Joe's Book Cafe 2016 Door 5

Picasso, Matisse, Vuillard, August Macke are the artists.

Welcome back to the cafe!

2016 Books

Graphic Novels

1. The Fade Out by Ed Brubaker
2. Concrete Park by Tony Puryear
3. The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage by Sydney Padua
4. Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson
5. Killing and Dying by Adrian Tomine
6. Sleeper by Ed Brubaker
7. Where is Jake Ellis by Nathan Edmondson
8. Lucifer by Mike Carey

January

1. Hattie Ever After by Kirby Larson
2. Saint Odd by Dean Koontz
3. Tricky Twenty-Two by Janet Evanovich
4. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
5. Cold Mountain by Han Shan (re-read)
6. Bryant & May and the Burning Man by Christopher Fowler
7. Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler
8. Valis by Philip K. Dick
9. Neon Vernacular by Yusef Komunyaka

February

10. Tokyo Decadence by Ryu Murakami
11. The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher
12. Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen by Lois McMaster Bujold
13. Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
14. Martian Time-Slip by Philip K. Dick
15. The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie
16. Natural Birth by Toi Derricotte
17. A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver
18. Winterdance by Gary Paulsen
19. Heap House by Edward Carey

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

Non-fiction

Being Mortal by Atul Gawande*
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald

Graphic Novels

Sandman Overture by Neil Gaiman*
The Leaning Girl by Benoit Peters
Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

Mystery

Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith*
And Sometimes I Wonder by Walter Mosley
Rose Gold by Walter Mosley

Science Fiction/Fantasy

Ancillary series by Ann Leckie*
Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs
Winter by Marissa Meyer

Some of the Cafe Patrons' Recommended 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

Dreamland by Kevin Baker
Stewart O'Nan in general

Lark and Termite by Jayne Anne Phillips
Byrd by Kim Church

Mr. Loverman by Bernardine Evaristo
Ingenious Pain by Andrew Miller

The Hero's Walk and Tamarind Mem and others by Anita Rau Badami
Under This Unbroken Sky by Shandi Mitchell

The Machine by James Smythe
The Auschwitz Violin

Medea by Richard Matturro, and others by that author
Volt: Stories by Alan Heathcock

All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren
Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey

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

Dinner with Buddha and all the Merullo Buddha books
We Are Called to Rise

op 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.

Oops, we'll add a little street art:



Friedrichshain

Hope I am not prematurely butting in to say Happy New Thread, Joe.

>6 jnwelch: LOVE that. Happy new thread, Joe!

>7 PaulCranswick: Perfect timing, Paul. Thanks. I actually reserved one more than I needed, but that gave us a chance to have some more street art.

As a reward for being first, you get this rare photo of Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes with baby Frieda.



>8 Crazymamie: Good! Me, too, Mamie. Thanks!

Gorgeous opening, Joe. Congrats on your shiny new thread.

>6 jnwelch: Like this a lot. Happy new thread!

Love your opening pictures! Happy new thread.

Happy New Thread and have a great week Joe! Methinks you rifled through your Pinterest Book Art Board to come up with those images up there... ;-)

Nice art, monsieur! Love the happy face in the Vuillard.

This is the way we roll, mid-February in our new year. Excellent.

A new thread is a nice way to kick off the week, Joe. Love all the art but I think I identify most with the street art that you posted! Actually I am reading two fun books right now, The Twelve by Justin Cronin to continue with his Passage trilogy, and Pelquin's Comet by Ian Whates a nifty space adventure.

>11 charl08: Thanks, Barbara. Glad you like the opening.

>12 banjo123: Isn't >6 jnwelch: cool, Charlotte? Thanks!

>13 Smiler69: Ha! You know my Pinterest board well, Ilana. I did indeed use it for the toppers.

Thanks - I hope you have a great week, too.

>14 maggie1944: Merci, Madame. Glad you like that Vuillard, Karen. To me, both he and Macke are under-appreciated artists.

>15 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy. I like that street art, too. We'll probably do more street art on this thread, as folks seem to be getting a kick out of it.

Those books sound intriguing. I haven't gotten snared by the Justin Cronin books, but I'm always up for a nifty space adventure.

Happy New Thread, Joe! Wow! The threads are really hopping in '16. Love the toppers. Perfect selections.

I am enjoying a day off but had a busy morning. Time for the books...

^Contributing a bit to your fantastic street art theme...

>18 msf59: Thanks, buddy! It is hopping among the 75ers, isn't it? Glad you like the toppers.

Oh, good, I should've remembered this would be a day off. We're open, darn it. Time for the books = "always" in our druthers, right? I'm going to have some lunch and read some PKD.

ETA: >19 msf59: Whoa! Love it!

Is the message, don't mess with this book? Cool beans.

^^They do seem to be protecting it, don't they? Good call. Paws off our books, dude(s)!

>21 msf59: :-)

Happy new thread, Joe!

>24 jnwelch: Thanks, Katie! Glad to have a fellow Lady Susan appreciator. :-)

>1 jnwelch: aaahhhh Picasso!! :-)

and adding to the collection, streetart from Rotterdam:

Good morning Joe. Here is another streetart from Zürich. It's made by highschool students.

Happy new one, Joe!

Nice new thread, Joe! As a fan of Pablo Picasso, I heartily approve of the top painting.

Happy new cafe, Joe!

Morning, Joe! I was just over at Amber's volunteering to be your lovely assistant for that seminar on the art of goofing off. I am very accomplished when it comes to goofing off.

>25 FAMeulstee: Ha! Cool, Anita, thanks. Clever and, for me, poignant.

>26 Ameise1: :-) That's a fun one, isn't it, Barbara. Good for the students. I think mine gets set on "Spin" on a regular basis.

>27 scaifea: Thanks, Amber!

>31 jnwelch: I was searching for streetart online. Could not find anything from here (Lelystad), so went on searching Rotterdam (where I lived 1982-2005), this one stood out :-)

>28 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl! Yeah, I've become a Picasso fan, too. At the beginning I was somewhat resistant, mainly because he was pushed on us at school as such a genius. But it turns out he was indeed a genius, and had the careers of five or six artists all by himself. Love that Picasso museum in Paris with so many of his sculptures.



>29 lkernagh: Thanks, Lori! Glad you found the new cafe.

>30 Crazymamie: Ha! Excellent, Mamie. Between the two of us, we should be able to help Amber learn the art of goofing off. It's always a pleasure when a skill like that turns out to be useful. :-)

>32 FAMeulstee: Nice street art grab, Anita. I like that Rotterdam one a lot.

Martian Time-Slip delves into schizophrenia and autism and oppression of natives in the context of Earth people colonizing Mars. The corruption of a local union leader and corporations back on Earth affect the lives of settlers just trying to find a way to economically survive on Mars, and the native "Bleekmen" who resemble Australian aborigines. The settlers try to get by either through skills such as the ability to repair malfunctioning machines, or trafficking in black market luxury goods like decent coffee, whiskey and food.

It may be that Mars is somehow increasing the incidence of schizophrenia and autism. Honest and elite repairman Jack Bohlen is struggling with his own schizophrenic episodes while trying to make his family's lives as normal as possible. "Anomalous" autistic boy Manfred may be able to see the future and even travel in time, making him of great interest to powerful Arnie Kott. Jack hopes to help Manfred escape his dark visions, but is at risk of being pulled under by the swimmer he's trying to save.

I wouldn't recommend this one as a starter PKD, but it's another entertaining thought-provoker that confirms this author's brilliance and staying power. Four stars.

Morning Joe! Nice new thread you have here.

Morning, Joe! Barely made it in. Busy and heavy start to the day.
You are always reminding me to read more Dick and I continue to fail. Grins...

I started on a new YA fantasy novel for the Fantasy February that sucked me right in. House of Shattered Wings is really good. The author is new and the whole book sounds to me like it might be a French translation. I haven't investigated yet to find out for sure. If it were a translated YA novel that would really be unique. Anyway so far so good. I also finished Hell is Empty and think that it should qualify for the Fantasy February novel.

My goodness the University Libraries has been hoppin' the last two days. And finally the weather is cooperating.

Phew! This café moves fast!

>30 Crazymamie: 'goofing off'? I am not familiar with this 'goofing off'.

Morning, Joe! Oh, dear - it looks like Nina also needs our help.

>39 humouress: Nina, it means to just relax and be lazy.

Michelle Waldele Studio

>36 Thebookdiva: Morning, Abby! Thanks. It's a spiffy one, isn't it? We're getting art contributions from all over the place.

>37 msf59: There's our guy! Good morning, Mark.

I'm grateful any time you read a PKD, because I don't think you're as much of a sci-fi nut as I am. I do feel like my IQ goes up a few points whenever I read him.

>38 benitastrnad: Ha! I love the idea of Hell Is Empty as a fantasy novel, Benita. Dante and mysticism . . .

House of Shattered Wings sounds promising. Thanks for keeping us posted on good YA fantasy.

I'm glad the library is hopping - that's always a plus.

>39 humouress: You know, I can't really tell any more whether the cafe is hopping, Nina. I've been doing it for a few years now, and I realized I've just gotten used to it, whatever the pace. You know, keep everything cleaned up and comfortable, serve good food and drinks, talk about books. What's not to like?

