Mamie's 2016 Madness

books
shared laughter
snark
wine
old movies
Zippo lighters
good coffee
pumpkin chocolate chip muffins
shenanigans
deckled edge pages
rain
my Fitbit
Alan Rickman’s voice
red geraniums
Firefly
fresh tomatoes
kindness
pecans
music
pipe dreams

...

...

Books Completed in January:
1. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway (3 stars), 2013 acquired ebook
2. Saga: Volume 4 by Brian K. Vaughn, Fiona Staples (Illustrator) (4 stars), borrowed paperback from Abby, GN - fantasy
3. Mãn by Kim Thúy (5 stars), library paperback, literary fiction

Reading Plans: None

I tend to make plans and then bail on them, so this year I am just going to take each month as it comes. I would like to participate here and there in some of the many challenges that are on offer, however, so IF I have a qualifying book on my shelf and IF I feel like it, I will. This month I have the following titles in my personal library that would work:

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy - I would actually like to tackle this one as last time I made it half way through before calling it quits. Maybe this time I will be able to finish it. (Not going to pretend that I am not tempted to begin where I left off even though that was several years ago...)

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt - would work for the non-fiction challenge, and it has been sitting on my shelf for years. In fact, it made the move from Indiana with us. *blushes*

Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler - bought this last year on Katie's recommendation, and it works for Mark's AAC

Mãn by Kim Thúy - serendipity as I have this out from the library and it works for Ilana's CAC COMPLETED

The Various Haunts of Men by Susan Hill - works for Paul's BAC, and it has been sitting in the stacks since 2012

The Penguin History of the World: 6th Edition by J. M. Roberts - reading this throughout the year with Katie and Susan

A few of my favorite reads from 2015:

Although I am hoping to focus mainly on my own overcrowded shelves this year, I am not crazy enough to think that I could resist adding new books to my collection. I'll record those purchases here.

1. The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers, ebook - recommended by Heather
2. The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley (!.99 on Kindle) - blaming this on Roni, who pointed out the deal

Katie’s Dirty Dozen – KAK has earned her own category on my thread because she has the habit of recommending books that I cannot resist adding to my stacks. Because Katie is a rebel, there will of course NOT be twelve books in her dirty dozen.

Saving this space for LT recommendations that I want to keep track of.

1. The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers - recommended by Heather (saw this as I was catching up with her 2015 thread)
2. Slade House by David Mitchell - recommended by Lynda - I know that Mark and several others loved this one, too, but it was Lynda's succinct review that places it firmly on the WL
3. Chinese Takeout Cookbook by Diana Kuan - recommended by Lori (thornton37814) - saw it listed as her favorite cookbook read of 2015
4. Revenant by Mel Odom - recommended by Mark, who came to my thread to deliver the book bullet!
5. Winterdance by Gary Paulsen - recommended by Ellen and Karen
6. Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts - Lucy mentioned that she loved this on her thread, and I looked it up because I was unfamiliar with it. Note to self: DO NOT look up books mentioned on Lucy's thread!
7. The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra - saw Amy's review of this on her thread
8. I Am Spain by David Boyd - recommended by Charlotte
9. The Mirror in the Mist by Susan Hill - saw Lori's (lkernaugh) review of this on her thread
10. The Prestige by Christopher Priest - recommended by Mary (bell7)

Well, Ms Mamie, good to see you here. I like your plan of reading what you want and fitting in the challenge books from time to time if it works for you. I will leave a star and see if I can keep up with you this year. My last year was a bit weak, so I don't know if I can promise strength here and forward, but I'll give it a try. Happy New Year, friend.

Mamie - SO glad to see you here and to drop off my star. And you are keeping my Dirty Dozen for another year! I am truly honored.

Happy new year of reading (and everything else)!

- Your sister-in-snark and Partner-in-shenanigans

Go Mamie! Go Mamie! I hope to see more of my pal, in '16. Fingers crossed.

Well organised, Mamie. Happy reading 2016.

Lovely to see you back, Mamie. I had my concerns that we wouldn't see much of the Pecan Paradisio this next year.

Hi ya! I see we have many favorite things in common, so if you don't mind I'll drop a star and lurk about!

Got you all properly starred!

Morning, Everyone - what a lovely surprise to see how many of you found me already! AND old friends and new - delightful! For some reason today feels like Wednesday to me, which is going to cause problems on Friday... Nothing on the agenda today, as Craig likes to leave the tree and the decor up through New Year's, so really, I have no excuse for not walking. Even though it IS already feeling sticky out there - crazy Georgia weather is at 68F currently and going to 73F. It's supposed to be winter. Hoping that for once the forecast proves accurate as it shows temps in the 50s by Friday - YES, please!

Currently, in my reading journey I am working my way through Selected Stories of Philip K. Dick, which Joe recommended, and which I am really loving. Joe's right that there is some unevenness to the writing, especially in the first few stories. So fun, though, to read the original stories that were the foundation of so many movies - The Adjustment Bureau, Minority Report, Total Recall, Paycheck... A treasure trove!

I am also reading A Farewell to Arms, and so far I am not impressed. Not a huge fan of Hemingway, I admit, but this one seems weighed down in verbiage to me. I get that he was creating a pattern, but the run on sentences are making me a bit crazy. And I never seem to like his characters. SO why am I reading it? I guess I keep hoping to see the genius that is so often talked about. And I already had it on my Kindle. And, for Christmas I received To Have and Have Another: A Hemingway Cocktail Companion by Philip Greene, which pairs making the cocktails that Hemingway talks about in his writing with the written passages - looks VERY cool although I have only read the first few pages. So really, this is research. *ahem* SO what have I liked by Hemingway? A Moveable Feast is by far my very favorite - love that one! And I also really like Donald Sutherland's narration of The Old Man and the Sea - so well done. I have this weird fascination with Hemingway, with that whole Lost Generation era, as a matter of fact. If any of you are Hemingway fans, I'd love to hear which novel or short story is your favorite and why.

Finally, on audio, I am listening to On Her Majesty's Secret Service, which is narrated by the hugely talented David Tennant - LOVE him! Those of you who followed my thread last year know that I have been making my way through the Bond books. My Dad and I used to watch those movies together, so it is a sentimental project for me. Since I love listening to audiobooks, I could not pass up on the celebrity narrations of these books - so good! Each book is narrated by a different celebrity, and I am listening to the books in the order that they were written - which is not the order that the movies were made in. Last year I read Goldeneye: Where Bond Was Born: Ian Fleming's Jamaica by Matthew Parker, which I highly recommend if you are even remotely interested in the back story of how Bond came to be - fascinating and so well written. Anyway, it covers why the movies were made out of order and how Sean Connery came to be the very first Bond.

>8 maggie1944: Karen! My very first visitor! Lovely to see you here! I was also not able to keep up with the threads last year, including my own, so I completely understand. Just drop in whenever you feel like it, and start over again - no need to keep up with everything. Wishing for you a New Year filled with fabulous!

>9 katiekrug: Katie!! Welcome home! You ARE home, right?! There was no way I was going to drop your Dirty Dozen - it was one of my favorite things from last year. So fun! I am excited to see what shows up in the list this year - no pressure or anything, but I sure hope you don't let me down. Kidding! You KNOW I am just kidding you! This place wouldn't be the same without my sister-in-snark and partner-in-shenanigans.

>10 msf59: Mark, I can always count on you to cheer me on! Thanks for that, my friend. I am really hoping to be here more - I will not be sad to see the backside of 2015, that's for sure.

>11 Ameise1: Thank you for that, Barbara! Lovely to see you here!

>12 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul! I did think about not having a thread this year since I was so poor at keeping up last year, but I didn't linger on that thought. I love having my own space to share my thoughts and my reading journey, and I am really hoping to not fall off the radar this year.

>13 dragonaria: Welcome, Kimberly! SO thrilled to see a new visitor! I thank you for dropping your star - I will have to hunt up your thread and return the favor. And hooray for favorite things in common!

>14 Fourpawz2: Oh, yeah, Charlotte! So happy that you stopped by!

>16 Crazymamie: - At the airport in Fort Lauderdale :-) Soon! Soon!

>18 katiekrug: Oh, the airport! Wishing you happy and safe travels, Katie - enjoy first class!!!

Hi Mamie! Your threads are always so beautifully decorated, and I love the little boy up top with his crown :-) I'm looking forward to following you in 2016. *

* Not in a scary way.

Hello, Susan! My thread wouldn't be complete without you. I thank you for your kind words and eagerly anticipate being stalked followed by you.

*Back to add that I actually walked today! Felt good, but boy, is it soupy out there.

Dropping my star so I can follow along. Good luck on War and Peace.

>15 Crazymamie: I read A Farewell to Arms last year and the word repetition just drove me absolutely bonkers. That and the completely insipid but for-some-unknown-reason irresistible Catherine.

>22 thornton37814: Hi, Lori! Thanks for dropping off your star! And also for the good luck wishes for War and Peace - definitely need those!

>23 ursula: Ursula! Welcome! Okay, so it's not just me with A Farewell to Arms - good to know! Yes - the repetition and the run on sentences are just crazy. Catherine is bizarre, but in a slightly charming way?! Not too far in yet, so I am hoping to get a better feel for her.

Welcome back!

Thanks, Jim!

Found and starred - Happy New Year, Mamie!

>21 Crazymamie: Mamie, I'm having a day inside today, so if you could do an extra 11K steps for me, that would be awesome :-)

I'm joining the War and Peace Group Read too - I read it about ten years ago but I think I'd get more out of now. Plus I already have it, and that is rare for my tiny library!

