Mark's Reading Place #11

- Geza Voros (1897-1957)

Audiobook:



Graphic:


Books Read So Far...

February:

17) Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill 4 stars
18) A Trail Through Time (Chronicles of St Mary Book 4) by Jodi Taylor 4.2 stars (audio)
19) Euphoria by Lily King 4.5 stars (audio)
20) The Night Watch by Sarah Waters 4.2 stars BAC
21) Hard Magic (The Grimnoir Chronicles) by Larry Correia 3.8 stars (audio)
22) The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore 4.5 stars (audio)
23) Washington Square by Henry James 4.2 stars AAC
24) Sabriel (The Old Kingdom) by Garth Nix 4 stars (audio)
25) Boneshaker (The Clockwork Century) by Cherie Priest 3.8 stars
26) The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins 4.2 stars (audio)
27) Sweetland by Michael Crummey 4.3 stars
28) The Sculptor by Scott McCloud 4.5 stars GN
29) Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh 4.4 stars BAC
30) The Here and Now by Ann Brashares 3.3 stars (audio)

March:

31) Get in Trouble: Stories by Kelly Link 4.4 stars
32) The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys 4.5 stars
33) Find Me by Laura van den Berg 3.6 stars
34) The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan 4.7 stars (audio/partial)
35) The Sportswriter by Richard Ford 3.7 stars (audio) AAC
36) Jamaica Inn by Daphne Du Maurier 4 stars BAC
37) The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez 4 stars (audio)
38) Mermaids in Paradise by Lydia Millet 4 stars
39) Tunneling to the Center of the Earth: Stories by Kevin Wilson 4.4 stars
40) Embassytown by China Mieville 3.7 stars (audio/partial) BAC
41) Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel 4.6 stars (audio/print)
42) March: Book Two by John Lewis 4.5 stars (GN)

April:

43) Bring Up the Bodies (Wolf Hall, Book 2) by Hilary Mantel 4.5 stars (audio)
44) Epitaph: A Novel of the O.K. Corral by Mary Doria Russell 5 stars
45) The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich 4.2 stars (audio)
46) Stone Mattress: Nine Tales by Margaret Atwood 4.3 stars
47) Dead Wake by Erik Larson 4.7 stars (audio)
00) The First Bad Man by Miranda July DNF
48) The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black 4 stars
49) Breakfast with Buddha by Roland Merullo 4 stars (audio)
50) Hausfrau by Jill Alexander Essbaum 3.2 stars (audio)
51) The Bloody Chamber: And Other Stories by Angela Carter 4 stars BAC
52) The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham 4.2 stars (audio) BAC
53) Aquarium by David Vann 4 stars
54) The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro 4.2 stars (audio)
55) Photobooth: A Biography by Meags Fitzgerald 3.7 stars GN

May:

56) H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald 5 stars (audio)
57) Bee Season by Myla Goldberg 4.3 stars

American Author Challenge 2015

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

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

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

Mark's Picks:

January - Carson McCullers - The Ballad of the Sad Cafe Completed
February - Henry James – Washington Square Completed
March - Richard Ford – The Sportswriter Completed
April - Louise Erdrich - The Plague of Doves Completed, The Round House Completed
May - Sinclair Lewis – Babbitt
June - Wallace Stegner - Beyond the Hundredth Meridian
July - Ursula K. Le Guin - The Dispossessed and possibly a re-read of A Wizard of Earthsea
August - Larry McMurtry – Pretty Boy Floyd and I would LOVE to do a reread of Lonesome Dove.
September - Flannery O' Connor - Everything That Rises Must Converge
October - Ray Bradbury - The Golden Apples of the Sun and possibly a second.
November - Barbara Kingsolver - Pigs in Heaven and possibly a NF choice
December - E.L. Doctorow – World's Fair?

I thought this would be a good idea, to keep track of what is coming up and to supply links when they are available.

April:

Atwood April: http://www.librarything.com/topic/189477#
Louise Erdrich American Author Challenge: http://www.librarything.com/topic/189382#

May:

May Murder & Mayhem: https://www.librarything.com/topic/190483#
Sinclair Lewis American Author Challenge: http://www.librarything.com/topic/190597#

Happy new thread!

ETA I feel I must apologize for your rotten weather today, as it doubtless came from our rotten weather of last week.

>5 Storeetllr: You are number one, my friend. And yes, I think the weather is coming from the west. Al least that is where the chilly, blustery wind is blowing from. It sure isn't your fault, Mary. If you were in charge, I am sure we would get nothing but blue skies & warmth.

Yes, exactly, with lovely brief rain showers in the mornings before anyone has to get up to go to work (for the gardeners/farmers).

Nice new thread, Mark! I think you were one of the people who recommended Montana 1948 to me, so I wanted to pop in and let you know that I finally read it and it was fabulous. I'm already planning to read another by Larry Watson, American Boy, sometime soon.

Also, I read Dead Wake over the weekend and it was terrific. I know you got the ER on that one and really liked it, too.

I hope you are staying dry and at least a little bit warm on your rounds, Mr. Postman. Where did spring go?!

Happy new thread, Mark! I love the thread toppers!

Missed two more threads of yours, so I thought I had better pop in quick to say hi. I'm not around LT much these days, and hardly reading at all, but I miss my LT friends!

*ping* Just marking my place...I'm having trouble keeping up the last week or two---too many visitors at my house.

Hiya Mark! Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, friend. Just finding my place and settling down for another thread of great reads and wonderful company. :D

^ I just finished the 3rd episode of Wolf Hall. This is so damn good. We are at the halfway point. I really DO NOT want this one to end.

First, I had a Man-Crush on Thomas Cromwell. Now, I have a Man-Crush on Mark Rylance playing Thomas Cromwell. LOL.

Who else, is keeping up with WH?

>7 Storeetllr: "with lovely brief rain showers in the mornings before anyone has to get up to go to work." You are such an angel, Mary!

>8 rosalita: Great to see you, Julia! I have missed you. I am so glad you loved Montana 1948. I have now read several of his, but this remains my favorite.

And yes, Dead Wake is a delight.

Mr.Postman WANTS spring back!

>9 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie! Hugs!

>10 labfs39: OMG!! Yes, I am rubbing my eyes and looking again: Yes, it is Lisa! Good to see you, old friend. Sorry to hear about the lack of reading. Bummer. I hope it is short-lived. I hope I have your thread still starred.

>11 laytonwoman3rd: Hi, Linda! How are you doing with the AAC? And who are all the visitors? Family?

>12 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie! Love the mug! Looks yummy.

>13 jolerie: Thanks, Valerie! There is always a seat here, for you, my friend. Unfortunately, Hausfrau is falling FAR short of greatness but I am enjoying The Bloody Chamber.

Awww...too bad about Hausfrau. A one sentence wonder?? I may just wait a bit before I jump on that one. :)

>17 jolerie: I just had a hard time connecting with Hausfrau, Valerie. There is an unpleasant tone to it and the lead character is not very likable. I would like to see one of my female LT friends give it a try. I am curious, to see how it would work, from another perspective.
Plenty of sweaty sex, if you are into that sort of thing.

Oh, sorry to hear that Chicago is having miserable weather too! Sydney is currently in the midst of a cyclone (only it's not a tropical cyclone, so we don't get to name it, which seems monstrously unfair to me), and I'm *over* the wind. The new house is proving to be wonderfully weather proof, although the wind did push lots of rain in under the back door. (No mean feat, as the back door is under shelter itself.) But if that's the worst that happens, I'm okay with it all.

I may skip Hausfrau, but I'm glad you're liking The Bloody Chamber, I may have a copy of that somewhere... (All book boxes are now unpacked! Woot!)

I've got a borrowed copy of Hausfrau lanquishing on my Kindle but I don't think I'll get to it. I forget where I first heard of it but my interest in it is diminishing daily.

Hi Marko, happy new thread!
I love that 2nd to top picture, it is right up my alley.

Anyway, you are certainly churning through those books and beers! Go mark! I am luxuriating in my new haircut. Aaaaah, I actually feel lighter!

Happy new thread Mark! Have only watched the first two episodes of Wolf Hall, but the third iw awaiting!

Okay, I will wrap up Hausfrau. I am glad to see that one in my rearview. I should also finish The Bloody Chamber, which has been a delight. And then on to new books...yah!

>19 wookiebender: Good to see you, Tania! We had a nice stretch of comfortable weather, now we are experiencing the flip-side. This is April in the Midwest. Sighs...

Yikes! Sorry to hear about the cyclones but I am happy to see you are settling into the homestead.

>20 Copperskye: Hi, Joanne. Like I mentioned up above, I would like to see if a woman would feel the same way I did, on Hausfrau.

>21 LovingLit: Thanks, Megan. Glad you liked the raven. Where is the photo of the new 'do? Eh??

>22 Berly: Thanks, Kimmers! The 3rd episode was very good. Enjoy!

Happy new one, friend!

Happy new thread, Mark! I've been dvr-ing Wolf Hall and have, so far, just watch the first episode. A great episode it was. It's tough to juggle to great shows at the same time. The other being Mad Men which I'll be watching today. Ugh, nobody told me being retired would be so much work! ;0}

>24 scaifea: Thanks, Amber! Hugs!

>25 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda. You have much to look forward to with Wolf Hall. It is an amazing adaptation. I am also enjoying Mad Men. I hope to watch the latest one tonight. I still think, this show is played out. There was no reason it needed to drag out for 7 seasons, IMHO.

And yah, to be retired. LOL!

Happy New Thread. Congrats on your Cubs beating my Pirates. :) I'm not really a big baseball fan, just a Pittsburgh sports fan. You can take the boy out of the city, but not the city out of the boy.

