Berly Bakes in the Heat (5)

Yay! And it's about time. : )

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

Reading now
A History of the World In 100 Objects by Neil MacGregor
The Silkworm (Audio) by Robert Galbraith

Completed in September
51. Best Boy (246 pages) by Eli Gottlieb 4.0
50. The Boy Who Went Away(230 pages) by Eli Gottlieb 4.5
49. Fables: Homelands (190 pages) by Bill Wingham
48. Armada (349 pages) by Ernest Cline 3.0
47. Flesh and Blood (494 pages) by Patricia Cornwell 3.5

Completed in August
46. Hild by Nicola Griffith (560 pages) 3.5
45. The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton (392 pages) 4.0
44. Mark Twain's Guide to Diet, Exercise, Beauty, Fashion, Investment, Romance, Health and Happiness ER (205 pages) by Mark Dawidziak 3.5
43. Finders Keepers (audio) (448 pages) by Stephen King 4.5
42. The Diver's Clothes Lie Empty (213 pages) by Vendela Vida 3.5

Completed in July (928 pages in July, 11,697 total)
41. Fables 5: The Mean Seasons (166 pages) by Bill Willingham 3.0
40. Moon Called (288 pages) by Patricia Briggs 4.0
39. Zombie Glass (474 pages) by Gena Showalter 3.0

Completed in June (1679 pages in June, 10,769 total)
38. The Maze (338 pages) by Catherine Coulter 3.5
37. Among Ten Thousand Things (318 pages) by Julia Pierpont 3.0
36. Riptide (355 pages) by Catherine Coulter 3.5
35. The White Tiger (read 200 pages) by Aravind Adiga -- pearl ruled
34. Saga, Vol. 1 (160 pages) GN by Brian K, Vaughan & Fiona Staples 3.0
33. The Sense of an Ending (163 pages)by Julian Barnes for my RL Book Club 4.0
32. I Take You (305 pages) ARC by Eliza Kennedy 4.0

Completed in May (1971 pages in May, 9090 total)
31. The Stranger (audio/400 pages) by Harlan Coben 4.0
30. Wonder (404 pages) by RJ Palacio 5.0
29. Sorrow Arrow (86 pages) poetry by Emily Kendal Frey 2.0
28. Fables: Of Men and Mice (144 pages) GN by Marc Andreyko 3.5
27. Fables: The Return of the Maharaja (144 pages) GN by Sean E. Williams 3.0
26. Leaving Time (audio/496 pages) by Jodi Piccoult 4.5
25. Bossy Pants (audio/297 pages)written and read by Tina Fey 3.5

Completed in April (1639 pages in April, 7119 total)
24. Our Endless Numbered Days (386 pages) by Claire Fuller 4.0
23. Death Without Company (271 pages) by Craig Johnson 3.0
22. Fables: Animal Farm (112 pages) GN by Bill Willingham 3.5
21. Fables: Legends In Exile (144 pages) GN by Bill Willingham 3.5
20. The Bird Skinner (309 pages) by Alice Greenway 4.0
19. The Husband's Secret (417 pages) by Liane Moriarty 4.0

Completed in March (1903 pages in May, 5480 total)
18. Dance Hall of the Dead (272 pages) by Tony Hillerman 2.5
17. Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant (pages 228) by Roz Chast 3.0
16. Night Broken (292 pages) by Patricia Briggs 4.0
15. Fair Game (291 pages) by Patricia Briggs 4.0
14. Three Sisters (380 pages) by Susan Mallery 3.5
13. The Secret Speech (440 pages) by Tom Robb Smith 3.5

Completed In February (1520 pages in February, 3577 total)
12. Snake Oil: How Fracking's False Promise of Plenty Imperils Our Future (124 pages) by Richard Heinberg 3.5
11. The Rosie Effect (352 pages) by Graeme Samson 3.0
10. Turn of the Screw (160 pages) by Henry James 3.0
9. All the Light We Cannot See (530 pages) by Anthony Doerr 4.0
8. The Cold Dish (354 pages) by Craig Johnson 4.0

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

1. With a protagonist of the opposite gender--Dance Hall of the Dead
2. Chosen by Someone Else (Paul BAC)--Moon Tiger
3. One You Have Owned More Than A Year--Invisible
4. ..With Scientists--The Bird Skinner
5. ...On a Subject You Are Unfamiliar With--Snake Oil: How Fracking's False Promise of Plenty Imperils Our Future
6. Translated from a language I don't speak--The 100-year-old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared
7. ...with A Natural Disaster--Station Eleven
8. ...About Autism--The Rosie Effect
10. Set in a country other than your own--All the Light We Cannot See
13. With a protagonist of the opposite gender--The Secret Speech
14. Reminds me of my childhood--Fables: Legends in Exile
15. Where Prophecies or Portents are Part of the Plot--Fair Game
16. Based on a Myth--The Blessing Way
17. Inspired by Another Piece of Fiction--Fables: Legend in Exile
20. ...where an animal is of importance--Leaving Time
21. With a Mythical Creature--Fair Game
22. Centered Around a Major Historical Event--The Husband's Secret
22. ...Centered Around A Major Historical Event--A History of the World in 100 Objects (when I finish it!)
23. Whose Main Character (I changed this a little) is the Same as Ancestor's First Name--The Cold Dish (Walter)
25. Completely Outside My Comfort Zone--I Take You (The Level of Promiscuity)

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

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

(6/29/15) I will sporadically read something of Paul's BAC and Mark's AAC. LOL.



Paul's British Author Challenge (BAC)

January : Penelope Lively Moon Tiger ✔
& Kazuo Ishiguro
July : Virginia Woolf & B.S. Johnson
August : Iris Murdoch & Graham Greene
September : Andrea Levy & Salman Rushdie
October : Helen Dunmore & David Mitchell
November : Muriel Spark & William Boyd
December : Hilary Mantel & P.G. Wodehouse

Mark's American Author Challenge (AAC)

February : Henry James - Turn of the Screw ✔
July : Ursula K. Le Guin
August : Larry McMurtry
September : Flannery O' Connor
October : Ray Bradbury
November : Barbara Kingsolver
December : E.L. Doctorow

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



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

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



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

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

'Course then there is My RL Book Club.



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


And now (1/10) I have plans to read The Worst Hard Time with Julia...sometime.

: )

Good thing I like books!

So, along with starting up TKD again, I have decided to try dieting a little. Coincidentally, my Mark Twain book by Mark Dawidziak has some of his thoughts on diet and I thought I would share some with all of you...

"On the continent, you can't get a rare beefsteak--everything is as overdone as a martyr." This one made me laugh!

"I have been persistently strict in sticking to the things which don't agree with me until one or the other of us got the best of it. But last spring I stopped frolicking with mince meat pie after midnight; up to then I had always believed it wasn't loaded." Not a fan of mince meat myself, but love the quote.

"But when the time come that a man has had his dinner, then the true man comes to the surface." Actually, I think it is the opposite: When someone is hungry, that is when their true nature shows up.

"A full belly is little worth where the mind is starved, and the heart." Indeed.