>27 Deern: Most excellent! Welcome, Nathalie!

>28 susanj67: Ha,ha, Susan! I did manage just over 12,000 yesterday, and that's the first time since the holidays, I believe. I will try to squeeze in some extra for you today, but I'm not making any promises.

Whoot! You're joining the War and Peace group!! I have this beautiful copy:



I'll remember not to be holding it when I do my weigh-in this week!

well! I see that I have acquired War and Peace on my Kindle and I can hardly avoid trying to participate with this group... such a great chance to read it, front to back. I think I'll join in, too, although I am not at all sure I'll be able to truly reading it front to back. But I sure can give it a good effort.

>30 maggie1944: Oh, good, Karen! The more the merrier!

>30 maggie1944: We will be tackling it over 3 months so it will help to manage our reading such a large book. I'm glad you are joining in.

Mamie! I came yesterday to post but I wasn't sure if you were done building your thread yet. Woohoo!

I am very excited about entering a new year! I confess that I am always happy to go forward, but the last quarter of the current year has made me eager to see its backside. We did enjoy a lovely, slow and indulgent Christmas, so that was a bright spot. And I have had no problems at all, even minor ones, after having my gallbladder out in November, so really, I can't complain. But I am very much looking forward to a fresh calendar. No big plans for tonight - Craig is on call, so we will be hanging out at the Pecan Paradisio playing board games and watching old movies. And we usually make up a buffet of appetizers, which is always fun.

AND I might actually finish up one more book to add to my 2015 total (lower this year, as I only managed 94, so far). Less than 100 pages to go in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, so it's definitely doable. But first, a walk - got to get those steps in! And Abby and Birdy are joining me!!

What are your New Year's Eve plans?

>32 luvamystery65: Howdy, Miss Roberta! I always try to tag my last needed post with "next one's yours", and I did do that, but then I realized that I needed that space, too! SO there was no indicator this time - but, really, it doesn't bother me to be interrupted in setting up a new thread. I will take visitors whenever I can get them!!

>33 DianaNL: Diana! Welcome!! SO great to see you here!

No major plans for NYE here... The Wayne is still in FL, so I plan to settle in with a book :) And "make" spaghetti and meatballs for dinner (i.e. open a jar of sauce, a bag of frozen meatballs, and a box of pasta)...

Sounds like a good plan, Katie!

Well...I'm back from my walk. If you're thinking that was mighty fast, you'd be right - we got about 1/2 mile from home when the heavens opened up and poured down on us. Since we didn't have rain gear and I was carrying my iPhone, we did an about face and came back home. I knew I should have just worn a rain coat, but it's warm out there, so I was trying to avoid the extra layer. And I was feeling confident because I had actually checked the radar, which said the rain should be here about 11am. Stupid. When is the weather prediction ever right in Georgia?! Now I have to decide if I'm going to head back out or not - the girls have deserted me. Of course, we were completely soaked, so that might have had something to do with it.

Mamie, great thread - I already feel like being home again! Have a happy reading year 2016!

Kathy!! I am so happy to see you here! And what a lovely compliment - thank you!

Morning Mamie! Nice to see you posting around.

Go Steppin' Mamie! You can do it!

Morning, Mark! It's nice to be posting again.

So far, I have 3,426 steps, so yes, I need to get back out there.

>29 Crazymamie: Oh WOW! Do we get to count some of Mamie's steps too? That will be great :)

Happy new year Mamie. I'm looking forward to following both your steps and your reading in 2016.

>43 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara! Lovely!

>44 RebaRelishesReading: Ha! Sure, Reba! Thanks for those New Year's wishes. And I'm thrilled that you'll be following me in 2016! Is your thread up yet?

Dropping off my star on folks' 2016 threads now that 2015 is in its waning hours.
HAPPY NEW YEAR, MAMIE!!!

Yay! The reading cat and listening puppy are around for another year! *big smile*

Finally wrapping up the 2015 thread and setting up the 2016 thread, and visiting friends in the new digs. I'm with you--it will be nice to start a fresh new year.


Happy New Year!

You are welcome. I see you are participating in the War and Peace challenge. I participated last time but only managed to get half through the book. Those 600 pages were fantastic. Maybe I can join you as I felt the urge to read it in autumn.

Edit: Is the thread already up? I can't seem to find it - but maybe I just have to relearn the use of LibraryThing. :-)

>46 EBT1002: Ellen, welcome! And thanks for the star. A very merry Happy New Year to you, too!! The reading cat and the listening puppy still make me smile every time I see them, so they stay. And I knew that you liked them, so that's an added bonus.

>47 ronincats: Hello, Roni! I did not wrap up my 2015 thread. Bad Mamie. Last year was a weird one for me, and that last quarter - YIKES! SO yes, HELLO 2016!

>48 PersephonesLibrary: It would be great it you could join us, Kathy. The thread is already up, but it's over in the 2016 Category Challenge threads - here's the link: W&P Thread

Morning Mamie! And Happy New Year, my friend. I plan on chillin' today. Books & movies. Okay, I might have something to eat and drink too.

Morning, Mark! Happy New Year! Books and movies sounds like a plan - that's probably what we'll do mostly. Although, I do have to get those steps in today. And I did get On Her Majesty's Secret Service finished up, so I ended up with 95 books read last year - a bit low for me, so I'll have to do better this year!

Hey Mamie, I lost my post (I'm blaming the phone, but I suspect user error). I think mostly I was going to point out a new bnc adaptation of war and peace. Looks v glam.

Happy New Year, Mamie!!! Your favorite things is a nice way to start the year and we share many favorites.

I made my first pecan pie for Christmas and I've got to say it was less than ptueee! My recipe called for maple syrup but I've heard molasses is better. What say you, you southern belle.

Hello, Charlotte! That does look very glam - I didn't know they were doing a new adaptation. When I just looked to find out about it, I found this:

"So who is behind the new TV adaptation?

Step forward Andrew Davies, adapter of the classics for the small screen extraordinaire, who was responsible for Colin Firth and the infamous wet shirt in Pride And Prejudice in 1995."

Enough said. When can I see it?!

>53 Carmenere: Happy New Year, Lynda!! Hooray for shared favorite things!

Okay, first sit down, Lynda. Are you sitting down? I have never made pecan pie. *runs for the smelling salts* And I would say bourbon.

Thank you!

Welcome!

>55 Crazymamie: Awe, Mamie! (pulls out my antebellum fan) My go to lady for all things south of the Mason-Dixie Line has never made Pecan Pie! I'd be crushed if not for the fact that you excel in so many other areas!!
Hey! wouldn't bourbon be an essential ingredient in pecan pie?! Thanks for the inspiration!

Ha! You sweet talker! Are my Yankee roots showing? And yes - bourbon is essential in pecan pie. Forget the syrup - I think most of the ones that I've had that were fabulous had bourbon in them. Down here, I think most people use corn syrup and bourbon and vanilla. Um eggs, brown sugar, salt, butter, of course because butter goes in everything. And don't forget the pecans. If you lived close, I could give you some off our trees. There. Now all you need is the pastry shell.

Silly me, I should have known that any recipe calling for maple syrup would just be a northern adaption of a southern staple!!

Right!

>54 Crazymamie: It has the handsome young man from Grantchester, so I'm set. The guy from Poldark was stripping off in a Christie adaptation last week, it's a Miracle they don't all catch Pneumonia....

>62 charl08: I know, right?! The poor dears.

I'll eat some of whatever you make, you southern flower!

Happy New Year, may it be sparkly and bright!

Ha! Thanks, Karen! A bright and sparkly New Year sounds great. hoping that yours is filled with fabulous!

Mamie!!

Happy 2016, friend!

Hey there, Amber! Happy New Year!

Hi Mamie! I finally found your thread, and you're already 2/3 of the way to 100 posts! I'm glad I found it before I got even farther behind...

Happy New Year! I hope it's a good one for you.

I'm happy to be following you again this year, Mamie. I see the banter has already begun...about one of my favorite things --pecan pie! I almost named my 2016 thread "My Favorite Things" after the journal I got with that name. I'll be sharing some of my faves when I get my new year act together!

Happy New Year, Mamie!

I tend to make plans and then bail on them, so this year I am just going to take each month as it comes. I would like to participate here and there in some of the many challenges that are on offer, however, so IF I have a qualifying book on my shelf and IF I feel like it, I will.

That's me exactly, and that's what I finally decided to do, except I may opt for a library book here or there if it's handy. The if I feel like it is the important part for me.

Hello Dear Mamie. May 2016 be healthy, and filled with wonderful books and plenty of time to read them.

>68 cbl_tn: Oh, good, Carrie - you found me! I thank you for those New Year's wishes, my friend. May yours be filled with fabulous!

>69 Donna828: Welcome, Donna! Good to see you! I love pecan pie, too. Well...pecan anything, pretty much. I'll be waiting to see what makes your list of favorite things - so fun that we were thinking in the same vein.

>70 tymfos: Happy New Year, Terri! And me, too, with the library book where it suits me. One of mine listed up there is a library book that I just happened to check out and then realize it qualified for the CAC. I love moments like that!

>71 Whisper1: Hello, Linda dear! Those are lovely New Year's wishes! I am wishing for you the very same, my friend!

Happy New Year, Mamie - I love your idea of saving a space for recommendations. I may steal that idea. I can never remember who recommended stuff.

Good luck with War and Peace. It's on my reread shelf, but I don't think I'm quite ready to revisit it again.

Hello, Beth! Lovely to see you here - and feel free to steal away.

Reread?! Yikes! I'll be happy to finish it once.