>16 msf59: Yes, family visitors. Our daughter from Virginia was here (off and on with various excursions to visit friends in the Northeast) for two weeks. So the grandmothers had to come and we had to go places together, and so on. Love her company, but not a lot of reading or LT time got fitted in. I set aside my Louise Erdrich to read Doc, which I bought on the first day Laura was home (naturally there had to be a bookstore run immediately!). Loved it so much, and wanted to finish it so I could pass it on to my brother last Saturday at the large family gathering we had at his place. I will return to The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse tomorrow, and hope to be able to complete it before the end of the month. Another LT friend sent me an ARC of Epitaph, and I am sorely tempted, but will pace myself!

Congrats on the new thread, Mark! I like that painting up top.

Woo, intense and physical Bulls game last night. They kept their heads and pulled away. What a dynamic duo Rose and Butler are.

I'm liking The Bloody Chamber. Sorry to hear Hausfrau didn't work well. Have you read the Anthony Doerr book that won the Pulitzer? I haven't seen a whole lot about it on LT.

Happy New Thread, Mark. I hope the weather is improving soon.

Look at you...a new thread. Very nice.

Thanks for the reminder about May Murder & Mayhem. I'm not doing too well this month with the AAC but you know I'll read plenty of mysteries in May.

Nice new thread, Mark! The weather in Atlanta is much better today, and I hope that the same is true for Chicagoland.

Gusty winds, making it chilly and unpleasant. Groan...

>27 mahsdad: Thanks, Jeff. Good to see you. I enjoy watching the Cubs and Pirates. The Cubs have finally put together, a solid, competitive team, so I am watching more baseball than I have in the past few years.

>28 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks for the full report, Linda. Glad you loved Doc and I am sure you had a wonderful time with your family. I am also glad you have a copy of Epitaph waiting in the wings.

>29 jnwelch: Hi, Joe. I understand it can be cool in April but this is ridiculous.
The Bulls look good sir. Let's hope they can keep it up through the playoffs.
Yes, I read and loved All the Light and I am happy for Mr. Doerr.

>30 Ameise1: Thanks, Barb. It is a blustery, chilly day here, my friend. Ugh!

>31 lindapanzo: Hi, Linda. I have been enjoying this Cubbies. Let's keep it going.
I am also looking forward to M & M, although I will barely make a tiny dent, in all titles, I have stacked to the rafters.

>32 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl. Glad you have some nice weather there. We have a relentless, west wind, that is making things quite unpleasant. Hey, at least it is not raining.

>34 msf59: The Cubs are bringing up second best prospect, Addison Russell, today, to play second base. If I play my cards right, I should get home in time to see some of the Cubs game before the Blackhawks playoff game comes on.

The Cubs are fun to watch. I didn't get home from dinner out til the 8th inning last night but it sounds like the woman behind home plate who got hit in the head with the ball might be ok. Hope so.

Happy new thread, Mark. Sorry you have blustery weather - I think our rain is coming tomorrow. I am looking forward to May Murder and Mayhem - right up my alley.

>30 Ameise1: Great photo, Barb - made me laugh.

Oh, dear, I see that although I've been reading along, keeping up, and enjoying your thread, I have not said "hi" and good going. You do a fine job of balancing all that you do: job, family, and books! And you also do a great job of finding books that I end up wanting to read. Good going, for sure!

Call the Midwife is the BEST show on television. Wolf Hall is Ok, but I know how that story is going to end, so not so excited about it. I don't know how Call the Midwife will end.

It is cold down here. In my office. It is lower than 65 degrees and it is only in the 60's today outside. The AC is on full blast, and I am dressed in layers, but I am shivering. Time to go home for the day and warm up. I will start with pants and shoes and socks.

Hey stranger - I've been busy, out of town and then out enjoying a bit of a taste of summer weather over the weekend.

FYI - Picked up a GN at the library that comes highly recommended by a friend. Krishna: A Journey Within by Abhishek, Singh. I haven't started reading it yet but I've paged through it a couple of times and the artwork is jaw dropping stunning.

I also have March: Book Two on my library stack.

I finished my latest Walt Longmire audiobook (As the Crow Flies) and have started listening to Where'd You Go, Bernadette which I am loving so far.

We'll be catching up with episodes 2 and 3 of Wolf Hall tonight. Looking forward to it.

^Congrats to Anthony Doerr for winning the Pulitzer, with All the Light We Cannot See. Impressive. And I loved the book too! I thought it was excellent on audio too, if you would like to try it in that format.

Okay, I finished Hausfrau: Thumbs Down! The Bloody Chamber: Thumbs Up! I thank Paul for introducing me to this British author and I am sure I will thank him again, because I started the Moon and Sixpence and it is really really good.

I think if we only read LT recommendations, we would all be very HAPPY CAMPERS!!!

>35 lindapanzo: Being a Chicago sports fan has been a lot of fun lately. Let's hope it continues throughout the year. The Hawks play late for this old fart, so I don't think I'll see much of this one.

>36 Familyhistorian: The wind was fierce, Meg. 30 to 40 mph winds. Never let up. Ugh! Glad you are going to join us on M & M. It is always a lot of fun.

>40 msf59: cool, he won! I had heard lots of good stuff about his book. What an accolade.

The new 'do remains unphotographed, sorry. And even when it does it will take days and days to transfer said photo from camera to computer. And by then the fuss will have died down....so. ;)

>37 maggie1944: "You do a fine job of balancing all that you do." Thanks, Karen for the very nice words. I try to do well, at what I love. I am glad it shows. I am also extremely fortunate to have a forum like this to share my various LOVES, with some of the best people on the planet.

>38 benitastrnad: Hi, Benita! Are you sure CTM isn't paying you a stipend, for every time you praise that show. LOL. I agree, it is a wonderful program and amazingly consistent. I am also LOVING Wolf Hall, regardless of knowing the ending.

>39 SuziQoregon: Great to see you, Juli! I see your blogs everyday, I see your FB comments and we play TC now and then, so you are always in the picture, my friend.

I will keep an eye out for the "Krishna" GN. Thanks. Where'd You Go, Bernadette is great on audio. Enjoy!

And Wolf Hall is amazing. Enjoy again!

Ah, so I finished The Round House and completely enjoyed it. Reminded me a bit of Ivan Doig, too. His books, like Erdrich's, do not end as one might expect; and smacks of real life. I like that!

Did the wind blow you away?
Sorry to hear that Hausfrau was a disappointment. I have All the Light We Cannot See on my TBR mountain. I need to bump that one up. :)

>44 maggie1944: I like Doig too, Karen. I plan on getting to The Round House by the end of the month.

>45 jolerie: I nearly got blown away a couple of times, Valerie but somehow stayed on my feet. LOL.
I am sure you will love All the Light. Yes, move it up.

>41 msf59: I agree! Recommendations for LT-ers are the best. On that note, I will skip Hausfrau.

I'm wrapping up The Bloody Chamber! When I'm done I'll be back to discuss it with you.

Hi Mark, I have finished the second book in the Chaos Walking trilogy and am looking forward to the third which I hope to get to in late May or early June. Right now I am reading some lighter books, and because I had a couple of not so great graphic fairytale adaptions, I have picked up 3 more of the Fables series which I know that I will enjoy.

I was happy to see that you enjoyed Angela Carter, I was quite impressed when I read her last year.

Morning, Mark!

Morning, Mark! Here's hoping today isn't as blustery and COLD as yesterday! Sheesh!

49 degrees and windy today. Seriously? Is this some kind of cruel joke?

I will be starting Aquarium. This is a YA, I snagged at ALA. I still have a healthy stack of ARCs, I've received over the past few months and I am trying to bookhorn them into the rotation. It's only fair, right?

I am also looking forward to jumping back into the audio of The Moon and Sixpence.

>47 banjo123: "Recommendations for LT-ers are the best. " Yep, we are completely self-contained over here, Rhonda. Smiles...

>48 luvamystery65: I was very happy with the Carter collection, Ro! And it is all thanks to you. Hugs!!

>49 DeltaQueen50: Hi, Judy! I am glad you are enjoying The Chaos Walking series. I wonder what Ness will do next. I still have to get to The Crane Wife.

Which Carter did you read?

>50 Crazymamie: Morning Mamie! Waves & Hugs!

>51 scaifea: No such luck, Amber! Ugh! We Better have a gorgeous May!!!

I stayed up to the triple overtime and saw the Blackhawks win. Great game!! Tired today though. Game ended around 1:15-1:30 am.

During intermissions, I was reading the Lusitania book and finished it before the second overtime I think. Loved it.

^That was some Blackhawks win!

Good morning, Mark! Crappy weather day in Chicagoland, isn't it? I'm giving the GN Smile a try. It's remarkably popular among the younger set, but may pitch too young for me. We'll see. And I got Displacement in from the library, which I'm pretty sure you liked.

>54 lindapanzo: I was already in bed for 3 or 4 hours by the time the Hawks game was over. LOL. Go Hawks!!

If you need to wake up a little, step outside and face west. That will revive you.

>55 jnwelch: Yes, Joe, we are experiencing a chilly, blustery stretch in Chicagoland. Ugh!

And yes, I really enjoyed Displacement. I am sure it will work for you too.

Hello Mark! I'm working from home today so sneaking in a few minutes to check in with LT.
Harkening back to your prior thread, I was surprised when I learned several years ago that central Florida was "hurricane alley." This did not jive with my experience as a child. LOTS of afternoon thunderstorms and, of course, a hurricane or three, but I don't remember tornadoes and I very much associate them with my years living in Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Maybe I'll google this later.

I don't own a copy of Doc but I have to admit that your comment about owning both it and Epitaph, and placing them side by side in a prominent place on the shelf.... well, it has its appeal.

I'm very excited that Geraldine Brooks has a new novel coming out! I still have to read People of the Book but I loved, loved,, LOVED Year of Wonders.

Sorry that your lovely spring weather is reverting to ugly spring weather.

Oh, and I'm listening to Dead Wake. I am definitely developing the opinion that nonfiction works better for me in audio format than does fiction. This is a good thing to learn as I tend to avoid reading nonfiction and I have just not gotten into the swing of listening to fiction.

Happy Hump Day, my friend!!

