Mamie's 2016 Madness (Page 3)

Continuing with my list of favorite things - the original three Star Wars movies, Harry Potter, mischief...

...

...

snail's pace

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

4. The Fade Out: Volume 1 by Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips (4.25 stars), 2016 acquired paperback, graphic novel recommended by Joe - crime fiction/noir

5. Nimona by Noelle Stevenson (4 stars), library hardback, graphic novel recommended by the LT masses, read this because Abby had it out from the library

6. The Long Way to A Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers (4 stars), 2016 acquired ebook - recommended by Heather

7. Ru by Kim Thúy (4 stars), library paperback

8. Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson (3 stars), library paperback, graphic novel recommended by Karen, read this because Abby had it out from the library

9. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (4.5 stars), audiobook/trade paperback

10. The Fade Out: Volume 2 by Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips (4.25 stars), 2016 acquired paperback, GN - crime fiction/noir

11. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Vol. 1 by Philip K. Dick, Tony Parker illustrator (5 stars), library hardback, GN - science fiction/dystopian

12. The Various Haunts of Men by Susan Hill (3.5 stars), 2013 acquired ebook, mystery - police procedural

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...) COMPLETED




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 COMPLETED

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 COMPLETED
2. The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley ($.99 on Kindle) - blaming this on Roni, who pointed out the deal
3. The Fade Out: Volume 1 by Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, paperback - mentioned by Joe on the GN thread COMPLETED
4. The Fade Out: Volume 2 by Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, paperback - Mark said this one was as good as the first COMPLETED
5. Staked by Kevin Hearne - Iron Druid series
6. Fear Stalks the Village by Ethel Lina White - recommended by Heather ($1.29 on Kindle)
7. Some Must Watch: The Spiral Staircase by Ethel Lina White - Heather's thread($.99 on Kindle)
8. The Lady Vanishes by Ethel Lina White - Heather's thread ($1.99 on Kindle)
9. Put Out the Light by Ethel Lina White - Heather's Thread ($1.29 on Kindle)
10. Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer ($2.99 on Kindle)
11. White Sky, Black Ice by Stan Jones ($1.99 on Kindle)
12. City of Djinns by William Dalrymple ($4.99 on Kindle)

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. Books listed here could be for the WL or purchased, but I will designate if I purchased them. Because Katie is a rebel, there will of course NOT be twelve books in her dirty dozen.

1. Kamchatka by Marcelo Figueras

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) COMPLETED 1/15/16
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)
11. The Electric Michelangelo by Sarah Hall - recommended by Charlotte - saw her review on her thread
12. The Fade Out by Ed Brubaker - Joe mentioned this one on the GN thread, and it sounds right up my alley COMPLETED 1/15/16
13. The Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason - Faith reviewed the second book in this series on her thread
14. Names for the Sea by Sarah Moss - read Rhian's review on her thread
15. Amsterdam by Ian McEwan - again, Lynda got me with her succinct review on her thread - how DOES she do that?!
16. The Men Who Lost America by Andrew Jackson O"Shaughnessy - read the review on Reba's thread
17. Wartime: Stories From Ukraine by Tim Judah - read about this one on Charlotte's thread, part of her posted Guardian reviews. LOVE those!
18. The Man in the Picture by Susan Hill - recommended by Charlotte on her thread
19. King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild - Suz mentioned this one to Charlotte on the non-fiction challenge thread
20. Everything is Broken by Emma Larkin - recommended by Erik on my thread when we were discussing books on Burma
21. The Rebel of Rangoon by Delphine Schrank - Charlotte recommended this to me on my thread when we were discussing books on Burma
22. Unwind by Neal Shusterman - Mary (bell7) was talking about a follow-up collection of short stories to this series, and peaked my curiosity about the series itself
23. A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain by Robert Olen Butler - read Megan's review of this on her thread - I love interconnected short stories
24. Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson - I read Julia's excellent review on her thread
25. How It All Began by Penelope Lively - read Nancy's review on her thread
26. The Storyteller by Mario Vargas Llosa - read Lori's (lkernagh) review of it on her thread
27. TransAtlantic by Colum McCaan - Charlotte and Katie talked me into this! And Marianne approves.
28. Willoughbyland by Matthew Parker - read Carrie's review on her thread
29. The Quiet American by Graham Greene - read Bill's review on his thread
30. Coast to Coast by Jan Morris - read Paul's review on his thread
31. After Hannibal by Barry Unsworth - read Ursula's review on her thread
32. Fear Stalks the Village by Ethel Lina White - read Heather's review on her thread
33. The Wheel Spins by Ethel Lina White - also Heather's fault!
34. Young Stalin by Simon Sebag Montefiore - recommended by Megan (evilmoose)
35. Mademoiselle Chanel by Pierre Galante - read Judy's review on her thread
36. Romantic Outlaws by Charlotte Gordon - read Suz's review on her thread

This should do it - next one's yours!

*plops down in bean bag chair*

*clutches mug of coffee*

*falls asleep again with coffee mug in her hands, waiting for the party to start*

Good morning, Mamie!

Congratulations on the new thread. Looking forward to the party starting.

Glad you had fun with Lumberjanes!

Happy new one, Mamie!

>8 dk_phoenix: Welcome, Faith! You're first, so here's your prize, as requested, a party:



Since it's early yet, I thought we'd do a Mad Hatter Tea Party type party.

>9 jnwelch: Good Morning, Joe! And thank you. You're in luck, as the party has just gotten under way.

>10 scaifea: Thank you, Amber!

*pops up from bean bag chair*

YAAAAY!!! Oh, thank you! That looks lovely, cookies & scones & tea for breakfast! I'm in. It's delightful.

*adjusts Silly Hat*

Now I'm ready!

Most excellent!

Morning Mamie! I also enjoyed the first volume of Lumberjanes.

Morning, Roberta! I wish our library had volume two, but alas...

Oooo, New thread!
Ooooo, awesome topper!
Ooooooo, I didn't realize you had a W&P ticker? Love that!
Oooooooo, tea party!!! Any cranberry scones on the table? Yes, I see them over there. Excuse my reach Faith.

Welcome, Lynda! Your enthusiasm is noted - bonus points for that! You get the spoon of honor:

Happy new thread! LOVE the topper!

Thank you, Juli! And hooray - you love the thread topper!!

New thread AND tea & scones? Oh, this will suit me very well... (!)

Lumberjanes not on the library radar yet, but hope springs (etc)

Welcome, Charlotte. Pull up a chair! Crossing my fingers for the library getting Lumberjanes.

>4 Crazymamie: Your favorites of 2015 all look really good.

I hope you are well today my friend.

It is bitter cold in Pennsylvania today. Though, I should not complain because overall, it was unseasonably warm for most winter months thus far.

Hello, Linda! Last year was an excellent reading year, so I can assure you that those favorites are all very good. I am well, thanks - how are you feeling? It's cold here, for southern Georgia - 39F right now with gusty winds, which is why I haven't ventured out walking yet today.

I should read the 100 missed posts on your old thread first, but decided to grab a chair here as long as there are any left. Happy New Thread, Mamie!
Yay for scones! :)

Happy new thread, Mamie!

>25 Deern: Only if you want to, Nathalie. It's fine to just start fresh. And thank you!

>26 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba!

A new thread - thank goodness! The old one was far too big for me to handle once it got away from me (which was almost right away). This one I can cope with.

Hello, Charlotte! It's always fine to just drop to the bottom of the thread and say hello. That never bothers me.

>29 Crazymamie: - I know, Mamie, but I am one of those idiot completists. I seem to have a thing about jumping in and I think my head is wired to always begin at the beginning. Very rarely can I begin a book series other than at book one; when I do it is most often a mistake on my part.

Okay, I gotcha. I am that way with book series.Well, with certain series...most series. For some strange reason, I read Agatha Christie's books and the Nero Wolfe series in whatever order they appeal to me. Perhaps because I started them out of order?

I feel right at home here!

LOVE IT!! It wouldn't be the same without you, Kim!

Happy New Thread, Mamie! Love the Vader Topper! I also like the lively feel to your thread. Light, breezy, with just the right touch of mischief.

>18 Crazymamie: Oh my goodness, the spoon of honor! Oh I am not worthy but I thank you from the bottom of my "mad" little heart!

>34 msf59: Thanks, Mark! Glad you love the topper - it made me laugh out loud when I found it. And What a lovely compliment!

>35 Carmenere: LOL! I think you are worthy, Lynda!