Happy New Year!

I hope you don't mind but I might pinch that favorites thing at top of thread. :)

Wishing you lots of reading!

Thank you, Bryony! Pinch away - glad you like it. And thanks for those good wishes!

AH yes, Alan Rickman's voice. Yes. Sigh.

Happy New Year!

Exactly, Lucy! Welcome, dear friend! Happy New Year to you!

Happy new year, Mamie. I've just starred your thread so I don't lose it. My but this group multiplies faster than rabbits

Happy New Year, Mamie! I had to stop by to check in before your thread gets completely away from me.

Happy New Year, Mamie!

Love that list of "favorite things" up in >1 Crazymamie:.

>79 cameling: Happy New Year, Caro! SO true about this group!

>80 Fourpawz2: Happy New Year, Charlotte! Thanks for stopping in and checking on me. Last year my thread got away from me, too, but this year I am hoping to keep up with it. *crosses fingers*

>80 Fourpawz2: Hello, Joe! Happy New Year! So glad you loved my list of favorite things!

>29 Crazymamie: lol, we are weighing books now! I see new challenge on the horizon...

Happy New Year!

SO we went to see the new Star Wars movie today and then out to dinner at The Mellow Mushroom. We all loved the movie, but then we are dedicated Star Wars junkies. The kids like all of the movies, but I just love the original three. So cool, and I can remember going to see the original one in the theatre (I was ten!), and being completely wowed by it. Such a cool thing to share a love from my childhood with my own children.

Now it's time to settle in and relax with a good book. And a glass of wine, of course!

>83 LovingLit: I didn't take that photo, Megan - I just found it on the web, and it made me laugh, so I posted it. But it gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "weekly weigh-in". LOL!

Happy New Year - thanks for stopping in!

>84 Crazymamie: Return of the Jedi was the first film I ever saw on the big screen. I was 7, and needless to say I loved it. I am taking W to see the new one tomorrow :)

>86 LovingLit: Oh, how fun, Megan! Wilbur will love it! I don't remember if it was the very first one I saw in the theater or not, but it is certainly the one I remember most. Just so completely different from anything that I had seen before.

I really want to see that new Star Wars movie. We thought about a movie today but I was worn out after a short walk and taking down the Christmas tree. Maybe tomorrow. I also want to see "Brooklyn" and "Carol."

It was well done, Ellen. So fun to see it in the theatre.I am also wanting to see Brooklyn, but I want to read the book first. And I don't know what Carol is, so I'll have to check that out.

SW is playing at the IMAX. I can't resist that, can I??

No, ma'am. The IMAX!!!

>52 charl08: Where.Can.I.See.This?

Happy New Year Mamie!

>89 Crazymamie: Agree you should read Brooklyn but then do see the movie. I listened to the book a few months ago and saw the movie right after it came out. Loved both.

>92 nittnut: Ha! Hello, Jenn! It's a BBC production. According to their site:

"The BBC's new adaptation of the epic Russian novel War and Peace comes to television screens on Sunday 3rd January.
It has taken more than two years to make and included filming in three countries, several armies of extras and hundreds of costumes."

I hadn't heard about it until Charlotte mentioned it either, but I will be tuning in, for sure!

Happy New Year to you!

>93 RebaRelishesReading: I have the book out from the library, thanks to Katie's recommendation, Reba, so I am hoping to get to it very soon. So great that you loved both - now I am even more excited!

Hot Cocoa Bar - how great an idea is this?!

I am SO happy because currently it is only 44F here. 44F!! It's chilly!!! AND it's only going to 55F, so it looks like a bit of winter has finally arrived. Well, as close as we get to it on southern Georgia. I'll take it!

>95 Crazymamie: A HoCho bar?! ... I'll be right over...

I know, right?! And I did just make Nutella hot chocolate, since the image inspired me...

>95 Crazymamie: Ooh, that looks lovely. Hi Mamie! A friend gave me a bar of drinking chocolate for Christmas, and I'm mildly terrified of it. I'll have to be brave. Somehow the chocolate spoons are much more user-friendly!

Pull up a chair, Susan. A bar of drinking chocolate? I must goggle this as I haven't seen one of those before - how do you use it, by breaking off a piece?

Yes, it's this one, from Hasslacher's:



I see now that it's in little squares. I haven't actually opened it, as a block of stuff labelled "Product of Colombia" sort of makes me nervous. The instructions say to add two chunks to milk and bring to a simmer. And it can be used in baking, apparently.

Well, you'll have to ket me know how you like it. If you were here now, we could brave it together!

Hot chocolate is the only reason I accept winter at all. And now, weather decided to skip that part: I need my reading time with hotchocolaty goody. :) Happy weekend!

Happy weekend, Kathy! I added espresso to my hot chocolate, so I am very happy with it. Something about the smell of warm chocolate, right? And it tastes so decadent, so no wonder so many people like it. Pull up a chair, and we'll get you a mug!

Indeed, Mamie, indeed! Chocolate espresso is brilliant, too!
Yesterday, in a moment of madness I added cinnamon to my cappuccino - I recommend that!

Moment of madness?! You're in the right place!!

Morning Mamie! Happy Saturday! Glad you liked the new Star Wars film. We did too.

I have to drop a book bullet: I highly recommend The Revenant. It is your cuppa.

Have a wonderful bookfilled 2016, Mamie.

>106 msf59: Morning, Mark! A book bullet already?! You don't waste any time, my friend! I'll add that one to my list because you never steer me wrong. We saw the preview for that movie, and it looked grizzly. Ha! And yes- the Star Wars movie was most excellent!

>107 PaulCranswick: Hello, Paul! I thank you for those wishes.

>107 PaulCranswick: There's that half-naked crazy lady again. She *is* everywhere, isn't she? Someone ought to call the authorities...

>109 scaifea: Haha! I am still cracking myself up that I didn't notice her lack of shirt until you pointed it out on your thread, Amber!

Important Announcement
My daughter, Abby, has a thread again this year! You can find her here: The bookdiva's Book Nook

Hello Mum! I see your thread is already hopping. Thanks for posting my thread here, so sweet!

>111 Thebookdiva: Well, hello there, Abby!! Everyone's thread is hopping because it's that time of year again. And you're welcome - I'm so excited that you have a thread this year!

>94 Crazymamie: I've decided to forego the group read of War and Peace but I'll tune into the BBC adaptation!

>113 EBT1002: Yeah, good thinking, Ellen. I can't wait to see that adaptation myself!

Ok, ok... there might be a thin line between mad and genius.

Ha! You made me laugh, Kathy!

Glad you all enjoyed the movie, Mamie. Disney did a good job with the story and left so many questions for future episodes to unfurl!

Love the hot chocolate/cookie bar. We purchased chocolate from Mexico. It's in the shape of a circle with 8 triangles and it calls for 2 triangles in hot milk. Sooo rich and sooo good especially with a sprinkle of cinnamon and sometimes a shot of tequila. Mmmm. I think I'll make some now minus the tequila.

>109 scaifea: Snorting away here. Thanks for the giggles ladies...

>117 Carmenere: Yes, they did, Lynda. I wasn't sure before hand if I was sold on the actress they got to play Rey, but she did an excellent job. We loved Harrison Ford!!!

Chocolate from Mexico! YUM! I bet that is excellent hot chocolate, and I am in favor of spiking it. I bet Rum Chata would be great in there, too.

>118 charl08: Always happy to provide a laugh, Charlotte!

>95 Crazymamie: Hot chocolate here isn't really what I'd consider hot chocolate - it's like hot fudge at a mostly drinkable consistency. But we make our own at home that's more like what we're used to. :)

Interesting, Ursula. Too rich or too sweet, or both?

Okay, so this could make for an excellent adult hot chocolate, I would think - it's a "...combination of Mexican arbol chile, Criollo chocolate, and Patrón Silver tequila"

Mamie, I watched the new Star Wars movie on Wednesday and liked that Disney did not screw it up (that was my biggest fear) but like you, I think the original 3 are still the best. I wasn't a fan of the actor they chose as Han Solo's son though. This movie is definitely setting the base for additional stories to be written. I would have liked more space dogfights and the bar scene could have been more interesting. I did LOVE BB8 though. I've got to get a figurine for my work desk. :-)

>123 Crazymamie: now we're talkin'

Hi Mamie!! My family saw the new Star Wars and loved it too. We re-watched the original three before going, so we were all excited to see what was next. Happy new year!!!

I wouldn't even think of missing a year on your thread! :)

We got Keurig Swiss Miss hot chocolate pods, which are good, but >123 Crazymamie: looks exquisite!

>124 cameling: We have very similar thoughts on the movie, Caro! I didn't like the actor who played the son, either. Um...was he adopted because he does not look like the biological offspring of Han and Leia, I mean...really?! And secondly, I was not impressed with his acting skills, although that might have been tainted by my problems with my first point. And I was completed charmed by BB8 - I didn't think they could match R2D2, but they did!

>125 Carmenere: Thought that might peak your interest, Lynda!

>126 porch_reader: Hi, Amy! We LOVE those original three movies - it's like a sickness with us, we quote them all the time.

>127 Berly: Yeah, Kim made it!! Thanks for stopping in!

>128 ronincats: Ha! I thought so too, Roni!

