Mamie's 2016 Madness (Page 13)

Continuing my lists of favorite things...the music of The Rolling Stones, lipstick, good service...

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...

snail's pace

Books Completed in June:
65. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson (reread), audiobook, mystery/detective
66. Zero World by Jason Hough (4 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, scifi/suspense - recommended by Jim
67. The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths (4 stars), ROOT ebook/2016 acquired audiobook - recommended by Beth and Katie, mystery/police procedural

Books Completed in May:
58. The Bird Artist by Howard Norman (4 stars), library hardback, literary fiction, GR
59. Pietr the Latvian by Georges Simenon (3 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, crime fiction/police procedural - series recommended by Charlotte
60. The Crowded Grave by Martin Walker (4 stars), 2016 acquired paperback, crime fiction/police procedural
61. The Other Side of Silence by Phillip Kerr (4.5 stars), library hardback, crime fiction/mystery - recommended by Suz and Charlotte
62. Frozen Sun by Stan Jones (2.5 stars), library hardback, crime fiction/police procedural
63. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov (thinking), 2016 acquired paperback, Russian literature
64. A Talent for War by Jack McDevitt (4.3 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, space opera/mystery

Reading Plans: None

I tend to make plans and then bail on them, so this year I am just going to take each month as it comes. I would like to participate here and there in some of the many challenges that are on offer, however, so IF I have a qualifying book on my shelf and IF I feel like it, I will. This month I have the following titles in my personal library or on loan that would work:


The Penguin History of the World: 6th Edition by J. M. Roberts - reading this throughout the year with Katie and Susan


White Noise by Howard Norman - reading this with Kim, Megan, and Charlotte

Coming in July:


Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry - reading this with Diane and Kim

Books Completed in January:
1. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway (3 stars), ROOT ebook
2. Saga: Volume 4 by Brian K. Vaughn, Fiona Staples (Illustrator) (4 stars), borrowed paperback, GN - fantasy
3. Mãn by Kim Thúy (5 stars), library paperback, literary fiction - read for the CAC
4. The Fade Out: Volume 1 by Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips (4.25 stars), 2016 acquired paperback, graphic novel recommended by Joe - crime fiction/noir
5. Nimona by Noelle Stevenson (4 stars), library hardback, GN - fantasy, recommended by the LT masses, read this because Abby had it out from the library
6. The Long Way to A Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers (4 stars), 2016 acquired ebook - recommended by Heather
7. Ru by Kim Thúy (4 stars), library paperback - read foot the CAC
8. Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson (3 stars), library paperback, graphic novel recommended by Karen, read this because Abby had it out from the library
9. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (4.5 stars), audiobook/trade paperback - Group Read - Doorstopper challenge
10. The Fade Out: Volume 2 by Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips (4.25 stars), 2016 acquired paperback, GN - crime fiction/noir
11. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Vol. 1 by Philip K. Dick, Tony Parker illustrator (5 stars), library hardback, GN - science fiction/dystopian
12. The Various Haunts of Men by Susan Hill (3.5 stars), ROOT ebook, mystery - police procedural - read for the BAC
13. Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler (4.25 stars), ROOT paperback, contemporary fiction - dysfunctional family - recommended by Katie - read for the AAC
14. White Sky, Black Ice by Stan Jones (4 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, mystery - police procedural

Books Completed in February:
15. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Volume 2 by Philip K. Dick, Tony Parker illustrator (4.5 stars), 2016 acquired hardback, GN - sci fi/dystopian
16. The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy, ROOT audiobook, narrated by Alan Rickman (5 stars) -audiobook recommended by Lucy - read for the BAC (early) and to honor Rickman's passing
17. A Good Scent From a Strange Mountain by Robert Olen Butler (4.25 stars), library paperback, short stories, Pulitzer Prize winner - recommended by Megan
18. The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys (4.25 stars), library hardback, connected vignettes, read for the CAC
19. Fifth Business by Robertson Davies (4 stars), library hardback, humor, read for the CAC
20. Written in Red by Anne Bishop (4.4 stars), ebook/audiobook, urban fantasy - recommended by Morphy, qualifies for Fantasy February!
21. Blacksad by Juan Díaz Canales, Juanjo Guarnido, (4 stars), library hardback, GN - noir, crime fiction - Mark told me about this one
22. City of Djinns by William Dalrymple (4 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, non-fiction - travel writing/a history of Delhi, read for the BAC - recommended by Susan
23. Snow Angels by Stuart O'Nan (4 stars) library hardback, contemporary fiction - relationship/divorce/coming of age
24. A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle (reread), audiobook, crime fiction - detective, read with Birdy
25. Winterdance by Gary Paulsen (4.5 stars), library hardback, non-fiction/memoir - Iditarod race, recommended by Ellen, Karen, and Mark
26. The Drowned Detective by Neil Jordan (4.2 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, mystery - saw this is Charlotte's Guardian reviews
27. King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild (5 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, non-fiction/history/the Congo/slavery - read for Suz's Non-Fiction Challenge

