Mark's Reading Place: Chapter 6

-Barry Hilton



-Catrin Welz-Stein (This is honor, of my daughter, who is with the elephants, in Thailand)

Audiobook:



Graphic/Comic:


Books Read So Far...

January:

1) Undermajordomo Minor by Patrick DeWitt 3.5 stars (audio)
2) The Revenant by Michael Punke 4.3 stars (E)
3) The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen 3.8 stars (E)
4) A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara 4.2 stars (audio/print)
5) Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler 3.8 stars AAC (E)
6) The Manticore by Robertson Davies 4.8 stars CAC
7) Morality Play by Barry Unsworth 4.5 stars BAC
8) Two Brothers by Fábio Moon, Gabriel Bá 4.5 stars GN

February:

09) Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod by Gary Paulsen 4.7 stars
10) War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy 4 stars (audio)
11) Single, Carefree, Mellow by Katherine Heiny 3.8 stars
12) Eleanor by Jason Gurley 3.2 stars (audio)
13) My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout 4.2 stars (audio)
14) Straight Man by Richard Russo 4.6 stars AAC
15) Ru by Kim Thuy 3.8 stars CAC
16) The Girl With All the Gifts by M. R. Carey 4.3 stars (audio)
17) Murder On The Orient Express by Agatha Christie 4.2 stars (audio) BAC
18) A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain: Stories by Robert Olen Butler 3.8 stars
19) The Lost Garden by Helen Humphreys 4.6 stars CAC
20) Shattered: The Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne 4 stars (audio)
21) When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi 4.5 stars (audio)
22) Half-Resurrection Blues by Daniel José Older 4 stars (audio)
23) Hollow City by Ransom Riggs 3.7 stars (E)

March:

24) Some Luck by Jane Smiley 3.2 stars (audio) AAC
25) King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild 5 stars

American Author Challenge 2016

January- Anne Tyler
February- Richard Russo
March- Jane Smiley
April- Poetry Month
May- Ivan Doig
June- Annie Proulx
July- John Steinbeck
August-Joyce Carol Oates
September- John Irving
October- Michael Chabon
November- Annie Dillard
December- Don DeLillo

Mark's Picks for the AACIII: (under construction)

January- Anne Tyler- Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant Completed
February- Richard Russo- Straight Man Completed
March- Jane Smiley- Some Luck Completed
April- Poetry Month
May- Ivan Doig
June- Annie Proulx
July- John Steinbeck
August-Joyce Carol Oates
September- John Irving
October- Michael Chabon
November- Annie Dillard
December- Don DeLillo

The General Discussion Thread: http://www.librarything.com/topic/209611

BRITISH AUTHOR CHALLENGE/CANADIAN AUTHOR CHALLENGE

There is no way, I'll be able to read all 4 of these Challenge authors, per month but I will select one each and try my best to bookhorn them in. There are other various Challenges going on, in '16 and I would like the chance to give one or 2 of those a chance too.

BAC:

January - SUSAN HILL & BARRY UNSWORTH -Morality Play Completed
February : Agatha Christie & William Dalrymple The Murder on the Orient Express Completed
March : Ali Smith & Thomas Hardy
April : George Eliot & Hanif Kureishi
May : Jane Gardam & Robert Goddard
June : Lady Antonia Fraser & Joseph Conrad
July : Bernice Rubens & H.G. Wells
August : Diana Wynne-Jones & Ian McEwan
September : Doris Lessing & Laurie Lee
October : Kate Atkinson & William Golding
November : Rebecca West & Len Deighton
December : WEST YORKSHIRE writers
Wildcard : Rumer Godden and George Orwell

CAC:

January: Robertson Davies, Kim Thúy- The Manticore Completed Ru Completed
February: Helen Humphreys, Stephen Leacock The Lost Garden Completed
March: Farley Mowat, Anita Rau Badami
April: Margaret Atwood, Michael Crummey
May: Michel Tremblay, Emily St. John Mandel
June: Timothy Findley, Joseph Boyden
July: LM Montgomery, Pierre Berton
August: Mordechai Richler, Gabrielle Roy
September: Miriam Toews, Dany Laferrière
October: Lawrence Hill, Jane Urquhart
November: Michael Ondaatje, Margaret Laurence
December: Alice Munro, Rawi Hage

All yours folks!!

Love the golden waves of grain, Mark! Happy new thread!!!

Got nothing to say but I don't often get a chance to be one of your first visitors so thought I would jump in. Happy new thread, Mark.

Happy new thread, Mark! I love the elephant, and I am amazed at his remarkable balance.

Happy New Thread buddy! Love the yellowy thread topper.

Oh gorgeous new topper , Mark! When Breath Becomes Air certainly seems popular. My sister is reading it and she likes it so much, she sent a copy to my nephew who is studying in the UK.

Oh man! Here I am typing a description of Venice by Jan Morris. I click on post message. And discover it's the 300th post on your OLD thread. It's sooo last week. I ain't ever going to get abreast of the busy busy 75ers.

:-)

Sorry! I was on the phone, stuck on hold. I can not multi-task. LOL!

>6 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda! Congrats on being #1! I wanted a little color in that topper! It's that time of year.

>7 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy! Nothing wrong, with # 2.

>8 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie! It really looks like that elephant is seriously concentrating. LOL.

>9 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! Just talked to my daughter. She's having a wonderful time.

>10 vancouverdeb: Hi, Deb! Glad you like the topper. I will start When Breath Becomes Air tomorrow. I have nothing but glowing reports.

>11 weird_O: Hi, Bill! Glad you found your way over here. LOL. I did see your post on the old thread and will be over there to respond.

Happy new thread, Mark. You must be counting the days until your daughter is safely back home!

Happy New One Mark!! Glad your daughter is having fun.

>14 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg! My daughter, has at least another week, so will try to be patient. LOL.

>15 Berly: Thanks, Kimmers! I talked to Bree this evening and she is having a blast.

Beautiful thread topper, Mark.

Yikes, I am still trying to figure out the snow tomorrow. Every forecaster seems to have a different snow prediction for each different part of each county.

Good morning, Mark. Congrats on your shiny new thread. I'm sure Bree will have a splendid time.

>17 lindapanzo: Morning, Linda! Glad you like the topper. I have been listening to the forecasts too. Hoping for the minimum. Fingers crossed.

>18 Ameise1: Happy Wednesday, Barb! Bree is having a fantastic time. Thanks again, for your help.

I talked to Bree, yesterday evening. She is now in the north, in the Chiang Mai province. She is having a terrific time. She spent yesterday at an elephant sanctuary. She said it was one of the best days of her life. She sent photos, so I will try to post a couple, at a later time.

I want to take a short breather on fantasy, so I am going to start When Breath Becomes Air, on audio. I have heard such good things about this one. I will keep tissues handy.

Happy Wednesday, Mark! Wow, Bree's trip is going quickly! What a great experience for her especially with one of the best days of her life involved. Elephant sanctuary! Can you imagine?!

Have a great day, ours will be a very wet one then snow tomorrow. Winter ain't over till the fat lady sings, right?

Morning, Lynda! Bree's photos are great. Lots of elephant love.

We are getting snow today! Ugh! Hope we avoid, the worst of it. Fingers crossed.

Morning, Mark! Happy to hear that Bree is having such a good time on her trip. The elephant sanctuary must have been incredible to see - now she'll have to read The Elephant Whisperer when she gets home.

Good morning, Mark!

When Breath Becomes Air sounds powerful. I'm definitely reading that one.

Have a good one today - let's hope the S word I'm not mentioning doesn't hit too hard.

Happy new thread! I hope you enjoy when breath becomes air. I read it this month as well and I enjoyed it a lot.

At the end of the previous thread, someone mentioned Jan Morris. I read O Canada and need to get back and read others.

They're really backing off on the snow amounts in this part of Chicagoland, Mark. Hope you guys miss out, too.

>23 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! I am not familiar with The Elephant Whisperer. Good? I can recommend it to Bree?

>24 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! Very gusty out here, wth some flurries. I hope it doesn't get much worse.

>25 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Figs. Good to see you. I will be starting When Breath, in just a few minutes. Glad you liked it.

>26 lindapanzo: More Jan Morris love. Good to know. I have not heard the weather news, in a few hours. Just gusty and some flurries at the moment.

>20 msf59: What a beautiful picture! I read When Breath Becomes Air, I think if I had listened to it, I would have been crying like a baby! Definitely, keep those tissues handy!

Yes, Mark - it is excellent. It was a five star read for me, and I passes it onto my kids, who all read it and loved. We listened to the audio, which is fabulous, but the print would also be very good - it's an amazing story, and it's narrative non-fiction at its best. Trust me, she will love it.