Book #1: A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway (3 stars, and that's for the bits of the book without Catherine), 2013 acquired ebook, American literature, classic

"'We won't talk about losing. There is enough talk about losing. What has been done this summer cannot have been done in vain.'
I did not say anything. I was always embarrassed by the words sacred, glorious, and sacrifice and the expression in vain. We had heard them, sometimes standing in the rain almost out of earshot, so that only the shouted words came through, and had read them, on proclamations that were slapped up by billposters over other proclamations, now for a long time, and I had seen nothing sacred, and the things that were glorious had no glory and the sacrifices were like stockyards at Chicago if nothing was done with the meat except to bury it. There were many words that you could not stand to hear and finally only the names of places had dignity. Certain numbers were the same way and certain dates and these with the names of the places were all you could say and have them mean anything. Abstract words such as glory, honor, courage, or hallow were obscene beside the concrete names of villages, the numbers of roads, the names of rivers, the numbers of regiments and the dates."

Oh, dear. Well, I completed my first book of 2016, and the good news is that there is actually an excellent novel in there. The bad news is that it isn't the one that Hemingway gave us. How can he imbed truly great writing in garbage? It boggles the mind.

As most of you know, I have mixed feelings about Hemingway. I am really intrigued by his life, but not a huge fan of his writing - although I did really love A Moveable Feast. I keep thinking about this, and the problem for me is that his dialogue between men and women is complete drivel. It has all the sophistication of baby talk, and I'm probably being too kind. From everything that I have read about his personal life, I would hazard a guess that he wrote what he knew - I think that to understand true love you have to have experienced it in some form. And I think that Hemingway never loved anyone more than he loved himself, and that he never loved himself at all. His depiction of love always feels selfish and one-sided to me. His women seem two dimensional - they are lacking not just depth but also self-respect and confidence. Which is what ruins the entire novel. If I could edit out the "love story" and just have the rest of the story, this would be a four star read for me, easily. He writes so well in places and pulls the reader into the story only to then do a direct about face and present an insipid romance and dialogue that is filled with so much nonsense and repetition that the book begs to be thrown, and not gently, against the nearest wall.

Still... there are some gems in there:

"In civilian clothes I felt a masquerader. I had been in uniform for a long time and I missed the feeling of being held by your clothes."

"The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places."

"...that is the great fallacy; the wisdom of old men. They do not grow wise. They grow careful."

"I had the paper but I did not read it because I did not want to read about the war. I was going to forget the war. I had made a separate peace."

*trivia question Is this last quote where John Knowles takes the title of his novel Separate Peace from? Does anyone know?

^ I don't know but it's a great question.

Thanks, Ellen. I read that novel pre-LT with the kids, and it has stayed with me. Might be time for a reread. Anyway, when I came across that quote, it made me wonder...

>122 Crazymamie: Too rich, and just the wrong consistency, you know?

>130 Crazymamie: Your comments on A Farewell to Arms are super-similar to my conclusions. I said, "I liked the war sections of the story, the perspective of an American with the Italian army, and the events that cause the title "farewell" to all of it. But that was ruined by the existence of some sort of purported love story with a British nurse. Catherine seemed both a complete cipher who just wanted to be and do whatever the narrator wanted, and a crazy person. The narrator was a tough guy who supposedly fell in love with this woman instantaneously, although he wasn't in love at first and in fact never seemed believably in love except when it came to his infinite patience for Catherine's nutty ramblings. If all of that was excised, Hemingway might have had something here."

I looked up the origin of "a separate peace" and apparently it is something that exists in wartime in general - if your allies are at war with someone, you can still negotiate your own peace with one of the aggressors. Although it seems like it would be awkward considering the way wars are more usually fought, with forces made up of soldiers from different countries, and in fact the Wikipedia article talks about instances where there were requirements that no allies make a separate peace.

Hot chocolate. Yum. Too warm for it here at the moment, but has anyone ever been over here?


http://www.ticketchocolate.com/

>130 Crazymamie: You were more generous with your rating than I was years ago when I read it. It's the only Hemingway I've ever read and it put me off from ever picking up another one of his books. It was the "romance" (if you can call it that) that put me off.

Morning Mamie! Happy Sunday! I really enjoyed your comments on A Farewell to Arms. This was my first full Hemingway novel and I remember really liking it but that was over 35 years ago. I would like to revisit it, as a more seasoned reader and see if I now have a similar reaction.

Out of all the classic American authors, he seems to be one, that has not aged well.

Dropping off a star Mamie. Have a great 2016!

I love this thread. Books and hot chocolate - what is not to like?
I warmly recommend the fairtrade hot chocolate bars from Zotter. They've got different flavours and there is no "dose" problem - and they are delicious.

Hasn't there been a thread about books and food? What to match and what not?

Enjoyed your comments on the Hemingway. He came out very badly in the reading I did on the Spanish civil war last year (title escapes me). Lots of people idealistically trying to support the republic and EH just glorying in the fighting/ violence. Mystery is (to me) why all those intelligent women found him so captivating.

SO I have made my first book purchase of 2016. After finishing and reviewing A Farewell to Arms and perusing the threads late last night (well, actually early this morning), I was unable to sleep and felt in the need of something completely indulgent to read. Since I am in possession of Christmas loot in the form of Amazon gift cards, I snapped up a Kindle copy of The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, which I had seen recommended on Heather's thread. Loving it so far - very fun! And it's good to know that I had the stamina to hold out for two whole days in the New Year before making a book purchase. This reading the books off of my own shelves is going to be a walk in the park! I got this!

>140 Crazymamie: Mamie! That is *sterling* self-control for 2016 (so far). And the book *is* on your own shelf now, so there's no problem there.

>133 ursula: Totally get the wrong consistency thing, and it sounded way too rich. Perhaps poured over ice cream? LOL!

And WOW! We did have similar thoughts on A Farewell to Arms. I thought the middle part of the book was excellent. It's weird because I liked the main character in the war parts of the book, but he turned into a complete ass when he was around women.

Thanks so much for taking the time to look up that info about the separate peace thing - so interesting!

>134 nittnut: It's almost always too warm here for hot chocolate, Jenn. I had not seen that hot chocolate on a stick before, but it looks yummy, doesn't it?

>135 cbl_tn: It should probably be more in the 1.5 to 2 stars range, Carrie, but I rated it on the middle portion only because I did really like that part. I keep trying with Hemingway, although I'm not quite sure why. I really hated To Have and Have Not, although the movie is a complete gem - probably because it barely resembles the novel. And I didn't like The Sun Also Rises, although there is some good writing in there in places. I have Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories in the stacks still, so I will probably attempt that one at some point. I have not read his short stories, and I am thinking that Richard said that those are what he did well.

>136 msf59: Morning Mark! Happy Sunday! Glad you enjoyed my comments on my latest Hemingway - I would be really interested to hear what you have to say if you do reread it. I agree with you that his writing has not aged well, and that is a good point. I should probably cut him more slack, but you know I won't. Ha!

>137 SandDune: Rhian! Great to see you here! And thanks for starring me. I'll come find your thread.

>138 PersephonesLibrary: What a lovely compliment, Kathy! And a chocolate recommendation!!! I will have to check those out, as I adore chocolate in almost any form. I love the idea of pairing books and food - awesome!

>139 charl08: So thrilled you enjoyed my comments, Charlotte. If you remember that title of the Spanish civil war book, let me know - I might pick that one up if you thought it was a good one.

"Mystery is (to me) why all those intelligent women found him so captivating." YES! Me, too! How DID he do that?

>141 susanj67: My thoughts exactly, Susan!

Hi Mamie - I've been reading your comments on Hemingway; I love his writing and have to ignore the rest of the chauvinist crap. I loved For Whom the Bell Tolls; he does some amazing things with language in that novel. I'm also a fan of A Moveable Feast and his short stories.

Hi Beth! I really LOVED A Moveable Feast, and I think that is part of the problem because I read that one first. I have not read For Whom the Bell Tolls, and would be willing to give it a go because he definitely did have talent. And you are right about having to ignore the chauvinist crap - good point. What is your favorite Hemingway?

Happy New Year, Mamie!

I really want to read The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet - glad it's working well for you, and thanks for the reminder.

Temps in the 40's (or even the 50's) and hot chocolate is as close to winter as we get too.

>142 Crazymamie: I read The Snows of Kilimanjaro fairly recently and enjoyed it a lot. Had a lot of old school safari/big game hunting pieces but it was a product of a different time.

>147 jnwelch: Happy New Year, Joe! From what I've read so far, I am thinking you would love The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet.

>148 RebaRelishesReading: Yep, sad but true, Reba. I don't mind skipping the snow and ice, but I really crave the crisp cold. Of course, not having to worry about the pipes freezing is a huge upside.

>149 Oberon: Oh, thanks for that, Erik. I might work it in sooner rather than later...

So, I have the TV on for background noise while I'm reading. The Brady Bunch is on, and it's the episode where Cindy wants to be as old as Marcia and Jan. She just asked her dad for help with a word in a book that she's reading ("idiosyncrasy"). He and Greg are surprised that this word is in a children's book, and Cindy announces that she happens to be reading A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway.

Oh! Too funny, Carrie! I love when stuff like that happens.

The diarist in my first book of the year noted that she'd read A Farewell to Arms. She loved it. I'm going with your opinion :-)

Thank you, Susan. I appreciate your confidence in me.

Hey Mamie. I'm here to see what you read in 2016. It looks like we might have some overlapping interests. :)

I think For Whom the Bell Tolls and A Moveable Feast are my favorites.

>155 Kassilem: Welcome, Melissa! Lovely to see you here!

>156 BLBera: Thanks for that, Beth! I promise to try For Whom the Bell Tolls, and I think it boxes well that your other favorite is also mine.

