KatieKrug's 2015: Books, Beverages, and Banter (Part VIII)

Hello All! I’m Katie, a transplanted New Yorker living in Dallas. I’ve been doing the 75 Challenge since 2011. I read many different genres including speculative fiction, mysteries, literary fiction, and social history. I try to comment on everything I read here, but sometimes time gets away from me. This year, I will be participating in the American and BritishAuthors Challenges, as well as the monthly TIOLI challenges. And I will again this year be letting the LT Folly feature pick a random read for me each month. I did this last year, and it was a lot of fun, as well as helpful in clearing some books off my shelves… I currently have over 3,000 unread books in my home and on my Kindle, so I need all the help I can get :)

Hello, Old Friends! And Welcome, New Ones!

Current Reads

(Audio) (Kindle)

Completed in March:
19. Judgment in Death by J.D. Robb (4 stars)
20. The City & the City by China Mieville (4.5 stars)
21. Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson (4.5 stars)
22. The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton (4.5 stars)
23. Wildlife by Richard Ford (3.5 stars)
24. The One & Only by Emily Giffin (3 stars)
25. The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson (3 stars)
26. The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis (3 stars)
27. Last Friends by Jane Gardam (4 stars)

Books Completed in February:
9. The Widow of the South by Robert Hicks (4 stars)
10. Washington Square by Henry James (3.5 stars)
11. Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh (3.5 stars)
12. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin (audio) (3.5 stars)
13. In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick (4.5 stars)
14. Boy in the Water by Stephen Dobyns (2.5 stars)
15. Stardust by Neil Gaiman (audio) (4 stars)
16. Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch (4 stars)
17. How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell (audio) (5 stars)
18. Plum Island by Nelson DeMille (2.5 stars)

Books Completed in January:
1. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (3.5 stars)
2. Cleopatra's Sister by Penelope Lively (4 stars)
3. The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers (4 stars)
4. The Sun and the Moon by Matthew Goodman (3 stars)
5. A Prayer for the Dying by Stewart O'Nan (4 stars)
6. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (audio) (3 stars)
7. A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam (4 stars)
8. Counting by 7s - Holly Goldberg Sloan (audio) (4.5 stars)

And this explains all you need to know about me:

And in honor of some lovely ladies:

Reserved for just in case...

Happy New thread, Katie! Yah!

Thanks, Mark. Cheers!

ETA: This one's for you, Mark:

Happy new thread, Katie!

Stopping by to check out the new thread and to say hello!

Happy new thread, Katie! You are reading Joshilyn Jackson!! I have not read that one, but I have it on my shelves - I really loved Between, Georgia and gods in Alabama.

Happy New thread, Katie!

Howdy KAK! Cannot see your topper. :(

Happy new thread, Katie.

That thread-topper needs a "bless your heart" tacked onto the end. :-)

I just finished The City and the City so I went back and read your review in your last thread. Well stated, as usual.

Happy new thread, friend.

Looking forward to more laughs and troublemaking and something else...oh right! Books. :D

>10 lkernagh: - Hello Lori!!

>11 Crazymamie: - Hi Mamie! I'm listening to the Jackson book. It's ok. I'm only a couple of hours into it, though...

>12 connie53: - Thank you, Connie!

>13 luvamystery65: - Howdy, Ro! It says, "You are not stupid. I just think you have bad luck when thinking." I'm fed up with annoyingly dumb and clueless people :D

>14 BLBera: - Thank you, Beth!

>15 rosalita: - Thanks, Julia. And yes, a "Bless your heart" would be very apt :)

>16 jolerie: - Books?
(Hi Val!)

We just got back from my aunt and uncle's where we had our family St. Patrick's Day dinner - corned beef (which was exceptionally good this year!), cabbage with bacon, boiled potatoes and carrots, and Irish soda bread with Kerrygold Irish butter. Yummo! Oh, and Harp and Smithwick's beer.

My niece, who is about to turn 10, is at the age where she rolls her eyes at anything her parents do, but thinks that I am just the coolest. Heh. I love it. Next Saturday, we are spending the day together - a trip to B&N to spend her Christmas gift from me, lunch at the gourmet grilled cheese restaurant, and a showing of Cinderella. I think I may be looking forward to the day even more than she is!

gourmet grilled cheese restaurant

That totally caught my attention! I love grilled cheese.... in fact, I made my own grilled cheese sandwiches today as our 'lunch'.

>20 lkernagh: - Lori, I *adore* grilled cheese in almost any form. I've been dying to go to this place but it's not super close to where I live. I will be up in that area, though, on Saturday, so it seems like the perfect opportunity.

Check out the menu: http://www.cheeziesgourmet.com/menu.html.

Grilled cheese with a side of mac 'n' cheese, anyone?

Happy new thread, Katie. I was happy to see you enjoyed The City & the City as I have it on my shelf. Unfortunately, I won't be getting to it this month, but hopefully someday soon.

OMG those grilled cheese sandwiches sound to die for! I would have one heck of a time making up my mind as to which one to order.

Wow, you'd have to really like cheese to go to that place! I am not sure I could handle so much chese at once. Tried a four cheese pizza once and almost cheeses myself to death :)

Okay, your topper made me laugh out loud!! I may steal it. Happy new thread and best wishes for a fantastic time next Saturday--sounds like a winner!

Hello new thread. My 11 year old daughter just read the topper card and thought it was funny. And rude. :) I also think it's funny, and rude, which is funny.

Oooh, the grilled cheese place sounds amazing!

>22 DeltaQueen50: - Judy, it's going to be a tough decision!

>23 LovingLit: - Ha ha, Megan! I do like cheese, for the most part, and melted cheese between two pieces of toasty bread is just about perfection. I will probably forego the side of mac 'n' cheese :)

>24 Berly: - Thanks, Kim! And steal away...

>25 nittnut: - Do you think it's too rude, Jenn? It made me laugh, and of course I am not referring to anyone here. Or at least, not anyone who visits my thread - ha! I kid, I kid.

Kind of.

>26 scaifea: - Doesn't it, though?!?!

I stayed up too late last night finishing Dead Wake. It was very good. I'll type up some comments later...

>19 katiekrug: I love outings with my niece and godchild! She is now 25 years old and a real clever young woman. the two of us celebrate her birthday with a lunch and a long talk and of course she gets to pick a present (books mostly).

Howdy, Katie! Sounds like you had a nice weekend. Corned beef. Yum! Glad you knocked out Dead Wake. I managed to snag the audio, so I have it both in print and for the ear. I think I will kick off my April with this one. My Wolf Hall marathon is coming up first.

>29 connie53: - That's great, Connie! I hope she and I are still close when she's 25! And that she still loves books :)

>30 msf59: - Hiya Mark! I've been thinking of picking up Wolf Hall soonish....

Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson


Why I read this now: Good buzz and I had won it from Early Reviewers.

"Narrative nonfiction" is a term that's been getting thrown around a lot lately, and not always accurately. As I understand it, the term refers to nonfiction books that have more in common with a novel than a dry text - a cast of characters, a story arc, some narrative tension, you get the idea. NNF is Erik Larson's bread and butter, and he excels in the (sub)genre. He fleshes out real people, reveals a telling detail to perfectly set the stage, and knows better than a lot of thriller writers how to create tension, which is no mean feat when you are dealing with a subject about which most people have a passing familiarity and at least know the end result of. Heck, the sub-title could be considered a spoiler...