I saw this on my Panels (comics & GNs) email- 4 NOIR COMICS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

http://panels.net/2016/01/15/noir-comics/?utm_source=Panels+Subscriptions&ut...

^These all sound good and of course they include, Fade Out. I love the Bogie cat one.

Oh. My. Word. Those all look good, Mark. Right up my alley. I WANT. Thanks for the link!

I think I'm caught up with your thread(s). I go away for a long weekend, and it proliferates! Peyton did give me a bit of a scare Sunday. When Jeff and I went to the Passion Play rehearsal, the Broncos were down 10-9. I was almost afraid to look at the score when we got back. I ended up being quite relieved to see Peyton had won!

Hi Mamie, sorry I missed your tea party! I could have used some really good food to munch on. Since I'm not able to get out and about right now, I have to rely on my husband to do the shopping and if he can't find a certain item on the grocery list, he brings home his idea of a substitute. I've had to put together some very interesting combinations lately!

Page three already?
I love your thread topper! Even though I don't love Harry Potter :)

Happy new thread, Mamie! Sorry I'm late to the party!

Morning Mamie! I am catching my pal early today! Have a fine Wednesday.

FYI: I requested 2 of the Noir GN books. Just sayin'...

Good morning, Mamie! Wishing you a sunshiny day!

Good morning, Mamie!

Cool link from Mark in >37 msf59:. I wasn't as taken by Blacksad as the link author, but others may be. I'm looking forward to trying You Have Killed Me and Hit.

So yesterday I made my own chicken stock in the slow cooker, and it turned out great! This is actually the first time I have ever done this. I will be using it to make two different soups from the cookbook I have out from the library, which was recommended by Lori (thornton37814) - The Chinese Takeout Cookbook. I am very excited about this because I love trying new recipes. The first one will be egg drop soup - I LOVE egg drop soup, and I have tried it from every restaurant that serves it in Albany. There is only one that is acceptable - the problem? We used to live in Indianapolis, and there was this fabulous Chinese place close to us that made the most amazing egg drop soup, so I keep trying to find something as good as that again. Egg drop soup is my comfort food when I am not feeling well, so it would be great if I could figure out how to make a truly tasty version of it for myownself. The second soup is chicken and sweet corn soup. I am also wanting to try the soup recipes that Amber posted - it's all good because we love soup here at the Pecan Paradisio.

As I went up to >7 Crazymamie: to get Lori's username to add to my post, I just now realized that the post hadn't copied properly, so my list of LT recommendations was missing - I have it up there now, so feel free to pop back up there and check it out. You'll be surprised at how long it is already. Well...maybe not, after all, this group is very good with the recommendations!

Good on you for making your own stock - I don't have the desire to try, I'm afraid. Bad Amber.
And yay for soup!!

>47 scaifea: Morning, Amber! I have never had the desire to make my own before, but since I could make it in the slow cooker, I thought I would give it a go.

Catching up with the thread:

>39 thornton37814: Hello, Lori! Are your ears burning? I was just talking about you! Peyton gave me a scare, too. Actually, I thought Peyton was doing fine, but his receivers kept dropping the ball. Not good. I was so thrilled that they pulled the win out.

>40 DeltaQueen50: Hello, Judy! I have been slowly catching up on your thread. We'll get you your own little tea party, shall we?



I am laughing about your husband doing the shopping. Mine would phone me every two minutes to make sure he had the right thing. AND he would come home with about ten things that were not on the list because he is a complete nut in the grocery store. The kids love it, though, because it's always things like popsicles and ice cream treats.

>41 LovingLit: Yep. Page three. We ARE a chatty bunch! Glad you love the thread topper - a love of Harry Potter is not required, so no worries.

>42 katiekrug: And just where have you been, young lady?!

>43 msf59: Morning, Mark! Look at you up and at em nice and early! Our library system had Blacksad, which I requested, but it doesn't have the other two. I might have to purchase them...

>44 Carmenere: Morning, Lynda! Thanks for those good wishes - the sun is definitely shining here. Remember to use your power only for good, dear.

>45 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! I want to try those GNs, too! The library had Blacksad, which I requested but not the others. Bummer.

Happy new thread, Mamie! Mmm, lovely tea parties! I have just had my own piece of fruit loaf, because I know you're not a fruit cake person.

A friend's husband sometimes does their shopping if he's working at home. She complains that he buys endless cleaning products, and that she is forever coming home to a house that smells of them. I pointed out that most people would love to have a husband who cleans all the time, but it doesn't seem to work for her...

Thank you, Susan! Good memory with the fruit cake. I have never liked it. I do like fruit in muffins, though - there is a coffee shop just down the road from us that makes the most wonderful peach muffins. Delicious. And gorgeous to look at, too. Dang. Now I want one.

Laughing about the cleaning products - definitely don't have that problem with Craig. But he buys a lot of stuff for the outside of the home - he grew up on a farm (his dad was a farmer), and so he loves to mess about out there. It's amazing what we NEED!

>46 Crazymamie: I have never had egg drop soup. I know, can you believe it?! And since I am home again, sick, could you please just send some? Thanks.

*gasp* Truly? Sorry that you are still not feeling well. I will send the soup ASAP. Please keep an eye out for a soggy package from Georgia.

: )

I can't keep up. I can't keep up. Too many threads. Too many posts.

And then there are all the books that need read.

>46 Crazymamie: Egg Drop Soup is a favorite of mine too! I almost always opt for that one at Chinese restaurants.

>55 Berly: *grin*

>56 weird_O: Hello, Bill! Welcome to my thread! You're right - the threads are hopping right now. "And then there are all the books that need read." Yes. Isn't it lovely? We are spoiled by an abundance of choices. Life is good!

>57 thornton37814: Did you make the one in the cookbook, Lori? I made the chicken and sweet corn soup recipe for lunch, and it was a winner. Really nice depth of flavor for such a slim list of ingredients. I ended up making that one first because I had leftover rotisserie chicken in the fridge and thought that would be a good way to use it up.

Ohhhhh, I see Hardy's Return of the Native at the top of your thread. Are you listening to Alan Rickman read? He was beyond fabulous!

>59 lit_chick: Hi Nancy! Yep. Alan Rickman. Beyond fabulous is a perfect description - I'm glad that I didn't get to this one sooner because it is a soothing balm for my sadness at his passing.

Congrats on your shiny new thread, Mamie. I'm way back with dropping in but January is always a busy month, here.

Happy New-ish Thread! I will volunteer to be your taste tester as you experiment with the egg drop soup. It's my favorite, and it's definitely soup weather here!

>61 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara! SO true about January on the threads. And no worries about frequency - I am always happy to see you whenever the mood strikes you or time permits. Life happens!

>62 cbl_tn: Thanks, Carrie! A volunteer!! I will let you know how it turns out - I have never tried making it myself before, but it would be so handy to know how as I do love it so much. I am always in the mood for soup, but the cooler weather does make one seek it out.

>7 Crazymamie: I'm thinking I need to keep track of the inspiration of various reads, myself. Jumping in to second the Transatlantic love!

Dropping in to say hello and happy new thread before it gets away from me - whoosh!

>50 Crazymamie: - I've had Board meetings the last few days. But I'm finished for now and am SO BEHIND. But that's okay. I'll get around to all my stars eventually :)

I also love egg drop soup and now I want some....

>58 Crazymamie: I didn't try the recipe at the time!

>64 michigantrumpet: Yep. I wanted a handy list that I could easily check and add to. Your love for Transatlantic has been duly noted, Marianne.

>65 souloftherose: Hello, Heather! So glad that you dropped in!

>66 katiekrug: Poor, poor baby, Katie! Yuk! And yes - keeping up with the threads is a bit of a task at the moment. I am going to try the recipe for the egg drop soup very soon because I am wanting it now, too. Ha!

>67 thornton37814: I'll report back after I try it, Lori!

I did't know Lumberjane was a serial! I discovered this when I checked availability at my library. Well, they don't seem to have the physical book so I took out the e-book. Hope the illustrations are just as nice.

Oooo, your 100 pages beyond me in W&P! I better put the pedal to the metal!

Darn! I missed the party.

I just caught up with your last thread and then realized it was continued, noooo! And then I realized I missed the opening party for this thread. But I think I am caught up with your threads for just this minute - probably because of the time difference thing and hardly anybody to the east of me is posting (sometimes it pays to be behind the rest of the world.) It was a great looking party and congrats on the new thread. Your Fitbit daily steps on your previous thread were very impressive. My goal is 10,000 steps a day but most of the time I don't make it.

