Joe's Book Cafe 2016 Door 8

Art by Beryl Cook

Welcome back to the cafe!

2016 Books

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



March

20. Evicted by Matthew Desmond
21. Pax by Sara Pennypacker
22. Voyage of the Sable Venus by Robin Coste Lewis
23. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
24. Dead Man's Mirror by Agatha Christie
25. White Sky, Black Ice by Stan Jones
26. Shifting Shadows by Patricia Briggs
27. Divine Invasion by Philip K. Dick
28. Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs
29. Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs
30. Fair Game by Patricia Briggs
31. Dead Heat by Patricia Briggs
32. Venetia by Georgette Heyer
33. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
34. Devil's Cub by Georgette Heyer



April

35. Off the Grid by C.J. Box
36. Lighthead by Terrence Hayes
37. At The Threshold of Memory by Marjorie Agosin
38. A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin
39. Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs
40. The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
41. Life on Mars by Tracy K. Smith
42. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, Inga Moore (re-read)



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
9. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep Omnibus by Philip K. Dick
10. Super Mutant Magic Academy by Jillian Tamaki
11. The Fade Out Volume 2 by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
12. Low Moon by Jason
13. The Fade Out Volume 3 by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
14. Fatale by Ed Brubaker
15. Demo by Brian Wood



April

16. Alex + Ada by Jonathan Luna
17. Step Aside, Pops by Kate Beaton

Top 5 Great American Novels as Voted by Cafe Patrons:

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

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

Joe's Top Reads for 2015

Book of the Year: Being Mortal by Atul Gawande



Fiction

Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf



Non-fiction

Being Mortal by Atul Gawande

Graphic Novels

Sandman Overture by Neil Gaiman



Mystery

Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith



Science Fiction/Fantasy

Ancillary series by Ann Leckie



Top 5 First Quarter of 2016

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Tokyo Decadence by Ryu Murakami (finally available in the U.S.)
Evicted by Matthew Desmond
Pax by Sara Pennypacker
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Top graphic novel: Super Mutant Magic Academy by Jillian Tamaki

Congrats on your shiny new thread, Joe. LOVE the opening.

>5 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara. Aren't those Beryl Cook paintings a stitch?

As the first one in the new cafe, you win some cool vintage books.

>6 jnwelch: They are gorgeous and make me smile. Oh, thanks so much for the vintage books. I love vintage books? I've some very old ones at home.

Yet another new thread from Joe!! You are tearing up the threads today. ; )

Happy New Thread, Joe! Love the Cook toppers! We are heading out for Happy Hour...Poor us!

>7 Ameise1: :-) Glad to hear it, Barbara.

>8 Berly: Thanks, Kimberly! The joint has been hoppin', hasn't it?

>9 msf59: Thanks, Mark! Glad you love the Cook toppers. She cracks me up.

Happy Hour! Great idea on a Friday afternoon. Have fun, buddy. I'm going to take off soon myself.

Those Beryl Cook painting are great. I love that fat squirrel.

HI, Joe. Your thread always makes me sad that art is not more a part of our everyday life in this country.

Oh love the new thread topper, Joe! Happy new thread! I have to ask - is that Mark in the 2nd from the top topper in the leopard skin, with the woman ( though the woman is not scantily clad as Mark prefers) . I'd swear that was Mark on Friday night !

>12 ronincats: Roni, you are so right. I love art and am always envious of anyone who has the talent and creativity. I grew up in a household in which art was not appreciated - my mother only had a few pictures hung and some wood and brass flying ducks.



My grandmother's idea of art was collecting souvenir plates from different places she had visited.



My aunt liked the big-eyed children.



All of these, of course, are art in their own way, but there is SO much more out there that I didn't know about until I went to college. Now I drag my kids to see art every chance we get, hoping some day they will appreciate it!

I also love the fat squirrel! Happy new one, Joe!

Happy new thread, buddy. Have a great weekend, Joe.

Happy New Thread and Happy Weekend, Joe.

The art is funny and I agree with Mamie: I love the chubby squirrel!

I'm glad you're enjoying A Manual for Cleaning Women. I finished Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? (five stars) and am undecided on what to read next. Maybe something with a shorter and therefore easier-to-type title.

Happy week-end and happy new thread Joe!

Happy new thread, Joe. I love the art toppers, especially the top one!

Hi Joe, I'm a fan of Beryl Cook. Particularly love her pub scenes, but the reading group one (is it a reading group, do you think? ) is new to me. Brilliant stuff. Happy new thread.

Good Weekend Start! Whoo hoo! More tales from the retirement cooperative: Yesterday, I drove a neighbor down the hall, with whom I share political outlooks and enjoy watching the political shenanigans, to grocery shopping. We added to our adventure a lady from another building, who left Hong Kong just as England returned it to China. The three of us descended on Trader Joe's. My political buddy has some big vision issues so I served as a reader of signs and a hunter for the exact cans. We also had a quick lunch at Pot Belly sandwich shop. Good fun, and then dinner last night was wonderful salmon. Our chef does fish very nicely. What is there to not like about this place?

Except it is so much fun that I'm not finding much time for reading. Boo.

Morning, Joe!

Wishing you a relaxed weekend, Joe.

Morning, Joe! Happy Saturday! Kind of crummy out there. Glad I am off today.

I am going to crack The Dream of a Common Language, today. Looking forward to it.

Enjoy your day.

>11 sibylline: Hiya, Lucy. Aren't those fun? I like that one in the park with the fat squirrel, too.

>12 ronincats: I know what you mean about wanting more art in our everyday life in this country, Roni. You're certainly doing your part! So are various other LTers like Ilana. In the metro areas we do pretty well, all things considered.

>13 vancouverdeb: You're onto something, Deb - that may well be Mark enjoying Happy Hour with some attentive friends. :-)

OK, we're off to the library and some errands. See you all later on today.

Happy New Thread, Joe! Great art work, as always.

I'm nearly finished the chicken and Andouille sausage Creole jambalaya I cooked for lunch, but I could use some dessert. Does the café have any strawberry rhubarb pie left? I'll take a double espresso with it, if you please.

Jeez Louise, snow and hail in Chicago on April 2. What cuckoo weather we've been having. And it's supposed to go up to the lower 60s tomorrow. Bee-zarre.

>14 rretzler: Ha! I love those memories and examples, Robin. What was it about those big-eyed children that drew so many people?

My mother had some interesting paintings she'd picked up along the way, and I have a sister with some artistic talent, which she mainly shows in quilt-making these days. But my folks weren't museum goers or art seekers either. Like you, I learned a ton in college - one of my roommates was in the visual arts dept. and was a pretty good painter. I started going to museums and at one point it just clicked in, particularly the Impressionists.

We've purchased a lot of local art over the years, and taken our kids to a lot of galleries and museums. Hopefully it's sunk in for them, too. They both seem to enjoy it.

>15 Crazymamie: Hi, Mamie! Glad you found the new place.

It's funny, I almost didn't put the fat squirrel one in; I'm glad I did! She's got a bunch of good ones.

>16 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. Hope you and the Paul clan have a good weekend, too. You wouldn't believe our weather here - it snowed today. I suspect it's a bit different where you are.

>17 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen. The art is funny, isn't it. How often do we get to say that about art? She has what seems to be an unquenchable joyful spirit.

The chubby squirrel should be bowing to the applause right about now. He's a cafe favorite.

Debbi likes Jeannette Winterson, too. I believe she's read that one. I am indeed still enjoying Cleaning Women. Because they're short stories, it's easy to take a break from it, so I just finished a good Joe Pickett mystery. Now I may go to the new Mercy Thompson. For some reason, I'm in the mood for series right now.

>18 NarratorLady: Thanks, Anne!

I did end up enjoying All the Light We Cannot See, btw. Marie-Laure and Werner were good company.

Hope you enjoy the weekend, too. What are you reading now?

>19 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg! Glad you like the toppers - isn't that first one fun? I couldn't resist his reading to the group.

>21 maggie1944: That's one nice problem to have, Karen. Having so much fun it's taking away from your reading time. :-)

I'm so happy to hear you've found such a great place. Kudos to you again - I know it takes a big effort to make a change like that. It's really paying off. Sounds like you've got a couple of keeper pals there; all your stories make it sound like a very friendly group in general. Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

P.S. Have you come across any Seattle Storm fans yet?

>22 Crazymamie: And a time-jiggered good morning to you, Mamie!

We got a lot done today, but it's taken me a while to get back on LT, as you can tell. Hope you're having a good start to the weekend at the Pecan Paradisio. We're off tonight to see our Bulls battle the Pistons for a playoff spot. I'll have to tape those NCAA games.

>23 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara. We have a combination of daffodils and snow - go figure. Hope you have a relaxing weekend, too.

>24 msf59: Happy Saturday, Mark!

I hope The Dream of a Common Language works well for you. She's a special one.

I'm glad you have the day off, too. Debbi and I had some "missions" (errands) today, so we were out walking around in that snow and hail - as were a lot of other folks, surprisingly. We ate at a neighborhood restaurant that had a fire going in the fireplace that was very welcome - are we in January or April?

>26 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl!

Glad you like the art work.

Nice to have you back on this side of the pond. You're becoming such a gourmet cook. Are we going to be seeing you on Master Chef or Chopped or one of those? A cooking doctor would probably surprise more than a few folks.

Strawberry rhubarb pie - you got it. Good to keep the pie vibes rolling in this new cafe.

On our way and back to Rockford, we hit 4 mini-blizzards. The one near Rockford was nearly a white-out. And after each one, it was sunny, in ten minutes.
Crazy!

In for the rest of the evening. Books & beer, my friend.

Cough cough! >20 charl08:

>31 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe!

ETA: No cooking shows for me. I just follow recipes. Caroline (@cameling) is the true gourmet chef in this group.

>29 jnwelch: That is a good one, Joe. Looks so typical of that kind of presentation. Loved the nude on the wall too!

Hope your snow disappears soon.

>21 maggie1944: Maggie, somebody's got to do it! So glad you are having so much fun in your new home.

>28 jnwelch: I have to read the last Mercy book before I get to the new one!!

Happy new one, Joe!

Morning, Joe! Happy Sunday to you!

>32 msf59: Books & beer sounds most excellent, Mark. Yeah, that was crazy weather yesterday. Four mini-blizzards interspersed with sunshine, What?