This book is not without its problems - sometimes Larson is too eager to show every last piece of research he's done and share every tiny detail with his reader. It can get almost overwhelming. And his account is fairly one-sided throughout much of the book. I would have liked to know more about why Germany felt the need to use her submarines indiscriminately, and while he does spend a little time on how the Royal Navy failed to protect the Lusitania when it should have been obvious she was a target, it wasn't a main thrust of the book. Which leaves us with the oversimplification that bad, bad Germany did a bad, bad thing. Surely there is more nuance to be had.

But overall, this was such a gripping, well-researched and well-written account, that I almost hate to quibble. I inhaled it over a day and a half and couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Whether you are well-versed in this period and this incident, or it's all new to you, the book is worth reading.

(Though, really, I didn't need the chapters about Woodrow Wilson mooning over his lady love. Never been a Wilson fan anyway, and this didn't help...)

I saw Cinderella this weekend. It was a good time. :)

>33 MickyFine: - Good to hear, Micky! I'm looking forward to it!

Man, I need to get that Larson book ...

>35 rosalita: - I think you'd like it, Julia!

So LT Folly chose The Book of Ruth as my random read this month. I'm 25 pages in and finding it pretty blah. Anyone read this? Worth continuing or should I toss it in the donate box and move on?

>36 katiekrug: There's no question that I'll like it, Katie. I've read every Larson book and liked them all. It's just a matter of getting my hands on it. The library doesn't have it, but I've requested that they add it. We'll see.

I'll send you my ARC if my aunt decides not to read it!

>37 katiekrug: I can send you the Pebble Meditation book. Would that make you feel better? :P

>40 luvamystery65: - Erm, no......

;-)

>41 katiekrug: See! Things are looking up already. The PM book did it's job.

HA!

I'm not a huge NF fan (except Unbroken totally won me over), so narrative NF might just be my cuppa. I did add Larson's book a couple weeks back because the description of the book totally didn't sound like it was NF so that in itself is already promising. :)

>39 katiekrug: That would be lovely, but I know I'll get it one way or the other so no worries if your aunt decides she wants to read all about Woodrow Wilson's love life. ;-)

>44 jolerie: - Valerie, I think many people would class Unbroken as NNF, so you should definitely explore more in the same vein given how much you loved that one!

>45 rosalita: - Julia, I'd be surprised if your library didn't get it soon. He's such a popular and mainstream author... Hopefully they don't shelve it in romance ;-)

The Book of Ruth is improving, so I will stick with it. I know you all were awaiting my decision with bated breath - ha!

>46 katiekrug: Hopefully they don't shelve it in romance ;-)

The horror! Although the library is so small (the entire adult* section is maybe 10-15 shelves) I could probably find it anyway.

*Not that kind of adult, pervs! The "not juvenile" kind of adult. Although I've seen some books shelved there that were pretty juvenile, come to think of it ... oh, never mind! You know what I mean.

Julia goes to a porn library! OMG, how scandalous!

>49 katiekrug: No wonder we don't hear from her for days at a time! Iowa wrestling my foot!

*SNORT!*

Well, it's wrestling of a sort, I guess....

You are not stupid. I just think you have bad luck when thinking. OMG, that made me laugh out loud! You are priceless, Katie!

>49 katiekrug: >50 luvamystery65: >51 katiekrug: How did I know this would happen? I said NOT that kind of adult. *shaking my head*

And speaking of Iowa wrestling (I know, we weren't really but you opened the door), the NCAA national championships start Thursday and run through Saturday so don't panic if you don't seem me around LT. I've taken Thurs-Fri off work and will be hunkered down in front of ESPN3 on my laptop. I'm not going to jinx it but it could be a very happy weekend in the Hawkeye state.

/sports talk

>53 rosalita: ...so don't panic if you don't seem me around LT. I've taken Thurs-Fri off work and will be hunkered down in front of ESPN3 on my laptop.

mhmm

sure

What's gonna be on your lap? Oh, laptop! Right.

>54 luvamystery65: Well, I guess technically I'll have a lap full of sweaty half-naked college boys, but they'll all be two-dimensional on my computer screen, more's the pity. ;-)

>55 rosalita: Such a shame. *sigh* ;-)

You're the best Julia!

>52 lit_chick: - Thanks, Nancy :)

>53 rosalita:, >54 luvamystery65:, >55 rosalita:, and >56 luvamystery65: - Geez, can't I leave you two alone for an hour?!?!

;-)

Okay. I knew that Julia and Roberta were somehow involved over here when I saw all the posts I had missed! You guys crack me up!

Hi, Katie!

>56 luvamystery65: :-D

>57 katiekrug: You should know better, really. I mean, you KNOW us.

>58 Crazymamie: Would it do any good at all to say that Ro started it? I didn't think so.

I have nothing to say about porn or any person's freedom to view it in a library or anywhere else so I hope it's ok for me to be here Katie. I was more interested in your enticing review of Dead Wake. I had to suspend the hold I have on it at my library (you see, they do have other stuff besides porn;-) because I have too many really long books staring me in the face right now. But I am really looking forward to it. Larson is a real favorite. Have you read Isaac's Storm? Really good.

>58 Crazymamie: - Hi Mamie!

>59 rosalita: - I know, I know.....

>60 brenzi: - Bonnie, you are always welcome :) Sometimes things get a little out of hand, but it's all in good fun. As a Larson fan, I know you will love Dead Wake! I think Isaac's Storm may still be my favorite. In the Garden of Beasts is a distant third. And I still haven't read The Devil in the White City, so I look forward to seeing how that one stacks up!

>27 katiekrug: Goodness no! Not too rude. We know you don't mean us (fingers crossed). It was just funny to see my daughter's reaction. She's 11. She giggled, then felt bad for thinking it was funny, then got worried someone was being mean... and that's just par for the age. And then I told her she couldn't read the rest of your thread because it's PG-13. Just in case I would have to explain something about pig farmers or porn libraries (gasp!) or, you know, whatever.

Happy Hump Day, Katie! Nothing to add to the porn discussion. I never ever look at it...(looks around shiftily.)

You have to read The Devil in the White City. Put it in the queue, please.

>62 nittnut: - Oh, thank goodness! I don't want to contribute to the delinquency of a minor!

>63 msf59: - Hiya bookMark! TDitWC is in the queue, I promise! It's just a really long queue...

Today is my last day of work until next Tuesday! *Snoopy dance*

Friday is my regular Friday off, and I took Thursday and Monday as comp days. Yes, for the stretch of 18 days that I worked/traveled non-stop, I get two whole comp days. The generosity of our policy never ceases to amaze me :-/

Oh, and I am really loving The Book of Ruth! It was a bit of a slow start, and it's unrelentingly grim, but I love books about a single, ordinary life. Reminds me a bit of The Stone Diaries which is a favorite of mine...

Hi Katie - At least you get comp days... The Larson sounds like another winner. My book club is reading Devil in the White City this year, so I'll get to at least one of his books.