We will be having a seminar on "Goofing Off Without Guilt" in the upcoming months, so you can learn about the particulars and make them part of your life. It's a skill any of us can learn, we promise you.

>40 Crazymamie: Woo! Woo!

Good morning, Mamie! See, you're a natural at teaching the concepts of goofing off. I'm sure we can put in some extra hours, if she needs them, helping Nina learn to relax and be lazy.

Morning Joe! All this sun feels good despite the cool temps. Love the book stack image.

Once again, I have slowed in my GN reading but it will pick up. I just started Starve. I do like Wood's work.

Morning Mark!

You know I'm a Brian Wood fan. I'll look forward to hearing what you think of Starve. I think you'd like the Jake Ellis ones.

BTW, my ER copy of Eviction just arrived. This should be a good one.

>43 jnwelch: Well I could use some "Goofing off without guilt" ;-)

As for the past months I have been doing nearly nothing (because of my broken arm), but raised in calvinism I do feel guilt, lots of it.
Doing nothing becomes harder now my arm is functioning better, so there is a raising need for the "goofing off"-part of the seminar too.

There was a news article on DW TV (Deutch Wella TV) this morning about street art in Germany. It's everywhere!

This morning on NPR Ruta Sepetys was interviewed about her new historical fiction YA novel Salt to the Sea. Because YA dystopian literature has been so hot for the last ten years, this has been an often overlooked genre in YA literature. In fact Jennifer Donnelly, who writes YA historical fiction as well as fantasy, wrote an open letter to publishers about the lack of publishing opportunities for YA authors who were not writing dystopian fantasy.

Sepetys new book is about the sinking of the Willem Gustoff at the end of WWII. This is the maritime accident with the most casualties ever recorded. Historians think around 9,000 people died. However, Sepetys said in the interview that the sinking of this ship was not very well known. She is correct - unless you read books. Gunter Grass wrote about it, as have other German and European authors. You need to watch for this novel and read it as soon as you can.

I heard that interview, also, and agree it sounds like a must read if one loves historical novels.

Hope all is well, and that your Dad continues to improve!

>48 benitastrnad: I just finished Salt to the Sea and loved it!

Morning Joe dear! I need coffee....sleep keeps eluding me. On the plus side I've gotten a lot more reading done because of it.

Morning, Joe! No goofing off for me today as I'm off to school to substitute for the librarian. Have a good one!

Morning, Joe!

>47 FAMeulstee: Good, Anita! We have some of the world's foremost experts on goofing off right here on LT. One of the many benefits of the seminar is you're not expected to pay any attention at all if you're busy practicing the craft.

I'm sure that broken arm is frustrating, but I do think life sometimes tells us, hey, you need to slow down - or stop altogether - for a while.

Of course, that message can eventually be a source of delight for book-readers. I got through a lot of the Dresden books, for ex, when I got laid up with a replacement hip. Painkillers seemed to only enhance the reading experience with that series. :-)

>48 benitastrnad: Another good tip on Salt to the Sea, thanks, Benita.

I've read Jennifer Donnelly (and liked it), and I did read that letter she wrote. I'm not sure how to put this, but it seems to me in one sense literary fads come and go (that is, vampire books or dystopian books or whatever are extremely popular generally for a while). At the same time, I think all sorts of other genres (or hard to pigeonhole books) are being written, and may get critical love, or surface as popular over time. I was surprised by her letter, because I'm not sure how many authors say to themselves, I'll write a dystopian novel rather than a historical novel, because it will make me more money. For those who do, I wonder how good they really are.

>49 maggie1944: Hi, Karen!

Good to hear further support for Salt to the Sea.

Our dad is progressing well in rehab, and today was able to travel the facility hallway with his walker. So that's a good sign. He also has his alertness back. Phew!

>50 Dianekeenoy: Ha! More Salt to the Sea love. Thanks, Diane! I'd not heard of this book before this morning.

>51 Thebookdiva: Jeesh, my sympathy re sleep eluding you, Abby. At your age I needed two sticks of dynamite to wake me up. Wait, that's still true. Oh well.

Coffee happens to be a specialty of the cafe. Go figure. I'm going to figure you'll take a latte like your esteemed mama, but let us know if your preferences lie elsewhere.



>52 scaifea: Good morning, Amber!

Have fun substituting for the school librarian. Surrounded by books all day. Ahhh.



>53 Crazymamie: Good morning, Mamie! Hope all is well at the Pecan Paradisio.

By Seth Globepainter in Indonesia

Morning Joe! Sweet Thursday! Love the Globepainter.

I just snagged Salt to the Sea on audio. Glad to see all the love expectations.

I just started Shattered. I do love this series.

>58 msf59: Morning Mark! Sweet Thursday, buddy.

Isn't that a cool Globepainter? I love his colors.

I need to catch up a bit on that Kevin Hearne series. Salt to the Sea sounds like a good 'un, doesn't it? Enjoy the audio.

>57 jnwelch: I love the fabric patterns. Beautifully done.

Glad to hear your dad's improving. Long may it continue.

Joe, I love the art -- women with books. Perfect.

Putting Salt to the Sea on hold at the library (if they have it).

ETA: They don't. Darn.

Happy Friday, Joe!

Good morning Dad! Hope it's okay to plug two giveaways I'm hosting :)

On my blog, I'm hosting giveaways for The Widow by Fiona Barton, and Death of a Nurse by M.C. Beaton, in connection with the publisher and in celebration of the two books' release dates!

*The Widow by Fiona Barton: http://thebookkeepersapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/02/release-day-review-and-give...

*Death of a Nurse by M.C. Beaton: http://thebookkeepersapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/02/death-of-nurse-by-mc-beaton...

Morning, Joe!

>60 charl08: Aren't those beautifully done, Charlotte? He's become one of my favorite street artists.

Yes, thanks, the pater familias is on the mend. Each day seems to show some improvement in his strength.

>61 EBT1002: Happy Friday, Ellen!

Glad you're loving the art. We'll likely get some more today.

Salt to the Sea sure burst onto the scene yesterday, for me. I've got it lined up for somewhere down the line. Right now I'm reading and liking Winterdance.

>62 DianaNL: Ha! You find such good ones, Diana. Will do!

>63 seasonsoflove: But of course mon petit chou.

I sure do enjoy that book blog of yours.

The Widow sounds like a hot thriller, and the Beaton a quality cozy mystery. I should give Beaton a try some day. Giveaways - you manage to find free books all over the place. A most excellent talent for an avid book reader.

Great to see you on the way to the train today. Happy Friday!

>64 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! Latte?

Forest Mural in South Bronx, NY

>63 seasonsoflove: Hi Becca, I have been wanting to read The Widow! Hope I'm lucky!

Thanks Dad, it was great to see you too!

>69 Dianekeenoy: Hi Diane! I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

Happy Friday, Joe! Thanks for the great art work.

Hiya, Darryl. Happy Friday!

A pleasure re the art work. Glad you're liking it. We'll keep it going.

Morning, Joe! Happy Friday! Just got back from the airport. It is nice out but very breezy.

Hope to spend some time with the books, this afternoon. I now have a healthy stack of GNs waiting, including Who is Jake Ellis & Killing & Dying.

Glad you are enjoying Winterdance. That one never lets up.

>73 msf59: Morning, Mark! Happy Friday, buddy. Glad you have the day off. I'll be out in that nice but breezy weather soon.

Ah, nothing better than a healthy stack of GNs. I suspect, with your affinity for dark tales, you may like Killing & Dying better than I did.

I just saw this in a New Yorker and liked it. The Cooper-Hewitt is featuring its Design Triennial with the work of 63 designers. These are by the American Haas Brothers, who teamed up with South African craftswomen to make this "beaded bestiary".

>68 jnwelch: I love that forest mural!

They've built up a great huge tall and long sound-proofing wall in my neighbourhood which is cutting off a park we used to love taking Coco too. A sign says it will be up till 2019. The park was/is situated alongside the overground 720 highway, for which they are doing intensive repair and reconstruction, and so our park was sacrificed so they could build what we hope are temporary infrastructures. We knew it would be a matter of no time for our local talentless taggers to settle in... and when I mention our local taggers, I must emphasise that they put ZERO artistry into their efforts... really just pure vandalism, with ugly nondescript scribbles. I've had visions of a beautiful mural and often think how lovely it would be to create a forest or garden view. I'd go do it myself, but it's really a very long mural (and entire block's worth) and no way could I accomplish it alone. If I had more energy and drive and time to put towards various creative projects, I would definitely submit a project to the municipality. But added to the lack of the above, our local vandals are really relentless and seem to take pleasure in defacing everything and anything, so I wouldn't put it past them to deface a real work of art just for the fun of it.

Sorry, I guess that was a bit of a rant. I just love well-executed street art and often wish we had our own in and around where I live, so my Pinterest board is proving a great consolation and I love logging on to your thread and seeing what you and various visitors have contributed lately.