Books Completed in March:
28. Empire Falls by Richard Russo (4 stars), ROOT paperback/audiobook, Pulitzer Prize winner, read for Mark's AAC
29. Fade Out: Volume 3 by Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips (4 stars), 2016 acquired paperback, GN - crime fiction/noir
30. Velvet: Volume 1 by Ed Brubaker (4.5 stars), 2016 acquired paperback, GN - crime fiction/espionage - recommended by Roberta
31. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris (reread), ROOT ebook, urban fantasy
32. Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris (reread), ROOT ebook, urban fantasy
33. Crooked House by Agatha Christie (reread), ROOT paperback, mystery/crime fiction - read for Paul's BAC (yes, I know this was last month's author)
34. Club Dead by Charlaine Harris (reread), ROOT ebook, urban fantasy
35. Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris (reread), ROOT ebook, urban fantasy
36. Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris (reread), ROOT ebook, urban fantasy
37. Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris (reread), ROOT ebook, urban fantasy
38. Velvet: Volume 2 by Ed Brubaker (4.5 stars), 2016 acquired paperback, GN - crime fiction/espionage - recommended by Roberta
39. All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris (reread), ROOT ebook, urban fantasy
40. From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris (reread), ROOT ebook, urban fantasy
41. A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver (4 stars), library hardback, poetry - read for Mark's AAC
42. Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris (reread), ROOT ebook, urban fantasy
43. Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler (4 stars), ER paperback, retelling of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew

Books Completed in April:
44. Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris (reread), ROOT ebook, urban fantasy
45. The Misty Harbor by Georges Simenon (4 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, crime fiction/police procedural - recommended by Charlotte
46. Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris (3.5 stars), ROOT ebook, urban fantasy
47. Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris (4 stars), ROOT ebook, urban fantasy
48. Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris (4 stars), ROOT ebook, urban fantasy
49. Dark Vineyard by Martin Walker (4 stars), 2015 acquired paperback, crime fiction/police procedural
50. The Portable Veblen (I have no idea), 2016 acquired ebook, um...weird fiction?
51. Cast in Shadow by Michelle Sagara (4 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, fantasy - series recommended by Roni
52. A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab (4 stars), 2016 acquired audiobook, fantasy
53. Black Diamond by Martin Walker (4 stars), 2015 acquired paperback, crime fiction/police procedural
54. Gorsky by Vesna Goldsworthyy (2.5 stars), 2016 acquired book, retelling of The Great Gatsby
55. Ballistics by Billy Collins (4 stars), library hardback, poetry
56. Shaman Pass by Stan Jones (4 stars), library hardback, crime fiction/police procedural
57. Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer (3 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, crime fiction/mystery

Although I am hoping to focus mainly on my own overcrowded shelves this year, I am not crazy enough to think that I could resist adding new books to my collection. I'll record those purchases here.

