mstrust #3- The Third Encore

1. American Authors

1. The Thin Man- 4.5 stars
2. Diary of a Mad Diva- 3 stars
3. Cotton Comes to Harlem- 4 stars
4. Stories for Nighttime and Some for the Day- 3 stars
5. The Day of the Locust- 4.5 stars
6. Mark Twain in Hawaii- 3.5 stars
7. The Yellow Wallpaper- 4 stars
8. Devil In A Blue Dress- 4 stars
9. The Lost Weekend- 3 stars
10. The Descendants- 4.5 stars

***COMPLETED***

2. Travel, Food, Music, Art, T.V., Plays

1. Twinkie, Deconstructed- 3 stars
2. Punk Rock Blitzkrieg- 5 stars
3. One-Dish Vegetarian Meals- 4 stars
4. Bill Bryson's African Diary- 4 stars
5. Niagara Falls 4 stars
6. Toast 4.5 stars
7. The Maple Syrup Book 4.5 stars
8. Pufnstuf & Other Stuff 4.5 stars
9. Oliver Reed: Movie Top 10- 3 stars
10. The Merry Wives of Windsor 3.5 stars

***Completed***

3. Books I Need To Read

1. Unabrow- 4 stars
2. A Good Scent From a Strange Mountain- 4.5 stars
3. The Mushroom Hunters- 4.5 stars
4. Psmith, Journalist- 4 stars

4. History & Bios

1. Barren Grounds 3.5 stars
2. Life of Richard Savage 4.5 stars
3. Cleopatra: Beyond the Myth- 3 stars
4. The Lost Painting- 4 stars
5. The Getaway Guide to Agatha Christie's England 4 stars
6. Piracy, Turtles & Flying Foxes 3.5 stars

5. Mystery & Noir

1. The Man in the Brown Suit 4 stars
2. The Torn Branch 3.5 stars
3. Woman in the Dark 3 stars
4. Tears of the Giraffe- 4 stars
5. Looking For Chet Baker- 4 stars
6. The 39 Steps- 3.5 stars

6. Flavor of the Month

January-Charles Dickens-1. A Tale of Two Cities- 4 stars, The Mystery of Edwin Drood- 3.5 stars
February-Margaret Atwood- The Penelopiad- 4 stars Oryx and Crake-4 stars
March-Evelyn Waugh-Brideshead Revisited- 4.5 stars
April-Christopher Brookmyre- Quite Ugly One Morning-3.5 stars A Tale Etched in Blood and Hard Black Pencil- 4.5 stars
May-F. Scott Fitzgerald- This Side of Paradise- 4.5 stars
June- Kate Atkinson- Behind the Scenes at the Museum- 5 stars
July-Jim Thompson- Recoil- 4 stars
August-Edna O'Brien
September-Jo Nesbo
October-Neil Gaiman
November-Dorothy Sayers
December-China Mieville

7. World Authors

1. The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency- 4 stars
2. The Housekeeper and the Professor- 3.5 stars
3. The Following Story 3.5 stars
4. Tiger at the Gates 3 stars
5. A Sickness in the Family- 4 stars

8. Non-Fiction

1. The Angry Island- 4.5
2. Stacked- 3 stars
3. Sorry! The English and Their Manners 3.5 stars
4. How To Eat Out- 3 stars
5. Bats in Question- 4.5 stars
6. Among the Gently Mad- 4.5 stars
7. Rebel Rebel: Anti-Style- 4 stars
8. At Home With Books- 5 stars

9. Autumn/Halloween

10. Everything Else

1. Dogs in Cars- 3 stars
2. Novel Living- 3 stars
3. Are You Dissing Me?- 3 stars
4. Kafka's Soup- 3.5 stars
5. The Little Free Library Book- 4.5 stars
6. The Double Dealer- 3.5 stars

Welcome to Part 3 of the thread!

I've received two presents this week. One was an autographed copy of A Good scent from a Strange Mountain by Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Olen Butler. It was sent to me by my long-time LT friend markwinston. Mark was able to attend a reading and signing by Butler and it was so nice of him to have the author sign a copy to me.
The second present was a bout of bronchitis given to me by my husband. I wish he had kept it to himself.


Avery's Black Raspberry soda. Produced in New Britain, Conn. and made with cane sugar, natural and artificial flavors. I see that the sodas made with cane sugar have much lighter, cleaner flavors. At first, this berry flavor was so light that it could have passed for just a general berry flavor, or even grape. But the flavor of black raspberry sort of accumulated on the tongue, or maybe I tried harder to taste it. Anyway, it tastes good.

That soda sounds really good! I'll have to start looking for some of these soda brands and places that might carry them.

Happy new thread!

Good to see you, Princess!

Happy new thread and belated Thingaversary!!!

Happy new thread!

And thanks for the book bullet you sent my way with Toast by Nigel Slater that I'm really enjoying. I just started it today and I'm almost finished already.

>15 -Eva-: Thanks! The book I ordered for my Thingaversary just arrived yesterday.

>16 VivienneR: I'm so glad you like it too! It is a book to be devoured.


Squamscot Strawberry Soda. A much lighter flavor than a strawberry Fanta. This is made in Newfields, N.H. using cane sugar and "true fruit strawberry fortified with Aldehydes". I know something about the use of aldehydes in the perfume industry, but I had to look up what they're doing in a soda and found that they occur naturally in some sugars and, like in perfume, they are likely boosting scent.

Happy new thread!

The second present was a bout of bronchitis given to me by my husband. I wish he had kept it to himself.

Like you, I am not a fan of the 'sharing'. Poor you! I hope you are able to kick that bronchitis out the door and are feeling better soon.

Blackberry Raspberry soda..... Ooooohhhhhh!

Hi, Lori! I'm still fighting it, but at least I started in with the Breathe Easy tea at the first sign so maybe it won't stay as long as usual. I'm having to sleep sitting up!

Here are more things that sound good:
Today is National Chocolate Mousse Day. Yes, really.


And here's my favorite, Squamscot Maple Cream Soda:

Most people I know are put off by just the thought of a maple soda, but if you like Cream or Vanilla soda, you might like this. It's wonderful.

Today is Washington Irving's birthday. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a great story and a favorite of mine. It's easy to find photos of Irving in his old age, but the portraits of him in his youth show what a dashing young man he was.

Every day should be Chocolate Mousse Day! :)

Agreed! It's not so easy to find though, is it? Mike brought home tiramisu from the Italian deli last night, so I got close to celebrating.


Swamp Pop sodas from Lafayette, LA. I had the File Root Beer, which has file powder (ground sassafras leaves) in the ingredients. It's the most unusual root beer I've ever had, with an earthy, herbal flavor and little sweetness. I probably wouldn't want to have this in a root beer float, but it would pair perfectly to cut the heat of spicy food. Seek this one out if you want to try something really different.

I was surprised by an Easter basket filled with chocolates, jelly beans and a bottle of Perrier Jouet. Best basket ever!


35. Quite Ugly One Morning by Christopher Brookmyre. Flavor of the Month. The Edinburgh police find a horrible mess in Dr. Ponsonby's flat, including the doctor's mangled body. When the new upstairs neighbor is caught tip-toeing thorough the crime scene the police believe they have their suspect, but he turns out to be Parlance, an investigative journalist with a knack for making people so angry they put out hits on him.
This was my first Brookmyre and I have several of his on the shelf already. This one started off really well with an unusual crime scene, and gruff police Inspector McGregor and his detectives are pretty funny. I think the story lost some of the spark as it went on to have some run of the mill romance and a baddie who had few layers, but it was still pretty good. 3.5 stars

>22 mstrust: For a debut novel I thought that one was a very good read indeed and led me to adding the author to my favourites list and reading everything he's written so far. Shame it didn't reach those heights for you but glad you at least enjoyed it at some level. There are some proper mystery novels that aren't quite so much about the humour that features in the rest of his books. The Jasmine Sharp trilogy beginning with Where the Bodies are Buried and is readily distinguished from his other works as he uses the diminutive form of his first name.

>23 AHS-Wolfy: Thanks for the info about Brookmyre. I hadn't heard of the Jasmine Sharp novels at all. This one was good enough that I'll try another or two from him, so I wasn't put off at all.


36. Oliver Reed: Movie Top 10 by Andy Black. Movie, Travel. An odd book. The title on the cover says "Oliver Reed: Ten Top Movies", but the LT listing is "Movie Top 10". The author's listing says he writes in the genres of cinema, horror and erotica, and this listing of Reed's "top 10 movies" is clearly a personal one rather than his most famous or acclaimed movies. So you do have essays on "Women in Love", "The Devils" and "I'll Never Forget What'sIs Name", but instead of "Tommy", which the author calls "monstrous", the reader gets an essay on "Venom", an almost laughable movie. Instead of "Gladiator" or "The Three Musketeers" or "The Assassination Bureau", the author chooses "The Brood" and "The Hunting Party". The essays stick to the movies plots and there are plenty of photos. I'd recommend this to the Reed fan. 3 stars


towne club Michigan cherry soda. From Detroit and made with pure cane sugar and Michigan cherry juice. A tasty maraschino flavor.