I have fallen hopelessly far behind! I did add Nimona to the WL as a potential birthday book for the LD.

Now I have to go trudge around in the cold (10 F) to rack up those steps. I've been dying to say to you and Reba that it may look as though I'm not making 10,000 - and in fact there have been some days here and there when I haven't - but the fitbit only registers about half or less of the distance (not to mention effort) when I am xcountry skiing which is VERY annoying!!!

Today would have been my Dad's 90th birthday. If he were here, we would have jellyroll and coffee, and we would talk about nothing, which was his favorite subject. He is greatly missed, but oh, what a treasure trove of memories he left me with. He loved to laugh, so I am hoping that each of you has a day filled with laughter.

>73 Crazymamie: Mamie, this gives me chills. I remember we lost our fathers within days of each other, and now I discover their birthdays are within days of each other. My father would be turning 80 this coming Monday. I don't have to imagine how much you miss your dad. I know. I'll be thinking of you today.

>74 cbl_tn: Carrie, your post made me cry. That is just so surreal. I truly appreciate your thoughts, and I will be keeping you in mine. It's lovely that we can share this bit of serendipity, as company always makes any journey better.

*edited because I do know other words than "so"

Catching up with the thread:

>69 Carmenere: Yep. A series. Our library doesn't have the next one, but Abby is thinking about buying it, so if she does I will snag hers to read.

And yes - get moving, young lady. W&P waits for no man. Luckily, we're women, so really it will just be sitting there until you get round to it.

>70 BLBera: Let's see what we can do for you, Beth:



>71 Familyhistorian: Meg, I am sure that Beth will share with you. And really, it's never too late for a party at the Pecan Paradisio. And thanks for catching up with me! I need to get going again with the stepping. I have fallen off again. And today it is pouring, which isn't encouraging. If I get to 10,000 today, I will be most impressed with myself.

>72 sibylline: I know the feeling, Lucy. I am keeping up, but it isn't easy right now. And hooray for Nimona making the list!

I know exactly of what you speak with the Fitbit - we used to have an elliptical, and it never counted my steps on there, which made me a crazy woman.

Morning, Mamie.
I love that photo of Jennifer Lawrence reading Harry Potter. I mean, any photo of Jennifer Lawrence would be lovely but one of her reading, well...

I see that you're reading the first in the Simon Serrailler series. I recently finished the second and I think it's a series worth following.

Wishing you a wonderful Thursday!

Happy Birthday, Mamie's Dad!

>77 EBT1002: Morning, Ellen! Agreed about the photo of Jennifer Lawrence. LOVE her. I am really enjoying The Various Haunts of Men, so I am happy to hear from so many that this series holds up. WahHOO!! And I thank you for those Thursday wishes - it is pouring here, so we are having a pajama day and doing a whole lotta nothing.

>78 katiekrug: Thank you so much for that, Katie! I really love that image, and it's sentiments are so true.

Morning Mamie! I love it when you pay tribute to your Dad. We do miss our folks, don't we? That's a great photo.

>73 Crazymamie: Mamie, I hope your pyjama day includes smiles as you remember your father, even though it's a difficult day for you. My father and I still giggle about certain words and phrases that *his* mother used to use, and it always brings her back for me.

>80 msf59: Morning, Mark! I know it's afternoon, but I like saying morning so much better. Glad you liked my tribute and the photo. And yes, I miss him.

>81 susanj67: Smiles for sure, Susan. He had such a great sense of humor, and so I mostly laugh when I remember time with him. He was just so charming. And funny.

Happy birthday to your dad, Mamie. And thanks for the tea.

Thank you, Beth. And you're welcome!

>73 Crazymamie: & >74 cbl_tn: Thinking of you and Carrie. Happy birthdays to your Dads.

I got a lot of the Lumberjanes comics as an ebook deal from Humble Bundle. They're not as special as Nimona but they're fun. Think I've read the first two volumes now and I'm saving the rest for when I need cheering up.

Just a drive-by hello, Mamie!

>4 Crazymamie: I like your "superpower." I think I share it!

>85 souloftherose: Thank you, Heather! Yes, I agree - the Lumberjanes aren't on the same level as Nimona, but they are great fun. Your plan sounds like a good one!

>86 tymfos: Hello, Terri! So great to see you her! You have been greatly missed, my friend. And that's so awesome that we share the same superpower! LOL!

Hi Mamie!

It's already practically the weekend here...Little Lenny's first morning back at kindergarten so a little bit of quiet in the house...for another 90 minutes anyway :)

May Pecan Paradiso live up to its name for you today!

Hi Megan! Glad to hear that Lenny is feeling better. Doesn't seem like he should be old enough for kindergarten already. Wow! Time is sneaky that way.

I thank you for those lovely wishes, my friend.

>89 Crazymamie: he he, Lenny will start school on July this year. He cannot wait. But I love Lenny as a kindy kid, with his little bag and his play-all-day plans :)

Amazing! Soak it up while you can, Megan.

^i am, Mamie ;)
He made an appearance last night at book club, in his little green monster bedtime undies and got the cute-o-meter going off the scale! He really is just a little bundle of squishy goodness.

Oh! You make me smile! Those are fun days! And then you blink, and they are asking for the car keys.

<92 Green monster bedtime undies--I can just picture the cuteness!!

Hi Crazy--How lucky for you that you have such great memories of your Dad. Thanks for sharing that love, here, with us. : )

Hello, Kim! Indeed, I have been most fortunate. And I am always happy to share the love!!

>85 souloftherose: How sweet, Heather!

Morning Mamie! Happy Friday! Just getting ready to make my exit. Hope you have a good one, my friend.

>96 cbl_tn: *smile*

>97 msf59: Morning, Mark! Happy Friday! Thanks for those wishes. Hoping your work day goes quickly and smoothly for you.

Good morning! Happy reading and/or stepping! I popped in to see what's up as I've noticed you fall a bit on the leaderboard and wanted to make sure you're not ill or injured. Here I am to cheer-lead: YOU CAN DO IT! RAH RAH RAH! STEP ALL THE...STEPS!

(...clearly, I need to work on my cheering skills...)

Morning, Faith! I know. I know. I NEED to get moving, so thanks for that encouragement. I am not injured - just lazy. Your cheering has made me laugh, and so I promise to get my 10,000 steps in today. See? Your cheering skills are just right!!

YAAAAAY!!!! ALL OF THE STEPPING!!!

LOL!

Don't you just love when your library request comes in? Of course, if they could not all come in at the same time, that would be handy. Here's the books that I picked up from the library yesterday:

City on Fire by Garth Risk Hallberg - this is Kim's fault, and I am suspicious at how quickly it came in

Everything is Broken by Emma Larkin - Erik recommended this book on Burma. I read and loved Larkin's earlier book Finding George Orwell in Burma

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep: Dust to Dust by Philip K. Dick, art by Tony Parker - GN that Michelle (Tanglewood) recommended over on the GN thread, this is volume 1 - I have already dipped into this one, and it is really well done! Love the art and the detail to the original story.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep: Dust to Dust by Philip K. Dick, art by Tony Parker, this is volume 2

Ooh, all the books and my poets too. Lovely stuff. The cover of City on Fire is great too.

Morning, Charlotte! Um...poets? The cover art on City on Fire is even better close up, and I love the spine. But it's very heavy - hardback and just over 900 pages. The Emma Larkin book has me singing that Bob Dylan song of the same title - now I won't be able to get that one out of my head as I have always loved that song. Of course, I am partial to R. L. Burnside singing it - LOVE his voice, but please don't mention this to Dylan fans.



R. L. Burnside singing Everything is Broken

Ooh ooh ooh.. I loved Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.

I'm with you, it's so exciting when I receive a text informing me that books I've requested are now waiting for me to pick up at the library ... but then when I get there and I see 15 on the shelf, I'm start to panic about thinking how I should finish reading them all before they are due.

Me, too, Caro! And the GN is really well done. SO far, anyway. Library requests are weird because no matter how far apart I request the items, they all seem to come in at the same time. How DO they do that?!

Well that's embarrassing.

Muppets that was supposed to be. (Talking like Yoda I apparently am).

Oh! Too funny!! Cracking me up are you, Charlotte!

Good morning, Mamie!

Thanks for the tip on the Do Androids Dream GN. It sounds good.