I don't think that Aquarium is YA. It is published by Atlantic Monthly Press and that is not a YA publisher. There has been some positive buzz about it on the Publisher's Weekly e-mail newsletters. I picked it up at ALA and will get to it someday. Right now I am immersed in Hellhound on His Trail and am loving this book. My book discussion group read it. Out of the four who attended last Sunday, three of them had finished it and they all loved it. Everybody said it was slow to start and they didn't understand the first 50 pages, but then it got going and they couldn't put the book down. I hope to finish this one this week and will start another Tony Hillerman novel.

Call the Midwife isn't paying me. I just happen to love the show. I think it is well written and deals with so many things and one of the things it doesn't dwell on is babies. It is smart at using them as the vehicle to tell the story of a generation, and this last week with the developments with Trixie was just outstanding. She had taken over the show like Chummy did in the first season.

"I am not alone in my desire to press a good book into someone's hands. We employ a host of talented booksellers who, like me, believe that recommending books is the birthright of every zealous reader. No matter how much we love a book, the experience of reading it isn't complete until we can give it to someone who will love it as much as we do."

--Ann Patchett (She is sure my kind of woman!!) Hugs to Ann P!

>57 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen! I LOVE a long post from a pal! Grins...Yes, a copy of both Doc & Epitaph on a "keeper" shelf, is a wonderful thing.

I also loved Year of Wonders and People of the Book is very good. I also recommend March, which was my very first Brooks.

I am glad Dead Wake is working for you on audio and I also really enjoy listening to NF. There is so much quality stuff out there, that you could easily stick with NF for your listening pleasure.

>58 benitastrnad: OMG! Isn't Hellhound on His Trail great? Sides really nails NNF!

I might consider Aquarium YA, Benita. The main character is 12 and it has a classic YA premise. It is beautifully written, with small lovely photos interspersed among the narrative. This has the potential of being a KEEPER!!



^Has anyone read David Vann? He seems to be quite popular but I do not recall seeing or hearing any LT warbling, about this gifted writer.

I've added Aquarium to the tbr pile.

I have Caribou Island by David Vann on my Kindle but I haven't read it yet.

>61 Whisper1: This is just your cuppa, Linda!

>62 katiekrug: I have also heard of Dirt & Goat Mountain, Katie. He seems to be very popular overseas. I am surprised no one has warbled about him.

I was so glad to find a newish thread for you, Mark, but it looks like I will go back to the last one anyway to get your comments on Breakfast With Buddha. I read that one last year and liked it. I am currently about to finish listening to Lunch with Buddha. It was a good book for a road trip but I haven't had much opportunity for an audiobook since I got home from CO. I do like learning about Buddhism through the fun character of the Rinpoche. I probably mangled the spelling.

I got behind on my TV viewing and have all three episodes of Wolf Hall to catch up with. Sounds like a marathon is in order.

>46 msf59:: Ivan Doig is/was such a good author of family life set in Montana. I was raving about finally getting to Whistling Season before my trip when Janet, our LTer in Montana, told me he had just died. We're losing some good authors this year.

I had forgotten about March. I read that a while back and very much liked it.

>56 msf59: go Hawks indeed! My little big boy Wilbur plays for our local football club also called the Hawks. But cos he is little, his team is the Owls. Cute?

Also, *ahem* at forgotten post 42.

I loved hellhound on his trail too, just saying. Uh oh, no caps. Im outa here!

Have put a hold on All the Light We Cannot See at the library. I'm 20th in the queue! May be a little while...

I spoke too soon up above about only having water coming in a little under the door. Day 2 of the hideous weather saw a sheet of corrugated iron being blown off our roof into our neighbour's yard. (Luckily it didn't collect anyone on its way.) We noticed when the water started coming down the light fixture. The SES (State Emergency Service) turned up really quickly (considering that most of Sydney had trees down, etc) and couldn't do much (given the rain and wind) but did their best to check it all out. (They just punctured some holes in the ceiling to allow the water to drain, but at least I wasn't worried about the ceiling collapsing any more.) But then they turned up the next day, when the wind finally abated, and reattached the missing sheet of corrugated iron! No more incessant dripping! But they turned off our lights at the switch and told us to NOT turn them back on until an electrician had been. (Sigh.) Today, they turned up for a third time, because they forgot to note that they'd already followed us up. :)

And an electrician managed to squeeze us in, and we have our lights back! (And I'm feeling slightly guilty, because we only lost our lights, not all our power, there are people worse off than us.)

As these things go, we were pretty lucky. No furnishings (or books!) damaged (one bookgroup buddy of mine woke up to a leak above her bed), and we're back to normal already (although the roof needs proper fixing, and the ceiling and walls in the dining room and kitchen need repainting).

Everyone's cheers at work when the sun finally (and briefly) came out yesterday were heartfelt.

Morning, Mark!

^A Ghost Pipefish

The main character, in Aquarium, hangs out at a local aquarium in Seattle and many interesting fish are mentioned. I am also a fan of sea-life.

Sweet Thursday! The sweetness is due, to me having the day off. It will still remain cool here, mid-50s but there should be plenty of sun. I will have to finally cut the lawn for the very first time, in 2015. I also have a couple errands and house chores to do, but I hope to bookhorn in some R & R too.

>64 Donna828: Hi, Donna! Glad you liked Lunch with Buddha. I will also look for that one on audio. I really enjoyed the first one in that format.

A Wolf Hall Marathon sounds marvelous! You will be enthralled. I NEED to read more Doig. I may consider him for AAC III!

>65 EBT1002: I also have Caleb's Crossing lined up on audio. I NEED to finally get to that one.

>66 LovingLit: Go Wilbur! Go Owls! That is very cute. Sorry, I missed you in #42. You must have slipped in under the wire. I hope you are working on, providing us a photo of that 'do. Taps fingers on computer table-top...

We LOVE Hellhound on his Trail, don't we? I also have his latest book, waiting in the wings.

>67 wookiebender: Hi, Tania! Good to see you. Wow, sorry to hear about all the stormy weather. Glad your furnishings and BOOKs are all safe. Whew!

I really enjoyed All the Light. I am sure you will too!

>68 scaifea: Morning, Amber!!

Oooh, happy day off! WooHoo!!

Happy almost Friday. Since I flew all day Sunday (I'm in Jacksonville, and am flying over to Sarasota today for the weekend), I'm going to try not to work tomorrow. We'll see how that goes.

>69 msf59: Aquarium sounds interesting. Adding it to the list. :)

>72 scaifea: Thanks, Amber! I am enjoying the morning so far.

>73 mahsdad: Happy traveling, Jeff. What books did you bring along for the trip? I am pleasantly surprised how good the writing is in Aquarium.

Sweet Thursday, buddy! Glad you have the day off. Lots of sunshine out there.

I finished The Bloody Chamber, and while I wasn't quite as taken by it as others, she sure can write. I'm going to read an ER book about Miyazaki's movies next.

^Beautiful Darkness is an illustrated fairytale. A dark allegory about human nature. Beautifully rendered but uncomfortably unsettling. We are in David Lynch territory here and it will stick with you for days...

>69 msf59: "I am also a fan of sea-life."
Of course you are, because you are a fan of life. :-)

Enjoy your day off, my friend!

Good morning, Mark!

My audio book of Canada which I requested two months ago has finally arrived through ILL. As soon as I finish my current Longmire listen, I'll start it. I know it didn't get stellar reviews on the AA thread, but since he's a Montana associated author whom I've never read, I'll go with it.

Yesterday when I went to the library (Yay, me! Library books instead of buying them!) to pick it up, I was silly enough to stop by the sale shelf. I ended up buying another Erdrich, Tales of Burning Love. I also picked up one by her husband Michael Dorris, A Yellow Raft in Blue Water which is supposed to be pretty darn good.

And there was a copy of March there, too - the only Brooks I haven't read. Three guesses what happened with that one.

The RL book club has All the Light We Cannot See scheduled for May. We choose books for the entire year in December, so the timing is pure coincidence.

>75 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! Missed you up there, the first time. Glad you gave the Bloody Chamber a try. I think we share similar opinions on it.

>77 EBT1002: Sweet Thursday, Ellen! I love seeing you "in house"! I have kept aquariums, since I was a kid. About 4 or 5 years ago, I gave it up and made more room for bookshelves. Priorities, right?

>78 streamsong: Great to see you, Janet! I love your updates. I hope Canada works for you. I have had A Yellow Raft in Blue Water on my To-Read list for many years. Maybe, you will inspire me to finally give it a go.

Yah, for snagging March and yah, for reading All the Light for your RL book club! It's a great choice.

I think you paid me back for missing one of yours the other day. :-) I'm up in >75 jnwelch:.

Beautiful Darkness looks intriguing.

^^LOL, Joe! I just caught it.

>81 msf59: :-) I reviewed The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories over on my thread.

>74 msf59: I am in the middle of Bright Earth, its a NF book about the history color in art. From the chemistry side. Loving it. Just makes me want to go back to every museum I've ever been in and look at the works with new eyes.

Now I know where Burnt Sienna and Burnt Umber come from and the fascinating fact that Pink start out, not as a color, but a manufacturing process.

I also brought The Alchemist, which I snagged at Target the other day, and Shambling Guide to New York, which I've had on my shelf for a while.

Plus I've added at least 5 books to my WL, just from perusing the books stores in the airports.

^Pygmy Seahorse

>82 jnwelch: I think we had similar feelings about The Bloody Chamber, Joe.

>83 mahsdad: Bright Earth sounds interesting, Jeff. Glad you are enjoying it. I was not a fan of The Alchemist. I know it is very popular.

#67
Yesterday the news about the storms in Sydney were on the radio here. They said that they were the worst rain storms in that area in a century. Is that true? Sounds like it must have been bad at your place. Do you have to repair the ceiling?

The Alchemist - that's why I bought it. We'll see.

I find myself delayed in the airport this afternoon (surprise). So I wandered around the bookstore and picked up The Strange Library, so I got that going for me. :)

>86 mahsdad: I know Coelho is very popular but I find him stiff and preachy. Maybe, it'll work for you.

I liked The Strange Library. It was just a bit slight, like an after-thought.