I read The Devil in the White City last October. It was an incredible read. It's creepy too.

I read the Larsson one about Nazi Germany and I'm definitely interested in the new one. Oooh, and it's even on order at the library, but I have no reserve slots left. Dang!

Katie, your little break sounds excellent. Enjoy!

>67 BLBera: - I know it's better than nothing, Beth, but I also know of some places with a 1 for 1 comp day policy and it makes me jealous :)

>68 luvamystery65: - I'm sure I'll get to it sooner rather than later, Ro. I've really been enjoying my NF reads lately. Susan is such a good influence...

>69 susanj67: - Hi Susan! I thought the Nazi Germany one was good but dragged in places and got a little repetitive. No problems there with this latest. Have you read Isaac's Storm about the 1906 Galveston hurricane? That's a great one. And bonus - it's about Texas, your favorite state!

>70 katiekrug: I haven't! But I seem to have just ordered a copy on Amazon. Maybe I should Sellotape my fingers to the desk...Of course now I have my the book exchange to donate books to, so that's kind of like a social service. Ahem.

>71 susanj67: - It's all about the philanthropy! Good for you, Susan.

How is the book exchange? Haven't heard much about it lately. I'm adding it to my itinerary for my next trip to London!

>72 katiekrug: The book exchange is going well. The new shelves have been excellent, although I could do with a bit more room for crime, but never mind. We're getting quite a few donations so I have shelving to do nearly every day :-) I was trying to peddle a Diana Gabaldon novel to one of the hairdressers a couple of weeks ago but she said "I don't read books." I managed not to cry. She did, however, offer to keep an eye on the returns box while I'm away, and maybe even attempt some reshelving if the category of book is obvious, so that was sweet!

Very nice! If I was there, I would fight her for the right to re-shelve. I love doing that...

But I'm still looking forward to it!

LOL...so what kind of mischief do you have planned for your time off? I expect nothing less than top notch shenanigans! ;)

>76 jolerie: - Oh, geez, that's a lot of pressure, Val! I don't have anything awesome planned, except for my fun day out with my niece on Saturday. Other than that, a doctor's appointment, pedicure, visit to a favorite bookstore, lots of reading... Hopefully a nice, relaxing "staycation" :)

Ooh, Katie, enjoy that time off. Nothing wrong with a mini-vacay. I hope you got all your books lined up and ready to go.

>78 msf59: - Mais bien sur, mon ami!

Here's the plan:
Finish The Book of Ruth
Improve myself with Wildlife by Richard Ford
Rot my brain with The One & Only by Emily Giffin

And if I have any time left, open myself up to a random challenge by an LT buddy.

I love it when you talk French...

It looks like you have the books, locked and loaded. Smiles...

>75 katiekrug: Oh yes! Still, I'd rather have a vacation than not....

I read The Book of Ruth eons ago. I have to admit to a poor memory but I do recall that I liked it. :-|

>79 katiekrug: "...open myself up to a random challenge by an LT buddy."
Is this an invitation?

Read Being Mortal with me and my RL book group? (I'm just trying to think of something that is a challenge without being obnoxious.)

^oh yea. Do that. You won't regret it. Any of you.
Consider that book endorsed :)

Hi Katie, thanks for visiting my thread. Book of Ruth sounds intriguing. Thought I'd read it but it turns out that was another book with Ruth in the title (oh dear)...

Katie, I've posted some pictures of the book exchange on my thread, finally :-)

>80 msf59: - Merci, Mark! (And that about exhausts all my remembered high school French...)

>81 EBT1002: and >82 EBT1002: - I may tear through the rest of it today, Ellen. It's very sad but really well done.

Being Mortal has a crazy long wait list at the library and I am not quite interested enough in reading it to buy a copy. For my random challenge, I was more thinking of picking a random friend and making them come up with a TIOLI-like challenge for me (e.g. "read a book with four Es in the title" or something like that) - just something fun and silly to help further randomize my reading...

>83 LovingLit: - I know you are a big fan of that one, Megan!

>84 charl08: - Hey Charlotte. Who knew Ruth would be so popular in book titles ;-)

>85 susanj67: - I was just over there, Susan. SO impressive!

First day of my mini-break:

- Work-related lunch but it's free and at a nice restaurant downtown, but it does mean I have to shower and put on real clothes :-/

- Pick up my two holds at the library (Wildlife by Richard Ford and the DVD of Fingersmith)

- Read!

- Maybe dinner out and some Geeks Who Drink trivia....

It feels like Friday to me. Can we do two Fridays instead of Thursday and Friday? Saw this and knew it would make you laugh:

Hi Katie, just popping in and reading all the things going on over here. And that's lots!

Enjoy your days off! The plans sound lovely!

Katie, I thought you'd like to know that the library has gotten a copy of Dead Wake and I am fifth on the holds list (which is already more than 60 people long so obviously a lot of people wanted to read it and why they didn't just buy the darn thing from the beginning I'll never know but whatever).

So you can give your ARC to your aunt and make her read it!

Happy Friday, KAK! Hopefully you are deeply immersed in your LONG weekend. I am going to enjoy a 3-day myself. B.A.G.

>88 Crazymamie: - Love that card, Mamie! And yes to two Fridays :) Which I am basically having.... HA!

>89 connie53: - Thanks, Connie. So far, the plan is going swimmingly.... :D

>90 rosalita: - Well, hooray for libraries being sensible and ordering popular books! Can't wait to hear what you think of it, Julia!

>91 msf59: - B.A.G. indeed, Mark! Go us!

I stayed up late last night to finish The Book of Ruth, which made me cry, so I woke up with a monster headache this morning. The weather is grey and drizzly which isn't helping. I think the only solution for this is to go out for a nice breakfast!

PS: TBoR is devastating. Just. So. Sad. I like sad books, but this one was so relentless, I docked it a half star so it only got 4.5. Beautifully written, though...

Hiya Katie! Way back at the end of the last thread you asked why I couldn't quit either or both of the real-life bookclubs I'm in.

Wellllllll the short answer is I'm a weirdo and it's easier for me to be uncomfortable and annoyed than to annoy/piss off friends in the bookclubs. But really, the first one is one that I've been in for about 10 years (so there are friends there, but mostly people don't show up and over half of the people don't pick books any more - this would be the easiest one to quit, I think), and the second one is a newer one, only a couple of years old. The problem with this one is that there are only 5 of us, and 2 people were already friends with me, and one of them is one of my only book obsessive friends I have. She's also, shall we say, a little emotionally immature, and would try and guilt me over leaving for literally years to come. While that's her problem and not mine, I still have to listen to it and I would snap like any sane adult who realizes that it's just a friggin book club.

So I'm kinda feeling stuck with these. They both have good points, both in terms of company and books we read, but they both have bad points too. I've been moaning about this problem off and on over the last year or so, and that tells me that something's got to give. Still, ripping off either bandaid would be really painful. Ugh.

Is it too early to start drinking?

>94 LauraBrook: My only decision is between red or white...

>94 LauraBrook: - Life is too short, Laura! Kick one of them to the curb :)

(Love that picture!)

>95 charl08: - Charlotte, I knew you were my kind of people ;-)

The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton


Why I read this now: It was the LT Folly pick for the month. And bonus - it's been sitting on my shelf since 2007!