1. The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers, ebook - recommended by Heather COMPLETED
2. The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley ($.99 on Kindle) - blaming this on Roni, who pointed out the deal
3. The Fade Out: Volume 1 by Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, paperback - mentioned by Joe on the GN thread COMPLETED
4. The Fade Out: Volume 2 by Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, paperback - Mark said this one was as good as the first COMPLETED
5. Staked by Kevin Hearne - Iron Druid series, ebook
6. Fear Stalks the Village by Ethel Lina White - recommended by Heather ($1.29 on Kindle)
7. Some Must Watch: The Spiral Staircase by Ethel Lina White - Heather's thread($.99 on Kindle)
8. The Lady Vanishes by Ethel Lina White - Heather's thread ($1.99 on Kindle)
9. Put Out the Light by Ethel Lina White - Heather's Thread ($1.29 on Kindle)
10. Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer ($2.99 on Kindle) COMPLETED
11. White Sky, Black Ice by Stan Jones ($1.99 on Kindle) COMPLETED
12. City of Djinns by William Dalrymple - recommended by Susan ($4.99 on Kindle) COMPLETED
13. You Have Killed Me by Jamie S. Rich - Mark's fault
14. Hit by Bryce Carlson - also Mark's fault
15. Velvet: Volume 1 by Ed Brubaker - recommended by Roberta COMPLETED
16. The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett ($1.99 on Kindle)
17. The Souls of Black Folk by W. E. B. Du Bois ($.99 on Kindle/$.99 audio)
18. Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop - 2nd book in The Others series - ebook
19. King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild - purchased for the non-fiction/history challenge COMPLETED
20. Half-Resurrection Blues by Daniel José Older - Mark's fault
21. The Drowned Detective by Neil Jordan - Charlotte's Guardian reviews COMPLETED
22. A Darker Shade of Magic by Victoria Schwab COMPLETED
23. The Fade Out: Volume 3 by Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips COMPLETED
24. Velvet: Volume 2 by Ed Brubaker - recommended by Roberta COMPLETED
25. The Misty Harbor by Georges Simenon - recommended by Charlotte COMPLETED
26. Gorsky by Vesna Goldsworthy -Charlotte again, and on my own thread! COMPLETED
27. The Trees by Ali Shaw - Guardian review on Charlotte's thread
28. The Portable Veblen by Elizabeth Mckenzie - Charlotte's thread? COMPLETED
29. The Lemoncholy Life of Annie Aster by Scott Wilbanks ($.99 on Kindle)
30. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman ($1.99 on Kindle)
31. Galore by Michael Crummey ($3.99 on Kindle)
32. An American Childhood by Annie Dillard ($1.99 on Kindle) - for the AAC
33. Pietr the Latvian by Georges Simenon ($2.99 on Kindle) - Charlotte's fault COMPLETED
34. The Carter of 'La Providence' by Georges Simenon - Charlotte again
35. The Late Monsieur Gallet by Georges Simenon - Yep. Charlotte
36. The Hanged Man of Saint-Pholien by Georges Simenon - Ahem. Charlotte
37. The Crowded Grave by Martin Walker - book #4 in Bruno, Chief of Police series COMPLETED
38. The Devil's Cave by Martin Walker - book #5
39. The Resistance Man by Martin Walker - book #6
40. Cast in Shadow by Michelle Sagara ($1.99 on Kindle) - series recommended by Roni COMPLETED
41. Cast in Courtlight by Michelle Sagara - book #2 - series recommended by Roni
42. City of Secrets by Stewart O'Nan - heard about this on Ellen's thread
43. The Blackhouse by Peter May - recommended by Barbara
44. The Girl in the Ice by Robert Bryndza ($.99 on Kindle)
45. Johannes Cabal the Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard - recommended by Jim
46. Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart - recommended by Charlotte, Mark and Joe ($2.99 on Kindle)
47. Zero World by Jason M. Hough - recommended by Jim COMPLETED
48. Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye - recommended by Roberta and Katie
49. A Talent for War by Jack McDevitt COMPLETED
50. The Glorious Heresies by Lisa McInerney - recommended by Charlotte
51. spill simmer falter wither by Sara Baume - I just liked the sound of this one
52. A Country Road, A Tree... by Jo Baker - I loved her Longbourn
53. Happy Family by Tracy Barone - sounded good
54. The Honeymoon by Dinitia Smith - novel about George Eliot's honeymoon
55. Golden Hill by Francis Soufford - blaming Charlotte's Guardian reviews
56. The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths - blaming this series on Beth and Katie

20/56 completed = 36% have been read

Katie’s Dirty Dozen – KAK has earned her own category on my thread because she has the habit of recommending books that I cannot resist adding to my stacks. Books listed here could be for the WL or purchased, but I will designate if I purchased them. Because Katie is a rebel, there will of course NOT be twelve books in her dirty dozen.

1. Kamchatka by Marcelo Figueras
2. Destiny of the Republic by Candace Millard
3. The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez - seconded by Charlotte and Susan
4. In the Walled City by Stewart O'Nan
5. My Reading Life by Pat Conroy - she recommended the audio, and don't speed it up
6. Nobody's Fool by Richard Russo
7. Ruby by Cynthia Bond - seconded by Charlotte
8. Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan
9. Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye - Roberta also loved this, Katie says the audio is great

Saving this space for LT recommendations that I want to keep track of.