Happy New Thread, Kim. Wonderful quotes.

Happy New thread, Kimmers! Sorry, you are stuck in a heat wave. Hope you get some relief.



ETA: How is Finders Keepers coming? I have that one saved on audio but I need to read Mr. Mercedes first...

Happy new thread, Kim!

Happy new thread Kim, hope you have a lovely day my dear.

Happy new thread, Kim!

Happy new thread, Kim. Lots of PLANNED reading going on here.

Sorry about the heat. It really dials back my memories of when air conditioning was something they had at the movies, and summer was a total fog of heat and allergies. I hope you return to a more normal summer in the PacWest soon!

>7 Ameise1: Hi Barb! Glad you liked the quotes. I am trying to keep my humor going on this diet. I suck at them. Much better at excercising!! But so far so good. Down 4 lbs.

>8 msf59: Hiya Mark! Hit 90 again today. And no rain in sight, which is unusual for Portland and bad for our business!! Oh well. Love the photo--so cute! Loving Finders Keepers. I keep trying to find things I can do so I can listen to the audio some more. Who knew folding clothes could be so much fun?!

>9 scaifea: Amber! Thanks for tagging along again. I will try to get over your way to check up on the antics at your end--twelve hour day at work today, so probably not tonight. I am going to hit the hay ASAP!!

>10 johnsimpson: Thank you John. It was a long, but productive one at work. I hope your Wednesday is positively enchanting!

>11 Crazymamie: Crazy!! I just bought a new pair of running shoes. It has been ages since I had a new one and I want to get serious about run/walking. You are one of my inspirations here--thanks!

12>Hi Beth! The planned reading started off very well and it has been slowly slacking off. I just don't want more assignments, even if they are books. Trying to do some here and there so I don't look like a total slacker. Lately, I have been needing total fluff with no heartache. ; )

>13 ffortsa: Judy--I remember childhood days where I just ran right through the box of tissues in a day--my allergies were so BAD!! As a kid I used to regularly take 4-6 Benadryl at a time and had no sleepy side effects. Luckily, I did NAET (an acupuncture treatment) and it helped my allergies SO MUCH that I don't have much trouble now. And air conditioning helps, too. I am a wimp with Benadryl now...I take one and I am down for the count, LOL.

Wow, 4lb, well done. Go Kim go! I should do also lose som lbs but I guess I start when I'm back from holiday.

12-hour work days? Been there and I sympathize! I hope the hay was lovely and soft for you last night. *grins*

,>14 Berly:. Oh yes. I spent my childhood on round the clock antihistamines. When I was able to wrestle my way off them, the world was much brighter, or maybe it was my brain

Lately I have been enduring sneezing attacks in 24 hour cycles. I may check out that acupuncture treatment, see if it is available in the city.

So what are you baking? Yourself?! Yikes.

>3 Berly: Domyou have a book in mind for book bingo, the square featuring an LT author? There must be some good ones on he, I have not looked into it!

>18 LovingLit: So what are you baking? Yourself?! Yikes. *snort* Cute. :) There's a "tad" bit of sun here in the Northwest, so I know how Kim feels.

Hi Kim, I wish you a lovely weekend.

Happy 4th, Kimmers!! Did you also read Mr. Mercedes? I have not got to that one yet.

>15 Ameise1: Hi Barb. Even better--now I am down 13 lbs!! Hope summer is going well. I am still swamped at home and work. ; )

>16 scaifea: Amber. Still swamped with work and home life is busy as well. Not enough time in the day right now!

>17 ffortsa: Hope the sneezing is diminishing. Don't go to the acupuncture guy if he doesn't speak English well. IMHO. Good luck!

>18 LovingLit: Megan--No clue what book to read for LT author. They are listed here, I just have to do some digging. If anyone has any suggestions, I'll take 'em!!

>19 saraslibrary: Sarah--The weather this week has been perfect. 70s and 80s. Alas, tomorrow and Sunday are supposed to be back in the 90s. Sigh. I had to trim my roses way back because the hot weather has been killing them. They look pretty good right now. I have to stay on the watering....

>20 Ameise1: Hi again Barb. My turn--I wish you a most lovely weekend!!!

>21 msf59: Hi Mark. I remember the title, Mr Mercedes, but can't recall if I have read it....Nope. I haven't. Still "reading" Finders Keepers on audio. It is long, but I am also just not finding the time to listen. Quite good.

Just received two more Powell's Indispensable Books--yay!! Thank you Hubby.

Morning, Kim! Sounds like you are doing fabulous!! And hooray for new books! I have only read one Ron Rash, but I liked it - short stories. And I recently purchased The Diver's Clothes Lie Empty- I dipped into it, and it is written in second person. Wondering if that will hold up or become completely annoying for me.

Wishing for you a weekend filled with fabulous!

Yikes! I missed a whole thread! I accidentally unstarred you a while (quite a while) back. (Darn phone keyboards!) No way I'll get caught up so I'll pick up here. Happy weekend!

Hi Kim - I hope you get some time to enjoy the summer.

I've been looking at the Vida book - will await your comments.

>23 Berly: Those both look interesting. I'll look forward to hearing about them.

>24 Crazymamie: The point of view hasn't been too annoying yet--halfway through, but some of her choices are...

>25 tymfos: Happy to be starred again!! I'll try not to post too much so you can stay up to date...!

>26 BLBera: Summer is going by all too quickly. It is almost August!! : )

>27 EBT1002: I can't just read the books? I have to say something about them, too? Dang. I have been doing this all wrong! ; )

So, big news on my end...despite all the dyslexia and learning challenges, Sarah has decided to continue her education and she will attend the Art Institute this fall -- she is super excited! Her focus will be photography. So proud of her!

And Jack's team won first place in their soccer tournament--whoohoo!!

A very happy household here. : )

Two Sarah photos



and

Lovely. Congrats - a happy household is always a good thing.

>29 Berly: Sarah's photos are lovely! That's terrific that she will be taking classes at the Art Institute.

And congrats also to Jack the soccer-ball standout.

>29 Berly: love that bottom one! It's cool. And great news about going on to learn more about photography, I bet that would be a really fun course.

Go, Sarah! Those photos are lovely!

Happy Sunday, Kimmers! Hope the weekend is going well.
And High Fives to Sarah!!

Hooray for higher education! Sarah's photos are great.
And congrats to Jack as well.

Hooray for Sarah! Lovely photos.

Hi Kim - Hope you're surviving the latest heat wave OK. I have so many things I really want to do this weekend but it's still going to be stupid hot.

Excellent news for Sarah - she's got talent so I'm glad she'll be attending the Art Institute.

>29 Berly: Great news about Sarah's decision -- it looks like she has an eye for photography so I hope the curriculum is to her liking. And great news about Jack's team! Your kids... I know you're proud.

It is TOO HOT. I know you're melting down there in Portland, too. We don't have A/C and right now I want it.

Happy Sunday, Kim!

Hi Berly! Hope you're enjoying your face-meltingly-hot summer as much as possible!

Hi Kim, hope everything is ok with you and the family my dear, sending love and hugs to you from over the pond.