NuGrape soda. Produced since 1920, made in Austin, Tx using high fructose corn syrup and artificial everything. My dad drank this as a kid in Georgia and it remained a special treat for him. It has a very strong concord flavor, somewhat like Welch's soda.

And if you're trying to be healthy and stay away from soda, remember that today is National Beer Day.

Where do you find all these sodas? Your thread has made me remember a Butterscotch Root Beer soda that used to be available here. Yum. I'll have to look for Avery sodas -- just to get a bottle for my niece, Avery.

I think I've had that butterscotch root beer before. I'll be featuring a butterscotch cream soda soon, one that is based on butterbeers from Harry Potter. Avery soda would be a nice treat for your niece and it comes in several flavors.
I've been reviewing sodas for a couple of weeks now as there's a place down the street from us here in Phoenix and we bought a flat of all kinds of regional sodas. You might check out my second thread to see the first batch of reviews.

Lucky Club Cola. Made in Breese, IL. with pure cane sugar, "true fruit and spice" and "essential oils". This tastes like a mix of Dr. Pepper and an exceptionally spicy root beer, so very unique. I really like the horseshoe logo, which reminds me of the old Las Vegas Club.

Finally getting around to catching up here. First off a belated Happy 8th Thingaversary! I am also a fan of Christopher Brookmyre and you have reminded me that I need to get back to him one of these days! And Boo Hoo! I missed Chocolate Mousse Day!!!

Good to see you again, Judy, and thanks! Go ahead and celebrate Chocolate Mousse Day whenever you get around to it, nobody will complain.
And I need to get started on another Brookmyre too, as he's my Flavor of the Month.

I know my reading has slowed down some, what with still being sick and spending everyday practicing "Waltz Across Texas" on the guitar. It's been over a year since Mom got a promise out of me that I'd learn that song. Now she's coming to visit next week so I've got the music and I've learned a one finger plucking of it.


Ski soda. The bottle says "A Naturally Flavored Citrus Soda", but then has no ingredients list or the place of origin listed. This is the only soda I've come across that doesn't have that info, so I Googled. It's from Chattanooga, has been around since the 1950's and is a lemon/orange combination. I thought it tasted like grapefruit too. Both Mike and I found the flavor to be very strong and more than a little bitter. Mike actually winced after sipping it, and he'd been the one to pick out this particular soda because he loves Squirt. It has stuff floating at the bottom of the bottle that looked like maybe diced peel.

Ooh, I like bitter. I'll look for Ski soda. There are two popular summer cocktails in Munich. The Hugo has sparkling wine, soda water and elderberry juice. My favorite is the Aperol Spritz, which is Aperol (a bitter orange/rhubarb/herb liqueur), sparkling wine (prosecco) and soda water. It's bitter and refreshing and since it's really only ordered on warm, sunny days, it feels like a holiday drink.

That looks good, and you're right, Ski would probably make a great mixer. I hope you're able to find it there and try it in your cocktail. I haven't had elderflower juice, but I've had a Rose Busch, which is Busch beer and elderflower cordial. Tastes better than it sounds.

I picked up a copy of Country of the Blind at the library today so will be able to join your Brookmyre month :)

Yea! I'm happy to have you join me! I haven't decided on my next one, but if I get to the library soon I'll see if they have that one. Otherwise it'll be one from my shelf .

I have been enjoying your soda reviews and have to agree, the Ski does sound appealing.... I like tart/bitter. ;-0

I'm glad you like the reviews and can look for some new sodas. I really like that these small, regional sodas are being made because they do give a sense of individuality rather then having the same thing everywhere you go. Also, these reviews will help me remember what I did and didn't like when we go back to the store ; )


Olde Rhode Island Molasses Root Beer. This has a tagline of "Made from an old New England Recipe". It's made in Bristol, RI with natural artesian spring water, cane sugar, natural and/or artificial flavor extracts, citric acid and sodium benzoate. So I don't know how much of that is the actual "olde" recipe, but this is a delicious, rich root beer.

Love all the "vintage" sodas!

37. The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare. Plays, Music. When lecherous Falstaff makes plays for both Mrs Ford and Mrs Page at the same time and without realizing they are friends, the two women conspire to teach him a lesson while also punishing their husbands for thinking they would fall for the drunken old knight. And Mr and Mrs Page's pretty young daughter is wooed by three suitors who have all been promised success.
I continue to work my way through Shakespeare's plays. This one was probably the most accessible of his comedies to a modern audience that I've read so far as it bordered on slapstick at times. It's probably not going to be one of my favorites, but that's just because I tend to lean towards his dramas. 3.5 stars
And that's my first finished category of the year!


Jackson Hole Soda High Mountain Huckleberry. This is one, along with the Squamscot Maple, that I've been grabbing for a couple of years. It's made with cane sugar and natural and artificial flavors. I don't know if it tastes like authentic huckleberries as I've never had a fresh huckleberry, but it's delicious, with a rich, jammy flavor.

>37 thornton37814: I'm glad you're enjoying the reviews, as I enjoy the tastings!

Congrats on finishing a category! I too tend to prefer Shakespeare's dramas, at least in written form. The comedies are much more fun to watch; the actors really help get the jokes across.

Thanks! I'm trying to be very organized and disciplined so that for once, maybe I'll complete my categories.
I agree that the comedies would be fun to watch. Now that I think about it, I believe the only one of his comedies that I've seen performed is The Taming of the Shrew, which I've seen live and the movie starring Taylor and Burton.
My favorites so far are Richard III, Othello, Hamlet and Macbeth.

>38 mstrust: - The purple colours on that label made me think of grape sodas. Like you, I have never had fresh huckleberry but the way you describe the drink makes me think it would go down quite nicely.

>42 lkernagh: It does. The pop shop has another brand of huckleberry, so clearly I have more "research" to do. The only other huckleberry item I've had was iced tea at the state fair. I'd also like to try fresh marionberries but I've only had marionberry yogurt.
I had to go find what huckleberries look like:



Flying Cauldron Butterscotch Beer. From L.A. and made with cane sugar, vanilla and stevia and non-alcoholic. This is a blatant cash-in of the butterbeers of Harry Potter, as the label has a bubbling cauldron on a broomstick and a story of how this magical brew has been made in Hogsbreath, England since 1374. But it's delicious. The flavor is incredibly buttery, like the richest butterscotch candy. I could taste the stevia as an afternote, which I wish wasn't there, but after I'd finished this one, I would have happily had another right away.

38. The Lost Painting: The Quest for a Caravaggio Masterpiece by Jonathan Harr. History. When a wealthy Roman funds the research for several masterpieces, including Caravaggio's lost paintings, two of the researchers, university students, follow any lead they can find. One travels throughout Scotland looking for connections to the last known owner, and they search out the descendant to the first owner from 400 years ago, pulling strings to get a chance at the family archives. Meanwhile in Dublin, an Italian art restorer is sent by the National Gallery of Ireland to retrieve a dirty, old painting that has hung in a Jesuit home for years in desperate need of cleaning, and finds something very exciting.

Lots of mystery, dead-ends, art experts and jockeying for advanced information, and some info about how great works of art are preserved, and information about Caravaggio himself. It seems strange that with all the talk about Caravaggio's works, especially The Taking of Christ, that the only image is a little one on the back cover. 4 stars


The Taking of Christ

Jones Pineapple Cream Soda. Made in Seattle with cane sugar. My bottle says it's a seasonal flavor and has a cartoon chick on the label. It's yummy, with an authentic fruit flavor. Also, you know how lots of sodas and teas have little blurbs on the inside of the lids? The inside of this one says "Hide for a few days."

Nesbitt's Orange Soda. Made in Austin, Tx. with high fructose corn syrup, natural and artificial flavors and vegetable oil. Oil never tasted so good.

And it's also National Pecan Day.

I really can't drink soda any more and I think I miss orange the most.

That would be tough for me not to drink soda. Every time I try to give it up, it doesn't take long before I'm back. It's everywhere. I think the longest I've gone without is about a month.

My mom arrived yesterday morning and we've been shopping, for fry bread and went to the canal at night to see the bats. We'll be going to the art museum today.


The bottle on the left is Johnnie Ryan Delicious Grape. It's from Niagara Falls, NY and uses cane sugar. I guess it must be sold in Canada too as everything on the bottle, including the name, is also listed in French. This has an intense grape flavor that isn't quite as bubbly as most, like soda inspired by wine.

>44 mstrust:
BB taken - sounds fascinating!

>49 -Eva-: I hope you find and enjoy it!


39. Are You Dissing Me? by Simon Winheld. Everything Else. This is an ARC I won here on LT. It's a small novelty-sized book of animal drawings with humorous captions, such as a hummingbird saying, "I joined an improv class! You can say whatever you want in those places!!!" So, not hilarious, but some of the drawings are very good. 3 stars

Mom left this morning to go home. One of the things we did was go to the Phoenix Art Museum. They were having an Andy Warhol exhibit, which was great for me. Mom doesn't like him at all, but she enjoyed the European and Asian collections. This is one of the Warhol works on display:


She brought me The Search For the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie, and we also hit a bookstore, where I bought:
Before the Fact
Death Walks in Eastrepps
The Kalahari Typing School for Men
Oliver Twist
Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook

And we tried a soda I'd bought specifically because Mom loves almonds.