1. The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers - recommended by Heather (saw this as I was catching up with her 2015 thread) COMPLETED 1/15/16
2. Slade House by David Mitchell - recommended by Lynda - I know that Mark and several others loved this one, too, but it was Lynda's succinct review that places it firmly on the WL
3. Chinese Takeout Cookbook by Diana Kuan - recommended by Lori (thornton37814) - saw it listed as her favorite cookbook read of 2015
4. Revenant by Mel Odom - recommended by Mark, who came to my thread to deliver the book bullet!
5. Winterdance by Gary Paulsen - recommended by Ellen and Karen COMPLETED
6. Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts - Lucy mentioned that she loved this on her thread, and I looked it up because I was unfamiliar with it. Note to self: DO NOT look up books mentioned on Lucy's thread!
7. The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra - saw Amy's review of this on her thread
8. I Am Spain by David Boyd - recommended by Charlotte
9. The Mirror in the Mist by Susan Hill - saw Lori's (lkernaugh) review of this on her thread
10. The Prestige by Christopher Priest - recommended by Mary (bell7)
11. The Electric Michelangelo by Sarah Hall - recommended by Charlotte - saw her review on her thread
12. The Fade Out by Ed Brubaker - Joe mentioned this one on the GN thread, and it sounds right up my alley COMPLETED 1/15/16
13. The Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason - Faith reviewed the second book in this series on her thread
14. Names for the Sea by Sarah Moss - read Rhian's review on her thread
15. Amsterdam by Ian McEwan - again, Lynda got me with her succinct review on her thread - how DOES she do that?!
16. The Men Who Lost America by Andrew Jackson O"Shaughnessy - read the review on Reba's thread
17. Wartime: Stories From Ukraine by Tim Judah - read about this one on Charlotte's thread, part of her posted Guardian reviews. LOVE those!
18. The Man in the Picture by Susan Hill - recommended by Charlotte on her thread
19. King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild - Suz mentioned this one to Charlotte on the non-fiction challenge thread COMPLETED
20. Everything is Broken by Emma Larkin - recommended by Erik on my thread when we were discussing books on Burma
21. The Rebel of Rangoon by Delphine Schrank - Charlotte recommended this to me on my thread when we were discussing books on Burma
22. Unwind by Neal Shusterman - Mary (bell7) was talking about a follow-up collection of short stories to this series, and peaked my curiosity about the series itself
23. A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain by Robert Olen Butler - read Megan's review of this on her thread - I love interconnected short stories COMPLETED
24. Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson - I read Julia's excellent review on her thread
25. How It All Began by Penelope Lively - read Nancy's review on her thread
26. The Storyteller by Mario Vargas Llosa - read Lori's (lkernagh) review of it on her thread
27. TransAtlantic by Colum McCaan - Charlotte and Katie talked me into this! And Marianne approves.
28. Willoughbyland by Matthew Parker - read Carrie's review on her thread
29. The Quiet American by Graham Greene - read Bill's review on his thread
30. Coast to Coast by Jan Morris - read Paul's review on his thread

LT recommendations continued...

31. After Hannibal by Barry Unsworth - read Ursula's review on her thread
32. Fear Stalks the Village by Ethel Lina White - read Heather's review on her thread
33. The Wheel Spins by Ethel Lina White - also Heather's fault!
34. Young Stalin by Simon Sebag Montefiore - recommended by Megan (evilmoose)
35. Mademoiselle Chanel by Pierre Galante - read Judy's review on her thread
36. Romantic Outlaws by Charlotte Gordon - read Suz's review on her thread
37. Crow Lake by Mary Lawson - read Nancy's review on her thread
38. War of Two by John Sedgwick - recommended by Reba
39. The Old Ways by David Dalglish - recommended by Charlotte
40. The Nest by Kenneth Oppel - recommended by Anne
41. The Noise of Time by Julian barnes - was included in Charlotte's Guardian reviews, and then Suz reviewed it which is what sold me
42. Countdown by Deborah Wiles - Judy hit me with this 60s Trilogy with her review of Revolution
43. Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal - recommended by Marianne, interconnected short stories
44. The Library at Night by Alberta Manguel - recommended by Carrie
45. Fifteen Dogs by André Alexis - recommended by Rhian
46. Tokyo Decadence by Ryu Murakami - recommended by Joe
47. American Housewife by Helen Ellis - recommended by Joanne
48. Trespass by Rose Tremain - recommended by Nancy
49. The Book of Sands: A Novel of the Arab Uprising by Karim Alwari - recommended by Deborah
50. A Madness of Angels by Kate Griffin - recommended by Mary
51. The Girl With All the Gifts by M. R. Carey - because Mark said so!
52. That's Not English by Erin Moore - recommended by Susan
53. In the Country: Stories by Mia Alver - recommended by Mark
55. A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin - Mark again
56. The Wars of the Roses by Dan Jones - recommended by Suz
57. Saints and Boxers by Gene Luen Lang - recommended by Carrie (read them together)
58. The Good Wife by Stewart O'Nan - recommended by Jenn
59. Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift - recommended by Suz, Ellen also loved this
60. When Books Went to War by Molly Guptill Manning - recommended by Amy

1

LT recommendations continued...