*ahem*
Hello?
Ok, bye for now :)

Happy Weekend, Kim.

I am alive!!! Thanks for popping in to say hi.

Quick update, also my reasons for not being here...

1) I got really sick, involving lots of doctor visits. I am mostly recovered.
2) We had a huge written proposal for a bid to do work for the city (I put in 20 hours that weekend!)
3) We made it to the final round (!) and had to put together a slide presentation for the same bid.
4) We got the job!!!!
5) Wedding shower.
6) I took 6 kids with me to attend the wedding of their youth group leader--fun and crazy!!
7) My brother-in-law and niece came to visit and stay with us.
8) Jack had soccer tryouts in Salem--He made the OR Olympic Development Team!! And he had to compete against kids not only in his year but the year older as well. They took 30 kids from the state for the two years.
9) Jack had soccer tryouts for high school and made Varsity (or Var as he puts it) as a Sophomore!!!
10) We moved Sarah into her apartment for college--yahoo!!
11) Jack was in summer school and I was the chauffeur.
12) Jess had a rough breakup with her boyfriend.

I can't wait for a normal, fall, school schedule!! Phew. I hope to be around more again.

xoxo : )

>30 BLBera: Thanks! Still a happy household, but I am sooooo far behind! (As you can probably tell from my month-long absence from my own thread...) ; )

>31 rosalita: So we spent this past weekend moving Sarah in to her new apartment for school. She had her first class and so far so good!

>32 LovingLit: and >33 scaifea: I love her photos. I have a couple framed in the house, but I am running out of wall space!!

>34 msf59: Thanks Mark, all high fives gladly passes on.

>35 banjo123: Higher education is great and I am so glad Sarah decided for herself that she wanted it. As a parent, pushing from behind only works for so long. She already had her first class. She meets again for that one on Wednesday and she already wrote her paper for it today! Wonders never cease. I think she is psyched to finally be pursuing something she enjoys.

>36 tymfos: One of her friends just asked her to take her Senior photos. : )

>37 SuziQoregon: Nevermind the heat...how about the smoke?! Portland's air rating was 217 yesterday which ranks as very unhealthy or a 5/6. 6 is evacuate. Cough. Cough. Hope it is better tomorrow.

>38 EBT1002: All my plants on my deck except one have keeled over. All this heat was just too much for them. I was watering once a day and I guess it should have been twice!! Hope you are hanging in there.

>39 connie53: Happy Sunday a month later!!!

>40 LauraBrook: We broke the record for the most days over 90 this summer. Ugh.

>41 johnsimpson: Hugs back across the pond!

>42 LovingLit: Hi. Hello. Bonjour. Hey!

>43 Ameise1: Thanks! Hope yours was wonderful as well. We had our first taste of empty nesting. Jack was visiting relatives in Seattle, Sarah was at college and Jess was working this weekend. The house was so quiet!! I got caught up on laundry, dishes, mail and general clutter. It felt great! I mean, I missed them horribly. ; )

So, despite the madness, I have been reading. And one day (hopefully soon) I will get that all cataloged, reviewed and caught up here, too. But for or now, it is midnight here and I am headed to bed. I will come visit everyone's threads as soon as I can. I have missed you all!! Big hugs for now. Night. ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz..........

Summer in Oregon...Hot and Smoky!!

Great to see you, Kimmers! Thanks for the updates. We missed you.

Sorry, to hear you were sick. Hope you are feeling much better. Stop back by and fill us in on your reading life...if you have one.

>48 msf59: Hi Mark! My reading life has been a bit slim, but it has not been zero!! Right now I am finishing up Finders Keepers (I do love Stephen King!) and I have 5 others to report on. Not bad for a hectic August. Don't hold your breath on my reviews though...be patient with me. Right now I am crawling into bed. All this smoke has been rough on the allergies and asthma. Positively pooped! Back tomorrow. Thanks for checking up on me. : )

I have Finders Keepers saved on audio but I have still not read Mr. Mercedes. What? Mr. King has been cranking them out to fast.

So glad you are feeling better, Kim. And congrats on winning the bid and getting the job! Whoohoooo!

*doing a rain dance* ... I hope the air clears and the fires are safely put out quickly.

ouch. Sorry to hear you were so ill, and glad you're better now. To think that Portland is almost too smoky to breathe boggles my mind. I hope these fires die down soon. More rain dance vibes.

You had more than enough reasons to keep us waiting - what a summer! Most of it sounds like great fun, but it must have taken a lot of energy. Congratulations on winning that bid, btw. and Jack's prowess, and Sarah's schooling. I hope Jess recovers from heartbreak pretty soon.

>50 msf59: Mark, you should read Mr Mercedes first and I loved the job Will Patton did doing the audio for Finders Keepers. And there is a strong indication that there is going to be a third!!!

>51 cameling: Thanks for the wholohoo! And I hope your rain dance works, soon. Really soon!!

>52 ffortsa: I will take all the rain dances I can get! Thanks. Most of the summer has indeed been great fun, but I am a little pooped. Case in point, Jack had an end of the summer party at the house tonight---lots and lots of kids!! School starts on Thursday and things should calm down soon. I think. : )

Hmm... maybe I should have directed the dance your way, Kim. It worked but ... over my end instead. Drats .. I'll have to get my compass out and do another rain dance pointed in your direction instead.

We have some rain for you, Kim!

>44 Berly: you have been busy. Yikes, how are you holding up? Any time for you scheduled in?

>47 Berly: hot? I'd say! I hear that NZ sent some firefighters to help with this blazes

>49 Berly: my reviews are sadly lacking lately...I read over some of my 100-odd reviews the other night, I used to put so much effort into them!

Wow, Kim.... busy sounds like an understatement. Congrats to Jack--what a soccer player.

I am looking forward to the rain coming! I hope you get a chance to chill, and stay healthy.

>44 Berly: I am dizzy simply looking at your list and knowing the tremendous amount of energy it took to do all you did, especially #1 indicated you were/are very sick.

I send gentle hugs and wishes that life brings more happy, than stress filled events.

>44 Berly: Yep Kimmers I guess missing a while is perfectly excusable under the circumstances. Great to see you back though. xx

Wow, very sick plus then dealing with all that hectic activity? Yowza! What a month!

Happy Sunday, Kim. I love empty nesting even though I love my kids.

Hi all!! I swear I will be back here on a regular basis someday! Working lots of hours. Roommate trouble for middle daughter; she is switching the end of this month. They are way too introverted for her and told her she had to let them know a WEEK in advance of having friends over (SNORT!) and they both want to have service dogs in the apartment. Jack and I are allergic so we would not be able to visit and she would have to wash everything in order to come home and visit. Not going to work! Jack made the OR Olympic traveling team (18 kids) and then promptly got hurt in his Varsity HS game. But he is off crutches now and should be well soon, which is a relief because I thought he might be out the whole season. Did I mention we have to move offices by the end of this month???!!!

Spent an hour and a half waiting with same son to take his driver's permit test today. We were 3 away from getting called up and they closed the testing part. So Sorry. Come back another day. No "jump to the front of the line" tix for tomorrow either. Grrrr.