It is raining here, Mark. The temp is supposed to rise to a late-day high of 62 or so. But an inch and a half or more of rain. There may be a solar sighting late in the week.

David Copperfield is fine. I'm about 3/4 through. Matrimony is in the air...or at least in the next chapter. What a convoluted tale!! Judi asks me, "So what's happening?" And it takes me an hour to organize and babble an explanation. This is my first read and I am sure that the only scene I've viewed of any of the cinematic versions pairs Daniel Radcliffe (pre-Harry Potter) and Maggie Smith. I don't know how he pulled it off, but Dickens wrote perfect dialogue for Dame Maggie. Aunt Betsey's tartness, cadence, and actions are classic Maggie Smith. Or more correctly the other way around; Maggie was born to be Aunt Betsey. I say that without actually having seen her in the role. Just imagining while reading.

If people get interested in Jan Morris, blame Cranswick. He started it.

>28 Dianekeenoy: Hi, Dianne! I am just under halfway done with When Breath Becomes Air. I like it a lot. The audio is good too.

>29 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie! 5 stars always gets my attention. I will see if I can find The Elephant Whisperer on ebook first, since it works better in that format for my wife & daughter.

>30 weird_O: Hi, Bill! You guys have mild temps. We had a blustery day, with snow. Fortunately, we shouldn't get more than an inch or 2. Whew!

Thanks for your great thoughts on David Copperfield. I agree with you on it being "a convoluted tale". Have you read Bleak House? It was my last Dickens and is one of my favorites.

That Cranswick! Always starting trouble!

Happy new thread, Mark. Love the thread toppers. Elephants are always nice.

Happy New Thread, Mark!

Morning, Mark! Happy new one!

>32 BLBera: Thanks, Beth! Glad you like the toppers. More elephants to come...

>33 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl! I am enjoying When Breath Becomes Air, until the sad parts come, of course.

>34 scaifea: Morning, Amber! And thanks!

^ Bree with a new pal...

Woot Woot for Thursday! Have a great day, Mark! Much snow?

ETA: Fantastic pic!

Morning, Lynda! I was just over on your perky thread. Yesterday was not fun, with all that wind, but at least we avoided a major snowfall. Just an inch or 2.

Glad you liked the photo. If it wasn't such a pain, I would posted a few more.

>36 msf59: Gorgeous photo. Wishing you a lovely day.

Thanks, Barb! You have a great day too.

>40 msf59: Thanks Mark. We were only skiing in the morning due to the snow clouds coming very quickly.

Morning, Mark! Love the Bree photo!

Gorgeous pic Mark. Glad she's having a wonderful time.

I've got Footnotes from Gaza by Joe Sacco in the pile to read (but expecting it to be upsetting, so waiting to be in the right frame of mind).

>41 Ameise1: It sounds like you will get in plenty of reading today.

>42 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! I will try to post more photos, as they come in.

>43 charl08: Hi, Charlotte. Yes, it sure looks like Bree is having a terrific time.
The only Sacco GN, I have read is his Bosnia one and it was excellent.

>36 msf59: Oliphaunts!!!!

Happy kind of new thread, Mark! I LOVE that thread topper - it's so very striking.

I'm glad your daughter is having such a great time. I'm scheduled to go back to Bangkok next March, so maybe I'll try to see more of the country then, thanks to Bree's inspiration :)

>45 laytonwoman3rd: LOL!

>31 msf59: I haven't read Bleak House. My impression is that BLEAK is an understatement. A lawsuit is carried on year after year after year. When it concludes, the "winner" finds...nothing. All the money's been spent in the lawsuit. Is that accurate?

I spent nearly a year in Bangkok, courtesy of the U. S. Army. Close to 50 years ago, 1967-68, when the war in Vietnam was ramping up. I was a callow youth and didn't make as much of the experience as I might have. Didn't get upcountry, for example.

ETA: To really DO like that top topper. Wonderful color. The artist doesn't know how to spell his own last name, though. Ha ha. Should be Hylton, not Hilton.

>45 laytonwoman3rd: >47 Crazymamie: Hooray for Oliphaunts!!

>46 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie! Glad you like the topper. It looks like Bree is spending most of her time, in the northern provinces and she loves it up there. Looking forward to seeing more photos.

>48 weird_O: Hi, Bill. I think Bleak House may be the darkest of his work and it can be a overstuffed but there are so many qualities here, including, vivid characters and excellent storytelling. I highly recommend it, if you like Mr. Dickens.

Did see any time in Vietnam? Of course, I hope not.

Glad you like the topper. I copied the author's name, off the image, so it may have been spelled wrong. I had not heard of him but I will correct it. Thanks!

ETA: It looks like the artists name is Barry Hilton, after all. I just checked.

-Barry Hilton (Here is another one of his paintings)

^I finished When Breath Becomes Air. What a beautiful memoir, about a neurosurgeon, dying from cancer, at thirty-six. Yes, it is a tear-jerker too, but I didn't start getting misty-eyed until the last chapter and then during the epilogue, which was written by his wife, Dr. Lucy Kalanithi, after his death. She did a wonderful job, bringing this book to an end. Keep the Kleenex handy. You have been forewarned.

>51 msf59: Brave soul for picking that one up. I'm glad it was rewarding.

>51 msf59: I just added my name to the (long) kindle loan queue at my library. I wasn't sure I was up for this book at first, but you, Darryl, and others have convinced me.

>52 MickyFine: It is a very good book, Micky. Maybe not as far-reaching as Being Mortal, but still an important read.

>53 lauralkeet: Hi, Laura! His love of reading and the beauty of language are also components of this memoir. Of course, it is sad, but there is also plenty of life affirming moments.

>50 msf59: Wow, I love that!

I'm hearing such wonderful things about When Breath Becomes Air and I'm very glad. I don't think I will ever read it but I admire their strength in writing it.

>55 Copperskye: Hi, Joanne! You really cracked me up with your "pony" comment on FB. I told my wife and she laughed too.

If audio, would work better, try When Breath Becomes Air in that format. It is very good.

Happy new thread, Mark. Love the Barry Hilton pictures. They speak to me of the prairies and the forces of nature.

>36 msf59: - Excellent picture of Bree! Love that smile on her face!

>49 msf59: Oh, that was just a slip of my humor, Mark. We Hyltons spell Hylton Hylton. Barry just must be of that deviant branch, those who spell Hylton Hilton. Good with the paint and the seeing though.

>57 lkernagh: Thanks, Lori! I am glad I decided on the Hilton topper. He is really growing on me.

My daughter is generally a happy sort, but this was a big smile, even for her.

>58 weird_O: You were freaking me out there for a bit, Bill, but I am glad the Hylton/Hilton thing is now straightened out. LOL.

>56 msf59: :)

Maybe audio. Someday.

>50 msf59: Beautiful painting.

Happy Friday, Mark. Our last ski dsy with deep blue sky, yeh.

I am shocked to see how many posts I have missed in the last week or so!

Catching up: the Ru / Good Scent from a Strange Mountain pair up was indeed a fortunate accident! I love when that happens. I'm still on my ancient maritime castaway stories...non-accidental though.

I loooove those colourful moody paintings, and I just don't think I can read When Breat Becomes Air. Too sad for little ole me :(

How is your daughter's trip!? I travelled alone lots of places, it's a learning experience and I feel I grew up a lot doing it. And I also learnt how to talk to myself- out loud! Ha. Good memories.

>60 Copperskye: Good to know, my friend.

>61 Ameise1: Happy Friday, Barb! enjoy your last day on the slopes. And yah, for blue skies!

>62 LovingLit: Hi, Megan! I have missed you, my friend. Glad you like the paintings! They are quite vivid.

Bree is having a great time. She is meeting a lot of fellow-travelers and doing a lot of exploring. I am proud of her.

>63 DianaNL: Happy Friday, Diana!

^ I try to keep my reading disparate, but I am currently reading a pair of fantasy titles, (I blame FF!). On audio, I started Half-Resurrection Blues. This is the first of a hip and funny urban fantasy series. I heard about it on Book Riot. Hope it continues to entertain.

I am also reading Hollow City. This is definitely YA fantasy and it is light but diverting.

Hey Mark, A Manual for Cleaning Women: Stories turned up at the library. (Time to release the balloons!).

>66 charl08: Hooray for Cleaning Women! I would love to see more of my pals on board with this wonderful collection. It needs to catch LT fire.

Right, then. When Breath Becomes Air goes onto the list...

Morning!