Hi, Mark. Your day off is just one day off of my day off.... if you know what I'm saying. Tomorrow I have no kids to send to school, their Dad has his day off from the USPS and their Mom is taking the day off "just because".

I am working at Instacart, though, as I've got a couple of big bills to retire. Monday, Mr. Benny goes tot he Doggie Dentist to get his rotten teeth taken out. Think of him on Monday about in the middle of the day. I'm sure he'll be fine.

I'm busy reading Queen of the Tearling which is by a local author, and is for the f2f group. Two of our members went to an author's event with the author and that's why they bought it, and they say they enjoyed it.

We shall see...

A day off! Hope it has been full of fabulous, my friend!

^Waspfish

>88 maggie1944: >89 Crazymamie: I had a good day off, Karen & Mamie! And I am meeting my daughter for dinner and brews. A nice way to wrap up the day.

Yay for a day off. I've been working on my shopping list for the meetup at Powell's on Saturday. I try to keep my lists short when I go there so that I have time to just browse. There are so many treasures hiding in the shelves there.

We caught up on Wolf Hall the other day. Very good (even with having to pause it a couple of times to look up the the cast of characters photos online to figure how who the heck THAT guy is supposed to be). Rylance is doing a fabulous job.

Hmmm - I loved Year of Wonders up to the epilogue which made me want to throw the book. If she had cut that out I would have loved it but she didn't and I haven't read any of her other books

Hooray for days off. I'm off on Monday and Tuesday.

I love it when you tease us about AAC III. ;)

Hurrah for Thursdays off work! Hope you had a great day and got a lot of reading and relaxing in.

>87 msf59: Glad to know I'm not the only one who finds Coelho difficult. Though I only tried one of his so far, The Witch of Portobello was a DNF for me.

Edited to correct spelling of author's name.

>76 msf59:
Thanks for recommending this one to me via Goodreads! It looks great.

^I had a nice dinner and brews, with my daughter tonight. She is great company.

>91 SuziQoregon: I LOVE shopping at Powell's, Juli! This is such a great bookstore. The ending of Year of Wonders did not bother me. I may have to go back and see what your "issues" were.

>92 lindapanzo: Being off Monday and Tuesday sounds great, Linda. Enjoy!

>93 jolerie: Well, Valerie, there looks like there is no way, I am getting out of AACIII, at this point, right? LOL.

>94 Storeetllr: Had a perfect day off, Mary. Thanks. Glad to see I am not alone on my dislike of Coelho.

>95 Whisper1: It's a keeper, Linda. But it is not a "feel good" read, that is for sure.

>93 jolerie: and >97 msf59: - I've got my list of suggestions for the AAC-III ready to go!

>91 SuziQoregon: and >97 msf59: I am kind of with Juli, on the end of Year of Wonders. It seemed to belong to another book.

>96 msf59: Aww--that's sweet!

I've got a graphic novel weekend lined up - Psychiatric Tales came in at the library (possibly the longest wait ever, not sure if someone *walked* it over from the other end of the county...)

Morning, Mark! Happy Friday!

Happy Friday! Still cool here. High 50s. I hope next week warms up, at least to the normal range. Prays silently...

I am enjoying Aquarium, although it is another dark one. I should wrap up The Moon and Sixpence, which has been really good. I NEED to read more Maugham.

>98 katiekrug: Keep those AAC lists handy, Katie!!

>99 banjo123: Hi, Rhonda! Maybe the ending of Year of Wonders wasn't as jarring on audio. I should read that section again.

>100 charl08: Hi, Charlotte! I always like a good GN rec, so let me know how it is. I am picturing someone walking a GN across the country to deliver it to a library patron. Smiles...

>101 msf59: Morning Mamie! Hugs!!

>76 msf59: uncomfortably unsettling...nice. I have just been hearing about beauty in melancholy (which I totally believe in) via a documentary on Scott Walker. Now that guy is an entity into himself. I don't really gel with his music, but I can definitely see much of interest in there. My lovely other likes him a lot, so I get exposure.

Happy weekending!

Hi, Megan! I have not heard of THAT, Scott Walker. "Our" Scott Walker is governor of Wisconsin and he is right-wing-nut and is planning on running for president. Ugh!
I'll have to check out the musical one.

>103 msf59: Like we need more book suggestions. :) Thanks for the Maugham reminder. I read The Razor's Edge probably 25 years ago and remember loving it

>101 msf59: How wonderful. What a great image. Where do you find such images?

>101 msf59: Love it! And I have the same question as Linda. ^

Oh, and I love that you gave up your lifelong hobby (is that the right word?) of keeping aquariums in order to make more room for books. :-)

It is turning out to be a pleasant day. Smiles...

>106 mahsdad: They don't call me The Warbler for nothing, Jeff.

I also really enjoyed Of Human Bondage, although that was about a decade or so ago.

>107 Whisper1: >108 EBT1002: I found that one on FB, which is a good source. I find others in various places. Pinterest is a wonderful site for cool images.

>109 EBT1002: Keeping fish is definitely a hobby. Honestly, I was getting a bit bored of it and the upkeep.

With books: I just have to read\listen and warble!

Happy Camper!

Jeez. for some reason LT wouldn't do my previous post, and multiple tries only got a "duplicate post" message.

Anyway, Happy Friday, Mark!

I'm another Year of Wonders fan, and the ending seemed fine to me.

My ex-BIL is a DJ whose radio name in Philadelphia many years ago was . . . Scott Walker. His real name is John Landecker, which is what he's used in the Chicago area for eons.

It's another cool but pretty one today. Hope all is going well for you, buddy.

Hi Mark, I hope your day is good so far.

>105 msf59: >111 jnwelch:
Maybe The Walker Brothers rings more bells? "Your" Scott Walker doesn't sound nearly as fun as "mine", although "mine" is really "yours" seeing as he is American ;) Maybe he can just be "ours"....
Off to face the day!

>111 jnwelch: You're related to John "Records" Landecker??? He's radio royalty around these parts, as I'm sure you know. Loved him, at least back when I listened to regular radio.

Is Records truly his middle name?

>113 LovingLit: Walker Brothers=my favorite pancake parlor. Another Chicagoland establishment. Love those apple pancakes.

>114 lindapanzo: Ha! Records really is his middle name, Linda. It's a family name - his grandfather was a Records. He even wrote a book with that title: http://eckhartzpress.com/shop/records-truly-is-my-middle-name/ He grew up in Ann Arbor and married my sister way back when.

His daughter Amy (my niece) plays Sarah on the tv show Transparent. She's also been on the radio with him.

^Hairy Blenny (Say what?)



^Razorfish

^Aquarium is a dark family drama but there are some interesting fish, featured in the narrative.

>111 jnwelch: Hi, Joe! You know I've been meaning to ask you about John Landecker, since I read an article about him and made the connection with Amy. Wow! Of course, I grew up hearing him, DJ on the radio.

I still can't believe that is his real middle name. What a trip. Talk about predestination. LOL.

>112 Ameise1: Waves to Barb!!

>113 LovingLit: There is absolutely nothing fun about our Governor Scott Walker. Ask, Amber. He is a scary dude.

>114 lindapanzo: Hi, Linda! Of course, I also fondly remember John Landecker, from my youth. What kid that grew up here, in the '70s didn't know who he was.

I am loving all the pictures of exotic fish you are using on your thread, Mark. Are you working over the weekend? I am planning a quiet, book-filled weekend and will also finally start watching this season's Game of Thrones - really looking forward to that.

Hi Mark, have a great weekend. I hope it warms up for you.

I added Aquarium last week I think when it showed it up in my library email list. Great minds think alike. Looking forward to your thoughts. :)

>118 DeltaQueen50: Hi, Judy! My current read, Aquarium mentions many unusual fish, so I thought I would share them over here.

Yes, I am working tomorrow. Your "quiet, book-filled weekend" sounds fantastic. Enjoy, my friend.

>119 Familyhistorian: Have a good one too, Meg. It is supposed to warm up again next week.

>120 jolerie: Aquarium is a tough, dark book and I am enjoying it. Vann's a good writer.

- Kazuo Ishiguro

I started the Buried Giant yesterday and I was immediately drawn in to the story. It is wonderfully narrated by David Horovitch.

Morning, Mark! Happy Saturday!

Hi Mark, I wish you a wonderful weekend.

Happy Saturday, Mark! John Landecker's going to be at Printers Row this year, so depending on the timing, etc., maybe we'll see him.

I'm feeling kind of so-so about my reading right now. The Late Works of Hayao Miyazaki has some appeal, but isn't close to knocking my socks off, and the same for Perfect State. Oh well. Glad you're liking Buried Giant.

I've got to do some work this morning, and I'm procrastinating. At least I've got some Coltrane playing. Hope it's a decent one for you - looks gray and rainy so far.

I love the cover of The Buried Giant and I want to read it soon. I'll be interested in your final assessment.
Happy weekend, Mark!

Light rain+ chill+ work= Ugh!

Thankfully my books are offering a perfect distraction.

>123 scaifea: Hugs to Amber!

>124 Ameise1: Thanks, Barb. Love the flower.

>125 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! Sorry, to hear, that your current reads, are under-performing. Hopefully it is very short-lived.
Which Coltrane, are you humming along to?

>126 EBT1002: Morning, Ellen. I know there were some mixed reviews of The Buried Giant, but it is sure singing to me, in the early going.

Hi, Mark. Just to let you know I can not get Beautiful Darkness out of my mind. May have to hunt it down.

Happy Weekend!

>127 msf59: Ha! My humming isn't close to good enough to keep up with Coltrane, Mark. I've noticed he seems to go off in unexpected directions. :-)

>128 maggie1944: It sure is a creepy one, Karen. I have not been able to shake it off, either.

>129 jnwelch: I am way overdue for some Coltrane, Joe. Maybe some Giant Steps? Or a ride on the Blue Train? Hmmmmmmmmm...

>130 msf59: Giant Steps right now, and then I'm moving to Lush Life, although the Blue Train is tempting.