61. Exposure by Helen Dunmore - recommended by Charlotte
62. Reading Chekhov by Janet Malcolm - recommended by Charlotte
63. Ways to Disappear by Idra Novey - recommended by Beth
64. The Widow by Fiona Barton - recommended by Diane
65. Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo - recommended by Reba (over on Katie's thread)
66. Super Mutant by Jillian Tamaki - GN - Mark and Joe's fault!
66. The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice - recommended by Charlotte
67. The Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell - recommended by Susan
68. My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem - recommended by Beth
69. The Shepherd's Life by James Rebanks - recommended by Rhian
70. Dodgers by Bill Beverly - recommended by Ellen and Mark
71. The Art Forger by B. A. Shapiro - recommended by Mark
72. Zero World by Jason M. Hough - recommended by Jim
73. Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie - recommended by Susan (and Carrie recommended it to her)
74. Without by Donald Hall - recommended by Ellen, who read it because of the poem that Katie had posted - poetry collection
75. City of Secrets by Stewart O'Nan - Ellen mentioned this on her thread as getting great reviews
76. River Thieves by Michael Crummey - Judy mentioned that she loved this one (on Ellen's thread)
77. The Improbability of Love by Hannah Rothschild - Beth's review on her thread
78. Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine - read Julia's review on her thread
79. Georgiana by Amanda Foreman - read Anne's review on her thread
80. Pleasantville by Attica Locke - read Charlotte's review on her thread
81. Locally Laid by Lucie Amundsen - Janet's review on her thread - I can't believe that she actually got me with this one, but there you have it!
82. Johannes Cabal the Necromancer by Jonathan Howard - Jim said to just read it, already
83. Black Water Rising by Attica Locke - recommended by Susan, Pleasantville is the next book in the series
84. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys - recommended by Mark, who said the audio was good, too. Joe also liked this one. Also Mary
85. Last Night in Montreal by Emily St. John Mandel - read Beth's review on her thread
86. Body Politic by Paul Johnston - read Charlotte's review on her thread, she said Suz recommended it
87. All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews - read Anne's review on her thread, she said Beth had recommended it - Anne loved the audio narrated by Erin Moon
88. The Private Lives of the Tudors by Tracy Borman - Susan loved this one!

A few of my favorite reads from 2015:

Bringing this over from the previous thread in case everyone hasn't seen it yet:



Okay, so I am a complete nut. I was thinking that it would be fun to have a private group over on Fitbit for those of us who like to share stats - it allows for private discussion boards and has its own leaderboard. Anyway, I set it up as a hidden group that is by invitation only BUT I have no idea how to invite people if I don't have an email address. I thought it would allow me to just click on my friends over there to invite them, but no. Reba is the only email address that I have, so I invited her.There are just the two of us so far. Which is cracking me up. ANYWAY, if you want to be invited, PM me your email and I will invite away.

This should do it - next one's yours!

Hi Mamie!

Yay! I'm first again! Happy new thread :-)

Susan is fast!

The Rolling Stones - lipstick and great music but lousy hats!

Happy new thread, my dear.

Susan and Paul are quick! Happy new thread. That Stones photo is a hoot.

Close to first! A rare privilege. I am a Stones fan also. You did read that Keith Richards memoir? I listened to it and loved it!

Morning Mamie! Happy 13th Thread! Love the Stones topper! One of my favorite bands.

Have a great day in Mamieland!

Happy new thread!!

Happy new thread, Mamie! Sympathy for the Devil is my favorite RS song...

Happy new thread, Mamie! So, regarding Gatsby. What is your interpretation of Jay? I hope I'm not opening a can of worms.

I haven't cracked The Master and Margarita. I probably won't until at least this summer. :-(
I hope you still love me.

And Happy New Thread, Mamie, my dear!

Hiya, Mamie!

I'm a ways into Zero World and enjoying it.

Happy New Thread!
Charlie Watts has always been my favorite Stone. I like drummers obviously, since I married one.

Happy new thread and happy Tuesday, Mamie! Hope all is well with you.

I do not have a FitBit and would probably lose it if I did, but I love reading all you wonderful folks' stats and steps and all so I wish you the best with your group ;)

I will chime in with yet another push to read Salt to the Sea. One of my friends read Ink and Bone and loved it, so it's definitely on my radar. There's a sequel coming out this year, I believe.