We're off to our local cafe soon. Warmer weather shows up this afternoon, apparently.

>33 charl08:, >20 charl08: Ha! Thank you for the subtle reminder, Charlotte. :-) Sorry about that!

Good to have another Beryl Cook fan in the house. That reading one seemed perfect for our LT book cafe. She is brilliant. Her paintings make me think she'd be a hoot to spend time with, too.

>34 kidzdoc: Just following recipes seems to work pretty darn well for you, Darryl. I suspect that's where most good cooks start. I can believe Caro is a gourmet chef. Her food descriptions alone get my mouth watering.

I'm still looking forward to the first episode of "The Doctor is Dining."

>35 Familyhistorian: Ha! Believe it or not, I missed that nude on the wall in the first topper, Meg. What a happy model!

The snow seems to be gone, thanks, but the chill remains for now. The afternoon is supposed to bring the warmup.

>36 Berly: I'm enjoying the new Mercy Thompson, no surprise, Kimberly. There's a new major player. And I know you'll have a good time with Night Broken. It's a fun series, isn't it?

>37 scaifea: Thanks, Amber!

>38 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! Happy Sunday! I suspect it's mild and pretty at the Pecan Paradisio. We'll start approaching that this afternoon, although the yo-yo weather here is expected to continue in the coming week.

Morning, Joe! Happy Sunday! We bought a couple new appliances, so things are a bit hectic around here. I am getting a new beer fridge, though. Yah!

I read a few more Rich poems. Not everything resonates with this amateur but I am very impressed so far.

I am in the mood for series as well. I am really enjoying the group read of the Tony Hillerman and the Craig Johnson books. I just finished reading the third book in the children's book series Books of Beginning. This one was Black Reckoning and it was just as good as the first one in the series. This is a great series to help children deal with seperation and death and is perfect for those grades 4, 5, and 6. I listened to them in the car and thought they were great.

I am now going to start listening to a new YA series y Holly Black. The first in the series is White Cat. This will be my second Holly Black book and still don't know what to think of her work. She is very popular among teens so guess I will see.

I am still worrking my way through one of Mark's favorites from last year Burial Rites. It is a good read and I like it, but I confess it is just not keeping me occupied for the minute. It is too much about death and the meaning of living. The simple mystery series and the sci fi/fantasy books are really appealing to me.

I am going to put in a shamless plub for the Ann Leckie series. All three of these books were great reads. Ancillary Mercy, Ancillary Justice, and Ancillary Sword. Wonderful uplifting books. I felt the same way about the Books of Beginning books.

>42 msf59: Happy Sunday, Mark! New appliances, always a good thing. A new beer fridge - now we're talking. I suspect that'll be put to good use. Just guessing.

Glad the Rich poems are impressing you.

I gotta tell you, I was just thinking about that "not everything resonates with this reader" thing for poetry. For me, that's a common experience. I was just reading two today (Lighthead by Terrence Hayes and At the Threshold of Memory by Marjorie Agosin), and had that reaction with both. Although nearly all of the Hayes ones worked for me. Anyway, that hit and miss experience with a book of poems is, for me anyway, very common. What I look for is hits that really get me. If there's one where it all resonates with me, that's a five star.

In a way, it's like a book of short stories. You're likely to like some more than others, and some may not work well for you, while others knock your socks off.

>43 benitastrnad: I LOVED the Ann Leckie Ancillary series, Benita. In fact, you'll see it in my "Best of 2015" post up in >4 jnwelch:. I was so happy that the third one held up so well. Sometimes a trilogy ends with a thud, but not that one.

Sounds like lots of other good reading, too. I've been wondering about Holly Black's books; I've seen how popular she is with the - what do we call the current teen generation? Are they Millennials?

I loved the Hillerman books way back when, and I'm an avid fan of Craig Johnson's Longmire series. That seems like a great group read, to combine the two.

The other Western mystery series I like is C.J. Box's, with game warden Joe Pickett, set in Wyoming.

Hi Joe and Happy (almost over) Sunday. Mark is getting a new beer fridge but we're getting a whole new bathroom! It's chaos right now and I feel like someone exploded a plaster dust bomb in our house. But. Two more weeks and I'll be soaking in the tub with a book and a glass of wine.

I need to dig into some poetry for the AAC but for now I'm starting and really enjoying (so far) The Gift of Rain. I did go post my review of Never Cry Wolf thanks to the nudges by Ilana and you. It was a delightful read. I'm glad I finally got to a Mowat. I can see why my MIL loved his works.

I have the first in the Ancillary series and I must get to it based on your enthusiasm.

>29 jnwelch: I just got a copy of The Summer Before the
War by Helen Simonson - I ordered it long ago and must have been the first in line at the library because it was just published. I know you enjoyed Major Pettigrew's Last Stand too, and I'll let you know what I think of this one.

>46 EBT1002: Hiya, Ellen. What a great weekend that was.

A whole new bathroom sounds good to me. We did that a couple of years ago, and are really happy with it - although it all was a dusty mess while in process. Ours has a great shower, but it's tough to drink wine in it. :-)

I'm so glad you're enjoying The Gift of Rain. What a writer he is. Loved your review of Never Cry Wolf; it brought back a lot of fond memories of that book.

The Ancillary series is outstanding sci-fi. When you start, it takes a while to get used to who the main character is (you'll see what I mean), and the use of "she" and "her." Once you sink into it, it's good from start to finish.

>47 NarratorLady: Oh, how great, Anne. Yes, I loved Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, and I was impressed that it was her first novel. Can't wait to hear wheat you think of The Summer Before the War. It looks like another really good one.

Yarn-bombed phone booth

^^ That's a stitch! (Get it?!)

That is quite funny; I can't help thinking that someone has too much time on their hands though. Impressive non-the-less.

Morning Joe! Could I get some coffee and scones? It was a late night.

Yarn bombing was a popular thing here a few years ago. Then the campus police got mad. They figured out who was doing it (the knitting club in the Library and Information Sciences major) and told the group that the next stop sign post they found covered in yarn would result in arrests. Sadly, the yarn bombing stopped. I liked the yarn bombing because it was harmless - no signs were covered. But when you have a campus that has to look as pristine as Disneyworld I guess the campus police had no choice.

>50 Berly: Wow, I just heard a lot of groaning in the cafe. What's that all about?

Hi, Kimberly!

>51 Thebookdiva: Isn't that a good one, Abby? I'd probably spend that extra time reading, but then again, I'm not a knitter.

Morning! Coffee and scones it is for our lovely patron from the Pecan Paradisio. (These are Brit-style scones. If you want more Ammy-style, just let us know).

>52 benitastrnad: I'm with you, Benita. If the goal is to give people a reason to smile, and enjoy something that they'd usually pay little attention to, let the yarn-bombers do their thing. As you say, there's no harm in it, and I love the look. There are more important things that the campus police can worry about.

>48 jnwelch: Joe, have you ever read The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng. My library would have a copy of it.
Wishing you a good start into the new week.

>55 Ameise1: Yes, I thought The Garden of Evening Mists was terrific, Barbara. Definitely worth your time. He's a wonderful writer, and the story is complex and memorable.

Hope your week is off to a good start, too.

>56 jnwelch: Thanks so much, Joe for the recommendation. Will put it on my library list.
Our work day is over (5.25pm here). It was a busy but good day. The weather is gorgeous like early summer but the forecadt says rain and dropping temperatures for the second half of the week.

Morning, Joe! Oh! Scones!! *sits down beside Abby*

Morning, Joe! Feels like late February or early March out here. WTH?

I like your comparison, with short stories and poems, not everything sings, but I think my amateur-dabbling with poetry might be limiting my appreciation. I hope to get better.

>57 Ameise1: My pleasure, Barbara. Enjoy the post-work evening - sounds like great weather. Hope they're wrong about the second half of the week.

>58 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! I'm sure Abby will share those scones with you. You two have met, right?

>59 msf59: Morning, Mark! What a crazy business this weather is. High 60s yesterday, 30s today.

I'm glad that short story/poem comparison helped. Usually not all of them will work as well for you as some do. Like so many things, the more you read of them the easier it gets. I've gotten to the point where I don't sweat it if I'm not connecting with some poet's style. My next up is going to be Life on Mars by Tracy K. Smith, which got her some Best Book of the Year raves in 2011.

Right. We are acquainted.

>61 Crazymamie: :-) I thought so. Same part of the country and all that.

Here are my top 5 reads for the first quarter:

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Tokyo Decadence by Ryu Murakami (finally available in the U.S.)
Evicted by Matthew Desmond
Pax by Sara Pennypacker
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Top graphic novel: Super Mutant Magic Academy

Scones! Lovely stuff.

I hadn't seen that yarn bomb of a phone box. I think my favourite use is the phone box as little library. Nice way to keep such an iconic piece of street furniture in use.

happy newish thread, happy Bulls game (should that be possessive?) last night.

i'm having a very close look at the scrumpy scones and tea in >53 jnwelch:, mnahmnah, while i ponder the lack of appeal of an audible.com sale item thus described:

"From the author of the best-selling Neapolitan Novels comes the gripping story of a woman's descent into devastating emptiness after being abandoned by her husband, with two young children to care for. When she finds herself literally trapped within the four walls of their high-rise apartment, she is forced to confront her ghosts, the potential loss of her own identity, and the possibility that life may never return to normal."

i can't think why that hasn't just thrown itself into my shopping cart. it does sound so very . . . uplifting. snort

eta: oh, i'm so glad you liked All the light we cannot see. the idea of our brains never actually seeing light, or directly experiencing any of our other sensory encounters, has stuck with me since i listened to it. it's endlessly fascinating.

um, in >60 jnwelch:, the Life on Mars touchstone goes to the Iliad (see touchstones to right), if it matters to you. weirdness. guess i'll have to find it the old-fashioned way. well, sort of old-fashioned. what a great adjective that is. fashioned by the old when we were young and fashioned in an older time. all in one. words. how not to love them.

>64 charl08: Agreed re the scones, Charlotte. Mmm. I do like the little free library phone booths. When we were, I think, near the Sloane Museum, they had grouped slightly different designs for the iconic phone booth over time. I think this is it:

>65 mirrordrum: Thanks, Ellie. The Bulls fought hard Saturday night and came up a little short Saturday night, with us in attendance, and then pulled off a win on the road over Milwaukee last night. They're on the cusp of making the playoffs, but may miss out. We'll find out in the next few games.