Morning, Mark! Nice mini-review of the memoir. The SAD memoir that I will read because you told me to, and I trust you. But it will be sad, which is why I am so happy to see that your current read is an urban fantasy - now we're talking! Crossing my fingers that it is good so that I can add it to the list.

Happy Friday, my friend.

Hey there, Mark. Happy Friday!

I'm back and all is well on my end.

Can't wait to read When Breath Becomes Air. I'm another big fan of Bleak House. I hope Bill takes you up on it. There was a good BBC production of it, too.

I'm liking Lucifer, but the first volume at least is very Sandman-like. It may not be your cuppa. I'm going to read more after this and see whether the storylines start getting into the mortality issues and the relationship with the woman cop that I like on the tv show.

>70 jnwelch: Sorry, Jim Joe. A source very close to Bill, granted immunity because of the delicacy of the matter, indicates he (Bill) is unlikely to go off his meds and read BLEAK House. Excuse...Bleak House.

ETC(onfess) that "the source" is not good with names.

>71 weird_O: Too bad, close source, but there are plenty of other books out there. You might remind Bill (although the meds may be too strong) that I usually go by a different name. :-)

>68 scaifea: Morning, Amber! Glad I snagged you.

>69 Crazymamie: Morning Mamie! My urban fantasy has been fun. It is actually read by the author and he brings a cool, street feel to it.

>70 jnwelch: Happy Friday, Joe. I am sure you will love When Breath, when you get to it.

Glad you brought up the BBC adaptation of Bleak House. It might be one of the best ones I have seen.

Thanks for filling me on Lucifer.

>71 weird_O: Happy Friday, Bill. I think you meant Joe, not, Jim. You must still be on those meds. Grins...

Hi Mark,
So glad things are going well for Bree's travels!
I have always loved elephants, their intelligence and their special focus on family. There are so many wonderful "elephant" books. One I really liked was The Elephant's Journey by Jose Saramago. Daughter #1 lived in Trento, Italy and when we visited and drove through those Northern Alps, all I could think of was the journey (1500's) that Solomon the elephant made through those treacherous, steep places.
Have a great weekend!

Hi Mark, Happy Friday. Enjoy those springlike temps this weekend. The local Dog n Suds Drive-In opens today for the season so spring is in the air.

>51 msf59: After we compared notes on Being Mortal (which I gave him to read before I read it) my former boss recommended When Breath Becomes Air to me. I told him I would take it under advisement, gather my inner resources, and give it a try when I felt ready. I'll add you praise to the "pro" side of the equation. I may not be up for another toughie in that line for a while, but it seems this should be it when I am.

Happy Friday Afternoon, Mark! >50 msf59: Wow! I love his use of color!! So striking!
Hope you have a wonderful weekend! I know I will, I'll be reading Beautiful Ruins

by Selçuk Demirel

^I can relate to this...

>74 mdoris: Hi, Mary! Good to see you! Thanks for your thoughts on Bree, elephants and traveling. Your Northern Alps trip sounds wonderful.

I have been meaning to read The Elephant's Journey forever. Time to snag a copy.

>75 lindapanzo: Happy Friday, Linda! Yah, for hitting post #75! It was another chilly one today, looking forward to that warm weekend.

>76 laytonwoman3rd: Hi, Linda! So you trade a lot of books with your former boss? It sounds like he has good book taste. Actually I did not find When Breath a toughie. It did get a bit emotional deeper in the book but I found it very life-affirming.

>77 Carmenere: Happy Friday, Lynda! Glad you like Hilton. He is really growing on me too and I am going to search out more of his art.

Hooray for Beautiful Ruins. What a gem, that book was.

Hi Mark, our posties are wearing shorts already - wait, isn't it February? The weather seems to be shaping up like last year.

My sister has read and enjoyed When Breath Becomes Air and sent it off to my nephew in the UK. But I think is to sad for me at the moment.

>36 msf59: Looks like Bree is having a great time! No worries!

>80 Familyhistorian: Hi, Meg! No shorts for this guy. It has been cold the past few days. It warms up this weekend but then back to the chill, next week.

A few more weeks and we will be there.

>81 vancouverdeb: Hi, Deb! Where Breath is tough at times but it is also very life-affirming and it is beautifully written.

Bree is having a great time. She has been doing a lot of hiking and exploring lately.

^My daughter spent a day, hiking and exploring, around, Pai, in northern Thailand. Boy, I wish I was with her. Looks beautiful.

So beautiful! Glad that Bree is having such a good time - what a lovely memory she is making. Morning, Mark!

Gorgeous picture Mark. Maybe a family trip next year?

Nice picture, Mark! Bree's trip seems to be going so quickly! Home soon?

>83 msf59: Good morning, Mark. That picture looks like what I picture paradise would look like! Have a great weekend.

>83 msf59: It does look beautiful, Mark!

DD may also go to Thailand this summer as part of her job. The details aren't nailed down and it's not a sure thing she'll get to go, so you and all your hundreds of followers need to keep it under your hat.

I've already offered to go as her assistant.

Happy Saturday, Mark!

Glad Bree is having such a wonderful time. How did she end up picking Thailand? I've always wanted to visit there.

Heap House was pretty darn good. Now I'm starting Evicted, which is going to be a strong one, I believe.

>83 msf59: That looks stunningly. Happy weekend, Mark. We made it safely back home.

Last work day of the week and it is warming up to the mid-50s. Bonus: I'll be off the next 2 days. B.A.G.

>84 Crazymamie: Morning Mamie! Looking forward to sitting down with Bree and hearing all about her trip.

>85 charl08: Hi, Charlotte. We have a lot of trips lined up, for the future, so we will see.

>86 Carmenere: Morning, Lynda! Bree seems to have been gone along time, to me. LOL. I pick her up, from the airport on Thursday.

>87 Dianekeenoy: Morning, Diane! That whole northern region of Thailand, does look gorgeous.

>88 streamsong: Morning, Janet. How exciting for your daughter and we will definitely keep it under our collective hats.

>89 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. Finally warming up out here, after a chilly start.

Bree was talking to a friend, who had been to Thailand and was encouraged to give it a try...and she did.

I will have to request Heap House.

>90 Ameise1: Happy Saturday, Barb. Glad you made it home safe.

#65 Oh you warbler you! The author narrates and he does a good job? Ay Mark!

>79 msf59: My former boss (I worked for him for 39 years!) is not a big reader, but is interested in various subjects, and his wife has been after him to slow down and at least semi-retire for a while now (he had a medical fright a little over a year ago, and did start to take a little time off from the office occasionally). His wife reads what I call the "right books", meaning she is always au courant with the latest "significant" fiction, but I get the impression she doesn't have strong opinions of her own on what she likes to read. He tends more to non-fiction and beach reads. Over the years we have exchanged titles a few times. He always seemed to have respect for my reading habits, and was more impressed than is warranted by the fact that I review unpublished books through LT's ER program. Language skills, and particularly editing his writing, were a big part of my job.

Hi Mark! Happy weekend! Love the picture in >83 msf59:. It's great that Bree is having fun.

Happy weekend, Mark! The weather in Atlanta is glorious, and hope it's nice in Chicagoland as well.

>72 jnwelch: Sorry, Joe. I know your name. It's that weird anonymous "source" that doesn't. That "source" will just have to sit in a corner, put on the Dunce Hat (below), and shut up.

>98 jnwelch: Ha! That's a dunce cap all right, Bill. Thanks for taking care of that hare-brained source. Although he's far from the first to call me "Jim" on LT. I must be Jim-ish.

Mark--Pai looks amazing!! Hope you enjoy your days off. I can feel your B.A.G. all the way out here!

^I wonder if Bree had one of these in Thailand? Not sure, but I am getting ready to pour a tasty Midwestern cousin...

LOVE that label!

>93 luvamystery65: Hi, Ro! Great to see you! I just finished Half-Resurrection Blues. I think this one is for you. Smiles...

>94 laytonwoman3rd: Hi, Linda! Thanks for filling me in on your boss and his wife's reading habits. Always interesting. It looks like many of us, around here, read the "right books". That's what keeps these biblio-wheels turning.

>95 banjo123: Happy Saturday, Rhonda. Haven't heard much from Bree, in the past two days. She is probably busy, hiking and exploring.

>96 kidzdoc: Happy Saturday, Darryl! It was a nice day here but nothing like what you are having. It will hit 60 tomorrow.

>97 weird_O: >98 jnwelch:



^I think I found the perfect cap, Bill & Joe!

>99 Berly: I wish I could have joined her in, Pai, Kimmers! Looks like a gorgeous place.

>101 Crazymamie: That brewery is out of Ft. Collins, Colorado. I wonder if I can find it here.