Morning, Joe! You are most welcome.

I love the Burnside version of Everything Is Broken -- I know many Dylan fans will acknowledge that his voice isn't his strong point -- especially now. The last two times I saw him in concert, it was painful.

Good reading ahead.

Hi Beth! I think that Dylan is so very talented - especially at writing and playing music, but his voice is not his greatest strength. And I just have a love of the gritty, bluesy type of voice that some artists have. I think you hear this in Dylan's voice sometimes but not always. I love Burnside and Muddy Waters and Blind Lemon Jefferson and Louis Armstrong and Tom Waits....*sigh*

>101 dk_phoenix: Perfect!!! Good luck with the steps today, Crazy.

>103 Crazymamie: Just remember, we are BFFs and you said you wanted another doorstop. Wait. What do you mean you didn't say that? I could swear I heard you say that....

>104 charl08: and >108 charl08: It all makes sense now!! LOL.

Happy Friday!!

>76 Crazymamie: I hear you on the frustration of the Fitbit not recording fitness activities. I usually do weights or yoga on the weekend but the Fitbit only records a smidge of that activity so then I have to put in the walking time as well. I like keeping fit but really, there are many other things that I should be doing as well.
Thanks for the R.L Burnside version of Everything is Broken. I really enjoyed that.

>114 Berly: I did get my steps in, Kim, thanks to that push from Faith - ended up with 12,529 Steps, which equates to 5.08 miles.

Okay, so I dipped into the doorstop that you practically forced on me recommended. I have to admit that the writing is good. Very good. I think I am actually going to have to read it. This could be the Year of the Doorstopper. And then when I finish it, I have to give it a wedgie. Or wait...maybe that was a wedge. *blinks* Anyway, it definitely qualifies for Bill's Doorstopper Challenge.

>115 Familyhistorian: So true, Meg. It does not register strength training at all.

So thrilled that you liked the R. L. Burnside version of Everything is Broken!!

>116 DianaNL: So cute! Thank you, Diana.

Happy weekend, Mamie. Stay safe and warm.

Thank you, Barbara! That looks like the perfect spot for a relaxing weekend.

Morning!!

Morning Mamie! Happy Saturday. Looks like a football and books kind of weekend, doesn't it? Go Broncos!

>120 Berly: Morning, Kim!!

>121 msf59: Morning, Mark! Happy Saturday! Yep. That sounds like a perfect use of a weekend to me. And yes!! Go Broncos!!

Morning Mamie! I'm going to be a Bronco booster this weekend too. Payton Manning seems like a nice, humble sort of guy.

Hello, Lynda! And hooray for another Bronco booster!! I adore Peyton Manning, and I am still completely beside myself that the Colts' owner (He Who Shall Not Be Named) let him go. What a weasel!

>124 Crazymamie: Weasel? Is that what you call him? I can think of a couple of other names....

Um...that's what I call him in polite company. As Hermione would say, "What. An. Idiot." And really, that is actually the kindest thing that I can think of...weasel equates to rat bastard, sleazeball, scumbag, louse, cur, serpent, backstabber...all rolled into one. Yes?!

YES!!!!!

*grin*

We have had the prettiest little birds are the feeder outside the bedroom window yesterday and today. Mercy and I are both completely enthralled. I was describing them to Craig, who knows birds, and he said they are purple finches. Why purple, I wonder? They are the most beautiful shades of red. Really gorgeous.

Oh wow those birds are lovely. We have chaffinches - not quite so pretty, but almost!

Charlotte, I goggled your chaffinches, and I think they are also beautiful. Just not as vibrant, but still...very lovely.

So far behind after only a week of work related stuff. Great to see your thread so busy and as entertaining as always my dear.

Have a lovely weekend.

Hello, Paul! Great to see you here! And I thank you for the kind words and lovely sentiment. So far so good with the weekend - mainly I've been entrenched in reading War and Peace. Ha!

Morning Mamie! Happy Sunday! Love the finches. We have mostly goldfinches around here, which are beautiful.

Books, beer & football- This is my plan for the day.

This made me laugh! And the other thing that is funny is that I can't stop reading War and Peace. I don't know what it is - the storyline HAS picked up, and I am invested in what happens, but it might be more that the end is in sight. Only a few more hundred pages and I will cross the finish line!

Nothing much in store today except to watch the games. Please, please let the Broncos win. At least they play first. I keep telling myself that I'll be happy if they just show up and play good football. Of course, that's a lie. I want a win. A win, baby!!

Morning, Mark! We cross-posted! Happy Sunday, my friend! We have the same plan for the day, except that mine also includes nachos.

" I want a win. A win, baby!!" Amen, sister.

Ooh, nachos...

I knew I could count on your support, Mark! And yes, nachos. You should make some to go with that beer and football. It's an awesome combination.

I am deep into my current GN, Two Brothers and it is a stunner. This might be setting a benchmark for the year. Have you read this team before?

I have not, but I think one of the kids has Daytripper.

>135 Crazymamie: I may have mentioned my antisportzing attitude (although I am looking forward to the weird and wonderful array of events that make up the Olympics.)

I like that sign though.

No worries, Charlotte. A love of sports is not a requirement. *grin* If we all loved the same things, life would be very boring indeed.

>135 Crazymamie: - Uh, oh - sign guy is going to be in trouble, cuz that church is in Providence, RI which is prime New England Patriots territory. For shame! Definitely going to get his New Englander card revoked.

Oh, dear, Charlotte!

Morning, Mamie :0)! Enjoy the big game today!

Morning, Lynda! And I will - as long as we win.

>135 Crazymamie: LOL. Love that sign guy. Go Broncos!!!

I know, right?! And yes!! GO BRONCOS!!

Our dog does not miss me watching football. She doesn't understand why it makes me yell and tends to want to either comfort me or hide.

Aw! Too sweet, Ursula. Our dogs just ignore the noise, but the cat gets a bit freaked out with any yelling. She is a timid creature, and so if she is in the room we try to keep it down.

>135 Crazymamie: Ha! Good for the sign guy. Very funny.

I can join Mark in recommending Daytrippers. Now he's got me intrigued by Two Brothers.

Way to go on making so much progress on War and Peace. Yeah, when I could see the end in sight, I really started going after it, too. It is a mighty good book, I must say.

You inspired me to pick up a PKD novel, Valis. I'm now thinking I must have read it as a youngster, because I sure remember the character name "Horselover Fat". It's another wild and weird one so far.

Agreed, Joe. Very funny!

I am actually really loving W&P - the second half is better, I think, or perhaps it's just that you know all the characters so well by then. It suffers, though, from Tolstoy's need to interject his own thoughts and theory into the narrative.

Hooray for picking up Valis, Joe. I have not read that one, but I agree that the name Horselover Fat would be almost impossible to forget. Ha! I love wild and weird!!

 Oops…oh, hi. Uh, don't mind me. I was just…uh…uh…I better just go. Like your place here. Uh…bye.

Woo! And here we go! 7-0

Go Broncos! Manning & Co, looking good...

Hi Mamie! I got home in time to watch the last of the third quarter. I really, really want the Broncos to win. I want the Patriots to lose just as much,, if not more!

Yippie! On to 50!

WOOT! WOOT!

That happy scream you heard was me! :-)

Ya hoo!!!!

>153 weird_O: Um...Bill...I am guessing that you are mighty thankful that I cannot see what you posted up there. If by any chance it should happen to be something involving the ...um...Patriots...well, let's just say that you are one very lucky fellow. You must be breathing a huge sigh of relief about now. But seriously...I know people...*looks over the top of her glasses*

Okay, Now I can see the image and it is very cute. And it is not the Patriots, so I apologize. Truly, I am deeply sorry for doubting you.

^Great win, Mamie! The defense was excellent!

>154 Carmenere: We got off to a good start, didn't we, Lynda? Cut it a bit closer than I would have liked, but in the end we got the job done because the Defense played the entire game. I'm so happy!!

>155 msf59: Yes, Mark! Go Broncos! They looked better in the first half than they did in the second, but still, they didn't quit, so I am happy with the win. That last quarter made me a nervous wreck, though. Thank goodness we have plenty of wine in the house.

>156 cbl_tn: Yep - my sentiments exactly, Carrie. I'm so happy that we pulled out the win.

Woo, right down to the end. Congrats, Mamie!

I was very relieved at the end of the game. I was afraid I had jinxed the Broncos by starting to watch it.