Ha! That audible.com book does sound awfully uplifting. I will say the most depressing book I've ever read, A Fine Balance, was also one of the best books I've ever read. Talk about a descent into devastating emptiness. Whew.

Yes, All the Light We Cannot See was excellent. It took me a while to get momentum with it, for some reason, but Marie-Laure and Werner ended up being memorable company.

>66 mirrordrum: Thank you, Ellie, I'll fix the Life on Mars touchstone. (Although The Iliad is good, too!)

You may have heard a big sigh on my end. I get so tired of having to check and change the touchstones because LT has something bizarre come up first. Arggh. But I'd rather be told when I miss one, so I can make sure those interested can find the right book. That one by Tracy K. Smith looks intriguing doesn't it? I'm looking forward to reading it.

oh gosh. Life on Mars is amazing. i just got to read one poem on amazon.com. stunned.

>69 mirrordrum: Woo-hoo! And off we go . . .

>40 jnwelch: Although I'm not in Caroline's league I will say that I'm pleased with my ability to follow recipes and make food that I like from them. I enjoy the process of cooking, whether it's for myself, to share with colleagues at work, or to serve to my family. Fortunately I don't find it overly hard or challenging to follow recipe instructions, although I know (though don't completely understand) that there are plenty of others who struggle to do so.

I've had the great pleasure to have two mind blowing full course meals at Caroline's house, and I can proclaim that her food tastes just as good as it looks from the photos, if not more so. She is a natural in the kitchen, and can cook from memory and experience while holding a conversation with others, whereas I need to refer closely to a recipe and have to concentrate on what I'm doing with little or no distractions to avoid screwing it up, even for ones like the jambalaya, and the caramelized onion, mixed mushroom and Gruyere quiche that I've become completely addicted to.



I'll consider appearing on a cooking show when I actually create my own recipes, instead of following ones that others have created. Caroline, on the other hand, is ready for her own show, IMO (and she's infinitely more photogenic and entertaining than I am).

>1 jnwelch: just what an LT meetup might look like! Getting more debaucherous as the pictures progress! :)

Are scones considered a particularly British food item in the U.S.? I suppose seeing as NZ culture stems from the anyway, they are 'common as muck' (as my mum would say) for us

Love the yarn-bombing!

>53 jnwelch: Ooh, scones and tea! Is that with clotted cream and jam? I'll just nick one then, shall I? Sorry... *tails off indistinguishably into sounds of sticky, crumbly munching *

The scones look delish - but shouldn't that be tea with them instead of coffee?

Morning, Joe!

Morning, Joe! Meg wants tea with her scones, but I'll take the coffee every time. I love me some coffee.

>71 kidzdoc: You've convinced me, Darryl. Let's get the Kickstarter campaign going for Caro's new tv show, "Cooking with Caroline". Maybe we can ease you in with a "The Doctor is Dining" segment on her show?

That onion-mushroom-Gruyere quiche is crying out for forks. It looks delicious.

>72 LovingLit: Ha! I like that idea, Megan. I wonder whether Beryl Cook is an avid reader? She could be our visual chronicler.

Scones are common here, but I have this memory in the back of my head about discussing on LT the differences between Brit scones and Ammy scones. Here's a typical American scone (cranberry orange):



I think of them as denser, more pastry-like, and often unaccompanied by butter, clotted cream or jam. Comments from either side of the pond?

>75 scaifea: Morning, Amber! Nice of you to scamper over here pre-shower. LT is pretty darn important compared to the rest of the day, seems to me.

>76 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie!

Yeah, I'm a coffee guy with my scones, too. Let's find us a pot of it (it's in there somewhere).

You skipped Meg and Nina, Joe. Thanks for the coffee - I never say no to that.

>73 humouress: Me, too, Nina - love the yarnbombing. I'd better get you and Meg a pot of tea to wash down those scones with clotted cream and jam, right?



>74 Familyhistorian: We've got you covered, Meg - tea being served just above.

>79 Crazymamie: Right-ee-oh, Mamie. I think all is copacetic now.

*grin*

>82 Crazymamie: :-)

Morning, Joe! Lots of sunshine, takes my mind off the chill. Did not read much of Rich yesterday. I will try to catch up tonight.

>53 jnwelch: that is tea, i'n't it? pot an all. if it's coffee, then somebody just flicked a bean across hot water. not proper joe at all.

afternoon, Joe. :-)

>84 msf59: Hiya, Mark. Good for you for going after the poultry, as our friend RD used to say.

I may leave a bit early today. Madame MBH is under the weather, and I can usually distract her from how lousy she feels by being annoying.

>85 mirrordrum: Afternoon, Ellie. :-)

'Tis. Tea, I mean.

We've got some proper joe for them's that want it.

"I may leave a bit early today. Madame MBH is under the weather, and I can usually distract her from how lousy she feels by being annoying."

oooh, sorry abt Walklover and part b shouldn't be too hard, it being you and all. ;-)

maybe the Bulls game will help?

>87 mirrordrum: I'm a natural, Ellie. I started being annoying when I was little, and was considered a prodigy by many. I've only gotten more so over the years. I don't even have to work at it, as Madame MBH can attest.

Thanks re her undertheweatherness. Although she has become a Bulls fan over the years, I suspect the game will help the most when she sends me to watch it so she can have some peace and quiet. The main ways I help are by making her tea and tucking her in, and maybe grabbing a stray dish or two. Other than that, she's pretty low maintenance.

Thanks for the tea, Joe. "I can usually distract her from how lousy she feels by being annoying." I hope Madame MBH appreciates all the effort you go to on her behalf - or maybe it just comes naturally and there is no effort involved? Hope she is feeling better soon.

>88 jnwelch: in re: 2nd para: one can't over-emphasize the importance of a bit of cossetting. hope your VMBH is very much better.

Oh, dingdang - I'm sorry that MBH isn't feeling well - here's hoping she's already well on the road to Mending.

>71 kidzdoc: That quiche looks too good for words. I'm going to have to do some hunting to find a recipe. Maybe Darryl will post where he found a recipe for it, here?

I'm one of those poor souls who has a hard time following recipes. I get a notion that I know what I'm doing, and then I forget an ingredient, or cook it in the wrong appliance (no! I have not tried to do this, really!).

BTW, I think "British scones" look just like a scone should look. I've never been a fan of Starbuck's version of scones, much too "together". The British scones, in my memory, are pretty crumbly, which I love.

Food! glorious food. Almost as much fun as Books, Wonderful Books.

>89 Familyhistorian: You're welcome, Meg. I think Madame MBH does appreciate all I do, although she always tries to assure me that she's distracted enough, and I don't need to be so annoying. It's pretty much my natural state, so I don't mind at all.

>90 mirrordrum: Ha! I know she'd appreciate that extra "V" in VMBH, Ellie.

I try to cosset her as much as I can. She's a gem.

Morning, Joe!

>91 scaifea: Thanks, Amber. This up-and-down weather is playing health tricks on people, seems to me. Madame MBH was feeling a bit better, and is going to take it slow today. That's a benefit of experience. She used to try to fight through any bug to take care of everyone else - laudable, but the problem is it makes the lousiness hang around longer, because you don't rest and give your body a chance to fight it off. With the kids off on their own and yours truly a slug that pretty much keeps plugging along, she's willing to be a bit more reasonable when this happens.

>92 maggie1944: Hi, Karen. Agreed re Darryl's quiche. I keep stubbing my fork on the screen. I'd check Darryl's thread for the recipe, as he's pretty conscientious about posting them, but if he sees your message, I'm sure he'll post it here, too.

I used to be pretty good at following recipes, and then Madame MBH spoiled me by taking over as chef. One of the things we've talked about for my retirement is my reviving the culinary skills that I used to woo her way back when.

Because I'm such a carbo global guy, I like both types of scones. But those Brit ones are mouth-watering.

Morning, Mamie!

Were you one that rec'd The War That Saved My Life to me? I've started it, and I'm liking it very much.

A Manual for Cleaning Women was excellent. I'm amazed that the author was relatively little-known before this collection, and that this is posthumous. Fire Touched was another good Mercy Thompson book, and I enjoyed C.J. Box's Off the Grid.

My other current book is the last in Philip K. Dick's Valis trilogy, The Transmigration of Timothy Archer. I'm ready for bizarreness.

Nope. I'm thinking it was Linda, Joe. I haven't read that one.

>97 Crazymamie: Ah, okay, thanks, Mamie.

Morning Joe! Another lovely spring day, eh? Grunts...

I am so glad you loved Cleaning Women. It is such a special collection. I am glad I have that on the keeper shelf, so I can revisit it, at a later time.

>99 msf59: Morning, Mark!

Ha! What the heck is going on with our weather? It's like riding a roller coaster. Sorry you're out there in this crumminess.

Yes, Cleaning Women was great. I've got it with our hardcovers in the living room - although that may change. We just got our new bookshelves installed in that room next to it, and the paint is dry. So today we get to load them up. :-)

As promised here are three thiebaud's from the de Young museum in San Francisco, taken Apr 5, 2016

Three Machines 1963


Ponds and Streams 2001



Diagonal Freeway 1993



Ponds and streams is meant to depict the Sacramento River delta area where Thiebaud has long lived.

Hmm - the scone discussion. I confess I don't go to Starbucks much, maybe once a year for lemonade , so I have no idea what their scones are like. There are quite a few places that one can get a scone around here, and they do vary. I like cheese flavoured scone, or a plain one. My impression on a scone is not a pastry, but rather a crumbly high fat delight. I have my husband in the library queue for Off The Grid - one of the many services I provide to Dave. Dave is the cook at our place, which reminds I need to get out to the butchers shortly!

Have a great day!

>100 jnwelch: Did someone say new bookshelves ? Time for a shelfie?

The scones are making me hungry. I'm also a fan of cheese ones.

New bookshelves, you say? I was hoping you would have went in that direction. I know, personally, that there is a serious shortage of bookshelves in your homestead. Nice going, sir!

>77 jnwelch: scones for me are always a memory from childhood winters. Mum could whip up a batch at a moments notice, and we'd always eat them hot with jam and butter. I have vivid recollections of cold, rainy days and hot scones being scoffed down after being out in the cold.