"I had to learn about myself before my baby boy was born so I could start fresh, so I could teach him how a person can have a strong mind, a kind heart. Somehow, I knew, I was going to have to come up with strength and kindness in myself. So much of me was set on bearing poison as my offering to every spot on earth. There was a terrible black cloud in my soul, directly under the heart. Somehow I had to fill that terrible dark space with gold." (page 310)

The Book of Ruth is devastating and brutal. It moves from one bleak point in Ruht's life to another, following her as she grows from a neglected child to an abused teenager to a confused and beaten down wife and mother. There are pin pricks of light in her life but nothing strong enough to chase out the darkness. And in the climactic scene, when Ruth is betrayed by the one person she has invested so much of her love and sense of worth in, she is left broken in more ways than just the physical. We are left with a sense of a woman struggling back to life, to understand herself and the degree to which she makes her world and her world makes her. And we are left with the faintest glimmer of hope, a flickering chance for redemption and maybe a brighter future for Ruth.

I've now picked up Wildlife by Richard Ford for the AAC. So far, so good. And it's under 200 pages!

>98 katiekrug: That's the one I have too because the library didn't have the short story collection. It sounds interesting but I'm in the middle of The Trail of the Serpent right now so Ford will have to wait his turn.

Happy vacation, Katie and good luck with your reading plans. I am planning on taking a little break myself next week and will be heading over to the Island to visit my Mom and the rest of the family. I think I will take a pass on The Book of Ruth as it sounds just a little too sad for me right now.

I read The Book of Ruth years ago -- tough stuff but excellently written.

>99 luvamystery65: - Ro, I'm more than halfway through, and it's very good!

>100 DeltaQueen50: - Judy, I am enjoying my little break. And by all means skip TBoR if it sounds too much - it can be devastating. Have a great visit with your family!

>101 lauralkeet: - Perfect mini-review, Laura!

This morning I am feeling some minor effects of my night of watching basketball and drinking wine... Nothing too terrible, though, which is good because it's my special day with Livvy! Probably won't get much reading done today, as I expect I may need a long nap when I get home :)

The Book of Ruth sounds like a hard one to swallow but worth the time. I'll put it on my library list. Thanks for the thoughts, Katie.
I hope you are having a restful weekend, my friend!

>104 jolerie: - Hi Val! Not so restful quite yet, but the busy-ness is winding down :)

The movie, Cinderella, was very sweet, and Liv and I enjoyed it. Cate Blanchett as the evil stepmother was wonderful. I could watch her in anything..

Overall, it was a fun day, even if I didn't get to go to the grilled cheese place because Livvy just wanted pasta salad from Paradise Bakery in the mall food court :-/ And she spent her B&N gift card not on books but on a Monster High doll. B&N seems to stock a lot of crap toys now, which is really disappointing... I hadn't been in one in years, and was not inspired to go back any time soon.

The Wayne and I are off to dinner and then I plan on curling up with my book and hopefully finishing it tonight!

Finally getting a chance to stop by your new thread, Katie, and wishing you well on your vacation! Enjoy.

>107 ronincats: - Thank you, Roni! A peaceful Sunday to you!

Happy Sunday, KAK! Hope you have an R & R day planned. I know I do. Got to rest up for tomorrow.

>106 katiekrug: I went to B&N to have coffee with two of my cousins on Wednesday and thought exactly that it has become a toy store. It was really freaky.

>109 msf59: - Happy Sunday, Mark! I do have a reasonably relaxing day planned. Or I did. Then I got all energetic to do some organizing around the house. But I have now recovered and will soon curl up with my book.

>110 luvamystery65: - It was so lame, Ro. I can understand having greeting cards and some nice, tasteful gift-type things. But you aren't going to inspire a future generation of readers if you are stocking dumb toys on the way to the childrens book section! Ugh.

Wildlife by Richard Ford


Why I read this now: American Authors Challenge

I don't have a lot to say about this short novel, mostly because all of the characters and their actions were inscrutable to me. Their actions, reactions, emotions, lack of emotion.... none of it connected with me or made sense in any kind of coherent way. That being said, the book was well-written, and Ford evoked the confusion of growing up and the mystery of the adult world in a very powerful way that kept me turning the pages. I just wish I had connected with it more.

Katie, I had to look up what a Monster High doll was, and oh my goodness! Very different from Barbie :-) At least the movie was good!

I enjoyed your thoughts on the Ford book. Opinion seems to be mixed on him, although I like him enough, to continue his work. Glad you gave him a try.

I just started Wolf Hall and I am surprised how quickly I was sucked in. Her writing is terrific and her narrative moves quickly.
We're you still going to book horn this one in?

>113 susanj67: - Yes, the dolls are somewhat terrifying, Susan!

>114 msf59: - Good to hear that about Wolf Hall, Mark. I was thinking of reading it for the BAC but since I've backed off a bit from that challenge, I might get to it sooner. Or later. ;-)

Hi Katie! I thought I'd better jump in while you're still on this thread. Gourmet grilled cheese sounds like my kind of place. I had to look it up to see where it is. Sadly, nowhere close to my brother and SIL's house. My SIL isn't supposed to have cheese because of her migraines so I probably wouldn't get to go even it they lived closer to it. SIL does make cheese quesadillas, so I guess that's a pretty good substitute!

>112 katiekrug: Great review of Wildlife. I totally get what you mean. The writing is beautiful, even compelling. The motivations of the characters, totally inscrutable. A strange book.

>116 cbl_tn: - Hi Carrie! I've been lurking on your thread and enjoying the interesting family history you've been sharing.

I was so disappointed not to get to the grilled cheese place. I'm already trying to figure out when I can try again!

>117 nittnut: - Strange, indeed, Jenn. I'm glad it's not just me!

Bummer about having to miss the grilled cheese place and about the use of the gift certificate. At least the movie was a hit - my girls liked it, too. You're an excellent aunt, Katie!

Oh, Cinderella. We really want to see that. Probably should have gone this weekend.
BUT we've been watching women's basketball. My Huskies lost in the first round (sigh) and the Pac-12 is looking pretty pathetic. You're probably watching the men, though, right? I am so out of touch with them this year. Who is Louie rooting for?

You have made me interested in rereading The Book of Ruth.

Did you come up with a challenge along the lines of reading a book with four Es in the title? :-D

>119 Crazymamie: - Thanks, Mamie!

>120 EBT1002: - TBH, Ellen, I'm not really following the basketball - mens or womens. We were just invited to someone's house Friday night to watch and eat and drink :)

Haven't come up with the challenge because I'm not sure I'll have another open slot in March but we will see...

>121 katiekrug: "...to watch and eat and drink..."
Well, that's not all bad. :-)

Katie, there's a puppy on my thread. Thought you might want to know. :)

Book club woes, oh dear, that sounds difficult. Wouldn't it be ironic if all the others feel the same way and no one wants to admit it?

Wildlife sounds as if it has some of the same problems as his last novel which I quit reading . . . blanking on the name . . . oh yes Canada duh, set out west with a child as the protagonist. Ford's books that are set out in the wilds of the west seem to me - as you say - weird and disconnected. I quit reading Canada after slogging through 150 pages saying under my breath, this has to get better, I love Richard Ford, this has to get better. But it just didn't.

