seem to move on from it!! Happy new thread :)

Hi Kim!
It's meeeee! I 'm heeeere.

So I have a burning question. Someone in my RL book group recommended The Rosie Effect for consideration. Would it make a good group read for a bunch of mostly older ladies? (Don't tell them I said that.)

Sorry you didn't care for Turn of the Screw. I'll be staying away from that one. I'm reading Washington Square. It seems ok, but I'm just getting into it. I did like Portrait of a Lady that I read recently... though I did not like it's ending. I seem to see a trend in James' books so far. He doesn't credit women with making good choices. *sigh*

If there are any of those treats left from >7 Berly: , I'd love one!

Pulled a late night at work, staying until 11pm. Love you all, but I am going to bed. Smooches!

Happy new thread, Kim!

Hope you got some rest, Kim!

I'm going to try to read The Rosie Effect sometime this year, or least that is the plan. :)

>34 connie53: Hi Connie--Thanks for keeping me company here! Happy Friday!!

>35 PaulCranswick: Hey Paul! Hope you are feeling well again. xoxo

>36 msf59: Mark, do I get 1/2 a book bullet if I make you move The Rosie Effect up the list? You have hit me so many times, I think you should be generous here. Just saying. ; )

>37 LovingLit: Megan--Just for you!! (And to get you to move on down the thread!)

>38 -Cee-: Ceeeeeee!!! You are heeeeere! So, The Rosie Project is the first in the series and I suggest reading that one first. Both of them are so funny! As to discussion, I am not sure how controversial it will be, although everyone should enjoy it. I could see topics like the awkwardness of dating, social interactive norms, Aspergers, friendship, science. I think the age of your reading group won't matter at all--and I won't let them know you said anything. If you can laugh, you will like it. ; ) And I hope you enjoy Washington Square--let me know. Oh, and one for you, too.

>40 lkernagh: Hi Lori!! Thanks for coming in to say Hi! Any plans for the weekend? We are going out to dinner tomorrow night with my in-laws. My hubby's birthday is tomorrow and mine is on Saturday. (He always has 24 hours to remember to get me something, which works out great...ha, ha!!)

>41 jolerie: Hi Val! Stick to the plan woman--read that book! : )

No rest this week. Today was a two hour meeting to plan a conference in Portland later this year on Stormwater Management. We came up with three tracks of four sessions each. One track geared towards the "Beginner," one on science and technological improvements and one covering legalities. One more meeting to fine tune it and then we have to recruit moderators and speakers.

Then tonight I say Ruth Ozeki at Portland Literary Arts--wow!! Was she interesting! I will try to post some of what I gleaned from her talk this weekend.

Tomorrow, I have an all-day refresher course on HAZWOPER training. (Hazardous waste operations and emergency response). Whew! I am really going to need my weekend this week!

That's it for tonight. Happy Friday y'all!!

mostly lurking, but... >44 Berly: Ooh! Ruth Ozeki! Does she have a new book coming out soon? (fingers crossed)

Very cool on hearing Ozeki. I've been meaning to get to A Tale for the Time Being for ages. Bad Mark!

Happy new thread, Kim - sorry to be so late to the party. Hoping that your Friday is filled with fabulous!

>44 Berly: I love the sound of HAZWOPER

>44 Berly: - Well I definitely don't have fun birthday weekend plans like you do! I will get in my Happy Birthday wishes to both you and your husband now, so I don't forget. Tonight my other half is bringing home fish and chips (as per my request) which I am looking forward to. Anything that gives me a break from the kitchen for the evening is the way I like to start my weekends. ;-)

Happy Birthday, Kim and Mr. Kim!!

Happy Birthday, Kim!

Happy birthday, Kimmers! Have a great weekend; especially given a double celebration. xx

Happy Birthday, Kim!

Happy birthday Kim!

I'm guessing it's your birthday? Just a wild stab in the dark! Happy Birthday :)

>45 charl08: Hi Charl! Lurkers and gabbers alike are all welcome! NO judgements here. : ) Ozeki did not mention a new book, and given that her latest, A Tale for the Time Being was 10 years in gestation, I wouldn't hold my breath. Sorry.

However, I am very excited to read this one, after hearing the stories behind the writing process. Ruth Ozeki talked about the two meanings of TIME-being (a person living in time) and time BEING (as in now, clocks, time) and how during her study of Zen meditation she read this phrase in the works of a Zen master from the 14th (?) century and it stuck with her. But nothing came of it.

Until the voice of a young woman suddenly came to her. Her name was Nao, pronounced Now and she said a few short sentences to Uzeki. And then the idea of a journal or diary came, but who was the reader to be? Uzeki wrote about 100 pages with a male reader, and then trashed that. She switched to a female reader, but she wasn't right either. Our author tried a few more and then decided the book was not meant to be.

During this time, several world events happened. The turn of the century, 2001 (A Space Odyssey), 2011 and the World Trade Towers, and then, the earthquake in Japan. And Uzeki realized that her novel was dated, pre all these world calamities and so she moved the timeframe up to post-earthquake and it came to her that Nau's diary must wash ashore in America like all the detritus that has made it's way here and that the pages had to fall into the hands of ..... Uzeki!!! Yes, she is the reader of Nao's journal. Oh, and Nao's grandmother, who plays a part in this story is a 104-year-old feminist, anarchist, Zen Master.

I am hooked! I had nothing to write on so all of this is from memory and I hope I got it mostly right.

I must also say that Uzeki poked great fun at the Heathman Hotel here in Portland (where she happily stayed in the Literary Suite during her visit) and the role it played in Fifty Shades of Grey. The last question of the evening was what special package would Uzeki put together for A Tale for the Time Being if she were the manager of the Heathman. (They have a Fifty Shades package....involving a helicopter tour, and...other things....). Her answer was that all the doormen, who currently wear a full Renaissance costume, would instead be dressed in French bar maid outfits (reference to the book somehow), the bed would be zebra striped, the leather couch would be gone because it had a whole new aura about it after thinking about Fifty Shades AND because Zen practitioners sit on the floor to meditate. And unlike the takeaway present of Fifty Shades, the multi purpose grey tie, the present would be a Hello Kitty lunchbox (the diary washes ashore enclosed in this container). The crowd was in stitches! She was a delight to listen to. Intelligent, witty, and thoughtful. I also bought My Year of Meats. : )

>47 Crazymamie: Mark, just buy the book and then you can be a good guy again!

>48 ffortsa: HAZWOPER does have a fun sound, doesn't it? Well, we spent the day watching "Fun with Chemistry" and watching things explode. It was quite well done and very amusing. Although such real life explosions would not be. Oh, and I passed the exam at the end of class with one wrong. : )

>49 lkernagh: Lori, I like when Hubby brings home dinner, too! I hope the fish and chips were most excellent and that you have a great weekend!

>50 connie53: Connie, Mr. Kim and I both say thank you very much for the birthday wishes.

>51 kidzdoc: HI Darryl and thanks! I just bought groceries to make another soup recipe from your thread. What would I do without you?