Such restraint--you are my hero!! Waiting two whole days in the New Year before making a book purchase!! LOL. I actually have LT permission to go out and buy--I am late to celebrate my Thingaversary from December. : )

The book was I am Spain - a good read, although it did have the dangerous effect of making me want to read about all the writers / photographers mentioned in more detail (especially the women photographers).

>158 Berly: I knew you would be impressed with me, Kim! I will be waiting anxiously for your report on what you choose for your Thingaversary books.

>159 charl08: Charlotte, thanks so much for looking that up for me! I guess I'll risk it, LOL!

Wow, such a busy thread already! Here's a * for you! (er...by which I mean a star, not an asterisk, though you're welcome to have an asterisk too if you really want it...so...uh...yeah, I'm just going to go now... :P )

You are cracking me up, Faith! Thanks for dropping a star.

Hey, January 20 is my Thingaversary. Five years. That's ten books, right? :-)

Um...that's right, Ellen. On account of it's a leap year. *blinks*

>163 EBT1002: and >164 Crazymamie: - Snork.

Sure thing, Ellen!

>164 Crazymamie: and >165 katiekrug: Ah, see, I knew I would get lots of support around here.

But really, what is the rule (as if we have book-buying-limiting rules around here!)? One book for each year plus one to grow on?

Watching and cheering on the Broncos. Great to see Manning back for the final, regular season game and he looks sharp. Sweet!

>165 katiekrug: *grin*

>166 EBT1002: Now, Ellen, you are talking to KAK and Mad Mamie. We're rule breakers. So, yes, the rule is one for each year and one to grow on. But, really, are you gonna follow the rules?! The shenanigans handbook clearly stipulates that rules are more like guidelines...

>167 msf59: Mark!! Yes, finally Manning is back where he belongs!! Please, please let my Broncos win!

Osweiler did a fine job, but good to see the Boss back!

Yay! for rule-breaking! And Yay! for shenanigans!
Let's see, I must pencil in a trip to the bookstore on or around January 20 and I think my guideline will be that I can buy what I want. If not for my Thingaversary then because, you know, I deserve it.

Broncos up by 7 with 1:47 to go..... fingers crossed. Since it makes no difference to my Seahawks and I'd much rather see Denver seeded at #1 in the AFC rather than New England, well, you have my cheerleading energy!

And I love me some Katharine Hepburn. Perfect.

>163 EBT1002: Hahaha Ellen's mathematics is certainly akin with my own style of think of a number and double it. I don't do rules on book buying especially well.

173 posts! Are you kidding me! I'll never keep up to you, but Happy New Year, Mamie, but Happy New Year!

>170 msf59: I have nothing against Osweiler at all - he's a stand up guy and has done a great job. I am impressed with how he has handled himself on and off the field. But you know that my heart belongs to Peyton. And YES, it was so good to see him back on the field!!

>171 EBT1002: "...my guideline will be that I can buy what I want." Ellen, I am so proud! You have caught the spirit, Sister!

And thanks for that cheerleading energy!! Broncos win! Broncos win!!

>172 katiekrug: Amen, Sister! I love that - I think I may have to keep it for the year, Katie!

>173 EBT1002: Me, too! You are right - it is perfect.

>174 PaulCranswick: So true, Paul! That last bit is perhaps the understatement of the year.

>176 lit_chick: Hello, Nancy! Thank you for those good wishes. And the threads will slow down - this is the beginning madness of a New Year, thank goodness.

>130 Crazymamie: Hi, Mamie! This may be my last post in your enormous thread this year, but at least I made it once. I really need to read some Hemingway at some point in my life. I remember reading a short story about bullfighting in a college rhetoric class, but that's about it. It doesn't sound like A Farewell to Arms is the place to start, though.

Julia! Oh, how I have missed you, my friend! I hope it won't be your last post - you don't have to keep up. You could just pop in when you feel like it and say hello. But no worries (and no pressure), as I will visit you on your thread. And yes - please don't start with A Farewell to Arms. I did really love A Moveable Feast.

>174 PaulCranswick: "I don't do rules on book buying especially well."

Mamie, I was going to post that this quote (quip?) by Paul is perhaps THE understatement of the year. I see you beat me to it.

Ha! Not surprised we were of like minds, Ellen!

Happy New Year Mamie! I hope that this one brings many new and interesting books your way. Starred thread!

>175 Crazymamie: My favorite football player!

>183 The_Hibernator: Thank you, Rachel! I appreciate those good wishes!

>184 thornton37814: Mine, too, Lori!

Book #2: Saga, Volume 4 by Brian K Vaughan, Fiona Staples (Illustrator) (4 stars), borrowed paperback from Abby, GN - fantasy

This series just keeps getting better, IMO. Great artwork, and the story is highly entertaining. I know that Abby didn't like this one as much, but it worked for me. Definitely want to know what happens next.

I have only read the first one of Saga, but I have some holds at the library so maybe I will see if I can find this one while I am it it.

You are all wrong on the LT Anniversary rule. It is very simple: "You must celebrate your anniversary with books." There. Buy, borrow, many, few. Let it be so! ; )

PS--I like Ellen's decadent approach. >171 EBT1002:

>178 Crazymamie: I'm hoping that the threads slow down soon, Mamie. No way I can keep up with so many fast moving threads! Happy 2016!

>187 Berly: You want to read them in order, Kim, or you will be lost. Well, maybe not lost, but you will miss key characters and events. And we stand corrected on the LT anniversary rule! Good work! I also like Ellen's decadent approach - I am a fan of decadence. And Ellen.

>188 Familyhistorian: They will definitely slow down. *crosses fingers* I can't keep up this pace, either, Meg! Thanks for stopping by my thread, and for those good wishes!

I thought of you... : )

>95 Crazymamie: >100 susanj67:
Once, when my brother was here, I decided to take advantage of having a babysitter in the place, And popped out to the supermarket. He wanted to make W a hot choc, but couldn't find the milo. So he heated milk on the stove top and grated chocolate into it. Now: 4 years later, W still talks about it and requests a grated chocolate hot chocolate. So funny.

Morning Mamie! I started and ditched The Sun also Rises years ago and for a very long time I didn't want to invite Hemingway back into my life......but then i read A Moveable Feast after I had read The Paris Wife and we were friends again.

>190 Berly: I am honored, Kim!

>191 LovingLit: That made me laugh, Megan. Your brother sounds like a keeper - what a wonderful uncle!

>192 Carmenere: That's a lovely story, Lynda, and I was glad to see that it had a happy ending. I might have to reread A Moveable Feast this year - all this talk about it has me wanting to dip into it again.

3 days since I was here last and I'm already 121(!) posts behind! *panic*
I could SO do with a nice cup of cocoa now - though I prefer the classic one with dark cocoa powder as my grandma made it. You always had to scrub the pot forever afterwards, but it was sooo good and comforting!

Also undecided re. Hemingway - like you I loved A Moveable Feast. Was indifferent re. The Old Man and the Sea and almost gave up on The Sun Always Rises. Quite liked For Whom the Bell Tolls though the love story (of course) was bad. Your comments make me delay A Farewell to Arms a bit longer.

Absolutely no Star Wars fan. I tried - I really did. Even tried to watch the first 2 trilogies on my own some weeks ago on Italian Sky. My ex-bf in Germany did his best to convince me when the 2nd trilogy was out, but I really didn't get it. No dislike, just complete non-understanding. :(

Hello, Nathalie! Happy Birthday! The threads are definitely hopping right now, but they will slow down as everyone heads back to normal after the holidays.

Hot chocolate is a good childhood memory for me, too. When it was really cold out, my mom would make a huge pot of it and it would be left warming on the stove. When we came home from school (we walked, and it was quite a hike), the whole house would smell like chocolate. It was a lovely indulgence, and my mom didn't do a lot of stuff like that, so it felt decadent.

I say don't hurry to get to A Farewell to Arms, and when you do remember that the love story is a bust, but the rest of the story is well done. Definitely some good writing in there.

And no worries about not getting Star Wars - if we all liked the same things, life would be boring.

>186 Crazymamie: I also like volume 4 of Saga Mamie. It does keep getting better and better. Volume 5 advances the story but the plot keeps moving from place to place and it gets a little frenetic. The ending of Volume 5 will also leave you wanting MORE!

Morning, Roberta! I need to see if the library has Volume 5 - so good to know that it holds up. And thanks for the warning about the plot!

Good morning, Mamie!

Another fan of the Saga series here. Vol. 5 is frenetic, as Roberta says, and can be a little hard to follow. But it sure whets the appetite for the next one.

Morning, Joe! Now you are making me want to get to it sooner rather than later so we can compare notes!

Dang! The library system has it, but it won't let me request it. Total bummer!

>175 Crazymamie: I was happy they put in Manning last night, but I don't dare say that too loudly around the 30-something Bronco fans in my family.

Hello, Becky! Welcome. I am a Manning fan first and a Broncos fan second. I followed Manning from the Colts to the Broncos.

You know me so well, Katie. My thoughts exactly!

Happy new year Mamie!

>1 Crazymamie: 'Alan Rickman’s voice'

Oh yes!

>5 Crazymamie: The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers, ebook - recommended by Heather and >140 Crazymamie:

Yay!

>7 Crazymamie: 'Saving this space for LT recommendations that I want to keep track of.'

Oh, that's a good idea....

>15 Crazymamie: The Bond novels and films are one of my guilty pleasures. They can be outrageously sexist/racist (and probably some other -ists) but, like you, I grew up watching the films with my Dad so I will always have a soft spot for them. I went through a phase of reading all the Bond novels in 2009 - probably due for a reread.

Also loving the hot chocolate discussion (and now craving some hot chocolate - thank you all).

