Joe's Book Cafe 2016

Art by Isabelle Plante

Welcome to our 2016 Cafe!

Top 5 Great American Novels as Voted by Cafe Patrons:

7 Nominations : To Kill a Mocking Bird
6 Nominations : The Grapes of Wrath
4 Nominations : Lonesome Dove
3 Nominations : Plainsong
2 Nominations: My Antonia and Invisible Man

*Thanks to Paul C. for tabulating the first four.

Joe's Top Reads for 2015

* Means favorite in that category

Book of the Year: Being Mortal by Atul Gawande

Fiction

Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf*
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurty
Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan
The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer
The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng
The Summer Book by Tove Janssen
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
To Dance with the White Dog by Terry Kay
Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera
See You in the Morning by Mairead Case
Death and the Penguin by Andrei Kurkov

Non-fiction

Being Mortal by Atul Gawande*
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald
Neurotribes by Steve Silberman
As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning by Laurie Lee
A Spy Among Friends by Ben Macintyre
Yes, Please by Amy Poehler
Jane Austen: A Life by Claire Tomalin

Graphic Novels

Sandman Overture by Neil Gaiman*
The Leaning Girl by Benoit Peters
Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
Stumptown by Greg Rucka
Velvet Volume 1 by Ed Brubaker
March Book One and March Book Two by John Lewis
Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: Underground Abductor by Nathan Hale
Saga, Volume 4 and Saga, Volume 5
El Deafo by Cece Bell
The Story of My Tits by Jennifer Hayden
Displacement by Lucy Knisley
Rat Queens by Kurtis J. Wiebe

Mystery

Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith*
And Sometimes I Wonder by Walter Mosley
Rose Gold by Walter Mosley
Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny
Six and a Half Deadly Sins by Colin Cotterill
A Beam of Light by Andrea Camilleri

Science Fiction/Fantasy

Ancillary series by Ann Leckie*
Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs
Winter by Marissa Meyer
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

Books that Cafe Patrons Gave Others for the Holidays

Our Souls at Night
Brown Girl Dreaming
The Chrissie Hynde memoir (which I haven't read yet)
Death and the Penguin
Signs Preceding the End of the World

To Dance with the White Dog
The first in the Elena Ferrante series, My Brilliant Friend
Gaiman's Trigger Warning
The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage

Harry Potter series to 10-year old niece
Balloon Goon series to 6-year old nephew
Me, Jane and Walk This World to my 2-year old niece
#1-3 of the In Death mystery series by J.D. Robb to SIL
Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words and No Better Friend to husband

Armada to cousin
The Oregon Trail to my other cousin
Counting by 7s and The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs to cousin-in-law
The House at the End of Hope Street and Etta and Otto and Russell and James to aunt
Tequila: A Guide to Types, Flights, Cocktails, and Bites to boss
What the F*@# Should I Drink?: The Answers to Life's Most Important Question to a friend

I Am Half-Sick of Shadows , Speaking From Among the Bones, and The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches to mom
A Gift from Bob, Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow: Walt Disney and Technology, The Disney Book to sister
The Promise: An Elvis Cole and Joe Pike Novel to husband

To Judi:
The Lady in Gold by Anne-Marie O'Connor
The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer
Girl Waits with Gun by Amy Stewart

To Son the Elder:
Empire of Cotton by Sven Beckert

To DIL the Elder:
The Essential Dykes to Look Out For by Alison Bechdel

To Gracie:
Books 3-6 in the Kicks series by Alex Morgan
Shaken Up
Hat Trick
Settle the Score (to be published in March)
The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain
A Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey

To Helen:
The Maze Runner Series by James Dashner
The Maze Runner
The Scorch Trials
The Death Cure
The Kill Order
The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula Le Guin
Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey

To Claire:
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
The Princess Bride by William Goldmann
The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey

And Bill received:
Empire Falls by Richard Russo
L. A. Confidential by James Ellroy
Train Dreams by Denis Johnson
The Tycoons by Charles R. Morris
John le Carre: The Biography by Adam Sisman

To mother Village School and Village Diary by Miss Read
To mother-in-law Thrush Green and Gossip From Thrush Green by Miss Read

To son-in-law Chaos, Making a New Science, by James Gleick (Folio Society Edition)
To daughter Pioneer Girl; The Annotated Autobiography of Laura Ingalls Wilder

To boss: Being Mortal (which he devoured and can't stop talking about)

To friend and co-worker the Word Cloud edition of A Christmas Carol and Other Stories

To brother: The Little Book of Whittling: Passing Time on the Trail, on the Porch, and Under the Stars

Daughter - Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

Son - Heir to the Empire trilogy by Timothy Zahn

Daughter -
The Legend of Korra Book One: Air, the Art of the Animated Series
Star Wars Storyboards: The Original Trilogy
Harry Potter: Magical Places from the Films: Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, and Beyond
Dressing a Galaxy: The Costumes of Star Wars
The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy and the History of Comic Book Heroines
Spinning Starlight

Daughter - Witch Buster Volumes 5-6 and 7-8
Best Loved Folktales of the World - she kept checking this out of the library
A friend: If I Stay
Spider's Bite

Cafe Patron's List of Under-Read and Under-Appreciated Books

Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives by David Eagleman
Strange Weather in Tokyo aka The Briefcase by Hiromi Kawakami
The Black Stallion books by Walter Farley
House of Orphans by helen Dunsmore
Pearl's Secret: A Black Man's Search for his White Family by Neil Henry

Dreamland by Kevin Baker
Bright's Passage by Josh Ritter
Misfortune by Wesley Stace
Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
Stewart O'Nan in general

Lark and Termite by Jayne Anne Phillips
Byrd by Kim Church
Birds of a Lesser Paradise
Knockemstiff
American Salvage

Mr. Loverman by Bernardine Evaristo
Ingenious Pain by Andrew Miller
I Was Jack Mortimer
Careless People

The Hero's Walk and Tamarind Mem and others by Anita Rau Badami
Under This Unbroken Sky by Shandi Mitchell
Emily, Alone
All That Matters and The Jade Peony by Wayson Choy

The Machine by James Smythe
The Auschwitz Violin
The Hilltop by Assaf Gavron

Medea by Richard Matturro, and others by that author
King OF Yiddish by Curt Leviant
Volt: Stories by Alan Heathcock

All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren
Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey
Addie Pray (later retitled Paper Moon) by Joe David Brown
At Swim, Two Boys by Jamie O'Neill
In the Fall by Jeffrey Lent
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton

Consider the Oyster, How to Cook a Wolf and a novel, Sister Age by M.F.K. Fisher

Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay
National Geographic Directions travel series
Oaxaca Journal by Oliver Sacks
Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Stuck in the Middle With You
Orhan's Inheritance
Dinner with Buddha and all the Merullo Buddha books
We Are Called to Rise

2016 Books

January

1. Hattie Ever After by Kirby Larson
2. Saint Odd by Dean Koontz
3. Tricky Twenty-Two by Janet Evanovich

What a colourful opening, Joe. Happy reading 2016.

JOE!! JOE!! Every graphic novel cover for all the January releases!!

Enjoy, and good luck hiding them from Debbi.

Happy new year, Joe. Stopping by to star your thread so I don't lose you in this delightfully expanding group.

Dropping my star, Joe! Love your topper images - so fun and vibrant!

Happy new year, Joe!

*starred*
Lovely pictures at the top, the first one is the best... for us booklovers ;-)

>7 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara. Glad you like the opener. Happy reading in 2016!

>8 richardderus: Ha! Thanks, RD! I'll have fun looking those over. Debbi's resigned to my GN collecting, particularly since my bookshelves for them are in our attic. :-)

Notice there's a "Best of 2015" GNs, I mean, comic books, list up there in >3 jnwelch:. :-)

>9 cameling: Happy New Year, Caro! Yes, please don't lose me in our burgeoning group. Isn't it great?

>10 Crazymamie: Happy New Year, Mamie! I'm glad you enjoy those topper images. Oops, they're by Isabelle Plante. I'm kinda scrambling today. I'll fix that.

Happy New Year and Happy new Thread, Joe! Love that topper. The perfect image to kick off our year with. I had another great year, following you around in your book life. Let's do it again, okay, amigo?

Love that first painting, Joe. Happy New Year to you and yours!

>11 scaifea: Happy New Year, Amber! Lots of reading fun ahead of us, right?

>12 FAMeulstee: Hi, Anita! Aren't those lovely pictures at the top? If you love that first one in particular, do a search for Isabelle Plante - she has others like that.

>14 msf59: Happy New Year, Mark! Thanks!

Isn't that topper excellent? I thought it worked well for the start of our book-filled year.

I had another great year, following you around in your book life. :-) Yes, let's do it again, amigo. This rocks!

>15 ronincats: Thanks, Roni. Glad you love that one at the top. As I mentioned to Anita, Isabelle Plante has others like that you can find online. Different and cool.

Happy New Year to you and the Roni clan!

Howdy Joe! I may incur the wrath of Debbi but I love your GN recommendations so I am all for your collecting my friend. Since I've tied my weight loss to buying books I've had to borrow GNs from the library and some are only available on Hoopla. It's been interesting navigating on the iPad but I think I've got it down.

Yay! The café is open! I know this is a place that can drive my virtual cholesterol through the roof but I won't ask you to make me a healthy salad with oil and vinegar. No. That would be sick and wrong. Bring on the cheese fries!

I look forward to many shared blue book bullets along with fine cuisine and sparkling conversation in the New Year. Hoping for all good things for you, Debbi, Jesse, and the rest of your wide circle of loved ones in 2016.

Dropping off a star and looking forward to some great book chats.

Cafe's back, all's right with the world...

>18 luvamystery65: Howdy Roberta!

Good to see you in '16. I actually think Debbi is A-OK with my collecting GNs - she even buys me ones for birthdays and the holidays. She probably figures I could have worse habits than GN-collecting. I'm glad you're liking the GN rec's - it sure is fun for me.