>52 PaulCranswick: Paul, double celebrations are indeed fun. At our office it is actually a triple play because there are birthdays on the 20, 21, and 22!! It is weird to have all these Pisces running around, but we all seem to get along very nicely. I do, however, occasionally wonder what personality deficiencies we may have in our office....! ; )

>53 katiekrug: >54 souloftherose: Thanks you guys!!

>55 lunacat: You should never stab in the dark. Didn't your mother ever warn you about that? You could seriously hurt someone. Like me! And that would be tragic on my birthday. : )

Kim - Thanks for sharing the Ozeki comments. I LOVED A Tale for the Time Being. I know I have a copy of My Year of Meat around somewhere and will try to get to it soonish.

A little belated, but happy new thread! :)

>59 BLBera: Soonish is a very-oft used word in my world. LOL

>60 saraslibrary: You are not late at all! Today is the perfect day for new thread wishes. : )

>61 Berly: Cool! And fireworks? Please say yes, because I already set them off. :)

So back to my knee...

As mentioned before, neither the X-ray or the MRI showed anything significantly wrong. My doctor advised another look-see and I don't want to go that route just yet. So, my knee and I had a little talk. I am going to ignore the clicks, cracks and pops and slowly try to get back in shape. I am hoping the pain is mostly nerve damage and scar tissue and if I can just push through it will eventually get better. That, or it will get worse and I will have to admit temporary defeat and go back in.

So, on my birthday, I decided it was time to start. It is a beautiful, warm, sunny day and I headed to the nice ,even track with the hopes of run/walking two miles. Ha!!! My asthma kicked in right away (not uncommon when I am out of shape) and my muscles said nothing--I have no muscles!! LOL. So, the plan was quickly downgraded to one mile, lots of stretching, and then I came home to do sit-ups and pushups and I did TKD Basic Forms #1-3. Glorious Success!!! Whohoo! I am among the living, moving people again. Now, I am just praying that I can walk tomorrow. ; )

The guys are off skiing again. I know it is my birthday and I can't go this year, but Hubby's birthday was yesterday, so this is for him. My goal is trim the rose bushes, do some laundry, and read!!!

62> Yes to the fireworks!!!!!! You did make me jump a little ya know. ; ) But they were quite beautiful. Thank you.

>56 Berly: cool! interesting to see the background to Ozek'is book. I was a bit non-plussed by the book at the time I read it but I think back fondly of it now,

Hopefully it won't be too terrible tomorrow, and the knee/other muscles don't immediately punish you for daring to do some activity! It could well be that the damage to the knee mean the muscles have degenerated there more than other areas and so it's not supported and therefore feeling things more. Maybe once you start building that support again, the pain will decrease and it will feel better.

Make sure you do lots of massage around the bad knee (quite firm) to break up as much lingering unnecessary scar tissue as possible, and ice at the slightest sign of swelling. I'm sure you know all this though!

Happy birthday Kim and belated birthday greetings to Mr Kim, have a splendiferous day my dear and a lovely Sunday. Love and hugs.

>65 LovingLit: Hi Megan-- Glad you enjoyed the comments. Well, I hope I have a more enthusiastic reaction when I get around to reading it! It is interesting about books--some I LOVE when I am reading them and then they fade quickly into the background. Others, I kinda slog through but they leave a lasting impression. So, which is the "better" book? How do you rate them?

>66 lunacat: Jenny/Ermintrude (God, I love that name!)--I think your assessment about the area being weaker is spot on. Hence the one-mile outing. It will be hard for me to be mentally satisfied with these little outings, but it is progress!! And thanks for the advice. I can use all the help I can get!

>67 johnsimpson: Thanks, John. I will pass on the message to Mr. Kim (That makes me laugh!) and so far the day is indeed splendiferous. ; )

Taking a break from cleaning/laundry to go prune the roses. Back in a bit.

Happy Birthday Kim!! Let your celebrations begin and I hope you are showered with love today. I say forget the laundry and just READ! :D

Happy Birthday - and many happy returns.

You don't want to be stabbed on your birthday? Especially not in the dark? Hmmm, what an odd thing to decline.

What if I tried to stab you with a slice of birthday cake instead? Would that be acceptable? I didn't specify what I was going to stab with.

>69 jolerie: Val, thanks! Laundry didn't happen so much. The roses did. And shopping did! I got a new phone. Yay!

>70 BLBera: Beth, thanks! I am up for lots of happy. Always. : )

>71 lunacat: Well, why didn't you say so? I am totally good with birthday cake stabs!!

Happy Birthday, Kim. Wishing you all thebest. xx

>73 Ameise1: Thanks Barbara! Hoping you have a great Sunday.

Hi Kim, wishing you and the family a lovely Sunday my dear, love and hugs.

Happy Sunday, Kimmers! Hope you had a lovely birthday. Good luck on your walking regiment. Build up those muscles.

>75 johnsimpson: Happy Sunday to you and your lovey, John!!

>76 msf59: Thanks Mark. The good news is I can walk today! Bad news -- I am sore. Good news -- I am sore in the same places in BOTH legs!! Conclusion -- no damage done, just out of shape. One day down. : )

Hubby and Jack had an awesome time on the mountain and everyone came home unscathed. I go my new birthday phone and have it all uploaded and synched and ready to go. We saw the Kingsman movie last night. Colin Firth is in it, so that alone made it a great movie (although he is a tad uptight in this one). It is rated R for obvious reasons--loads of violence and swearing. Think James Bond on a rampage and there's no Q. But it was also really witty and fun. The kids loved it!

The only thing on for today is Jack's soccer game. I never did read anything yesterday--the day sped by--so I want to fit some book time in. And say Hi to my LT friends. : 0

Glad to hear there is no damage done due to the exercise, Kim. Which reminds me: I need to do my exercise too.

Hi Connie--Today I hurt all over!!! No running/walking today. Indoor bike only. And stretching. ; )

So, I got some books for my birthday, but I have already read some of them. Today I traded in The Rosie Effect and a Picoult plus my gift card for The Bird Skinner, The Golem and the Jinni and Hild. Yay! I also received a light romance, Three Sisters, which I haven't read so I kept it. Yay! Books!!

I am having trouble reading four books at once. I need to finish off a few and get back to my one-at-a-time mode. Or maybe two at a time, so I can listen to an audio (Gasp!) while I work out. : )

>4 Berly: Wait.... World of the Marrok? What is?

And you are very multi talented! I didn't know that you did all of those things :)

Hooray for no damage! And Birdy and Craig went to see that movie, and they both loved it. By the way, you missed me up there because you thought I was Mark. Ahem. And I missed wishing you a happy birthday. Happy Birthday, Kim!!!

Sorry to be so late to respond -
>56 Berly: Sounds like Ruth Ozeki is one to watch out for at events. This sounds like it was a great evening. I enjoyed A Tale for the Time Being a great deal, so hopefully it won't be another ten years...