>157 Carmenere: Yippee, indeed, Lynda!! Most exciting!

>158 katiekrug: *hands Katie a glass of wine* WOOT!! WOOT!! Thanks for coming to celebrate with me!

>159 cbl_tn: I was wondering, Carrie! I'll just get out some party favors, shall I?



>160 ronincats: Roni, come on in, the party is just getting started!

>163 msf59: You snuck in there, Mark, while I was posting. I like that banner that you brought. I'll just hang it up while you help yourself to some beer.



>165 jnwelch: Thank you, Joe! Right down to the end is exactly right. A bit close for comfort. Come in, come in...

>166 cbl_tn: I keep telling you that you are not a jinx, Carrie! And now it has been proven!

>168 Crazymamie: I'm glad I haven't become Cousin Oliver from the Brady Bunch!

I'll try to stay awake for the party, but I'm having a hard time keeping my eyes open. It's been a long day!

Ha! I had forgotten about Cousin Oliver!

You and Adrian should call dibs on the fainting couch over there in the corner. Napping is totally allowed.

>170 Crazymamie: Dibs! I'll even bring my own throw!

>135 Crazymamie: lol, and I take it they came through for you?!

>171 cbl_tn: It's yours, Carrie!

>172 LovingLit: Why, Megan, how did you ever guess? Come on in, there's free beer and snacks and you can peruse my bookshelves!

Happy new thread Mamie! I love the topper photo. Have fun celebrating!

Thank you, Rachel! So lovely to see you here!

Congratulations!! Relax now. : )

Tip toeing in quietly, just in case you have a headache this morning.
Have a good day *she whispers*

Morning, Mamie!

Morning Mamie! I am sure you will wake up, still basking over that victory. Savor it, my friend. Carolina WILL be tough.

50 posts in a day........has there been a football game? Hahaha

Good luck to Denver. I remember John Elway leading the way for them and now Peyton Manning is doing much the same. Oldest QB to make the Superbowl right?

>176 Berly: Morning, Kim! And thank you - I will relax now.

>177 Carmenere: Morning, Lynda! No need to whisper - feeling fine this morning. But that was oh so sweet of you to not take any chances. I am hoping to finish up W&P today - depends how much listening time I can get.

>178 scaifea: Morning, Amber! Welcome home!

>179 msf59: Morning, Mark! Yep. Still basking. I know, right?! I was hoping that the Cardinals would win. Heh.

>180 PaulCranswick: 50? Really, Paul? I guess you would know because you are King of the Stats. Mark it up to an exciting day of football, American style.

Oldest? Um...well, let's just say that he isn't getting any younger. I am guessing that this is his last shot at it, which makes me really want it for him. It would be a bit of poetic justice if he lead a team to a Super Bowl victory before the Colts managed to get there again without him. I would LOVE to see that happen.

>129 Crazymamie: Purple finches...how lovely. We had 36 inches of snow over the weekend. Getting to the bird feeders to re-stock them isn't an option. I took hand fulls of seeds and scattered them in the snow drifts on the deck. Now the birds are very close to the sliding doors. I sit at the kitchen table and watch them as they busily use their tiny beaks to get the seeds.

Your best reads of 2015 are good ones!

Morning, Linda! I am in love with those little birdies!

Oh. My Word. 36 inches?! *gulp* Scattering the birdseed on the snow drifts was a brilliant idea! Like our Mercy, I love watching them - we had a family of baby cardinals out front this year, and they were so fun to watch.

Be careful in all that snow, dear one! And all of those best 2015 reads are highly recommended - you cannot go wrong with any of them.

Hi Mamie! I hope your post-party clear up isn't too bad :-) And good luck with W&P!

That kitty always cracks me up, Susan. Excellent choice for a Monday! Well, there is a bit if a mess, but nothing the kids can't handle. LOL! And thank you for those W&P wishes!!

I feel like it's an uphill battle for Peyton and the Broncos, Mamie. Those Carolina Cam Newtons looked awfully good yesterday, and have had quite a season. But you can't win it if you aren't in it, and if you are in it, you have a chance to come out on top.

The Falcons beat the Panthers, Joe, so it's not impossible. But the Broncos will have to show up and play their hearts out. I believe.

>187 Crazymamie: In the animal world I couldn't see a falcon defeating a panther but I guess at a push a bronco could ride one for a little while at least. We don't have teams in the UK with such animalistic names except in Rugby League recently and my local team is now called the Wakefield Wildcats instead of Wakefield Trinity. In truth I liked the old name better.

Ha! Animal names abound here, Paul.

Happy belated New Threads wishes, Mamie! I cannot believe I just made it all the way through thread #2, and then found over #180 posts already on thread #3! Love the tea parties and the birds! I will just join you in Mercy bird-watching. Happy to see you read both of Thuy's books. I love all the food talk in Man but I found both books to be quiet, contemplative reads.

Way to go Broncs!

PSA The FF thread is up!

Fantasy February

>190 lkernagh: Hello, Lori! I'm honored that you took the time to catch all the way up with me. I liked both Thúy books, but Mãn was my favorite. I love her use of language and how thoughtful she is about it. And while her style would not work for very many writers, it suits her perfectly.

And yes! Go Broncos!

>191 luvamystery65: Oh, thank you, Roberta!!

I have finished War and Peace!!

Finishing War and Peace really is something to celebrate, Mamie. I would think that no other book this year will seem like a chunkster after getting that one under your belt! And you did it on a Monday! ;)

>193 Crazymamie: I believe that's my wife; the plowguy just came and opened up our looonnnngg driveway. We can get out. She can dance around, but I'm going out for ice cream.

>193 Crazymamie: Go Elaine (and Mamie). I was wondering who might be dancing on your thread...

Hurrah! Way to go, Mamie!

>193 Crazymamie: Well done!

Good job on finishing W&P, Mamie!

Congrats!

Wow! So, how many stars does W&P get? You zipped through.

>194 DeltaQueen50: It took two attempts, Judy. I originally started it in 2011 and made it about half way through. But then we moved, and things were busy getting settled in Georgia, so it got set aside. And I think you are right about it being the king of chunksters - not just because of its size but also because of its stature. And yes - on a Monday, which I had not even thought about!!

>195 weird_O: That probably is your wife if you just got the drive plowed! That took a bit, huh? Going for ice cream is exactly what my own dear husband would do, Bill!

>196 charl08: And I am every bit as talented as she at dancing, Charlotte!

>197 jnwelch: Thank you, Joe!

>198 cbl_tn: Thank you, Carrie!

>199 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie! *takes a bow*

>200 drneutron: The Dr. is in!! I am honored, Jim! Thank you!

>201 BLBera: I gave it 4.25 stars for now, Beth - I will share thoughts on it tomorrow after I mull it over. The actual story is great - definitely a 4.5 star read, but all of Tolstoy's interjections distract from the narrative, so it loses a bit of that. The second half of the book is better than the first half, I think, so once you get in there, it flies.

>193 Crazymamie: A very well done, Mamie - even Seinfeld shouldn't be sarcastic about that one!

Ha! Thank you, Paul!

>193 Crazymamie: well, that is reason enough for a celebration! I propose a party.

^Great job, wrapping up W & P, Mamie!

"The second half of the book is better than the first half." Since, I am not quite done with the first half, this is very good to know, although I am enjoying it just fine.

>206 LovingLit: Haha, Megan! We just got the place cleaned up from last night's party. Still, there is plenty of wine - I think we might even have some of the fizzy stuff that you like. Come on in, and let's see what we got...

>207 msf59: Thank you, Mark! The second half moves much faster, Mark, and a lot of stuff happens which keeps things interesting.

LOVE THAT!! Katie! Too funny! You made me snort my wine!

I am really enjoying the present BBC adaptation of War and Peace at the moment and this from the Daily Mail helps, I think to explain some of the array of characters:

I am wanting to see that adaptation, Paul. An interesting choice of casting there - several of them are not at all as I pictured them - I think Prince Andrei is much too young, for instance.

>193 Crazymamie: Now that is funny!! Congratulations, Crazy. Nicely done. : )

Whoa, that was fast, Mamie! Woot!!

Morning Mamie! I watched the first hour of the War and Peace adaptation. I thought it was okay. Maybe it gets a bit better. It is not of Wolf Hall quality, IMHO.

Wow! You finished it! I'm so impressed!!! :D

>213 Berly: And that's exactly how I felt, Kim! Thank you.

>214 scaifea: Thanks, Amber!