As a human being I think Hemingway was a waste of space...but he could write.

>205 souloftherose: Hello, Heather! Lovely to see you here! I see we share a love of Alan Rickman's voice!! And I can't thank you enough for your terrific review of The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, as I am really enjoying it. Please keep up the good work.

The list of recommendations was something I had done on paper my very first year here, and then I started adding the books directly to my WL and in the private comments section logging in who had recommended them. BUT then a lot of times I couldn't remember how the book had come up in conversation or whose thread I had seen it on because lots of times someone recommends books on a thread that isn't their own. Saving a space for it here allows me to just keep it current as I go along this year and makes a handy reference for checking before going to the library. It's going to be huge by the year's end, though because I already have nine books on it, and it's only day four of the new year!

Hooray for a shared love of the Bond novels! And we both watched them with our Dads! We are currently watching the films in order of when they were made, and we are up to On Her Majesty's Secret Service - it's fun to compare notes on the differences between the books and the films. You might be interested in a book that I read last year that was really good - Goldeneye: :Where Bond Was Born: Ian Fleming's Jamaica by Matthew Parker. SO interesting and very well written. It covers some Jamaican history as well as Fleming's history and of course the story of how the Bond books came to be written and then made into films. I picked it up on Kindle in one of the Dailey Deals last year, and often they repeat those deals, so you might look out for it.

Let's get you that hot chocolate:

>206 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, you made me laugh! Such a succinct statement and yet you said a lot.

Book #3: Mãn by Kim Thúy (5 stars), library paperback, literary fiction

"...my name is Mãn, which means 'perfectly fulfilled,' or 'may there be nothing left to desire,' or 'may all wishes be granted.' I can ask for nothing more because my name imposes on me the state of satisfaction and satiety. Unlike Guy de Maupassant's Jeanne, who dreamed of grasping all the joys in life when she left the convent, I grew up without dreams."

This was my bit of serendipity for the month - I had checked this out of the library's new additions section, and then I found out that Kim Thúy had been selected as one of the January authors in the Canadian Author Challenge organized by Ilana. This will also work as my wedge book in Bill's Doorstop Challenge. On top of that, it's my first five star read of the New Year!

This little book is a gem. Written in vignettes that are both lyrical and profound, we follow the main character, Mãn, on her journey of self-discovery. Raised in Vietnam by an adopted mother who served as a spy in the rebellion, Mãn is then married to a Vietnamese man who owns a restaurant in Montreal, Canada. She becomes the chef of that restaurant, and she tells her story through the dishes that she prepares. As she makes friends and expands her horizons, she learns that there is more to life than she thought. That safe and happy are not necessarily the same thing.

"My husband never knew that on the nights I wrote to Maman, I cried. Or if he did know, he preferred to console me by always having booklets of stamps in the drawer. Maman didn't reply often. Maybe because she didn't want to cry either. I heard the echo of her silence, though, and the burden of everything that couldn't be heard. At night, when we used to share the same bed, the sound of Maman's tears sometimes escaped the corners of her closed eyes. I would hold my breath then, because with no witness, sorrow might exist only as a ghost."

I just cannot praise this book highly enough. The food descriptions alone would be enough for me to like this book, but Thúy also gives us the sense of Vietnam, of being displaced from your homeland, of grasping to understand a language and a culture that is not your own...And she does it with flawless language that embraces a love of vocabulary that speaks different things in different tongues, showing us that communication is an ongoing learning experience.

"There are words whose meanings I try to deduce from how they sound, like colossal, disconnect, apostil, others by texture, smell, shape. To grasp the nuances between two related words, to distinguish melancholy from grief, for example, I weigh each one. When I hold them in my hands, one seems to hang like grey smoke while the other is compressed into a ball of steel. I guess and I grope and the answer is as often the right one as the wrong. I constantly make mistakes, and until now the most surprising had to do with the French word rebelle, which I thought was a derivative of belle: to be belle again, because beauty is acquired and then lost. Maman often told me that in case of conflict, it's better to hold back than to insult someone, even if that person is at fault. If we taint the other, we soil our mouth, because we must first fill it with anger, blood, venom. Starting then, we are no longer beautiful. I thought that the re in the word rebelle opened the possibility of a redemption, the one that would let us regain our beauty from before."

I've just skimmed this Mamie because I don't want to get too much of an idea about the book, but I am really happy to read that you thought it was a gem. I am v keen to get my hands on it, hoping it appears at the library soon.

I do that, too, Charlotte - I like for books to surprise me. I hope your library gets it soon, because I know that you would love it. It's just so beautifully written. And I cried, which hardly ever happens. I think I might have to get my own copy.

Hi Mamie! Happy new year to you. Three books already -- off to a great start! I'm off to some great intentions, but school started today, so...

Please, please let my Broncos win! Are they your Broncos, too? Hooray!

>207 Crazymamie: Another Bond girl here. I watched with my Dad and could never quite figure out why he laughed in certain parts that I just didn't think were funny. LOL. I even used to listen to the musical Bond themes on record and then on cassettes. I should go back and watch them again. Fun memories!

A wonderful review of Man! Thumbed! I had read Ru a few years ago and I am looking very forward to reading my library copy of Man.

Mãn is a solid BB. Thanks!

My Broncos too! I take credit in that I stopped wearing my Broncos shirt to softball games the day before game day. It was causing a disturbing trend. Perhaps it was the spirit in which I was wearing it... There's this really annoying guy from Wisconsin who knows everything (NOT), and it sort of made me feel better until I wore it and they started losing. Anyway. Whatever.

>209 Crazymamie: Fat BB caught - and I wasn't planning on reading her. But memories in food, that's a must!

And I still want hot cocoa although I shouldn't. :)

Morning, Y'all! Happy Tuesday! Mercy (our cat) is completely enthralled this morning by a fat little mockingbird that has perched on the hook of the birdfood holder. Craig, who refuses to admit that he is in love with this cat, has made little bird paradises outside of every window, so whatever room Mercy is in holds a vivid display for her amusement. So sweet.

I have to pay the bills today. Ugh. And I need to get back to War and Peace - hoping to finish it up today. Ha! Just kidding. I have barely made a dent in it even though I am about 100 pages in. What is really amazing is how much I remember - I was reading this before we made our move from Indiana, and I made it half way through and then stalled. But all of it is coming right back to me, and I am surprised because this is a huge cast of characters, and I remember struggling to keep them all straight the first time. So bonus, I guess because now I can just sit back and enjoy the ride.

I'm also working on these:


Wishing for all of you a day filled with fabulous!

Loved the review of A Farewell to Arms and your well-expressed thoughts about his two-dimensional women, and babyish ideas of how men and women interact. Just so well said!

Loved loved loved the movie of Brooklyn. So good I feel no need to read the book as everyone says it was utterly faithful to it.

Today is my Thingaversary and I decided to choose books from my TBR shelves that I really want to read but have been hoarding . . . however I might have to order The Long Way To a Small Angry Planet. It sounds utterly irresistible!

>212 AMQS: Hello, Anne! Welcome! I seem to be in a reading groove, which is very good because last year I stalled out a bit in the second half of the year. I imagine things just got much busier for you with school starting back up - Rae and I used to volunteer in the school library, and we loved every minute of it.

And hooray for a fellow Broncos fan!!

>213 Berly: Oh, yeah, Kim! Another Bond girl!! I had that same experience with my Dad. Kind of like Bugs Bunny - a lot of adult humor that just goes right over your head until one day you're suddenly laughing in different places. I had the Bond themes on 8 track - remember those?!

>214 vancouverdeb: Thank you, Deborah! I have requested Ru from the library, and I can't wait to read it when it comes in. Such lovely writing, and her format works so beautifully.

>215 nittnut: Hooray, Jenn! And you are also a Broncos fan!! GO Broncos! I loved your story - I do those superstitious things too even though I assure myself that I don't really believe in stuff like that. LOL!

>216 Deern: Nathalie! How was the birthday bash? I think you will fall in love with Mãn - how she writes about food and preparing it will make your mouth water, and I love how it's all wrapped up in memory. And you can have the cocoa here, after all, it's virtual!

I love your little story about Mercy, too bad the picture isn't showing up for me!

>218 sibylline: Hello, Lucy! Thank you for those kind words - Hemingway is a puzzle that I just can't put down because he wrote some things so brilliantly and others were such crap.

I need to hurry up and read Brooklyn so I can see the movie while it is still in the local theater. I have only heard good things about it.

I love your Thingaversary idea - so great to choose books from your own shelves, but I do hope that you splurge and treat yourself to A Long Way to an Angry Planet - I am loving it so far.

Happy Thingaversary, dear, to my very first friend here on LT!

>220 dk_phoenix: Oh, bummer, Faith! I'll try another one and see if that works.

>209 Crazymamie: Another BB and thumb, Mamie. Loved the review of Mãn. It's going on the WL.

We've gotten past that tough first day of the week. Hope it's a good one for you at the Pecan Paradisio.

Thank you, Joe! It's such a treat - I know you will love it when you get to it. And yes, hooray for Tuesday. Even though I do have to pay the bills.

>217 Crazymamie: - I finished the first chapter in PHW. Bit of a slog through all those various hominids...

>218 sibylline: - Lucy, that's interesting about what you've heard regarding 'Brooklyn.' I thought it was a very good adaptation, but I don't think they were completely faithful to it especially with regard to the end. Not a radical change, but the emotion was different so as a viewer I was left with a different feeling than I had been as a reader.

Hello, Katie! I have finished the first two chapters in PHW - don't worry it picks up a bit. Not reading your spoiler (and I thank you for using one!) until after I have read the book.