>58 Berly: Hani and Yasmyne are both Piscean and get along not a bit with each other unless shopping and agreeing that husband/father is in urgent need of improvement.

>63 Berly: Pleased to see those first steps back toward your (in your case literally!) fighting form. xx

Yay for being active. Take it slow and don't hurt yourself. Cheering you on. :D

>81 mckait: Hi Kath--I know right? World of the Marrok. Ask Morphy! It is only a short story as far as I know. But a different perspective I guess. We will find out in April--that is one I haven't read yet! I am glad you like my lack of focus, which I prefer to call "talented." : )

>82 Crazymamie: Well, I don't know how I confused you with Mark, except that you are both lots of fun! Oops. Sorry. ; ) Glad your family enjoyed the movie, too. My son especially like the butt scene at the end. He thought it was a particularly nice one. LOL.

Thanks for the birthday wishes!! I prefer the Mardi Gras week-long approach anyhow. I am still receiving gifts and messages from my family, so you fit right in!

>83 charl08: Char--I am glad that you enjoyed A Tale for the Time Being and hopefully it won't be another 10 years--if her books are half as much fun as she was in person!

>84 PaulCranswick: Paul--Sorry your Pisceans don't swim well together. Good thing they have you to hold them together!!

I am so far from my "fighting" form it is not even funny. But please continue to think of me that way. I would appreciate it! Today was the bike again.

>85 jolerie: Thanks Val. Easy it is, even if it is not Easy Peasy!! Tomorrow I am going to the gym to lift some weights. They will probably be very light, which is discouraging, but going is the thing. I have to start somewhere and incur no further injuries. Thanks for being my cheerleader!

What color would you like?

So, rather than finish a book off and lower my currently-reading numbers, I added Tina Fey's Bossypants on audio--on audio!!! (Please don't faint!) I am using it while I work out and it is making that time so much more fun. The book is quite hysterical and I can't imagine anyone else narrating it or reading it myself. It is just perfection with her voice and nuances. Big thumbs up!!

That makes four days in a row of exercising. And the knee is still working. It actually feels BETTER after I work out, until it starts to stiffen up again. I am trying to throw in a few stretches throughout the day to keep it limber. Feeling pretty good.

Now, I am off to my birthday lunch courtesy of one of my friends. Yay!

Yah, for Day 4, Kimmers! And yah, to Bossypants. Such a fun listen!

>86 Berly: Must find Morphy's thread! I want to hear about Marrok... Thanks Kimmy :)

Feel Better, please ?

>88 msf59: Exactly Mark!

>89 mckait: Kath--Search no more! Here is the thread...See you there!
https://www.librarything.com/topic/185220

So my friend got me a perfect mug for my birthday. It is all covered in phrases Shakespeare used for name-calling and swearing. Today's favorite is You Fustilarian!!!! (I think the meaning is pretty obvious, but in case you were wondering: A low fellow; a stinkard; a scoundrel.) Sure to make me laugh when I use it.

Hi and happy birthday!

Yay, I'm glad to see that the exercise is helping the knee. Long may it continue! Now can you send the same vibes to my dodgy elbow, it's so inconsiderate of our body parts to break down!

I lost you for a bit, Kim, so all my wishes are belated ones: for your birthday, for your improving knee, and for your audiobook listening. You've got it all going on right now!

>90 Berly: That sounds like a great mug :)
Wouldn't it be great if there was a Dickens version that we could get rd?

Oh and thank you for the link!

Happy belated birthday~ Glad the knee is a bit better.

Happy belated birthday and hooray for exercise! Glad the knee is holding up.

Happy Belated Birthday and yay for Bossypants on audio. I really enjoyed that one.

Kimmy, sorry I missed your birthday.. Guess I have to wish you a happy year instead.. and many more after this !

The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion 3.5

This continues with the same cast of characters and in the same vein as the first book, The Rosie Project. Professor Don Tillman is married now, and his wife is pregnant, which was not part of the plan. To say that Don is socially awkward would be an understatement. Brilliant? Yes! Spontaneous? No! Can Dan adapt to all the changes happening in his life and manage to stay married? A hilarious love story, with one predicament after another.

>91 AuntieClio: Thanks Stephanie! Phew! I am so glad it is the weekend. It was a really busy week.

>92 lunacat: Jenny Ermintrude--I know! The nerve of our body parts to go independent and wonky on us. Harrumph. Hope we both heal up soon!

>93 rosalita: Julia--Thanks for thinking that I have it all together---hah!!! I am very glad you found me again. I was feeling pretty lost. ; )

>94 mckait: I always keep me eye out for Dickins things so I can torment dear Richard. For Christmas I sent him two murder mystery books set in a fictional town in Oregon that is all about Dickins. Ha! And thank you for the YEAR of good wishes!!

>96 banjo123: Thanks Rhonda. We have our Powell's get together soon. I am excited!

>97 BLBera: Thanks Beth. I gave it a rest yesterday, but I am back at exercise today!! Not sure if my knee is actually getting better, but I have lost 3 pounds. Yay!

>98 SuziQoregon: Suzi--Thanks and for my fist audio book, Bossypants is an awesome trent setter!!

Ahhh, so that was you who sent Richard the Dickens-themed mysteries. When he reviewed them, I was wondering.... :)

Happily guilty as charged! *evil chortle*

Jack is off to soccer in a town about an hour and a half away from Portland--and we didn't have to drive!!! That is a minor miracle. So, off to the office for a few hours this afternoon then tonight we are out with another couple for German food and then to see the play that their daughter wrote and directed (high school). Happy weekend everyone!

Well I totally missed your birthday Kim so belated good wishes. And yay for being able to power through the pain and exercise. I just assume the doctor is ok with that. I listened to Tina Fey read Bossypants too and she was terrific but what else would you expect?. It was Tina Fey after all. I wasn't crazy about the Ozeki book but I can see where you will enjoy it.

Glad to see the exercising is helping your knee. Listening to Tina Fey while exercising sounds perfect to me.

Wishing you a wonderful Sunday, Kimmers

Hi Kim, hope you have had a wonderful weekend my dear, love and hugs.

>105 brenzi: Thanks Bonnie. Yes, Tina Fey is helping me power through my workouts. I have to wonder if she sees the humor in everything right away or mostly in retrospect. In either case, she sure is funny! As to Ozeki, she was fun in person, but we'll just have to wait and see how she is on the printed page....

>106 lkernagh: Hi Lori--The knee is slow going, but at least I am moving forward right now. Yay!

>107 PaulCranswick: >108 johnsimpson: Paul and John-- Thanks you guys! I hope you had great weekends, too.

I spent the weekend in the office and cleaning house, so now I feel quite ready to tackle Monday!

Now, just for fun--

Words scrambles!