Happy Saturday, Mark! I also love the cover of that latest Ishiguro.

Hi, Mark. Your threads run too fast for me to really keep up, but I've skimmed this one to say hello. thanks for all the fish, as the saying goes - they are fascinating. I guess I'll accept the book bullet for some time in the future. And schedule a trip to the aquarium myself.

Happy weekend!

I look forward to your take on The Buried Giant, Mark.

^ Mandarin. Another fish I had never heard of. What eye-popping color!

I did finish Aquarium. I liked it and I think Benita was correct: This is not YA. I will try to draw up a mini-review.

^I think it is time for one of these. Or 2...

>131 jnwelch: You can not go wrong with Coltrane, Joe!

>132 Crazymamie: Howdy, Mamie!

>133 ffortsa: Great to see you, Judy. Sorry it gets crazy over here. I'll try to slow it down. LOL.

>136 msf59: It's not your fault that I still work, and I can't get to LT anymore at work! It's just a really lively place you run here.

Hah! Love the name of that ale, Mark! Everyone needs a little sumpin' wild once in awhile! :)

I'm loving the fish images! Water creatures are some of the most fascinating and colorful things around. Here's one I saw hiding in a little grotto in an aquarium at the Butterfly Pavilion a few weeks ago; I have no idea what it might be:

Finally I've surfaced , Mark! Got caught up in reading and struggling with a review - even though I promise myself I will not review books. Sometimes I feel like I need to do so! ;) Beautiful pictures on your thread and I too was delighted to hear that All The Light We Cannot See got the Pulitzer Prize. I read that last year and very much enjoyed it! Stayed up late and watched a couple of episodes from season two of CTM. So enjoyable!

- Connecticut Warbler. This little guy was mentioned in the Trib yesterday. Someone spotted one in our western suburbs. I want to see a warbler. The only ones I see are on LT.

Happy Sunday! A mix of house chores, shopping and R & R. I really NEED a GN day. I have such a stack to get through. My next print book, will be Bee Season, which Joe recommended last year. Has anyone else read this?

>134 kidzdoc: Hi, Darryl! Sorry I missed you up there. I ended up getting the bum's rush yesterday afternoon and had to go. I am really enjoying The Buried Giant but I am not sure it's your cuppa.

>137 ffortsa: Just stop by, when you can, my friend. Hope you are having a great weekend.

>138 Storeetllr: Hi, Mary! Have you ever tried a Lagunitas? They are originally, out of California but have now opened a huge brewery in Chicago. Good stuff.

Thanks for sharing the sea creature. I have no idea what that is. LOL.

>139 vancouverdeb: Happy Sunday, Deb. Good to see you. I've been bad on my mini-reviews too but I try not to sweat the "small stuff". Glad you are enjoying CTM.

Good Sunday morning, Mark! I am both working, and opening our community library today. A good day!

Good morning, Mark. I hope you'll have a relaxed day ahead.

Good Sunday to you Mark! Wow! I'm going to look like a genius to my neighborhood book swappers now that the book I've chosen has won the Pulitzer!
I recently brought home the play a way of The Buried Giant from the library but have yet to crack open the case. *sigh*
As I type this I'm also watching last weeks episode of Mad Men, finally! Can you believe one of the ladies I have coffee with on Friday's splurted out what happens at the conclusion of Season 7! I showed great restraint by not pouring my latte all over her big mouth head! Arghh!

^Who is ready for some M & M? The thread is up, folks. Stop by and let us know, what you have planned.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/190483#

Ha! The only mayhem going on over here is my TBR pile. So, I'll be passing on the M&M next month.

Happy Sunday, Lynda! Come on! There are no M & M related books in that TBR Mountain?

Sorry, to see Mad Men spoiled for you. That sucks! I've been enjoying the final season so far.

>142 maggie1944: Morning, Karen! Sounds like you have a fine day going.

>143 Ameise1: Waves & Hugs to Barb!

Hi Mark! I've been absent for a time. And I just skimmed all my starred threads reading nothing! I hope you are doing okay!

53) Aquarium by David Vann 4 stars

“The worst part of childhood is not knowing that bad things pass, that time passes. A terrible moment in childhood hovers with a kind of eternity, unbearable.”

Caitlin is twelve. Her mother is a single parent, working as a dockworker at a Seattle container port. She toils endlessly, to make ends meet, barely keeping them afloat. Caitlin is forced to spend many hours alone and takes refuge at the local aquarium. This is her oasis and she finds much comfort here.

One afternoon, she meets a man, in his 60s. He is also obsessed with sea-life and a friendship is sparked. Why is an older man, becoming so fond of a young girl? This uncomfortable question, begins to unfold...

This is a story about family secrets, anger and deep wounds. It is also about forgiveness and pain. Vann is a good writer and his deft prose carries the reader through some difficult patches.

I originally thought this was YA but the intense adult themes and language, carry this into more mature territory.

This was my first book by this author and I was impressed.

>149 msf59: Great review, Mark. You got me with a BB. I saw that our local library has got a copy but it's loaned out at the moment.

Nice review of Aquarium, Mark. Glad it was a good one.

The Bulls played horribly last night (28 turnovers!) and still almost won. We'll be there tomorrow night. Yay for the Blackhawks! Another big comeback. So great to have Kane back.

I started The Goblin Emperor, and I'm enjoying it. Nice to be back to some engaging reading.

>148 connie53: Happy Sunday, Connie. Good to see you. I've missed you...

>150 Ameise1: Thanks, Barb! I look forward to your thoughts on Aquarium, once you get to it.

>151 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. Aquarium might be a bit on the dark side for you. I only saw bits of the Bulls game. Sounds like a good one to miss. Rose struggled too?
And yes, Go Hawks! They are on fire.

>152 msf59: That's so sweet Mark! Thank you.

Happy Sunday, Mark!

May Murder and Mayhem whoop!

Yay for M&M!

>153 connie53: Hugs!

>154 scaifea: Back at you, Amber!

>155 luvamystery65: >156 Storeetllr: We love some M & M, don't we, Ro & Mary!

I am intrigued by Aquarium. I do like reading books set in the Pacific NW.

We missed you yesterday at Powell's! Hope to see you there next year.

Great that you enjoyed Beautiful Darkness, I'm also recommending it to those who like a little creepy in their graphic novels.
I might have to hunt down the audio of Buried Giant, I let the print copy go back to the library unread, just too many books around my house at present.

Reminded me that I never picked up a Maugham book this month, I've been trying to get a book read for Darryl's Iberian challenge and then I've distracted myself by binging on Jo Nesbø.

Oooh, I loved Beautiful Darkness!! Had to re-read it the instant after I finished it. (And I've put it away where I hope the kids don't stumble across it, it is so very very dark.)

>85 benitastrnad: Benita, the salt on the wound was the hailstorm that hit on Saturday afternoon! We were on the edge (just lots and lots of rain and hail; roof did not respring a leak), but back in the old neighbourhood (other side of the suburb), the streets were like rivers and I've seen footage of people snowboarding on the drifts of hailstones. :P So. Over. The. Weather.

Lucky we rent, and our owner (or rather, his insurance) is in charge of fixing our roof and ceiling. Just waiting (waiting...) for a builder to call and set up a time to come and check it all out. (The owner popped in to see the damage on the night, so he's aware of it all.)

Unpacked a box on the weekend to discover it full of cook books. Thought I'd gotten to the end of all the books!!

Great review of Aquarium and duly thumbed. Do think it is one that I would like - or is super dark? Which is not to say I can't read dark - I can -but sweaty sex much? ;)

>158 banjo123: You might like Aquarium, Rhonda. Plus it shows the darker side of Seattle.
Glad you had a good time at the Meet-Up.

>159 avatiakh: Good to see you, Kerry. Thanks again for the Beautiful Darkness, rec. Creepiness at it's best.

>160 wookiebender: Hi, Tania. Hope you had a nice weekend. Beautiful Darkness definitely caught me by surprise. It sneaks up on you.
Hope the worst of the weather is behind you.

>161 vancouverdeb: Hi, Deb. Aquarium has some tough family issues and some harsh language but no sweaty sex.
I appreciate the Thumb, my friend.

* CTM* later on tonight! Oh I do love that series! Enjoying season two with my DVD player as well as the current season! :) I'll look into Aquarium. Sounds interesting.

We just watched tonight's episode of CTM, Deb. It never fails to deliver. It is such a terrific show.

Just to let you know I am still around Mark! I will catch up properly over the next few days.

Loving all the fabulous fish pictures. What a colourful thread you have! Love the picture of your pub dinner too! >96 msf59: Great reviews and ideas for books to add to the list.

>164 msf59:, me too, just watched tonight's episode. I've missed a few and will eventually catch up but the episodes of CTM are wonderful!

Morning, Mark!

Happy Monday! Okay- The reason it qualifies: I work 4 days, off the weekend and then VACATION!!! Can you say....Sweet? I knew you could.

Not much reading yesterday but I will start Bee Season and looking forward to getting back on the road with The Buried Giant, which has my ears singing. On the GN front, I started Photobooth: A Biography, which has been pretty interesting.

>165 PaulCranswick: Sir Paul made it! Sir Paul made it! Hope to see you around more often, my friend.

>166 mdoris: Hi, Mary. Nice to see you. Glad you like the fish, the color, the beer. LOL. And yes, CTM is probably still the best show on TV.

>168 scaifea: Morning, Amber! Hugs & Waves!

Good morning, Mark. Vacation sounds gorgeous. Have you made some plans?

Good morning, Mark! Your work week sounds close to ideal. Vacation sounds even better!

I put a request into the library for Beautiful Darkness on Saturday, and I hope to see it soon. I've decided to put Peter Pan down: the story is not all that different, there is added profanity and vulgarity and, for the corker, there is added racism which I do not tolerate very well, at all. I can't even think of a good reason for it to show up as we occasionally do when we encounter racism in a book written before the early 20th Century.

I hope your week goes well! And the coming vacation delivers all that you long for it to deliver!