I keep discovering new to me artists now I'm motivated to curate my own collection on Pinterest. Here, a mural by my latest find, 'Pantonio':



Here is a Colossal article about his work: http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2016/02/pantonio-street-art

eta: >75 jnwelch: love the above! So witty and fun!

>76 Smiler69: Nice! Thanks, Ilana. Pantonio's black hare hare particularly got me.

Yeah, I'm with you on that rant. We get lots of the scribbling, too. Some of the "tags" have art to them, but most don't. Wish they had to pass some type of artistic ability test and swear to do art to get a street artist license.

Sounds like that sound wall would make a perfect street canvas. Too bad the city didn't line up an artist ahead of time. Even with some idiots scribbling on the art, it might have been an eye joy rather than an eye sore. Till 2019 is a long time.

Glad you like the bead bestiary. Witty and fun, yes, and I love the colors.

Gorgeous new thread Joe! Lovely art and pictures! It is so grey and pouring rain ( as it has been for days now ) I can use the colour! Shortly off to walk the dog. Oh I am weary of walking the dog for the needed 2 + miles in the pouring rain and gloom! Argh!

#76
Because of all you warbling about Heap House I had pulled it off the shelf thinking I would read it soon. A library patron came in to ask me a question and saw it. I handed it to her because I saw her casting curious glances at it. She walked out of my office with that book in hand. I hope that she comes back for the rest of the series.

A few days ago I managed to talk a patron into taking out Annihilation the first in the Southern Reach trilogy. She came in for Name of the Wind and took both books with her. I hope she will come back for the sequels to both of these series.

Success as a librarian is sweet sometimes. It is also a real ego booster. There are some who think that I am not doing a good job and then I have a few successes that make me feel differently about my life.

"there are some who think I am not doing a good job"...... ah, Benita, there are always those "some", aren't there. Best to ignore them and continue to do what makes your heart sing. Believe you me, life is too damned short to spend much time doing what we imagine others think we should be doing. But you knew that.

Happy weekend, Joe.

I am off to visit the Northwest Flower and Garden show in Seattle this morning. It will be delightful, a huge convention center full to the brim of all things gardening + several huge garden productions, think hauling in tons of rock, dirt, small sheds, huge (for being inside) trees, and flowering spring flowers all over. OH, JOY!

>80 benitastrnad: Sounds like a win to me.

Love the animals and the swallow mural. Work on that scale is so impressive (I don't think I would even be able to get on the ladder).

Morning, Joe! I never say no to a latte, so thank you.

>78 vancouverdeb: Hiya, Deb. Exactly. We north country folks sure can use some colour this time of year.

Sorry about the pouring rain and gloom - I actually like those kinds of days, but I don't have to walk a dog in them!

How about a hot drink?



>79 benitastrnad: Ha! You have a generous soul, Benita. I'd have been tempted to tackle that library patron and take Heap House back.

I just got notice that my copy of Heap House has finally come in at the library, so I'll head over today to pick it up.

Morning, Joe! Happy Saturday! I am so glad that wind has moved on. That was rough. We lost power for a couple hours too.

So far, I am having a lazy morning. I am getting ready to start The Lost Garden and after a slow start, I am enjoying Starve Volume 1. I am reading it on my laptop and it is really not a bad way to read it.

I now have the first 2 Jake Ellis volumes too, thanks to you.

>80 benitastrnad: Nice going, Benita. I wasn't as much of a fan of Annihilation as you, I suspect, but lots of people loved it, and I sure got swept away by Name of the Wind.

I know what you mean about that feeling of satisfaction when you successfully recommend a book. I'd get that sometimes when I was a bookseller. I had one guy take me out to lunch because he was so happy with the changes I made in the sci-fi section (it was Del Close, who taught Improv at Second City, a fascinating guy). Another time a publisher's rep came in to thank me for pushing The Chaneysville Incident by David Bradley, an excellent book that deserved more readers.

>81 maggie1944: Well put, Karen. life is too damned short to spend much time doing what we imagine others think we should be doing. Yes. And we know they're darn lucky to have Benita.

Our weekend is most excellent so far - we've had a near-record warm-up into the 60s F (15 C and above for our Celsius patrons). Hope you have a good one, too - that Northwest Flower and Garden Show sounds wonderful. I can imagine you enjoying all that color and greenery.

>82 charl08: Ha! I know, doing one of those huge wall murals must be so challenging, Charlotte. Envisioning the final artwork and laying it out in some fashion, then physically painting it, wow. I could handle being on the ladder (I painted apartment exteriors one summer as a teenager), but I badly lack the talent these folks have.

The animals and the swallow mural are cool, aren't they.

>83 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! I think, as a guide to life, "Never say no to a latte" ranks right up there with "Never look a gift horse in the mouth."

>85 msf59: Morning, Mark! Happy Saturday, buddy.

That wind was rough, wasn't it. That's worrisome when you have a power outage like you did. Sometimes it can take quite a while to get it back. Fire engines were all over the place by us last night, and we're guessing downed lines were a big reason.

Oh, I hope you enjoy The Lost Garden as much as I did. That's probably my #3 for her, only because I thought The Frozen Thames and Coventry were such standouts.

Enjoy those Jake Ellis's. I didn't want the second one to end. I did get my hands on Lucifer Volume 1. I'm still getting my bearings in the first story; it's done quite differently from the TV series, even though the basic set-up is similar.

Unknown artist

The Lost Garden is absolutely gorgeous. Swoons...

I also requested Lucifer Volume 1, along with Concrete Park, which I also know you warbled about. In the book world, audiobooks are red hot, right now but so are GNs and comics, in general. The Golden Age, perhaps?

So I tried to post the picture of Sherlock and Plumdog, but for some reason it would only show up huge, no matter how much I resized and edited it. Not sure what went wrong with the picture, but Sherlock and I are loving Plumdog!

The rain that Deb talked about in >78 vancouverdeb: gave one more mighty downpour where the drops were bouncing back off the pavement and then the sun came out. It was a beautiful evening and it isn't rainy today - yet.

Here is some Vancouver street art in case you don't have it in your collection.

Rain! Rain! and More Rain! It was announced within the last couple of days that we have officially noted the Wettest Winter on Record. Lots of water. Ground is saturated, when I walk the dog we stay on the gravel path for if we venture out onto the "lawn" we are in a bog. Lucky for us it is too cold for those pesky mosquitoes who breed in standing water. Daffodils are busting out. As are other flowers and flowering bushes. The Northwest Flower and Garden show was interesting, smells abounded, and lots of color. Interesting to me was that the large garden sized displays were fewer and smaller than what I remembered from previous years and I expect it reflects a quiet and growing slower economy. Lots of venders trying to sell garden and nature related stuff. I bought a scarf, and a plate to put over some light switches in the new pad. And, of course, a new book: The Pacific Northwest Garden Tour. 60 best gardens! Some road trips to do.....

Morning, Joe! Happy Sunday!

>90 msf59: It does feel like a golden age, Mark, doesn't it? I'm feeling so lucky that GNs and comics have attained this popularity, as there as so many more good ones out there, and the genre is being stretched in so many interesting directions. Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant, Fun Home, Persepolis and many others are showing the possibilities of the graphic memoir, for example, and I'm loving the creativity of a series like Saga.

Audiobooks are just taking off, and we're seeing what a difference excellent narrators can make. You and I have talked about how it's a golden age for nonfiction, too, with so many great titles coming out. With all the dire predictions of books dying off because of technology temptations, we seem to be seeing the opposite.

I'm glad you're loving The Lost Garden! She's so good at casting a spell over the reader.

You'll enjoy Concrete Park, I'm pretty sure. You may have some trouble getting into Lucifer, but I'm finding it easier now. I'll keep you posted. As I mentioned over at your place, I'm also enjoying the GN of Do Androids Sleep, a recommendation from Mamie.

>91 seasonsoflove: Ha! Glad you and Sherlock are enjoying Plumdog, Becca. I thought he'd be able to relate.

Too bad about the photo - I loved it on Facebook. It's tough for me, too, to move photos from FB. If you email it to me, I may be able to get to work it here through a route I figured out.

>92 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. I love that one. I do have it on Pinterest, but we haven't seen it in the cafe yet.

Turning what could be an eyesore into something that makes us smile - that's a gift, isn't it.

I really enjoy rain, for some reason, so I'd be okay with either of your developments, but a beautiful evening sounds good to me.

>93 maggie1944: Ha! I was just saying how much I like rain, Karen, but there can always be too much of a good thing. For you guys to have your Wettest Winter on Record there must have been a ton of it. Now, at least, you see some of the benefits, with the daffodils, flowers and flowering bushes busting out.

You're so lucky that it's cold enough that all the wet doesn't = mosquitoes. Arggh. They can drive people nuts.

The Flower and Garden show doesn't happen here for another month, which fits. I think we trail you all generally by about that much in getting out of winter. Glad you found some things you liked there, and a guide to all those gardens. We love that kind of tour.

>94 scaifea: Morning, Amber! Happy Sunday to you!

Morning Joe! Happy Sunday! You are certainly correct about it also being the Golden Age of NNF. I somehow overlooked that. No wonder, we are always overwhelmed.