PRESBYTERIAN :
When you rearrange the letters:
BEST IN PRAYER

ASTRONOMER :
When you rearrange the letters:
MOON STARER

DESPERATION :
When you rearrange the letters:
A ROPE ENDS IT

THE EYES :
When you rearrange the letters:
THEY SEE

GEORGE BUSH:
When you rearrange the letters:
HE BUGS GORE

THE MORSE CODE :
When you rearrange the letters:
HERE COME DOTS

DORMITORY :
When you rearrange the letters:
DIRTY ROOM

SLOT MACHINES:
When you rearrange the letters:
CASH LOST IN ME

ELECTION RESULTS :
When you rearrange the letters:
LIES - LET'S RECOUNT

SNOOZE ALARMS :
When you rearrange the letters:
ALAS! NO MORE Z 'S

A DECIMAL POINT :
When you rearrange the letters:
I'M A DOT IN PLACE

THE EARTHQUAKES :
When you rearrange the letters:
THAT QUEER SHAKE

ELEVEN PLUS TWO :
When you rearrange the letters:
TWELVE PLUS ONE

Too fun! Those are great, Kim!

LOL. What?? Those are unreal and I can't believe it matches so well.

>68 Berly: some I LOVE when I am reading them and then they fade quickly into the background. Others, I kinda slog through but they leave a lasting impression. So, which is the "better" book? How do you rate them?

The eternal conundrum!
I have been known to change my ratings after a while of mulling it over. As this recognises that they made a lasting imprint on me. Although in saying that, I hardly ever down grade a book that I have enjoyed reading at the time and then forgotten about it. Probably seeing as I have forgotten about it! I think the better boo is the one that makes a lasting impression, and that is why I got for more solid reads and less the best-seller/glitzy cover/book of the moment reads.

Oh, and >4 Berly: you set your RL book club books for the year already! Well organised!!!

Hubby was sick, then I got it, today both kids were home. Work is crazy. Argghhhh!! Snuck away to Powell's tonight and met Patricia Briggs and Ann Bishop!!! Picked up two Mercy Books and one Alpha and Omega and one by Bishop--all signed!! And I had my picture taken with them. : ) I will post this weekend. And I will respond to all the nice people keeping my thread alive for me--you all rock! Hugs.

Lucky you! You can sneak to Powell's and meet cool writers!

& another Colin Firth fan? I fell in love with him way back when Apartment Zero came out. Creepy movie! A little while later a friend had to rebut his line in Apt 0 "I don't like girls; I like women" by showing Valmont. He had some really creepy roles early in his career!

& hope your knee starts improving, and your asthma too. Pools are often bad for asthma, but do you have a moss-cleaned pool near you that you could run and do low impact exercises in? That might be a pleasant way to ease into doing more. Not cheap, but pleasant.

>111 Crazymamie: Hi Crazy! Aren't those fun? Glad you enjoyed. : ) Have you started our Western for the month?

>112 jolerie: And Val! I know! How do they match like that? Especially the math one....what?! I kept double-checking them. ; )

>113 LovingLit: Hi Megan! I do the same thing. Going back to raise a book rating when I realize that I am still thinking about it. I have (although less frequently) gone back and lowered one. Like when I see the title and although I remember liking it, I can't remember the plot without reading me own review again. Not good.

And thanks for the credit on my organization skills, or at least my RL bookclub's organization.

>115 cammykitty: Katie! I don't think I have seen Colin Firth's creepy movies, but I would see him in anything so I guess I have to add those to my list.

No moss-leaned pools nearby, nor salt pools. Just plain ol' chlorine. Oh well. I just started a new asthma med this week (Dulera) and it seems to really be helping. Nothing preventative has ever helped me before, so I am pretty excited. And the knee is slowly but steadily getting better. I started doing jumping jack's and I amp to 40--yay knee!!!

L to R: Patricia Briggs, Anne Bishop and Me!! At a Powell's reading.

I love Briggs and am doing Morphy's thread this year of the Alpha and Omega and Mercy Thompson series. Picked up Frost Burned and Night Broken, 7 & 8 of Mercy, as well as Fair Game, the latest in A&O. Bishop is new to me, so I walked away with Murder of Crows, the second book in her Urban Fantasy series. They were sold out of her first one, so I will have to get my hands on that one somehow. So much for not buying books!! LOL.

Tomorrow, Sarah and I are headed to the frame shop. She selected four photographs for silent auctions for her High School and her old Middle School. And we spent yesterday updating her portfolio because we are headed to a local art college on Saturday for a visit. Jack left this morning (and we had to get up at fricking 4AM) for CA and a soccer tournament.

Hope I can fit some reading in soon!

Kim, great photo! Also, I missed your birthday but send my congratulations and encouragement for getting yourself moving despite your knee's creaks and cracks and groans. It's hard to get back into it and it's important to go slowly. Best of luck with it!

I also love the word scrambles. I wonder who figured those out....

It sounds like the Powells' meet up is getting moved around again. I hope I can make it.

>117 Berly: Love the photo, Kim! Looks like all of you were having a great time.

>117 Berly:, Hi Kim, love the photo of your Powells' meet up, wishing you and the family a very happy weekend my dear.

Kim, thanks for sharing this wonderful photo. I wish you a lovely weekend.

Happy Saturday, Kimmers! I am glad you enjoyed the author event. It sounds very nice. I love Powells!!

>117 Berly: Cute photo Kimmers. You look the most authorly of the three personages photographed.

Have a lovely weekend.

>118 EBT1002: Hi Ellen! I know. We really should just pick a date and stick with it for our Portland LT Powell's meet-up. Not everyone will be able to make it all the time. I hope you can make one of the April Dates, because that was my idea...!

>119 alcottacre: Stasia--Hi there woman. Congrats again on passing (at the high percentage of 91!!) your math class. Still sending you good mojo for the job front. Have a great weekend. Hugs.

>120 johnsimpson: John! Thanks for stopping by. I see you have been posting your page activity again...I must stop by and see what tombs you have read this time. You really are a glutton for punishment. ; )

>121 Ameise1: Yay!! A lovely Barbara picture!! I have missed those. Thanks so much. I trust that life has calmed down again for you? I will drop by later to check up on you. : )

>122 msf59: Hello Mark! Yes, Powell's is the best! So, when, my dear friend, are you going to come visit again????

>123 PaulCranswick: Paul, why thank you! Although I have not authored much lately, except for business and board meeting notes. And the occasional marketing info for the business website. I have been an editor (Milkweed Editions), but in my next life, I would love to be an author. ; )

Hi Kim! I am sorry to delay the Powell's meet-up, on the one hand, but OTOH, I think April works better for most of us, including me.

Love the photo!

I plan on visiting, every other year. So, next spring, perhaps? I would definitely like to go, when it's a bit warmer.

>124 Berly:, I know I am a glutton Kim, after finishing book 13 I went up to the books to pick the next one and decided to go into the loft to look for a suitable read for book 6 and 7 in this cycle. I think the second cycle will end up at around the 6,000 page mark again as the last in the cycle could be a 1200 page tome. Enjoy your weekend my dear.

>110 Berly: LOVe those.. LOL

>114 Berly: I love Briggs.. and both of those series! Lucky you :)

>125 banjo123: Rhonda--no problem for me! It looks like we will have a solid turnout in April...yay!!