Good morning, Mark! Well, I ate up The Goblin Emperor like popcorn. Well told story, with a protagonist worth rooting for. Mamie hit it on the nose.

Hope your week gets off to a good start. We're hopefully going to see the Bulls take the series tonight.

Hi Mark, I hope you will enjoy your vacation!

Sunny, breezy, still cool. Nothing to fuss about...

>170 Ameise1: Hi, Barb. Beginning to make a few plans for my vacation but everything will be local, since no one else in my family will be off.

>171 maggie1944: Morning Karen! Looking forward to your thoughts on Beautiful Darkness. Sorry to hear about Peter Pan. Sure, sounds like a pumped up modern version.

>172 jnwelch: Howdy, Joe. The Goblin Emperor sounds fun. I have taken note.
Go Bulls! Have a great time and let's take the series.

>173 connie53: Thanks, Connie. Looking forward to it.

I'm as green as spinach, although you deserve a wonderful break, Mark. Don't forget to pack your books for the vacation.

No, packing necessary, Caro! I am home-bound. All my books are exactly where I want them. Smiles...

Perfect! A staycation is sometimes the best vacation there is. I've got to find some time to download some books onto my Kindle this week before the weekend when I'm off to NY for a friend's daughter's First Communion, and then I fly out to Hong Kong from JFK on Sunday for a week.

Stopping by to declare war - at least for a best of seven series. Sadly, I must acknowledge that history has not been on the side of my team.

Hi Mark, thought it was high time I stopped by and saw what you were up to over here and gave some news. I'm really glad you've started in on The Buried Giant. I loved everything about that book, and I think the audio version with David Horovitch narrating added that much more to the experience.

This month has been great on the reading front for me too, and I too was very impressed with The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories. I'll definitely make room this year for another Angela Carter book, this time a novel I've had on the tbr for a while, The Magic Toyshop. I just finished listening to Oryx and Crake a couple of days ago for Atwood April and was tempted to jump into The Year of the Flood right away to see how things evolve, but then there's only so much dystopia I can take in one go. I got the audio version of All the Light We Cannot See from the library and will try to make room for it in May.

Pierre and I have been watching Wolf Hall with a bit of delay since I get it from iTunes, and we're both great fans of the show which he's loving despite not having read the novels since he's familiar with the history and characters from having watched A Man for All Seasons, which I've seen too and highly recommend for anyone who hasn't seen it.

Thanks for the recommendation of The Moon and Sixpence the other day. It kind of made me smile, because it was the first Maugham novel I read quite a few years ago and is among my all-time favourites. I was thinking of rereading it this month, but then preferred to discover other works by him and so far really enjoyed Of Human Bondage and The Magician and still hoping to fit in The Painted Veil, though of course nothing says we can't keep reading the BAC and AAC authors beyond the month we've dedicated for them! Speaking of which, I was really glad I picked up The Round House this month, which I thought was very good, though I could have wished it had ended differently—but then it did seem realistic.

Wishing you a great week ahead!

Mark, you might want to edit >174 msf59: before Joe drops by.

^Too late, Karen. :-) On the other hand, I missed a couple of Mark's posts recently, so I can't complain if he calls me Connie.

Well, ok, it's all good among friends.

^Ha! I've been called worse. :-)

Hi Mark, I think I read somewhere above that you are going to be celebrating a well-deserved vacation soon. My hubby and I are leaving on next Saturday for a short road trip, we are heading up to Jasper and Banff to enjoy the mountains.

I'm finally updated with GoT and I am still very impressed with this show, consistently excellent!

I'm trying to close out the month with Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer, but if I don't get it finished, it will carry over into M&M quite nicely. If you haven't read anything by this author, I would suggest adding her to your list, she's very good.

Definitely going to try to get my hands on Aquarium from the library.

I just started The Secret Speech yesterday as well so May M&M is off to a roaring start. :)

We are away for a few days but I started Epitaph today. Not too far in yet but am loving it.

"The world of letters is the true world of bliss."

-Abraham Abulafia (1240-c. 1292)



^An epigraph from Bee Season

I am not very far in, but I like this book.

>177 cameling: What books are you taking on the trip, Caro? I am sure, it will include some M & M.

>178 Oberon: It should be an excellent series, Eric. The Hawks are HOT. I hope they don't cool off as they wait...

>179 Smiler69: Good to see you, Ilana. I love the catch-up post. I should wrap up The Buried Giant tomorrow. I will hate to see it go. Have you heard Horovitch before? As far as I know, I have not.
I am so glad you liked Oryx and Crake. I LOVE this trilogy and they work so well on audio.

It looks like we completely agree on the Wolf Hall series. Wowza!! And Mark Rylance is pitch-perfect. I had never heard of The Moon and Sixpence, but thanks to Paul, I made a terrific discovery. I read and enjoyed Of Human Bondage many years ago.

I thought I had The Round House saved on audio but I do not. Sad face.

>180 maggie1944: >181 jnwelch: Thanks for the heads-up, Karen. I usually double-check my posts before moving on, but this one got by me. I do get a bit rushed at times, using my iPad at work.

Sorry, Joe! But I do think you make a lovely Connie. Grins...

>184 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy! Sounds like you have a nice trip coming up. Enjoy! Did not see GOT last night but we will watch it tonight.

I have not heard of Belinda Bauer. I LOVE your book choices, so you have definitely got my attention.

>185 jolerie: Ooh, thanks for the big Thumb, Valerie! I do wish our LT community lived closer to one another, so we can just pass the books around to each other. Sighs...
I won't be able to get to The Secret Speech for a couple of weeks but it is on the agenda.

>186 lindapanzo: Hope you are having a good time, Linda. Glad you are enjoying Epitaph. It is sooooooooo, good!

>188 msf59: Mark, before The Buried Giant, I had listened to Horovitch narrating The Age of Innocence and Anna Karenina, both of which are stellar performances. I also look forward to listening to him narrate The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa in May. I have him also in the tbr on the Naxos recording of Heart of Darkness and The Secret Agent, both by Joseph Conrad, as well as Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens. As you can see, he always seems to pick great literature to put his personal stamp on. He's among my very favourite narrators, which means I'll usually choose an audiobook version he's narrated over any other and have bought a couple of audiobooks I already own in book form just for the pleasure of hearing his voice. I had the pleasure of seeing him 'in person' so to speak in the very first episode of 'Foyle's War', which Pierre and I had been watching for the past couple of month on Netflix, though sadly enough, we've only got the last two episodes left to go now.

Murder and Mayhem sounds great to me!

Hi Mark!

I am not sure but it seems that they will move on to Bringing Up the Bodies in the current 6 part TV series. That might rush it too much if that is true.

I have been reading along in the book as the TV series progresses and finished the Wolf Hall book but I haven't started Bringing Up the Bodies yet. It seems to me that just watching the TV series without having read the book would be incomplete. The TV series and the book are necessary companions, I think.

>181 jnwelch: Hahaha! I saw the mistake too. Thought it was rather funny!

Morning, Mark! Looks like another gorgeous day!

I should wrap up The Buried Giant. I am sad, seeing this one finish. I planned on listening to the Round House next but lo' and behold, I DO NOT have it, after all. Shoddy game-plan Marky-Mark. Sighs...

I have limited audio time this week, but I am thinking of starting H is For Hawk. And like I mentioned earlier, I am enjoying Bee Season.

>190 Smiler69: Thanks, Ilana! Horovitch is much more active than I thought. I would love to do a reread of The Age of Innocence on audio, with him narrating.

>191 Copperskye: Yah, for M & M, Joanne. I think most of us can find some on shelf, with no problem.

>192 Forthwith: Good to see you, Michael. Welcome! The fellas are in short supply around here. Yes, I think reading both the Wolf Hall books is a good idea, before watching the series. I powered through and I am loving it.
Are you going to finish the series or pause it and catch up with the book?

>193 connie53: Hey, no laughing at me. I am very sensitive...

>194 scaifea: Morning Amber! Yep, it looks like a nice one. Smiles...

Good morning, Mark. I hope it won't get too stressful today. waving and hugs

>197 Ameise1: It should be fine, Barb. Nice weather will help. Once I get through this one, I will have 2 work days left. Hooray!

Thumbs up :-)

>196 msf59: You poor sensitive you!

Morning, Mark!

>187 msf59: I really enjoyed Bee Season when it came out a while back. I got to interview the author, Myla Goldberg, for the newspaper I was working for at the time, and she was delightful. I'm glad you're enjoying it, Mark.

Plenty of sunshine and slowly warming up. I am deciding on shucking my jacket...

>199 Ameise1: We sure like Thumbs around here, Barb.

>200 connie53: The hugs will calm my sensitive soul. Thanks, Connie.

>201 Crazymamie: Morning Mamie! Waves & Hugs!

>202 rosalita: Hi, Julia. I was hoping some one would chime in on Bee Season and there you go. Smiles...

How cool, that you met her. Has she written anything else worthwhile?

I'm most of the way through March Book Two and it's just as excellent as the first. I wonder when the third will be out. I want to get on the library wait list early.

The Saturday Meetup at Powell's was fun - looking forward to when you'll be out here again. I did pick up a nice used hardcover of Doc. I already have the ebook but wanted print too.

We're partway through this week's episode of Wolf Hall - will finish that tonight. Great performances and I'm really liking the casting choice of Damian Lewis as Henry.

I had a wonderful weekend. I visited an American Icon. I drove 3 hours up to the Tennessee River and the town of South Pittsburgh, TN. That town is the home of the Lodge Cast Iron Cookware Co. They have been in business since 1896 and are the only remaining American cast iron cookware producer. Once a year, on the weekend of the National Cornbread Cook-off and Festival, they open the factory/foundry for visitors. So I visited. I also purchased a 7 quart Dutch Oven that should braise all the short ribs I can stand. I have had a Lodge skillet for many years and was surprised to see that they now have two styles of skillet to choose from. Mine is the old style.

The factory has three production lines, employees 276 people, and 95% of its sales are in the U.S.A. They also purchase their pig iron from inside the U.S. From a producer in East Chicago, Indiana.