Got my latest Powell Indiespensable books: The Boy Who Went Away and Best Boy by Eli Gottlieb. I am already enjoying the first one. : )

And now for your reading enjoyment...another list!!!

300 books Everyone Should Read At Least Once. It is going around Facebook, and I thought it was a great list. I made top 1%, in fact person #13 with 243 of the 300 suggested books. Feeling pretty literate!! Try it...

http://www.listchallenges.com/300-books-everyone-should-read-at-least-once

Bye for now. Love you all!!

>62 Berly: Great list, Kim. I've read 61 of 300.

Thanks Kim - I've read 193.

Looks like Kimmer is busy with real life! It happens, my friend. Thanks for checking in. I hope you are squeezing in some reading, now and then.

>62 Berly: Your desire to get back into the swing of the threads mirrors my own Kimmers as does your struggle to actually do so! Good luck squaring the circle my dear. Well done to your son on passing his driving.

Lovely to see you posting, Kim!

>62 Berly: - Interesting list. I was a little worried that my score would be terrible but I have read 79 out of 300... a lot more than I thought when I started checking the books off.

>63 Ameise1: Hi Barb--Not bad! Hope you are having a great weekend. : )

>64 BLBera: Beth--193 is noteworthy for sure! Have you read more of the classics on the list or more of the contemporary?

>65 msf59: Mark--I have been doing some reading and I am attempting to update my list a little this weekend....stay tuned!

>66 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul. We have been having similar business strains...one of our customers went bankrupt and they owe us a bit of money. So, my sympathies. In addition, we are moving offices within the next month, so life at work is busy to say the least. Hope we both can hang out here more in the near future!!!

>67 lkernagh: Hi Lori--Congrats on scoring higher than you thought! ; ) That's always fun.

The Driver's Clothes Lie Empty 3.5

One of the few books written in the second-person narrative that actually works well. The narrator, who remains unnamed, lands in Morocco. Her backpack, and all her ID are stolen as she checks in to her hotel. Through a series of coincidences, she assumes a new identity. Slowly, throughout the book, we find out more about our mystery woman. This is a humorous yet edgy thriller exploring the landscape of Morocco, Hollywood, regret and loss of identity. Somewhat ambiguous and strangely compelling at the same time. Worth the read.

Mark Twain's Guide to Diet, Exercise, Beauty, Fashion, Investment, Romance, Health and Happiness

An ER Book (205 pages) by Mark Dawidziak 3.5

An amusing, interesting collection of quotes from the infamous Mark Twain. Actually very contemporary and fun. A quick read, or something to nibble a little at a time.

Finders Keepers by Stephen King 4.5

The second in this series, but it can be read as a stand alone. There are no ghosts or the supernatural here; this falls purely in the detective genre, which is fine by me. Stephen King has assembled a great cast of characters here: A shifty used rare book dealer, a murderous ex-con, a young boy, and the awesome crime-stopping trio of Holly, Jerome and Bill from Mr. Mercedes. The plot starts off gently and then continues to pick up steam until it's running by the end. A young boy, Pete, finds buried treasure, including money and notebooks from a famous dead author, and he uses it to sustain his hurting family. When the money runs out, he contemplates selling the unpublished works by the famous author. The only problem is that the bookseller Pete chooses is less than above-board and the original thief is released from jail and wants his treasure back. One of my favorite audio books. Will Patton does a great job narrating, creating wonderful, distinct character voices and gradually escalating the tension--I cannot wait for the third in this trilogy!

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton 4.0

Hild by Nicola Griffith 3.5

Seventh century Britain. A young girl rises to power as a seer for the King. Christianity is taking hold. Sword battles and drinking. I enjoyed the first 300 pages and then this one went on just a little too long. Historical fiction. Apparently this book covers Saint Hild's early years.

Flesh and Blood by Patricia Cornwell

Seven new pennies found near Kay's home dash her hopes of vacation. The killer makes impossible deadly shots. The locales seem disconnected. Until finally the evidence implicates her own niece, Lucy. If you like Scarpetta, this one won't disappoint!

Armada by Ernest Cline 3.0

Zach Lightman is a gamer. He plays everyday. Lives it. Breathes it. And then he sees a flying saucer outside his school window. Has he lost his mind? No, it's worse. The aliens are real! And Zach has just the skills to defeat them. Not nearly as good as Ready Player One, but still a fun, if somewhat predictable, read.

Wow! You've been doing some reading. I want to read Hild soon. I remember that Kerri loved it.

Fables, Volume 6: Homelands by Bill Willingham 4.0

This storyline is split between making it big in Hollywood and chasing down The Adversary. If you like fairytales and graphic novels, this is a great series!

>76 BLBera: I almost missed you there! It isn't really that I have been doing that much reading...it is that I am so far behind on posting!!! I hope you enjoy Hild. ; )

Anyone going???

>44 Berly: Wow, it was a busy time!

>79 Berly: This is the first I've heard of it. Tempting, very tempting....

>80 EBT1002: Hi Ellen--This was the first weekend that I didn't have to work in a long time! So enjoyed it. : )

Here is the link....! I don't know a lot of the authors, but it might be fun to bum around together anyhow.

http://www.literary-arts.org/what-we-do/wordstock/

Wow! the new Wordstock looks fabulous. I definitely need to go--and it's even on my birthday.

Meet-up?

>81 Berly: I will have to do some investigating. We've been making plans for a trip to Corvallis for the very next weekend -- taking Friday the 13th to drive down and see old friends with whom we haven't visited in a very long time. So, the timing may not be ideal. But. Let me see.

Regardless, I wonder if we need to think about scheduling another Portland/Powell's meet-up. January? February?

>82 banjo123: I am up for it and you HAVE to go since it is your birthday!!!

>83 EBT1002: You can investigate all you want but the truth is you HAVE to go to Wordstock. Just saying. : ) And I am definitely up for another Powell's meet-up! Jan or Feb both work for me. Also, did I see you a picture of you in MA on LT somewhere? I thought I did...

Stopping in to catch up with you, Kim. As usual, you have been very busy - yowza! Your reading log is reminding me that I have The Diver's Clothes Lie Empty in the stacks - I dipped my toes into it to judge the temperature, but then never got back to it. And Finders Keepers sounds good, so I need to track the first book down. I saw that you are currently listening to The Silkworm - I have already read both the books in that series and loved them, but I decided to revisit them on audio before the new one comes out, and I am loving the narrator. Almost finished with The Cuckoo's Calling, so The Silkworm is up next, and I already have it on digital loan from the library - LOVE digital loans!!

Wishing you a week full of happy, my dear!

Glad to see the book update, Kimmers! I really need to put Mr. Mercedes in my current rotation. The response for Armada has been tepid but I have both audio and print book and plan to get to it soon.

Hi Crazy--We are on similar reading paths! Yes, I am loving the narrator for Silkworm -- I just wish I could find more time to listen, LOL. And you have made my day, now that I know the new one is coming out. : ) Wishing you a great week as well, from one busy mom to another.