Hello. I am very impressed with all the reading you did thus far this year! I am almost finished with Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin. It is so good that I hate it to end. Then, I will read Twain's End. Thanks for sharing this book.

Pulling up my chair and pouring a glass of wine... Happy new thread!

Here's a funny story: I was in a business "etiquette" class this morning (which, I am proud to say, I could have taught! I was afraid I'd find out I was some kind of impolite slob this whole time....) Anyway, we're in the class and the instructor is talking about being at a work function like a reception or cocktail party and how one shouldn't carry a can or bottle of beer around, but rather pour it into a glass. Yes, fine. Duh. So I raised my hand and asked, "What about a bottle of wine? Is that okay to carry around and drink straight from?" (I said it funnier than that, but you get the drift. The poor woman (a very Dallas-prim-and-proper-hair-done-to-within-an-inch-of-its-life lady) looked horrified for a second until she caught on that I was kidding.

Apparently this is a no-no:



but this is okay...

Happy new thread, Mamie. I love the Stones, too. Keith Richards' memoir is one of the great rock-n-roll ones. I highly recommend it.

Katie, OMG, that's hilarious!

Another Stones fan here! Oh, and happy new thread, Mamie!

Crazy--Happy new thread! And 13 is my lucky number. I am sure it will work for you, too. Does't one of your kids have that date for a birthday? Anyhow, congrats. And nice photo of the Stones.

>26 katiekrug: Too funny Katie!! LOL

>26 katiekrug: LOL, Katie!

Okay, the Stones do great music, but they have to be the ugliest group of 4 men in the world. And this picture supports that.

What a wonderful new thread, Mamie! Who knew the Stones were fans of Harry Potter way before everyone else. The sorting hat must have said "Rock" when choosing houses.

>26 katiekrug: LOL

happy new thread Mamie! Ah, the days when rock was glam but the bands were not so much.

I decided to give the library a break and not check out any books this week (a vow which lasted until this morning when a long awaited hold arrived) so I've been picking books from my shelves. Joyfully I have discovered that I OWN a copy of Lonesome Dove.

Bring on the group read!!!

And a happy Winesday to you!

Morning, lady!

Happy new thread! Settling in to watch for shenanigans.

Good morning, Mamie!

I assume it's okay to carry around a bucket o' wine, right? Just not the bottle?

Another plug here for Salt to the Sea. Really well done.

Apologies for starting a thread and then vanishing. Yesterday got away from me - Abby and I took Mercy to the vet for a recheck of her spider bite and then she got her rabies vaccine that I have been dreading. The vet thought the bite looked great, so we do not need to do anything further with it - hooray for that! Mercy then got a dose of Benadryl, a steroid, and the dreaded vaccine. She was fine - a bit sleepy from from all of it, but no reaction, which was such a relief. We had to keep a close eye on her the rest of the day to check for reaction, so Abby and I binge watched the entire first season of Case Histories - we both LOVED it! So well done! We also have season two out from the library, so we will have to get to that soonish.

Today has been a blur of walking and reading. Craig had the afternoon off, so we indulged on Chinese takeout - YUM! Than I had a nap. Ha! I have not been sleeping well lately, so it felt good to finally grab some rest. Not sure what we're doing with our evening, but probably something fairly lazy as Craig takes off again for the weekend. Back to Indiana for a second weekend in a row, but this time he has company - Daniel is going, and they are driving. Craig has a nephew that is getting married. In case you're wondering why Craig didn't just stay, it did not work out with the scheduling as he just has one partner, and that partner had already scheduled that time off.

>37 Crazymamie: Sounds like a busy couple of days, Mamie.

The photo above is killing me. I cannot place the film.

>38 brodiew2: - Maybe it's 'The Lady Vanishes'?

>37 Crazymamie: - Season 2of 'Case Histories'?!?! What the what? Off to Amazon.....

ETA: Hmm, I'm not sure I even saw all of Season 1! And I was wondering if they were going to tackle the 4th book in the series and they have! So excited. Thanks, Mamie!

>38 brodiew2:, >39 katiekrug: Right. Katie knows me so well - she's right; it's The Lady Vanishes.

>40 katiekrug: Yep. I had actually only requested season one from the library, but they sent both seasons, so now I HAVE to watch it. It would be rude to do otherwise. Season one was SO good! Thanks to everyone here who recommended it after I had read Case Histories several years ago. I have been hoarding the other books in the series, but now I am going to have to reread Case Histories and then read the others. I love Jackson. LOVE him.