I hope the bookshelf loading goes well, how fun arranging books!

Eta: I just realised it was you who was warbling about Evicted, when I accused Mark. He'll be warbling soon enough though....
I read your reply to my comments on your last thread and I think you are spot on. Trouble is, even saying 'wealth distribution' labels you a communist these days. It's tough to get intelligent open discussion out there! That is why I like it here.

Fat and crumbly = perfect description of a perfect scone. Cheese ones are really good. Plain ones with real creamery butter and home made jam, preferably strawberry, are the best!

(those are the warbling of a bird who tries to reduce her ingestion of wheat flour these days.... sob. I ate the bread roll at dinner tonight and I'll need to take a pill tonight, I think, to reduce the response of my body, which is to produce a very stuffy nose.)

Morning, Joe! I'm so glad that you're enjoying The War That Saved My Life! I read that one as soon as the Newbery Awards et al. were announced and loved every word of it.

>101 RBeffa: Thanks, buddy. I'm like you - I recognize the first Thiebaud, but those other two are new to me. I'm sure they were fun to see in person in SF.

I haven't been back to SF in years, and we've got good friends there. Have to figure out a way to fix that and get there.

>102 vancouverdeb: Starbucks' scones look like what you see in >77 jnwelch:, Deb. Scones are a crumbly high fat delight. That works for me! Shouldn't high fat and sugar be good for us? Ah, what an improvement in the world that would be.

Dave's going to like Off the Grid. Another good one, with lots of Nate Romanovski. The ending gives a tip-off to what the next one will bring - can't wait.

Good for him for being the cook. I'm the chief bottle-washer at our place.

I know that feeling for sure.

>103 charl08: Ha! Good thought, Charlotte. The paint is dry, so we'll be loading up the shelves in the next few days. I'll take a shelfie once we're done.

Cheese scone? A fine idea.



>104 msf59: Ha! As you know well, Mark, we feel a room is not a room unless it has bookshelves. We're psyched to have empty ones to fill!

Morning, Joe!

>105 LovingLit: Those are great memories of scones from your growing up, Megan.

I don't think we ever had a scone in our house. And I don't remember seeing them offered in restaurants when I was growing up. The U.S. seemed to get more scone-aware starting with Starbucks offering them. Do other cafe patrons remember scones from when they were young?

Evicted is such a remarkable piece of work. Desmond has done us all such a service. I'm reading more and more about communities helping the homeless have a place of their own, which can begin so much change in a person's life.

I know, when I commented on "wealth (re)distribution", I thought, there are people who would be horrified by that. Back in the 50s we witch-hunted here for Communists; now people who raise that issue (including Obama) are more likely to be labeled "socialists". We've got severe income inequality here, and we need to get back on track to a fair system. As I said, our economy has done well during periods of higher taxes on the upper income levels, and I'd like to see that as one step in improving our situation here. It obviously can be a hard sell though. That 1% has a lot of influence.

>106 maggie1944: Ha! I like that fat and crumbly description for scones, too, Karen. There are some good cheese ones up above. We'll pull together some plain scones for you, with real butter and strawberry jam.



These are wheat-free, so your nose should be un-stuffed and happy.

>107 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

Thanks again for the tip. I'm thoroughly enjoying every word of The War That Saved My Life, too. It's presenting two problems: it's difficult to not be reading it, and also what's up in >109 jnwelch: - I'm eager to know what's about to happen, even while I'm enjoying what is happening.

>111 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! You probably could use some sustenance.

Amen. Thank you, Joe!

>114 Crazymamie: You're most welcome, Mamie!



Me, today, with The War That Saved My Life.

Nice cartoon (and the scones of course).

I'm reading Griffin and Sabine which has letters as well as beautiful postcards. Lovely art.

Morning, Joe! Not So Sweet Thursday! This weather is getting old...

I plan on starting Evicted soon.

Love the cartoon in #115. Grins...

>116 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte. Griffin and Sabine has a lot of fans. I look forward to hearing your reaction to it.

>117 msf59: Ha! Yeah, today could be sweeter, Mark, for sure.

Oh good. Evicted will grab you, I'm sure. What a book.

Isn't that one in >115 jnwelch: perfect for LTers? If it were a warmer day, I might be doing just that.

Hi Joe, I was able to pick up the Billy Collins book that you recommended. I am looking forward to that.

>102 vancouverdeb: You have to try the scones at Cob's Bread, Deb. They have lots of different ones. I tried their spinach, feta and pesto one yesterday - delish!

>119 Familyhistorian: Have fun with the Billy Collins book, Meg. I love that one. One of my faves in it is "Shoveling Snow with Buddha".

Those scones sound excellent. Wish it wasn't such a long drive.

The War That Saved My Life was a great read. Many thanks to Amber for recommending it.

In WWII-era London, pre-adolescent Ada has a club foot and a mother who seems to despise her for it. Unable to walk, she's abused and imprisoned at home, taking care of her younger brother Jamie while her mother works at a pub. Everything changes when the children are evacuated with others from London to a country village because of expected bombing from the Germans. There they are brought into the home of single Susan, who has lost a dear friend and is unsure of whether she can handle them. She is brought around in large part by Ada's rough honesty and Ada's love for Jamie. In turn Ada experiences intelligent parenting from Susan, learns to ride and care for her pony Butter, and begins to heal from the trauma she has experienced. The war soon makes demands on all of them, and when Mam reappears, Susan, Ada and Jamie all must decide what they mean to each other.

Great characters and a realistic view of the war help make this a real page-turner. Loved it.

>121 jnwelch: Another book that sounds like something I would like. I've added it to the list.

>122 RBeffa: Oh good, Ron. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

just ran over to Amazon and got The War That Saved My Life on my Kindle, like I need another TBR book!

>121 jnwelch: Wonderful review, Joe! Such a good one - I knew you'd love it!

>124 maggie1944: Oh good, Karen. I think you'll love it - move it up that tbr!

>125 scaifea: :-) Great read, Amber! Thanks again.

The War That Saved My Life sounds really excellent.

>199 jnwelch: Meg, I have tried the occasional scone from Cobs Breads, but it is not in a good location for me in Richmond. I have a bakery near to me that makes delicious cheese scones and another couple in Steveston. In any case it's best I keep my scone eating to a minimum. They are so delicious! As Joe say, if only fat and flour and sugar were actually good for us! :)

The News Hour had an interview with the author of Evicted on Tuesday evening--here's the link.

http://www.pbs.org/video/2365710757/

I'm so glad you liked The War that Saved My Life Joe! I think I recommended it to you last month. I listened to it and the narration by Jane Entwistle was superb.

Finished The Summer Before the War and it was wonderful. World War I this time. I love Simonson's writing and her characters jump off the page. This is ground that has been explored before of course and one or two of them were reminiscent of those in Regeneration, Birdsong and other equally wonderful books but she made the story fresh. I'll read anything she writes.

Now I'm taking a break from Britain and its wars and looking for interesting fiction about Japanese culture. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. (Already read Garden of Evening Mists but it didn't grab me as it did most.)

>129 NarratorLady: oh law. if you're recommending, Anne, then i must read. now 17 books in me cart. i do love WWI novels. why, i wonder? of course, i count my beloved Mrs. Dalloway in there and, obviously, Regeneration. crumbs. i'm swamped.

hullo, Joe.

Ha! It looks like the recommendations for The War That Saved My Life came at you from all directions, Joe! And no wonder, eh? It *is* a wonderful one.

>127 vancouverdeb: The War That Saved My Life 'tis excellent, Deb. Well worth your time.

Our culinary cravings make me think of that old Woody Allen movie, Sleeper, where, as a health food store owner, he wakes up 200 years in the future and finds out we were all misled:

Dr. Melik: This morning for breakfast he requested something called "wheat germ, organic honey and tiger's milk."

Dr. Aragon: chuckling Oh, yes. Those are the charmed substances that some years ago were thought to contain life-preserving properties.

Dr. Melik: You mean there was no deep fat? No steak or cream pies or... hot fudge?

Dr. Aragon: Those were thought to be unhealthy... precisely the opposite of what we now know to be true.

Dr. Melik: Incredible.

>128 ronincats: Excellent, Roni. Thanks so much for the link to the PBS interview re Evicted. I'll check it out when the RL dust clears a bit.

>129 NarratorLady: Oh, good, Anne. I'm glad you mentioned recommending The War That Saved My Life to me. I knew it was more than one person, and it's so easy to check with Amber. Another great rec from you - I loved it, as you can tell.

Hooray for The Summer Before the War! I had my fingers crossed. I was worried that Helen Simonson might be a one-book wonder with Major Pettigrew's Last Stand. I sure loved her writing in that one. That's great news - onto the WL it goes.

I liked Regeneration and Birdsong a lot, so if it reminds you a bit of them, all the better.

Ah, if Garden of Evening Mists didn't grab you like it did others (including an entranced me), then his A Gift of Rain might not be for you either. Hmm, interesting fiction about Japanese culture. I thought Tokyo Decadence, a collection of stories by Ryu Murakami, was terrific (and it's finally available in the U.S.). But as you'd guess from the title, there's plenty of sordid in it. I loved Strange Weather in Tokyo, a slim and quiet novel by Hiromi Kawakami.

You know my infatuation with Haruki Murakami, so any of his would qualify, including my favorite, Kafka on the Shore.

Let me know if none of those suit because you've already read them or some other reason, and I'd be happy to come up with more. I really liked Ruth Ozeki's A Tale for the Time Being, too, although it took me about half the book for it to take off for me.

>130 mirrordrum: Ha! Hullo, Ellie. Anne got me, too, with Summer Before the War. I loved Mrs. Dalloway; I was so glad I finally read a Virginia Woolf I could be that enthusiastic (as opposed to respectful and appreciative) about.

>131 scaifea: 'Tis, Amber. Yes, you and Anne are ace recommenders. I'm so glad I read The War That Saved My Life.

Now I'm reading the third in Pierce Brown's Red Rising sci-fi trilogy, which is really good so far, and The Transmigration of Timothy Archer, a PKD that is religiously bizarre so far. Oh, and I'm chuckling my way through Kate Beaton's second collection, Step Aside, Pops.