They have so many orders for Lodge cookware and were so far behind that a year ago they sent to a 7-days a week work schedule and last fall they installed a third production line. It is so nice to see an American company doing well. But even they aren't lily white. Their new line of cast iron enamel pots, a la Le Crueset, are made in China.

Now all I have to do is visit, the KitchenAid mixer plant in Ohio (but the only KitchenAid product produced in the US is the stand mixer - all other products carrying that venerable name are produced in a very big country in Asia), the Mag-Lite plant in California, and the Crescent Tool Company plant in New York state.

South Pittsburgh, TN is located 25 miles west of Chattanooga, TN just off of I24. It is about a 3 hour drive from Tuscaloosa and I took the scenic back roads two-lane highway route. I drove along the dammed up Tennessee River and along Lake Guntersville. It was a very pretty drive. I can see why people in Alabama call Guntersville a resort town. It had that resort town feel to it and it looked like a great place to spend a vacation or a nice place to retire. All-in-all, it was a great way to spend a Sunday.

I also finished reading Hellhound on His Trail and listened to the complete book of Three Bags Full while driving. A very nice Sunday.

#204
Henry is evil! Maybe even psychotic.

^I started H is for Hawk. OMG, is this GOOD! Helen Macdonald's prose just pulsates off the page and she narrates the audio herself and does an amazing job. I feel another crush coming on. Sorry Thomas Cromwell! Seriously! We are living in a Golden Age of NF!!

All that, and I am less than 90 minutes in.

Happy Camper!

Oh, yeah: Hugs and high-fives to Bonnie! She was the first LTer, that I saw, that read and loved it.



^ Goshawk Northern Adult Male

>204 SuziQoregon: Hi, Juli! Sounds like a lovely Meet-Up in Portland. Yah! Nice move grabbing a hardback of Doc. It is a Must Own!

I agree with you, on March: Book 2. And I will also watch the latest Wolf Hall tonight. Smiles...

>205 benitastrnad: Hi, Benita! Sounds like you had a nice little Tennessee trip. It is pretty country isn't it. What time can I come over for short ribs? Hmmmmmmm?

Wasn't Hellhound on His Trail masterful? Sides Rules!

"Henry is evil! Maybe even psychotic." Oooh, sounds good.

Back home again. Didn't read much during my time off but we did stop at Home Run Inn, in Darien, for pizza, on the way home today.

Benita made me want a new cast iron skillet. I love them!

>209 lindapanzo: Welcome back, Linda. Yah, for Home Run Inn. Always a treat.

>210 maggie1944: Waves at Karen!

>203 msf59: Myla Goldberg has written a few other books, but the only other one I've read is The False Friend, which is very different from Bee Season and perhaps not quite as good but still has a really great premise. Here's a link to the review I wrote back in 2011:

Good morning, Mark. Only two days to go :-).

Morning, Mark!

>213 Ameise1: Yep, Barb! 2 days down! 2 to go! Smiles...

I did finish the Buried Giant and was happy with it. I will try to pull together a mini-review tonight. I am also enjoying Bee Season and of course, I can't wait to jump back into H is For Hawk. The books have been treating me swell.

>212 rosalita: Thanks for the review of The False Friend, Julia. Sounds good.

>207 msf59: I can see how H is for Hawk would be great as an audiobook, especially narrated by the author. Enjoy!

>207 msf59: I'm still waiting for my copy of this at the library. Grumble grumble grumble. Beautiful hawk pics.

Hi Mark! Happy breaking the week day!

#210
Go out and buy a Lodge skillet - they are cheap in comparison to other cookware. A new 10 inch skillet will cost you about $25.00. Of course, you can go to Cracker Barrel and get one that has a replica of the old Buffalo Nickel embossed on the bottom. Those cost about $30.00. As for me - my next purchase from them is going to be a Hibachi.

The New York Times Book Review podcast did a feature on H is for Hawk and said that it is wonderful. After listening to that podcast I put it on my wish list.

I'm envious that you're reading H is for Hawk, Mark. That one's definitely on my list - I may ask for it as a b-day present, as I'm pretty sure I'm going to want a copy.

Bee Season! That one will knock you on your keister, if you're like me.

I've been reading D.E. Stevenson; The Two Mrs. Abbotts, and I just picked up the next one in that series. Good fun from the 1940s. My GN is the next-to-latest in a Japanese samurai series based on the Mushashi story, called Vagabond, by Takehiko Inoue. Probably not your cuppa, but beautifully done.

Wow -- didn't know that hawks could warble. Apparently they do. **grin** Onto the wishlist it goes.

What a beauty out here! The mail is heavy but the warmth and my current reads are smoothing away those edges.

>216 lauralkeet: H is For Hawk is soooooo good, Laura. And she does such a terrific job on the narration. If you get a chance to sample the audio, try to do so.

BTW- I am LOVING Wolf Hall.

>217 charl08: I am still not very far in, Charlotte but this is a Must Read.

>218 connie53: Waves & Hugs to Connie!

>219 benitastrnad: I should see if I can hunt down the NYT book review. This is such a good book, Benita.

>220 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! You feeling better? If you can pop out for lunch, you should try to do so.
I am loving H is For Hawk. This one might be made for the "keeper" shelf.
I remembered you recommending Bee Season but I couldn't remember if you had read it or Debbi had.

>221 streamsong: Great to see you, Janet. I like the idea of a Warbling Hawk. A future topic heading, perhaps?

>223 msf59: Both of us loved Bee Season, Mark. Debbi's the one who recommended it to me. I'm feeling improved, thanks, and will be popping out at lunchtime.

I am just under halfway in Bee Season. She is in D.C. At the National Spelling Bee, with her Dad. I really like these characters, Joe.

Yay for some good weather - enjoy! Hope it sticks around a bit - The Hubster is headed to Chicago for work next week.

You do make H is for Hawk seem very attractive!

“The hawk had filled the house with wildness as a bowl of lilies fills a house with scent.”

"“We carry the lives we've imagined as we carry the lives we have, and sometimes a reckoning comes of all the lives we have lost.”

*H is For Hawk



^^This is going to end up being one of the best books I've read in 2015. Just sayin'...

Well if you are just sayin'....... ;)

Off to check my library list of course.

>226 SuziQoregon: It really starts warming up here, on the weekend, Juli. Your husband should be able to enjoy some fine Chicago weather.

>227 maggie1944: It is such a great read, Karen. And she does such a fine job on the audio narration too. Win! Win!

>229 jolerie: I knew H is For Hawk was getting strong reviews but it still caught me by surprise how terrific her writing is. If you can find it on audio, I recommend that as well.

^The Sinclair Lewis AAC thread is up: http://www.librarything.com/topic/190597#

Stop by, drop a star and let us know which book you will be reading.

I rarely buy a book, as the library in our community is superb but I did buy H is for Hawk for "the lovely other's" birthday and it is a gem. Glad that you are enjoying it! It makes me want to read all the English nature writers (for which there is a long list).

Hi, Mary! Good to see you. I am thinking of buying a copy of H is For Hawk for my keeper shelf. It is that good.

I'm going to have to look into borrowing H is for Hawk, Mark, so many people on LT seem to love the book! Enjoy your days off!

Oh, well, fine. H Is for Hawk goes onto the list. Happy?

Sheesh.

^Yes, it is folks! Last work day. I wish it was a bit warmer, only high 50s, but you can't have everything, right? Bee Season & H is For Hawk continue to enchant. B.A.G.

>234 vancouverdeb: Hi, Deb! I can not praise H is for Hawk high enough. Hope you can find a copy.

>235 scaifea: Morning, Amber! Yes, I am happy. If I didn't warble loud enough, something would be terribly wrong. It's a helluva book.

Good morning, Mark. One day to go. I hope it will be a short one.

Morning, Mark!

^^Hugs & Waves to Barb & Mamie!!

Sweet Thursday, Mark!

I'm pleased and not surprised to hear that H is for Hawk is going swimmingly, or flyingly. Can't wait to read that one meself.

I just started The Man in the Wooden Hat, Jane Gardam's companion book to Old Filth, for the BAC, and I've signed up for Babbitt for the AAC.

Hope today goes well for you. Supposedly the warmup starts tomorrow.

Hi Joe! A bit cooler out here, than I would like but since it is my last work day for awhile, I can not complain.
I have had The Man in the Wooden Hat on my to-read list for awhile. I should bump it up.

Droppin' in. I have had an epic fail on Atwood April - am only 30 pages in. Like it though and will carry it on through.

Wandering off now to look for H is for Hawk...

Enjoy your time off, Mark!!

Waving, and looking forward to H is for Hawk even more...

Happy Thursday, Mark! Bet you just cannot wait for it to be finished so you can start your vacation!

That hawk book looks really good, but I'm not sure Nickel would allow it in the house. Though I suppose I could tell her I'm reading it to get tips on how to keep them far far away from her. :)

It was a beautiful day down here in the South - and it is about time. It has been cold and rainy too much this last month.

^ Merlin Hawk

Well, I have one more hour to listen to H is for Hawk. This means, I NEED to find any excuse to finish this audio. OMG, is it good!

>242 BekkaJo: Good to see you, Bekka. We do not run on a schedule around here. People read at different speeds and different times. If you are still reading an Atwood- It counts, my friend.

>243 lindapanzo: Thanks, Linda. Those girls up there, will make sure I have a terrific vacation.

>244 charl08: Expect much more Hawk warbling, Charlotte.

>245 Storeetllr: Thanks, Mary! It is going to be a low-key vacation. Everyone else works but I will definitely make the best of this time off.

Tell, Nickel, that she is completely safe. We will keep the raptors, tucked safely between the pages.

I will definitely make the best of this time off.

I know you will, Mr. Mark!

Funny, I was at the library today and saw the H is for Hawk book and realized I'd seen it before but thought it was a mystery. LOL I didn't get it out as I want to listen to it instead. (I noted there were no pictures in the book or I might have taken it out just for that to look at in conjunction with the audiobook.)