>215 msf59: Morning, Mark! You are reminding me that I really want to watch Wolf Hall. I loved that book and also Bring Up he Bodies - now when is the next one coming out?!

>216 dk_phoenix: Thank you, Faith!

Way 2 go, Mamie!!!

Oh, thank you, Lynda! You brought people with you to applaud me?! I like your style!

Believe me, Mamie, it wasn't easy getting all my neighbors together without wine but when I told them why, well, ya know, War and Peace!

I can not praise the Wolf Hall adaptation high enough, Mamie. It is everything you would want. I do not know when that 3rd volume will come out. Better ring up, Ms. Mantel...

I appreciate the extra effort, Lynda. The least I can do is provide a treat:

>222 Crazymamie: Ohhh, you know just how to please a crowd!

>221 msf59: You snuck in there, Mark! I have the adaptation in my Amazon Prime queue, so I will be sure to get to it. So glad they did a good job of it. And yes - ring up Ms. Mantel and inquire, would ya? Ha!

>223 Carmenere: And they're still warm as we have a Krispy Kreme in town!

blink, blink finished War & Peace? Yay!!!! I bow before your awesomeness...

Oh, thank you, Kimberly!

*edited to correct your name - I had shortened it to Kim, but then remembered that you are Kimberly on your profile page. Sorry.

>225 Crazymamie: Mmm munch munch munch Slurp slurp slurp Munch I stopped munch off munch munch munch for

Most excellent!! I LOVE coffee!

You had the same thing happen with W & P that I did, Mamie. I read it halfway through the first time, and set it aside. Thank goodness for our Librarything Group Read. I'm happy I read it through, and it turns out to be quite the good book, doesn't it.

>211 PaulCranswick: Very interesting to see that cast. The hardest for me is Pierre - not at all how I picture him.

Book #9: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (4.5 stars) ROOT paperback/2016 acquired audiobook

There is actually quite a bit I want to say about this novel. First off, it's good - very good. When people said that they have read it more than once, I always thought, why on earth would you read it more than once - it's HUGE. But now I get it. It's a sweeping saga that unfolds on an epic scale. And once you have sorted the slightly intimidating cast of characters and their titles (not to mention the myriad of derivatives and nicknames), you become invested in their stories. I think that Pierre is my favorite character, but they were all well drawn and interesting. I would have liked to know more about the slutty Hélène and her slimy brother Anatóle, but that was not to be.

What brings the book down a bit, I think, is Tolstoy's need to interject his own thoughts and theories into the narrative. This makes for a slightly jarring sensation - it throws the rhythm of the book off balance and feels like commercials have been inserted into the story. And now for a word from our sponsor... These asides are irritating and condescending, but also at times informative and insightful. Mostly they just make your eyes glaze over. I think he should have published these bits separately as a companion piece or put them together in the back of the book for further reading for those who were interested. So this is why, although I loved the book, my rating is not higher. I also made a slight deduction for the two epilogues. Two? No one needs two epilogues!! And let me just state right here that I did not and will not read the epilogues - they always annoy me and quite often ruin a perfectly good book. So no. Just no to the epilogues.

The other thing I want to address are the translations and the audio versions of this book. I listened to the version that is narrated by Neville Jason - this is a five star listen if you are judging the narrator's performance. I cannot recommend this version highly enough - he is fabulous! Every character has a unique voice, and that's saying something right there because there are a LOT of characters in this novel. Jason also does a great job with all of the accents and with reading all of the French in its original form and then directly translating it without it becoming awkward or weighty. Don't be intimidated by the fact that the combined audios (it's in two separate books) are more than 60 hours of listening time. I listened at 1.25x speed for the peace parts and 1.5x speed for the war parts. Ha! This audio version is from the Maude translation, which brings me to the final thing I wanted to address - in my opinion, the Maude translation is superior to the P&V translation. Just saying. I often followed along in print, and what I had was the P&V translation - this allowed me to see the variation between the two, and I was amazed at what a difference the translation makes. The Maude version is so much more lyrical - much better use of language and word choice. Because after all, cudgel and club bring to mind different images in my head even though they are synonyms. The same thing with flushed and embarrassed. SO I am thankful that I chose to listen to Neville Jason because I liked his voice and his style - if not, I would have missed out on the lovely Maude translation and been stuck with the much drier and less poetic V&P version.

One last thing. The humor that is scattered throughout was an unexpected surprise. And it was delightful:

p.242 "He could not simply tell them that they all set out at a trot, he fell off his horse, dislocated his arm, and ran to the woods as fast as he could to escape a Frenchman. Besides, in order to tell everything as it had been, one would have to make an effort with oneself so as to tell only what had been. To tell the truth is very difficult, and young men are rarely capable of it. They were expecting an account of how he got all fired up, forgetting himself, how he flew like a storm at the square; how he cut his way into it, hacking right and left; how his saber tasted flesh, how he fell exhausted, and so on. And he told them all that."

p. 1102 "Though the doctors treated him, let his blood, and gave him medications to drink, he nevertheless recovered."

>230 jnwelch: So true, Joe! I am thinking that I need to upgrade my rating to 4.5 stars now that I have put my thoughts into printed words. And I totally agree about the casting of Pierre - that actor is too insubstantial for the role!

Excellent review!! Love your frank analysis of the worthiness of epilogues (!), author interjections and the excellent sense of humor, and all the other stuff you said, too. W&P is definitely worth a re-read!!

Why thank you, Miss Kim!

Great W & P review, Mamie. I didn't have the guts to skip the epilogues, but I admire you for doing it. They were so annoying - and I had no idea there was a second one until I got there. Blah. The first one had some redeeming aspects, but still wasn't necessary.

I agree about the unexpected humor, and that "he nevertheless recovered" line is one of my favorite ones in the book.

If I do re-read it some time, I'll try the Maude version. I actually enjoyed the P & V translation quite a bit; it would be interesting to compare as you had a chance to do.

I love your using the higher audio speed for the war parts! I do think those would be of much more interest to Russian readers, who would have that part of their history embedded in their psyche.

Excellent review, Mamie! I think I've just hit upon one of Tolstoy's narratives in Book 3. I keep saying "get on with it already!"
checking to see if I can give it a nice shiney thumb!

>236 Carmenere: I can....and I did!

Crap! I just lost my post to you, Joe. Let's try again:

Thank you. I almost always skip the epilogue because it usually takes away from the book, IMO. And, after reading your rant about the two epilogues, I felt perfectly justified in taking a pass.

I think I would have been perfectly happy with the V&P translation, but I would not have known what I was missing. The Maude translation is more nuanced, I think.

I agree with you about the war parts. I did actually really like some of them, just not the parts where Tolstoy interrupted the narrative to give us his own opinion. I also think it would make a great deal of difference if the reader has seen the actual battlefields. Years ago Craig and I took the kids to Gettysburg after studying the Civil War. It made such a huge impact on me. Actually standing on Little Round Top and looking down into the Devil's Den, I could imagine the horror of the battle. I could understand the vantage points and see for myself the immense scale of Pickett's Charge to the Angle. It's just impossible to get a true appreciation from a map or from a text, no matter how good you are at visualization.

>236 Carmenere: Thank, Lynda! And thank you for that thumb!! Most exciting!

I am going to come back and check out your W & P review, once I am through. I am glad to see a 4.5 star rating. I might be leaning closer to 4 stars at the moment but I have not started the 2nd half.

I wish I could have listened to the Neville Jason narration. Mine is not bad but more workman-like.

>231 Crazymamie: I didn't really read your review because this book will be a project for me in some other year and I want to have as much surprise as I can preserved. But I did see that there were moments of unexpected humor, which is encouraging for when I eventually tackle it! Congrats on finishing it.

There are no spoilers, Mark, if you were worried about that. To be honest, I think I would rate it a bit lower if I hadn't listened to Neville Jason's fabulous narration. I agree that Frederick Davidson's narrating is not nearly as good.

>241 ursula: Totally get that, Ursula, but I would share that part of what I said concerned which translation to read. I highly recommend the Maude translation - I think it is better than the V&P. And thank you for those congrats!

>227 Crazymamie: snork no worries. I recently had a job interview and they asked me if I "answered to Kim or Kimberly" I said, "Kim, Kimberly, hey you, whichever". That may be why I didn't get the job.

Ha! Alrighty then - good to know!

Mamie, congrats on finishing W&P!! Have some dancing cossacks!

>246 susanj67: That made me laugh out loud, Susan! Thank you!