>126 msf59: Perfect Mark! And now I have it in writing so I am going to hold you to it. : ) Today is a positively balmy, sunny 70 degrees here in Portland. Gorgeous!! I bought some bulbs that I plan on putting in tomorrow.

>127 johnsimpson: I rest my case, sir. You are demonstrably insane!!! : )

>128 mckait: Kath, I am glad you got a laugh from those. They certainly tickled me! And I am definitely having fun with books lately. Well, buying them at least. February was a slow reading month here, and March is slogging along so far.

But, my house is clean! And we got all of Sarah's photos framed for the auctions. I also chose a few to keep for home. I will try to post a few later on.

Tonight Hubby and I are off to a friend's gala, a fundraiser for The Portland Artist Conservatory. It is a masquerade, so I am wearing one of those funny feather eye masks! Should be fun.

>1 Berly: My topper is now one of Sarah's photos. I didn't get this one framed, but I still love it. A very nice green for March!

I made the same deal with my sister, Kimmers and she is even tougher than you. So, it looks very likely. Hugs!

Excellent! Hugs back atcha.

A six-part adaptation on PBS Masterpiece premiering April 5th. Thought some of you might want to know. : )

>134 Berly: - Interesting to skim the cast list. I am curious to see how Mark Rylance does in his performance of Cromwell. When I read Wolf Hall I ended up creating a completely different image of what Cromwell in my mind.... not quite so thin, for starters. Books tend to do that for me. ;-)

>130 Berly: "...I am wearing one of those funny feather eye masks!"
Oh! Romeo and Juliet!!

I'm kind of excited about the PBS adaptation of Wolf Hall. I think I want to read Bring Up the Bodies before April 5, just to feel on top of things.

I think the new Portland meet up is going to work for me. I'm going to see if P will join me/us.

The Secret Speech by Tom Rob Smith. Second in the Child 44 Trilogy. A reread. And one that I didn't remember until I was a third of the way in! A good, solid read. Russia. Spies. Family torn apart by secrets.

>135 lkernagh: I must admit that I have yet to read Wolf Hall so I have no preconceived notions about how the characters should look. Chances are slim I will get to it before the series. I still might read it afterwards. That sometimes works better for me anyways, then I don't fight the casting.

>136 EBT1002: Yay! Ellen, I was worried the new date might not work for you. IT will be fun to get together with everyone again! Good luck fitting in Bringing up the Bodies. You are a better woman than I!!

Question What is the best movie casting of a book (in your humble opinion)? Mine would be Harry Potter. I think they nailed just about everyone in that one.

Agreed on the Harry Potter front. Amazing cast, although why Stephen Fry didn't get in there somewhere baffles me...

Good point Amber. : )

Finished another book and I hope to post on it this weekend. Three Sisters. According to Pau's stat overview, I am behind on books, but up on posts. It's a trade off -- life has been hectic!! I keep waiting for it to slow down, and that does not seem to be in the cards this year. But right now I have 20 whole minutes to pick up Sarah and take her to a meeting at 7. After THAT, I will be done for the day. Phew! Cannot wait.

Amen, Kim. :)

You are a better woman than I. I just trust they aren't lying to me. Wouldn't even have the brain power to test out if it worked or not...ha!

I'm so stinking jealous that you live so close to Powell's. Maybe it's a good thing. The universe is trying to save me money. I should just be grateful..haha

Love the photo at the Powells reading, Kim : ).

>142 jolerie: Val--I think we tie as both pretty awesome women!! Let's go with that, okay? ; ) Yes, I love being near Powell's. My wallet and my husband, not so much, LOL. You can pity me.

>143 lit_chick: Nancy--Thanks. It is always fun to see and hear authors in the flesh. Patricia Briggs was very funny and take charge, with a little whimsy showing through, all of which fit my expectations. She looked nothing like I thought she would and I obviously had never seen her picture!

Happy Friday, Kimmers! I hope you have a nice weekend planned. I NEED to get to the Secret Speech, the less than stellar reviews have prevented me from pulling it off shelf.

Happy Friday Mark! The Secret Speech is a good, solid spy novel. I wouldn't rave about it, but I did read it twice!! LOL. I just started Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant, which I have down as Ellen and SuziQ's fault, but I seem to recall you liked it as well.

Tomorrow I am busy during the day setting up for The Gala at Sarah's High School. Two years ago I chaired it. Last year I was in charge of decorations. This year I am a day laborer. Progress!! Sarah is also helping out during the evening and three of her photos will be for sale during the silent auction.

The theme is Pi, for 3-14-15. Wonder what will be the dessert? ; )

Hi Kim, wishing you and the family a Very Happy Sunday my dear.

Kim, you look so happy sitting there with two of your favorite authors. No picture with Ruth Ozeki? Lucky you living near Powell's…maybe in my next life… You haven't mentioned your knee lately. Are you still trying to work out through the pain?

I loved the Something More Pleasant graphic memoir. Parts of it hit close to home. I told my DH that we need to sort through our belongings so the kids don't have to do it. I am doing my part by reading some of my own books and donating them to the library book sale!

Pi Day? What a good idea and what a perfect excuse to eat pi(e)

Hope your Sunday goes swimmingly Kimmers.

>138 Berly: my best movie adaption for sure is The Road. It blew me away with its similarity to what was in my head reading the book. And it scared me that I could picture such scary scenes!!!

Cool pi theme, but is it a costume thing? What would you go as? We cannot have pi day here as there is no 31st of April....31.4.15. Nope. Although, we could wait til 3.1.(20)41? Ok, getting silly ;)

>147 johnsimpson: Thanks John! Had a great time at the fundraiser. Hope they raised lots of money. I showed considerable restraint, so hubby was happy. Sarah sold all three photographs. One went for over $200!! She was quite happy.

I spent the day trying to catch up around the house: pay bills, laundry, dishes, emails and purged "piles"!!! Felt good and I am ready to head in to work tomorrow with my head held high. LOL.

>148 Donna828: My knee is slowly getting better--I know I am thinking about it less! But, no, it is not "well." No TKD yet. I don't seem to have time to work on it as much as I would like, but at least it is not getting worse! Maybe between auctions I can slow down and do a little rehab. And good news...I have found a replacement for myself as Board President and I think I have found a lawyer (pending board approval) to join. Yay!!!! My term ends in June.

I managed to only read a few pages in Something More Pleasant. And it is very nice of you to consider you kids and purge some books. LOL. I am sure the library will love you even more!!! My parents just downsized this month to a new residence. So far, so good. They are really enjoying it.

>149 PaulCranswick: And we did eat pie!! And I texted my kids when it was 9:26, so 3-14-15-9-26!!! Very fun. I even out-geeked my husband!! I hope you had a wonderful Sunday as well.

I was traveling on "Pi" day and did not get to enjoy any dessert.

>152 thornton37814: Oh no, Lori! Here. Have a piece.