Hi Mark--I would put Mr Mercedes higher on the list than Armada, but I enjoyed both of them. And please take note...I READ THESE BOOKS BEFORE YOU DID!!! My life is complete. ; )

Thank you for those good wishes! The new one comes out October 20th, so soon! It's titled Career of Evil.

>88 Crazymamie: I think we should plan on reading Career of Evil together in October. What a perfect title for the Halloween month! You game?

I'm in!

Excellent! I think I will go for the paper version--I am so slow on the audio even though i love listening when I walk. Anyone else want to join in?

>71 Berly: I just read Mr. Mercedes earlier this year and enjoyed, and it makes me happy that the sequel is also up to snuff (is it bad to use the word "snuff" in a post about Stephen King? Seems to take on a whole new meaning ...)

>92 rosalita: I think "snuff" and Stephen King are pretty much made for each other! Very funny. Hurry up and read the second so you can read the third with us in October. ; )

Uh, oh. I meant the third book in the Robert Galbraith series. Monday strikes again.

Okay, so the third book in the Stephen King series will be titled End of Watch, but there is no release date set yet.

>88 Crazymamie: >95 Crazymamie: Oops! I goofed that connection! But I am very flexible. And the title still works. And you can't read a book that isn't released yet, so the new Galbraith, Career of Evil, in October it is! King will have to wait. : ) (Shhhh on the blame Monday thing. You are not helping me give Monday a better rep!)

You made me laugh out loud, so there is that.

Hi Kim, saw some great readings here. I fixed my photos. I hope you can see them now.

>97 Crazymamie: Well, then I am redeemed!

>98 Ameise1: I just left you a message--absolutely breathtaking photos! Everyone go look at Barbara's thread!! And there is a cute photo of her girls, too.

>99 Berly: Thanks so much, Kim for your kind words.

"I READ THESE BOOKS BEFORE YOU DID!!!"

Bold statement noted! Grins...

Hi Kim, good to hear there is a new Robert Galbraith book coming up!

Hi Kim, just checking in my dear. I have been a little bit haphazard with my viewing and posting on here since we got back off holiday but I am back and in full swing to post on lots of threads. Sending love and hugs.

Howdy Kim!

>100 Ameise1: Absolutely!

>101 msf59: Ever so glad I am duly noted. Grins back.

>102 connie53: I know, right?! Reading with audio this time round and I am loving having the Brittish accent, because I just can't pull that off in my head voice. LOL.

>103 johnsimpson: You think YOU have been haphazard about posting?! Me thinks I have you beat, but let's both try and be in full LT swing. That sounds like fun! Hugs and love back.

>104 luvamystery65: And Howdy back! Thanks for stopping in. : )

Wordstock Book Festival looks great! Some pics, please, if you decide to go : ).

>106 lit_chick: Hi Nancy--But of course! I am hoping to go. : )

Look at me here two days in a row! Happy Tuesday, Kim!

>105 Berly:, Full LT swing definitely sounds like fun Kim, let's do it.

>108 Crazymamie: You overachiever you! : )

>109 johnsimpson: Whoohoo!! The Full LT Swing. I am in.

So, I spent today traversing Portland looking for new office space. Exhausting. And tomorrow I am going in for an upper GI scope. Joy. I'll keep you all posted on both fronts. ; )

Tequila Mockingbird by Tim Federle

An English Major walks into a bar...the ultimate cocktail gift for the bookish.

Recipes for:

The Pitcher of Dorian Grey Goose
The Last of the Mojitos
Love in the Time of Kahlua
Romeo and Julep
A Rum of One's Own
Are You There God? It's Me, Margerita.
Vermouth the Bell Tolls

Sounds like fun to me!!!

Hi, Kimmers! What time is cocktail hour?

I want to go to Wordstock Book Festival! Wah!

>112 Berly: This looks like a perfect book!

>112 Berly: Ha! I actually own that book! Happy Friday, Kim!

Happy weekend, Kim.

>113 msf59: Mark--Cocktail is whenever you arrive! And you should just fly out here for Wordstock. : )

>114 Oberon: I like the looks of it...we should ask >115 Crazymamie: Crazy how it is...how is it?? I want to try "Are you there God? IT's me, Margerita!"

>116 Ameise1: Thank you Barbara--I do love your weekend photo wishes. Happy weekend to you, too!

SO, I am headed out to MN for a wedding and have Sunday, October 4th wide open. Anyone up for brunch or something? : )

Say yes!!

Kim - Let me know the place and time -- there should be a bookstore involved, right?

>119 BLBera: Absolutely! I am thinking brunch-time. We can bookstore before or after, or both! I haven't been to a Minneapolis bookstore in decades, so do you have any suggestions? I looked online and came up with these. Are any of them good options? Others? I have a car so it doesn't have to be just in Mpls either. I'd like to choose the store first and then figure out the restaurant.

Magers & Quinn Booksellers
3038 Hennepin Ave. S., Minneapolis
612-822-4611
www.magersandquinn.com

Birchbark (Louise Erdrich's)
2115 W. 21st St., Minneapolis
612-374-4023
birchbarkbooks.com

Once Upon a Crime
604 W. 26th St., Minneapolis
612-870-3785
www.onceuponacrimebooks.com

Common Good Books (Garrison Keiler)
38 S. Snelling Ave., St. Paul
651-225-8989
www.commongoodbooks.com

I've never been to Birchbark and have wanted to go, so that would be my first choice. But I can get to that any time, so whatever is most convenient for you works for me.

Hi, Kim. Thanks for dropping by!

>120 Berly: If you are at all interested in children books you should add The Wild Rumpus to your stops. It is a fantastic book store - one of our best. www.wildrumpusbooks.com

>44 Berly: My goodness, lots of reasons for being AWOL. I hope your health woes are over.

Your Sarah is a talented photographer!

>79 Berly:: Wordstock sounds like fun! Sure wish I lived closer. I am considering going to The Iowa City Book Festival in a few weeks. It's about a 6-hour drive from here. Portland could easily be 4x that!

>120 Berly:, >121 BLBera: Birchbark Books is such a cool bookstore with lots of Native American ambience AND a Catholic confessional. The area it is in would be good for a walk around the lake afterward. Hmmm, Minneapolis is only about 10 hours away...

>121 BLBera: Beth--Birchbark sounds great. Are there any places to eat nearby? Can we do brunch before or after? And maybe a walk around Lake of the Isles? They open at 10:00. Does that sound good?

Sunday October 4th
10:00 ??
Louise Erdrich's Birchbark Bookstore
2115 West 21st Street
Minneapolis, MN 55405
(612) 374-4023

>122 ronincats: Roni--hope you heal quickly!!

>123 Oberon: Hi Erik--Thanks for showing up here with your bookstore suggestion. I am in that stage where my youngest is 14 and my oldest is still in college, so not too many kids books being read here. I have heard about the Wild Rumpus (and Birchbark) and would love to visit it sometime. Would you be willing to suffer Birchbark instead? Or we could make a day of it and hit that one in the afternoon. ; )

>124 Donna828: Hi Donna!! I haven't seen you in forever. Or at least if feels that way. My health woes are behaving at the moment. Thanks. : ) 10 Hours is quite a long drive, but if the spirit moves you....it would be really fun!!!