I didn't realize you were tying book-buying to weight loss - that's a clever idea. That would sure inspire me. I haven't tried Hoopla - should I take a look?

>19 EBT1002: Hiya, Ellen! We pride ourselves on no cholesterol zero calorie food with maximum flavor (for those with good imaginations). I agree; better to take advantage with treats like cheese fries.



Let's make sure we have plenty of book bullets, fine cuisine (including cheese fries) and sparkling conversation in the cafe in 2016! Thanks for your good wishes for our family and loved ones - right back at you and P and those you love.

Hi Joe. I have already had a triple-shot flat white and 3x mallowpuffs (just to keep on an even keel, you understand). But I'm sure a virtual 'same again' won't hurt!? :)
Welcome back, and yay- the cafe is open!

>20 maggie1944: Hi, Karen! Me, too - what a great place we have to yack about books! I feel lucky every time I think about LT and the 75ers.

>21 drneutron: Thanks, Jim! Can't wait to see what we all come up with this year. :-)

Dropping my star so I can salivate.

Cheesy fries AND lists of books? Great start to 2016!

Happy New Year, Joe. I was glad to see the cafe open after a walk in the chilly fog. Any chance of a cup of tea?

Dropping a star ......

It's good to see The Cafe open again. I mostly stop by for the company and to look at the art on the walls. That's a great list of your faves, Joe. You got two of my favorite authors confused, though. Barbara Kingsolver wrote The Bean Trees.

Happy New Year to you and your family.

Happy new year, Joe!

Yay! The Cafe is open! Dropping a star and snatching a fry.

Thanks for keeping the place running Master Joe, 2016 wouldn't be the same without you! If I ever win the lottery, I'm going to open a real Joe's Book Cafe. We'll discuss royalties ;)

>25 thornton37814: Ha! We'll keep the mouth-watering food and drink coming, Lori.

>26 charl08: Yes! Thanks, Charlotte. Hard to do better than books and cheesy fries. Maybe a few donuts and cookies for dessert?

>27 Familyhistorian: Hi, Meg. This is a good time of year to hang out in the cafe, right? Chilly fog not allowed in here. A cuppa? Sure. Maybe a few treats to go with?

Have a wonderful bookfilled 2016, Joe.

>28 roundballnz: Good to see you, Alex.

>29 Donna828: Thanks for catching the Erdrich/Kingsolver flub, Donna. Fixed it up. I almost put The Round House on the list. Putting all that together yesterday was a bit of a challenge.

I'm glad you like the list of faves. Great year of reading - it was hard to leave some off, like Mrs. Dalloway.

Happy New Year to you and yours!

>30 xymon81: Hiya, xymon! Happy New Year!

Thanks for the most excellent Tardis celebration.

>33 jnwelch: Chocolate-covered donuts, yes, please (especially the ones filled with Bavarian creme)!

>31 katiekrug: Happy New Year, Katie. We're off soon to "The Force Awakens'. I suspect you'll see that one, if you haven't already?

>32 dragonaria: Hiya, Kimberly! Happy New Year!

My pleasure - the cafe practically runs on its own with people stopping by.

Ha! I know, I dream of a real Joe's Book Cafe, too. No royalties necessary. :-) I managed bookstores way back when, but we never had a cafe. I met up with Dr. Neutron at Kramerbooks and Afterwords cafe in Washington, DC, and that was pretty close to the way I'd like to do it in my dreams. Elliot Bay Books in Seattle, too.

>34 PaulCranswick: Lovely sentiment, and messenger, Paul. We're lucky to love reading, aren't we - we know every year is going to give us great books that we can choose to read. Hope you have a wonderful book-filled year, too.

>36 thornton37814: Another special Bavarian creme-filled chocolate donut coming up, Lori!

Morning, Joe! Happy Saturday! Just trudging the route but I am bundled and have my books, so all is good, my friend. Enjoy the day.

Happy New Year Joe!



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

Lovely thread toppers as always! I see we share 2015 favourites in several categories, starting with fiction of course, since that is my go-to category in general. Really glad I picked up Nimona as soon as I'd seen you, Ellen and others giving it high praise. It came just at a time when I most needed a pick-me-up and was a real joy. Lovely list of gifted books, and ashamed to say many of the books on your "under-appreciated" list don't sound familiar to me at all... though I'm also rather chuffed I opted to add Anita Rau Badami to the CAC, which should help her get a bit of exposure among some people in this group (starting with me). Did I mention I took an art class with her a few years back? She was a really interesting lady, and rather charming. I didn't know her full name then, and was very curious to find out what she'd written when she mentioned in passing having just submitted her latest book to her publisher, but for some silly reason felt too shy to ask.

Wishing you the best of everything this New Year! xox

Love the new cafe, Joe!

Wishing you a Happy New Year and best wishes for 2016!

>22 jnwelch: Joe try Hoopla if your library offers it. They have quite a lot of comics on there and there is no waiting. You can get 8 or 9 titles a month (I forget which) and keep for 21 days. They have ebooks, audios, movies, tv shows and of course comics. That is where I found Velvet, Vol 1. They have the Lumberjanes, Saga, Fables and many other traditional series (Batman etc...) Give them a try if your library offers it.

They have Sandman too!

ETA: I'll have the Mamie special if it's available this morning. If not then I'll take it via time warp. It's a good fit for merienda.

I'll also have the Mamie special. *sits down across from Roberta* You're gonna like The Force Awakens - we just went to see that yesterday with the whole gang, and it was fabulous.

Mamie's here! While we wait for our specials...

Excellent thought, Ro!

The café is hopping! Why does this not surprise me?

JOE! Can't tell you how much I've missed you. I'm asking for a window seat which I'll occupy all year.

Taking my usual seat over by the comic book spinner rack.

Any chance of some hot gingerbread and a little fresh whipped cream?

While Judy's not watching?

Happy New Year to Joe and Mrs. Joe and all the ships at sea.

>38 jnwelch: Thanks for including a "cup of Joe." I needed to wake up!

Sigh. Still no LIKE button

>37 jnwelch: - Yep, we saw 'The Force Awakens' with my sister- and brother-in-law in Florida last week. We all liked it :)

ETA: We also saw 'The Big Short' which I also recommend!

Did someone mention gingerbread? I'm for that!

I don't know where the proprietor is, but I thought I'd sneak behind the counter and help myself. I adore gingerbread cake! Anyone else, while I'm at it? Jim? Linda?

>37 jnwelch: Joe, whenever you start that brick & mortar café, let me know...I'll be standing in line. If there ain't parking, just make sure it's near the Brown Line, preferably Rockwell or Francisco (no pressure). :)

Fun thread topper pix, Joe! Great choices! I am still craving a nice soft ginger cookie. Happy New Year!

Ellen, what a great idea. Me, too! I'll just sit in this here corner and read my newly arrived copy of Lumberjanes.

Dropping off a star Joe!

>39 msf59: Morning, Mark!

Hope yesterday wasn't too bad, and you have a good day off today. We went and saw the new Star Wars yesterday, in one of the theaters with the mega-comfortable seats. Our first time trying that - it was grrreat.

Debbi says Hi, Mark! Happy New Year! Can't wait to see you and Sue soon!

She's very peppy. I need to head out and get some coffee.

Happy Sunday, Joe! Are you still lounging in the comfy seat?

Mmm, ginger cake :-)

>40 Smiler69: Beautiful sentiment from Jacques Brel, Ilana, thanks. May this be a year that we all realize some of our dreams.

Glad you like the toppers. Good to hear from an artist as accomplished as you are.

Nimona was a treat, wasn't it? I love it when a book shows up at just the right time; I'm happy that it did for you.

A lot of the books on the under-read and under-appreciated list are unknown to me, too. That's part of the appeal of it to me - they generally are books that have meant enough to the submitters to give to someone else to read. So I'll be checking them out.

Sounds like Anita Rau Badami is one of the gems in there. (I love the word "chuffed" btw). Good for you for putting her into the CAC. How cool that you met her in an art class!

My first "challenge" read this year is War and Peace. With the help of the group read, I'll finally finish it.

Best wishes to you for a wonderful New Year. We'll at least all help each other make sure it's one full of great reads.

>41 lkernagh: Hiya, Lori. Oh good. We aims to make this cafe a good place to hang out. Happy New Year!

>42 luvamystery65: Thanks, Roberta. Does Hoopla supply hard copies via the library, or only e-books? Right now I'm not a big fan of reading graphics on e-readers.

"Merienda" = afternoon snack, right? Good word to know. Has a nice sound to it, too.

Yes, because the cafe owner was goofing off again, we'll have to time warp that Mamie usual to you. :-) Here you go:



>43 Crazymamie: The Force Awakens was fabulous, Mamie. We saw it in 3D and really enjoyed ourselves (daughter Becca went with us). We thought that Daisy Ridley as Re (or Ray?) was the key. Apparently this was her first movie, and she was so good! If she hadn't been, it would've really hurt the overall movie. They made it clear there are more to come, right? Hope they keep that JJ Abrams at the helm.

It does seem like Mamie should be able to have the Mamie special. Since you've made it so popular, this one is on us.

Thanks, Joe! Agree that the casting of Rey was key - she did such a great job! And yes, there are more coming. WHoot! I think the kids are going to go back to the theater to see it in 3-D.

>44 luvamystery65: Nice, Roberta! I'll join you and Mamie in quaffing mimosas this morning.



>45 Crazymamie: Agreed, Mamie!

>46 EBT1002: Hiya, Ellen! Nothing like a good cafe to hang out in, that's what I always say. :-)

>47 Thebookdiva: ABBY! There's our favorite book diva! How great to see you back in the cafe (I'm wearing out the poor exclamation mark). We've missed you big time, you know. Rumors on the street were you might have your own thread again?

Window seat reserved for the year - done. We look forward to seeing you here!