Hooray for Pi day! Here is the one my sister made:

>154 banjo123: Also looking yummy!!!! Tell you sister nicely done!

>150 LovingLit: Megan!! Sorry I missed you there. No, I didn't see any costumes. T-shirts and a few hats and lots of pie. Pi-day happens every year on March 14th. 3.14, but the longer version only happens every 100 years (if you drop the first two numbers so 2015 becomes 15 or 2115 becomes 15 giving 3.1415) and then you celebrate on 9:26 AM or PM or both!!! 3.1415926!!

I haven't seen The Road. And now I am scared to! ; 0

>153 Berly: Thanks!

I was just on Chelle's thread and she was raving about all the great children's books she is reading with her daughter and I was bemoaning the fact that I have never been able to find my two favorites, Little Miss Suzy and Joe and Sam, but then....I searched on LT and found them!! (I didn't have the right titles.)



and

Miss Suzy!



I looooooved these books!!

Good for you, Kim! Enjoy.

I am forever behind Kim. Howdy!

Now that I see your photo with Briggs and Bishop I am reminded to post mine. Thanks for that. ;-)

Hi Connie! Thanks for stopping by. : )

Hi Roberta! You are welcome. And to be on LT is to be behind. It's part of the definition. ; )

And to be on LT is to be behind. It's part of the definition. So true, my friend! :O

^ oh good. I am fitting in well then :)

Nope. You are a misfit...You are all caught up here! Wait...now you are one post behind. And so it begins. Hugs. ; )

Happy Friday, Kimmers! I hope the week went well and you have some R & R planned for the weekend.

Morning, Kim! Happy Friday!

Hi Kim, I've finally found some time to visit threads. I wish you a lovely weekend.

Hi Mark, Crazy-- Thanks for popping in. It was a rough week at work and I pretty much just vegged this weekend. Definitely needed the R&R!

Barabara--Thanks so much for posting beautiful pictures here. I love them!

Way behind on posting my reads. And I don't intend to write reviews for these. Just quick comments.

Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast 3.0
A sometimes funny and very depressing look at parents' aging and what that means. To be frank, I didn't appreciate the artwork, which I found rather ugly. And I was saddened by the author's relationship with her mother. However, it was truthful and it did explore many important issues.

Night Broken by Patricia Briggs 4.0
I love Mercy Thompson and this series! A very fun read, if you like werwolves and shapeshifters.

Fair Game by Patricia Briggs 4.0
More werewolves! This is the Alpha and Omega series, which I enjoy just as much. The two series are intertwined.

Three Sisters by Susan Mallery 3.5
A romance given to me at Christmas by my daughter. Actually fairly well written and nice back stories on the three women who become friends. Not sure that actually would have become friends in real life, but it didn't ruin the story. One of the women has OCD; one lost a child in his first year, and the other was stood up at the alter.

The Secret Speech (440 pages) by Tom Robb Smith 3.5
Spies and subterfuge in Russia. Adopted children who cannot accept love. Gypsies and religion.

Snake Oil: How Fracking's False Promise of Plenty Imperils Our Future by Richard Heinberg 3.5. An interesting look at the US and its energy needs and the good, bad and ugly of fracking. You can probably tell by the title what the point of view is.

Hi Kim. I'm sorry Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? didn't appeal to you much.
I haven't explored Patricia Briggs' work at all. I wonder how I feel about werewolves and shapeshifters.....

I should be starting The Secret Speech at some point since I have it all ready on the IPod.
Have you read The Farm by him yet??

>168 EBT1002: Hi Ellen--I think that you read and liked CWTASMP and liked it more than I did. I usually align more closely with your takes on books. I don't know. Could have just hit too close to home. Or maybe it was just too honest. Or maybe I am just worrying if I am saving enough for my retirement and I don't want to be a burden on my kids. So many worrisome things. Remind me again why you liked it? Please? : )

>169 jolerie: Hi Val--I haven't read The Farm yet. Have you? Any good? It takes place in England, so I am assuming it is not related to Child 44. Yes?

So, I spent the day completely redoing a trifold brochure for a conference next week. I will take a look again in the morning and see if I still like it and then I will run it by some coworkers before I send in the order.

Tomorrow I have to make a second one with a very different slant. I am hoping I can finish both of them and maybe take some time off for the rest of the week. My oldest daughter is coming home for Spring Break Tuesday night and it would be fun to do some things with all the kids. We shall see....!

It is definitely worth a read, Kim. It is set mostly in Sweden and London and a completely different storyline from Child 44. I gave it 4.5 stars so give it a try when you get a chance. :)

Hope you are able to get some time off and do something fun with the kids. Looks like the weather will be nicer a the end of the week.

>171 jolerie: Val, a 4.5 star rating for The Farm from you? Book bullet on my own thread!!! Dang! I mean...Thanks! : )

>172 SuziQoregon: Hi, Suzi. I can't pull off skipping tomorrow. Still hoping for Thursday and Friday off. Can you believe it is supposed to be 74 here on Thursday? Better shave my legs for those shorts, LOL!!

Hectic day. Dropped off daughter and lots of friends at Youth Group for a day trip to the beach. Then two hour doctor appt with son (not a big issue but took forever!). Then a haircut, dropped him off at home and headed in to work for the afternoon. Home now. Vegging in front of the TV and alternately reading The Navajo Mystery Group Read (Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee) Dance Hall of the Dead. Is it the weekend yet?!

Hi Kimmers! I hope this week has been less hectic for you. I see you are getting plenty of reading in. Grins...

I also loved The Farm. Just sayin'...

Could I be at work? Should I be at work? Am I at work? I am NOT! Lest anyone think that they should report me as a slacker, I am married to the boss (and I am HIS boss, depending on the day!) and we have agreed that I deserve to be a slacker today. Yay!

I have most of the stuff for the conference next week finished and I can do a little on the slide show from home.

Took Jack to track practice, got bagels, and I am sitting here catching up on LT. : )

>175 msf59: Okay, okay! The Farm is on the list. ; ) Hugs.

Hooray for slacking! You go, girl!

Dance Hall of the Dead by Tony Hillerman

So, contrary to most reviews I have read, I enjoyed this one less than the first in the series. I guessed the ending, knew that a certain someone wouldn't make it, and did not feel the beauty of the Zuni ceremony as I wanted to. And none of the characters appealed to me. Joe Leaphorn as a standalone investigator was not much fun. Well! I just talked myself into downgrading this from a 3 to a 2.5!!

King Den's Sandal Label

So, in my continuing quest to finish A History of the World in 100 Objects, I am sharing another artifact. The one pictured here is actually a shoe tag found on King Den, one of Egypt's first Pharaohs. It's very thin, about two inches square and the opposite side has his name engraved.

From the author, pages 64 and 66--

"The nearest modern equivalent I can think of to this label is the ID card that people working in an office now have to wear round their necks to get past the security check -- though it's not immediately clear who was meant to read these Egyptian labels, whether they're aimed at the gods of the afterlife or perhaps ghostly servants who might not know their way around.