So, my oldest headed back to college on Friday and my middle one is moving into her new dorm room tomorrow. It is going to be a quiet house! I am going to miss them for sure, but on the bright side, maybe I'll actually get time to read. ; )

Reading The Plover right now. The man (Brian Doyle) writes the LONGEST sentences with more semi-colons than any writer I know, LOL. Kinda a slow start, but hanging in there.

Also listening to The Silk Worm and enjoying that immensely.

Hope your daughter's roommate works out better this time. Very odd to need a weeks notice for having a friend over! Maybe she was jut overly trying to make sure the place didn't turn into a party zone....maybe? (ok, maybe not)

Sorry to hear of your semi-colon overdose as well...currently my reading is seriously lacking in punctuation. Even in words like doesn't and won't! It was distracting for the whole first half of the book but I am slowly coming to terms/ getting used to it ;)

Happy Sunday, Kim.

It's a date, Kim - See you around 10 at Birchbark; there's a restaurant next door, and if the weather is nice, a walk around the lake would be great. Can't wait. I'll PM you my phone in case something comes up.

>127 LovingLit: Hi Megan! We are heading off in an hour or two to make the move. Crossing fingers for the new roommates. We have stopped by to say Hi! and no one was home, which I took as a good sign that they are a more social crew. We will see!

>128 Ameise1: Yay! A Barbara weekend picture. I love apples. : ) Happy Sunday.

>129 BLBera: Beth--Can't wait to see you! Got your phone numbers and sent you mine. : )

>112 Berly: I just read all that aloud and both P and I were cracking up.

And didn't Dickens write The Life and Adventures of Martini Chuzzlewit?

Kim and Beth are having a meet-up? I'm envious.

We will need pics of the Meetup ! :-)

Good luck to your daughter for more compatible roommates. Gosh, even today I don't know that I can give anyone 3 days notice if I'm having people over, much less a week!

Hi Kim, hope you are having/had a good weekend my dear and enjoy your meet-up, sending love and hugs and have a nice week.

>133 cameling: Yes to pics!

>131 EBT1002: Love it!

Kim, good luck with the move and everything else.

>131 EBT1002: >132 EBT1002: Why yes, Ellen, I believe Dickens did write The Life and Adventures of Martini Chuzzlewit!! LOL (I want the recipe too!) Yes, I am very excited for the meetup with Beth and to see Birchbark. I have to figure out which Erdrich books I need!!

>133 cameling: Hi Caro. I will do my best to remember to take some photos and post. I am usually pretty good about that. : )

I don't think most teens and early twenty-somethings can plan that far in advance with their social schedule. I can for some things, but I still like to have spontaneous get-togethers, too. Hopefully the next crew will be a better social fit.

>134 johnsimpson: Thanks John. I am looking forward to a little traveling. I get to see all of my family out MN way and also some of my RL friends from way back when AND meet Beth from LT. Whoohooo!

>136 ffortsa: Hi Judy. The dorm move went very well. Everything is relocated and sort of put away. Still need to put up a few posters and wall hangings and I am sure my daughter will rearrange stuff later, but it looks pretty good.

In her first apartment, every one had their own space for their own stuff and there was no sharing. When she asked where she should put her stuff in the kitchen the new apartment mate said put your stuff wherever it fits and we share everything! Somewhere in the middle would probably be my pick, but Sarah was just fine with it. Less rules. They were also thrilled because she brought more utensils, some measuring cups and more pots and pans. So, off to a good start. Yay!!

Everyone met outside in our cul de sac to watch the supermoon eclipse together. It was awesome!! Our neighbor brought out his super duper telescope and it was amazing. So cool!!

Hooray, for the Blood Moon, Kimmers! I hope you have a nice week. Happy reading!

>125 Berly: I am not opposed to any bookstore, be they children's or otherwise. Unfortunately, I will probably be unavailable on Sunday. My son's soccer team is signed up for a soccer tournament in Blaine, Minnesota. As I am the coach, my attendance is kind of expected. I will keep an eye open for times in the event that our schedule turns out better than expected (playing two games Saturday and two Sunday so the exact times are unknown yet) or if weather cancels the games.

*waves cast--one more week!*

>140 msf59: Hiya Mark!

>141 Oberon: Erik--I totally understand the soccer/coach thing. My husband has coached all three kids for YEARS!! And Blaine is not too near, but I will cross fingers that you can break away for books or perhaps a meal. Good luck to your son!

>142 ronincats: Roni--One more week! One more week! Then you will be castless. Yes!

So, spent today moving most of the office to our new location, which is temporary until they finish updates at our final destination. Two moves in two days is just two many!!! Pooped. : )

>137 Berly: Maybe that was Martini Guzzlewit?

>137 Berly: "I have to figure out which Erdrich books I need!!" Why yes! Can't wait to hear about it.

>139 Berly: I wish there had been a neighbor with a super-duper telescope. There were lots of neighbors and a few impressive-looking cameras, but no telescope. There is a guy who lives near us who is totally into this kind of thing and actually makes his own telescopes. We probably should have gone to the viewpoint we know he frequents. :-)
Still, we had fun in any case.

Happy and safe travels! I'm glad the dorm move went well.

>144 ffortsa: That's what I meant, of course. ; ) LOL

>145 EBT1002: Can't wait to talk about it. : )

>146 EBT1002: Next time remember to ask him!! I leave tomorrow for MN. My parents are meeting me at the airport. The dorm move went very well. The work move not so much....more on that later. It isn't finished yet!!

I am having a wonderful time with family. Went to a wine tasting today with my parents just over the border in Wisconsin. And now I am at my Minneapolis hotel waiting for my sister and a good friend to show up. We are headed out to dinner and then its girls night out!

Tomorrow its over to the Mall of America for some serious shopping. Monday night we celebrate two anniversaries, and a birthday and I need a dress for the wedding. Shopping is not my favorite thing, but it should be more fun with my sister along.

Deep into The Shock of the Fall and loving it!

Bye for now!!

I'll probably make it to Birchbark too. Looking forward to meeting you!

I really enjoyed The Shock of the Fall Kim, glad you are liking it.

>148 Berly: & >150 johnsimpson: I remember John liking that and buying it quickly as a result. Still haven't read it though and maybe your enthusiasm for it will push me to it again.

Have a great weekend, Kimmers.

So, the Twin Cities Marathon is tomorrow in the morning and it runs right around the lakes where Birchbark is, so Beth and I have moved the get together to 2:00. Can't wait to meet her and Cammykitty (Katie)!!!

What a great sounding meet-up! I am jealous.

*waves cast--2 more days!*

>149 cammykitty: Katie--see >152 Berly:

>150 johnsimpson: Hi John! Having a marvelous, hectic wedding weekend! Hope yours is enjoyable too. : )

>151 PaulCranswick: Actually wishing I had time to finish Shock of the Fall but it will have to wait until Tuesday when I am back on the plane....!

>153 banjo123: I have decided to call you roniCASTS for the next two days...LOL.. So close to freedom! Thanks for stopping by.