>103 msf59: Love it, Mark! Oh Fantasy February! Argh! Well, tis almost March! :) LOL!

Enjoy your days off, Mark!

>105 vancouverdeb: Hi, Deb! Not a lot of love for FF, eh, Tonto? I like my fantasy fix, now and then.

>106 Familyhistorian: Happy Sunday, Meg! And thanks. I plan on it.

Morning, Mark!

Morning, Mamie! I expect a whole lotta reading to get done today. Smiles...

^Listen to a terrific conversation with John Irving, hosted by Jeanette Winterson. This is from the Guardian Books Podcast. They discuss his latest book, Avenue of Mysteries, which I am reading for AAC, but there are other tasty bits, as well.

http://www.theguardian.com/membership/audio/2016/feb/08/john-irving-in-conversat...

Morning, Mark! Happy Sunday - and you have tomorrow off, too, right?

>103 msf59: Nice!

>110 msf59: He can write so well, but his subject matter choices so often lose me. I did like The World According to Garp and A Prayer for Owen Meany.

Evicted is really good, and really sad. Kind of like Behind the Beautiful Forevers, set in America.

I'm alternating it with the much lighter A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet.

Morning, Joe! Yes, I have the next 2 days off. Yah! I was just outside, to let the dogs out and it looks to be a very nice day but a windy one.

Irving has usually worked for me. Not always perfect but has major talent.

I just heard about Evicted on the NYT Book Podcast, yesterday. They interview the author. Sounds tough but important. I will keep an eye out.

The Jane Smiley American Author Challenge thread is up:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/219663

>103 msf59: Well I think America is still great buddy.

Have a great weekend and I am so pleased that Bree seems to love South East Asia so. Maybe she'll persuade pops to come and visit a friend of his in nearby Kuala Lumpur!

Happy Sunday, Mark! It's got to be a super duper happy Sunday when your off for a couple of days.

>114 PaulCranswick: Hey, Paul. I was hoping for a visit, from my favorite Brit. I hate being left out, you know.

We talked to Bree last night. I think she heads back to Bangkok on Tuesday, to start getting ready for her return home. I am sure she would have loved Kuala Lumpur, especially with you to show her around.

>115 Carmenere: Morning, Lynda! I spent way too much time on LT, so far this A.M. so it is time to curl up with the books.

>116 msf59: I will make it Stateside Mark, someday quite soon I promise buddy. Those beers need to be kept chilled.

>117 PaulCranswick: I sure hope you can make it, Paul. I know there are a lot of us, that would love to finally meet you.

>109 msf59: That's been my motto the past few days. I managed to start and finish 4 novels in 4 days, one of them over 500 pages long. Pretty close to a record. :)

Hope you're having a great Sunday!

"And looming above them all was King Leopold II, a man as filled with greed and cunning, duplicity and charm, as any of the more complex villains of Shakespeare."

Once again, my LT pals, have steered me in the right direction. I started King Leopold's Ghost and was immediately smitten. It is NNF, at it's very finest. Of course many horrors and atrocities await...

I will have to read a bio on Henry Morton Stanley. What an amazing life. I did not recall that this Welshman fought in our Civil War and fought for both sides. Wow! Can anyone recommend a book?

>119 Storeetllr: " I managed to start and finish 4 novels in 4 days." Wowza! I am mighty impressed, Mary! I will have to stop by your lair, and find out what those books were.

"I will have to read a bio on Henry Morton Stanley." Um...keep reading, Mark. You are going to learn quite a lot about Mr. Henry Morton Stanley.

>122 Crazymamie: I was just over at your place, gushing. I am barely 40 pages in and Stanley just found Livingstone. I did not realize Stanley was such a character.

>121 msf59: I just posted them, Mark, along with mini-reviews. The best of the bunch was the Fiona Griffith mystery by Harry Bingham. That's seriously my favorite mystery series in many years of reading mysteries! Have you read Talking To the Dead (the first in the series) yet?

Stopping by to hi, buddy! Life without the Lone Ranger isn't the same! Wow! Bree is nearly back! What a lot of tales she will have to tell! Happy Sunday, Mark!

Mark--So, two more days off makes today...Friday!! LOL. Enjoy. : )

>124 Storeetllr: Hi, Mary! I will have to head over to your homestead. I have not read Talking To the Dead, but you have definitely sparked my interest. Thanks.

>125 vancouverdeb: Hi, Deb. You will be glad to hear, I moved on from FF and headed into NNF territory. King Leopold's Ghost has been terrific.

>126 Berly: Hi, Kimmers! I am not sure I got the Friday reference, but that's okay. I am enjoying my 2 days off.

Hope you are having a nice Sunday!

Hi Mark. Glad you're enjoying King Leopold's Ghost. It looks really interesting.

Hi Mark! Good that you are following advise with King Leopold's Ghost!

>112 msf59: >127 msf59: You said you had the next two days off, kinda like most people's weekend of Saturday and then Sunday which would make today Friday! Better second time round? If not, we'll just forget I said anything at all. ; )

Happy Leap Day, Mark! Enjoy your off day!

Do you have the day off today? Good stuff. Hope King Leopold's Ghost continues to treat you well. I have Congo lined up from the library. It's a brick...

(touchstones not working)

>128 The_Hibernator: Hi, Rachel! Hope you had a good weekend. I am looking forward to spending time with King Leopold's Ghost today.

>129 banjo123: Hi, Rhonda! I am also glad I was influenced by the warbling of King Leopold's Ghost. It sure is setting out to be an amazing read.

>130 Berly: Now, I got you, Kimmers! Remember, I am just a simple, letter-carrier and it takes me a bit, to catch on to certain things. Grins...

>131 Carmenere: Morning, Lynda! I had a very nice Sunday off and plan to do the same today.

>132 charl08: Hi, Charlotte! Yep, Monday is easily my favorite day to be off and I will savor it. Me & King Leopold...the dirty, scoundrel. LOL.

Not familiar with Congo, (I remember the Crichton book from many moons ago).

Morning, Mark! Sun's shining and I'm feelin' much better - Woot!!

Hope you have a great day, friend!

Morning, Amber! I am so glad you are feeling better. I am off today, so I am a Happy Camper. Freezing rain and snow, on the way tonight. Boo!!!

22) Half-Resurrection Blues by Daniel José Older 4 stars (audio)

“Because I’m an inbetweener—and the only one anyone knows of at that—the dead turn to me when something is askew between them and the living. Usually, it’s something mundane like a suicide gone wrong or someone revived that shouldn’ta been.”

Carlos Delacruz is not dead but he is also not quite alive. He is a halfie and he works for the New York Council of the Dead, protecting the city from various entities, who are attempting to spread evil from the Underworld.
This is a fresh spin, on urban fantasy. Funny, hip, fast-paced and smartly written. This is the first book in a series and I will be following along, on the next Bone Street Rumba.

**This one also works very well, on audio and a rare instance, where the author narrates and really delivers.

Good morning, Mark! Hope the R & R (relaxing and reading) is continuing for you.

>136 msf59: Nice review. I've pencilled that one in.

I'm still enjoying Evicted, Long Way to a Small Angry Planet and Super Mutant Magic Academy. Plus so far Voyage of the Sable Venus is a knockout poetry book.

Morning, Joe! I have some errands to run this A.M. but plan to have an R & R afternoon. More winter coming later today? Ugh!

I am keeping my eye out for Evicted. Sounds like a great book.

Mark--Happy VK Day!!

Thanks, Kimmers! I love a Monday off. Nice way to start the week, my friend.

^Hooray, for Spotlight, winning Best Picture! Boo, for not including the director! WTH? It was my favorite film of last year. I was also happy for Brie Larson, who won Best Actress for Room.

I liked Di Caprio's performance but I preferred Matt Damon. I did like Leo's acceptance speech. Go Leo!

Happy Leap Day, Mark!

Hi, Mamie! Nice, leaping pooch!

Enjoying the springlike leap day?

Boo to more winter weather and heavy snow, especially up this way. At least I'm off tomorrow but this is not how I planned to celebrate the day.

Hi, Linda! I was running errands earlier and it still felt chilly and breezy. I am going to take the dog, (Bree's) for a walk but I am bundling up.

I DO NOT want anymore winter. WAH!!

Happy free day, Mark.

Thanks, Barb! It is going well. A nice mix of reading and other stuff.

"I saw a brilliant future for Africa, if by any miracle of good-fortune I could persude the dark millions of the interior to cast off their fabrics of grass clothing and don...second-hand costumes...See what a ready market lies here for old clothes!"

-Henry Morton Stanley

Stanley plays a big part in the early formation, of the Belgium ruled Congo. He is a world-renowned explorer, no question, but he was also a cruel beast.