On the GN front, I am enjoying Criminal, Vol. 2: Lawless. No one does crime like the Brubaker/Phillips team. Now, I will have to look for Vol. 1. LOL.

I mentioned this to you, over on my thread- I am meeting Linda Panzo for pizza, at Home Run Inn later. It will be good to see her. It has been a long time.

Good morning, Joe. Wishing you a fabulous Sunday.  Street Art in Basel/Switzerland)

#93
I agree with you about a general slowing of the economy. I see it in small ways all the time, and in my own life as well. Many of my friends are not taking those expensive vacations and are opting for staying at home or doing cultural events, like concerts, instead of "vacations."

#95
The publisher information that I have been getting for trade books (the kind of books sold at Barnes & Noble or other booksellers) in the last year is that digital books sales are flat-lining. Hardcopy sales are up. The age group that is most likely to buy print books - 18 -30 year-olds. The number of independent book stores is slowly rising and this reverses the previous sharp downward turn in numbers. The move of Amazon into the brick and mortar world is a reflection of both of these trends. However, bookstores continue to struggle to find the right niche. It does seem that customers need to be guided to from one title to another and want guidance from bookstore staff. However, they are not flocking to alternative forms of "help." Examples of this would be Librarything, blogs, facebook, etc. and this is confusing for publishers to try to figure out how to get the word out about their books. Libraries gained use and patrons during the recession (2007-8) by all income groups and they have not lost that user base. In many cases visits to public libraries are up sharply.

Graphic novel sales are up - slightly, but some of this has been fueled by the conversion of popular trade books to graphic novel form. Examples would be the graphic novel version of Graveyard Book. Manga sales continue an upward trend.

Recorded book sales are still up from previous years. There is lots of consolidation of publishers happening in this area of publishing with many established recorded book publishers being purchased and subsumed by other recorded book companies. (This means that there may be new releases of previously recorded books with new narrators. LTer's have already noticed this.) Because the market for recorded books is so lucrative right now, publishers are making recordings of old books
that were not previously recorded. An example is the recording of the Tony Hillerman novels.

As for genres - Sales of Romance novels have gone flat (but they are still huge). YA sales have also flatlined. Information available indicates that the lack of release of new movie versions of "blockbuster" novels may be the reason.

All of this information indicates that the book world is still in turmoil and things are still settling out. I think that is the reason why Amazon is serious about starting up a chain of bookstores. For us readers, this means there will be a fun filled years ahead.

I think this calls for another visit to the Amazon bookstore which is across the street from one of my favorite Starbucks, in a part of Seattle which caters to the University crowd. It is near where I lived some years ago in a little condo, and near a friend's home. Should have coffee with him, I think.

>98 msf59: Happy Sunday, Mark!

Somehow it slipped into afternoon. We were reading up in our back room, and Debbi ended up being late to her writing group - we lost track of time.

Some nice golden ages going on for we book readers, right? NNF does seem like another example. But it's not uniform, from my POV - we've had better ages of sci-fi, seems to me, and poetry. Fantasy - with JKR and others, maybe we are in a golden age of that. Interesting to ponder. I'm not sure when it comes to mysteries. I like oldies like Dame Agatha and Dorothy L. Sayers, but we've got Louise Penny and others doing a bang-up job now.

I'll have to look for Criminals Volume 1 after Sleeper - you know I like that Brubaker/Phillips team.

Say hi to Linda P. for me! Home Run pizzas are tasty. We're watching what we eat right now, darn it. I could definitely stick my face into one of those. Or maybe be more polite about it.

>99 Ameise1: Hi, Barbara. Sorry I got screwed up the first time. On the weekend I think my mind gets even more loosey-goosey than usual. I mis-numbered Karen's,too.

Cool Basel street art. Thank you for posting it. Our Sunday has been fabulous - a lot of reading poetry and writing for me, and Madame MBH had an excellent time at her writing group. Hope yours has been fabulous, too.

>100 benitastrnad: I think we're all (well, most of us) being more careful with money these days, Benita, don't you? That craziness that led up to the bottom falling out, with people getting way into debt with credit, was sobering. I'm one of those who thanks Obama all the time. People seem to forget how bad it was and how it looked like it was only going to get worse.

Maybe it's slowing now, or plateauing, I'm really not sure. Compared to places like Europe and Japan, we're doing well in North America. But I'm glad people are being more careful.

>100 benitastrnad: Thanks for all those good thoughts and the info, Benita.

digital books sales are flat-lining. Hardcopy sales are up. The age group that is most likely to buy print books - 18 -30 year-olds. The number of independent book stores is slowly rising and this reverses the previous sharp downward turn in numbers. The move of Amazon into the brick and mortar world is a reflection of both of these trends.

That's what I've been seeing, too. It's encouraging, given the dire predictions. E-books have their place, particularly for travel, but the appeal of print books is still strong. Independent bookstores in general are doing way better than was expected, thank goodness. I'm just hoping the Amazon move into retail doesn't hurt the independents.

>102 maggie1944: Yes, I'd like to go into one of the Amazon stores, Karen. I use Amazon online a lot - particularly for ones hard to find in a bookstore. I'll have to try the retail experience. Good excuse for you to meet up with a friend and give it another go.

>104 jnwelch: >105 jnwelch: Hi Joe, I suppose you're bit confused with the numbers.

Joe, the Amazon store in Seattle is limited in inventory to those which sell well on line, I think. What I'll miss, if this is true, the the occasional encounter with an "overlooked" book recommended by the book sellers. I'll have to go check it out.

“For maybe this is how poetry can be of use. Though it can't move with us, we can move it between us, pass it among us, so it is held up by our voices, so it moves with our very breath, our living breath.”

-The Lost Garden

You mentioned reading poetry today...

>106 Ameise1: Right you are, Barbara. Sorry about that. Fixed it up above.

>107 maggie1944: I can believe that, Karen. Part of the fun at Elliot Bay and other wonderful bookstores are the unknown gems that the staff pick out and recommend. I'll be intrigued to hear what you think of your revisit to Amazon.

>108 msf59: Nice one, Mark, thanks. I like that a lot.

It's funny; I found one about poetry today in Natural Birth that resonated:

It amazes me that as separate and unique as our interior worlds are there are moments when - and this is what a poem can do - it seems we have company in our skins, that we are almost in the same space with another person, sharing our deepest realities, and that they understand.

Natural Birth certainly fits that. Remarkable set of poems about events leading up to the birth of her son, the birth itself, and the time after.

:-)

Yes, that fits perfectly, with my quote. Beautifully said...

Ah! Just stopping by to see what is on tap at the Cafe and I don't mean beer like our mutual friend, Mark. :) The hot beverage looks just fine!

>101 benitastrnad: So interesting! Thanks for the information!

>111 msf59: She sure brings the reader into that book, Mark. Glad you like the quote.

>112 vancouverdeb: Good to see you, Deb. Let's get you one of them hot beverages, hold the beer.



>113 vancouverdeb: Ditto, Deb.

Unknown artist 16th Ave. San Francisco tiled steps

Happy Mmmph-ngg! Almost Tuesday day, it is.

Read two good poetry books over the weekend, Toi Derricotte's Natural Birth and Mary Oliver's A Thousand Mornings. In Winterdance, Gary Paulsen is battered, bruised and embarrassed, but hanging in there in the Iditarod.

Morning, Joe! Those steps are beautiful, but I think I would need to use the handrail as I think the effect of the art while climbing would make me a bit dizzy.

>117 Crazymamie: Ha!

Morning, Mamie! I can see what you mean. The little girl probably enjoys whatever dizziness comes up. I can remember spinning with friends around that age just for the goofy feeling.

>68 jnwelch: - Love the forest mural. Beautiful and such a great way to bring a bit of greenery to an inner city or industrial neighbourhood.

>119 lkernagh: Hiya, Lori. Isn't that forest mural beautiful? You're right, it's a great way to bring some greenery into an urban neighborhood like that.

Morning, Joe! Just ducking in, under the wire. It is nice out here. The sunshine feels good.

Does our pal, Deb, have a problem with beer? Shakes head, with some despondency...

>121 msf59: Ha! You'll have to ask Deb about the beer, Mark. I don't know whether that was a "not right now", or a "forget it".

Glad to hear it's nice outside. Maybe I'll get out in that sunshine for a bit.

Don't be despondent Mark there shall be more for us!

(Hi Joe)

>123 PaulCranswick: :-) (Hi Paul)

Morning, Joe!

>125 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie!

I do love all the street art, Joe. Most of the street art I've seen, actually seen with my own eyes, is pedestrian.

Happy new week! Hope you are seeing signs of Spring😊

>127 weird_O: I know what you mean, Bill. Our best experience with seeing street art in person was taking a street art walking tour in London, and then later exploring hot areas ourselves.

>128 maggie1944: Thanks, Karen! Happy new week to you, too. We did get brief glimpses of spring over the weekend, with lots of birdsong, but now we're being warned snow is coming. Hope all is well in your lovely part of the world, and that the rain is giving you a break for a while.

Morning, Joe! Once again, a nice day out here and the sunshine really helps.

I am nearly done with Shattered. Another good one. How far are you in the Iron Druid series?