>122 EBT1002: - Oh, definitely not!

>123 lauralkeet: - PUPPY!

>124 sibylline: - Lucy, I had planned to read Canada because I had it on my Kindle, but I was so uncertain of my reaction to Ford, I decided to try something shorter. I'm glad I did, but I think I might give Canada a try at some point...

Ooohh..I want to watch Cinderella at some point but will wait tills it's on DVD most likely.

I totally get what you said about Ford. I read Canada and the actions of the characters just didn't make any sense to me, but as an author I'm not willing to give up on him yet!

Kudos to you for getting through Wildlife. I had that kind of disconnect with The Sportswriter and, despite the fine writing, just couldn't keep going.

>126 jolerie: - Good on you, Val, for being willing to give him another try. I think I've done my due diligence and concluded he is not a priority for me :)

>127 jnwelch: - It should be motto around here, Joe - "Life is too short!" I am getting better at abandoning books (especially long ones) that I'm not connecting with...

Good day today (the last of my mini-break *sob*) - the weather was gorgeous, 70F and sunny, and I finished both my current read and my audiobook. I love book turnover day!

The One & Only by Emily Giffin


Why I read this now: I had put a hold on it at the library after first hearing about it and my number finally came up

It's always fun to read a book with locations that you are familiar with. Set in a fictional North Texas town but with some scenes in Dallas, it was fun to gauge how well the author actually knew the area (pretty well, as it turns out...). And there was a lot of football in this novel, even if it was the hated Cowboys and a fictional college team whose biggest rival are my UT Longhorns... But I digress.

The problem with this contemporary romance was that I didn't buy the romance. And that's a bit of a problem for a book in the genre. I don't care that it was a May-December thing, or that the girl was the best friend of the guy's daughter. My issue was that the characters weren't well-developed enough to make me believe in them. I just didn't really care about them for most of the book, and when I finally did start to care a little, it ended. Very. Abruptly.

There was a lot of potential to tell a non-traditional romantic story but the effort wasn't there. Still, it was compelling enough to keep me turning the pages at a rapid pace, so three stars it is.

" the weather was gorgeous, 70F and sunny," Aw shaddup your face! LOL. It was miserable here.

Do you have an Erdrich picked out?

The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson


Why I read this now: Audio available from the library and I had heard decent things about the author

I get a little tired of overly self-conscious Southern fiction. If I had picked this up in print, I'm not sure I would have finished it. As it was, I could just manage to spend about 20 minutes at a time with this story of family secrets, warring sisters, and a dead girl found floating in a pool. Much of it was over the top - from the description of perfect Laurel's life to that of crazy Thalia's, from the depiction of Stepford suburbia to the final, ridiculous climax - and I may have pulled a muscle rolling my eyes. That said, there were hints of a good story here, so I am not ready to give up on the author. I've wishlisted a couple of her other novels on the library's website, so we shall see...

>131 msf59: - LOL - sorry, Mark! I have several Erdrich's on the shelf to choose from, but I'm thinking of going with her first (?) - Love Medicine. Have you read that one?

Sadly, the only Erdrich I have read is Four Souls and that was many years ago. I also have a few on shelf but I think I will go with The Plague of Doves and possible the Round House.

>134 msf59: - I have all three of those you mention on my shelves, Mark. I am thinking about trying to read her oeuvre in publication order, since I already own most of them. We shall see...

I think my next read will be Last Friends by Jane Gardam. I've absolutely loved the first two in this trilogy, and Mamie's rhapsodizing over her Europa Editions reminded me how much I also love them :)

Oh dear.... two back to back mediocre reads. Not good. Here is hoping your next read is better, Katie!

>88 Crazymamie: classic! My in laws are of one type. You can guess which. I fear that one day I will bring my own grape juice to Xmas dinner (and not the type that is literally just grape juice) and drink the lot and say some whoopsies. Lol, could be catastrophic!

>112 katiekrug: I have never heard of this Richard Ford novel til recently, I think I want to read it. And your précis of it sounds typical of Fords style.

Katie, I'm excited to announce that London is getting its own grilled cheese cafe! http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/caf-serving-only-grilled-cheese-sandwiches... While I don't think it will match the menu at your one (about which I am still dreaming), it's a start!

>132 katiekrug: overly self-conscious Southern fiction.
Ew, yeah. I read some of that back in the early days of Oprah's Book Club. Won't touch it now.

>137 lkernagh: - Thanks, Lori! So far so good on that next read :)

>138 LovingLit: - Megan, I know you are a Ford fan, so I think it would be right up your alley.

>139 susanj67: - Oooh, awesome, Susan! You must go when it opens and report back!

>140 lauralkeet: - I find some of it better than others (for instance, I like some of Fannie Flagg's books - especially the older ones) but I hate quirky for quirky's sake and the cliche of buried family secrets (because apparently that's purely a Southern thing?!?!)...

Portland has quite the Food Cart scene. One of the ones I have yet to try is a little farther away than my usual cart pod but that's where the cart called Grilled Cheese Grill is located. Friday's are my Food Cart days when I don't bring a lunch from home. One of these times I'm going to have to go check it out.

>142 SuziQoregon: - Another reason I need to visit Portland!

Morning, Katie!

Morning, Mamie!

No chance of catching up as I sneak out of my black cave, but I'm determined to spread a little sunshine today, and ignore that cynical voice in my head for perhaps the first time in my life.

So..........

>146 lunacat: - Ermintrude!! Love the graphic, so thank you. I've missed you, my friend.

Missed you too. I've been keeping up a little on FB, but I'm glad to be back and have my Ermintrude greeting. Makes me feel much more like myself :)

Happy Hump Day, Katie! It looks like you had a nice birthday dinner with the Wayne.
Hope the rest of the week is going well. I am still enjoying Wolf Hall, starting the 2nd half.

>148 lunacat: -I love seeing you peek out of your cave and comment around the threads.

>149 msf59: - Mark, your enjoyment of WH is giving me hope that I will like it, too. Though I'm not sure why since we often disagree on books - HA!

This made me *SNORK!*

Ha!

Is it Friday yet?

>152 Crazymamie: - :-)

>153 charl08: - Soon, soon! (And sooner for you than for me!)

>151 katiekrug: - That is brilliant!

Happy Friday, KAK! I hope you have a great weekend planned. I work tomorrow but it looks like I will have a Meet-up with Ellen tomorrow night. Book, food & chatter!

>155 lkernagh: - I thought it was pretty funny, Lori :)

>156 msf59: - Thanks, Mark! It should be a good weekend, though not as good as if I got to hang out with you and Ellen!!! Two of my favorite peeps.... so jealous...

>157 lunacat: - That about sums it up, Ermintrude! I also like this one:



Just don't tell my boss....

Hi Katie - Have a wonderful weekend.

Happy Friday KAK!

>151 katiekrug: LOLOLs

Someone sent me this one today:

>161 nittnut: Bunny eggs are the best ones!

>161 nittnut: Creme eggs are so good! Or used to be, before ****ing Kraft changed them. I haven't had one yet this year, I'm too afraid of being disappointed.