Morning, Joe! Adding The War That Saved my Life to the list - and I love that Anne mentioned that Jane Entwistle does the narration - SOLD! I love her!

>135 Crazymamie: Cool McCool, Mamie. I'm pretty much audio-clueless, but I do love a good narrator. I'll have to remember Jane Entwistle. (The one narrator who killed a book for me was whoever did Rainbow Rowell's Landline - I couldn't wait for it to be over. The one narrator I know I can always count on to grab me is Neil Gaiman).

Um...Juliet Stevenson, James Marsters, David Tennant, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Stephen Fry, Jim Dale, Dan Stevens, Marc Thompson, Robert Glenister, Kate Reading, Luke Daniels...LOL!

>137 Crazymamie: Oh yeah - Jim Dale! Loved him narrating the Harry Potter books, and saw him on Broadway in Candide. Madame MBH is the best narrator I know, when it comes down to it, and took us through all the Harry Potter books. (We later listened to Jim Dale on car trips with the kids).

I want to hear Stephen Fry narrate, and I'm sure James Marsters and David Tennant are good. The others are new to me.

Stephen Fry and David Tennant are truly fabulous, Joe! I am very picky about my narrators, so seriously, you can't go wrong with any of the above.

>139 Crazymamie: Sounds good to me, Mamie - or should I say, I know they will sound good to me?

Ha!

I was thrilled to find that my library had The War That Saved My Life on audio. I love Jayne Entwhistle's narration of the Flavia de Luce books...

Happy Friday, Joe!

>141 Crazymamie: :-)

>142 katiekrug: Perfect, Katie. You'll have a great time with it. Can't wait to hear what you think. Happy Friday!

Morning Joe! Happy Friday! I thought it was clearing up but it is raining again. I think it will be one of those days.

I am getting ready to start Silas Marner. Have you read that one?

>144 msf59: Morning, Mark! Happy Friday!

Down here it's actually been snowing - arggh. Not sticking, though. Let's get back to having spring weather, shall we?

Yes, I read Silas Marner, and liked it even more than I expected. You'll have a good time with it, I'm pretty sure.

>128 ronincats: I couldn't get the link to work, Roni. I think it's because of the different part of the country I'm in - it goes to my local PBS station.

I did find this long one, in which Desmond's quite engaging, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24M9wUaCEKo, and this short one, in which he makes some important points concisely: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jB33UpekA_s.

I think you got me with all that warbling about The War that Saved my Life, Joe. Sorry to hear about your weather, hope you see sun soon!

>127 vancouverdeb: I read something recently that said we aren't eating enough fat, Deb. Of course it also said we are eating too many carbs so I guess that doesn't clear the way for more scone eating.

>147 Familyhistorian: Good, Meg! I've no doubt you'll enjoy reading The War That Saved My Life. I'm going to try her Jefferson's Sons next.

Carbs and fats and sugar deserve to be highly healthy, IMO, since they taste so good. I think the current system needs revamping.

>145 jnwelch: I only read 20 pages or so, of Silas Marner but I do like it. It seems to be a bit more dense than Middlemarch, at least in the early going.

I just poured a beer. You?

>137 Crazymamie: Juliet Stevenson reading Middlemarch is just about the perfect (albeit long) audio book for me. I also loved her reading Persuasion.

>149 msf59: Ha! Just poured a beer sounds good to me, Mark. I'm just about to start walking over to Navy Pier to join Debbi and some friends for Othello at Chicago Shakespeare. Not my favorite Willie play (I want to strangle Iago), but James Meredith is supposed to be great as O.

Maybe Silas Marner is a bit more dense than Middlemarch. It's certainly shorter!

>150 kac522: Oh, two of my favorite books, Kathy. I'd like to hear that.

Have a great time at Othello, Joe! Maybe, Iago will surprise you. You never know.

BTW- I started Low Moon. What a deliciously creepy GN. Just my cuppa. Thanks for the nudge.

hiya, Joe.

>133 jnwelch: Tale for the time being--i was trying desperately to remember that title. absolutely. it was difficult in audio but bits and pieces have stayed with me to the point that i want now to go back to it. oh excellent fellow, Joe. also, amazingly, Murakami's Hard-boiled wonderland, you know how i whined about that one, keeps popping up. especially the beasts. the image of those great, beautiful beasts resting their horns on the ground . . . deathless.

>135 Crazymamie: i don't think i know Jayne Entwistle, Mamie. since i finished a book, i get to buy another one. we shall ignore the hundreds i have unread already on the iPod. pfui! trivia. i'm buying it.

>137 Crazymamie: yes, Mamie. exceptional list. also Davina Porter and if you can find her, Emma Thompson's mum, Phyllida Law, who just aces Mrs. Dalloway, especially this quote. i've listened to it over and over and over!

have a lovely weekend, Joe.

>121 jnwelch: The War That Saved My Life sounds really good - definitely taken a book bullet for that one.

Morning, Joe! It's going to be a gorgeous Saturday here in Georgia!

>135 Crazymamie:,>137 Crazymamie: Yes, Ellie, you should buy another book! Definitely. And I thought that I was spelling her name wrong - I should have double checked it. I totally agree about Davina Porter. I did not know about Phyllida Law, so I will look for her - I LOVE Mrs. Dalloway, so that would be a good one to track down. Thanks, Ellie!

>92 maggie1944: Karen, here's a link to the quiche recipe, from The Food Network:

Caramelized Onion, Mushroom and Gruyere Quiche with Oat Crust

Happy Weekend to you and Debbi, Joe!

Happy weekend, Joe.

>133 jnwelch: Thanks to you Joe for the Japan recs. I loved A Tale for the Time Being too and I know what a fan you are of Murakami. So I'm off to order Kafka on the Shore which I've been meaning to read for a while and also Strange Weather in Tokyo. Gotta get myself off this Brit kick.

Having said that....

>137 Crazymamie: Mamie, I can see that you are a fellow Anglophile. I've been a narrator for over 20 years (mostly for the Library of Congress but a couple of dozen on Audible) and my favorite narrators are all Brits, notably Juliet Stevenson and Lynn Redgrave. Also, Anton Lesser whose rendition of Philip Pullman's Sally Lockheart series (Ruby in the Smoke, Shadow in the North, and Tiger in the Well, in that order) are pure perfection. I listen during my commute to the recording studio (a 40 minute drive) and sometimes I just want to go in and tender my resignation. I learn a lot from these people but they set a pretty high bar. BTW, Lesser's Old Curiosity Shop is fabulous too.

> 130 Well, Miss Ellie, I see we're going to have to stop recommending books to you as you're so burdened. Ha! Never going to happen! I have a friend who goes to the library and wanders the aisles hoping a cover will pop out at her and entice her to read it. Is that any way to find a good book! No, I say! Thank God for LT!

>158 NarratorLady: I have just started really loving audiobooks in the last few years, Anne - for me it was a learned skill, as at first I treated the books a bit like music and would find that I has stopped actively listening at some point and then had to rewind to re-listen to what I missed. Now I am a pro, and I have been adding in more audiobooks each year. Such a fabulous format!

I hadn't really thought about it, but I guess I do tend to have a preference for the English narrators - I just like narrators that can elevate the book another notch. I listened to Alan Rickman reading Return of the Native, and it was sublime. I thank you for those recommendations - I remember purchasing that Pullman trilogy for my niece, and she loved it, but I have never read them. I'll have to check them out on audio.

And you are a narrator! Should have guessed that from your name, eh?! SO fabulous!

>152 msf59: Thanks, Mark. We had a great time at Othello. I still wanted to strangle Iago, but the actor played him well, and James Meredith as Othello was as good as advertised. We also thought Jessie Fisher as Iago's wife Emilia was particularly good. They put a bit of a more modern spin on it.



Oh good - if you're enjoying Low Moon, you'll want to track down more Jason GNs. He's mastered the art of deliciously creepy.

>153 mirrordrum: Ha! Great, Ellie. Ain't LT grand? We find out about all these terrific books. I'd guess that Tale for the Time Being would be difficult on audio - it was challenging in print. Hard-Boiled Wonderland - not for everybody, but oh what a book. It sure has stuck with me.

Oh, I love, love that quote from Mrs. Dalloway.

Hope you have a lovely weekend, too, ducks.

>154 souloftherose: Oh good, Heather. I think you'll be very glad when you read The War That Saved My Life.

>155 Crazymamie: Hiya, Mamie! I got onto LT too late to say good morning for where you is at. Actually, for where I is at, too. We lay in bed reading for quite a while, then went out for breakfast. I love weekends. Did I ever mention that?

Gorgeous day - enjoy it! At least we've got sun now; still chilly. It was ridiculous here last night - we drove home along the lake late through heavy snow (!) - close to a white out at times. In April?

Good to see another Mrs. Dalloway fan.

>156 kidzdoc: Hiya, Darryl. Thanks for the link - that'll make Karen happy, and we may sneak a peek, too.

Loved that pic of you on FB. Looked like you had a stethoscope and were holding a young 'un. I suspect (learning from Sherlock Holmes) that you were at the hospital.

I know Debbi joins me in wishing you a Happy Weekend, too!

>157 Ameise1: Beautiful, Barbara, thanks. We could use more of that around these here parts. Happy weekend to you, too.

>158 NarratorLady: Oh good, Anne. A Tale for the Time Being gets divided reactions, but thems, like us, who love it, really love it. I'm excited that you're going to read Kafka on the Shore and Strange Weather! Please report back. Fingers crossed.

More good tips on narrators. I don't know Anton Lesser, and now I'll look for him. I liked Phillip Pullmann's Dark Materials books very much, but never read the Sally Lockhart ones. Should I?

I join your thankfulness for LT and book recommendations here.

>159 Crazymamie: With more limited audiobook experience, I think I tend to like the Brit narrators, too. I will say that if Morgan Freeman narrates any books, I'm sure they're wonderful.

From seasonsoflove/Becca, Sherlock as he'll be dressed for her birthday party in May.

Another vote for Anton Lesser here. He's wonderful. I have him doing Fatherland and a dramatised version of the early Falco books.

The Sherlock picture is very cute.

>165 jnwelch: Looking like that I bet Sherlock will have a great birthday!
So he is a May puppy too, my Pekingese Ari will have his 6th birthday on May 12th.

>166 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte. Anton Lesser no doubt would be very happy to hear these encomiums. (Woo, don't often get to use that word!)