We both thought this was pretty nasty. It tastes just like seltzer water with a few drops of almond baking extract in it.

40. Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith. Mystery & Crime. The second book in the No. 1 Ladies Detective series. This time, Mma Ramotswe investigates the long ago disappearance of a young American living in a work co-op, and helps a man who believes his wife is cheating. Meanwhile, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni proposes and the agency's secretary proves to be ambitious and resourceful. 4 stars
A bit more serious than the first book, but just as enjoyable. I've seen just a few minutes of the tv series so far.

>51 mstrust:
I'm not a huge fan of Warhol, but I know I won't be bored and will get at least a couple of laughs at an exhibit of his works. Good bookhaul as well! :)

No, Warhol definitely isn't boring. I happen to be a fan of Pop Art, so I enjoyed it. But Mom came over to me and whispered loudly "I'd like to have just one of his paintings so I could sell it."

I forgot to list the pecan cookbook that I bought for her. Pecans are her favorite and I'd never seen a book just on them. And speaking of book hauls, the Friends of the Library sale is next week. I'll probably go, even though my shelves are about to start bending.

I spent a few hours going through my shelves and taking out books that I've read but won't read again. I also removed a few what-was-I-thinking-when-I-bought-this books. I filled three large canvas grocery bags and brought them to school. I'll see if any one else wants them.

I do that a couple of times a year, mostly when I bring in a new haul. I re-arranged my shelves completely about 6 weeks ago, which took a few days, but I was able to squeeze a few more in after that. And I do belong to BookMooch, so I've given away a few hundred over the years.

You ladies are much stronger than I. I should weed out my books but I just can't bear to get rid of any unread books. I keep telling myself I may get around to them at some point, but if I am honest with myself, a book that has lingered too long unread, will probably stay that way and should be moved along.

I'm in the same situation, Judy! It's so hard to kick a book out without reading it first.

>57 DeltaQueen50: >58 RidgewayGirl: It's pretty rare for me to get rid of a book I haven't read yet, unless my interest in the subject has totally petered out. The books I usually get rid of are the ones I absolutely know that I don't want to read again and won't need as a reference. So I don't feel too awful, as I know something better will take its place on the shelf.
But still...

Don't those slanted books make it look like the shelves are bulging?

Sioux City Prickly Pear Soda

Prickly pear soda, candy and preserves are things I ate as a kid. If you've never tasted it, I'd say it's a combination of strawberry, lemon and something else, maybe green apple or guava. It's unique. Sioux City soda had me wondering if they'd combined raspberry and sour apple with a little this or that, then it hit me- it's exactly like a watermelon Jolly Rancher.

Yesterday was pretty bad. We woke up to find our boxer's face swollen up from allergies. She's eleven and has muscle degeneration, and now she had a face just like Grumpy Cat. So we went out to get her medicine and came back to find that the water heater had broken and flooded half the garage. That's bad enough, but Mike went to Home Depot and bought a new one and was told that he had to come back later and it would be waiting for him. So he comes home, we clean the mess up, and he goes back and they can't find his order in their computer. Somehow, it had been cancelled and no one knew why. So he had to buy a second water heater and has to wait three days for them to reimburse him. He and the plumber spent two hours installing it and finally finished at 9 pm, right about the time the dog's face swelled up again.
But, I did make the African Peanut Stew from my new Vegetarian Times cookbook, and it was delicious. Mike had crabbed about it not having meat, then ate a big bowl and said it didn't need meat. That's a very rare sentence.

Oh, that was a very bad day and now you and Mike (and the boxer) deserve a very good one. Fingers crossed that everything comes up roses for you today.

Aw, poor puppy - hope she's feeling better. Good to hear the water heater is in place even if the road there was more complicated than in ought to have been.

Having an old dog with health issues is hard! They've given us love and we're so attached and they don't understand what's going on. My old dog's arthritis is getting worse. She can't sleep on the sofa or bed anymore and we are all sad for her. I did go and buy the most expensive dog bed on earth so that she can rest comfortably, so she spent yesterday napping on the hard patio in the sun.

And, yeah, water heaters. I feel your pain. Hope it's all solved.

>61 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy, and your crossed fingers must have worked as yesterday was pretty quiet.

>62 -Eva-: Ava is feeling much better, or at least her face is a normal size now. It took one and a half allergy pills throughout the day, but she didn't need any the next day. Yea!
We were so lucky that Mike knows a plumber because, of course, the new water heater was a different size than the old one and so there was much welding. But it works!

>63 RidgewayGirl: Awww, my Ava loves to nap in the sun too. Sorry about your dog's arthritis. It's hard to watch them struggling to just get around the house. We've started using a sling to help Ava up and down the stairs.
As far as the water heater goes, so far so good! Still waiting on Home depot to reimburse for one of them though.


Sprecher Strawberry Soda. Made in Glendale, WI with glucose syrup, malt-dextrin, strawberry juice concentrate and raw honey. It's delicious, with a bright, fresh flavor. It's tastes just like strawberry preserves.

Ava's condition became much worse yesterday. We had to put her to sleep this morning.

Oh no! I'm so sorry for your loss.

I'm so sorry about Ava. And boxers are such amazing dogs and she was a part of your family. She had a good life where she was loved and had a pack to love back.

So sorry to hear about Ava.

Sorry to hear of the sad news.

:-(
{{{{hugs}}}}

>66 rabbitprincess: Thank you so much, princess. It's very difficult and we'll miss her every day.

>67 RidgewayGirl: Thank you, Alison. I can say that Ava was the most popular member of the household. Everybody wanted to be near her. I'm so glad that I can say she was spoiled with love.

>68 VivienneR: Thank you, Vivienne

>69 AHS-Wolfy: Thank you, Dave.

>70 mamzel: Thank you, mamzel.

41. The Getaway Guide to Agatha Christie's England by Judith Hurdel. Bios. The first section of this book is a bio of Christie's life that includes a lot of info I'd never heard before and does go into the infamous 11 day disappearance. The rest of the book is sectioned into places that either factored in Christie's personal life, such as her homes or the church where she worshiped, while many locations are places she placed her characters, such as doing their shopping in certain stores or staying in a London hotel. Each section also has a listing at the end with which of her novels addressed in that chapter, so, if you wanted to hunt for the Brown's of At Bertram's Hotel, it's easy. 4 stars

So sorry to hear about Ava, Jenn. She sounds like a lovely girl and that she had a happy life with her family.

Thank you, Judy. You're right, she did have a happy life.

Getting caught up with all the great reviews - soda and book - and news. I have never tried prickly pear but it sounds like a flavour combination I would like. Must see if the market downtown has any prickly pear sodas... they have quite a good selection of sodas.

What goes in the African Peanut Stew? I am always on the hunt for new recipe ideas and it sounds like a nice change from the Rockin' Moroccan Stew my other half loves that also contains a peanut base.

I am so sorry to read about Ava. {{{Hugs}}}

Thank you, Lori.
The stew has tomatoes, chilis, rice, veg stock and peanut butter. I make a few tweaks, substituting barley for the rice, but it was so good. I'll put the recipe up.

We went for the distraction of a book sale today. It was a Friends of the Library sale, which I always go to at their warehouse. This time, they held it in a smallish storefront at a mall. The space was about the size of a Claire's Accessories, and rather than shelving, the books were in boxes, like a garage sale. There were maybe a quarter of the books that they usually have, so not a great sale. Yet I came away with a few:
Afrika Korps 1941-42 (Mike's)
The Moon Men
Floors
Fly Me to the Morgue
Pigeons
The Right Attitude to Rain
The Spellman Files
The Full Cupboard of Life
Once Upon a Time in England
The Devil, The Banshee and Me
A Grim Almanac of Cambridgeshire
The Good Husband of Zebra Drive
The School of Essential Ingredients
Charles Dickens by Jane Smiley
Adventures of Captain Bonneville Bracebridge Hall- No publication date, but very old. Published by the Co-Operative Publication Society.
Kafka's Soup
Blue Shoes and Happiness
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

42. A Tale Etched in Blood and Hard Black Pencil by Christopher Brookmyre. Flavor of the Month. Going back and forth from the present to the past, this tells of the murder of two men, the arrest of two more, the arresting officer and a big-time lawyer. The fact that everyone involved has been connected to one another either by blood or by being schoolmates in a small Scottish village is examined, as well as how being labeled as a "brain" or "thief" affected their lives.
Really well done, with complex, realistic characters that evolve as they age. There's also a useful glossary of Scottish words explained, such as "haun: the end of the forelimb on human beings, monkeys, etc. utilizing opposable thumbs in order to grasp objects. Also the appendages dragged along the ground at the end of Old Firm supporters' sleeves." 4.5 stars

>75 lkernagh: Here's that recipe:

African Peanut Soup

2 medium onions, chopped
2 large bell peppers
4 medium garlic cloves, mashed
2 tbs. canola oil
1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes with juice
8 cups veg. stock
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp crushed red chili pepper
1/2 c uncooked short grain brown rice
2/3 c smooth peanut butter

Put everything but the rice and p.b. in a large stew pot and cook 30 minutes. Add rice and cook 15 minutes. Stir in p.b., simmer a few more minutes, and serve. Serves 8.
The changes I made were: less of everything, since I'm cooking for two. I swapped out barley for the rice, used a can of Rotel tomatoes and green chilis, so left out the crushed red pepper, and added grated carrot and diced potatoes. So this recipe turned out great even with all that tweaking and I'll definitely make it again.