>161 nittnut: Love it! But Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs for me. Yum!

You ALL are wrong. Cadbury's Mini Eggs are the *only* way to go.



(Though, Roni, my husband is on your side with the peanut butter eggs!)

>159 BLBera: and >160 luvamystery65: - Thank you, Ro and Beth! I hope you ladies have a great weekend, too!

Had a super productive day at work today, despite my graphic from this morning. I am working on 4 meetings at the same time: this June in Mexico City, September in Houston, and then our March 2016 and June 2016 ones. We've finally nailed down locations for those (Dubrovnik and Anchorage) so now I'm evaluating hotel proposals. Luckily our regional offices all have event planners and they do most of the heavy lifting. A meeting planner I am not! But it's fun to look at different possibilities and to start to plan. Today I worked on all four which required me to be on my toes, but made the time go quickly. I think we're ordering in pizza tonight. I've made the weekly wine run, so all the essentials are covered ;-)

^Sounds like you have all the bases covered, Katie! Enjoy!

I LOVED Wolf Hall but I am really not sure if it is your cuppa or not. Befuddled Mark...

>168 msf59: - Perfecto! Grazie, Marco.

Well, all this talk of WH is making it climb higher on my list, so I will definitely be giving it a shot in the not too distant future...

I am so pumped about the Masterpiece mini-series!

I wish you could join us tomorrow night. We would have a blast!!

>171 katiekrug: - I wonder how expensive last minute flights to Chicago are...

OMG!!

I actually looked! Southwest isn't too expensive if I left early in the morning, but I have my niece's birthday party tomorrow afternoon so that won't work. So you and Ellen will just have to say nice things about me and lift your glasses in my honor :)

Hey, you looked! LOL. That is mighty sporting of you, KAK! We will do a toast to you, for sure.

>165 katiekrug: If they touch the mini egg recipe, I'm mounting a one-woman protest....

>174 msf59: -Thanks, Mark!

>175 charl08: - Charlotte, it would be a two-woman protest :)

Pretty quiet day today, other than getting together with family for my niece's birthday this afternoon. I won't be there long, as her mother's family is coming in for it, too, and I do not like them. Forgive my snobbery, but they are pretty trashy and say inappropriate and offensive things which cause me to have to leave the room, usually more than once. So we'll put in an appearance, have a bite of lunch, and skedaddle!

I've got about 90 pages left in Last Friends and an hour in The Horse and His Boy, so I'm hoping to finish both of those... We'll see.

I love those Cadbury mini-eggs, too! Wishing you luck in avoiding the trashy party guests. I have no plans for today, which is most excellent, I think. I might not even get dressed.

I also love the Cadbury mini eggs. My daughter isn't big on chocolate, but she loves those, so she just gets a big bag in her Easter basket.

>178 Crazymamie: - You'd be proud of me, Mamie. I got up, drank some tea, fiddled around on LT for a bit, and then for my walk. I forgot to bring my pedometer, but I think it was about two miles. I will have to check on MapMyWalk.

>179 BLBera: - Nice, Beth! I allow myself one of the small bags each year. My other favorite Easter goodie are the Starburst jelly beans... sigh. I will resist those this year - or try to!

>177 katiekrug: Hope Last Friends going well. I only 'discovered' Jane Gardam last year, and read the three Old Filth books in a bit of a rush, enjoying all of them.

>180 katiekrug: This kind of self restraint re the eggs is very impressive. In my defence, they seem to be everywhere at the moment...

Have you ever tried the Butterfinger eggs? I don't like Butterfinger bars very well, but the eggs have just the right mix of chocolate, peanut butter, and crunchiness. They're hands-down my favorite Easter candy.

Katie, good luck at the party! Your walk sounds good too. Those map sites are excellent for telling you how far you've been - there is an excellent London one that I use a lot (mostly for the route, but still).

Not a big Cadbury's Creme Eggs or Mini Eggs fan, which is a bit shocking considering I love their chocolate (the UK Cadbury's chocolate, not to be confused with the Hershey's manufactured Cadbury's that is sold in the US). I am a Lindt chocolate fan through and through when it comes to Easter treats..... which reminds me, we have no Easter chocolate in the house, OMG! I am just unable to stay on top of holidays this year.

Happy weekend, Katie!

Making one of my periodic attempts to catch up -- just thought I'd say "hi" while here :)

Will you get to go to Dubrovnik when it comes around? I'd like to visit there............just like I'd like to go to lots of new, exciting places. If only someone would pay me to travel the world.

>177 katiekrug: Did you survive your afternoon with the rellies, Mrs Bucket?

^ LOL! That is sooooo perfect! I love watching Keeping Up Appearances!

>181 charl08: - Charlotte, Last Friends is going fine but I need to devote a chunk of time to it. My reading time has been a bit hit or miss the last few days... I'll let you know if the self-restraint actually materialized. Right now, it's all good intention. And avoiding the stores :)

>182 cbl_tn: - I have not even seen those, Carrie, but now I think a trip to Target may be in order. I am a Butterfinger fan!

>183 susanj67: - The party was ok. Relatively painless. But, God, those people are just clueless about basic politeness and manners. Whatever. Not my family!

>184 lkernagh: - Creme eggs scare the bejesus out of me so I definitely avoid those. But there's something about the mini eggs.... And I must admit, I'm not sure I've ever had Cadbury's in the UK so I am clueless as to how those stupid Americans (ahem) ruined everything... ;-)

>185 RebaRelishesReading: - Hello Reba! It's great to "see" you here :)

>186 lunacat: - I will go to Dubrovnik, so that's fun. I go to all our Board meetings which is why I am always so keenly interested in the locations :) My husband is even making noise about going because he's a military history buff and apparently Dubrovnik is/was a significant naval port for much of its history. Unfortuntely, it will be in March, so the weather won't be ideal, but beggars can't be blah blah blah!

>187 kidzdoc: - *snort!* I hasten to point out, Darryl, that they are not *my* relatives. There is a connection via marriage which hardly counts. They seemed to be on their best behavior. And we only stayed about an hour or so.... Then I came home and took a nap. I love naps!

>188 lkernagh: - So that's where that's from! Thanks, Lori!!

Apparently, there is a difference in the UK to US versions of Cadbury's in that "Cadbury milk chocolate are distinguishable from one another in taste, with different milk-to-sugar ratios and different emulsifiers." taken from the following article. Basically, milk takes precedence in the UK version of Cadbury's - which Canadians continue to enjoy - while in the US it is the reverse, which means UK Cadbury's has a creamier texture, less sugary taste and texture than the US version.

>191 lkernagh: - Huh. Interesting, Lori!

Guess what the hubs just came back with from the store?

:D

*smoochiesmoochsmooch*

Inspired by the discussion here, I bought packages of Hershey's milk chocolate eggs, Whoppers robin eggs, Reese's peanut butter eggs, and KitKat wafers with fun Easter designs to put out in one of my bowls for customers at the street fair tomorrow!

Ahem. I may have already sampled some of the Reeses.

>192 katiekrug: - Oh, noooooo. ;-)

Did someone say chocolate?

Yup. Chocolate!

>193 richardderus: - You just made my night, sweetie darlin'!