"This little label is the first image of a ruler in this history of humanity. It's striking, perhaps a bit disheartening, that, right at the beginning, the ruler wants to be shown as commander-in-chief, conquering his foe...In it's simplified forms and its calculated manipulation of scale it is eerily reminiscent of a contemporary political cartoon."

So, I hate being the heavy, but that's what I am today. I am currently being a pain in my kids' ass -- I am making them do their homework. They have had all spring break to get it done. One has done a decent job and just needed a little help with rewriting his final draft on a paper. The other, has been having way too much fun and is basically grounded until she is caught up. Sigh. But after reading the discussion on BLBera's thread, I am glad I am insisting.

Just popping by after my depression-enforced absence, and I saw at the beginning of my 'unread' thread that someone was wondering how Mark Rylance would be as Cromwell. IMHO he was FANTASTIC, as were all the cast.

It is probably the best depiction of Tudor England I've seen. Damien Lewis as Henry VIII was inspired, and having a relatively unknown actress as Anne was also good, but the male casting was brilliant. Rylance gave such depth and intricacy in his performance as a man who stuck by his honour and his beliefs, who was tormented and conflicted but strove to do right, who had his own demons............it was simply fabulous.

And Lewis as a man lost but desperate, believing in his own right to rule but questioning himself and fearing making a mistake, in constantly searching for what God and his country wanted him to do........it is all wonderful. There has been criticism for the pace of the six episodes as it IS slow, intricate and detailed, and for the lighting and settings as they did a lot of it filmed by candlelight so it is dark and sparse, but for me it was nearest to what I imagined Tudor England, with candles and nothing else, could possibly be when filmed in the 21st century. I think you'll all love it, and I'll be bitterly disappointed if you all don't, though it would be useful to familiarise yourself slightly with the movers and shakers of the periods (Dukes etc) as the focus is on the politics and machinations of the time.

Oops - what discussion on my thread? I am sure your kids are nothing like some of my slacker students.

>181 lunacat: Wow! Now that's a positive plug for sure. Nice to see you popping in again. ;)

>182 BLBera: No, they are pretty good kids. But my daughter definitely has senioritis!!

This is what I did today--trying to get in shape. Ugh! I hate stairs....

Also, no idea why the picture is sideways. Any ideas on how to rotate it?

Hi Kim, I wish you a wonderful weekend.

Thanks Barbara! I seem to have lost your thread, but got on the German version, but then couldn't leave you a message there so I am off to find you! I love the tulips. Mine aren't up yet, so thanks for these. : )

Oh...that dreaded stage when you hound and nag your kids? Not looking forward to that. You are a great mom!

I don't know why the pics do that sometimes, but you have rotate them outside of LT using whatever photo software editing program you have and then re-upload them. Pain in the butt, but no clue why it happens.

Way to go with getting in shape. Cheering you on!

Howdy do my dear Kimmers! Gettin' back to full speed, me.

xoxoxo

>187 jolerie: Hi Val--Thanks for the great mom endorsement. YOU HEAR THAT KIDS?! : )

The picture is right side up when I imported it to LT. I wonder if I switch if from junk drawer to regular?

And I am very happy I worked out, but today I can't move. Especially stairs!!!! LOL

Richard is back!! And he was HERE!! You are kinda like an LT celebrity you know. : ) Seriously, I have missed you so much and I am so glad that you are finally in a place where you are safe, cared for, and free to be the maverick reader and poster that you are. Love you. I look forward to lots more Richardness.

I just started The Bird Skinner by Alice Greenway. So far so good!

My oldest was home for the second half of Spring Break and it was great to see her. Poor kid was sick though. I guess it was nice to be sick at home and get pampered by Mom. Better than stuck in her apartment and trudging off to classes! Her little (the pledge class below her at the sorority) stayed with us a night, too, and that was a treat because she is such fun and I don't get to see her much. Jess is coming home again for Easter, but I have to share her with the boyfriend's family. Pout.

Here is my latest Easter decoration...

BTW...my sheep came in sideways just like the stars above. So I rotated it sideways before importing, thinking the import process would rotate it up, but it was still sideways. I finally cropped the picture so it was horizontal and that imported correctly. Will I never be able to post vertical pictures again??????

Morning, Kim! Nice sheep!

Hi Kimmers! I hope you had a fine weekend. Glad you are enjoying your current read. I am not familiar with that one.

>193 Crazymamie: Morning Crazy!! My sheep does make me smile. Thanks. I don't really have many Easter decorations. Mostly lots of old eggs we have decorated. The coolest ones we have were made with wax that you melt off to get lots of different color layers. They take a really long time to make though!

>194 msf59: And Good morning, Mark!! The Bird Skinner is a novel that skips between 1973 and World War II, between Maine and the Solomon Islands and between regret and love. And throughout are sprinkled the sightings of birds, as Jim, the main character was a distinguished ornithologist in NY before leaving his job to help out with the war. When we meet him later in life, he is an old, grumpy man who has just lost a leg to some medical condition. And then his life is sent in to further turmoil by the arrival of a war friend's daughter. The writing is really captivating. I am about 100 pages in, so more later.

Happy Monday!

That is a nice description, I'll be watching for your final thoughts.

Yes I'm here :-) I know I've been quiet. It's not you, I promise.

Mark...OK. Be patient. First I have to finish it and it might be a while. Busy week. Put in twelve hours today getting ready for this conference on Wed and Thursday. I have a board meeting all tomorrow morning, too. Ahhhhh!!

Hi Steph. Glad you like my stairs. Glad you like me. I like you too! : )

Hi Kim, it seems like you are having a very busy week my dear, I think that you must be due a rest soon. Karen felt tired yesterday after having a week off and being pampered by moi. Hope you have a good week my dear and I send love and hugs.

>184 Berly: I was curious, and apparently there is html code to rotate images - try adding class="rotate90" within your img brackets.

>199 Berly: I love that! :) Well, unless it was a prank and I was responsible for putting them back in order.

>180 Berly: *sigh* someone has got to be the heavy when it comes to getting things 'actioned'. I have so much to look forward to.

>199 Berly: LOL!! Great, I would crack up if I saw that in a book shop.

>199 Berly: That is funny if I wasn't trying to find a book on that shelf..hahaha!

>199 Berly: Funny!

Hi Kim, just stopping by to send Easter wishes to you and your family my dear, love and hugs.

Happy Easter to you and the family, Kim.

>191 Berly: What an interesting lamb! I was trying to decide what it is made of.

Ugh! Boyfriend's family! How dare they! (Kidding)

Cute lamb, but of course it wanted to come in lying down!

Hope your conference went well, Kimmers.

Have a lovely Easter.

Hi Kim, I wish you Happy Easter.

Happy Weekend! Happy Easter, Kimmers!

Wishing you and very happy Easter, Kim!