>155 Berly:, Hi Kim, yesterday was Amy's hen night in York, they went for a meal at Oscar's then went to the York Chocolate experience and made some chocolates and had chocolate cocktails and then went to a local hostelry for a drink. I was home alone and drafted my Father of the Bride speech, Karen has vetted it and so I just need to write it out neatly and practice. Glad you are having a marvellous wedding weekend my dear.

Checking for meet-up photos.....

I hope you had fun!

Hope the meet-up went well. Sorry that I missed out.

>155 Berly: Ha, I'm not answering to that anymore! *waves*

>156 johnsimpson: Practice makes perfect, although I am sure you will do a splendid job with your speech. ; ) And all that chocolate sounds yummy!

>157 EBT1002: Technical difficulties with the photos--they keep saving upside down!! I am working on it....

>158 Oberon: Eric--I would have loved to meet you! The meet-up went very well. How did soccer go?

>159 ronincats: Yay! No more cast. FREEDOM!!!

So, here is my haul from Birch Bark, Louise Erdrich's Store in MN (the ones lying down).



Providence of a Sparrow by Chris Chester -- Just caught my eye
The Grass Dancer by Susan Power -- strongly recommended by Beth (BLBera)!
Wind/Pinball by Haruki Murakami -- because they are his first two stories and I love him!
Voices in the Ocean by Susan Casey -- about dolphins and recommend by the desk clerk
The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louse Erdrich -- Signed First Edition, First Print and one I haven't read yet!!

The ones standing up are my Indiespensable package that was waiting for me when I came home (from my wonderful hubby).

Tuesday Nights in 1980 by Molly Prentiss -- ARC and a book I have heard nothing about...sounds interesting.
Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg -- Debut Novel and a book I have heard nothing about...and also sounds interesting.

Yay! Books!!

Here I am! I'm glad you had a fantastic trip to MN. I've never actually been to Birch Bark before. Sounds like I'll have to check it out.

Kim - It's me - I break cameras...I can't wait to hear what you think of The Last Report on the Miracles and The Grass Dancer. They are two of my all-time favorites. No pressure.

And I never heard the story of your office move. I hope things are going smoothly now?

Kim, were there any people in that bookstore? Anyone in our 75 Group? Haha. Maybe you should just post the upside-down pics. Should I start practicing standing on my head? I'm afraid I would have a stroke! Great book haul.

Howdy, Kimmers! Hooray for bookstores & meet-ups!!

And I love the book haul. I am starting the Clegg today. I am trying it on audio. I liked the new Murakami. It is interesting to see how he evolved.

I saw a copy of Voices in the Ocean, while in Petoskey, but I haven't seen or heard any buzz on it yet. Maybe, we need some warbling out of you.

Never heard of the Erdrich.

Hope you have a terrific weekend.

Happy weekend, Kim.

>162 The_Hibernator: I am sorry I didn't get to meet you this time round, but since all of my side of the family lives in MN/WI, I am sure I will be back around again and I will let you know about it!! : ) Hope the birthday party went well and, yes, you should check out Birch Bark.

>163 BLBera: You didn't break the camera...lol! I got one of them to import to LT right side up, but not the other. Oh well. I will post them both. : ) I have a RL book club book that I will have to read first before I get to your two recommendations. Have patience with me!!

>164 Donna828: Yes, Donna, other people were in the bookstore besides us. And there were three of us from the 75ers--pictures to be posted below. And you only have to stand on your head for one of them--got the other one to work, no rhyme or reason. The move....that requires a separate post....

>165 msf59: Hi Mark. Having a very nice weekend. If I like Voices in the Ocean I will be sure to warble, you can be sure!! Beth loved the Erdrich, so I have very high hopes!!

>166 Ameise1: Barbara--Thank you! And I hope you are having a wonderful weekend, too.

Happy weekend everyone!!

Here is the picture that randomly transferred right side up, although I did nothing different between yesterday and today or this one and the upside down one below!! Love technology. : )

Katie (cammykitty), me and Beth (BLBera).

It was so nice to meet both of these wonderful ladies in person!! We had a great time at the store; everyone made a book haul, and we had some yummy food next door afterwards. Thanks Ladies!! See you next time I am out your way. And maybe Oberon and The_Hibernator, too. : )

I love the upside down pic! You are all beaming with joy!

Of course we are beaming with joy! We have books!!!

It was great meeting you! I meant to pm you a while ago, but it's been a super busy week! I managed to finish Between Shades of Gray today though - not 50 shades. ;) and next week is conferences, so I've got a 5 day weekend. Hopefully, I'll get some good reading time in! The first of the books is proving interesting. There is a chapter on saving the Irish language by making neighborhoods of "language activists."

You should be able to flip the images right-side up on your computer fairly easily. In fact, I can do it for you. If you have Windows, you literally just have to right click the icon for the image and click "rotate clockwise" twice. When I say the icon for the image, I mean the "button" you use to open it. :)

If that doesn't work, I could certainly flip them for you, if you sent them to me in an email.

Edit: Actually, you could just add them to your profile like you normally do, I'll flip them and post them on my profile, then you can snag them back.

Here's the upside-down one, unupside-downified.

Great photos of you ladies. It really looks like you had a grat time.

Love the Meet-Up photos, Kimmers. Lovely trio. Thanks for sharing. And hooray for bags of books.

>172 Ape: Good Job, Stephen.

I am glad Stephen sorted that out, Kimmers, as I was worried that all your books would hit the floor in that upside down state.

Books and meet-ups go together like liver and onions. xx

Great meet-up pictures!

Hi Kim, lovely photo's of you and the girls my dear, you look like you had a fabulous time and all with different sized bags. Happy Sunday my dear, love and hugs from over the pond.

>169 connie53: Connie--I am so glad you can tell we are beaming, even upside down!!

>170 cammykitty: Katie--Your book was what I thought I was buying at Costco when I came home with 50 Shades of Gray...oops!!! How do you achieve neighborhoods of "language activists"? What is the encouragement to move together and who provides the incentive? Interesting!

>172 Ape: Stephen!!! #1 You are here on my thread!! Whoohooo!!! Thank you. : )
#2 You have saved the day! Or at least the picture. unupside-downified is much better. You have saved Donna from a stroke for sure. ; ) Double thanks.

>173 Ameise1: Hi Barbara--a good time was had by all ladies involved!

>174 msf59: Mark, the King of Bag of Books, you should know! Sheer happiness.

>175 connie53: What Connie said. :)

>176 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul. Actually only Katie's book were in danger of falling out whilst upside down--Beth and I were clutching the handles.

>177 ronincats: Thanks Roni--How's typing and creating going now that you have two hands again? Is the hand getting tired or managing okay?

>178 johnsimpson: Hi John--Nice to see you over here. Yes, I think next time I will opt for the larger bag with more books. What was I thinking?! Happy Monday.

Whoa - all that spinning around in pics, I'm surprised you're not dizzy... :)

Stephen to the rescue…I didn't have to attempt a headstand after all. I can't help but notice that Beth's bag is HUGE! Haha. Great pictures of some smiling faces. I love your haircut!