Yes, I am completely immersed in King Leopold's Ghost

Morning Mark. I'm off to order King Leopold's Ghost, sigh. ;-)

>149 DianaNL: Hi, Diana! Thanks for keeping my thread warm. King Leopold's Ghost has been excellent. You will thank me later...

Yes, it is March. It is also still winter...to my discontent. Only 30 degrees today, with some snow on the way. Really? And it will stay cold, for much of this week. Groan...

On the more cheery side of things, I will start Some Luck, for the AAC. My first Smiley, in 20-plus years. I will try this one on audio and I also have the 2nd book, in the trilogy, in the queue too.

As you may have surmised, I am LOVING King Leopold's Ghost.

Hmm...Half-Resurrection Blues sounds pretty good...

Morning, Mark!

Morning Amber! Half-Resurrection Blues is a lot of fun, when you are in the mood for some urban fantasy, that is.

" It is also still winter...to my discontent." This made me laugh! Morning, Mark! Sending you warm thoughts.

Not started the Smiley yet, but I will (hopefully before the month is out).

Good morning, Mark!

Winter's back, darn it. I hope the stay is brief.

I hope you enjoy Some Luck. I did so. Wishing you a lovely day, Mark. We got snow this morning.

>154 Crazymamie: Hi, Mamie! No snow yet, but cold and drizzly. I will muddle through...

>155 charl08: I just started Some Luck. Easy going narrative...so far.

>156 jnwelch: Morning Joe! Scraping the ice off my postal vehicle was a bitch. LOL.

60 on Monday! Yah!

>157 Ameise1: Not far into the Smiley, Barb, but I like it.

I am on a mission to read lots of Helen Humphreys. I'm on #2 now and loving them. Hurrah to LT for putting me on to this author. How did I not know about her when she is living in one of my favourite cities, Kingston, Ontario!

Here it is RAIN, RAIN, RAIN!

Not sure when I will have enough psychological" oomph" to read King Leopold's Ghost. My guy read it years ago and I remember him telling me about the very challenging and hard parts. I will read it though!

Here comes the snow...sighs.

So I shouldn't mention that I'm sitting on the deck in shorts?

#159
I decided I didn't have enough "psychological oomph" to read King Leopold's Ghost. It was the same with Batavia's Graveyard. Just can't quite go there nowadays. So I am staying with Fantasy February for awhile and am reading Winter by Marissa Meyer.

>159 mdoris: "I am on a mission to read lots of Helen Humphreys." I am with you, Mary. She has us, in her grip. I am trying to track down a copy of Coventry.

Are you happy about the rain or sad? I am loving King Leopold's Ghost, but the atrocities, do pile up.

>161 Crazymamie: Wah!! I want to be sitting on the deck in shorts. It was only 25 degrees, on the way home from work. Brrrr...

>162 benitastrnad: Hi, Benita! I can not praise King Leopold's Ghost high enough. NNF at it's very best.

Hey, Batavia's Graveyard sounds really good. What led you to that one?

Yikes to 25 degrees, Mark! Good thing you didn't break out those shorts yet.

Probably have at least another 4-6 weeks, before the shorts, make an appearance. Supposed to be 60 on Monday, so there is that.

Hi icicle man!! I have only read one Smiley, so that means there are lots to choose from.

Which one was it, Kimmers? If it was not A Thousand Acres, I highly recommend starting that one.

I like Some Luck in the early going, but it is a simply told family drama, leisurely paced.

I read A Thousand Acres. Liked the sound of Moo and Horse Heaven.

Katie was warbling about Moo. I will have to track that one down too.

>168 Berly: Moo is really fun; it was a happy read for me. I've got Horse Heaven, but A Thousand Acres will win me AA and Pulitzer challenges (two challenges with one read! What a concept!)

PS, Mark: Thanks for stopping by at Weird's World. If I like Train Dreams, as I think I will, I want to get a copy of Johnson's Tree of Smoke to read as a doorstop.

Sorry to say I was not a fan of Some Luck - it just didn't work for me. There was something about the one-chapter-a-year convention that seemed forced. But I hope you enjoy it!!!!

I was 125 messages behind! But am now caught up so hooray for that!
So glad to hear King Leopold's Ghost is working for you. I was supposed to read it last month with Mamie and Jenn but it just didn't happen.

Look forward to your thoughts on Some Luck.

>170 weird_O: - Oooh, I loved Train Dreams, Bill. A wonderful little gem, that one.

>170 weird_O: Hi, Bill! Well, you guys put Moo on my radar, that is for sure. I hope you love A Thousand Acres as much as I did.

I might join you, on Tree of Smoke. I have been meaning to get to that one for years.

>171 vivians: Hi, Vivian! Good to see you. I am liking Some Luck well enough, but it definitely isn't soaring. I am about a 100 pages in. So, you didn't continue the trilogy then, right?

>172 katiekrug: Hi, Katie! I thought I was missing you around here. I hope you can make time for King Leopold's Ghost. It is excellent.

Yah, for Train Dreams. Great shorty!

Hi Mark, Not sure how I got 70 or so posts behind.... The NYT had a good review of Evicted on Sunday. Thanks for the Irving link. Looking forward to listening to it. Have a great Wednesday!

I have seen the releasing of the balloons and have duly wish-listed A Manual for Cleaning Women. And so the fire spreads. :)

I hope the snow doesn't snow you in! As is the way with our tipsy turvy continents, we have had lovely warm weather and my legs are even brown! For me.

So many book bullets Mark. I still don't quote know which Smiley to read. I hadn't even heard of Moo. Or Train Dreams.

>174 Copperskye: Hi, Joanne! Things can move quickly around here. People keep visiting. Grins...I am going to look for Evicted on audio. I see that Michael picked it, on this week's BOTNS.

>175 LovingLit: Hi, Megan! Hooray, for the releasing of the balloons, adding Cleaning Women to the WL and for brown legs, (no photos?). Mine, have that ghostly, winter pallor. I have a few more weeks, before I can break out the shorts.

>176 charl08: Book Bullets are flying, eh, Charlotte? This is a hazardous way of life, we have chosen, my friend. Train Dreams is short and lovely.

Morning, Mark!

^Well, Bree is somewhere over the Pacific, heading home. I will pick her up, later this afternoon. She will have quite a shock when she arrives. It is probably a 60 degree difference, between here and Thailand. It will be great to see her.

>178 scaifea: Big morning waves to Amber!

Morning, Mark! Wishing Bree safe travels.

>176 charl08: I also loved Train Dreams, Charlotte.

Morning Mark! Woo Hoo! Bree will have so much to tell you, she'll probably be chattering all the way home.

Honestly, I'm just about done with Beautiful Ruins! The chapters with Richard Burton and hilarious!

Afternoon, Mark! You'll have to listen to many stories later today. Have fun! ;-)

Hi Mark! How fun to be getting Bree back! I bet she has tons of interesting stories to share.

Way up there somewhere- I'll have to rent Spotlight since you gave it such high praise. I love Rachel Mcadams.

Good morning, Mark!

Evicted is heart-wrenching, but so well done. I probably mentioned this comparison before, but it reminds me in some ways of Behind the Beautiful Forevers. His access and the details of people's lives are amazing.

Have you tried Super Mutant Magic Academy yet? It's a bit of a chunkster, but so good.

Pretty chilly coming in today. Hope it all goes all right for you.

 and Bree is coming home, yeh.

Safe travels, Bree. Put your sweater on!

Lots of sunshine in Chicagoland but cold and slippery.

>180 Crazymamie: Morning Mamie! And thanks!

>181 Carmenere: Morning Lynda. Bree will probably be exhausted but it probably won't keep her quiet. Lol.
Looking forward to your final thoughts on Beautiful Ruins.

>182 DianaNL: Thanks, Diana.

>183 Thebookdiva: Hi, Abby. Yes, looking forward to hearing Bree's stories and seeing a whole lot of photos.

>184 jnwelch: Morning Joe! Evicted is high on my list. And Super Mutant has been requested.

>185 Ameise1: Happy Wednesday, Barb!

>186 laytonwoman3rd: Morning Linda! Hopefully Bree will be wearing everything she brought. LOL. At least she will get into a very warm vehicle.

The travel-weary daughter is home. We have been gabbing for a couple straight hours. As soon as the wife gets home from work, we will start to look at Bree's photos. She said she took a ton.

She had a great time. I am proud of her, that she handled it all so well, especially doing half of it solo.



-Pai Thailand

So very nice when the daughter returns after being away. Safe and sound, just the way we like it! Enjoy!