>48 magicians_nephew: Ha! We'll try to distract Judy, Jim, while you have that hot gingerbread with a little fresh whipped cream.

Happy New Year to you both, and we'll double up on the happy wishes to all the ships at sea.

>62 jnwelch: Thanks for my special and I'm all about sharing mimosas.

Hoopla is strictly electronic. It's odd reading GNs this way but my spending on books is restricted so I'm venturing out.

Aw, you're so sweet. Yes, I do indeed have a thread again.

I lOVED the new Star Wars movie. Rey was definitely my favorite character. Maybe my favorite character in all of the movies, which is saying a lot because I'm a huge Harrison Ford fan. I'm surprised to learn that it was her first movie. Though I'm sure that she'll have plenty of offers after her performance in The Force Awakens. And yes, there are more movies to come. This will be the third trilogy of the Star Wars universe.

>49 thornton37814: You're welcome, Lori! You and me both. I'm starting to wake up, and to keep up with the peppified Madame MBH.

>50 mckait: Hiya, Kath. I know - a "Like" button would be so welcome on LT. Some day?

Hope you're doing well. Happy New Year!

>51 katiekrug: Oh good, Katie. I figgered. The Force Awakens was a good 'un, wasn't it? What a relief after the sub-pars that followed the original trilogy.

I've seen lots of raves about The Big Short. Not usually my kind of movie (the finance stuff bores me), but that cast looks stellar.

>52 laytonwoman3rd: I love gingerbread, too, Linda. A little more wouldn't hurt, right?

>53 EBT1002: Ha! That darn proprietor. Thanks for pitching in, Ellen. I'll sure take some of that gingerbread.

>54 kac522: Ha! Good plan, Kathy. I'm a Brown line aficionado myself - we're near the Addison stop. I'm starting to cut back in RL - a brick and mortar cafe would be a swell second act, wouldn't it?

>55 vancouverdeb: Hiya, Deb! Thanks. Glad you like them toppers. The first one was a natural for the cafe, and I like the way she uses color in particular.

A soft ginger cookie? Mmm. I'm a cookie monster - great idea.



>56 maggie1944: Hiya, Karen! You bet - we've got gingerbread and now ginger cookies. Lumberjanes - I had a lot of fun with that one. Hope you enjoy it.

>57 SandDune: Great to see you, Rhian! Thanks for dropping off the star. Happy New Year!

>59 kidzdoc: Ha! I gotta tell you, Darryl, if they didn't insist on kicking us out after the movie, I might still be sitting/napping in that comfy seat. They're big, comfortable - and they recline. Oh, and the movie was pretty good, too. :-)

I saw your "Bum" comment over on FB. That's my aspiration, you know. I'm ready to put my all into it.

>60 charl08: Happy New Year, Charlotte! Ginger cake - yes, let's have some more, shall we?

>63 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie - and now I can spell Rey the right way. :-) She was so good! She must have theater background. I plan to look her up. Seems like a pretty risky move to hire a novice for such a high profile, expensive movie, but is sure paid off.

More Star Wars movies like this one will be welcome. Do you know whether Abrams will direct?

I can definitely recommend seeing The Force Awakens in 3D - great use of that medium.

>67 Thebookdiva: Hi, Abby! You're not going to believe this, but I just saw your mom in the cafe. What are the odds?

Daisy Ridley as Rey may be my favorite from all the movies, too, and you're right, that's saying a lot. I thought we might be heading for another trilogy - glad to hear it! I just hope this JJ Abrams keeps directing them. The last trio was disappointing, and this one was back to the high quality fun.

We need to find out whose child Rey is, right? I'm seeing speculation that she's related to Obi-wan Kenobi.

Yes, they definitely need to keep JJ Abrams. I think my siblings and I are going to go see it again, but this time in 3-D. I can't wait. Anakin's story line was my least favorite as well, I think because it lacked, as you said, that fun quality. It was too serious. But the costuming was epic.

I know! oh, I didn't even think of Obi-Wan Kenobi. I would think though that she'd be too young to be Obi-Wan's daughter. We thought she might be Luke's daughter.

>72 Thebookdiva: Yeah, great visuals in the last trio, but they lacked the wit, and we didn't think the acting was as good either.

You'll love TFA in 3D - we sure did.

I know, Obi-Wan seems too old to me, too. Maybe his granddaughter? Luke is another good possibility. Their meeting up would take on added meaning then, right?

Just seeing a star wars movie in theater was amazing. I got really giddy when the words started scrolling. Completely different experience than watching it at home.

Yep, that's what we thought.

Morning Joe! Happy Sunday! Lots of joyful activity over at the Cafe. Nice to see all the Star Wars love. My son and I, might see The Hateful Eight this afternoon. Expectations a bit low for that one, but I want to see it on the big screen. We will miss the final Bears game. What a damn shame, right?

Finished French Milk. I like her style. Might go to the Saga Universe next...

>58 jnwelch: did enjoy Lumberjanes great book

>74 Thebookdiva: Way back when, I saw the first Star Wars movie in a theater in New York City when it had just come out, Abby. (I was living there). I had no idea what I was in for; a friend just suggested we go, and no one had ever seen anything like it. I was knocked on my keister.

Yeah, they're so much better in the theater. We always try to figure out which movies would be better in a theater than at home. "Avatar" is one movie we urged people to see in the theater in 3D. To me, it was sort of like a theme park ride, and the 3D added to it quite a bit.

>75 msf59: Morning Mark! Happy Sunday!

Ha! Yeah, what a shame to miss the Bears game. Like watching water running down the drain. Oh well. This does seem like a good coaching staff - there's some reason for optimism for 2016.

We want to see "Hateful Eight", too. We liked the controversial "Django Unchained" and many of his other ones. Karen M. says Hateful Eight is very violent and bloody, but that seems to come with the territory with Tarantino.

As you know, I liked French Milk a lot. It's her style, you're right - nothing earth-shaking, but so engaging. The fifth Saga was a bit all-over-the-place for us (lots of plot lines and characters), but still good. I'm reading a Buffy Season 10, which actually is quite good, but it may be time for me to hang it up with this series. We'll see.

I've started War and Peace for the Group Read. This guy's a pretty good writer, it turns out. :-)

ETA: >77 jnwelch: Oh good, Jim. I'm glad you enjoyed Lumberjanes. For me, it was right up there with Nimona.

>61 jnwelch: "chuffed" is an British word I learned from the same former English boyfriend who coined the nickname "Smiler". He was one of the really decent ones who left a positive imprint (obviously, otherwise not likely I'd be using his nickname for me, is it?), and I don't know whether any self-respecting person in the UK still uses the word ten years on or so, but I like it and find it expresses just the thing when I'm wanting to say "pleased" with a little extra oomph.

I'm taken it upon myself to read War and Peace as well. Any day/moment now, I shall plunge in. Considering I've read Tolstoy's AK three times so far (starting age 12, mind you), I'm fairly sure I'll find he was a decent writer when he wrote W&P too. ;-)

>78 Smiler69: Such a great word, Ilana - and kudos to the FEB (former English boyfriend) for coming up with that excellent nickname.

Another Brit word I love is "codswallop." What a load of codswallop - opportunities abound these days to use that one.

I'm not a big Anna Karenina fan, which I know is sacrilegious to many. I am a fan of the Kitty and Levin book inside it, but Anna and Vronsky drove me bonkers.

Ah, I'm hitting the W&P road, too. Just finish reading this thread, and I'm going back to it. Read a bit yesterday, and then was distracted by Lumberjanes. Latter is fun! Former a challenge, but a pleasant one.

Happy Sunday, later today: Seahawks at Arizona..... yikes. Likely to be a nail bitter, need the peppered potato chips to munch on!

>80 maggie1944: I'm finding W & P more pleasant this time around, too, Karen; not sure why. Just where I am in life, I guess.

Ha! Get those chips ready. Seahawks v. Arizona should be a great game. Our poor Bears are yesterday's news for now, but on the positive side, I won't be biting my nails or overdoing it with peppered potato chips. :-)

Ah, didn't realize W&P was a reread for you. I'm impressed. Mostly because it's such a huge book and those always fill me with awe and make me a little bit scared too. Though I completed Fanny Burney's 1000-pagers Cecilia last month, which I simply adored and seemed completely effortless, taking in just a few chapters a day and not trying to hurry with it, beyond being eager to turn pages to see what next drama would develop and merge into another.

Anna Karenina certainly has its faults, and I can understand a person not being overly fond of it. I liked it best when I was 12 years old, I think; shortly after seeing the tv drama, which of course centred on the romantic aspect of it all (and was gorgeous to look at), and so that what was remained with my young unformed mind upon first reading. This last time round (gosh! Has it been three years already?!), I was a bit impatient with the political aspects of the thing, the farming bits and how ridiculous Anna makes herself for that pain in the @ss Vronski. I think the romantic little girl I once was has quite vanished and now I look at these things with both eyes wide open. But it is still a fascinating novel, and probably it is the flaws, as I see them, that keep me coming back for yet another look-see.

My son can't find his car keys, so we will not be going to the show, which is fine with me. More time for the books. I just started The Invasion of the Tearling. I really liked the first book. You might like this series. I think it will be a trilogy.

Yes, the Bears are on in the background. What a train wreck...

I spent quality time in the kitchen this Christmas. The New Year's Day White Tea at 3:00 p.m. was well attended by neighbors and relatives. It was only marred by the fact that my sister couldn't come because the cows got out and they were in the creek getting them back in and then fixing fence.

The hit dish of the afternoon was the Cherry Sweet Rolls. None left on the tray. This was followed by the Ginger Pear Cake. The Youthberry white tea mix by Teavana was also a hit.

As for books - I had a passel of cousins who had babies last year so here is what I gave them.

Charlie got Peter Rabbit and a stuffed Peter Rabbit.
Roy got a ten set series about Big Machines.
Ray got Little Blue Truck and a stuffed Little Blue Truck.
Zeb got Cat in the Hat and a Cat in the Hat hat.