>243 Crazymamie: Thanks for the tip. I remember seeing a conversation about the method that V&P use for translation and it sounds bonkers. I read Constance Garnett's translation of Fathers and Sons but after seeing the description of *her* method on this page, I would be terrified of War and Peace by her. (The relevant passage is: "It is said that she wrote very quickly and if she didn’t understand a paragraph, she skipped it and went on.")

Great comments on W&P, Mamie! you almost make me want to read it. Almost.

Yikes! I listened to the Maude while following along in print with the V&P, so I was able to compare them, and the Maude is just so much better.

>249 katiekrug: Thank you, Katie! And yeah, it's quite the time investment - I would recommend the audio, but I know how you feel about long audios. Seriously, I think you have to be in the right mood for W&P - I only made it half way on my first attempt. Wait until it calls to you - and I mean really hollers!

Oh and also, if you want a different take on Cossack dancing, check out this video. Apparently this song was associated with the 1984 Olympics, so while in a way I'm not surprised I never heard it before (because of the boycott), I'm maybe more surprised that this never caught my attention for its sheer weirdness anyway.

Oh, my!! I had never heard of it before, either, Ursula. And now I am exhausted just from watching - reminds me of when I volunteered at Daniel's preschool on the very day that they were rehearsing Sally the Camel Has Five Humps...but that is a tale for another day. That group makes me think of ABBA and The Village People combined, but with more dance moves. Ha!

>193 Crazymamie: Wow! Congratulations!

>231 Crazymamie: 9 books and one of them is W&P?!? And very interesting comments on the translations. I have a very old, cheap copy of W&P and I had been thinking of replacing it with the P&V translation when I finally get round to reading it but perhaps I will see how I go with this translation first.

Hello, Heather. Thank you! I was just as surprised by my feelings on the translations - if I hadn't happened to be listening to one translation and following along in the print of another, I would not have thought it mattered overly much. From now on, I will be researching translations before just blindly jumping in. I also noticed that the Maude kept the traditional thee and thou in conversations which signaled an intimate relationship, which would have been historically accurate, but the V&P translation changed this to 'you'. Interesting.

Book #10: The Fade Out: Volume 2 by Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips (4.25 stars) GN - crime fiction/noir

Here's the Amazon blurb:

"BRUBAKER & PHILLIPS' newest hit series, THE FADE OUT is an epic noir set in the world of noir itself, the backlots and bars of Hollywood at the end of its Golden Era. A movie stuck in endless reshoots, a writer damaged from the war and lost in the bottle, a dead movie star and the lookalike hired to replace her. Nothing is what it seems in the place where only lies are true.

The second act of BRUBAKER and PHILLIPS' biggest hit ever begins with a bang! Someone knows who killed Valeria Sommers, but can our "heroes" find them without exposing themselves? And will their search lead them to answers they don't want to find? "

This is the second book in the series, and it is every bit as good as the first. They are doing a good job of developing the story line and filling in some of the backstory ever so gradually. And Dashiell Hammett makes a guest appearance in this one!I am loving these graphic novels that capture 1940s Hollywood and the noir style so very well. A huge thanks to Joe and Mark for mentioning these on the GN thread. The third installment comes out next month, on February 23rd.

Book #11: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep: Dust to Dust by Philip K. Dick, Tony Parker illustrator (5 stars) GN - science fiction/dystopian

This gets a full five stars from me for keeping the full narrative of Dick's brilliant novel intact. Amazing. I loved this story when I read the novel for the first time last year, but I was unaware that it had been made into a series of graphic novels until Michelle (Tanglewood) mentioned the omnibus of it on the GN thread. I requested the first two from the library, which did not have the omnibus edition, and the first volume arrived in hardback. I WANT. This is a beautiful hardback edition - I wish I could take off the library jacket to scan it for you because the cover is GORGEOUS. Simple black with silver embossing - the front cover has this quote: "I had a real sheep originally - Rick Deckard" and the back cover has a silver embossed sheep in the lower left hand corner. As far as I can find, this edition is no longer available - I would snap it up in a heartbeat if it was. *sob*

I also really like the artwork - it fits the style of the writing, and I thought they did an excellent job of marrying the narrative to the images without overwhelming the reader with all of the text. I just cannot recommend this highly enough, especially for those of you who are fans of Dick's writing.

Great! I didn't know the third Fade Out comes out next month; that helps. I'm looking for the PKD Do Androids GN now in that omnibus form.

Hey, Joe! I am eagerly awaiting that third installment, so happy to be of help. And I am thinking that I will invest in the omnibus edition for my own shelves because I like what I have seen, and I love that story.

... so go Alice, go boom boom boom....

The android GN looks great, thanks for all the pictures.

Ha! Let's just say that the preschool teacher has this great idea to do a deep knee bend every time you sang the number - I could hardly walk the next day. I am NOT kidding!

You are most welcome for the pictures - I like to see the art since it's such a big part of a GN.

I got so behind that I missed the AFC championship celebration on your thread! When I left Chicago, Denver had just scored the first TD. You should have heard all of the Knoxville-bound folks cheering! (We're huge Peyton fans!) Anyway, we told the pilot to keep us posted on the score, but he failed to do so. The first thing we did when we hit the tarmac, and they gave us the go-ahead on electronic devices was to check the score! Broncos were still ahead. I had to check again when I got home, of course, for the final!

Incredible review, and incredible accomplishment. Kudos to you for reading War and Peace!

>244 dragonaria: Kimberly--And then there's Kimmer, Kimmers, Berly and my favorite was my third grade teacher (four Kims in the class) who called me Kimberly J Snerd. Snerd is not my last name and I have no idea where that came from unless it is a thinly disguised Nerd. LOL. Oh, and Kimberly Ann when I was in trouble. And my MIL calls me Kimberly Sue Ann Billy Bob. Go figure. ; )

Hi Crazy!

>211 PaulCranswick: >212 Crazymamie: talking about novel adaptions, I watched the 1949 version of The Great Gatsby last night, and now I want to watch the Mia Farrow one, and then the Baz Luhrman one to complete the set. One can dream...

Let me just say that the Maude and the P&V translations are the ones I have home from the library. I read the first chapter from both and couldn't tell enough differences to decide, but based on your appraisal will be using the Maude translation forthwith.

>264 Berly: oh yes, the nicknames - Kimster, Kimeister, Kimmy (never liked that one). A former beau called me Li'l Kimmy until I found out she was a porn star, I ceased taking his calls after that.

I always hate introducing myself because I'm afraid I'll do that hard K spit thing. Is that just me?

Morning Mamie! Happy Hump Day! Good reviews of Fade Out & Androids. I am going to have to check out the latter. It was my first PKD and remains my favorite.

>262 thornton37814: Lori, that is a great story! Such a fun memory - wish I could have heard that cheering! I was so happy that they won.

>263 Whisper1: Thank you, Linda! It was great to finally make it all the way through - it's been on my list for a long time.

>264 Berly: Hello there, Kim!

>265 LovingLit: The Alan Ladd one?! I SO want to see that one - I have seen the others.

>266 ronincats: Glad I could be of help, Roni. I don't know if I would have picked up on all the differences so much if I hadn't been listening to one version while following the other in print. I really loved the Maude!

>267 dragonaria: My, my you ladies have a lot of nicknames. The hard K spit thing cracked me up!

>268 msf59: Morning, Mark! We made it to Wednesday!! And thank you! Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is also my favorite PKD so far. LOVE that story.

Howdy, Mamie! Oh my, your really chalking up the reads! I love the artistry in GN's even more so than the talk bubbles. Since you rated them so highly, I need to see if my library carries them.

Book #12: The Various Haunts of Men by Susan Hill (3.5 stars), 2013 acquired ebook, mystery - police procedural

"The silence in the stifling room was immense, a silence which had the particular quality Cat always noticed at a death, as though the earth had momentarily stopped turning and the world was drained of triviality and urgency about anything at all."

This is the second book I have read by Susan Hill. I also read her The Woman in Black, which I quite liked. What she does really well is create atmosphere - I love the creepiness and the tension that she creates in her books. She is also very good at creating characters that are flawed but still likable. Where she struggles, I think, is with the pacing in relationships- she moves either too fast or too slow and rarely gets it just right, but this is the first in a series, and I often find that the first entry is also the weakest because it gets bogged down with trying to set everything up. This story felt more like a character study than a mystery to me. There was a lot of unnecessary information - this can work when setting up red herrings, but it also makes her books longer than they need to be.