Hi Mark, so very glad that your daughter is home safe and sound. I know my girls are totally grown up but I always feel better when I know they are close by and safe. For some reason a book called King Leopold's Ghost has just landed on my wishlist, it sounds like a good one!

Mark--Have fun chatting with Bree and I am sure the pictures are wonderful. What a great trip!! What a great Dad!!

Good morning, Mark. Great to hear that Bree is safely back home. I'm sure you have seen lots of photos and heard good infos about her trip.

>190 mdoris: Thanks, Mary. She had a great time and is all ready, trying to decide her next trip.

>191 DeltaQueen50: Hi, Judy! Nice to have the "kids" close by, right? King Leopold's Ghost is a tough read, due to the amount of atrocities committed but it is such a well-written account.

>192 Berly: >193 Ameise1: Hi, Kimmers & Barb! We went through a vast amount of vacation photos last night and it looks like her trip was wonderful. I hope she shares a few with me, so I can share them with you.

More snow? Will it end? Groans and sighs...

I did not read as much of King Leopold's Ghost, as I would have liked, due to a busy day, but it continues to astound and impress. I am in the 2nd half of Some Luck and I have mixed feelings. The family tale, is unfolding slowly and is pleasant enough but the writing is surprisingly unexceptional. Maybe, some of the varied reviews on this one, is the reason it has taken me this long to read it.

Morning, Mark! We have a bit more snow on the ground this morning. Gah.

Yep, snow and cold! At least we have next week, to look forward to. Silver linings, my friend.

>197 msf59: I don't know about your forecast but they are talking about 50+ degrees all of next week here. If so, I expect to see ice out on a lot of the lakes.

>189 msf59: Morning Mark! I hope you have a nice spot to hang this photo. Did Bree take it? it. is. stunning!!

Keep warm, it's one day closer to Spring!

>194 msf59: Looking forward to those pics.

>195 msf59: It's still snowing here, too. Hang in there, Mark. Better weather should come one day. Hopefully.

Morning, Mark! Glad that Bree made it home safe and sound. Sorry about the snow.

Morning, Mark! Sweet Thursday!

In Super Mutant Magic Academy, one of the girls calls Thursday "Little Friday." I like that.

Great to hear Bree's safely home. What a beautiful picture up in >189 msf59:. I'm sure she had lots of great photos.

Your daughter's trip sounds terrific - what an intrepid spirit!

Just stopping in to "warble" about a new-to-me author, Patrick Gale. His A Place Called Winter is on a lot of prize lists but I haven't been able to find it yet. I picked up A Perfectly Good Man and could not stop listening! I loved it - great setting, great writing and wonderful characters. Highly recommended!

>78 msf59: Great image!

Just getting to this thread 200+ posts in. I'm glad your daughter is home safely and had a great time.

When Breath Becomes Air sounds stunning. I'm adding it to the list.

Morning Mark. Great photo! Glad Bree got home safe and sound.

Oh do get a copy of Coventry, Mark! Such a vivid story and a shortie too! Glad to hear that Bree is home safe and sound and full of tales and pictures

Waves from cold, damp, yucky Chicagoland. No time, for individual responses this morning, but I appreciate everyone dropping by. See you later today.

Toodles...

>198 Oberon: Hi, Erik! Yes, we have a very nice warm up, starting early next week. I have been waiting for this. And I am sure you are too!

>199 Carmenere: Hi, Lynda! That Pai photo, I shared up there, is an image I grabbed off the internet, BUT, after seeing some of the photos, Bree showed me of the same place, looks very similar.

>200 Ameise1: Hi, Barb! I am just waiting for my daughter to share her photos with me and then I will share some with you.

>201 Crazymamie: Hi, Mamie! I am patiently waiting for this warm-up to begin.

>202 jnwelch: Howdy, Joe! I like the sound of "Little Friday". I just picked up a library copy of Super Mutant Magic Academy, so I will work it into the rotation.

>203 vivians: Hi, Vivian! Yes, our daughter is an "intrepid spirit". We are proud of her. Thanks for the warble. Always interested in a new, promising author. I have not heard of him.

>204 tymfos: Hi, Terri! Glad you made it by. I hope you can snag a copy of When Breath Becomes Air. It's terrific.

>205 weird_O: I Love it, Bill! You do crack me up.

>206 Thebookdiva: Thanks, Abby! Good to see you.

>207 vancouverdeb: Howdy, Tonto! I hope to get my mitts on Coventry soon. We loved looking at Bree's photos. I hope I can share a few.

>211 DianaNL: Happy Friday, Diana! Enjoy your weekend.

^My daily meditation. Works like a charm...

>213 msf59: I bet her butt is numb, and I have no idea how she is going to get down from there gracefully. Actually that looks exactly like me on a Friday except picture a glass of wine, a chair with an ottoman and the book actually in the hands at a level convenient for reading.

Morning, Mark! I finished Empire Falls and I really liked it. SO now I am ready for Smiley. Look at me being all pure and enjoy it while it lasts because you know I was born to be tainted.

Morning, Mark!

>214 Crazymamie: "Born to Be Tainted"' Guitar riff...

Morning Mamie! A nice analysis of the bookish gal up there. She looks quite content, so that is all that really matters.

Hooray for Russo. I hope you have better luck with Smiley. Mine is okay, at best. Shakes head...

>215 scaifea: Morning Amber!

I'll be reading A Thousand Acres, which is Katie approved, so I am liking my chances.

Oh, that's right! You picked a perfect one, Mamie! It's a great one.

Morning, Mark!

I don't think I stopped by yet today. Bit of a chaotic morning. We may be able to get Papa Welch home this weekend.

Evicted was great, and the Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep Omnibus GN is an excellent, faithful way to re-experience that story if you can get your hands on it. I think I'll give a go to All the Light We Cannot See next. I'm probably one of the last LTers to get to it. Debbi loved it.

Hi Mark, how did I get 71 posts behind? I was just here...wasn't I?

Happy weekend. After a bit of snow tonight, it looks like we may have finally turned the page towards spring. At least I hope so.

>50 msf59: Mr. Hilton certainly does like to use those bright colors to offset the grey skies. Love his work, especially the yellow one (my favorite color) at the top of the your thread, Mark.

I agree that When Breath Becomes Air was a tearjerker and had a powerful epilogue beautifully written by his wife. I plan to buy my own copy for my permanent collection. It affected me more than Being Mortal did, although both were excellent books.

Yay! Your Bree is back! Wish I could look over your shoulder at her pictures. I'm pretty sure Thailand is one country I won't have a chance to visit. I like their food, too. ;-)

Happy weekend, Mark.

>219 jnwelch: I was waiting and waiting, Joe! LOL. No, I was working too. Looking forward to Evicted and Do Androids, GN. Both sound terrific.

Hope you enjoy All the Light as much as I did.

>220 lindapanzo: Happy Friday, Linda! Not bad today, especially when the sun was out. Looking forward to next week's warmer temps.

Happy Friday Mark! I'm reading The Widow by Fiona Barton, in honour of muderous March! Are you creating a thread! Dashing out to walk the dog in gusts of wind up to 52 kph / 30 mph and rain! Sad face!

>221 Donna828: Hi, Donna! Great to see you. glad you like the Hilton topper. I really enjoy his work. I love it when books like When Breath Becomes Air catch fire.

Yes, Bree had a wonderful time in Thailand. She is trying to get back in the groove of "real life". She is starting a new job too.

>223 vancouverdeb: Happy Friday, Deb! I am not hosting a Murderous March, my friend. LOL. But I will host May: Murder & Mayhem. How is that?

I have been hearing a lot of buzz over The Widow. I hope it lives up to the hype.

^I am glad Some Luck, is now in my rear-view, so I could start Girl Waits With Gun. It grabbed me immediately. I like her snappy writing style.

>225 msf59: Loved this! Hope you do too...

I was really hoping there actually was a Murderous March. I love me some murder.

>226 charl08: Stewart grabbed me right away, Charlotte. Have you read her before?

>227 Crazymamie: Plenty of M & M coming in May, Mamie! No worries, my friend. Have you read Girl Waits With Gun?

No - but it's on my list.

It is right up your alley, Mamie Dear, and the audio is terrific.

Oh! Good to know about the audio - I know the library has the hardback, but I will check about the audio. Thanks!!

>224 msf59: Good luck to Bree with her new job - it is a good way to clear the decks before starting afresh by going on an exotic holiday.

Have a great weekend, Buddy.

>231 Crazymamie: This book reminds me of The Sister Brothers. Same kind of loose and snappy prose.

>232 PaulCranswick: Happy Friday, Paul. This should be a very promising job for Bree. It is a very small but lucrative real estate company.