>194 ronincats: - Roni, my husband came home with my mini eggs. And Reese's eggs for himself :)

>195 lkernagh: - I know. I was so upset :-/

>196 lit_chick: - Nope. You must be hearing things ;-)

>197 lkernagh: - Heh. Chocolate chocolate chocolatity chocolate...

Also in NZ - I think the Cadbury's is creamier than the US ones. I can't say about the UK, although one of my friends tells me that she thinks NZ Cadbury's is better. I wonder if it's also the milk itself. Cream content or something? I know that milk and butter taste different here than in the US.

>165 katiekrug: mini eggs, mini eggs, mini eggs!

>199 nittnut: - Interesting point about the milk, Jenn.

I am trying to resist the siren call of the mini eggs which seem to think I should eat them for breakfast....

Last night, I watched the first part of the film adaptation of Fingersmith. It's pretty good, but I find the music really annoying. Part I ends with the first big twist, which I remember but don't recall the reason behind, so I'm looking forward to Part II.

I have about 35 pages left in Last Friends and am already stressing about what to read next. Something short to fill the gap until April 1? One of my planned April reads? Something long because I've been avoiding doorstoppers and really need to get over it? Too. Many. Options.

Happy Sunday, Katie! I did not realize there was an adaptation of Fingersmith. I may have to check it out. That remains my favorite Waters novel.

Hope you have a nice day planned.

Happy Sunday, Katie!

Easter candy talk… I should hightail it out of here but I am being strong. I have a stash in the pantry that is absolutely going into the plastic eggs for Haley and Molly's Easter Egg Hunt next Sunday. I will not be opening them until early Sunday morning…

Thanks for the critique of Cinderella. I kind of want to see it with Haley, but maybe I should let Mary do that while I keep Molly-of-the- short-attention-span. I remember feeling sad when I finished Last Friends. That was such a good trilogy.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday, Katie!

Is there a Wolf Hall series coming? Why do I not know about this?

>202 msf59: - Happy Sunday, Mark. Good day so far - lazy morning with laundry, book, and LT. Lunch out and then a grocery run. Now I've got nothing on the agenda, which is fab. I feel slightly guilty because The Wayne is out in the sun slaving over our not-ready-for-the-summer pool, but I'm sure I'll get over it :)

>203 jnwelch: - Thanks, Joe! Backatcha!

>204 Donna828: - Hello Donna! I'm sure Haley would *love* Cinderella. It was a beautiful film. I would say, though, that if Mary is still a bit fragile after the death of her father, it might not be a good option for her. Parental loss features heavily... My 10 yo niece liked it but said it was "kind of depressing how everyone dies." Strangely, I don't think that would be an issue for younger kids whose concept of death is often limited.

Hope you are getting some of this gorgeous weather we are enjoying. Sunny and low 80s...

>205 nittnut: - Jenn, it's a BBC production that aired late last year (?) in the UK and will be on PBS in the US starting April 5. Supposed to be very good. I still need to read the books, so I will catch it another time.

The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis


Why I read this now: I've been listening to the series on audio and this one was next up!

I am listening to the Chronicles of Narnia in chronological order, not publishing order, so this was the third in the series for me. It was also the one with the most obvious religious parallels, which is probably why I find it the least interesting. Aslan is Jesus, I guess. And maybe I'm reading too much into it, but it certainly seemed like Calormen was awfully similar to the Middle East, and it, and its people, were portrayed in an almost uniformly bad light. So, yeah. Not my thing.

Can someone tell me if the rest of the series follows in a similar vein because I've got better things to spend my time on than over-simplified, Western- and Christian-centric balderdash.

Last Friends by Jane Gardam


Why I read this now: It's the last in the trilogy.

A wonderful ending to the story of Edward and Betty Feathers and Terry Veneering and their circle of frienemies. I love how Gardam makes connections between seemingly unconnected characters and events - it's done very naturally and never feels contrived. She also writes wonderfully sharp and witty dialogue; I would love to see a stage version of these stories... I can't recommend the trilogy highly enough. If you haven't discovered it yet, go find a copy of Old Filth and get started!

>207 katiekrug: The whole series can be read as Christian allegory, but it's heavier in some books than in others. I don't think it's as overt in the next few books in chronological order and they can be read as fantasy. You'll probably want to stop before The Last Battle, which is overtly allegorical.

>209 cbl_tn: - Good to know, Carrie, thanks! I did know going in that there were Christian themes in the series, which is totally fine. This one just struck me as oddly heavy-handed and kind of intolerant. But otherwise, I have enjoyed listening to them, so I would like to continue.

Hi Katie! I haven't re-read any of these landmark books...I fear Christian allegory will cause cancer in someone as cruel and wicked as me.

>208 katiekrug: Yes, a stage play would be great. Now I'm trying to think who would be fantasy casting for Old Filth...

Hmm, was planning to listen to the Narnia chronicles too, Katie, but maybe I should stick with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I'll see. Glad you enjoyed Gardom's so much.

>211 richardderus: - It could be a domino effect - you, then me, then....

>212 charl08: - Am I crazy to think that Colin Firth could do a good Filth? I think he could pull off the sad, disconnected, lonely bit pretty well...

>213 lit_chick: - Nancy, TLtWatW was the only one of the Narnia books I read as a child, and it definitely stood up to re-experiencing it on audio. I also enjoyed the second - The Magician's Nephew. That was a lot of fun.

So, if someone has never read any of the Narnia books (hypothetically speaking), would it be best to read them in publication order, or chronological order? Asking for a friend.

Luckily I am sitting here reading all these chocolate comments right by my little bowl of pastel M&Ms!! I will have to relocate either me or the bowl soon though, or I will just keep nibbling and all my exercise lately will be for naught!!

Walking! Walking!! Go you! Most impressive, young lady! I have my cold back again, so I spent the weekend hacking up a lung - unfortunately not much walking was done. I'll have to make up for it this week. I hope.

>214 katiekrug: Am I crazy to think that Colin Firth could do a good Filth?
IMO, there's nothing Colin Firth can't do. So yes, he'd be a good Filth.

>215 rosalita: Asking for a friend. LOL!

I read a couple of the Narnia books from a boxed set my kids received as a gift. They were numbered, and I'm not sure "in what order," but I only made it through a couple of them. I'm afraid they didn't hold my interest enough to keep going.

>218 lauralkeet: I'm thinking Michael Gambon as the elderly Filth sitting in the big house playing chess. Would be an amazing voice over. And of course, can't have too much of CF.

>215 rosalita: - Julia, I'm probably the wrong person to ask, as I am not an aficionado, but I opted to do the chronological order because it made the most sense to me. I don't really think it matters. Tell your friend I said hi ;-)

>216 Berly: - Kim, I had to cut myself off from the mini eggs yesterday as a lesson in self-control. I am looking forward to having a couple when I get home from work!

>217 Crazymamie: - Two whole days in a row, Mamie! Three if I go tonight. I had a good one last night after dinner and was sure I'd hit my step target, but I was about 2000 short. 10,000 steps is a lot more than I thought!