Sherlock is something else, isn't he. Hard not to smile when that guy's around.

>167 FAMeulstee: Actually, Anita, it's Becca's birthday in May (5/27). So she and Ari share May birthdays. Sherlock is a rescue dog, and celebrates his birthday on the same day as mine in July.

>165 jnwelch: Great photo of Sherlock!

ETA: >160 jnwelch: That production of Othello sounds good. The performance I saw at the National Theatre in 2013, with Adrian Lester (Othello) and Rory Kinnear (Iago), was also set in the 21st century.

>169 kidzdoc: Oh man, Darryl, I've still never seen Rory Kinnear on stage. I'll bet he was a knockout as Iago. Adrian Lester is new to me, but I'm sure he was aces, too, if it was the National Theatre. This was a very good production at Chicago Shakespeare. It's such a beautiful theater, too.

Isn't that a good one of the mighty Sherlock?

>170 jnwelch: I've seen Rory Kinnear in three plays in London, two at the National Theatre (Last of the Haussmans and Othello, for which he won the Olivier Award for Best Actor in 2014) and one at the Young Vic (The Trial). I'd say that he is my favorite English actor, along with Chiwetel Ejiofor, who I saw play the lead roles in A Season in the Congo at the Young Vic (as Patrice Lumumba, the first democratically elected prime minister of the Congo, who was murdered in a conspiracy led by the CIA and the Belgian government), and Everyman last year at the National Theatre. Adrian Lester was brilliant as Othello, as well. It seems as though I've seen him perform once before then, possibly in the Royal Shakespeare Company's unique performance of Julius Caesar I saw at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, which was set in an African country that devolved into civil war.

I wish Atlanta had good theatre, as Chicago obviously does. I have to travel to London, NYC or San Francisco to see anything worthwhile.

There is a chance that I may be in Chicago in July, for the Pediatric Hospital Medicine conference. I'll certainly let you know if I go to it.

Sherlock is definitely mighty!

>160 jnwelch: Sounds really good. I got to see a decent production of Othello last year. Iago is such an interesting and evil character.

>165 jnwelch: *i smooch the pooch* :-)

some Jordan Marsh blueberry muffles for the throng from the Bahston Globe. will provide shot of orig recipe on request. these are for enjoyables while you sip your fave beverage and read your current book at Joe's. or take away, of course.

Sherlock is so darling! Why do I immediately get hungry when I visit your thread, Joe?

>165 jnwelch: I love the Sherlock photo. He looks so cute.

I'm glad you saw such a great Othello performance. I love this play.

Happy Sunday, Joe.

^That is me warbling my little heart out about Evicted. What a book! NNF at it's very best and I have only read a third of it. Nothing works better, than putting "real" faces on this type of human tragedy. It is heart-breaking. Like I mentioned over on, Darryl's thread- This is the kind of things we should be "angry" about, not all that smoke & mirrors crap. Both political parties should be ashamed.

Climbs down off soapbox...

Morning, Joe! Happy Sunday! I am enjoying Silas Marner. It has such a different feel than Middlemarch. It's darker. I like it, when an author can shift like this. Have you read other works by her? I wonder if they all have a different feel.

Not much on the schedule today. Books and the Cubs game later. Looks like another damp & dreary one. Sighs...

>156 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl. That quiche looks completely wonderful, and doable. Mmmmmmm!

Hi, Joe. Hope your Sunday is swell.

>178 maggie1944: You're welcome, Karen. That recipe is one of the very few in which my picture looks better than the one on its web page! When you make it, I'd recommend whisking the eggs well, so that the custard has a uniform appearance and consistency, especially since you're only using three egg yolks (and the whites of six eggs). If you don't whisk them well you'll have patches of yellow and white in the custard, which doesn't look or taste nearly as good. I leave the eggs out a little ahead of time, so they aren't refrigerator cold, and I (hand) whisk the custard vigorously after adding each egg white. (Hmm...I plan to make another quiche shortly, and maybe I'll use my new hand mixer this time.)

I'd love to know what you think of the quiche after you make it.

Happy Sunday, Joe!

Joe, we're making your thread into a kitchen/recipe place! Yay! Thank you in advance as I know you do not mind.

Darryl, I certainly will let you know. Thanks again. Good tips about beating the eggs and having them closer to room temperatures.

I'm off to an early morning buffet breakfast at a nearby Hilton. I have neighbors who spent their careers as Travel Agents and so they have a keen eye and ear for bargains, so we travel at home.... good food, lots of it, and a very reasonable price. New Sunday tradition.

Morning, Joe!

Morning, Joe! Happy Sunday!

>181 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! Ah, the joys of the weekend . . .

>182 scaifea: Morning, Amber! Happy Sunday!

We've run our errands and now are settling in with some coffee and chai.

>171 kidzdoc: Shoot, lost my post to you, Darryl. Here's trying again.

I envy those Rory Kinnear sightings. He sounds like such a good stage actor. I only know him from relatively modest roles in the Bond movies and The Imitation Game.

You do so well with your theater experiences via travel, but I do wish Atlanta had a better theater scene for you. I wonder whether it might ever develop one. Other smaller cities have, like Minneapolis.

That Julius Caesar production sure sounds like a wonderful one we saw here. I think it was the RSC visiting here (they've developed a strong relationship with Chicago Shakespeare thanks to Barbara Gaines), so I bet it was the same one. The CST production of JC that affected us the most was set in a Nazi-type environment, with remarkable staging. Not my favorite Willie play, but that production really affected us.

>172 Oberon: Iago is such an interesting and evil character, isn't he, Erik. One question sometimes raised is was his getting passed over for Cassio's promotion really enough motivation for all the machinations and devastation? And would a General like Othello really take all the hearsay at face value and be duped like that? And could anyone be as easy to con as Rodrigo?

>173 mirrordrum: *the pooch gladly returns your smooch* He's quite generous with kisses, and quick, too.

Those Jordan Marsh blueberry muffles look scrumptious, Ellie, thank you. After devouring one, I stuck another in the rucksack. Didn't think you'd mind.

Hope you and JB are having a mighty fine weekend.

>174 vancouverdeb: Hmm. I'm hoping it's not darling Sherlock who's making you hungry, Deb. :-)

I suspect it's all the other goodies, including Ellie's latest addition. Calorie-free if you eat them here, that's all I can say.

>175 Ameise1: Happy Sunday, Barbara.

It was a great Othello production. Sometimes the play drives me crazy - if Iago got called "honest and virtuous" one more time before the revelations I might've had to jump on the stage. But successful theater stirs you up, and I can understand your loving this one so much.

>176 msf59: Great to hear, Mark! Love the warbling. What an amazing accomplishment Evicted is. He's been so careful to support everything he says, and yet he adds that personal touch with the stories of those affected. Plus he's just plain such a mensch.

This is the kind of thing we should be "angry" about, not all that smoke & mirrors crap. Both political parties should be ashamed. Amen to that, brother.

>177 msf59: Morning, Mark! Happy Sunday!

I'm glad you're liking Silas Marner. It's quite a book. I've only read that one and Middlemarch, but I'd like to read more of hers. The Mill on the Floss is the next one I've been thinking about.

Yeah, we're going to be staying in, too, today. At least it's supposed to continuously warm up as the day goes on - the Cubs won't be playing in snow. So sorry about Schwarber. They're still loaded, but I hate it when that happens to a player and a team.

>178 maggie1944: Swell Sunday so far, Karen. Hope yours is as well.

Like Darryl, I'll look forward to your reporting back on the quiche.

>179 kidzdoc: That is an excellent photo of the quiche, Darryl, and that sounds like good advice. Are you sure you aren't ready for your own tv show? I have a feeling it would be a successful one.

>180 maggie1944: I love all the kitchen/recipe talk, Karen. That's what cafes are for, right?

The breakfast buffet sounds like an excellent new tradition. We love going out for breakfast on the weekends. A nice, relaxing - and tasty - time that it's hard to have during the week.

I think we're caught up, and I don't see any cross-posting. Have a great Sunday everyone!

Goshamighty I wish I had a piece of pie. I may have to make one myself. I just happen to have some of my Mom's pie dough in my freezer, so there's really no excuse...

>190 laytonwoman3rd: Pie? Did I hear pie, Linda? We can certainly bring out some here, while you get your Mom's pie dough out . . . Plum pie?

> 173 Thanks for the blast from the past Ellie! My mother brought home Jordan Marsh's blueberry muffins every time she went into town to shop. They were a wonderful treat. I remember them as being huge, much bigger than the ones in the photo. Of course, I was a lot smaller then.

>163 jnwelch: I have no doubt that you'd enjoy Philip Pullman's Sally Lockheart series Joe. They're very different from His Dark Materials - more Victorian melodrama than fantasy. I read one after the other, couldn't stop listening.

Come to think of it, I listened to the entire His Dark Materials series, narrated by a full cast with Pullman himself voicing the narrator. It was fabulous!

Popping in to wave after a brief sabbatical from LT. The cafe is always a its for those looking for literary and figurative sustenance!

Loving the discussion about different audiobook narrators. Have only recently come to audiobooks, but have taken to them in a major way given lengthy commutes to and from various courthouses. Have taken note of several excellent suggestions!

Hope all's well -- and warming up -- in Chicagoland!

Morning, Joe!
Tomm and I listened to His Dark Materials, too, and loved them. I need to track down his other stuff (and don't know why I hadn't thought of that sooner...)

Morning, Joe! Latte me up - you know what day it is.

>193 NarratorLady: I was in ignorance of Jordan Marsh blueberry muffins until Ellie's post, Anne. Of course, I was raised by wolves.

You remind me of my return to my elementary school years ago. I couldn't believe how much smaller everything was, and how low the drinking fountain was.

>194 NarratorLady: I'm pretty much a pushover for Victorian melodrama, Anne, so you've convinced me on the Sally Lockhart books. I'll give them a go.

That audio of His Dark Materials sounds wonderful. Some day . . .

>195 michigantrumpet: Nice to have you back from that brief sabbatical, Marianne. All is well here.

If I had lengthy commutes, I'd for sure be doing audio books. That would be the saving grace, as I take mass trans in the city to avoid a lengthy car commute. Sitting in traffic annoys me, although I've gotten better about it.