Have ago on weekend too.

>233 msf59: Saturday here buddy but Friday passed off reasonably other than an argument between Saad's father Mohamed and Hani over the state of the Middle East. He blamed the entire chaos there on the Americans and the Jews and Hani went for him big style in a manner only she can. She asked him when arab is killing arab and when the rest of the world is scared standing next to an Arab on the tube, why they won't take responsibility and change themselves, instead of blaming everyone else? I managed to calm them all down but the misrepresentation of problems in the world, on all sides probably, doesn't help settle anything does it?

The real estate market in Chicago is tough at present if it is like anywhere else in the world? Wishing her all the very best!

>234 PaulCranswick: Sounds like Hani can sure speak her mind. I am sure you know all about it, Paul. LOL. Glad you were able to calm things down.

Actually this real estate business is booming, so it looks like they will be busy for awhile. Go Bree!

>235 msf59: Great news mate! In the event that I want to buy a Chicagoan drinking den for the group there she will be my first port of call!

You know I will have a fine beer waiting for you. By the way, I hope Hani had a lovely birthday.

>237 msf59: Thanks. It is still very much her birthday here Mark - or it will be when she deigns to get out of bed!

Batavia's Graveyard: The True Story of the Mad Heretic Who Led History's Bloodiest Mutiny by Mike Dash had great reviews when it came out back in 2001. The story grabbed my attention. The book is non-fiction and is about the Dutch in the East Indies (Indonesia today). Batavia is the name of the ship. It was a treasure ship. The Dutch did the same thing as the Spanish - once a year sending a treasure fleet back to Amsterdam with all the accumulated riches of one year in the islands of the Dutch East Indies. There was a mutiny lead by a charismatic man and then the ship wrecked and that is only the beginning of a very bloody and gruesome saga for those who survived the original mutiny and ship-wreck. Think "Mutiny on the Bounty" mashed up with the Donner Party snowbound and that is pretty much the story. Like so much of history the Batavia mutiny was so weird that many people believed it was fiction. If you haven't read this book you should try to get your hands on it. You simply won't believe the story. I, however, just don't have the psychological wherewithal to tackle it, even though I am fascinated by the history of the Dutch East Indies. You should have no trouble if you managed to make it through King Leopold's Ghost without losing your supper.

Sorry I haven't been around but I have just been to busy at work and tired when I am at home. I am about to finish reading Winter the last one of the Lunar Chronicles and I only manage to get a few pages read before falling asleep.

I'll bet your daughter had adventures. I also hope that someday you and Sue get to impose on Paul and Hani and get to Kuala Lumpur. That will be an adventure. Boston is ever closer and Marianne, Caro, and Susan will be great fun - as will the last Boooktopia.

>240 benitastrnad: It would be no imposition at all, Benita - nor would it be if you were to make it along too!
Caro was full of enthusiasm for your recent meet-up and I know really appreciative of the passes you were able to get the gang.

Oh, Murder and Mayhem in May , is it , Mark? I'm always a dollar short and a day late, as they say! Will let you know how The Widow goes. Could not resist the buzz! :)

>177 msf59: you know me and photos, Mark, if someone takes on and puts it on Facebook you might see one. Otherwise, it'll never happen
Glad Bree made it back safely and had a good time. I loved my carefree days of travel...carefree referring to the only concern being to find transport, food and accommodatio. Nice!

Happy weekend, Mark.

>238 PaulCranswick: I hope you had a fine day with, Hani, Paul and treated her like a Queen!

>239 benitastrnad: Hi, Benita! I have added Batavia's Graveyard to the WL. It is good to see you. Sorry, to hear your work is so overwhelming. Bummer, when it takes over your reading life too.

Bree had a great time in Thailand and I am looking forward to our Boston trip. We are currently getting our Booktopia Author books in order.

>242 vancouverdeb: Yep, Tonto, M & M for May and S & S for September. This keeps us bookish folks hopping. I hope you continue to enjoy The Widow.

>243 LovingLit: Hi, Megan! I hope you got over that creepy nightmare and I still wanted to see those brown legs. Grins...

Funny, Bree came back from Thailand, about as pale as she was, before she left. I guess it was very warm there but mostly cloudy.

>244 Ameise1: Happy Saturday, Barb! Enjoy your final weekend before returning to work.

>225 msf59:

This one is in my Mount TBR, so I look forward to hearing what you think!

>247 alphaorder: Happy Saturday, Nancy! You are up early. LOL. Good to see you, my friend.

Girl Waits with Gun is very good, in the early going. Have you read Stewart before?

>248 msf59:

I have this strange habit of getting up the same time on weekends as I do workdays. I then means a nice nap in the afternoon.

I have not read Amy Stewart. I remember that The Drunken Botanist was a big deal when it came out. I heard a great interview with her on NPR for this book, which compelled me to buy it.

Ok, time to get of the computer and back into My Father, the Pornographer.

>249 alphaorder: I do the same thing, Nancy. Actually I normally get up around 5:15 on work days and about 6 on off days, no matter what time I go to bed. LOL.

I completely forgot Stewart wrote The Drunken Botanist, which I really wanted to read. I have been hearing good things about My Father, the Pornographer. Let me know how it is.

Morning, Mark! Happy Saturday! The gang just left on vacation, so Abby and I have the house to ourselves. WahHOO!!

Saw this and thought of you:

>224 msf59: Good morning, Mark. Stayed up past midnight to finish The Widow. Read it straight through and really liked it.

Morning, Mark!

>250 msf59:.

My Father, the Pornographer is good so far. I am heading to Alina's orchestra competition this afternoon and will be sitting in the high school lunch room for a few hours with a book. Given my copy is an ARC with a stark white cover and bold black letters, I am thinking I should bring something else. So Outline it is.

>251 Crazymamie: Morning Mamie! I will have to stop by and see where your "gang" went.

Love the beery cartoon. Thanks!

>254 Dianekeenoy: Happy Saturday, Diane. Glad you liked The Widow.

>255 scaifea: Morning Amber!

>256 alphaorder: LOL. Sounds like a better book choice, Nancy. Safer bet. Enjoy your weekend.

Good morning, Mark!

I'm glad you're already having a good time with Girl Waits with Gun. I read somewhere that the author plans to write at least one more with these characters.

I've moved from Evicted to a lighter one, Pax, which is very good so far. Super Mutant Magic Academy continues to be a blast, and I've got the second Fade Out lined up after that one.

>258 jnwelch: It's going to be a series - the author says on her website the next one is due out this year.

ETA Lady Cop Makes Trouble is out September

http://www.amystewart.com/book-tourevents/coming-soon/

>259 charl08: Excellent. Thanks, Charlotte.

Joanne was really excited about Girl Waits with Gun, so I'm happy to know you are enjoying it too. And thanks for the reminder that I need to get a copy from the library so I can join in the fun for my own personal Mystery March marathon. So far, I've read four mystery thrillers in the Tony Hill/Carol Jordan series by Val McDermid. I'm reading them back to back because I got the latest installment (Splinter the Silence) from the Early Reviewers program a couple of months ago, and I can't read it until I've finished the earlier ones.

And on a different note, I just saw that Tim Burton is adapting Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children to film!!!!! (Can you tell I'm excited about that?) The article I read makes it sound really fun. http://www.ew.com/article/2016/03/04/miss-peregrine-tim-burton-photos

Hi Mark. It's my first visit to this thread so I'll belatedly say that I LOVE the topper pics, both of them!

Girl Waits With Gun looks and sounds like fun. I'm not really doing Mystery March but I always love a good mystery.

I take it you didn't love Some Luck. I didn't, either, when I read it last year but I do have the next in the series, Early Warning, waiting at the library so I can continue toward my first purist badge in the AAC. I thought about going back and rereading A Thousand Acres, which I remember loving a couple of decades ago.

I hope you have a great weekend, my friend!

Happy Saturday, Mark. I am glad to hear that Bree made it back safe and sound with tales to tell. I was curious about the reference to real estate in >234 PaulCranswick: >235 msf59:. What is happening with real estate markets. Sitting where I am most of our real estate new concerns the skyrocketing real estate prices here.

I hope you enjoy Girl Waits with Gun, I have been eyeing that one for a while but haven't picked it up yet.

>262 EBT1002: Brilliant minds like Ellen and I think it is Mystery/ Murderous March. Hmmm. And then your comment on our Craft Beer! Gasps! Check it out, good sir ! http://www.bcmag.ca/The_Ultimate_Vancouver_Craft_Beer_Brewery_List

I'm going to start reading The Lost Garden, Mark. Seems to me that you really liked it, didn't you?