I left a set of Clifford the Big Red Dog books and a stuffed Clifford for one of the babies who will be here in March and a set of ten Beatrix Potter books for the other March baby. In case neither of those suits I also left Pat the Bunny and a stuffed bunny as a spare choice. I will let my mother pick out which one goes to which.

I'm going to build the word "chuffed" into my vocabulary.

"Chuffed" is a wonderfully useful word. I picked it up, along with "gobsmacked" from a Canadian friend.

>82 Smiler69: More like 1.5 than second time around for W & P, Ilana. I made it halfway through the first time, many years ago, and then put it aside. I'm liking it better this time.

All you say makes sense for Anna Karenina. Even the parts that aggravated me merited respect.

Where are the great Russian writers today, I wonder? Solzhenitsyn is the last one I can think of that I read a lot of.

>83 msf59: Things work out one way or another, don't they, Mark. I'm glad you got some extra reading time.

I don't know the Tearling books, so I'll follow your reactions with interest.

Well, the Bears are done for the year, thank goodness. I like this coaching staff; let's see whether they can get some good players in here.

Now we can concentrate on the Bulls and Blackhawks. Another nice win for the Bulls today. Jimmy Butler is killing it out there.

"Where are the great Russian writers today, I wonder?"
That is an interesting question. I used to have a "subscription" to archipelago books. Maybe I'll go to their website and at least see what Russian novels they have in translation.

ETA: Not much. A couple by Yuri Rytkheu....

>84 benitastrnad: Sounds like that White Tea Party was a winner, Benita. "The cows got out and were in the creek" = wonderful excuse! We don't get to hear ones like that much any more.

Clifford the Big Red Dog, Peter Rabbit, and The Cat in the Hat, lots of good memories there. Nice choices, and lucky kids.

>85 EBT1002:, >86 laytonwoman3rd: Ellen and Linda, I'm gobsmacked by and so chuffed at these cool Brit words. Blimey!

If only we could all go out for a chip butty!

edited to spell that "correctly." silly Brits.

>88 EBT1002: Yeah, seems like they're in a dry spell over there, Ellen. I've not read Yuri Rytkheu. Any good?

ETA: >90 EBT1002: Give us a bloomin' chip butty, proprietor!

>91 jnwelch: No idea.

Chip Butty

Go figure.

>91 jnwelch: Me either, Ellen.

>92 EBT1002: I need to tell our french fry, I mean, chips-loving son about this delicacy. A nice pint with it and we're all set.

Wow, the cafe is hopping, Joe. I'm not too sure about the chip butty but all the ginger cake with whipped cream looks delish!

Hi Joe, wonderful cafe for the new year. I'll take a coffee, I'll be really chuffed if I can finish my current read, Winter before the end of the night.

Oh, man, I could use a strong cup of coffee this morning... First day back to work. :(

>97 drneutron: Yeah, I'm not a fan of Mondays, either, Jim.

Morning Joe! Please put the good doctor's coffee on my tab; I'll take a triple shot latte, and I wouldn't say no to a blueberry scone.

>95 Familyhistorian: Hiya, Meg. Yeah, it's been great to have the place hopping. I think most of us are not too sure about the chip butty, although it does seem made for french fry/chip lovers. I'll join you in sampling the ginger cake instead.

>96 avatiakh: Thanks, Kerry. Oh, I loved Winter and that series. I'm chuffed that you're reading it. Coffee coming up with a little extra; hope you get that chance to finish the book.

>97 drneutron: Hey, Dr. Jim. I know, tough to return to work after the holidays. Strong coffee coming up. That nice lady from the Pecan Paradisio says it's on her.



>98 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie. I'm not a fan of Mondays either, and this may be the toughest one of the year. I'm still in holiday sleep-in mode.

Jim's coffee will be on your tab when we find it; we seem to have misplaced all the tabs.

Triple shot latte and a wouldn't-turn-it-down blueberry scone coming up.

Delightful! Thank you, Joe!

>101 Crazymamie: A pleasure, Mamie!

Morning Joe! Ooh, that building was someone's stroke of genius. Is there any hot chocolate to be had?

Morning Abby!

Isn't that building cool? I'd love to see even more clever art on buildings, especially living in the city.

Hot chocolate is just the thing this time of year, isn't it. Here you go:

You're a peach!

A little early in the am for me to even look at the French Fry sandwich (chip butty?) - or whatever you call it! Argh! But ginger cookies....

>106 Thebookdiva: :-)

>107 vancouverdeb: Right, the chip butties are a bit much for me, too, at this early hour, Deb.

Mmm, ginger cookies.

Happy New Year, Joe!! Great book-lists.

>109 banjo123: Happy New Year, Rhonda! Thanks - glad you like the book-lists. I wanted to be sure to carry over some of the ones we voted on in 2015.

Joe, I hope you have a good start into the new week.

Ah, finally this place looks more like a Café. Love it. May I have a dessert, please.

Afternoon, Joe. Survived into 2016. Just starting the latest Cormoran Strike, and thinking it's time for a cuppa.

PS: Love that mighty stack o' reading up top. I notice the books all are hardcovers.

>111 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara.

So far the start to the week has been A-OK. But I still like goofing off better. :-)

Glad the cafe is shaping up for you in the new year. Dessert? Get that spoon ready:



>112 weird_O: Afternoon, Bill. Ha! Yeah, we made it to 2016. Last year sure was an eventful one in our family. This one should be a bit calmer, with any luck.

Cuppa coming up. Glad you're loving that stack o' books. A close look gives a clue that Isabelle Plante is French.

>113 jnwelch: Arrgh, I can see the coffee but not my dessert, Joe. :(

>114 Ameise1: How about now, Barbara? I had to replace the other one - the site must've had some kind of block on it.

No :(. What kind of dessert would it be?

It is going to be a cold night here in the South and I was thinking that some ginger cookies and coffee would be nice this afternoon, and low and behold the cafe already has them. Then I changed my mine and thought that a pear ginger cake and coffee would be a good pick-me-up this afternoon. Would the cafe have that?

>116 Ameise1: Huh. Shoot. Several delicious and small-ish ones, Barbara. I'll try again with a different dessert. How about this?



>117 benitastrnad: Hiya, Benita. A pear ginger cake sounds mighty good. Here you go.

Oooooooh, wow, sooooooooo delicious, THANKS sooooo much for these desserts, Joe. xx

>119 Ameise1: Yay! You're most welcome, Barbara.

Happy New Year, Joe! Dropping off my star.

Hi, Joe! Busy day at the office. 3 more days before vacay! Yah!!

Lots of fattening images around here, trying to read between close fingers...

That pear ginger cake takes the cake, if you know what I mean. A bit of cream on top, and it would be sheer heaven.

Mmm all those great deserts but on a cold day like today some soup would hit the spot. What is the soup du jour?

Joe, the cafe is as enticing as ever! Hope you're having a great week.

There was a place back in the day that served hamburgers and fries in big baked on premised pita bread.

If you ordered a burger and fries they put the burger AND THE FRIES in the pita.

I liked it - it was a ketchup lovers holiday - but some people looked askance.

Morning, Joe!

>121 bell7: Happy New Year, Mary! Thanks for dropping off a star. Looking forward to a most excellent 2016.

>122 msf59: Hey, Mark! Looks like we're getting a bit of a warm-up before vacay starts, too. Do you have plans, or is this a take-it-easy-at-home-and-try-to-avoid-chores vacay?

>123 laytonwoman3rd: Doesn't that look good, Linda? We've got some whipped cream here somewhere.

>124 Familyhistorian: Hmm, good thought, Meg. I'm a fan of New England clam chowder. If that doesn't suit, I'm sure we've got some Plan B soup.



>125 AMQS: Oh good, Anne. We aims to entice. :-)

Not a bad week so far. I quickly got used to one shorter than 5 days, though, so let's talk at the end of the week.

>126 magicians_nephew: That sounds like one where you needed a Joe E. Lewis-sized mouth, Jim. Here's a different take on enjoying both at the same time:



>127 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! Hope all is well at the Pecan Paradisio.

The clam chowder looks good, Joe. It looks like it comes with its own bread. I'll be ready for a nap after that!

>131 Familyhistorian: Ha! Glad the chowder looks good, Meg. Napping is almost as good as eating. This is a great time of year for it, too.

All this food looks so delicious while I am eating my steel cut oatmeal. Phooey! Lose weight=buy books. Lose weight=buy books. I will just keep repeating my mantra. ;-)

>133 luvamystery65: Ha! My sympathy, Roberta. I do think you've set up the best reward system ever.

We'll keep the zero-cal dishes coming here.

I am going to hijack your thread for a minute.

Librarything is giving away free passes to the American Library Association winter meeting. The conference will be held in Boston, MA starting this coming Friday, January 8, 2016 and ending on Monday, January, 11, 2016. The passes will get you into the exhibit hall.

Here is the link for the free passes to ALA Boston. They are courtesy of the LT Goddess Abby Blachley.

https://www.compusystems.com/servlet/ar?evt_uid=314&oi=1Trx3hK26xzHoIiGjo9vo...
That's the link to use for free exhibit-only passes!
Best,
Abby

You have to have a lanyard and name tag to get into the exhibit hall. To do that you will take the printed out pass from the above link to the registration area. Go to the line that says Exhibits Only Passes. Once you get that name tag you can then go to the exhibit hall. The pass will be good for all three days of the conference. The passes will not get you in anywhere else but the exhibits. You can get a special pass if you are handicapped, otherwise wheeled apparatus' of any kind are not allowed on the exhibit hall floor.

The exhibit hall is a big wonderland of free, or very reduced price books, and all other things library. The publishers will be giving away ARC (Advance Reader's Copies) of books that will be published between January 2016 to June 2016. They will often sell books as well. Usually paperbacks will be $5.00 and hardbacks will be $10.00. If you are unsure if the books are free or not, just ask one of the sales reps in the booths. They will be happy to help you - but remember that the booths can get quit crowded and so the sales reps can't give you their undivided attention.