Morning, Mark! I'll be enjoying that sun soon.

I'm glad the Iron Druid series continues to be good. I can't even tell you where I left off. I'll have to revisit it.

I am enjoying Heap House so far, my last for FF.

Thank you, Darry (kidzdoc) for tipping me off to Natural Birth. It's a moving set of narrative poems about Toi Derricotte getting pregnant at 19, the process of giving birth to her son, and the aftermath. It brings home better than anything else I've read the challenges of giving birth, and I'd think it would resonate with any parent.

Derricotte is now a Professor of English at Pittsburgh and award-winning poet. As a girl in 1962 she had strong feelings as to the behavior required of her. As she explains in the introduction, "It was a terrible thing, especially, for a black middle-class girl to come up pregnant. Part of the lifelong work of our class and gender was to prove beyond doubt that black people were civilized, not beasts." She married the father of her son, a struggling artist unable to provide much, when she was five months pregnant, and went away to a home for unwed mothers to have the baby. A subsequent exchange with an author she admired led to a large part of this manuscript "pour{ing} down the page, and I began to move my lips, as if the wind was coming out of me, playing my teeth and tongue like an instrument."

This recounting of her girls-view experiences is powerful. This one, for example, is called "Maternity":

when they checked me in, i was thinking: this is going to be
a snap! but at the same time, everything looked so different!
this was another world, ordered and white. the night moved
by on wheels.

suddenly the newness of the bed, the room, the quiet,
the hospital gown they put me in, the sheets rolled up
hard and starched and white and everything white except the
clock on the wall in red and black and the nurse's back as
she moved out of the room without speaking, everything
conspired to make me feel afraid.

how long, how much will i suffer?

the night looked in from bottomless windows.

***

Toni Morrison was an editor at Random House and wanted to publish this book, but she finally wrote Derricotte that, "It doesn't fit in our categories; we don't know where to put it." Thank goodness Crossing Press published it, and Firebrand Books re-published it. It doesn't matter what category the book goes in, although Poetry will do. It's just plain an excellent book, with a lot to tell us about her life and our lives.

That sounds like a remarkable book, Joe. Thanks for reviewing it here.

RE: weather in the pac nw... today was wonderfully sunny. I got a few photographs of our grounds as I was making a poster advertising the fact that we "won" an award of a bunch of young people coming to work in our 5 acres. The Community Associations Institute has a yearly service project where a bunch of young property managers sorts come and do some physical labor for a worthy location. We are it for this year and it is exciting to have won this work day project. The pictures turned out well, the poster, just fine, too. Tomorrow the big announcement at the Board meeting. You can see why I'm not getting much reading done. Although I've been captured by an old paperback a resident here gave me: Tisha: The Wonderful True Story of a Young Teacher in the Alaskan Wilderness. Set in 1927, kind of an biography written by a ghost writer, or something like that. Fun.

Morning, Joe! Lovely review of Natural Birth - I like the poem you quoted. I thought it felt like when you get to the top of a roller coaster, and you are excited but at the same time you want off, but it is way too late for that.

Latte me up, please, I have to take the girls to the dentist this morning, and I really just want to stay in my jammies and read.

>134 maggie1944: You're welcome, Karen. I'm glad you the review was helpful. It is a remarkable book. I've passed it on to Debbi.

Wonderfully sunny sounds . . . wonderful. We're about to get hit with big-time snow, or so they tell us.

Love that you all "won" help from the youngsters on your 5 acres. Good for you for making the poster - yet another talent I didn't know you had.

My interest in Alaska has ratcheted up after reading the remarkable Winterdance. I'll bet story of a young teacher in the Alaskan wilderness is fun.

Have a great day, my friend.

>135 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie. If you like that poem in Natural Birth, you'll like the whole thing. It's not a hard read, and not all that long either. Her intro alone is worth the read. I suspect a mother would get more out of it than anyone.

Walklover tells me that birth is different for every woman, and it was quite different for each of our two kids. I like your roller coaster analogy!

One of the days we should have an LT "stay in your jammies and read" day. That's all I wish I was doing, too. Here's that latte for the dentist trip:

I may not be around much for a while. My dad is not shuffling off this mortal coil any time soon, as far as we can tell, but his care is needing a lot of decisions and talking to people (lots of talking to people!) So please enjoy the premises, and I'll try to check in once in a while.

Best wishes for your activity in support of your father. I know he is appreciating his son now more than ever before.

Yes, the Alaska teacher book is fun, even as it is very dated and has some "attitudes" and "values" which we do not share in this 21st Century.

I have a couple of unexpected days off from driving up north to care for great nephew and great niece as their Dad is home with some muscle strain which keeps him from being an effective letter carrier. Good news for me while not so good for him. I'll be doing some reading in my p.j.s that's for sure and I'll bet Crazymamie will be jealous. More latté for me!

Morning, Joe! Sorry, to hear that news about your Dad. Please update us, whenever you can, my friend.

Joe, I'm so sorry to hear about your Dad. Sending you lots of good vibes my friend.

>137 jnwelch: Hi Joe, all of those decisions are a job in themselves. Good luck with finding the right information to make good decisions for your Dad.

Great review of Natural Birth, Joe. It sounds as though you enjoyed it as much as I did.

I've just said a prayer for your father.

Thinking of you and your dad, Joe.

Morning, Joe! I am keeping you and your Dad in my thoughts and prayers.

I have to confess I did a double take with Natural Birth until I read your review :0)

Best wishes to your dad.

When you can, I'd like a hot chocolate, heavy on the chocolate, please. I do an adults' tap class and our very energetic teacher is half our age. Afterwards we stop for a coffee & chat. Usually we replace the calories we've burned with interest, because our preferred café does a scrumptious hot chocolate, but it's not open when we finish now, and I really miss my hot choccie.

Thanks everyone. Please help yourself to what's in the kitchen.

My dad's main problem is he's struggling to get back to walking with a walker. If he can't, he's too big for a caregiver to help. So we're dealing with the rehab center and insurance, and we're got him on the waitlist for an open room at a good assisted living facility we got him lined up with a couple of years ago. Transferring medical records is the current obstacle, which is frustrating, but solvable. Timing may be difficult, as it can take 6 months to get an open room, but he's #1 on the list, so with luck this will work out. If he suddenly gets better, we can go in a different direction.

Thank you for the prayers and good wishes.

Thanks for the update, Joe. I keep my fingers crossed that he gets better soon.

HI Joe

I'm thinking of you and your family as you aim toward a solution for your father's care. I understand the pitfalls. I was the primary care giver for my beloved grandmother. Despite the stress of finishing another degree, having two daughters, a husband that traveled 80% of the time, and caring for my grandmother, I wouldn't have done anything different.

She took care of me, and then it was my turn to take care of her. When she passed away, I knew I did everything I could.

It is not a surprise that you are helping your father. You are an incredible person!

Thanks so much for the update, Joe. We were waiting patiently. Hope it works out quickly.

I hope it will work out soon, Joe.

Morning, Joe! Happy Friday!

Thanks, everybody. Your support is very much appreciated. What a wonderful group of folks we have in the 75ers.

Short version: There was a chance the insurance company would stop paying on Monday, and my dad would be discharged, still unable to walk or negotiate moving around his home, with no room open yet at his preferred (popular) assisted living facility. What then? Now we've got him covered every which way, including a good temporary long term care facility attached to his rehab center if necessary. I am now removing the phone from my ear for as long as possible. :-)

OK, let's try to catch up.

>138 maggie1944: I look forward to hearing more about your Alaska book, Karen. We're having fun with the outdated Farmer Boy in the Little House series - my goodness those folks worked hard for everything, food, shelter, clothing.

Hope you've been having a good time taking care of your nephews and reading some in your jammies. I'm sure Mamie is envious.

Latte coming up:

>139 msf59:, >149 msf59: Thanks, Mark. Happy Friday!

It all worked out in the end. My dad actually said to me a few years ago, as we were going over some aspect of his care, "Now you get to be the father, and I get to be the child." I'm sure you and all sorts of cafe patrons know that one. He's a very gracious and lovable man, so that helps. It's sure got Debbi and me thinking about how we can make it easier for our kids when the time comes.

>140 Ameise1:, >147 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara. Much appreciated.

He's doing a bit better - there was a bad day when he couldn't remember how to eat, and had to be hand-fed. But now he seems back with it. We'll see. He turns 93 in April, and the brain connections are just fraying, I guess. He was a brilliant guy when younger, an architect and structural engineer with musical talent. He still has his sense of humor - he apparently cracked up his speech therapist yesterday with some of his off-beat answers.

>141 Familyhistorian: Ain't that the truth, Meg? Fortunately I connected with some compassionate people along the way, and did get good information and expedited help. Every facility is going to have staffers who are just putting in the time, but others make your day with the way they care and try to help. We hit it off with the Admissions Coordinator right away at the Rehab Center, and she got the latest resolution headed in the right direction at the start. The social worker there was particularly good, too. And we have a woman at my dad's bank who comes through for us again and again. (Don't get me started on all the forms that had to be filled out). We're sending her flowers.

>142 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl. I'm glad you liked the review of Natural Birth. It really got me, as you can tell. I hope I get a chance to meet her some day.