Swamp Pop Ponchatoula Pop Rouge. Made in Lafayette with cane sugar, natural flavors and colored with fruit and vegetable juice. This is a delicious fruit punch flavor that leans towards strawberry. And it's a beautiful pink color.


Sprecher Root Beer. Made in Glendale, WI with glucose syrup, maltodextrin and raw honey. This is one of my favorite root beers. It's not too spicy, not too sweet, just a really good balance.

It's great to see you loved the Christopher Brookmyer that you just read. Serves as a good reminder to me that I am overdue to pick up one of his books.

Yay for Brookmyre love! Though it's not one of my own personal favourites of his work I'm still glad you enjoyed this one more than the last. Got to love those titles though.

Awesome! Thanks for posting the recipe!

>I like the colour of that Swamp Pop Ponchatoula Pop Rouge! Couldn't say that name fast three times without completely messing up. ;-)

>79 DeltaQueen50: I did like this one a lot, and luckily I have another from him on the shelf already.

>80 AHS-Wolfy: I liked this one quite a bit more than the first I read. I believe this one was written a full 10 years after Quite Ugly, so I guess I prefer his later works... and those titles are pretty good.

>81 lkernagh: You're welcome, and I hope you get a chance to try it. Ponchatoula Pop Rouge is possibly the prettiest pop. Now say that fast three times.

Oh, I am so sorry to hear about Ava! She had a great life and isn't in any pain anymore. *huge hugs*

I loved A Tale Etched in Blood and Hard Black Pencil.

I'm sorry to hear about Ava. :( Thanks for the recipe, sounds delicious!

>83 -Eva-: Thank you, Eva. She did have a great life.

>84 RidgewayGirl: It was excellent. I really need to catch up with the Scots, as I believe the only other Scottish author I've read is Ian Rankin, as I'm hooked on Rebus.

>85 Chrischi_HH: Thank you. And I hope you get to try the recipe. Mike heard "peanut butter" as one of the ingredients and thought it sounded too weird, but I had some African chicken peanut stew before so I knew how fantastic it is.


The Sopranos Chianti Soda. Made in Skokie, Il with sugar, natural flavor and fruit and vegetable juice for color. It has the HBO trademark on the back, as it seems to be official merch for the tv series. It tastes like old, flat wine cooler. I thought it was awful, Mike took a sip and said it wasn't bad, but he didn't drink any more of it.

The thing that makes a wine cooler drinkable is the presence of alcohol and carbonation.

Exactly. Take those things away and you have something nobody wants. Though I'll admit that I haven't wanted a wine cooler since I was a teenager, so I may be biased.



43. Kafka's Soup by Mark Crick. Everything Else. This is one of those odd books that I seem drawn to. It's a book of recipes, each written in the style of a famous author, with a page of artwork in a different style included. So the title recipe is for quick miso soup written in the style of Kafka and featuring a Warhol-esque painting of a soup can with Kafka's face on the label. There's a coq au vin recipe inside a story of a priest watching his cook prepare the last meal for a man about to be executed, a la Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and a very good parody of The Caretaker by Pinter, with the young man forcing the older man to try an Italian version of cheese on toast. There are several recipes I'd like to try. 3.5 stars

>86 mstrust: It even looks like a cooler, or a hard lemonade! Pity it doesn't taste that good.

>89 rabbitprincess: It's rare for me to find a bad one, but that one is. But here's another pretty pink one that does taste good:


Fitz's Strawberry Pop. Made in St. Louis with pure cane sugar. If Sprecher's Strawberry (see above) tastes like strawberry jam, Fitz's tastes like a wild strawberry. They've really nailed that fresh, bright flavor.


Berghoff Black Cherry. Made in Chicago with cane sugar and natural flavors. This brands root beer is great, but I didn't like the black cherry as much. It has an aftertaste I don't like, probably from the Red #40 that gives it the deep ruby color.

Towne Club Orange soda. Made in Detroit with cane sugar. Tastes quiet a bit like Sunkist or Orange Crush, but for the same price you get 16 ounces rather than the standard 12.


Swamp Pop Praline Cream Soda. Made in Lafayette with sugar, natural flavors and phosphoric acid. This tastes like caramel and vanilla- it's delicious.

44. A Good Scent From A Strange Mountain by Robert Olen Butler. Books I need to Read. A Pulitzer Prize winning collection of stories told from the view of Vietnamese characters, most of them re-settled in the New Orleans area after the war. The stories are peopled with an old man at the end of his life who dreams of Ho Chi Minh, a stripper who thought she'd become an American housewife, a man who relays his experience with a man-eating ghost to strangers, and a middle-aged woman who finally has a chance to take revenge on the friend who stole her true love. My favorite was "Love", about a former spy for the American military who had routinely used his power to get rid of men who pursued his beautiful wife, but once they are in America and the wife is wandering again, the husband visits a voodoo papa to get rid of the competition. 4.5 stars

My June Flavor of the Month author was going to be William Faulkner, but I've just looked on my shelves and found that I own very little by him, just one awkwardly large book of his writings that includes A Rose for Emily, which I've already read, one short novel and I speech he gave. I thought I had more. But the point of the category is to make me read authors whose books I've managed to collect yet haven't managed to read. So June will have to change to John Updike, Julian Barnes or Kate Atkinson. I haven't decided.

I'm voting for Kate Atkinson.

I vote for Julian Barnes but only because he is the only one of the three listed that I have read anything by and even then, the only book I have read is The Sense of an Ending .... Hum... maybe just ignore my vote. ;-)

>94 RidgewayGirl: Fine by me- Atkinson for June! I think I have four books by her on the shelf.

>95 lkernagh: Ha! But thanks for letting me know what you think about that one book. I've only read one from him too. It was a non-fiction on travel called Something to Declare and it was alright.

Need more places for your books? Fill a gondola.

45. How To Eat Out by Giles Coren. Non-Fiction. London Times restaurant critic and Supersizers Go... co-host Coren discusses his dining experiences in both his professional and personal life, what diners should expect in terms of quality and service, searching for quality food on his holidays, food trends and the difference in his dining experience once a restaurant realizes a food critic is there. Coren is funny, mean, crude and knowledgeable.

In one chapter, he and a few of his professional friends, including an actor known for playing Falstaff, re-create a drunken five day episode from the life of the artist Hogarth, stopping at taverns and restaurants and trying to eat and drink as authentically as possible. There are passages that are hilarious. But there are also plenty of passages of the mandatory America bashing that has become the pattern for British non-fiction written in the last ten years or so. Probably because I read so many British books, I'm sick of it. Apparently everything published must include a bigoted rant about how loud, uneducated and fat Americans are, and I can't decide if these are books that weren't expected to be read by Americans or if they're really, really hoping Americans do read them. He calls New Yorkers snobs, says the British are above such things as snobbery, then goes on immediately to relay instances of been treated so disrespectfully in British restaurants because they didn't recognize him.Coren writes of the need for doggy bags to become acceptable in British society as restaurants are throwing away too much food and it's harming the planet. Then there's an asterisk, which leads the reader to a paragraph at the bottom of the page, to find this:

...I do not want doggy bags to become so universally thought of as a necessity at the end of a meal that we get the sort of escalation they have had in America- the world's fattest country- where the already giant portions that engendered the doggy bag fad have had to be expanded to ensure that people can always take a bag, and where people, giant fat people, actually complain if they have been able to eat everything on their plates and have nothing to take away.

Since this was written before Coren's recent North America reality show, and he talks about what America is like, but never actually talks about being in America, I wonder where he got all this information about Americans . 3.5 stars

>98 mstrust: He calls New Yorkers snobs, says the British are above such things as snobbery
*snort*
I will definitely pass on this book. Thanks for taking the bullet on this for me.

And the thing is, I can't, in fairness, give the book a low rating just because of his bigoted logic, because it is a book of his personal opinions. When talking about dining experiences he's often right about what a patron wants and often funny. And I'm someone who has a high tolerance for a lack of p.c. language. But to say "we should be doing things differently, but not like the Americans, even though, umm, they're already doing exactly what I'm talking about....but they're fat." As if the whole country consists of just one family with the same DNA and we're all exactly alike.