I would recommend that if you want to attend that you come on Saturday or Sunday, as those will be full days in the exhibit hall. There will be authors galore on those two days. There will be adult, YA, and children's authors. In the last few years it seems that there are more and more children's authors who will be signing books, but there will be plenty of both. Many of these authors will be new and unknown authors who the publishers want librarians to get to know and then push their books to the public. Often publishers will have free books that the authors will sign for you.

You will get a book that will guide you around the various exhibits in the hall. The exhibits are grouped by type so the book publishers will be in one area, the graphic novel publishers in another. Please take the time to visit the LT booth and talk with Tim and Abbey. They love to hear from LT members.

You can bring suitcases and check them at the bag check. You can't take rolling cases into the exhibit hall without a special pass. You can go in and out of the exhibit hall once you have the name tag, so you can use the suitcases to store your swag and books while you go back to the exhibit floor for more ARC's. (Ask Joe about how many trips he has made in the past to the bag check area!)

I will be around, but have a busy day lined up for Saturday, as I have committee meetings and have a big meeting scheduled for that day. If you want to get me, please e-mail me at this address. bstrnad@ua.edu I will be checking my e-mail while at the conference. You can also post to my profile page here on LT. I will check it when I can do so.

I would love to meetup with any LT members who will be in Boston. Coffee late in the afternoon is great as my feet and shoulders hurt by the end of the day on Sunday. I will also be free for lunch on Monday, but let me know via e-mail if you would like to meetup and I will be happy to do so.

>135 benitastrnad: Thanks, Benita. I look forward to hearing which LTers take advantage of this. We've had a blast going to ALA meetings in Chicago.

>130 jnwelch: Now that version looks tasty. French fries between two slices of white bread, not so much.

>137 laytonwoman3rd: :-)

Loving the New England Clam Chowder. Now you all just have to head to the great Northeast to share some with me!

I just signed up for the ALA Midwinter Conference this weekend in Boston -- Thanks Benita!

I think Suzanne is also coming for some of it.

Anyone else? PM me.

>103 jnwelch: That's a great image!

I'm not sure, but I think just visiting this thread might elevate my cholesterol levels..... :-)

hullo, Joe. just swooping by to drop off a loquat heaven cake as a new year thread present. this is my piece. the rest is in the back. i'm having it w/ a late cuppa while i listen to a little Etta James.



so nice to be here. *sigh*

Morning Joe! Happy Hump Day! Yes, this will be a "take-it-easy-at-home-and-try-to-avoid-chores vacay." My favorite kind.

Of my current reads, I am not sure A Little Life is your cuppa, (I am loving it, though) but I think you would like The Invasion of the Tearling. Solid fantasy.

Our f2f book group read the Tearling book 1, and I think I went on to read the rest, and we all liked the series. I join Mark in saying you would like it, I think.

Morning, Joe!

>139 michigantrumpet: I'd love to join you for some New England clam chowder, Marianne. I can't believe we haven't had something out Boston way for so long. It'll happen.

So glad to hear you're going to ALA. Hope you have as much fun as we did. I'll look forward to hearing.

>140 EBT1002: Isn't that cool street art up in >103 jnwelch:, Ellen. I'd love to have something like that near us.

We try to provide all the flavor of the real thing we no calories or cholesterol effects. The trick is to make sure what you enjoy in the cafe stays in the cafe. :-)

>141 mirrordrum: Hullo, Ellie. Happy New Year. Great to see you.

That looks like a little bit of loquat heaven. Do loquats taste like apricots? I've never had one.

Some heavenly cake with a cuppa and Etta James sounds idyllic. Nice to have you here!

>142 msf59: Happy Hump Day, Mark! One of my favorite kinds of vacations is nearly here for you. We had some of that chore-avoiding relaxation in the last part of the holidays, with the long weekend.

The Tearling books look like quality fantasy; thanks for the tip. I may never be reading another book, though, as it looks like I'll be reading War and Peace for the rest of my life. I've turned off the "percentage read" on my Kindle, as it makes me feel like I'm barely exceeding zero miles per hour. But the book is very good - did I forget to mention that?

>143 maggie1944: Oh good, Karen, thanks for the Tearling endorsement. It always helps to get multiple positive reactions.

>144 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! I'm betting you're having some sort of beautiful weather and missing Indiana winters?

I'm feeling the size of W&P too and am going to look for a CD set so I can listen to it in the car during the drive north every morning. That worked well with the Biography of Joseph P. Kennedy which was big, too.

Happy middle of the week!

Sunny and 37F here currently, Joe - going to 53F today. I definitely don't miss the Indiana winter!

I didn't know that you could turn off the percentage read on a Kindle...must investigate.

>148 maggie1944: Good idea, Karen. I tried putting together a direct electronic connection of W & P to my brain, but apparently technology hasn't developed that far yet. So instead I'll continue reading it until I'm six feet under.

Happy Mid-Week! So far getting back to a 5 day work week isn't as bad as I feared.

>149 Crazymamie: Ah, not as nice in your locale as I thought, Mamie, although low 50s would be mighty welcome here. I'm shocked that you don't miss Indianan cold, snow and ice more.

Yeah, just touch the screen at the bottom of the Kindle, and all sorts of permutations happen.

Oh, I do miss the cold, Joe - just not the winter. Winter in Indiana means worrying about frozen pipes, needing to salt the walkways, getting the driveway plowed, scraping the windows of the car before you can go anywhere, letting the car warm up and hoping that the locks haven't frozen...and every single winter at least once someone slid off of our county road and took our mailbox out. Good times, eh? I like not having to deal with all of that, but I do miss the cold. We are supposed to be back up to the 70s by Friday, and I don't like that. Today's weather is what I want for winter.

And thanks for that Kindle tip!

>151 Crazymamie: You miss the cold? That just shows that heat has addled you. Back to the 70s sounds fantastic.

Ha! I like the 70s, just not in the middle of winter.

>151 Crazymamie: I'm still trying to wrap my head around this, Mamie. Frozen pipes - great motivation to go to a restaurant. Salt - only if you don't get a kick out of slipping and falling, and working like crazy to make it halfway down the block. Scraping the windows of the car - better than Jazzercise when you get down to it. Letting the car warmup - great time to read. Cold - well, you like that one, but it also lets you keep food fresh in the backyard. You're probably missing it more than you realize.

We sometimes go to some place that's warm this time of year, just to better appreciate what we've got at home.

>152 Oberon: If it were in the 70s, Erik, we'd just be warm and comfortable and missing out on the challenge.

>153 Crazymamie: If I were being honest, Mamie, I'd take the 70s any time. Luckily, I'm not being honest.

Too funny, Joe! Yes, how can I possibly be happy without all of that?!

I have to take a late lunch today, but some nice banana bread and a cup of coffee would work well right about now. Can the cafe deliver?

Thanks for letting me hijack your thread for the Boston ALA. Looks like there might be several people who are going to take advantage of the free passes. I hope to be able to be around a little to give some guidance to those folks and have a meetup.

>154 jnwelch: I would add to your point about keeping food fresh outside that my experience is not that it stays fresh but that it is frozen. I recently hauled all of the beer that was in the garage into the house because the alcohol was freezing. What's not to love about that?

Looks like the meetup is in the works for ALA. My first one, so I'm happy for any tips/guidance!!!

>154 jnwelch: *SNORK!!* Love it!

>156 Crazymamie: Just trying to help you come to grips with all this, Mamie. I know that Pecan Paradise can be wits-addling.

>157 benitastrnad: Oh my, wish I could give you some of Madame MBH's banana bread, Benita. She found her mother's old recipe, and daughter #1 and I made short work of the delicious result.

Any time re ALA. We're fans, and really appreciate all you do to make attendance free and easy. Looking forward to hearing about how this one in Boston goes.

Ah, the kitchen came through. Here you go:

>158 Oberon: Yeah, that's a good one, Erik. I love working up a thirst by chipping at my beer with an ice pick. And an appetite for my food doing the same with it.

Have we talked about backyard igloos yet?

>159 michigantrumpet: You'll have a blast at ALA, Marianne. Cautionary tale: our voracious-reader daughter filled up three bags of free books in about the first hour or so. I had to haul them back to the car right then so she could start fresh. Tip: parking nearby has its advantages.

You'll want to keep an eye out for author signings. Some of your favorites or favorites-to-be may be in attendance.

Most ALA attendees like to send any good graphic novels they find to me.

Maybe I'm delusional in that last one.

Any other ALA vet cafe patrons out there with other tips for Marianne?

>160 scaifea: Ha! Thanks, Amber. Any day that generates a *SNORK* is a good day. :-)

Evening Joe! Liking the winter sarcasm.

I hope to get to the exhibit hall around 4:00 p.m. and meet up with Marianne, Caro, and others. It is going to be rushed if I do, but by 4:00 p.m. I think there should be several bags of books either hauled to the bag check area or to the parking lots. :-) It's not like Book Expo, but there will be fun aplenty. They are also going to have the PopTop Stage where there will be authors doing talks and some readings from their books.

The PopTop Stage is where I first heard Lisa See and Geraldine Brooks. Back then they were first authors trying to get librarians and people to read their books, and I was an exhausted librarian looking for a place to rest her feet. I sat down and listened to one author and then the second. As a result I got signed copies of Year of Wonders and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and have since read other books by these authors. The latest author I was really impressed with hearing (by chance) was Wolf Haas talking about his mystery novel Brenner and God. He turned out to be funny and my sister got the signed book. She thought it was funny.

Hi, Joe! Good to see the ALA love! You know I had a good time too. Yeah, baby! Book Expo is hitting Chicago this Spring, right?