Thank you for the prayer for my father, buddy. He seems to be riding a pretty good wave of cosmic vibes right now (said the hippie).

>143 scaifea: Thanks, Amber. It helped to look in and see the supportive posts from you and others. We've got him positioned to be safe and well taken care of, however this goes.

He's bounced back before, but this looks like it may be a new, different stretch of time for him.

It's so different - with our mother we all of the sudden found out she had six months left (cancer), and it all happened so quickly. He doesn't have anything like that, and he doesn't have dementia. He's just gradually breaking down.

>144 Crazymamie:, >151 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! Happy Friday!

It's always such a good feeling to see your cheerful posts. Thank you.

>148 Whisper1: Thanks so much, Linda. Woo, that sounds like a tough one you went through. I'm not surprised you handled it so well.

Yeah, it comes down to who can do it. I'm the only one not retired in my immediate family, including in-laws, but I'm also the one who can do this stuff. On the other hand, my sisters keep (teasingly) trying to get me to rub my dad's feet like they do (he loves it), and I'm just not up for that. :-)

I think whatever incredibility? incredibleness? incredivelocity? I may have pales in comparison to yours. I don't know how you pulled off what you describe, or how you deal with the physical pain you've been dealt. I suspect when you get to that big library in the sky and are feeling great, the celestial librarian will say, we've saved our most comfortable chair for you, and we've got a stack of books on the table next to it that we know you'll like.

>150 DianaNL: Thanks so much, Diana.

I think we've got it set up as well as it can be. Looking forward to the weekend! I hope you have a great one, too.

Woot woot, great news. I'm glad to read that everything is sorted out at your Dad's place. Wishing you a most relaxed weekend.

>159 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara. :-) I wish you the same.

Dearest Joe, I'm sending you a hug, and telling the Universe it is to wrap your Father in all the love the 75ers are sending him! Yes, I'm spending the day in my jammies, no trip up north to take care of kids. They need to learn to do it themselves, any way, so it is good to practice.

The Alaskan book is a good follow up to the Gary Paulsen dog sledding book. It is written very similar to the James Herriott books, or even the Little House on the Prairie books. I can definitely imagine you and Mrs. Joe reading to each other. See if you can find a copy. My copy is a Bantam Book, c.1976! Tisha: The Story of a Young Teacher in the Alaska Wilderness as told to Robert Specht. Hope that additional data makes it easier to find.

Have a great relaxing weekend!

I don't know about you, but I could use some fun street art today. This one, by Mr. Woodland in Germany, makes me think of my BIL who loves pink flamingos.

>161 maggie1944: Thanks, Karen! A hug is just the thing, and I'm sending one back to you. I love the idea of wrapping my father in all the love the LTers are sending him, and I know he would, too.

Oh my, spending the day in your jammies. That sounds just right. I may have to do that tomorrow. Although, like a lot of guys I think, my jammies are essentially schlumpy, comfortable clothes.

Thanks for the info on the Alaska book. I'll try to track it down. That Winterdance was terrific, wasn't it?

Morning Joe! Happy Friday! I like that street art.

Thanks for filling us in on your Dad. I hope you can get everything sorted out.

>164 msf59: Morning and Happy Friday, Mark!

I think we're well-sorted re my dad, whatever happens. We just don't know whether he'll get better (physically able to walk and take care of himself) at this point or not. Hopefully he'll make progress in the next couple of days.

Glad things are sorted out for the moment, Joe. Hugs!

>166 ronincats: Thanks, Roni. Ha! Well put. "For the moment." We just takes 'em as they come. Hugs back!

>35 jnwelch: this book sounds out there! And, 4 stars but you don't recommend it'd or first-time readers of this author?

>109 jnwelch: that quote from Natural Birth about poetry is wonderful. I love that feeling when an author has encapsulated exactly what I am thinking, or what I couldnt quite articulate but had hazy thoughts around. It's quite a moment.

>157 jnwelch: wow, Linda's hard work during that period sounds intense. I remember my mum being in hospital for a month 2 years ago, and it being a real trial just to get in and see her every day.
I love your description of the great library in the sky :)

>168 LovingLit: Hi, Megan.

Martian Time-Slip is way out there, and plenty of people have started with one of PKD's bizarre ones like this one and loved it. But I always recommend starting with the Selected Stories of Philip K. Dick. First off, they're great, except the first two are his earliest and a little weaker than the others. Second, you get a sense of his writing style and ideas, and you'll recognize ones that were made into movies, like The Minority Report and Total Recall (titled We Can Remember It For You Wholesale).

Natural Birth: honestly, it's filled with those moments. If you liked that one, it's really worth your giving the book a try. I have no doubt you'll be glad you did.

I know, Linda is a wonder. I can just imagine that great library in the sky. Good to know there's a special place for LT types. :-)

Thinking about the library in the sky led me to this, the Japanese Garden at the Huntington Library in California. Never been there, but now I'm dreaming of it.

>157 jnwelch: You are too kind. Thanks though!!!

>171 Whisper1: :-) Hope you have a relaxing and comfortable weekend, Linda.

Very sorry to hear about your dad/ father. I am glad that you are finding the right connections for him. That must be difficult. My dad passed away in a 2 year period of cancer when he was 63 - 65. As of now, my mom, aged 74 , seems very healthy and busy and involved in life. As you say, it must be very different when the ' connections fray." A very different scenario. Hugs to you!

>165 jnwelch: Hi Joe, I'm glad you've gotten your dad sorted out and back on track for now. These things are so difficult. I lost my mother 2 years ago March 18 so I'm meeting my brother at my dad's that week. My dad has been calling me frequently to tell me he wants to go from 2 cars to 1 car (I know, right?) and perhaps the house is now too large for him and maybe he should be getting rid of some things in the storage room, etc. And, would I help him when I get down. Well, I got a phone call this afternoon from my dad and "Parker", the Volvo sales rep from my dad's new Volvo XC60! He has already traded in his two cars for the new Volvo that he had his eye on. I'm just hoping he doesn't sell the house before my brother and I can get there for March 18!

I finished the book, Tisha and definitely recommend it. It is quite different than Winterdance but it has much of the same grit to recommend it. A good book, and a good one to read with your wife.

>165 jnwelch: Hoping your dad continues to make progress.

Your picture of the Japanese garden reminded me of one near here that I must visit again when spring comes - it's been too long. Very peaceful place

Tatton park Japanese garden.

http://www.tattonpark.org.uk/what_to_see_and_do/gardens/garden_areas/japanese_ga...

Wow, Joe; you're dad's 93? Good going. And I'm glad it looks like things are moving in the right direction for him.

>170 jnwelch: >178 Crazymamie: What gorgeous gardens!

>174 Dianekeenoy: Great car! ;0) I've had mine two and a half years and still haven't read the manual. Good thing I've got the kids to teach me how to use it. (No, not drive, use.)

Morning, Joe! I love the photo in >170 jnwelch:. That looks so peaceful.

>173 vancouverdeb: *hugs back to Deb* Thanks, Deb. Sorry to hear you lost your father at what is now such a young age. Glad to hear your mother is still going strong.

It can get complicated for sure. The first part was getting all the right powers of attorney in place so we can make decisions for him when he can't on his own. It looks now like he'll be in rehab until next Thursday at least, so we're hoping he can get back on track physically. If not, we've now got safety nets for him wherever needed.

The connections fraying can be tough for all of us, because he's been such a smart guy all our lives. But it definitely could be worse - we had two uncles (my mother's brothers) get Alzheimer's, and that was a sad business.

>174 Dianekeenoy: Thanks, Diane. Much appreciated.

Wow, I know whereof you speak. I hope your dad checks in a lot with you and your brother before making decisions like that. How old is he? There comes a time when quick decisions are a bad idea.

I remember my dad, right after our mother died, wanted to sell the house - just because. I talked him out of it, suggesting he give himself some time without any changes to grieve and get used to life without Ange. He never did sell it, and hopes to live out his life there now. He knows we're all just trying to do what's in his best interests, and trusts us, thank goodness.

>175 maggie1944: Excellent, Karen, thanks. I did like that grit (crazy grit, sometimes!) in Winterdance. I've got Tisha lined up for a future read. I think I mentioned it's actually available in mass market ppbk, so I won't need to hunt.

Morning Joe! Happy Saturday! It is finally warming up out here. It was chilly this morning.

I am enjoying Jake Ellis. Thanks for the rec. Hope you have a good day.

>176 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte.

That Tatton Park photo is beautiful. I love places like that. So peaceful. I hope we get to see more of northwest England some day.

>177 humouress: Yeah, Nina, our dad turns 93 in April. And he has a living brother 5 years older out in Massachusetts!

Aren't those gardens gorgeous? I'd like to get there some day.

Yay! Joe, I'm sure you can find it.

Hope the weekend has some great relaxation included!

>178 Crazymamie: Morning/afternoon, Mamie! (Still morning here).

Isn't that garden in >170 jnwelch: peaceful? I wouldn't mind spending a little reading time there.

>181 msf59: Morning, Mark! Getting to be a nice day out there - I just walked to the library to drop off some books.