I ran into that anti-American bias when I lived in England. It's like we're the one group it's still acceptable to mock. On the other hand, the British are watching American culture take over and for some of the time when I was there, it was during the time just before the invasion of Iraq and there was a lot of frustration about how the British government seemed to just be doing what the American government told it to do. But it was odd to be talking with someone and have them just casually make disparaging comments about the US.

If you haven't been to the US, then your direct experience of Americans is only in the form of tourists. While most are quiet and try to adapt to the places they're visiting, there is a small and very vocal minority who are an embarrassment as they simply continue with their usual loud behavior here, expecting English to be spoken and dietary preferences to be catered to. They're the ones people remember. On the other hand, as an American, I'm grateful to German tourists. They're the only national group who tend to be as loud as Americans.

>101 RidgewayGirl: Hence the expression "ugly Americans". And I don't think that everyone in the U.K. has a BMI that is acceptable to him. Is he blind to them?

>101 RidgewayGirl: I also ran into the anti-American thing in London when I was there many, many years ago. But only in London, which is also the only place people would ask if we were American and then unload all their bile on girls, just out of their teens, about foreign policy. It was so pointless and rude that it was ridiculous. It's also, in all my travels, where an employee followed me around a soap store and very pointedly told me that they probably didn't have whatever I was looking for.
Outside of London, when someone brought up our nationality it was usually with a smile and a mention that we were the first Americans they had ever met. So it's clear that London represents all of the U.K. about as much as New York represents all of America. And I've been embarrassed by American tourists too. As with many nationalities, when we move in a big pack, we tend to get loud and too boisterous. Just like the British football hooligans that much of Europe dreads. Now they are scary.

>102 mamzel: At one point Coren did complain about some Irish women, stating that the restaurant he was reviewing was in a fat region of Ireland, but he didn't go into the fact that morbid obesity in the U.K. has become a major problem. I think it would have screwed up his whole "Americans are gross" theme. He seems to believe that being fat is the worst thing someone can be, so saves that word mostly for Americans because he would get fired for writing "I hate them."

>98 mstrust: & >100 mstrust: You were very generous in giving Coren 3.5 stars. In my opinion, bigoted logic and rude generalities justify a reduction.

I did take a point off for that alone, but I feel like I really bent over backwards to be fair to the writing style and the subject matter, which is his opinions. I probably was more generous than I should have been to a book that pissed me off. This was a tough one to rate, as what got me riled could very well not bother another reader. I have no desire to force anyone to become p.c. I'm just sick of reading over and over about how horrible we are.

It's very rare for me to change my rating after the fact, but I dropped it down to 3 stars because it made me angry even days later.

Something pretty to look at- it's National Iris Day.


I grew up across the street from a family that had a boy who was maybe 4-5 years older than me. He developed an interest in Irises, joined the Iris Society and created, by himself, a chocolate brown Iris that he grew in his family's front yard, the only place in the world.


Kickapoo Joy Juice Soda. Around since 1934, it's made in Atlanta with sugar, citric acid and caffeine. The flavor is very sweet and mildly citrus, with no particular fruit really coming forward. I drank this as a kid, and Mom drank it when she was a kid.

And just wondering if anyone else is enjoying Wolf Hall and has noticed both Jimmie and Dr. Whatsit from Downton Abbey in it?

I'm just catching up so wanted to say how sorry I am for the loss of Ava. I know how hard that is.

Also, my vote for June would be either Kate Atkinson or Julian Barnes, depending on which books you have.

>106 mstrust: What an interesting Iris story! The photos are gorgeous.

I've been following Wolf Hall but if I noticed Downton Abbey characters it was just as familiar faces, and there are plenty of those. My favourite character is of course Thomas Cromwell, who can say more with his eyes than any dialogue.

>107 LittleTaiko: Thank you. We miss her every day.
I went with Alison's suggestion of Kate Atkinson for the month. I believe I have four books of hers, so I'll have choices. But I hope to get to at least one Barnes this year. I know I have Flaubert's Parrot and England, England and a couple of others I can't remember now.

>108 VivienneR: Aren't they pretty?
I recognized Jimmie after a minute- he does look different outside of his footman's uniform. The Dr. I recognized from his voice, as he's wearing a thick beard in W.H.
Cromwell is a great character, really changing from a simple, honest man to a master of manipulation.

46. This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Flavor of the Month. The life of Amory Blaine, a romantic, dreamy boy, who pursues friends on his intellectual level, girls who will break his heart, and literary idols who inspire him.
The only child of a dramatic mother and a father who leaves little impression, Amory was molded into a precocious boy who believes himself better than his classmates, which makes it hard for him at school until he proves himself to be a good athlete. This transition earns him the title of "eccentric", which deflects from the boy's truer nature, which is snobbery. Making friends, attending Princeton, falling in love, serving in WWI and having low-paying work cause Amory to develop a less idealistic view of himself. 4.5 stars


A bit dreamy himself, don't you think?

47. Piracy, Turtles & Flying Foxes by William Dampier. History. Explorer and sometime pirate William Dampier went round the world three times and wrote the first English language travel book. This book is part of the Penguin Great Journeys series and features Dampier's exploits in Sumatra, the Philippines and Australia. He writes of the appearance and ways of the local Indian tribes and Aborigines. He also closely observes the various insects, sea life, especially the various turtles, and bats. Written about 1686, this is the world when it was wild and dangerous. Dampier loses several of his crew over the course of the journal. 3.5 stars

>98 mstrust: After reading this review, I had to look up the statistics to see if America truly is the 'world's fattest country'. It's actually 9th. Nothing to brag about of course, but still. If you're going to bash an entire nation in print at least make sure your facts are accurate. I think you were far more generous with your rating than I'd have been.

I have to assume that Coren's bashing came from blind hate rather than any research, so it's no surprise that he got the facts wrong. And I agree that I was more generous than most would be. *sigh* He doesn't deserve it, but I have this need to be fair to the writing style.

It's National Chocolate Chip Day. Whoop it up!

48. The Little Free Library Book by Margaret Aldrich. Everything Else. All about the LFL movement that has swept across North America and into other parts of the world in just a few years. Looks at the founders of the movement of installing small structures filled with books that is based on the honor system of taking a book and leaving a book. Filled with photos, there are also interviews of the people who have installed LFLs in their yards or in public places. Includes building and installation ideas and tips for doing it yourself. 4.5 stars



O.k.- I don't know why clicking on the book title takes you to Sense and Sensibility. Think I fixed it.

>115 mstrust: *stuffs face with cookies*

There is a Kickstarter for the Little Free Books program if anyone is interested in helping out.

>116 mstrust: Oh I think I may have to seek that book out. I love the idea behind the little free libraries. Hmm, I wonder how the HOA would feel if I put one up in my front yard.

>117 rabbitprincess: Don't they call your name? I've been doing a lot of baking lately- banana nut bread, pumpkin raisin cookies. almond, coconut and chocolate chip cookies, and yesterday I made peanut butter cookies for our Lab. I make her things with rye flour because she's allergic to wheat. I'll probably make zucchini bread today.

>118 mamzel: that Kickstarter is mentioned in the book. The whole thing is such a great idea, and there are several LFLs in small towns that don't have regular libraries, so the LFLs are filling a real need.

>119 virginiahomeschooler: I love the idea too. I hope you get hold of the book. The photos alone, of all the creative and varied LFLs, are great.

It's over. ***spoiler*** Did anyone else think they would never be able to wrap up Don's story, what with him meandering across the country getting drunk and beat up? And who could have seen Peggy and Stan? And was that Betty being given what she deserved?

And today is International Museum Day. Check your area to see who's giving free admission.

Really? No Mad Men fans?



49. The Mushroom Hunters: On the Trail of An Underground America by Langdon Cook. Books I Need To Read. Cook travels across America and Canada with the people who make their living in the mushroom business. He teams with the freelance pickers who follow the growth patterns of a variety of mushrooms, mostly along the Pacific Northwest Coast, destined for your farmer's market or high-end restaurant. He shadows the mushroom buyers, the middle men who have the restaurant accounts, and he meets the chefs who rely on foraged produce for their menus. He also looks at the growing Oregon truffle industry and meets the people who are attempting to build a trade to rival the French market.

Even if you don't like mushrooms you'd find some really interesting information that translates to much of the foraged food movement. Cook spends a lot of time with the people who go into the forests, searching for mushrooms that will pay them, usually, just enough to get by. The competition is fierce, sometimes intimidating, yet these are people who have to know nature very well to survive.
I put this in my Books I Need To Read category because I saw Cook interviewed on "Well Read" a few months ago and put this on my WL. I'm glad I did, because the mushroom industry is more interesting and difficult than I ever imagined. 4.5 stars


The prized Black Trumpet. Hedgehog, with a spiky underside. Lion's Mane.

>121 mstrust: I actually have never seen "Mad Men"! I'm not sure why, as I suspect I would enjoy it. Maybe now is the time to binge-watch it on Netflix.

I thought the last episode was just perfect. Especially Peggy, because she's been the main character all along.

Do you read the MadStyle posts over on Tom&Lorenzo?