Thanks, Mary! H is for Hawk is great on audio. The author does a stellar job. I am not surprised that there are no photos in the book. Her descriptions are wonderfully vivid.

There's nothing like the start of a vacation is there - all those tremendous possibilities of what you can do and see and read. Have a good one!

Hope you have a good break of reading. Bank holiday here so a long weekend :-)

Happy vacation, Mark.

Morning, Mark! How long to you have off?

“I had a friend once who looked at his library and discovered that even if he just decided to read the books he had in his library, it would take him until he was 100 years old. He was little bit panicked. But he was courageous. He went out of his house. He went to the bookstore. And he bought ten books.”

― Alain Resnais

Starting vacation, starting a new month and our weather is warming up nicely. Nothing but smiles. I should also wrap up Bee Season today. I did find an e-copy of the Round House, so I might just start that, after all. If I don't, I would not get to it for awhile.
I also have a BIG STACK of GNs to get through.

>251 Familyhistorian: " all those tremendous possibilities of what you can do and see and read." Thanks, Meg. It should be a good one.

>252 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte. And you enjoy, your long weekend.

>253 Ameise1: Thanks, Barb! Hugs!

>254 scaifea: Morning Amber! I don't have to go back until the 12th. Sweet, right?

Morning, Mark! Happy Vacation - Whoot! Whoot! Hoping that it is full of fabulous.

>255 msf59: Oh, what a brave soul. I think I'll take some inspiration from him... *snork!*

>256 msf59: 12 days! Sweet, indeed!

>257 Crazymamie: Morning Mamie! Whoot! Whoot, is in order. Thanks.

>258 scaifea: It is nice to tie in vacation with my weekend, Amber. 11 days for 6 and it is super sweet, that I have Monday off before returning.

>246 msf59: Happy Vacation, Mark! Improved weather on the way, too. Great pick of a place to vacation in >246 msf59:!

My ER copy of Golden Son (from December) never showed up, so I finally went out and bought it. I may dip into it on this trip we're taking.

Kick back and enjoy the well-earned R & R time, buddy. How about them Bulls? They finally woke up and played with intensity.

Yaaaay! A vacation AND warmer weather! I'm jealous, Mark. Oh well, I'll just have to enjoy some downtime vicariously through you. :-) I predict a lot of great reading and beer drinking in the days ahead.

>260 jnwelch: Morning Joe! Happy Friday! Glad you like my vacation spot. Grins...

I am still waiting for my January E.R. pick. Sighs...

And yes, what a romp by the Bulls! Let's hope that is the sign of a Sleeping Giant.

>261 cameling: Thanks, Caro! I am glad my vacation is coinciding with a warm weather surge. "I predict a lot of great reading and beer drinking." You got it, my friend.
I've been enjoying our T.C. matches. I prefer it being evenly matched over dominating, one way or another.

Looks like I am just in time to say Hi on this thread before you go and set up a new one!

Sorry to read the weather for April has been lacking but finally did improve towards the end of the month. I have my fingers crossed that your May weather will be a decided improvement. That is the best I can do, I am afraid. ;-)

I wasn't expecting the wonderful fish pictures on this thread. Love the one in >135 msf59:! Very beautiful to look at!

Happy Vacation, Mark!

>248 msf59: I'm snagging that photo---what a magnificent creature!

>263 lkernagh: Glad you made it over, Lori! Yes, the last couple of weeks have been cool. Nice to have warm Spring temps back. Glad you like the fish pics. All thanks to Aquarium.

>264 laytonwoman3rd: Glad you like the Merlin Hawk, Linda! She's a beauty!

I thought the Wolf Hall crowd would appreciate Charles Krauthammer's column on the subject from today's Washington Post.

I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying H is for Hawk, Mark. It received quite a few accolades in the UK, as it won two major literary awards there, the Samuel Johnson Prize and the Costa Award. I'll probably pick it up and read it later this year.

>266 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks for supplying the Krauthammer article, Linda. I read it in the Trib, this morning. It is an excellent piece on Wolf Hall and revisionist history. I absolutely can not stand Krauthammer but that is a nice piece of writing.

>268 msf59: I'm not sure I've ever read him before...I see he has a regular political column, and I avoid the 21st century version of that stuff like the plague.

Happy vacation my friend. I know you will spend your time wisely doing what we all know is important. :D

Happy vacation time, Mark. We leave tomorrow on our road trip - got my Kindle packed, got my books packed - I'm ready to go! Wishing you a great week of reading 'n relaxing.

Mark,

I haven't kept up with your thread, but I am all for a vacation! I am in the middle of Between You & Me and have H is for Hawk on deck, both thanks to my co-worker who went to ALA.

Any chance you are enjoying the NFL draft in your home city?

Relax during your time off. Happy reading!

Enjoy your vacation time, Mark!

Glad to see H is for Hawk was a hit for you. I plan on getting to it soon-ish.

Enjoy your vacation Mark! See you on the flip-side.

Happy well-deserved vacation!

Happy Saturday, Mark. I hope it's a good one.

We only have one small independent bookstore in our immediate area and I do a poor job supporting it. It's right next to our wonderful library, which receives all my attention. Honestly, I do not have to buy many books and my TBR shelves are already overflowing with possibilities.

I WILL stop at the bookstore today and make a purchase AND buy a membership, which should inspire me to visit the store more often.

What are your Independent Bookstore plans for the day?

Happy Saturday! We have a family communion to attend to, this afternoon and then we will meet up, with our Wii bowling crew tonight, so it will be a busy day.
I did finish H is for Hawk, which was absolutely wonderful and I also finished Bee Season, which was also a good, solid read and one that was much darker than I expected.
I could not find The Round House on audio, before vacation but I did snag the ebook. My poor Kindle has been highly under-used. Poor little fella. I better give him some attention.

>267 kidzdoc: Hi, Darryl! I can not praise H is for Hawk enough. What a wonderful experience.

>269 laytonwoman3rd: Krauthammer is a crotchety right-wing columnist, who abhors Obama. I rarely read him but this was a terrific article.

>270 jolerie: "I know you will spend your time wisely doing what we all know is important." Thanks, Val! You know me well. Smiles...

>271 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy! Have a fantastic road trip. Happy reading.

>272 alphaorder: Great to see you, Nancy! I also have a copy of Between You & Me, that I snagged from ALA. Please, let me know your thoughts on this one and H is for Hawk, once you get to it.
I have been following the highlights of the NFL draft, but not fanatically. Hope all is well with you.

>273 Copperskye: Thanks, Joanne! If you can find H is for Hawk on audio, try to do so. The author does a stellar job narrating it. It is one of those very rare cases, where I can not imagine anyone else doing a better job.

>274 The_Hibernator: >275 Whisper1: >276 Ameise1: Thanks, Rachel, Linda & Barb. Hugs to you all.

Yay! for vacation time! Enjoy!

>280 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda! That looks positively dreamy!

>277 msf59: This sounds like a great plan Mark. What did you get?

^My little book haul from Anderson's Bookstore. Yes, I am a big spender. LOL. I did get a year membership too. Honestly, there is not a huge selection, at this location.

I have never read the Bowles. It is a nice edition. And the Gaiman is for the "keeper" shelf.

^^It is a bit early for a beer, so I only featured an unopened can of Surly.

Too early for beer? Or as my mother used to say, "It's always 5 o'clock in the afternoon somewhere.

Glad you're enjoying your vaca!

>282 charl08: I am sure you saw my post, Charlotte. I did my part for Independent Bookstore Day.

>284 Storeetllr: Happy Saturday, Mary! I am sure I will catch up on the brews a little later. Grins...

It is a gorgeous day in the Midwest. Sunny, mid-70s!!

Ohhhh, enjoy Ocean at the End of the Lane! Loved it!

Happy Vacation!

I did not realize that it was independent bookstore day, and I am out of time for shopping now. :(

Happy Vacation!!!

Good for you for shopping at your independent bookstore. Near to me are only second hand independent bookstore, so that can be a bit limiting.

I miss your thread for a day or two and I'm about 40 posts later! Busy thread, Mark!

>255 msf59: I felt a similar kind of panic when I realized how many books that I bought for April (and all the months proceeding it) so on May 1 I visited the bookstore and bought three more.

Good morning, Mark. I wish you a lovely day.

>283 msf59: Kudos! Hopefully the bookshop will take recommendations on audio from an experienced reviewer for the future though?

I love Independent Bookstore Day, and I'll celebrate on my own time when I can go find something to buy in a day or two. No need to be picky about what day we celebrate! Celebrate all year long....

Happy Vacation, dude.

Happy Sunday! Yesterday was gorgeous and it looks like more of the same today. It should hit 80. I think I will lay low today. Do some house chores, cut the grass and READ.

I did start The Round House. I know we are into May but I wanted to squeeze in one more Erdrich and I am glad I did. On audio, I started The Marco Effect, for M & M. My audio listening time will be very limited and this is a Big Boy, but I thought I might as well jump in. Yah, for Dept. Q!!

>286 ChelleBearss: Chelle made it! Chelle made it! Hooray! Yep, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a dandy. I loved it on audio but wanted a copy for my keeper shelves.

>287 banjo123: Hi, Rhonda! I am sure you do a very good job supporting your local bookstore. So, no worries.

>288 SuziQoregon: Thanks, Juli!

>289 vancouverdeb: Hi, Deb! These people keep coming over here and visiting. What is a postman to do, eh? Hope you are having a good weekend.

>290 Familyhistorian: It sounds like you do an admirable job, supporting your bookstores. Good job, my friend.

>291 Ameise1: Happy Sunday, Barb!

>292 charl08: I wish I had a better relationship with my bookstore, Charlotte. You know I could talk all their ears off. LOL.

>293 maggie1944: Morning Karen! And, thanks. I am sure you do a fine job supporting your bookshops. I needed the excuse to make it over there. There is a sister location in another suburb, west of here, which is much better. I just wish it was closer.

^Soar on over...

H Is For Hawk is now on the tbr pile.