Yes, well, I was buying for Scout as well. Grandkid books don't count, right?

Kim, that looks like a new haircut, at least from that time years ago when we met up at Powell's. Nice.

>180 drneutron: Dr N!!! Nice to see you here. : ) It's ok. I'm not dizzy anymore.

>181 Donna828: Thanks for noticing the haircut! It was just time for a change. I am almost used to my reflection... : )

>182 BLBera: Grandkid books don't count, of course!!!

>183 ffortsa: Glad you like the haircut. I keep having to introduce myself to people who don't recognize me. LOL.

I am reading The Good Lord Bird for RL bookclub this week. Not sure I will finish in time, but giving it a go. Enjoying it so far. Stayed home from work today. Feeling awful. I think I picked up something on my trip. : (

Wonderful meetup pictures! I'd love to visit Birch Bark Books and meet you all!

>185 Copperskye: Joanna--That would have been fun!!! Well, you are halfway between Powell's in Portland and Birch Bark in MN, so hopefully you can come visit from CO someday!!

>184 Berly: oh phooey on the bug. Hope this finds you better.

Hope you are feeling better by now, Kim. The hand is doing well, thank you, except for an occasional ache.

Hope you're recovered. Hadn't heard of The Good Lord Bird but LT's recommender lists lots of books similar that I like so will watch for your comments.

I hope you feel better soon, Kim.

Thanks guys. I am better, but I was very charitable and gave it to my daughter who is having a much rougher time of it than it did. I feel guilty. : ( Absolutely no reading done. Missed my RL book group because I had to take her to urgent care (poor kid), so I hope to turn some pages this weekend. Also going out dancing tonight for a birthday party--80's night!! Should be fun!

>189 charl08:--I have to finish the The Good Lord Bird and check in with my book club and see what their comments were--then I will post!!

>191 Berly: I have have been coughing the whole week like the grandson of a coal miner ought. The Good Lord Bird won the National Book Award a few years ago didn't it?

Have a great weekend, Kimmers.

Wonderful photos, especially the upside-down one! :-)

>192 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul--Yes, it did win the National Book Award, and so far I am enjoying it! Just wish RL would get out of the way so I could read more...!

>193 EBT1002: Hi Ellen--Thanks! : P

So, I managed to keep Sarah out of the hospital. She almost couldn't swallow, her throat was so swollen. She has had it 9 days. Today was the first day her temp was below 100F. Progress! Spent all day helping her try to catch up on classes. She only had one week of the new term and then last week she was out sick. Poor Kid. My bad.

Oh no… poor Sarah.

Oh dear, get well soon, Sarah.

Hi Kim, hope Sarah gets well soon my dear and that you and the rest of the family are ok, sending love and hugs to you all from over the pond.

Sending healing vibes to Sarah. Tell her, the LT crowd, is cheering her on.

Poor kiddo. I hope all are soon well.

Happy weekend, Kim. I hope Sarah feels much better.

Hi Kim. So sorry to hear you and Sarah have both been sick. Sounds like a nasty bug - hope Sarah feels better soon.

Hi Kim, Happy Sunday to you and yours my dear, sending love and hugs.

Hoping things with you and Sarah are much improved.

Hi Kim, hope all is well with you and the family my dear. The wedding went off fabulously and I have posted some photos on my thread, I will be posting some more over the next few days and if you are on facebook you can see more on there and all the speeches, first dance, vows and the bridesmaids walk down the aisle and then me and Amy making our way down. Hope you had a good Halloween and weekend my dear, sending love and hugs to you and the family.

Hi Everyone!! I am still alive. ; )

In the midst of the big office move. We are in our new building, but we are hiding out all scrunched together in the back while they work on the front half, and then we are going to have to switch to the front while they do they back. THEN we can actually settle into our respective offices. What a mess!! But the guys doing the work are super nice and we love our new setting. It has free parking (as opposed to downtown) and it is much closer to many of our clients who work in the industrial part of Portland. Right now, I am choosing paint colors, trying to get a fiber connection in, having new overhead lights installed, sending out lots of address change forms, a new sink, moving outlets, etc--so much fun!! The walls have that speckled layered look, so they are skim coating first, then it has to dry, then they sand, then paint. Rug goes in last. Phew!!

And then, just to add to the mayhem, my next TKD test is on the 14th of November. Am I in shape? Do I remember all my forms perfectly? NO and NO!!! But I am going to try my best. It is actually a pre-test and then I will test for my 2nd degree black belt in April. But I still don't want to embarrass myself or shame my Master!!

Reading, you ask? What reading?!! I do not think I have picked up a book in two weeks. That is a record, I am sure and not one to be proud of either. Did I mention 75 might be a wee stretch this year?

I love you all and miss you. See you more often...soon!!

Hugs.

(John--I will come check out the wedding bliss! Congrats!!)

A Kim sighting. Sounds like mostly good news, except for the no reading. We all have times like that and it will pass. Good to hear from you lady.

Hi Kim my dear, hope everything goes ok and I await you checking out the wedding bliss, sending love and hugs.

Hi Kim - I hope your office gets sorted soon. I'm sure it will with you on the job.

Hang in there Kim and good luck with the big upcoming TKD test!

Cool meetup pics!

>205 Berly: TKD test? Yikes. I hope the knee stands up to it, as it were. Good luck

Hi Kim, wishing you a very happy weekend my dear, sending love and hugs.

Hi Everyone!! Done with skim coating the office walls; tomorrow is sanding and then painting. We are abandoning the office for a few days because of the dust and smell. Ugh!! Rugs, electrical and plumbing next week. Four days until TKD test!!! Wish me luck. : )

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxo

Good luck, Kim.

Wow, lots of news since I was here last. Best of luck to you for your TKD test, Kim!

Hope the test went well!

>212 Berly: Kimmers, good luck with completing the offic reno. Always a tough but exciting time.

Hi Beth, Terry, Rhonda, Paul and any other lurkers!! Thanks for keeping my thread going. : )

I passed the TKD test and managed not to hurt myself in the process--success!!! It was three hours long. I should get stock in Advil. LOL. Last of the pretests. Officially try for second degree black belt in the spring. Whoohoo!! Managed to make it to the morning of Wordstock, a local Portland book extravaganza hosted by Literary Arts. It was awesome and more on that later, along with the books-bought list. Yay! Office is painted. Dealt with electrical and phones today. Next two days is carpeting...homestretch. The only book I am reading is my audio, The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith JK Rowling.

I hope life returns to "normal" after this week. Hugs to all!!

Hi, Kimmers! Congrats on the TKD test! You go girl. Thanks for checking in.

I have the Cormoran Strike books, sitting on my audio shelves...

Sounds like things are getting back to normal. Congrats on the test. I'm watching for your new acquisitions.

Oooh--sorry I didn't see you at Wordstock. Did you get into the Krakeur/Lopez event?

Hi Kim, congrats on the TKD test my dear, hope work is ok and the office reno.

Hi Kim, I finally find time to do some weekend greetings. Wishing you a most lovely weekend.