I hope you have a wonderful Easter weekend, Kim! :)

Managed to save most of the eggs, just don't look on the underneath. And I didn't do it. Really. LOL

>200 johnsimpson: Hi John! Wishing you and Karen lots of rest and happiness and a wonderful Easter Sunday.

>201 evilmoose: Megan--thanks! You are a tech queen. I marked it for future reference, just in case I need to rotate another picture.

>202 saraslibrary: Sarah, I wouldn't want to have to turn them all around either, but it sure made me smile! ; )

>203 LovingLit: Megan--You gotta be the heavy sometimes, otherwise the kids don't turn out so well. Just continue to have fun being a parent. Did you guys decorate eggs? Did you see mine up above? LOL.

>204 jolerie: Val--You don't actually search for a book title, you just do Eeny Meeny Mini Mo.

>205 banjo123: Rhonda : )

>206 johnsimpson: Happy Easter John!

>207 lunacat: Too cute Ermintrude! I love those chickies.

>208 thornton37814: Lori--I think the lamb is just simple wood painted.

>209 cammykitty: Katie--I know, can you imagine? And we have to share on Easter too! The noyve. ; )

>210 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul. The conference went well. Not a lot of foot traffic, but the leads that we got were very good ones. Crossing my fingers!! We packed it up Thursday and I was pretty spent on Friday. Today was chores and cleaning (and the eggs!). Tomorrow, church in the morning and then family brunch and then I collapse!! : )

>211 Ameise1: Barbara, Happy Easter!! As you can see by my eggs photo up above, the pictures you choose are much more elegant, LOL

>212 msf59: Happy Easter Mark!! Having a beer and thinking of you.

>213 LauraBrook: Laura--What a nice Easter wish--I wish the same for you!

>214 jolerie: Val--Happy Easter to you and your family. Hope you had better luck with the egg boiling...!

And just wanted you all to know the pan survived too. : )

I am so happy to hear that the pan survived! I thought for sure it was a goner!

I know, right? Shortly after we recovered the eggs, we had another accident. A bottle of liquid smoke, fresh from the grocery store, hit the corner of the counter just right and exploded everywhere! So, now my kitchen smells very...smoky! And the ice maker died. Sigh.

Brunch went well, sharing Jess with the boyfriend went okay. I do not like sharing her!! We played "You Don't Know Jack," which is a ridiculous version of Trivia Crack and I was very pleased that I actually wound up with a positive (as opposed to my usual negative) score this time!! Four people play at a time and it is a very sarcastic and funny game and you have to race to give the right answer first for more points.

Sounds like you made the most of it - and it will be a funny memory. I don't have to share yet, but I am guessing that I will not like it, either. "You Don't Know Jack" sounds like a hoot!

Now the dishwasher is broken. Argh!!!! The kids did a very nice job drying today. Neither of them likes to touch the dirty dishes and I remember hating dish duty when I was their age. It's all just so...gross!! LOL

I started and finished The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty. It is for my Book Group on Wednesday, so more thoughts on it after that.

>220 Berly: liquid smoke? Ice maker? What are these things? Do I live in an alternate universe? (I do know what a dishwasher is, however) ;)

>221 Crazymamie: Megan--Ha, ha!! My universe is not alternate, just slightly broken. : )Liquid smoke is some sort of liquid that comes in a bottle that you use (or rather my husband uses) to make food taste like it is grilled outdoors. Wikipedia says, "Liquid smoke is a substance produced from smoke passed through a tube from a combustion chamber filled with select wood chips to a condenser. In the condenser, the smoke cools and forms a liquid, aided by the addition of water.... Created in the late 19th century, liquid smoke replicates the flavor of smoke- curing without all the hassle of actually preparing the food that way." We have never used it before and since it broke, we still haven't used it!! I think it is cheating. Don't tell him!

The ice maker is part of our freezer that makes little ice cubes and it fills up a holding box and then stops when the holding box is full. Only now our box is empty and the ice maker is not filling it back up. So we are using a little tray and waiting for the ice to harden and then dumping them into the box and making more. This second method works just fine.

As to the dishwasher. There is normally a little lighted button you press to indicate what wash cycle you want and then start it but none of them light up right now. And pushing them does nothing. I am glad you know what a dishwasher is. : )

Wow, sounds like the kitchen area is not the place to be at the moment. ;-0 Here is hoping that is the end of the appliance failures. I have never bought liquid smoke before - I wouldn't know how to use it - but I can jut imagine what your kitchen must have smelt like after that bottle broke!

Hi Kim, thanks for popping by my dear, hope you had a good Easter.

>170 Berly: I'm late to answer the question but the reason I liked CWTASMP so much is exactly the honesty that you named. I thought she so beautifully captured the frustration and anger of dealing with aging parents, and the guilt that accompanies those feelings, and the tension between having a life and being there to support them. I especially loved her depiction of the daily annoyances of another person, the way they hold their fork or the way they tie their shoes. So real and true and funny.
Mind you, I lost my parents when I was quite young, so I have a bit of distance from the particular experience she was illustrating.

Sorry about the dishwasher. I hate when *things* don't work. It makes me crazy.

Hiya, Kim! I go a little crazy when my appliances don't work. Especially my computer and other "devices" that would not connect me to the internet for over a week. I resorted to nursing a cup of coffee at McDonald's while I soaked up their wi-fi! A new modem and we're up and running again. I loved your explanation of the ice-maker and the alternate method.

I love your curly-haired lamb upthread. One of my favorite Easter decorations is a fat wooden sheep mostly covered in white wooly cloth. She has a darling face! Too bad Easter is over or I would put a picture on my thread. I'll try to remember next year. Ha!

>225 lkernagh: Hi Lori! Definitely not going for the gourmet meals right now! And then today, my car tire was flat. Even thought they would have patched it for free, there was practically no tread left--Had to replace two of them! So that is three right? Bad luck comes in threes and now I am done. Still have to fix the other two, but I am DONE! I hope. *knocks on wood to be safe*

>226 johnsimpson: Hello John. A very nice Easter, despite the egg mishap (see pictures above). : )

>227 EBT1002: I think she did capture all the anxiety and anger very well. Too well! I am in the midst of some of this and it just kept washing over me. But a good way to think about what's to come and attempt to get ready for it, and for that reason I thought it was good.

>228 Donna828: Donna, so glad your modem is all better. Is McDonald's coffee any good? I am thinking not, but I could be wrong. And next year I will be looking for your Easter sheep picture, so you better remember! ; )

Ooooh..looks like the universe is conniving to upset your balance. Broken appliances are no fun. I remember our furnace broke down during a particularly cold stretch last winter and we were huddled in one corner of the living room with the electric heater waiting for our heating saviour to come and save us..haha! Hopefully that will be the end of little disasters for you Kim.

Interested to see your thoughts on The Husband's Secret as I just read Big Little Lies earlier this year and quite liked it.

>230 jolerie: I have my fingers crossed that the universe likes me again!! : )

I have thoughts on The Husband's Secret, but I am going to share them on my new thread...soon!

https://www.librarything.com/topic/189915