>123 christina_reads: I need to comb through the eight years of episodes and fill in the ones I missed. But if you do start, you'll be hooked because it never goes where you expect it to. Unless Don meets a beautiful woman, that is. He's pretty consistent about that.

>124 RidgewayGirl: I thought the last episode was almost perfect, and very clever. I have to admit that over the course of the years, I liked Peggy less and less. I know it was meant to show how tough a woman had to be to get along in that world, but Peggy became just mean, always snapping and demeaning people. She'd be terrible to work for. That's why ***spoiler*** I didn't see the thing with Stan coming and didn't believe it. I think he's be fed up with her incessant complaining within two days.
I've never heard of that site. I remember there being an actual Mad Men inspired clothing line for women, I think it must have been when the show was new.


Happy Birthday to Arthur Conan Doyle. Looks like a nice gent.

The MadStyle posts got me to watch the show in the first place. They're worth reading, especially if you want to pretend the show still exists.

Peggy is my favorite character. I love how prickly and tone deaf she is. And I loved in that scene, while Stan is telling her that he loves her, all she can do is yell, "What? What?" like there was a bad telephone connection.

That was a funny response! My favorite characters were Roger, Joan and, as the years went on and he became more open about his horribleness, Pete Campbell. I liked Megan a lot before she became actressy.
What's up with 2015? All these shows have ended- "Parks & Recreation", "Mad Men", Letterman, "About A Boy", "Colbert Report" and now "Backstrom".

Btw- I've just seen a 15 year old movie called "Blow Dry" about a hairdressing competition. Recognize this guy?

Today is International Jazz Day, so how fitting is it that I was reading this?



50. Looking for Chet Baker by Bill Moody. Jazz pianist and amateur sleuth Evan Horne has a few gigs in London, where he's tracked down by his friend, jazz fan and UNLV professor Ace Buffington. Ace tries to interest Evan in looking into the suspicious death of jazz trumpeter Chet Baker, which occurred in Amsterdam so many years ago that Evan sees it as pointless. Subsequent gigs in that very city have Evan expecting to meet with Ace again, but though lots of people have seen him, Ace isn't turning up. Evan has to follow Ace's research of Baker's death in order to track his missing friend.
This is the fifth in the Evan Horne series, but the first I'd heard of it. Being a Chet Baker fan, of course this is the one I started with, but I hope to find more. There's even a page written by famed pianist and frequent Baker collaborator Russ Freeman, who discusses Baker's style.
Moody is a jazz drummer and music critic, so this book is infused with discussions of the songs, musicians and descriptions of playing jazz live. 4 stars



Of course we all know Baker's version of "My Funny Valentine", but here's another, with Baker and Freeman together:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfdRTB40Rzw

>127 mstrust: You forgot John Stewart's program which is ending soon. I have a feeling I'll be watching a lot less of the Comedy Channel here on in.

I'll be sorry to see Stewart go too. How amazing that he could be funny night after night for all these years. I wonder if he's going to do more producing or directing.

51. Mark Twain in Hawaii: Roughing It in the Sandwich Islands/ Hawaii in the 1860's by Mark Twain. American Authors. A collection of essays, originally published for the Sacramento Union newspaper, of the four months Twain spent in the Hawaiian Islands. He writes of the natives and their customs and religions, their foods, the hula hula dance, body surfing, their treatment of animals, and their canoes. He witnessed a royal funeral and visited the active volcano Kilauea. He also explains that he is one of the very few whites to visit Honolulu without being part of the clergy or a sailor. The shock of a stranger at his being unattached to either profession leads to this comical exchange:

"No? Not a missionary! Not a whaler! Not a member of His Majesty's Government! Not even Secretary of the Navy! Ah, Heaven! It is too blissful to be true; alas, I do but dream. And yet that noble, honest countenance-those oblique, ingenuous eyes - that massive head, incapable of- of- anything; your hand; give me your hand, bright waif. Excuse these tears. For sixteen weary years I have yearned for a moment like this, and- "
Here his feelings were too much for him, and he swooned away. I pitied this poor creature from the bottom of my heart. I was deeply moved. I shed a few tears on him and kissed him for his mother. I then took what small change he had and "shoved".

This is a slim book and includes a small section of photos and drawings from the general time of Twain's visit. 3.5 stars

I had to laugh with that passage. Whenever I mention I grew up in the Caribbean the first question asked is if my dad was in the Navy. Funny, because the reason he was recruited was that the Navy wanted to leave and they needed civilians to take over.

How interesting that some things stay the same. Where did you grow up? I've wanted to go to the Caribbean to see the pirate history.

And I have to add how happy I am to get my own drill and tool kit to keep at home. I was having to go to Mike's workshop to carve my tikis, but now I can carve whenever I want.

The U.S. Virgin Islands. I'll be heading down there in a couple of weeks.

Oooh, pretty! Have a great visit! Do you have places that you always go to?

I stay at my dad's house and go to the beach often. My daughter and her BF will be coming down - first time for him - so we'll give him the $10.00 tour. That picture above is at the National Park in St. John. We'll definitely take the car ferry over for a day (a non-cruise ship day).

Sounds like a really great vacation. Have fun, and be sure to post some pics for us to be jealous about.



52. Bats in Question by Don E. Wilson, photographs by Merlin D. Tuttle. Non-Fiction. A very informative study of everything about bats, their feeding, sleeping, mating, likes and dislikes, and a look at the immense diversity in the species across the world. Most of the book is sectioned by questions, then the answers, such as "What is echolocation?" The author spends a lot of time discussing the need for bat conservation because bats are a big part of ecosystems as they spread seeds more effectively than birds. There are many unusual photos of bats in action, eating, flying and nursing their young. An excellent resource. 4.5 stars

And ooooh, it's my long-time chef crush's birthday!

Today is the birthday of Wendy O. Williams, the punk singer who became famous in The Plasmatics, then had a brief solo career. Her take on the genre, and on performing, was original and ground-breaking. Sorry, I wanted to put up "The Damned" video, which is epic and shows her at her best, but the links wouldn't work.



And sharing the birthday is Ian Fleming:

53. Among the Gently Mad by Nicholas A. Basbanes. Non-Fiction. Subtitled "Strategies and Perspectives for the Book Hunter in the Twenty-First Century", this is about how the book hunter or collector finds what they're looking for from specialized book sellers or the internet. It also looks at several book sellers of specialized materials, whether that's books that are hundreds of years old or daguerrotypes from the beginnings of photography. Basbanes, a former book reviewer with an enormous home library, writes of many instances in his own collecting. Often, because of his job, he was able to meet the author or illustrator of the books he coveted, which is pretty cool. 4.5 stars

For the second Friday in a row, his mother roped us into taking her out. That's two too many nights in her company.

If you can believe it, there is a National Macaroon Day and it's here. Oh, the controversy.

I'm more likely to have macaroons than macarons, because the former are a lot easier to make. ;)

Agreed. I've made plenty of macaroons but I've always been too intimidated to make macarons, even though my sister made them once and said they weren't as difficult as expected.
And this makes me remember that I haven't made meringues in a long time.


Also, has anyone spotted the thread for the Group Read for June's The 39 Steps? I haven't seen it.

Oh, but macarons are so pretty! And it's a such fun to choose a box of them.

Macarons are almost too pretty to eat. Presented on a glass cake tier they are almost a work of art in their own right.
Not that their being pretty ever stops me actually eating them, of course >;-)

>144 RidgewayGirl: They look like jewels. My favorites are chocolate and cassis, but looking at new flavors being created by some bakers, now I long to try coconut, pumpkin/cinnamon and honey/melon.

>145 Helenliz: When I feel that something is almost too pretty to eat, I snap a pic, then eat it. In Chicago, we picked pretty truffles from Vosges' flagship shop and they boxed them up really prettily. I still have the pic. Lovely to look at, even if the cinnamon one was full of mold. Yes, green mold.

Gratuitous book pic:


And last night we went to the canal and saw the colony of Mexican Freetail bats leaving for the night. Only about fifty or sixty flew out, as this is a nursing colony and the babies are just a few weeks old.

>147 mstrust: You know that store isn't in California!

A face only a mother could love!

You know, I don't think there was a tag as to where it is, but it reminds me of a French country house. Owned by a very disorganized person. Perhaps they drink homemade wine all day, then stack books.

Their mothers must love them, because many of the bats I saw dodging out of the canal, then right back in, were babies as small as mice. Like they were peeking outside the house and then running right back to mom.

I've started The 39 Steps and hope to find the group at some point, and I'm also reading Behind the Scenes at the Museum, which is very fun.

I've also seen the wonderful Australian claymation movie, Mary and Max. So funny, weird and sad.

Another reason to celebrate in June. It's National Candy Month! As if I like sugar.

>97 mstrust:
I need one of those!

>142 rabbitprincess:
Me too, but mainly because macarons are much, much too sweet for me. And I love coconut.

>150 -Eva-: I know that I'd have a hard time finding a gondola, so I'd have to settle for a rowboat.