Just chiming in to say that I also loved the film version of Brooklyn. I haven't read the book.

I know this is radical, but I actually like to see a movie FIRST, before reading the book. Because if I like the movie, I know that I will like the book, because the book is always better!

Sandy K

Hello Sandy! Welcome! And you also loved the film - I need to get cracking. Your thought process makes complete sense - I guess I like to read the book first because I like to be surprised by it. Agree that the book is always better. Well...almost. There are a few exceptions, like To Have and Have Not and The Big Sleep - I like the movies better, but of course, Humphrey Bogart, so...

Yes, I LOVE Bogie! What charisma he had. The Big Sleep--that film barely makes sense, so perhaps the book was convoluted plot-wise as well? Still worth watching for Bogie and Bacall.

Sandy K

Me, too! I love the book The Big Sleep, and the plot actually makes more sense there - they changed some key points in the movie, but Bogie and Bacall! You can't beat that.

>209 Crazymamie: Oh.My.G__!

I am cursing you out for giving me this BB right now, but I hope you don't take offense. It's really the highest form of praise. At least my Granny used to say so. "Sweet words" she called em. ;-)

I should channel Susan and have my library website open on the next tab when I visit the threads.

Ah. I wonder if they changed those key points from the book for Hays Code/censor reasons. I should read the book.

Sandy K

>231 luvamystery65: Is someone channelling me? Oh hi, Roberta! I still find that useful, although I'm wishlisting things now instead of reserving them.

>233 susanj67: Yes, that is what I do too Susan. I have quite a few wishlist categories to help me channel my reading for the various groups I participate in.

Yay! I see it now! How adorable & plump! Haha.

>231 luvamystery65: Oh, dear! Um...it's short? I read it in one sitting, Roberta, if that helps. And I am totally stealing "sweet words" from your Granny - too funny! Not offended at all, in fact I'm delighted. And yes, by all means, you should channel Susan! She is a library guru!!

>232 sandykaypax: Yes! Read the book and then we can talk about it. They actually made two versions of the movie - the first one had a cleaner plot point but less Bacall. The second one changed some costumes, gave Bacall more screen time and switched the actress who plays the wife of Eddie Mars - unfortunately that meant that some scenes with the police and Marlowe got left on the cutting floor. We have a disc that has both versions on it, and seeing both was illuminating. However, they still changed the plot and convoluted it so that at the end you are like, so what happened? Of course, I'm completely bonkers, so I kind of like that. It adds to its charm, I think.

Visitors while I was posting!! Most exciting!

>233 susanj67: You felt a disturbance in the Force, Susan? I am keeping a running list on my thread for these things instead of adding them to the WL this year - it's up there in >7 Crazymamie:.

>234 luvamystery65: WL categories?! That is a great idea! Are you trying to get me back, Roberta?!

>235 dk_phoenix: Oh, hooray, Faith!

Mamie, now The Big Sleep plot confusion makes sense. 2 versions, because they wanted to promote Bacall. I'll add the book to my list!

Sandy K

Excellent!

>237 Crazymamie: Mamie, that's exactly what I felt! :-)

>234 luvamystery65: Oooh, categories, Roberta! My library wishlist isn't capable of that. *Jealous*

I've read the first three chapters of the Penguin History of the World. They're Book One (and reminded me greatly of Clan of the Cave Bear, that most excellent series). Book Two is titled "Civilisations", which is looking more promising. I might read some tonight, after reading aloud my poem of the day, and doing a bit of War and Peace. I've discovered a dreadful new addiction in TV shows, this time on the Travel Channel - "Extreme RVs/Vacation Homes/Yachts". And it's a US show, where "Quite Normal RVs" etc would be jaw-droppingly enormous, so you can imagine how I love it :-)

How wonderful that Abby has joined us!

>240 susanj67: - Susan, we should rent an RV for your big US tour.

>240 susanj67: Ha! I knew it!

The Title "Civilizations" does sound more promising, although I did enjoy chapter two. You crack me with your tv choices, Susan! I love reading about what you are watching. Please don't ever stop! As I will be going into mourning over the loss of the regular football season, I will be catching up with some favorite shows - Rae and I are looking forward to binge watching season two of Broadchurch and Rae, Abby and I are currently addicted to Bosch, season one. Is there more than one season? Please tell me that there is more than one season! *runs to check*

>241 Whisper1: Agreed, Linda! I was thrilled that she decided to have a thread this year.

>242 katiekrug: YES!

Morning Mamie! Just made it. Love the fat, little mockingbird. May have to borrow him, at some point.

Cold here, but plenty of sunshine. It helps.

Morning, Mark! You did just sneak in under the wire! Feel free to borrow away with the mockingbird - i had never seen one before moving to Georgia, and here they are everywhere! And such a pretty song - very talented birds.

It's a lovely crisp day here, too - but we're supposed to be in the 70s by Friday, so Boo, Hiss to that.

>237 Crazymamie: I just treat the wishlists like my own library and organize the books into various categories.

>240 susanj67: It's just really multiple wishlists Susan I name them whatever I need to. This is photo from my work computer. Sorry the quality is not great.

I really need to spend some time and reorganize my lists. Just like real bookshelves. *Sigh*

Oh! Now I get it - thanks for that, Roberta! Such a great idea. I created a "2016 Challenges" collection this year so that I could keep track of the books that I own that qualify for the various challenges on offer. That way, each month I can just look there to see what I have and then determine if I feel like reading it. And I can work on going through my library to add the books there little by little instead of trying to do it all at one time. Made the task feel less daunting.

>242 katiekrug: Katie, and a driver. Maybe a cowboy in the off-season, if cowboys have such a thing. Maybe I'm thinking of footballers. Then I could visit some of the Diners, Drive-ins and Dives restaurants *and* LTers!

>243 Crazymamie: Mamie, I hadn't heard of Bosch but, looking it up, season 2 seems to be happening :-)

>244 Crazymamie: Roberta, that looks so handy! Unfortunately I just get one list, which currently has 119 things on it. Some are unfamiliar to me, which suggests they've been there for a while!

>249 susanj67: Well, of course you will need a driver, Susan. I don't think cowboys get an off-season, but footballers definitely do, so maybe Roberta can get J. J. Watt for you! And it looks like he could use an introduction to some good diners:



Thanks for looking up Bosch for me! Hooray for a second season. The show is based on the book series by Michael Connelly - I am a huge fan.

Ha! I was going to suggest J.J. Watt as a driver, too!

i've been to a few places featured on Triple D and they are usually pretty fun. There are a couple in Dallas... hint, hint....

Finally made my way over Mamie, and so much to catch up on of course! I loved your review of Mãn and very happy you ended up loving it so much. I'm reading from the same edition of War and Peace as you and must say I'm incredibly tempted to get my hands on the Folio 2-volume version which is quite a looker and from the same translation. I'm quite committed to finishing it, however long it takes me (going at 20-pages per day, more or less so far), if only because I've wanted to get to it for so incredibly long. Must say, about 8 chapters in I'm quite hooked!

I felt it was a bit late for sharing the following, but it's a nice sentiment and worth sharing, I think so here goes:

Happy New Year Mamie!



"I wish you never-ending dreams
and the furious desire to realise some of them."
— Jacques Brel

>218 sibylline: (as usual for January, I can't keep up) I agree that Brooklyn was quite faithful to the book but it left things out (of course, otherwise it would have been 6 hours long) that i missed. My recommendation would be to both read and watch it. I'm not sure I think it matters in which order.

Hi Mamie - You got me with Mãn; I'm off to check to see whether my library has a copy. I am another Brooklyn.

The Broncos are my back-up team.

Good luck with finishing W&P today. I'll stop by later to take a look at your comments. :)

>251 katiekrug: Great minds and all that, Katie! And that would be so fun to come to Texas and hit one of those and meet up with you and Miss Roberta! I have never been to Texas.

>252 Smiler69:, >253 Smiler69: Welcome, Ilana! It's never too late to share lovely wishes. I thank you for that. And so happy you liked my review of Mãn. It was an excellent read, and I might have missed it if not for the CAC - I did have it checked out of the library before I knew this was a January author, but I might not have gotten to it.

I think the reason I fell off the wagon with War and Peace before was that we moved that year. I got half way through it before we moved, but I never picked it back up after the move. And that was my first year here, so I was distracted by all the new to me authors and books I was discovering. Firmly committed this time. That Folio edition does look gorgeous! I am wanting the Sense and Sensibility to go with my Emma and Pride and Prejudice.

>254 RebaRelishesReading: Hello, Reba!

>255 BLBera: Hi Beth! Delighted that I got you with Mãn - hoping that your library has a copy available. And Brooklyn has a score of fans - I better get hopping!

The Broncos are your back-up? Who's first? Wait, so I remember you mentioning the Vikings on Ellen's thread? Is it the Vikings?

Haha about W&P. But I will finish it this time - hopefully this month.

Good Afternoon, Crazy!!

Well, hello there, Kim!

Hey Mamie! My library has a copy of Goldeneye: Where Bond Was Born so I have added it to my library list - thanks for the recommendation.

Dropping my ***STAR***

Things are certainly busy around here. I love how you've decorated the place/post!

>260 souloftherose: So happy to hear that, Heather. Hope you like it as much as I did when you get to it.

>261 michigantrumpet: Marianne!! Welcome! So great to see you posting. We are a chatty bunch, aren't we - especially at the beginning of the year. And thank you.