Joe , last winter when we had all that snow here in MA, I had almost 2' of it on my deck and I dug out a little well and put some bottles of vodka and ice cream in it. Saved my freezer space. :-)

Hey Joe, just catching up. Tomorrow's Thursday and we'll already be a full week into the New Year. Seems unbelievable somehow. I never get used to time continually accelerating.

Hi, Joe! Trying to keep dry and warm here in San Diego, so hot drinks are the thing--thank goodness the furnace was reinstalled last week! Just had a tornado warning, too, not at all the norm here. That's been cancelled now, but we still have flash flood and severe thunderstorm warnings in effect.

Whew. I had to really run fast to get to the end of this tower of greetings and food and fun. Great topper, Joe. Don't let Jim have too much gingerbread, please - and save some for me. He can have all the New England clam chowder - I'm a Manhattanite myself.

I was waiting for a little real winter myself, here in New York, and it has arrived with a spiteful grin. Right now I'm contemplating weatherstripping the leaky windows and hiding in bed. Maybe I'll cuddle up with that large bearish guy on the couch. Bet he's warm.

Happy New Year, Joe! Absolutely love the top thread topper! It is exactly how my TBR pile would look if all the books on my TBR list and on shelves and in miscellaneous piles all over the house were piled one atop the other. And me like one of the little folks below it, running around like a maniac.

A positive review of a poultry book. By me. Yep.

>164 Thebookdiva: Hiya, Abby! Sarcasm? Just helping your mom with how much she misses Indiana winters. :-) How about you? Ice, frozen pipes, scraping windows, taking forever to put enough layers of clothing on to survive walking out the door - I imagine you miss all that kind of thing like crazy.

>165 benitastrnad: Sounds like a most excellent ALA plan, Benita. Take a meetup photo or two if you get a chance.

What a great experience you had with Geraldine Brooks and Lisa See. Year of Wonders is one of my all-time favorite books. An autographed copy - nice. I'd love to hear them read some day.

>166 msf59: Good morning, Mark! Yeah, we had a great time with you at ALA. I didn't have any luck getting you to carry all of Becca's book bags, but otherwise it was primo. :-)

I did see that about Book Expo somewhere. We used to go years ago and had a blast. Not sure whether a way to get in will appear this year or not.

>167 cameling: Ah, good one, Caro. Bottles of vodka and ice cream cooling in the back yard - what's not to like? That might convince Mamie. It's worth whatever they call those things you guys get out there - the huge icicles hanging from the roof? Ice dams?

>168 Smiler69: Hi, Ilana! Yeah, I know, this week has gone surprisingly fast. I think our friend Mark's vacation kicks off tomorrow.

I don't know about you, but I find reading War and Peace really slows down that feeling of acceleration to a slow trudge. A good trudge, with lots to see, but not speedy.

>169 ronincats: Holy Granola, Roni! I always think of your part of the country as idyllic, not dangerously stormy. (I should know better). Hope Mother Nature goes easy on you. Good job getting that furnace reinstalled.

I will say Google has you guys at 58 F right now - we'd be breaking out the shorts here in Chicago. :-)

>170 ffortsa: Does Jim know about the large bearish guy on the couch, Judy?

Jim's quick at the table, so I can't guarantee he won't snag most of the gingerbread. (Did he grow up in a large family? Those types often have developed awesome food-snatching skills, by necessity). But we'll have some saved for you, for sure.



Glad you like that topper. We can use some color this time of year, right? Hope you get some of the weather we're having - it's a not-bad high 30s, before the polar vortex supposedly slams us on Sunday.

I know a lot of people prefer the Manhattan clam chowder. Maybe it's because my dad grew up a Bostonian (Walpole, actually, with his dad working in Boston). We spent a lot of time out there, and I've always preferred that creamy New England clam chowder.

>171 Storeetllr: Happy New Year, Mary! Glad you love that topper. She's got a cool style. Here's another one:



Ha! That does resemble the TBR life, doesn't it?

>172 richardderus: There's the elusive NY warbler! I'll look forward to perusing that, Richard.

Morning Sweetness! I'll hold off on the gingerbread (ginger *shudder*). I'll just settle in my usual window seat with my books. Ah, how I love reading in cafés.

I snagged the brand new copy of Queen of Shadows by Sarah Maas when it came into the library yesterday afternoon. I stayed up far too late and read 120 pages in it last night. It is the fourth book in the Throne of Glass series and it is sooooo delicious. However, this series is published by Bloomsbury Books for Children and this series is most definitely NOT a YA series. Too much sex, sexual violence and psychological dominance and manipulation, as well as gore aplenty. It isn't Game of Thrones level yet, but it is close and most school libraries are going to have trouble having it in their libraries. If the sex and sexual violence doesn't get them f bombs and other swear words will. I know one of the sales reps at Hatchett and I am going to talk to her about this growing problem of adult books being marketed as YA. It won't cause me any problems at the University level but those librarians out in the schools and probably some of the public libraries will have problems.

I find myself conflicted about this as I have never been an advocate of any form of censorship - let the kids read what they will, I say, but as a librarian I also have to be able to trust the publishers to give me books that aren't going to deliberately put me or the library on the firing line. I think this series, and her next one A Court of Thorns and Roses crosses a trust line. I am going to be watching the reviews of anything published by Bloomsbury Children's Books very closely in the future. Especially, as I now contemplate moving back to school libraries as future employment.

Dear Joe, I am not sure that your thread is the best place for me to be given my hopeful intent to shed a few (a lot of) pounds in 2016! I wanted to get back to Kuala Lumpur and plan my menu for the next six weeks but I have certainly slept more than I have munched so far.

Hani will make one of my favourites tomorrow - assam pedas ikan pari - stingray in a hot and sour gravy. Scrumptious honestly. Any recipes to help your buddy shed some weight.

Morning Joe! Sweet Thursday. Not bad out here at all. I would like to see this snow and ice melt off.

Love the TBR Mountain. I can relate.

Morning, Joe!

>177 Thebookdiva: There's our esteemed young lady. Morning, Abby!

Reading in a cafe is one of life's great pleasures, for sure. Enjoy your usual seat, and let us know if you'd like anything non-ginger. :-)

>178 benitastrnad: Really interesting point, Benita. No one wants to censor, but we don't want deceptive categorizing either. I suspect a lot of material that many would consider more appropriate at a later age is creeping into the Young Adult category. But that's a tough one to get at - it would be easier to get agreement, I imagine, on what's inappropriate for middle-readers, than for YA.

>179 PaulCranswick: I've never had stingray in any dish, Paul. That sure looks and sounds good. I can understand it being a favorite.

Anyone have a good low-cal recipe for our pal Paul? 'Tis the season (post-holidays) to pursue slimming, for sure. (Exercise is the only thing that seems to make a whit of difference for me).

>180 msf59: Sweet Thursday, Mark! Yeah, not bad out there at all. I hear we're supposed to get vortexed on Sunday and Monday, but have reasonably nice weather until then. Tomorrow kicks off your vacation, yes? Nice.

Yeah, I suspect LTers everywhere could relate to that TBR mountain. :-)

>181 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! I forgot to mention another couple of winter benefits - snowpeople and snowball fights! Not as much fun piling up grass clippings and throwing pecans at each other, right?

#182
Usually the break-down goes like this.

Children's Picture Books - PreK - 6
Children's Books - Gr.K - Grade 7
YA Books - Gr. 7 - 12

Roughly that corresponds to the ages as follows.

Children's Picture Books - age 0 - 12
Children's Books - Ages 6 - 12
YA Books - Ages 12 - 18

The major ALA awards will be handed out on Monday and roughly the ages for those are as follows:

Caldecott Award (given for illustrations) - this goes to a Children's Picture Book so that is ages 6 -12.
Newberry Books - this goes to the best written Children's Book - it is a literature award. Book is for ages 6 - 12.
Prinz Award - this award is for the best YA book - literature award for ages 12 -18.

Yesterday afternoon I had a patron come in who is in the Creative Writing program here. She was totally unaware of YA books and/or Children's books and the age/grade range for each. She thought that YA meant it was books for Young Adults like her. I asked her age and she said roughly 25. When I told her that publishers consider the ages of 18-25 to be what they call Emerging Adult she was astonished. She thought that she was a Young Adult. (not according to the rough age ranges that ALA follows as do most publishers) She also told me that she thought books like John Greene's Paper Towns and Fault in Our Stars as well as Hunger Games were for people her age. When I pointed out that the heroine of the Hunger Games was 16 and that Suzanne Collins was a Children's book author and asked her if it what she thought made a book an adult, YA, or Children's book. Was it the age of the characters or the content of the book? She told me she had never thought about it. I told her that school teachers, school librarians, and public librarians had to think about that every day when they selected books for classrooms and libraries.

I think that what is driving this change is the money. YA books are selling better than Adult books - even Adult Sci/Fi Fantasy so publishers put books in YA even when it clearly doesn't belong there.

Hi Joe; dropping by to wish you a very Happy 2016.

I can't stay long, even to skim through your thread, or I'll start chewing on my laptop. ;0)

>184 benitastrnad: Yeah, what you call Children's Books is what I know as middle readers, Benita.

Your experience with the Creative Writing programmer is an example of how complicated and arguably artificial the YA designation is. People like me are happy to read John Greene and Suzanne Collins. The Book Thief is a YA book here read by so many adults, and is an adult book in Australia where it was written. YA has some use as a place to put "Books for Teens", and I think most teens like that, in stores anyway, but it isn't simple.

>185 humouress: Hiya, Nina! No worries; unless your laptop is made of candy, it's probably best to leave it alone.

I'm a little later than planned on making my rounds of threads this week but at least I got here on thread 1.

LOVE all the artwork up top!

>173 jnwelch: We did the same thing with storing food outside -- have to be careful with what goes outside to avoid sharing with critters. They didn't manage to access the vodka, though. Lack of opposable thumbs can be damned annoying, eh?

Add me to the Geraldine Brooks love. People of the Book is one of my all time favorites, too. Just finished her The Secret Chord which was wonderful. What a great story teller.