Happy Sunday, Mark.

>258 jnwelch: Hi, Joe! Got busy after work yesterday, so no time to jump on LT. Hope to spend some time over here today.

>259 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte. That is cool news about the sequel. I am just under halfway done with Girl Waits with Gun and I am loving it.

>261 Storeetllr: Happy Sunday, Mary! Good to see you. Hooray for Mystery March and I am sure you will love Girl Waits with Gun. It is also excellent on audio, so keep that in mind. I appreciate you letting me know about the Miss Peregrine adaptation. Burton has been very uneven, over the years, so let's hope it get pull it together this time.

>262 EBT1002: Happy Sunday, Ellen! Glad you made it by. I am having a lot of fun with Girl Waits with Gun. I needed something to boost me back up after Some Luck. What a disappointment. I WILL NOT be reading Early Warning. LOL.

>263 Familyhistorian: Hi, Meg! I think Paul was referring to the housing and financial collapse of a few years ago. Things have improved but may never fully recover. I think our housing market has been much better.

Wait no longer for Girl Waits with Gun. I would jump on it now. LOL.

>264 vancouverdeb: Ooh, thanks for the Vancouver Craft Beer list, Deb. I appreciate you thinking of me. I will check it out later.

>265 lindapanzo: Happy Sunday, Linda. I hope you enjoy the Lost Garden as much as I did.

>266 Ameise1: Happy Sunday, Barb! Hope you are having a great day.

Happy Sunday, Mark!
>213 msf59: I love the meditating reader and have stolen it for my profile pic.

O my goodness! We're already talking about M&M?! How exciting! I know I have plenty to choose from in my 7 foot stack!!

>269 Carmenere: Morning Lynda! Glad you like the "meditating reader". I always have a ton to choose from, for M & M but I have such a daunting pile to deal with at the moment, that I'll think about that challenge, when it gets closer.

Hope you have a great day.

Happy Sunday, Mark!

Morning, Mark! Happy Sunday!

Hi Mark - sounds like Girl waits with gun is a winner for you too. I wonder if there will be ARC copies of the sequel....

>271 scaifea: >272 Crazymamie: Big morning waves to Amber & Mamie!

>273 charl08: Happy Sunday, Charlotte! I sure hope ARCs will be available. Fingers crossed.

24) Some Luck by Jane Smiley 3.2 stars (audio)

This family saga traces one farming family, the Langdons, through 1920-1953. The setting is a small town in Iowa.
Smiley seems to understand the farming life very well but did she have to make it so mundane? I did not completely dislike the novel but I was really surprised how unremarkable her writing, is here. It comes across as a middle-grade narrative, interrupted by a few bursts of explicit sexual activity. Her characterizations barely crack the surface, leaving the reader, with very little to latch on to. This is the same author, who gave us the shattering A Thousand Acres?
This is the first book in her Last Hundred Year Family Saga and it appears, I won't be reading book two.

If this subject matter interests you, I would highly recommend Little Heathens: Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression. Now, that's a winner.

Thanks to you Mark, I finished Winterdance yesterday, it was great :-)

I started reading Ungodly by Kendare Blake. This is the last book in the YA series The Goddess War. I am enjoying this series and it twisted take on Greek myths. After that I will be starting the Iron Druid Chronicles. I also am going to the library this afternoon to get my recorded books for the trip to Kansas that starts next Saturday. Thank God it is Sping Break time.

Oh - You got me with a book bullett - Girl Waits With Gun is now on my TBR list.

Happy Sunday, Mark!

Getting better and better out there.

Sorry Some Luck was a bit of a dullard. I need to read A Thousand Acres some day.

I just finished the middle grade read Pax and loved it. She tells a beautiful story that's still hanging with me.

Are you going to be watching the last episode of "Old Bat Grantham Acts Like Donald Trump and Gets Away With It Because She Is Old and Cute" tonight? (otherwise known as Downtown Abbey)

>276 FAMeulstee: Hi, Anita! I am glad you liked Winterdance. My warbling paid off.

>277 benitastrnad: >279 benitastrnad: Happy Sunday, Benita! Can't wait to hear your thoughts on the Iron Druid series. I am a big fan. Keep in mind, they are also terrific on audio.

And yes, I am loving Girl Waits With Gun and we will be watching "Old Bat Grantham Acting Like Donald Trump." LOL. They have toned her down quite a bit and have made her more endearing, if that is possible.

I think this final season has been pretty good.

>278 jnwelch: Hi, Joe! I have been running around, doing some errands. Time to hunker down with the books. Hope you are enjoying your day.

^ We have a new Half Price Books in our town, (about 15 minutes away) so I stopped in, dropped off a few books and picked up 3. Nothing I was immediately looking for, was on shelf. No Humphreys? Boo!

I did grab:

The Borrower- I was looking for her story collection which they didn't have so I settled for this one. It did sound good and had a nice cover but the LT reviews are middling.

Local Souls- I think this guy was a Booktopian author, at some point. Once again, it sounds good.

The Summer Guest- I have had this one of my WL, since I read The Passage. Someone just warbled about it...hmmmmm.

^Anyone read any of these?

The only Justin Cronin I have read is Mary & O'Neil, which I absolutely loved.

>282 alphaorder: Thanks, Nancy! I will also keep my eyes peeled for that one.

I read The Borrower back when it was first published, needing a whimsical sort of book. I enjoyed it, but I'm not sure if Lone Ranger will enjoy it.

>284 vancouverdeb: Thanks for chiming in, Tonto. At least, The Borrower isn't super long, so I'll probably give it a shot, at some point.

"For some unfathomable reason, reading was something she was able to really immerse herself in--reading books that looked so dull I couldn't even bring myself to so much as take a look inside the covers."

^I have been reading The Vegetarian. This is an E.R. selection. Not sure how I feel about the book, although it does have it's moments. Early on it did remind me a bit of Murakami, which of course is a positive. We shall see...

Somehow a book entitled The Vegetarian just doesn't sound like what I expect you to read, Mark. LOL
Except that I know you're willing to try almost anything at least once and that includes a wide variety of reads.

Your reaction to Some Luck mirrored (and validated) my own. I did bring Early Warning home from the library because I'm determined to achieve purity status on the AAC this year but then I saw Katie's recommendation of Smiley's biography of Charles Dickens. So, back to the library goes Early Warning! It's healthy to be able to bail on a trilogy after the first one if it doesn't ring your bell.

Congrats on getting a Half Price Books 15 minutes from your house! I'm excited because we are getting a new Third Place Books (a local indie chain with, I think, about 3 or 4 stores) about 10 minutes from our house. I will remain a loyal shopper at Elliott Bay Books but one can never have too many options!

Have a great week, my friend.

>287 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen. I promise, The Vegetarian is nothing you would expect from a title like that. Lol.

I could not believe how flat Some Luck was, no wonder it took me so long to finally pick it up. I must of had a
premonition.

Hooray for local book stores!

Howdy Mark! I'll be back soon. ;)

Watching the special on DA. I'll be sad to see the series end.

>289 luvamystery65: Howdy, Ro! You have been missed, my friend. It will be nice having you back.

>290 lindapanzo: Happy Sunday, Linda. We will be tuning into DA. I hope it goes out with grace.

>281 msf59: I haven't read any of them Mark, but I love that cover. I'd totally buy that if I saw it.

The Vegetarian is tempting me, especially since her new book is not available at the library. I'll watch for your review, see if I can make up my mind.

>281 msf59: I just recently read The Summer Guest and loved it!

>286 msf59: Yep, I read that one recently..."crickets"

Outstanding DA finale. I'll miss it.

Very happy with the DA finale! Smiles all around. I am glad I stuck with it.

Our viewing of the final DA episode is just over an hour away. I'm looking forward to it and it will go down as one of my all-time favorite series. I'm glad you were pleased with how they wrapped it up. I'm hoping for a happy ending for Edith. But don't tell me! :-)

Just popping in to say Hi! Mark. ; )

Go8d morning Mark, wishing you a good start into the new week.

>292 charl08: I hope those 3 books work out, Charlotte. It will probably be awhile before I get to them. I should finish The Vegetarian tomorrow.

>293 Dianekeenoy: >294 Dianekeenoy: Hi, Diane! I knew someone warbled about The Summer Guest. Looking forward to it. I'll have to stop over at your place and see your comments on The Vegetarian.

>295 lindapanzo: Very nice conclusion, Linda. Smiles.

>297 EBT1002: I am sure you were happy with the finale, Ellen, especially if you have hung in there this long.

>298 Berly: Big loving waves to Kimmers!

>299 Ameise1: Thanks, Barb! And good luck to you on your return to work.