I'm glad you're enjoying Jake Ellis. He does a great job with the mysterious set-up and the action, doesn't he?

I'm going to put together a new GN list for the library, now that I've returned a bunch.

>183 maggie1944: Hiya, Karen.

Yes, there's definitely some relaxation built into the weekend. Walklover/Madame MBH/Debbi just auditioned for a storytelling show, and we'll see. Part of it is the mix of stories, of course. We're going to the Bulls game tonight (against Portland), hoping they have back at least one of their star players - it's been one of those unfortunate seasons with a lot of injuries.

I'm hoping to make some progress with Evicted, too, which looks to be very good. Oh, and I got Voyage of the Sable Venus, the National Book Award winner for poetry. Sunday normally is poetry-reading day, so I'll dig into that tomorrow.

I'm glad to hear that your father is holding his own, Joe. I pray that he continues to improve.

>162 jnwelch: Excellent street art! Who wouldn't like to carry a flamingo in his backpack?

>185 jnwelch: Have fun at the Bulls game tonight. Who is returning to action? Derrick Rose? Joakim Noah? Or Jimmy Butler? They will make the playoffs, right?

>186 kidzdoc: Hiya, Darryl.

My father is holding his own, but now he's being uncooperative in his rehab. Arggh. Thank you for the prayer. I'm hoping to get him on the phone today or tomorrow and try to talk him around.

Glad you like that street art - I know, it makes perfect sense to me to travel with a pink flamingo back there.

It should be a good game tonight. Portland has been hot lately. You know your Bulls players! Joakim is out for the year, which is such a shame. One of my favorite players. Jimmy B. is about two weeks away from being back. (Mirotic is about two weeks away from returning, too). It's Derrick who may play - he's been out with "hamstring tendinitis", so we'll see. Their other players are doing the best they can to hold the fort, and the one who's been playing really well is their second year player Doug McDermott. He was a big time scorer in college, and he's starting to figure out how to make that happen in the NBA.

It's likely they'll make the playoffs, because they're hanging in there with those guys coming back soon. But it's tight in the east, and they certainly could fall out.

Walklover and I are being very careful in our eating, so no donuts in real life. Perfect time to have some in the cafe.

Glad to see you are back, Joe, and some good progress has been made for your Dad's care.

I'm sitting here on an early Sunday morning reveling in the virtual donuts as I am avoiding them in RL, also. Fighting my "trying to develop Kidney Stones" with lots of water, and not too many bad eating choices. Those choco ones are particularly tasty! Yummy.

I'm working on reading The Book Thief. Have you read it? A strange beginning to it and I'm hoping I get used to this author's style as the story is beguiling. I'm alternating between reading and listening. Slow going, but probably with this book that is a good thing.

>189 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. Good to be back. We're hoping to get him back on track.

>190 maggie1944: Ha! You and me both, Karen. I'm going soon to get some real life coffee to go with those virtual donuts. For some reason I'm a glazed donut scarfer, so I'll make short work of those.

Yes, The Book Thief is a big favorite in our house. I hope you can hang in with the strangeness of it, because it brings lots of reading rewards. Beautiful, memorable book.

When I was at school, the dinner ladies used to make jam doughnuts for break and sell them for 1p (or was it 2p?) each.



It's been a while, eh?

This is a Japanese garden in Malaysia.....the setting of course for the wonderful Booker nominated Garden of Evening Mists.



Have a great weekend buddy.

Morning Joe! Happy Sunday! Sorry, to hear about your continuing difficulties with your Dad. I hope it improves.

Looks like a nice day. I will be spending most of it, right here, with the books! I think I deserve it, right?

I think you would get a kick out of Half-Resurrection Blues. Solid urban fantasy. A hipper version of the Dresden files. A fast and fun read. I plan on finishing Who is Jake Ellis and have to decide what to pick up next. I have a stack to pick from.

I love #191!!

>193 humouress: Oh yum, Nina. That reminds me of the ones my grandmother Nonnie used to get for me from our local Quality Bakery when I stayed at her place (her house was about a 15 minute walk from ours in our small town). Only they had icing on top rather than powdered sugar. Thanks for posting that.

>194 PaulCranswick: Beautiful, Paul. So that's the basis for the one in The Garden of Evening Mists? What's the name of the garden? I'd like to see more photos of it. I agree, TGOEM is a wonderful book.

>195 msf59: Morning, Mark!

Isn't >191 jnwelch: great? I have a New Yorker cartoon calendar, and that one came up and cracked me up.

I'm taking a mental break from our Dad's issues. Thanks for the sympathy. The guy has no idea how much is going on in support of him. That's probably just as well. It's not like he chose things to be this way.

You sold me on Half-Resurrection Blues. My WL has gotten so big I'm breaking it up into genres, so I've put that atop sci-fi/fantasy.

I do have a really good GN I recommend to you: Super Mutant Magic Academy by Jillian Tamaki (yes, the This One Summer author). Funny! If I were blurbing, it would be something like, "Witty, subversive humor."

Enjoy the reading day! It's getting near poetry time for me, and Voyage of the Sable Venus.

I just requested Super Mutant Magic Academy. Thanks! Like you, I loved This One Summer.

I just transferred an audio copy of Jackaby. Not sure, when I will get to it, but at least I have it handy.

Morning, Joe! Oh, donuts! Don't mind if I do...

>198 msf59: Ha! You're going to have a good time with Super Mutant Magic Academy, methinks, Mark. One of the rare ones I'm recommending to Debbi, too.

Jackaby would make for a good audio book, seems like. I imagine that'll be a companion you enjoy when the time comes.

I'm being blown away today by Voyage of the Sable Venus by Robin Coste Lewis. So much better and deeper than I expected. What a talent. Works out the brain muscles, but it's worth it.

>199 Crazymamie: Morning/afternoon, Mamie! Please, dig in with the donuts. I know we have more here somewhere . . .

Ooh doughnuts. It's a good job I don't know how to make these myself! Have a good week!

I didn't do doughnuts today. I baked a Sally Lunn coffee cake instead. It is for my wine club meeting on Tuesday night. I overbaked it a little. It has a sugar and butter coating on the pan to keep it from sticking and that sugar goes from golden to dark brown in a hurry. Since I was on the phone to my sister at the time I didn't get there fast enough to get it out of the oven. The result is that it got a little dark.

Morning, Joe! Those donuts look pretty amazing...

>201 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte. I know, if we had doughnuts around the house all the time I'd need someone to carry me back and forth in a wheelbarrow. Hope you have a good week, too!

>202 benitastrnad: Ah, coffee cake. One of life's great inventions, right, Benita? A little dark would be A-OK by me. I'll bring one out for the cafe in another post.

I love the sound of a wine club meeting. Do you do tastings, or is it more of an enjoy wine together meeting?

>203 scaifea: Morning, Amber! Glad you're feeling better. I know, someone's got a gift for making donuts. I'm ready to have one with my coffee.

Apple coffee cake inspired by Benita

Morning Joe! I love having Monday off. Very nice out right now but ugly winter, is on it's way tonight. Ugh!

I am loving King Leopold's Ghost. Thanks, to my LT pals, for that one. I am also enjoying Killing and Dying, of course the GN kind and not the "real" kind. Duh!

Glad to Spotlight win best film. It was my favorite of last year. See it, if you can.

>206 msf59: Morning Mark! Yeah, I understand we get the warmth through today and then it turns a bit nasty. Oh well. That was aces over the weekend.

King Leopold's Ghost is new to me, so I'll watch your progress with interest. I had an inkling you might like Killing and Dying more than me, although I did like it. The lack of any upbeat in it kept me from liking it more, even though it's so well done.

We're definitely going to see Spotlight. It sounds great. We watched Chris Rock's opening for the Oscars, and as a cousin said, he did the impossible. He deserves a lot of credit for pulling that off and at the same time pulling no punches.

I agree with you about Chis Rock. Just about perfect and then how about those Girl Scout cookies? LOL.

Happy Leap Day, Joe!

>208 msf59: :-)

>209 Crazymamie: Ha! Thanks, Mamie. That is one top-quality leap! Happy Leap Day to you, too. I like giving this particular day of the week a different name than usual.

>191 jnwelch: Love it.

>205 jnwelch: I'm not a donuts fan so a take a piece of this delicious apple coffe cake.

Happy New Week, Joe.

Wow, donuts and apple cake - you are outdoing yourself Joe! Hope you are having a great leap day!

All day long I've been sad that I didn't have a local Krispy Kreme so I could take advantage of their leap day special. I only wish I could truly savor a virtual donut, but I think I want the real thing.

>211 Ameise1: I'm about to have my first cup of coffee, Barbara, so I'm not quite feeling the rapture yet. :-) I believe at this point I could eat that whole apple coffee cake. I may or may not have stubbed my nose on the computer screen trying to get to it.

Happy New Week to you, too. You still have some time off after your Davos vacation, yes?

>212 DeltaQueen50: It was a great leap day, Judy. Those donuts and the apple cake look so good, don't they? We may have to break out some muffins this morning.

>213 thornton37814: I know, donuts are a gift from heaven, Lori, and Krispy Kremes are like spring come early. I don't think there's any such thing as a donut muffin, but we'll check.