>187 SuziQoregon: Hi, Juli. Glad that topper artwork works well for you.

Yeah, with our loquacious 75er group, we've got some folks who are already on their second thread on 1/7!

>188 michigantrumpet: Hiya, Marianne. I need to read more Geraldine Brook. Good to hear your endorsement of People of the Book and The Secret Chord.

Being careful about critters for backyard food storage is good advice. Raccoons sure come close to having opposable thumbs, don't they, the clever little thieves? I've never seen them quaffing from a vodka bottle, but it wouldn't surprise me.

BTW, if there are any Stephanie Plum fans out there, Tricky Twenty-Two was another fun outing.

>186 jnwelch: I knew it was time to upgrade.

Trying to decide which is my favourite Calvin snowman. The swimming guy actually reminds me of an art show where the artist had somehow created boxes that looked as though they were floating in the sea, not resting on the floor of the gallery. Four floors up, looking out at the Liverpool docks it was a bit unnerving.

All this ginger cake and coffee is leaving me wanting. Yum! Maybe I need to make one for myself....

Anyhow, I'm off to the library now with the family. We are going to walk there! This is achievable now that they have conveniently relocated it about 800m closer to my house. Mwa haha. I'll get it within a block one day!

Ha! I'd like that upgrade, too, Charlotte, although I'm more of a cookie monster than a candy monster.

That swimming snowman with the sharks behind is awfully good. I like the cannonball one a lot, too.

I like the sounds of that art show - wonderful to unexpectedly come upon treats like that.

>192 LovingLit: Ha! Good for you and the family, Megan. Our library is within walking distance - our esteemed daughter, before her most recent move, lived within about a 5 minute walk of it. Within a block would be ideal.

>189 jnwelch:

I am home. I am having a beer! Checking some threads. All is good!

I do not think you will want to read A Little Life. If you do so, it might end our friendship. Grins...

>195 michigantrumpet: LOL! Perfect!

>196 msf59: Excellent, Mark. Enjoy!

I don't think I've ever had that strong a recommendation against a book from you! I will avoid it with utmost care. :-)

ETA: When are you going to start War and Peace? I could use some company for this unending trudge through the Russian snow esteemed classic.

I am riveted to it, Joe but I know this is Not Your Cuppa! Check out my thoughts, on my thread.

I will start W & P, just after vacation. The current reads are piling up...

184>Benitastrnad: Very interesting topic. While reading The Book Thief I was startled to discover it was being marketed as a YA book. I assumed it was because the protagonist was a young girl but I certainly thought the story too adult for a 12 year old. Did you run into issues with that one? I narrated the Library of Congess's audio version of A Court of Thorns and Roses and that certainly was an adult book!

Years ago I read Karen Hesse's Out of the Dust which had a particularly harrowing death scene. A fourth grade teacher friend of mine told me that wasn't unusual for a children's book which amazed me.

>196 msf59: Having Cuba Libre tonight... Checking threads is indeed better after a bit of rum. :)

#200
I think all of the books I have read by Sarah J. Maas are adult books. This comes down to what makes a book a children's book a children's book. Is it content or something else? One of the easiest things to look at is vocabulary and sentence structure. The other thing is language. Swear words really are the kiss of death when it comes to books for YA's and children. Swear words make it very hard to justify putting that book in a school library and many public libraries, unless you don't mind being involved in a controversial book challenge.

I think that the YA designation should be dropped. At this point the YA label is pointless.

Enjoy!

When I was teaching grades 6 and 7 I recommended Out of the Dust frequently and some kids did read it, and thought it was very thought provoking. It probably is not "controversial" as the gritty parts are not sexy or person to person violence; just poverty, grief, and death.

Morning, Joe! Can you hook me up with a scone and a giant vat of caffeine, please? I needs me some wake up!

>199 msf59: Thanks, Mark - I checked out your thoughts on A Little Life on your thread, and get that this is one bus I'll let pass by.

I know, there are so many books I want to read right now! Some good ones from the holidays, and various and assorted others. I want to get an ER done before another one arrives, too.

Happy Friday, and Happy Vacation! Enjoy, buddy.

>200 NarratorLady: I'll look forward to Benita's response, Anne. Many of us were/are certainly capable of handling darker and more challenging reading fare in our teens, but this is a categorizing issue, seems to me. What are readers entitled to expect when presented with a Young Adult book?

>201 drneutron: An inspiring thought, Jim. Of course, I usually check the threads in the morning, and if I started the day with Cuba Libre, I'd probably not be good for much beyond smiling after that.

>202 benitastrnad: Good thoughts, Benita. And even if ones with swear words are screened out, there are, of course, plenty of other types of content that would seem too adult for this category but nonetheless get into it. Doing away with the category "Young Adults" certainly wouldn't bother me a whit.

Morning Joe! Happy Friday! I hope the work day breezes by. Looks like a damp and gloomy day. I think I will be fine, right here.

Glad you had a good time at the play. It sounds like a good one. And I am glad you are enjoying W & P. At least it keeps those pages turning.

I finished Saga, #5. I liked it but not sure I loved it. I still love this world he has created.

>203 DianaNL: Ha! Thanks, Diana. Inspiring. As soon as it calms down around here in RL, I'll do just that.

>204 maggie1944: Thanks, Karen. I've never read Out of the Dust, but it sounds like one I would've appreciated at that age.

>205 Crazymamie: Good morning, Mamie! I sympathize with the need for a wakeup. I'm working on the same. Didn't Sherlock Holmes have a mystery, The Giant Vat of Sumatra? Scones and wakeup elixir coming up. Hope you like cranberry orange scones.

Cranberry orange is perfect, Joe! And that might just be enough coffee for today. I'll let you know if I need a refill. On the plus side, I did get my walk in today, so already I am feeling more energized. GO me!

>210 Crazymamie: Go Mamie! I know I always feel better when I get a long walk in.

If you need a refill, we may need to truck it in. :-)

Morning, Joe! I'll take Abby's share of the gingerbread (in addition to my own, of course)!

Have you seen this, Joe? Had to think of you!

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/01/see-star-wars-the-force-awakens-characters-reima...

Swear words aren't the thing that bothers me, but it sure bothers parents. One f bomb and the book is sure to be challenged by some parent. Principals are so gun shy these days that even if the content of the book is good the mere presence of the f word will cause them to have the librarian jerk it from the shelves. Challenges for books in public schools makes everybody look bad so principals do all they can to not have that happen in their school. I don't blame them.

Out of the Dust is a very good book written by a well respected children's and YA author. It won the Newbery medal. However, it is a hard book to get kids to read. It is a novel written in free verse, and is set in the Great Depression. The structure of the novel makes it more at the upper end of the children's category and the lower to middle of the YA category. I would say that it could be read by grades 6 - 10. Maybe 5th graders could read it and understand it due to the structure of free verse poetry, but it won't work under that grade level due to the way it is written.

I read lots of YA fantasy and can safely say that the vocabulary of most of them is about the same as that of any good U. S. newspaper - about 5th grade reading level. However, just because the novel is readable at 5th grade reading level doesn't mean that it is a children's or YA book. I am currently reading Insurgent and in reading level and structure it is probably about 5th grade. However, I don't think it was intended for 5th graders. I think it was meant for high school students. I also think that the Divergent series is poorly written, plotted, and should have had a good editor. If those things had been done it would have been one book and would have been an adult book. I think that the reason adults read YA books is that they are easy to read. They take less time and effort on the readers part. This causes the YA books to be upped in content but not necessarily in vocabulary, structure, and plot. It is a case of dumbing down adult books and jacking up the action in YA to include sex, violence, and bad language in order to make sales. For that reason librarians and parents need to beware. Librarians should buy these books, as they are fun to read, and parents need to supervise their children's reading better - if they have a problem with what their children read. School librarians in particular are caught in the middle of this squeeze and deserve appreciation for walking this tightrope everyday with their recommendations and purchases.

>212 scaifea: Wise move, Amber. Surprised no one else thought to take Abby's share. Here you go - gingerbread cake with lemon icing.



>213 ronincats: Ha! Right up my alley, Roni, thanks. For some reason our system blocks the images in that link, but I found them elsewhere. Here are a couple for cafe enjoyment:

>214 benitastrnad: Well put, Benita, thanks.

I get it on the swear words. Out of the Dust is one I should check out; Brown Girl Dreaming and The Crossover are both in verse and excellent, as is one of my all-time favorites, Love That Dog by Sharon Creech.

I agree with you about the sub-part writing in the Divergent series. Its clunkiness really stood out for me in that third book. On the other hand, the re-working of them so far has resulted in good movies featuring Shailene Woodley. Supporting your point, I think.

I finally got here to the Cafe, Joe. Happy New Year. I think as so many of us are "watching" our weight right now, the cafe will be extra busy with virtual orders to soothe our cravings. Since my plan is to visit many and drop stars as I go, how about a shot of coffee and a chocolate brownie. That should give me the energy I need.

Happy New Year, Judy!

"virtual orders to soothe our cravings" - nicely put! That's exactly how I view it. Yeah, it's post-holiday slim-down time for a lot of us.

Shot of coffee and a chocolate brownie - I like your style. Here you go (with one or more to grow on).

i'm 72 as of 12:30 pm PST. i would therefore like something delectable to eat of a b'day nature please. a dessert-type something such as would be appropriate for a 72-year-old bear of very little brain who gets a bit peckish around this time of day and has a sweet tooth. i'm thinking kullaj or warbat with cheese stuffing. and some really good coffee with cream. is it possible?

i would also like to say that i'm reading Sisters in Law: How Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg Went to the Supreme Court and Changed the World. not the best written book nor the best of narrators. the fact that i'm enjoying it says much. i'm learning a ton.

lovely to be here. just as i remembered it: perfect. do you know i actually have a Joe's Place in my head.

Happy birthday, Ellie!