FYI- There was no thread for the June group read of The 39 Steps, so I was invited to start one. Come join!
http://www.librarything.com/topic/191719

Today is author Liza Dalby's birthday. She's written many books on the geisha and Japanese culture, and is the only Westerner to be trained as a geisha.

I've had one rough weekend, but luckily, today is National Chocolate Ice Cream Day!


I'm actually on the second rise of a loaf of olive bread. I'm almost positive this recipe was given by cameling a few months ago. Looks good so far.

Fittingly, I had chocolate gelato today! I know that's not quite the same thing, but it is still delicious in the same way ;)

I hope you have a good week to counteract the rough weekend!

I try to have chocolate ice cream every day, and I, fortuitously, managed to have some today too. :)

>155 rabbitprincess: Gelato counts! It's Italian ice cream. I'd even stretch it to say that frozen custard counts. I have to admit that I haven't had any ice cream today- yet. My favorite is Baskin-Robbins peanut butter and chocolate.
And thanks- I'm hoping my week goes much more smoothly than this weekend. I do pet sitting just as a little once or twice a month thing, and I had a couple of clients for this weekend. One forgot to leave me a key to her house, and had cats locked inside. It was a two day ordeal because she didn't want to pay anything more than our company fee.

>156 -Eva-: You have your priorities in order.

I tried to drag this one out as long as possible because of the group read, but as there isn't any group, I just finished it.


54. The 39 Steps by John Buchan. Mystery and Crime. Richard Hanney is a young man, but retired from the mining field of South Africa. His plan to spend the rest of his life in England bores in very quickly, until a stranger asks for his help in thwarting a plan by the Germans to attack Great Britain. The stranger hides out in Hanney's room, telling him everything he knows about the plot, until one day Hanney comes home and finds the man murdered. Hanney must run from the local police, who believe he committed the murder, but also the foreign agents who believe he has the information the stop him.

Written in 1915, this is a story of espionage and politics, but it's also non-stop action. I didn't expect that from a book of this age, so it's surprising. 3.5 stars

I saw a version from Masterpiece Theatre, I believe, from maybe six or seven years ago. Now I know that they changed the story quite a bit by simply adding a pretty girl who goes on the run with Hanney, therefore adding romance to a story that is suppose to be about a single man's ability to hide and escape.

Another GBP. I'm calling this one "Ambition".

>158 mstrust: Great title!

I just picture him sitting down and saying, "Better get started."



55. Psmith, Journalist by P.G. Wodehouse. Books I Need To Read While visiting New York, Englishman Psmith meets young Billy Windsor, who has just been left in charge of Cosy Moments, a sentimental little paper with a small readership. With both the owner and editor away for weeks, Psmith steps in and persuades Billy to give the paper a complete overhaul, doing away with the coziness and instead focusing on investigative journalism and boxing stories. By publishing a series of articles about the conditions of a particular tenement slum, the two writers bring themselves into a gang war and are targets for multiple murder attempts, but Psmith never loses his cheerful manner and verbosity.
Published in 1915, so this is a very early one from Wodehouse, but has his wit, humor, and quite a bit of action. It's also the only book I've ever finished on my Kindle. 4 stars

56. Rebel Rebel: Anti-Style by Keanan Duffty. Non-Fiction. Duffty is a British clothing designer who was a teen when punk hit. He played in bands, but his life-long inspiration has been the punk look and other street looks. In this book, he traces the history of much of the punk style, from black leather jackets, brothel creeper shoes, frock coats, hair and make-up styles. He also talks of meeting and dressing The Sex Pistols and creating a line of Bowie inspired and approved clothes. And drops quite a few brags along the way. 4 stars

Just to show that every pic on my thread isn't something to shove in my face, today is Nation Red Rose Day. I prefer the imperfection and amazing scent of a rose grown in a real garden over the uniformity of one grown for the trade.

I adore roses. And there is nothing like a big old rose bush for scent of flowers. Probably one of my favourite flowers, and certainly the one that got penciled in first on the planting plan when we remodelled the front garden. Probably planted last, though, as I went for a bare root rose and had to wait until November to get it.

Rose scent is beautiful, and I especially like the ones that have a little spiciness, which tend to be white roses. I grew up with a tall rose bush in our back yard that survived everything and produced extremely dark red roses that almost had a black undertone. Must have been planted by a vampire.

Stopping by after an absence and drooling over the chocolate chip cookies! My favorite chocolate chip cookies are the soft ones with the gooey chocolate chips.... soooo good!

Hey, Lori! *waves*
I like the soft ones too, though I can choke down a few Chips Ahoy if I have to.

We're back from visiting the SeaLife Aquarium in Tempe. It's good, with more sharks than I expected, less coral than I wanted, but lots and lots of rays. I've been lucky to go to the Shedd in Chicago and the Aquarium on the Bay in San Francisco, but I'm glad to have finally seen the one here.
As long as we were out in the far East Valley, we went over to Sweetie's, a candy warehouse. Yep, got a big bag of all kinds of new things. I've already tried a maple pastille, which tastes like a mild drop of maple syrup, and opening the tin smells heavenly.
Well, it is candy month.

This is the brand, but I have the plain maple flavor.

I'm not a fan of Sweetie's, but "candy warehouse" sounds a little bit like heaven. :)

It's pretty great- It's about the size of a Walgreen's, and they have stuff separated by brand or candy type. So they have all the Haribo together, all the chocolate in two aisles. They have the latest candies, hard-to-find, and the really old American stuff from small companies that you don't find in the grocery store.
Here's another maple candy I found:


I don't taste the pancake, but they have a nice, light maple syrup flavor. About the only candy that I can think of that I didn't find at Sweetie's was the pure maple sugar candy.

And I've received a couple of Amazon gift cards, so I'll be shopping for books today. Yea!

>168 mstrust: There's a Jelly Belly factory and sales room not too far from my house. I'm not a jelly bean fan but I went with a friend. My teeth ached just walking into the sales room.

>169 mamzel: I like the Jelly Belly stuff because they have unusual flavors and they use real fruit and juice in their stuff, which is why it tastes authentic. I remember reading about a major city, Boston maybe?, that had a chocolate factory that made the city smell of chocolate. It went on for years, until someone complained and ruined it, because the factory was forced to keep the smell from escaping.

My reading has been going so slowly this week, but I managed to finish this short story that I'd been wanted to get to for a couple of years.


57. The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. American Authors. A woman and her husband settle into a rented house for a three month stay. Her physician husband keeps telling her she is too ill to have company or to amuse herself. He encourages her to rest as much as possible, placing her in the largest, ugliest room of the house, a bedroom with peeling yellow wallpaper that the woman can barely stand.
Told simply and quickly, this is an effectively creepy story. I don't know how long it is in print, as I could only find it on Kindle.4 stars

Here's what I've bought so far:

Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway by Cherie Currie, lead singer of the band.
Poisoned Heart: I Married Dee Dee Ramone
At Home With Books
A Sickness in the Family
Pumpkins, just a coffee table sized book of pumpkin photos
One-Dish Vegetarian Meals

58. Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson. Flavor of the Month. Narrated by Ruby Lennox from the moment of her conception, this is the story of her family reaching back to her great-grandmother, with all the siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins. Ruby is self-aware from the moment she exists, and describes the chaos of being a child of George and Bunty, her mother's survival during WWII, her grandmother's romantic disappointments during WWI and the many family members who died too early.
Remarkable for its interweaving of both time and the stories of so many of Ruby's ancestors and friends. I'll be reading more from Atkinson for sure. 5 stars

59. The Double Dealer by William Congreve. Everything Else. Young, handsome Mellefont is about to marry Cynthia, daughter of Sir Paul, and the couple is very much in love. Trouble happens because Mellefont's aunt by marriage, Lady Touchwood, is also in love with him and determined to keep the marriage from going through. She employs her lover, lower-born Maskwell, to ruin Mellefont's reputation with Cynthia's parents. Maskwell is the double dealer, claiming to be both Lady Touchwood's agent and Mellefont's friend, while scheming for himself.

This is a comedic play first produced in 1693, yet it's still pretty sharp and easy to follow for a modern reader, and is still performed. 3.5 stars

William Congreve


And the second season of True Detective starts tonight. I don't have HBO, so I'll have to wait for it to go to Netflix.

Back from a few days in Vegas, and here's the newest addition to the tiki mug collection, the Lava Letch.

>173 mstrust: I'm planning to read Three Restoration Comedies, which includes a play by Congreve, for July's HistoryCAT. It's good to know that his plays are not too difficult for a modern reader to follow.

I like your photo of Liza Dalby. I finished The Tale of Murasaki recently and enjoyed it very much.

I've read just a few Restoration plays and The Double-Dealer was a breeze. I looked at the others included in your book, but I'm unfamiliar with the other playwrights.
I didn't know Dalby had written any fiction,as the only work I've come across from her has been non-fiction. She's in a really unique position as a Westerner who has been entrenched in Japan for many decades. I'll have to put The Tale of Murasaki on my WL.