Good grief... how have I not found your 2016 thread until now?! Happy New Year! On Her Majesty's Secret Service is my favorite Bond movie, mainly for Diana Rigg and Telly Savalas and something few others know: the engagement ring Bond give Tracy in the movie is 'the ring' I want! .... and yes, the other half knows this. ;-)

So happy you have joined the group read for War and Peace! So, far, I am rather enjoying the story and not getting too confused by the various characters... although why the Russians have this thing about the name Anna is beyond me. ;-)

New Years plans... I was fast asleep at 10:30, party animal that I am.

Glad to see you are still getting those walks in!

>203 katiekrug: - That is so perfect!

>209 Crazymamie: - You loved Thuy's Man! Yay! Ru is just as good... just saying....

... I did a lot of skim reading so I may have missed some things, although I did find Abby's thread days before I found your thread. ;-)

Morning Mamie! Caught up on your thread. 70 unread posts is way too long to wait to see you. Mockingbird is so cute yet must looks like a wonderful plaything to Mercy. Is Payton Manning the guy in the NationWide commercials? I love them!
I loved reading Brooklyn, don't remember if I've seen the movie. Should check my library today just to refresh my memory.

Lurking, starring.

Okay, so this will give you a laugh. I started reading Brooklyn yesterday - I remembered Katie had a great review of it, and that she had recommended it, but nothing specific. And I didn't read the back of the book before starting because the less I know, the more I like it. That being said, I am thinking that the opening tone reminds me a bit of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and the fact that the older sister's name is Rose reminds of the movie Meet Me in Saint Louis, so...I get to the part where Eilis is talking about her brothers having to move to Birmingham to get work, and I'm thinking... they had to go to Alabama to get work?! Alabama? Really?! What sort of work do they do? And then I read,"Anything extra came sporadically from the boys in England." Now, who are these boys and why are they sending money to Eilis' family? But don't worry. Don't panic. Because as soon as I got to the part where Eilis is offered a job in Brooklyn, it dawned on me that she was not already there. This book begins in Ireland!!! The moral of this story is never take cold medication before starting a new book. Enough said. And please, those of you who have read this book, don't feel that you need to point out the fact that Dublin is mentioned several times before I realized that the book does not start in Brooklyn.

>263 lkernagh: Lori! You made it! Okay, now I have to watch On Her Majesty's Secret Service again to see the ring. I haven't watched that one in years because I don't like the actor they got to play Bond, but my Dad loved that one because as you say - Telly Savalas. Remember Kojak? Who loves ya, baby?

I am also enjoying War and Peace, and I am loving that I have all of the characters straight only because I read the first half before several years ago. The first time through, I remember struggling to keep all of them straight because they were introduced so quickly and so many of them at one time.

New Year's is always funny here because the one who struggles to stay up is Birdy, who is our youngest. She usually goes to bed around 10pm because she is a very early riser.

And the walking! I need to get back to it! I have not walked the past few days, and what is worse is that I managed to misplace my Fitbit. I just found it last night, so now I am good to go.

I have already requested Ru from the library, so good to hear that you thought it was just as good! Just waiting for it to come in.

Thanks so much for stopping by and catching up. And I am thrilled that you found Abby's thread!

>264 Carmenere: Morning, Lynda! Mercy loves that mockingbird! Any birds, really. She will sit for hours and watch them out the window.

Yes! Peyton is the guy in the NationWide commercials!



The movie of Brooklyn has not been out that long, I think - anyway, it's still in theaters here. Of course, this is southern Georgia.

>265 mckait: Sis!! So LOVELY to see you here! Thanks for the star. Oh, how I have missed you!

>266 Crazymamie: - That made me laugh. Not at you, really, but um, yeah :)

Love the Peyton commercials. "Epic comeback starts right now."

I know, right?! I was telling Abby, and she just lost it. And the more I think about it, the funnier it gets. Can you say, mental moment?!

I love those commercials, too!

>266 Crazymamie: Indeed, you just made me laugh out loud sitting here alone in my living room playing on LT before going to work. Awesome. I read Brooklyn near the end of 2015 and also enjoyed it. I hope it keeps, um, surprising you. ;-)

BTW, I decided to click on the "unread/messages" column to decide where to visit next (my default is "topics" although I almost always just bounce around randomly). Big surprise: your thread landed on top. It's been a busy place since last I visited. Mark's thread was second.

Have a great Wednesday, Mamie!

Oh, good, Ellen! Shared laugher is the best kind.

I always have mine set on "unread/messages", so I can see the latest posts. That's funny that I was at the top - and a bit scary, but it has been busy here. This, too, shall pass...

Wishing for you a Wednesday that is filled with fabulous!

Good morning, Mamie!

Love that cold medication confusion about Brooklyn. There's a Dublin, Ohio, so in my mind that explains everything. :-)

Morning, Joe! Oh, there's a Dublin, Ohio. Well, of course that explains everything - it makes complete sense that Rose would travel from Brooklyn, NY to Dublin, Ohio to do her shopping. LOL

Morning Mamie! Whew, I have been cutting it close. Hope the day is going well.

Just made it again, Mark! Good work!

Well, now, the Dublin/Brooklyn confusion made my morning! Thanks for being big enough to share that will us all--I love a good laugh! I am not sure I even have cold medicine as an excuse for some of my misunderstandings. ; )

The day I can't laugh at myself, I'll be dead, Kim! Glad you got a chuckle out of it, too. I can't blame all of my mental moments on cold medicine, but I think it did contribute to this one. Anyway, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Good girl!

*grin*

>266 Crazymamie: *giggle* I had a sort of similar experience with H is for Hawk yesterday. I started reading and she was talking about Cambridge and I just automatically placed the book in Massachusetts. Then spent the next chapter or so trying to make it work until I realized we were in England. England!

Oh, good! It''s not just me, Jenn!!

>267 Crazymamie: - LOL! I will spare you the trouble of having to watch the whole movie to find the ring... actually, someone already took care of that and posted the clip with the ring on YouTube. ;-)

>266 Crazymamie: joining in the group laugh WITH you, Mamie. Great story!

All the hot chocolate is making this a very tasty visit, Mamie.

>266 Crazymamie: LOVED that story and you got a big laugh out of me. Sorry .. but it was funny in a nice way.

All of you are SO sweet, but seriously, if it bothered me to be laughed at, I would not have shared the story. I hope that I am always the first person to laugh at myself - life is too short...

>283 lkernagh: We are actually watching all of the Bond movies in the order that the films were made, and that is the next one up, so it was no trouble, Lori. In fact it was a lovely bit of serendipity, but I so appreciate your bringing it to me. It's gorgeous!

>284 RebaRelishesReading: Glad you liked my story, Reba!

>285 cameling: I'm all about the beverages, Caro! And hooray for a big laugh! And YES, it's funny!

Umm, you have been a very neglectful mother, Mamie. Abby informs us she has never seen 'Roman Holiday' OR 'Love in the Afternoon.' What kind of children are you raising over there among the pecans!?!?!

*blowing kisses and running away*

Abby informs us she has never seen 'Roman Holiday' WHAT!?

I kid you not, Ro. That poor girl... *smh*

>287 katiekrug: ZOMG, seriously?! Oh, Mamie, how could you?!

Oh, wait - I've not seen Love in the Afternoon, either...

Well, then... carry on, everyone.

Morning Mamie! Catching you early today. I like to shake it up a bit...

Sweet Thursday, my friend.

Oh, dear! You've found me out. I knew that little brat darling would't be able to keep her mouth shut. I'm so humiliated. *hangs head in shame* In my defense, she has seen Charade, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and Sabrina. It's mere coincidence that those happen to be my personal favorites. *bats eyelashes*

>287 katiekrug:, >288 luvamystery65:, >289 katiekrug:, >290 scaifea: Now, ladies, no need to clutch those pearls. This can be easily remedied. We'll just watch those movies. *there, there pat, pat* See? It's going to be all right. Everything'll be fine. Just fine. You'll see... *runs to get libations*

>291 msf59: Morning, Mark! Look at you sneaking in early. Sweet Thursday to you!

Yeah mom, how dare you neglect me? Oh wait, we now own Roman Holiday?! Never mind mother dearest. *runs away to watch movie*

>292 Crazymamie: My what big eyes you have my dear!

>295 Thebookdiva: Young lady, I think you have caused enough trouble for one 24 hour period. *ahem*

>296 luvamystery65: Ha! The better to keep a close watch on you and KAK, my dear!

Oooh, I forgot about 'Charade'! I *love* that one. Older Cary Grant - yes, please!

That's my very favorite film of hers, Katie! And I adore Cary Grant at any age, but yes he aged very well. Very Well.

Agreed.

I think my favourite Hepburn movie is The Nun's Story, but I am not entirely comfortable with the thoughts that she provokes are hardly those one should harbour for a lady of the cloth.



Favourite Cary Grant movie would be North By North West

>300 katiekrug: *grin*

>301 PaulCranswick: The Nun's Story. *snore* Really? No, she's good in it, very good, but it's not Charade. And there is no Cary Grant. I do LOVE North by Northwest, however. I love all of those Hitchcock films - I think Notorious would be my favorite but I also adore To Catch a Thief.

New thread's up, come on over and dip your toes in the water...

Heya Mamie, leaving a star - I really enjoyed some of the books you listed as top reads of 2015. And argh, David Tennant narrating Bond books? Must listen! (woops, should have left this on the new thread - but damnit, I was trying to get in before I missed your first thread entirely)

Hello, Megan! David Tennant just reads On Her Majesty's Secret Service - each book is read by a different celebrity, which is fun. I love listening to Tennant reading those How To Train Your Dragon books - he's so talented and really brings those books alive!