Catching up with my thread:

>13 susanj67: Susan, you are first again. You are taking the leadership thing very seriously. Let's see, what shall I give you? Perhaps this:



It's an invisibility cloak, and they are very rare, so please be careful with it. I imagine it will come in quite handy in your leadership position.

>14 PaulCranswick: She is indeed, Paul. And I actually love the hats.

>15 charl08: Yep, Charlotte, but you're not so slow yourself. The Stones photo made me laugh, too, which is why I chose that particular one.

>16 sibylline: Lucy! I knew that you were a fan, and I almost dedicated the top post to you. I remember your reading/listening to that memoir, and I added it to my list when you raved about it. Still haven't gotten to it, but I will. I will.

>17 msf59: Hello, Mark! Thank you. Glad you love the topper. And it was a great day, so thanks for those good wishes - they worked!

>18 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba!

>19 scaifea: Thank you, Amber! Mine is the one I quoted from - You Can't Always Get What You Want. Perhaps my all-time favorite song.

>20 brodiew2: Thanks, Brodie! Good to see that you're not afraid of diving in the deep end. Ha! Let's see...Jay Gatsby. I think he is...lonely. He is in love with a memory and is completely focused on trying to recapture and perfectly preserve it. I love his vision and his drive and his confidence in Daisy's love, and I never fail to be saddened by his innocence. His love is pure, but what he loves does not exist. Every time I know it will end badly, but still I cannot look away. I cannot help wanting him to succeed. And I LOVE that we never learn everything about him.

>21 EBT1002: No worries, my dear Ellen. My love for you is not so shallow. Whenever you get to it, we can compare notes - whether that is this summer or next year or never. Reading is supposed to be fun. And thank you for those wishes!

>22 jnwelch: Hey, Joe! I am so happy you are enjoying Zero World - it's fun, isn't it? I am about 60% of the way through it. I'm trying to get Craig and Abby to read it.

>23 mstrust: Thanks, Jennifer! The drummer! Mine is Keith Richards.

>24 bell7: Thank you, Mary! All is well! And thank you for those Fitbit wishes - it's so fun to share the journey with others from here. Such a great group! Adding your name to the list of recommenders of Salt to the Sea.

>25 Whisper1: Linda, thank you. You always say the nicest things. I love when books are so good that you don;t want them to end. And I will be curious to see what you think of Twain's End! I was happy to share.

>26 katiekrug: Katie!! That made me laugh out loud. Too funny! I shall file those etiquette tips away immediately. Perhaps I should practice. *blinks*

>27 BLBera: Thank you, Beth! I have not yet read that memoir, but it is on the list.

>28 lit_chick: I concur, Nancy. And thank you. I am loving that there are so many Stones fans here!!

>29 Berly: Thank you, Kim! Most excellent memory. 13 is also lucky for me, because you are right - Rae was born on a Friday the 13th!

Katie has given us all a good giggle - she is so generous that way!

Practice makes perfect. Also, today is National Wine Day. Just sayin'.

Another great opening to your thread, Mamie. The Stones are a favorite with me as well. Glad to hear that Mercy got through her shot and is doing fine. I am about to go overdose on "Scandal" on Netflicks as I can't go outside and read as the workmen next door are too noisy. I will be glad when the house next door is built!

ETA: I just read Katie's post and now I am off to pour myself a glass of wine to enjoy with my TV binge.

>30 ronincats: Your post made me laugh, Roni! Right. There is no excess of beauty there. But they make up for it in talent and personality.

>31 Carmenere: Thank you, Lynda! Ha! The one on the far right especially looks like the Sorting Hat.

>32 nittnut: Jenn, such a true assessment. And thank you!

>33 dragonaria: I like that your vow lasted all the way to Wednesday, Kimberly! Way to go. That is longer than I would make it, I am thinking. And hooray for you having a copy of Lonesome Dove - I am very excited to read it with you and Diane in July!

>34 scaifea: Evening, Amber!

>35 cbl_tn: Thanks, Carrie! With this crowd, you shouldn't have to wait long.

>36 jnwelch: Evening, Joe! We'll have to ask Katie - good etiquette question!

Your review of Salt of the Sea was excellent, so I knew you were a fan! I will be sure to get to it.

>47 katiekrug: That is what I was thinking, Katie - I want to be sure to get it right. National Wine Day!! I did not know! And I have been VERY good with the stepping, so I do deserve a liquid pat on the back...