What I found strange about this particular book is that the supposed star of the show, Simon Serrailler, is more of a background character - we hardly see him. Such a contrast when the reader gets to know so much about everyone else - I am guessing this is purposeful on the author's part, keeping him shrouded in a bit of mystery. I am hoping that he becomes more prominent in later books.

So good but not great. There is, however, a lot of promise here, so I will continue with the series.

>272 Crazymamie: - I liked that one more than you did, Mamie, though I did almost throw it across the room toward the end (I think you can figure out at what part). I sort of wondered if maybe she hadn't originally intended it to be a series? That could explain why Simon is in the background. I read it in 2011, I think, so it's been a while and I don't remember much so there could be other details that disprove my theory.

Hope you have a great day!

Me, too, Katie! I was muttering out loud to myself, and Craig was trying to read, and finally he said, Just what is the matter? So I launched into a tirade. That's a really good thought that maybe it wasn't originally meant to be the first in a series - that would explain so much. And I am probably a horrible person, but Cat really got on my nerves - NO ONE is that nice.And she a is a great listener and wonderful about not blowing off even the littlest matters until the exact moment when she needs to be paying attention?! I just don't buy it!!

I checked to see what you rated it, just out of curiosity, and we actually both gave it 3.5 stars.

>274 Crazymamie: - Huh. I thought I would have given it at least 4. Guess I was more bothered than I realized :) Is Cat his sister? I don't remember that much about her... I just bought the first and second so I can re-read them before moving on to the third and beyond.

Ratings are so funny, aren't they? I always look back over my reads at the end of the year, and I am always surprised by some of the ratings, and they're MY ratings. LOL!

Yes, Cat is the sister. I am going to see if the library has the second because I don't want to pay full price for it - it would be lovely if they could make it a Kindle deal really soon. *crosses fingers*

Back to report that the library did have the second one, and so I have requested it. Probably better to go forward while the first one is still fresh in my head.

>277 Crazymamie: - I remember liking the second one. Maybe I gave that one 4 stars.... :)

You did!

Glad I'm not losing my mind. I definitely need to re-read that one, because several people reading it this month have referenced a cliff-hanger at the end and I don't remember that at all, so I need to refresh my memory before diving into the next one. I probably won't bother to re-read the first since there wasn't much of Simon in it anyway....

Okay, so speaking of Kindle deals, I just checked and one of the books in this series is a good deal right now:

The Soul of Discretion, which is book 8, is $2.99

A Breach of Security, which is also marked as book 8 is $0.99 - is this a novella? Must be as it is only 57 pages

Also, I noticed that Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer is just $1.99 - I LOVED her Blacklands

Cliff-hanger? SO had I better request book three also? I am thinking so.

>281 Crazymamie: - I snapped up Rubbernecker a few days ago when I saw that price. I think Judy has read it and liked it. I also loved Blacklands and have two others of hers on my shelf...

>282 Crazymamie: - For sure!

Katie, Blacklands was my very first book that I read because of you. You read it in 2012, and I was new on the threads!

I have requested the third book, also, so I should be set!

>284 Crazymamie: - Aww, that makes that creepy book even more special :D

*wipes away a tear*

Also, your memory is crazy good!

>285 katiekrug: Ha! You made me snort my coffee. I promise to use my powers only for good.

>231 Crazymamie: Wow, I'm actually going to "uncloak" for this review. I've never been in the least interested to read this book, but your review has me reconsidering. I really do love long books, I feel that it's easier to get your money's worth!

Welcome, Diane! I am honored!! I was surprised by how much I enjoyed W&P - it's actually quite a good story. You will definitely get your money's worth!

>272 Crazymamie: >273 katiekrug: etc. I also gave it a 3.5 rating. I thought it was odd for Simon to be a minor character in his own series and I also wondered if it wasn't written with a series in mind. I'm not in a big hurry to get to the next book, but I'll probably read it at some point.

>193 Crazymamie: As usual I'm late to the party, but YAY!!! :D

>217 Crazymamie: There's a Wolf Hall TV series?? Had no idea. Hm... I hope Sky will show it here eventually (and W&P as well), then I can watch without bad Italian dubbing.

>231 Crazymamie: Great review!! I read the epilogues and thought the first one didn't hurt, I quite liked it. The second one however... my brain couldn't process it at all. For me W&P overall felt like Tolstoy finished a book quite different from the one he had set out to write and at times I think he was annoyed he had to continue with all those characters when he now was so much into all the important theories. :) But while those parts interrupted the flow, they also make the book so very special ( a bit like all the insertions in Les Miserables) and that's why all the films feel so flat compared to the book. I loved it and rated it with 4.5, but liked (then) Anna Karenina a bit more, though I believe W&P is the one I'd rather reread.

>289 cbl_tn: Carrie, I am thinking that almost has to be it - that she didn't plan on it being a series. I am wanting to keep going right now because it is fresh in my head, and I think I can bookhorn them in easily enough in February.

>290 Deern: Hello, Nathalie! It's never too late to celebrate my finishing W&P!!

The BBC adaptation of Wolf Hall is supposed to be very good. I need to take the time to watch it.



And thank you! So interesting that you liked Tolstoy's analytical inserts - I would have rather they not be interspersed throughout the narrative because for me that made it feel broken up. And sometimes it felt condescending even when he was making a good point or providing valuable insight. But I see what you mean - that is he had not done that, it would be a different book, and you are right. I have not read Les Miserables, so I cannot compare the two. I have read Anna Karenina, but I did not like that nearly as much as I enjoyed W&P.

A belated congratulations for completing War and Peace, Mamie!!!!!! WOOT!!!!

I do hope you continue with the Simon Serrailler series. I mean, I've only read the first two but Simon is definitely a more featured presence in the second one. His sister is also still a major (and lovable character) but his role as a police officer provides the fulcrum for the story. Well, it almost does. One thing I like about the series is that the secondary story lines are compelling. Again, I'm not yet an expert.

You simply must watch the BBC adaptation of Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies. It is quite wonderful.

Good morning, Mamie!
Ugh for a brief few minutes I thought it was Friday. I hate when that happens :(

Morning, Lynda! Sorry about the Friday tease - almost there. It's raining and very dreary here - a good day to stay in and hunker down with the books - I think that's exactly what I'll do!

>292 EBT1002: Ellen! Thank you! I love your enthusiasm!!

I will definitely continue with the Serrailler series - I have requested books two and three from the library, so now I just have to wait for them to come in. Good to know that he is a larger presence in the later books. His sister gets on my nerves a bit but perhaps she'll mellow out as the series continues - a little too perfect for me.

I have heard nothing but good things about the Wolf Hall/Bring Up the Bodies adaptations, so I am eager to get to them - soon, very soon.

Hoping that your Thursday is full of fabulous, dear!

Morning, Mamie!

I've been to the gym and managed to sit in some cat vomit this morning, so I feel like today is Monday. Thank goodness it's not :)

Morning, Katie! I just came from your thread! EWww to the cat vomit - that does sound like a Monday event. But hooray for going to the gym!!! I'm so proud! And yes, thank goodness it's not Monday - it will come round again soon enough.

Ack! just downloaded Do Androids. Then I noticed it was 544 pages! what the....ohhh, turns out I'm downloading issues 1-24. Eeek.

The graphic novel? You won't be disappointed - what I read was volume one, and I think there are six of those, so 24 sounds about right.

I got ticked off at The Various Haunts of Men for reasons you can guess, and didn't continue the series. So I'll be following your further adventures with it with interest.

Sweet Thursday - hope it's a good one for you.

Yep. Totally get that, Joe. I myself am curious to see what comes next.

Sweet Thursday to you!

Just chiming in on a couple of things even though you've moved on to a new thread. Agree with Ellen that the TV adaptation Wolf Hall is wonderful. Also kind of agree with you about the Serrailler series. I read 3 or 4 books in the series, then decided to take a break from them. The books are not terrible, but there's a bit too much personal and family melodrama, not enough mystery, too much religion, not enough police/detective work. So, while I might read more in the series, I'll be spacing them out so they don't become annoying.

>302 Storeetllr: Hello, Mary! I need to get to that Wold Hall adaptation! And okay, so it's not just me that thinks there is too much information and not enough mystery in the Serrailler book. I do want to read the nest two in the series while the first one is fresh in my head, and then make a decision about whether to go forward or not. I did really like the writing.