60. Devil in A Blue Dress by Walter Mosley. American Authors. Easy Rawlins has just been fired from his job and goes to Joppy's bar to drink and figure out how he'll pay the mortgage. He's wary when Joppy introduces him to a friend who doesn't seem like the usual clientele, a dangerous looking man named Dewitt, who immediately offers Easy a lot of money just to ask around the jazz clubs and locate a White girl who walked out on Dewitt's boss. Easy knows that things like this rarely go smoothly, and he'd rather just get his factory job back, but the lure of fast money to save his home is too great.

Set in 1948 Los Angeles, this has a femme fatale, a cast of criminals, multiple murders and a fast pace. I'll be reading more from Mosley. 4 stars

Nick Offerman's birthday today!

61. A Sickness in the Family by Denise Mina, art by Antonio Fuso. World Authors. A GN about the Usher family, consisting of Dad, who has just sold the family company, which leaves snotty daughter Amy without a career. Mum has stopped loving Dad and marriage counseling is going badly, while son William has been kicked out of Oxford for some mysterious reason, and Nana is despised by everyone except the adopted son, Sam, who cares for her after she falls through the gaping hole left in the floor during the flat expansion. The Ushers were dysfunctional before the re-modeling, but now there is evil in the house.
Really interesting story, and it seems, from the ending that there may be a continuation. The cover is very creepy. 4 stars

I remember really enjoying A Sickness in the Family and I would love it if Denise Mina did more graphic novels!

>174 mstrust: - Interesting tiki mug! I love the green colour but there is something about tribal mask art that creeps me out just a tad bit. They always have that somewhat dark, sinister look to them. ;-)

>178 mstrust: - A Sickness in the Family was my first Denise Mina read. Like you, I gave it 4 stars.

>179 DeltaQueen50: & >180 lkernagh: I looked to see if there was a sequel to A Sickness in the Family, but it seems to be a stand alone so far. Too bad, because the story of Sam and Nana seems too rich to just let it go.

>180 lkernagh: That mug is a very deep teal green that is unusual to find in tiki. I don't blame you for being creeped out- they do tend to look sinister! But that particular mug is much less scary when you turn it around, as he has a bum with a bandage on it!

Here's a happy mug-

62. At Home With Books by Estelle Ellis, Caroline Seebohm and Christopher Simon Sykes . Non-Fiction. A big coffee table book from 1995, of all kinds of libraries. There are personal libraries, ones in big English manors and the Welsh book town of Hay-on-Wye. Many of the libraries belong to serious collectors, some to voracious readers, some who also collect art, and a couple who are most interested in the appearance of their library. Of course, it is filled with big glossy pages of book porn. Photos of old English bookcases filled with leather-bound books and stacks of two hundred year old books by classic authors are everywhere. Biggest surprise- Keith Richards has beautiful copies of both Jane Eyre and Grimm's Fairy Tales on the shelf, along with the WWII books. 5 stars

I almost listed this one in my Books I Have To Read category because I've wanted it for so long.

I'm currently on the second rise of two loaves of bread, one plain white, the other pumpkin. I'm hoping the pumpkin turns out well enough to be fair worthy.

And it's the birthday of handsome critic A.A. Gill. Yes, that's how I think of him.

That Tiki mug is creepy. In the best possible way, of course. One of my favorite things is a glass skull mug I got in Las Vegas at the old Treasure Island casino. It came with a not-good drink mainly consisting of Blue Curacao, but the mug is fabulous.

Was it this one? Very cool. I'd fill it with with candy at Halloween.

That's it! My husband wonders why I keep them, but he has no taste.

>174 mstrust:
I love him! (Or is it a her? Or an it?) :)

>178 mstrust:
That one has been on my wishlist forever. Unfortunately, my library's copy is "lost" and I've been hoping they'll replace it - no such luck so far.

>185 RidgewayGirl: Not only for the memories, but a glass skull works with any decor.

>186 -Eva-: Either "him" or "it" works. I can't see it as female as it has no softness about it at all. Of all my tiki mugs, this one is the scariest looking. They've all come from Frankie's Tiki Room, which has them made exclusively by Tiki Farm. But next time I go, I'm down to picking from just three that I don't already own, and one of those three I don't want anyway. They need to issue some new ones, pronto!

I'm going to guess that a "lost" library book, especially one that's been as popular as A Sickness in the Family, means that the last borrower decided to keep it!
A few years ago I had to go in and own up that my puppy, who was about 4 months old at the time, had eaten the library's copy of Double Indemnity. They were really nice and told me all I had to do was buy them a new one. It taught me not to drop a book on the floor when I fell asleep. : D

Today is Ray Harryhausen's birthday. He's the most famous of special effects artists and spent decades making giant animals, monsters and characters for movies. Here's some of his work on 1974's "The Golden Voyage of Sinbad". It's Kali dancing for Dr. Who Tom Baker.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsZzfQNzKMk

Today is National Meteor Day. When we lived 90 minutes north of Phoenix we could see the stars so brightly, and often saw shooting stars as we drove through the hills at night.

Happy Birthday to Debbie Harry, one of my glamorous category ladies and someone who remains amazingly talented. She's 70 today!

>190 mstrust: Talented lady indeed! Still glamorous.

>192 mstrust: Very! I love that she still dresses to please herself. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but she takes risks.



63. The Lost Weekend by Charles Jackson. American Authors. Don Birnam is thirty-three, unemployed, supported by his younger brother, and he's an alcoholic. His brother is desperate to block Don's access to liquor, but Don manages to get left behind in Manhattan instead of going for the weekend in the country his brother planned. Don's weekend is spent drinking, finding money to buy liquor, stealing, pawning and hitting people up for money to buy liquor, worrying about running out of liquor, hallucinating and passing out. Don swings between feeling sophisticated, imagining himself as a literary professor lecturing on Fitzgerald or a great Shakespearean actor, to loathing himself for his weaknesses, his treatment of friends and his sexuality.

This is deeply introspective, with little dialogue. Don lives in his head, which tortures him, but the author really lays the delirium on pretty thick. His hallucinations and delirium seem more in line with heroin use than alcohol, even if Don is throwing back enough to kill a horse in an hour. My copy is only 244 pages, but the story would have benefited from losing around 60 pages, as Don's drinking, worry and hallucinations turned into an endless cycle a hundred pages in, then, after so much suffering, the ending had too much of a "all's well that ends well" feeling. I'd expected something more.

Something else that stood out to me is that the story takes place in 1936, but the book was published in 1944. Don loves Fitzgerald and discusses The Great Gatsby and Tender Is the Night, but Fitzgerald had been mostly forgotten by 1936 and was having to scramble to make a living. It wasn't until WWII, when thousands of copies of "The Great Gatsby" were sent to American soldiers overseas, that Fitzgerald's reputation was revived. Just my own nitpicking, I know. 3 stars

>188 mstrust:
I love "The Golden Voyage of Sinbad" - such fun effects!

>193 -Eva-: It's a really fun movie, full of adventure- and a very young Martin Shaw!



64. Recoil by Jim Thompson. Flavor of the Month. Patrick Cosgrove has spent 15 years in prison for an impulsive and botched bank robbery when he was eighteen. In order to be paroled, he needs a sponsor and a job, which finally happens when one of his random pleas for help to the outside is answered by a stranger. Dr. Luther spends a lot of money and political favors to have Pat paroled, even giving him a room in the house Luther shares with his sultry wife. Pat wonders why a stranger would go to so much trouble for him, yet he's so grateful to be out of prison he's willing to help Luther out in any way he can, but the little hints and coincidences build up to a point that even Pat can't ignore them. 4 stars

65. The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings. American Authors. Matt King's wife Joanie has been in a coma for nearly a month after an accident in a competitive boat race. Matt loved that his wife was so involved in activities and had a large circle of friends, and that she was the primary parent for their two daughters, which allowed him to concentrate on his work. But soon after her accident, Matt begins to realize that Joanie's parenting has left his daughters as rude and confrontational, with the older one angry at her mother and the younger daughter desperate for attention. Matt struggles with suddenly being a parent, unraveling his wife's true life, trying to help his children with their grief, and handling a family land deal that has been put on his shoulders.

I probably didn't explain the plot well, but there's a lot going on here. It's a sad situation that isn't always sad. The primary point is that Matt is a rather wishy-washy guy surrounded by women who have much stronger personalities. He loves his wife completely, yet the reader somewhat gets the impression that she was never happy with him, and maybe she married him because he's the descendant of a old and very powerful Hawaiian family, one that owns large parts of the islands. It's been more than a year since I saw the movie, and for the most part, book and movie are the same, except ***little spoilers*** in the book, Matt learns of Joanie's deceitfulness much earlier, and it extends much further into his family business. Also, there is more to Sid in the book. ***
4.5 stars

And that's my American Authors category completed!

July 7th- National Chocolate Day!

Hooray! Waving my chocolate flag. I think this calls for some chocolate ice cream for dinner!

In our house, every day is chocolate day, but it's nice to have it all official like that. ; )

I've started a new thread, so come join me!

http://www.librarything.com/topic/193065