It is finally warming up a bit in Chicagoland, heading for the 60s at the end of the week. Thank goodness - I remember a chilly spring like this here, including snow, but it's been a long time.

>196 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

Ah, listening to His Dark Materials with Tomm- that's a great idea. Maybe I could talk Madame MBH into doing that some time. We're still reading Laura Ingalls Wilder together on the weekends, although we've missed the last two.

>197 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! Ha! I do indeed know what dreaded and dreadful special day it is. Latte on its way.

Thank you, my good fellow!

>184 jnwelch: Good morning, Joe! I did take a close look at all the theatrical companies I could find in metro Atlanta, to see if there were any performances that were remotely appealing. Most of the plays were musicals, silly comedies or glorified soap operas, which hold no interest for me, but I did find one play about an autistic boy and another about a former Georgia death row inmate that sounded promising. I may see one or both performances next weekend, and report on them on my thread.

I need to post comments and a review of Les Blancs, the Lorraine Hansberry play I saw at the National Theatre two Saturdays ago just before I left London. She was working on that play at the time of her death, and her husband helped to complete it and bring it to the stage. The NT production was brilliant, and it was one of the best plays I've seen there.

BTW, the shattering production of 1984 that I saw at the Almeida Theatre two years ago is coming back to London. It will be at the Playhouse Theatre near Trafalgar Square from June 14th through September 3rd.

http://www.atgtickets.com/shows/1984/playhouse-theatre/

>188 jnwelch: Nope, no TV show for me; I'll gladly serve as Caroline's sous chef or chief minion, though.

>191 jnwelch: That plum pie looks delightful!

>200 Crazymamie: :-) You're welcome, my friend.

>201 kidzdoc: Good morning, Darryl! I'll look forward to hearing your reactions to the local performances. Wow, I've never heard of that Lorraine Hansberry play, and it sounds so good. You've seen a lot of NT plays, I know, and for it to stand out like that . . . I hope we get a chance to see it somewhere.

Oh man, I think we're going to just miss that run of 1984 in London. I'll keep my fingers crossed; maybe it will get extended. I think we arrive the week after.

Sous chef or chief minion on Caroline's tv show would probably be a lot of fun; maybe I can put in for chief dishwasher.

Doesn't that plum pie look delicious? I thought that was a bit unusual. I've never had plum pie, and would like to try it some time.

Morning, Joe! It looks like things are finally going to start warming up for us, this week. Whew!

I hope to read a sizable chunk of Silas Marner today and also dip into my Oliver collection. I did finish Low Moon, which I really like. A bit, dark & twisted, something I am fond of. Which Jason should I go with next? I see, he is quite prolific.

Also on the GN front, I started Fade Out, Vol 3. This is the final, right?

>203 msf59: Morning, Mark!

Yeah, finally some better weather. That was absurd this weekend. Glad you have the day off to enjoy this.

Sounds like quite the excellent reading day. Did you end up liking the whole Dream of a Common Language? I haven't been over to the poetry thread yet. Hope you have a good time with Mary Oliver.

Glad Low Moon worked so well for you! The only other Jason I've read is Athos in America, which certainly was a good one. I know his Hey, Wait . . . popped open a lot of eyes, and I believe it's got that dark twistiness. It's probably the next one of his I'll read.

Fade Out Vol. 3 is the final one, and Mamie and I found it satisfying. Talk about dark and twisty!

There's a really good article on Aretha Franklin, by David Remnick, in the April 4 New Yorker. I had to share this quote from Billy Preston (the "fifth Beatle"), who died in 2006, about her (please excuse the f-bombs):

I don't care what they say about Aretha. She can be hiding out in her house in Detroit for years. She can go decades without taking a plane or flying off to Europe. She can cancel half her gigs and infuriate every producer and promoter in the country. She can sing all kinds of jive-ass songs that are beneath her. She can go into her diva act and turn off the world. But on any given night, when that lady sits down at the piano and gets her body and soul all over some righteous song, she'll scare the shit out of you. And you'll know - you'll swear - that she's still the best fuckin' singer this fucked-up country ever produced."

>202 jnwelch: Les Blancs was superb, Joe. I spent a very enjoyable day out with Claire two Saturdays ago, and because I was feeling tired after a full week I thought I would skip seeing that evening's performance, as my ticket only cost £15 (roughly $21) and I was returning to Atlanta the following afternoon. The play was also 3-1/2 hours in length, and I didn't think I could stay awake for it. We had dinner in the nearby Southbank Centre Market, and she encouraged me to pick up my ticket in the NT foyer, have some coffee and consider seeing at least the first act. (My ticket was the first one in the row, so I could have left anytime I wanted without disturbing other theatre goers.) Fortunately I was completely caught up in the action, and the 3+ hours flew by in seemingly half that time. I'm sure that it won't be on at the NT by the time you and Debbi arrive, but hopefully you can see it elsewhere.

ETA: Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, which I saw at the NT with Fliss, was also very good. It won this year's Olivier Award for Best Revival.

I thought that 1984 is scheduled to end just before your arrival in London, but there's always a chance it could be extended, so I thought that I would mention it to you.

Actually Caroline would probably nominate Edd to be her sous chef. I'd probably be the court jester or the person who holds the "APPLAUSE" sign.

We should look for plum pie in London later this year. I'll bet a tenner that we could find it at Borough Market.

>206 kidzdoc: Sounds great, Darryl. Glad you gave Les Blancs a try and ended up staying. Seems like there's a broader life lesson there, doesn't it.

I'm adding Ma Rainey's Black Bottom to the list. I bet we'll be able to find that one somewhere down the line. Yeah, thanks for mentioning 1984. So many do get extended, so I'll stay hopeful.

Ha! I'm sure Edd would be an excellent sous chef. I'm going to my strengths with the dishwashing, but I wouldn't mind being the one holding the "APPLAUSE" sign if they have you in one of the other roles.

You know, P.G. Wodehouse had a stellar story collection called Plum Pie, and his nickname was Plum. I'm thinking our odds are good, too, for finding some standout plum pie in London. I'm in!

Grey and drizzling on and off here, Joe, so I'll be treating myself to grilled cheese for lunch. There's a new place that opened near my office that seems to serve nothing but grilled cheese and tomato soup - perfect on a day like today but I wonder how it'll do in the middle of a Texas summer?

Interesting, your conversation with Darryl about theater in Atlanta. I think Dallas may finally be making progress in the arts and culture scene (that sounds kind of pretentious -sorry!). We are finding more and more things of interest here, including a great performance this past weekend, which I wrote a bit about on my thread (inspired by you and Darryl faithfully reporting on your theater experiences, of course). I think Dallas struggles with most of the population in the metro area living well outside the city center, where most of the venues are. I have friends who live in the 'burbs who rarely venture into the city. It's a shame, and I think it's turning around a bit as there has been more of a focus on creating a vibrant downtown. We shall see.... I am always trying to lure friends to things happening in the city. For my birthday at the end of the month, I purposefully chose a restaurant downtown to force them south :)

>208 katiekrug: Grey and drizzling has been on the menu here for what seems like weeks, Katie - but we don't combine it with temps in the 80s. We need to do better on that. Grilled cheese sounds most excellent, and we may join you on that at the end of this.

When we visited, I was surprised Dallas wasn't more of a cultural hot spot, mainly because of all the money there - that can help a lot with the arts, right? We did enjoy the Dallas Museum of Art, although again, I thought the money would result in a more eye-opening collection. You came from NY, right? I'm sure that was quite a change.

I hadn't thought about so much of the population not living in the city. I'm glad you're finding more and more arts and culture of interest. I've been reading about the general increased interest in living in and visiting metro areas. We couldn't do it any other way, although my heart does feel some yearning when our fellow LTers talk about their more pastoral areas.

Good for you for luring pals into the city. We try to do the same. We took a couple of city-living friends to that Othello production - one had never been to Chicago Shakespeare, and the other only once. They were on fire about it, and days later told us they went to bed talking about it and woke up talking about it.

Oh yeah, grilled cheese!

>209 jnwelch: - I grew up near NYC but came to Dallas from DC. Still quite a change! When were you in Dallas? If it was more than 5 years or so ago, I think you'd notice a marked change now. It's certainly not Chicago-level in terms of quantity or quality, but slowly but surely.... :)

Thanks for the grilled cheese - looks just about perfect to me.

ETA: I'm a member of the DMA - I joined mostly to get early access to some event tickets of interest. They did an amazing Jackson Pollock exhibit this winter that seemed to get a lot of national press, so I'm hopeful we'll see more of that sort of thing.

>211 katiekrug: It was way more than five years ago that I was last in Dallas, Katie. I'm pretty sure it was in the last century. :-) I'll bet I'd notice a marked change now.

Slowly but surely works. I'm glad it's headed in the right direction. Politics and social issues can be so frustrating, but the arts show the heights we're capable of, don't they.

I know, I'm craving that grilled cheese. Maybe with some tomato soup.

We were talking about how museums across the world cooperate with each other in creating exhibits like (I assume) that Jackson Pollock one you saw. I'd love to see how that all starts and comes together.

There is a sci-fi tilt to Tracy K. Smith’s book of poetry, Life on Mars; her father was an optical engineer who worked on the Hubble telescope. He'd "read Larry Niven at home and drink scotch on the rocks,/ His eyes exhausted and pink." A good part of the book reflects her reactions to his death in 2008. She also takes a celestial-eye view of our foibles ("I spent two years not looking/Into the mirror at his office") horrors (the "father in the news who kept his daughter/ Locked in a cell for decades") and irrationalities ("I didn't want to believe/ What we believe in those rooms").

I hoped to find the remarkable title poem, Life On Mars, somewhere online, but no luck. It starts like this:

Tina says what if dark matter is like the space between people
When what holds them together isn't exactly love, and I think
That sounds right - how strong the pull can be, as if something
That knows better won't let you drift apart so easily, and how
Small and heavy you feel, stuck there spinning in place.

Life can treat us roughly and horribly.

I knew which direction to go
From the stench of what still burned.
It was funny to see my house
Like that - as if the roof
Had been lifted up and carried off
By someone playing at dolls.

***

Tina says we do it to one another, every day,
Knowing and not knowing. When it is love,
What happens feels like dumb luck. When it's not,
We're riddled with bullets, shot through like ducks.