And if I could just brag for a moment, since last October, I've lowered my bad cholesterol, increased my good cholesterol, and significantly lowered my A1C which has something to do with blood sugar. I am no longer pre-diabetic, which makes me so, so happy :D

>218 lauralkeet: - Oh, yay for more Colin love :) You have impeccable taste, Laura ;-)

>219 charl08: - Was Michael Gambon Dumbledore in (most of) the Harry Potter movies? He couldd efinitely do it, but if it's who I'm thinking of, I identify him so much with Dumbledore (who I found infuriating), I don't know if I could get past that...

I'm a fan of the Narnia series, Katie, and, because I'm thickheaded, I didn't pick up on the Christian symbolism while reading it. I just had fun with a fantasy series. But if The Horse and His Boy struck you as balderdash, I don't think you'll find the series gets better. For me, that was an exciting story when I was a lad. Not sure how it would strike me now, but I can't imagine you'd enjoy The Magician's Nephew (which actually precedes TLTWaTW in time) or The Last Battle as being way better than The Horse and His Boy.

BTW, the message in The Last Battle, to me, was inclusive of religions other than Christianity, but that's a different discussion.

>221 jnwelch: - Interesting, Joe. Thanks! I have read and did enjoy The Magician's Nephew, and I think I will give Prince Caspian a try. It's the next up in my chronological reading, and narrated by Lynn Redgrave so the narration should be excellent!

>219 charl08: Alan Rickman?

I'm a Narnia fan as well, and loved The Horse and his Boy when I was a child, although I can see what you mean about some of the less acceptable elements now. But then I loved all the Narnia books: I picked up on the theological elements but it pretty much washed over me, I seem to remember. I read chronologically starting with The Magician's Nephew which remains one of my favourites.

>223 charl08: - Funny you bring up Alan Rickman. I was thinking he might do very well for the smooth Veneering...

Now what about Betty? I vote for Helen Mirren.

This is making me sad that there *isn't* a play to go see...

>224 SandDune: - Hi Rhian! I think if I had first encountered the books as a child, it would be totally different. But I only read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as a child. I'm not sure why - I had a whole boxed set and I read practically anything put in front of me... If I had to hazard a guess, I would say because my sister particularly loved them, I probably turned my nose up at them. I was quite the contrarian :)

Katie!!! That is awesomesauce about your lowered labs!! And hooray for the continued walking - you are so right that 10,000 steps is more than you think it will be. It's a little over 4 miles for me.

Hey, Katie! Just popping in. I have never read the Narnia books. Bad Mark?

Katie, thanks for the heads up about Cinderella. That might be too much for Mary to handle right now. Great news on the health front. I am a big fan of walking for exercise. I hope I can continue for another 20 years!

>226 Crazymamie: - Thanks, Mamie. I appreciate the positive reinforcement :)

>227 msf59: - At this point, Mark, it's probably fine to skip them. Too many other books out there....

>228 Donna828: - Yeah, I wouldn't want her falling apart in the theater in front of Haley or anything. I'd feel all sorts of guilty...

>225 katiekrug: Can I put in a vote for The Silver Chair? Loved it as a kid, partly because it was the same copy my mum had had, this version with the lovely line illustrations of the children and the 'Marsh wiggle', Puddleglum, creatures 'known for their pessimism'. Can't imagine why that appealed to me...

>230 charl08: - Oh, for sure! I'll continue on and just hope not to be beat over the head with a cross...

I am intrigued by other creatures known for their pessimism (being one myself!)...

I'm a Narnia fan. It was one of those books I read as a kid and it just stuck to me. To me the religious themes are quite overt so I imagine it wouldn't be everyone's cuppa. Thank goodness there are so many books out there right? We each can find our own gems. :)

Great news about your blood sugar, cholesterol, etc. My daughter and I just recently got fitbits. The little turkey is competitive, so she and I are "competing." I use the quotes because she averages about 20,00 steps a day -- imagine a kindergarten teacher with a toddler... But, I was happy to find that when I'm teaching, I average 10,00 without going to the gym. So, my new goal is 12,000 steps per day. I guess I move more than I thought I did.

>232 jolerie: - Absolutely, Val! And as I said, I've enjoyed a couple of them and will be listening to more.

>233 BLBera: - That's awesome, Beth. I am going to have to work my way up to more steps. What I really love about my Jawbone (and I'm sure hte FitBit does the same) is that I can set it to tell me when I've been "idle" for a specific amount of time. This is great at work. It vibrates every 45 minutes, and I get up and take a little walk around the office :) It's a nice mental break, too.

Hello Katie. I have Last Friends on the shelf and I do need to complete that trilogy. I'm a fan.

Also, I think I saw that you're considering reading (rereading?) the Erdrich novels in order of publication. I'm thinking that I want to do a reread of the trilogy, in any case: Love Medicine, The Beet Queen, and Tracks. It's been 20+ years since I read them. I also think there are still several of her works that I've not yet read. I'm particularly interested in reading The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse.

April should be fun!

Yeah. I hate when that happens, too.

>235 EBT1002: - Hi Ellen! I am looking forward to April for the reading and because it's my birthday month :) And I am very much looking forward to reading Erdrich for the first time. I have five of her books on my shelf, so it's time!

>236 lunacat: - Perfect, Ermintrude! Tuesday is the *worst* day. I know Mamie hates Mondays, but at least there is a sense of possibility in Mondays, like "Oh, maybe this week will be awesome." By Tuesday, you realize it was just wishful thinking....

>237 Crazymamie: - Right?!?!

I really should be getting ready for work but, eh. Don't feel like it.

Went for a nice walk this morning - my back has been acting up a bit on my walks, so this morning I went to the clay track at the junior high school in our neighborhood and the softer surface felt much better. The track goes around a playing field and a guy showed up to mow which was annoying because then I couldn't hear my audio book. Oh well. Got a good head start on my steps - I'm no Mamie but I'll keep trudging along :)

The nerve! How dare they mow when you are trying to exercise! I'm no Mamie lately, either - yesterday I had a grand total of 1578 steps. I like to think that it's because I had to remove my Fitbit to recharge it, but seriously, it would not have made much of a difference.

The only walking I will be doing today is around the inside of an exhibit hall setting up for a conference tomorrow. Mowed grass sounds lovely!! ; ) And I would blame it ALL on the Fitbit recharge. Don't be silly. Hope the back feels better Katie and that Mamie and her household are feeling better. Happy Tuesday to you both!?!?

>230 charl08: Loved Puddleglum!

>240 Crazymamie: - Mamie, you're sick! You get a pass on 10K steps.

>241 Berly: - Hi Kim! I always do lots of walking at conferences - though I'm never exhibiting, so I imagine you are a bit tied to your booth? But it's still more exercise than sitting behind a desk... I'm working a big conference the first week of May - we get over 100,000 attendees and I walk a lot but really slowly because I have to wind my way through all those people :-P

>242 jnwelch: - I obviously must check out this Puddleglum creature...

Definitely blame the FitBit charging Mamie. Always blame the technology ;).

>241 Berly:, >243 katiekrug:, >244 lunacat: My tribe! This is why I love you people!!

>236 lunacat: LOL! That one I had to pass on ...

>244 lunacat: - Amen, sister.

>245 Crazymamie: - Ditto, my friend!

>246 lit_chick: - How could you not, Nancy?!?

New thread's up! Perhaps shenanigans will ensue...