I'll have what she's having, Joe, though it's not my birthday. :)

Jumping onto the bullet train ..... do we have a ***ahem*** 'real' chip butty available ??? i.e. one made with chips ( not those french fry things) without mustard, sauce etc ....

Have not had one for awhile am most medical practitioners consider them heart attack on a plate .... but they are soooo good

as for Y.A get rid of it, children's books & adult books in a library, good librarian will know when youngsters are ready for which books .... otherwise are you not stunting the growth of youngsters ???

Ah, finally the weekend. If you have some cinnamon buns and tea for me I'll just sit here in the corner and unwind while I read a book from this stack that I brought with me (trying to keep up with all the challenges). Happy weekend, Joe.

Wishing you a most lovely weekend, Joe.

Morning, Joe! Happy Weekend to you!

Weekend greetings Joe. I need fru-fru coffee, I'm tired of this cold that refuses to let go. At least it isn't a bad one.

I'm SUPER excited because I just got Porco Rosso yesterday! Which means I can watch it today on the surround sound. *happy dance*

Just saw this on FB and thought you'd get a kick out of it, even if you aren't a particular Firefly fan:

>226 Storeetllr: LOVE! STEALING!

*knock knock*

Is the café closed for renovations this weekend?

>219 mirrordrum: Hiya, Ellie! Belated Happy Birthday on Libarything!

Sorry, I've been under the weather. I'm glad I caught you on Facebook.

We've got the time jiggerer warmed up, so let's pull together them birthday vittles. You certainly come up with some unusual treats!



I'd love to see that Joe's place in your head! Sandra Day O'Connor and the Notorious RBG seem fascinating, so I can believe the book and narration of Sisters in Law could be clunky, and the book still very enjoyable.

Sorry you're not feeling well Joe. Hope you have a Sunday of rest and recuperation.

Morning, Joe! Happy Sunday! Sorry you are not feeling well. Hope you can relax today and curl up with the books and some football.

I just got off the phone with Caroline. We will be visiting Boston in early May and we are starting to make arrangements. It will be our first time there and it is shaping up to be a terrific trip AND a good time for a Meet-Up!!

>231 msf59: Boston does seem to be the East coast meet-up hub these days.

Hi Joe. Stopping by to see what you're up to. I'm watching the Seahawks and trying not to let my blood pressure go through the roof. The Seahawks are not making it easy.

Boston is a great city and I so enjoyed meeting Suzanne and Caroline while we were there.

I hope you're having a good Sunday, Joe!

Aw, feel better, Joe. A nice warming cup of hot tea and some chicken soup perhaps?





Hmm, that image of the chicken soup is making my mouth water. May have to make some for dinner today.

Hi, Joe. Just stopping by to drop a star for 2016.

Take it easy Joe! Yum, that chicken soup looks fantastic. I can't complain - I just had a cup of tea with a piece of dark chocolate - very yummy together! :) Off to walk the dog. Brrr!

>236 vancouverdeb: If you like dark chocolate and tea you should try dark KitKat and green tea. They are very good together.

Hi Joe, hope you are feeling better soon.

I think it's a computer virus going around. I've had it and noticed several other LTer's under the weather as well. (or not so well) Hope you feel better soon. How does pizza soup sound?

Thanks, everyone. Still befuddled by a lousy bug. Pizza anything sounds good to me, but I'm restricted to bananas and toast and the like right now. So please help yourselves to what's in the kitchen.

I expect to be back tomorrow.

Bummer, Joe! Hope this is the last day of your "lousy bug". Fingers crossed.

Sending you healing mojo, Joe, and my very best thoughts. Get well soon! We need you!

Get well soon, Joe. Sending lots of healing vibes your way. xx

Hope you feel a bit beter by now, Joe!

Sorry to hear that you've been under the weather. Get well soon!

>229 jnwelch: oh, sweetie. had i but known, i'd have broken into the stores and helped meself.

must be bad GI if you're on the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast). maybe by now it's past-ish tense. my sympathies to your MBH, too, having to deal with you. ;-)

the kullaj is perfection and the coffee with cream astounds me. such magics you work even in your infirmity.

RBG really was something in a younger day. talk about a young Turk. and brilliant with it. wow. she's earned every nap she takes.

take care of your good self.

I'm sorry that you're under the weather with a GI bug, Joe. Can I suggest ginger tea if you have a queasy stomach?

Stopping by to get caught up. Sorry to read you have been feeling under the weather, Joe. I hope you are feeling better really soon!

So sorry to hear you have a bug. Get well soon!

Second opinion in favor of ginger tea! Very good to settle tummy, maybe Ginger Ale could help too? Hope you are all better!

Feel better, Joe!

Love all the beautiful illustrations!

OK, the proprietor is back on his feet. Phew. Thanks for all the good wishes! Let's catch up a bit.

>220 Storeetllr: Hiya, Mary. Hope you got to sample some of the Ellie goodies. There'll probably be more today.

>221 roundballnz: Good morning/evening, Alex. A real chip butty? Let's give it a try.



I have to admit, finding the appeal is tough for an Americano. :-)

>222 Familyhistorian: Woo, Meg, thanks to the proprietor's infirmities, this is going to take some serious time-jiggery. Luckily, cinnamon buns and tea time travel well.



>223 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara. It wasn't the best weekend ever, but all things considered, it was pretty darn good.

>224 Crazymamie: Hope you had a great weekend, Mamie! I'm just bouncing back from some kind of reminder that I'm not always in charge of how things go, aka a bug.

>225 Thebookdiva: Ha! Porco Rosso! Hope you had fun with that one, Abby. Great to see someone digging into Miyazaki's lesser-known works. What's your favorite so far? For me, My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away are probably at the top.

Some fru fru coffee? OK, here you go, this should appeal to your sweet tooth:



>226 Storeetllr: Oh, that mashup works for me, Mary. I am a Firefly appreciator - not sure I rank up there with the mega-fans, but I enjoy it. Nice!

>227 dragonaria: Go for it, Kimberly!

>228 kidzdoc: Close enough, Darryl. The proprietor is often lazy on the weekends, but this time I got knocked on my keister by some bug.

>230 NarratorLady: Thanks, Anne. Lots of rest and recuperation happened, that's for sure. I wasn't good for much, but given my sloth-like tendencies, maybe there wasn't that noticeable a difference. When awake, I did make some progress on War and Peace. I'm starting to think I won't have to be reincarnated in order to finish.

>231 msf59: Thanks, buddy. Happy Tuesday!

That trip to Boston in May sounds great. We love it there. Meetup! Yes!

>232 ffortsa: It does, Judy. I'll have to look for the ALA meetup pics.

>233 EBT1002: Hiya, Ellen! I saw a good part of that MN/Seahawks game. Woo, you don't see a 27-yarder missed very often. That's when you take the win and ride out of town as fast as you can. Go Seahawks!

>234 Storeetllr: Thanks, Mary. Just the ticket. I'm feeling better already. :-)

>235 rretzler: Cool, Robin. Glad you're dropping off a star. Funny, we were just talking about Dublin, Ohio - some LTer got mixed up as to where they were geographically while reading, and we thought maybe they imagined themselves in the wrong Dublin.

>236 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deb. Yeah, we've got that arctic chill here, too. I feel like I've accomplished a day's work by getting here this morning.

>237 EBT1002: Thanks, Ellen. That sums up about how I felt. Eesh.

>238 Familyhistorian: I'm feeling much better, thanks, Meg. I'm not much of chocolate aficionado compared to most, and I'd usually rather coffee than tea, so I'll let you and Deb go to town on the dark chocolate and tea.

>239 dragonaria: Thanks, Kimberly. Apparently there is such a thing as pizza soup (news to me), so let's give it a go:

>241 msf59: You called it, Mark. Yesterday was the last day of that lousy bug. I started feeling a lot better last night. I'm not yet ready to run a marathon, but I've got enough in the tank to goof off at work.

>242 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie! It's good to be needed. I'm not quite fit as a fiddle (not sure how one does that, anyway), and I can't jump over the moon, but I do feel a bit like a feather floating on air. Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor would probably approve.

>243 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara. Those healing vibes helped; I'm in decent shape again.

>244 FAMeulstee: I do, Anita, thanks! The cafe should be running smoothly for a while, anyway.

>245 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte! I'm much improved. Now I just need to stay out of trouble - always a challenge.

>246 mirrordrum: No worries, Ellie. Your birthday takes precedence over any noodle-headedness on my part. It is past-ish tense now, I'm glad to report. And your appreciation for Madame MBH having to put up with me is well-taken. There may be some kind of sainthood recognition up ahead for her.

RBG restores my faith in humanity. She's a special one.

>247 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl. I didn't try ginger tea, but I did have a gingerbread latte or two, thanks to the thoughtful Debbi. Plus ginger snaps. Does that count?

I'm back on my feet and ready to sit down, so that's progress.

>248 lkernagh:, >249 ronincats: Thanks, Lori and Roni! I'm definitely feeling better. We'll see how long I hang in here today.

>250 maggie1944: Oh yeah, Karen, I had ginger ale, too. I'll have to remember ginger tea for next time. Gingerbread latte, ginger snaps and ginger ale - those were on the menu.

>251 Copperskye: Ah, thanks, Joanne! I'm feeling much better. Glad you love those illustrations. We'll have some new ones soon, as this thread is getting long-ish, isn't it?

Morning, Joe! Good to see the proprietor back in the groove. We missed you.

Of course, I am loving my vacation. Looks like a perfect week to be off. I am getting ready to go out and do a bit of shoveling, but at least I get to come right back in.

>262 msf59: Morning, Mark!

Glad you're having such a good vacation. Yeah, this is a day to enjoy being indoors! We even had a neighbor's boy shovel us out, so I'm not complaining.

The new cafe is open . . .

>252 jnwelch: Very nice!

>252 jnwelch: Ha! Good to hear, Alex. I know chip butty fans can be hard to please. :-)