Well, the things you learn. There are donut muffins. Here are some pumpkin donut muffins.

Morning, Joe!

>214 jnwelch: Yes, I still have a week off work. Did some preparation for school until now. Now I'm reading. :-)

>216 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie!

>217 Ameise1: Ah, glad to hear it, Barbara. Nothing better than time off. Enjoy.

>214 jnwelch: Someone brought Krispy Kremes to the break room upstairs today. :-)

>220 thornton37814: Ha! You obviously are a darling of the universe, Lori. Let me know if there are any lottery numbers you recommend.

Although he may be a little hard to see in this, as he's wearing his private eye stealth fur, this is Sherlock taking a break from reading Plumdog, which he's grateful to Ellen for recommending.

I've got Plumdog waiting on my groaning library pile too. Too bad Coco can't be here to read it with me. :-(

Glad Sherlock is enjoying it.

Looking forward to your comments on Heap House, Joe. xx

>219 jnwelch: But just for a minute and then it all disappears again. ..

>222 jnwelch: A dog with excellent taste!

Hi, Joe! Finally made it over! It was a crazy day and the weather was awful cruddy!

There's Sherlock, making those fine book choices again.

Morning, Joe! Sherlock is cute as always. All these doughnuts on your thread are making me crave them.

Any chance of having some sent to my window seat?

>223 Smiler69: Hi, Ilana.

Yeah, I'm sure Coco would've enjoyed cuddling up with you to read Plumdog. Sorry your good pal is on a different journey now.

Heap House was well done; what a world he created, and I like our friends Clod and Lucy.

>224 charl08: Ha! Ain't that the truth, Charlotte. As far as I can tell, the only solution is to keep reading. :-)

Sherlock, besides being an investigative mastermind, is a connoisseur of fine reading, as you can tell. He has seasonsoflove, his human mom, reading all sorts of books and blogging about them.

>225 msf59: Ha! Sherlock has been asking about you, Mark. You two certainly bonded on Super Bowl weekend.

It was cruddy yesterday, wasn't it, and it was chilly out there this morning. At least we've got some sunshine for you.

>226 Thebookdiva: Thanks, Abby. I hope you get to meet Sherlock in person (in dog?) some day; he's a peach of a private eye to go with that movie dog cuteness.

We love doughnut requests here at the cafe. Enjoy your window seat and we'll bring some over.

Morning, Joe!

Morning, Mamie!

Morning Joe! Just a quick hello. Bree lands about 2:30, so I plan on picking her up, about 3:30. I hope she is on time.

>231 msf59: Morning Mark! Thanks for stopping by. I'm sure you're going to be glad to have Bree safely returned from her adventures. Looked like she had quite a trip.

>228 jnwelch: You're a Peach!

>228 jnwelch: The donuts reminded me of "Celebrate Winter's End" cookies, Joe. Hope it isn't seen as premature.

mornin' Joe.

'djever hear of the Windham Cambell Prizes? i'd never until i read a bit in the NYT. Hilton Als, one of the guys i read sometimes on the New Yorker, won one. thought i'd pass the list of 2016 winners along FYI.

while you're considering, i'll be having some Ibarra Mexican Ho Cho over in the corner. good stuff. brought an extra cup for whomever. yummers.

>200 jnwelch: now they are just too pretty to eat. Ok, I caved. I'll just have one :)

>233 Thebookdiva: :-) My pleasure, Abby.

>234 weird_O: I love those "Celebrate Winter's End" cookies, Bill. What a great idea. They remind me of Calvin and Hobbes' snowpeople.

I think we can use all the help we can get to send winter on its way. We're supposed to get into the 60s next week. You wouldn't know it on this snowy day in Chicago. The good news is it's warm enough that it doesn't seem to be sticking.

>235 mirrordrum: Oh my, that Mexican HoCho looks good, Ellie. I'm going to have to join you. We'll bring out more as needed.

Glad you could stop by. I do read Hilton Als in the New Yorker. He just wrote an interesting review of the adaptation of 2666 that's playing here in Chicago at the Goodman. 5 and half hour play! I haven't read the book, and the reviews haven't been tantalizing enough for me for that big a time commitment.

I read somewhere recently about the Whitney Campbell prizes, but otherwise am unfamiliar with them. Thanks for alerting us to them. For some reason that link didn't work for me, so here's another one: http://windhamcampbell.org/winners. I've read Stanley Crouch on jazz, but besides Als, all the others are unfamiliar to me.

You were the one who got me started paying more attention to Mary Oliver, and I just enjoyed her A Thousand Mornings very much. You might like Toi Derricotte's Natural Birth, reviewed up above.

Hope all goes well at the doctor today.

>236 LovingLit: Those are pretty donuts in >200 jnwelch:, aren't they, Megan? Little works of art. But they're meant to be eaten, so we'll just have to do our part.

Now that I know that there are donut muffins out there, I'm ready for some cinnamon ones, and willing, as always, to share. They go well with Ellie's Mexican HoCho.

>239 jnwelch: *gasp* i'm drooling and i don't even eat stuff like that. one for me with the w/ the hocho? for to die. possibly two, seeing as how it's Joe's.

>240 jnwelch: i was thinking about those idiot books just yesterday. marvelous although it was Jane who was so neverendingly irritating. the author would've taken one look at Tameka Catchings and fainted. hah!

eta: wanted to recommend The illuminations. 'strornry.

>241 mirrordrum: the author would've taken one look at Tameka Catchings and fainted. LOL! So true.

Thanks for the tip re The Illuminations. You always get me right, so onto the WL it goes.

All right, let's get some more of those cinnamon goodies for our drooling virtual selves . . .

>1 jnwelch: I've never seen that Picasso before! I love it! Having a hard time keeping up, but wanted to contribute two Picasso's of my own which, I think, are very rare.





The first is I believe a self-portrait and the second is a portrait of a king, but unfortunately, I forget which king. I found these prints in Greenwich Village in a favorite print/poster shop many years ago and they now hang on my stairs!

Ah! I have PlumDog waiting in the wings, Joe. As for The Murder of Roger Acroyd I am very close to being finished and for quite a while I have had my suspicions, but I tell you if I am correct once I get to the end. No spoilers from me.

Morning Joe! I am trying lose a few pounds, so I am trying to avoid the food images.

Another damp, chilly one...sighs.

Love the doggie cartoon.

Morning, Joe!

>243 rretzler: Cool beans, Robin!

What fun to have Pablos of your very own. Don't you have the feeling that every day he woke up creating art and just continued all day? Endless creativity. I'm glad we found a new one for you up top. I want to get back to the Picasso museum in Paris some day. We loved that.

>244 vancouverdeb: Hiya, Deb.

Yay for Plumdog! Well-read dogs have uniformly recommended it. (Including that opinionated fellow up in >240 jnwelch:).

Yeah, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd must remain spoiler-free. I look forward to hearing whether your suspicions were on target.

>245 msf59: Morning, Mark!

Actually, Madame MBH has had us on a limited calorie, small portion diet, so those food images are the only treats I get to have!

It's supposed to be up in the 60s next week. We just need to hold on? At least so far the snow's not sticking.

That dog is a concise critic, isn't he?

>246 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! Hope your walk goes/went well this a.m.

>247 jnwelch: I have a fascination for many artists, including Picasso. Yes, I can just see him with a pencil or brush in his hand at all times. I totally admire creativity like that - I'm a big fan also of Kandinsky, Klee, Miro, Rothko... I would so love to understand their creative process. Of course, I feel the same way with certain authors...what I wouldn't give to have an ounce of that creativity!!

>244 vancouverdeb: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - one of my favorites!

Afternoon, Joe Dear.

>249 rretzler: Me, too, Robin, although I've never really warmed up to Rothko's paintings. Respect, yes. The others (Kandinsky, Klee, Miro) are ones I enjoy, too. We've mainly got the work of local artists in our house. Yes, I'd love to have that kind of creativity, too! Including that of certain authors. Right now, Kent Haruf comes to mind. At least we get the pleasure of enjoying their work.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is a standout. Our Agatha-comprehensive daughter and I sometimes talk about favorites - her tops would be And Then There Were None, I'm pretty sure. Peril at End House would be up there for me. I also have soft spots for The Mysterious Mr. Quin (with a touch of the supernatural), and The Tuesday Club Murders, in which Miss Marple outfoxes them all.

>250 Thebookdiva: Good afternoon, dear Abby. :-) I suspect you've got much milder weather in your most excellent part of the world. Go Comoran and Robin!

The new cafe is open . . .

All this dog love! My sister has just got a dog, and my parents are head over heels in love with her. She seems to go over whenever my sister visits. In fact, I was getting some help over the phone with my mum, but she had to dash, since Lily was going to be there for tea (along with my mum's sister's and brother's families).

>253 humouress: Hiya, Nina. Being the grandparent of a dog is the best - our daughter takes care of furry Sherlock for the most part, and we get to spoil him. We're taking care of him this week while she vacations out in Pittsburgh, visiting her bro and his new bride. There's a pic of Sherlock over in the Door 7 cafe.