Is it all due to dark matter? Or something else? It's well worth your tracking down that title poem to find out what she says.

This excellent one, beautifully titled, "My God, It's Full of Stars", can be found online. http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/243880 Here's part of it:

Maybe the dead know, their eyes widening at last,

Seeing the high beams of a million galaxies flick on

At twilight. Hearing the engines flare, the horns

Not letting up, the frenzy of being. I want to be

One notch below bedlam, like a radio without a dial.

Wide open, so everything floods in at once.

And sealed tight, so nothing escapes. Not even time,

Which should curl in on itself and loop around like smoke.

The title of the book comes from the David Bowie song, and his Ziggy Stardust persona pops up in the poems. So does the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey and other cultural artifacts. This is a poetry book that's easy to enjoy, while giving the reader lots to ponder. I love this question she raises at the end of "No-Fly Zone"

You lie there kicking like a baby, waiting for God himself
To lift you past the rungs of your crib. What
Would your life say if it could talk?

Ooh, man! Life on Mars sounds fantastic. You earn a Thumb! Off, to check my library...

ETA: Life on Mars is requested, along with Hey, Wait.... Boy, I sure take a lot of convincing don't I?

>214 msf59: Ha! Yes! Glad to have inspired you, Mark. The library should have it. And thanks for the thumb!

Did you see this one yet, Joe? The Regional Office Is Under Attack! just came out. I know we both got a kick out of The Miniature Wife and Other Stories. This one is a novel and sounds crazy and very good.

BTW- I did update post #214.

>214 msf59: Ha! Good update. Can't wait to hear whether you recommend Hey Wait. I'm guessing you will, but we'll see. Glad they had Life On Mars. As far as I know, it was/is a big deal.

>216 msf59: Great title! Yes, like you, I got a kick out of his The Miniature Wife. Onto the WL it goes.

Hey Joe, good to hear your weather is warming up. My brother was visiting from London, Ontario and his weather woes sounded similar. He kept checking his home weather while he was here and congratulating himself for missing it. Their weather sound also be back to normal by week's end.

>218 Familyhistorian: Yes, Ontario is often similar to Illinois and Michigan and other Midwestern states in its weather, Meg. I didn't live all that far from Toronto when I grew up in Ann Arbor. When I see jokes about "Canadian spring", I usually could easily substitute in "Chicago". We all deserve a warm-up now.

>205 jnwelch: and b/c i'm an old fart, i was there in 1971 when this was recorded. King Curtis, Memphis Horns, and on the last night, when we were there, Ray Charles just happened to drop by to jam on Spirit in the Dark. ohhhhhh, Lady Soul.

>220 mirrordrum: Ha! There are benefits to being an old fart, aren't there, Ellie? What a show that must have been! Ray Charles, too?! Oh, that must have been something.

The article talked some about a documentary by Sydney Pollack, of her performing mainly gospel music, from around that time. It's all tied up in permissions debate and so on (a lot of the resistance from Aretha herself), and it has never been released to the public. Those who have seen it sing its praises. I'm hoping somehow there's a breakthrough and we all get to see it.

Wow. You must have been close to growing wings and rising to heaven at that one.

hah! i was and the overwhelming presence of pot, completely ignored by the police, who were right in front of us, did not hurt one bit. if you can believe it, RC actually kind of took over the show. you just usually can't get away with that with Sister Soul. but it was a younger day.

Sydney Pollack? humph. i sort of don't see him as my choice for that documentary but what do i know.

>213 jnwelch: thanks for the bits and pieces from LOM. i got it from the library yesterday and i can't read it. for some reason poetry is almost always printed in minuscule font. it's not that i can't see it, it's just, well, suffice it to say. my eyes and brain go berzerk. i was quite frustrated. i wonder what would be soothing to a frustrated person who can't read most poetry anymore.

i'm thinking a crispy Hogwarts bacon and brie sammo with a glass of '56 mountain water, heavy on the granite.



nosh, nosh, nosh

>222 mirrordrum: Pollack was young and unknown then, and the article describes the problems caused by his inexperience with documentaries. Your instincts sound on target to me.

Ray and Aretha together - the mind boggles. Young Aretha live in concert - the mind boggles. I would've loved to have seen her, Marvin Gaye, and Al Green in his pre-pastor days.

That's terrible about the Life On Mars in small print. I don't understand why the difficulty that raises for so many isn't more widely addressed, in library editions in particular. I don't sense we get many poetry books done in audio form, either. I wish my reading voice were better; we could do some over the phone.

Ha! You always find the best mountain water to order, and we love a patron who likes it "heavy on the granite". That sammo looks mighty noshable. Hogwarts is offering much better fare than I remember.

Nice review of Life on Mars, Joe. I had planned to read it earlier this year, but I can't find my copy of it. Too many books...

ah! Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, and Al Green. Concert of my dreams!

Good Tuesday morning, sir, I hope your week is going well. We had a bit of a caper here yesterday. A small group, self named the Renegades, took it upon themselves to go to a big common room called the Club Room, and replace a huge (really huge) old big TV (you know, the ones which look like a Zamboni) with a newer, 60 inch, flat screen; and, update the cable connection to High Def and WiFi. We hoped if we pulled off the caper without any major hiccups we could get some of the small fund raising committees to pitch in and help pay for it. Ha! We did not follow the rules (research, present proposal, sit through endless long discussions of irrelevant details and opinions, a respectfully retreat while people who are not tech savvy vote us money). Because we DID NOT FOLLOW THE RULES, we were denied. So, we just up and paid for it ourselves. 7-9 people contributed money, and labor, and did it! Ha. Rebels in the ranks. This is what happens when the Baby Boomers begin to take over the Retirement Community. Shades of the late 1960s and the 70s. Still need to work out details with Comcast, of course, and figure out who will pay the on going month cost. Wish us luck!

Carry on!

Had to WL The War that Saved My Life instantly!

Hi, Darryl, Karen and Lucy!

I've got a routine doctor's appointment this morning, so I'll check in later today.

Morning, Joe! Hope the doctor's visit goes smoothly. Still cool out here but the sunshine is refreshing.

Still, deeply immersed in Evicted. Into the second half now. What a rigged game, my friend.

>224 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl. Life on Mars is well worth finding at some point. I know the problem with so many good books waiting to be read . . .

I just started In a Different Key, and I'm liking it so far.

>225 maggie1944: Aretha, Ray, Marvin and Al - what a concert that would be, wouldn't it, Karen. Good one to dream about. Lucky Ellie, to have at least seen the first two together.

Way to go, Renegades! Sounds like you all are already having a positive effect on your retirement community. Good luck! I hope others see the value and fairness of pitching in. The cost becomes negligible, I imagine, if you spread it enough.

>226 sibylline: Oh good, Lucy! Methinks you'll love The War That Saved My Life. One of my top reads so far.

>228 msf59: Hiya, Mark! The doc visit went fine. Yeah, I had quite a walk to the doc's office, and quickly realized that the place to be was on the sunny side of the street.

Evicted is such an eye-opener, isn't it. Rigged is right. I'm optimistic it's going to inspire action. I already see some cities picking up on his point that providing a home (e.g. via a voucher system) actually saves money, besides being much more in keeping with who we are. So glad you're reading this one. I'm still thinking about it, as you can tell. In that Youtube talk at the D.C. bookstore, he mentions his "Just Shelter" organization, which I want to learn more about. http://justshelter.org/about/

By Kyle Hughes-Odgers

Morning, Joe!

Morning, Amber! Happy Top o' The Slide Day!

Morning, Joe!

Morning, Mamie! Sorry about Birdy's teeth woes. Hope today goes well for you and your clan.

Thank you, Joe!

>237 Crazymamie: My pleasure, pal. The weather has improved here - sunny and high 50s, with 60s supposedly a-comin'. It's not the Pecan Paradisio, but it's a big improvement.

I love that kind of weather - sunny but still a bit crisp. It's my favorite!

Delurking to thank you for recommending The War that Saved My Life - I picked it up at the library and thought I'd read a few pages before bed....I got about halfway through and finally forced myself to stop. I'll pay for it around 3PM today when I can't keep my eyes open, but it was worth it!

Morning, Joe! Warming up nice out here. I should finish up Evicted, a little later on. It will be sad to set this one down but at least it will give me a chance to let my blood stop boiling.

>239 Crazymamie: :-) Me, too. I'll be out enjoying it at lunchtime.

>240 vivians: Hi, Vivian. Nice to see you!

You're welcome re The War That Saved My Life - isn't it great? I'm glad to hear you're riveted by it. That's the same experience I had. Very hard to put down.

>241 msf59: Hey, buddy. Good morning!

Yay for Evicted! You're probably in or near where he talks about potential solutions. I also thought the Afterword, or whatever he calls it, about how he connected with folks and gathered and double-checked his data, was fascinating. He was very careful to make sure it was all tight and right.

I plan to get out in that warmup at lunchtime. Finally!

Truth!

I agree with you, Joe, the epilogue of Evicted was excellent. He laid out solutions and then gave a perfect description, of how he went about doing all the research and getting nearly everything first-hand. Very impressive.

Morning, Joe!

>243 jnwelch: Ha! I need to share this one with Tomm, who dreads those days when he's in meetings all day long...

Morning, Joe! Not quite Friday - almost.

>244 Crazymamie: :-) Ain't it, Mamie?

>245 msf59: Yes! Great to have a pal of the same mind, Mark. So excellent, so impressive a book. I'm happy you got so much out of it. Evicted is a once-in-a-great-while kind of a book that I hope will turn out to be a game-changer. It sure has changed my view of things, similar in its way to what Being Mortal did. We are living in a golden age of nonfiction, aren't we.

>246 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

I'm sure Tomm will appreciate >243 jnwelch:. One of my least favorite things, too. This will no doubt surprise you, but I'd rather be reading. :-)

>247 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie!

Sweet Thursday! This is what one of the characters in Super Mutant Magic Academy calls "Little Friday".

That particularly works this week for me, as we're traveling tomorrow to Ann Arbor to help celebrate my dad's 93d birthday.

Aw! 93!! That is awesome. Happy Birthday to your Dad, Joe!

>250 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie. It is awesome, isn't it? He's doing pretty darn well, all things considered.

OK, the new cafe is open. See you there!

>216 msf59: This looks like a lot of fun. Waiting on the audio CD, though.