>48 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy! Hooray for the Stones love. And yes, Miss Mercy did excellent - such a huge relief. I was a bit of a nut, but Mercy did fine.

Oh! We love Scandal! Bummer about the building noise - perhaps an audiobook? I can't remember if you do those or not. I have fallen completely in love with them.

Glad to see that you will be celebrating National Wine Day with me. I'm off to get a glass in a moment.

I think I am all caught up with the thread, but if I missed you, HOLLER!

>45 Crazymamie: That seems to be the Jay Gatsby I know as well. You long for him to succeed because he is so genuine, but know he is doomed.

So Zero World? What this then?

Glad to see the update, Mamie! It sounds like you had a day full of drama and R & R. Not bad, right? We watched Case Histories a couple years ago and agree, they did a fine job, but I think it ended after the 2nd book, right? If so, I sure wish it could have continued.

>52 Crazymamie: Mamie! What a great idea! I think I'll go outdoors and have a glass. Have an enjoyable evening.

Hey Mamie, glad you liked Case Histories. The actress who played the security guard in one of the later books to be dramatised was also a well loved comedian. She has a funny article about agreeing to take the part. I love her comment that it was a part with a 'flat shoe'. She is much missed.

http://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/400639/Victoria-Wood-teams-up-with-Jas...

>53 brodiew2: Exactly. Zero World is a sci-fi/fantasy novel recommended by Jim (drneutron), and I am loving it so far - sort of a James Bond meets Total Recall meets space opera type of adventure. Fun and very well done.

>54 msf59: True, Mark. Not bad at all. And no, it didn't end with the first book - they made two seasons of it and covered all four books.

>55 Carmenere: Most excellent, Lynda!

>56 charl08: Hey, Charlotte! I'm off to follow that link. Back in a moment!

>56 charl08: That was a great article - thanks so much for sharing it!

I didn't know there was more than one season of "Case Histories," either.

I have your lemon cookie recipe on my kitchen counter. I think Saturday will be a cookie day.

Season 2 of Case Histories? I loved the first season almost as much as the books!

>59 BLBera: Amazing, Beth! I am very excited to share the news, then. We are going to watch it this weekend while the boys are gone.

I can't wait to hear about the lemon cookies - I am hoping they are full of fabulous!

>60 cbl_tn: So fun that we will all discover season two together, Carrie! I am really wanting to get back to the books after watching season one.

HI! ;)

>42 Crazymamie: Mamie, thank you for my cloak! It will indeed come in handy with the stepping team...I was walking home on Saturday and there was a tall bald man in front of me wearing a black cloak. I wondered whether he'd escaped from the Harry Potter Experience, if there is such a thing in London.

Morning, Mamie! Yay for successful vet visits!

>62 Berly: Hello!

>63 susanj67: You are welcome, Susan! I haven't seen anyone wearing a cloak in years - although I did always like that the closet area where we hung up our coats in elementary school was always called the cloak room.

>63 susanj67: Morning, Amber! Yay, indeed! Such a wonderful thing.

Good morning, Mamie!! I am going to plant two squash plants and wallow in our early summer weather. Hope you have a splendid day too!

Morning, Lynda! Sounds like a good plan - my day will be filled with laundry and reading. And I need to bake some cookies for the boys to take with them on their travels.

Awe, what a thoughtful thing to do. Taking cookies with them is like you're traveling with them.

It's a good job I just cooked the banana bread, otherwise I'd be wanting cookies. The power of suggestion...

I'm wallowing in 1930s Shanghai at the moment. It's much better than the last crime novel I read. Phew.

>68 Carmenere: Right. Except they won't have to stop every half hour to let me go to the bathroom. *blinks*

>69 charl08: I am a savory person myself, Charlotte, so I would prefer the bread over the cookies, but I do like the occasional cookie with my coffee.

I misread what you typed as "I'm walking in 1930s Shanghai at the moment." Ha! I have to read it through again.

Speaking if the 1930s, Rae bought a bag of Dove chocolates for all of us yesterday, and the one I ate this morning said, "Introduce your chocolate noir to film noir." Is that so me or what?!

Morning Mamie! Sweet Thursday! We are and cloudy here. Not bad, my friend. Enjoy your day.

Morning, Mark! Sweet Thursday to you! Full sun here today - going to 89F. It's gonna be HOT.

Sweet Thursday, Mamie!

I'm about a third of the way through Zero World. He's on the submersible with Melnie right now. Good stuff. :-)

Sweet Thursday, Joe! I am really liking it, too, Joe! I just finished up A Talent for War, and I think you would like it. Space opera with a mystery thrown in and very well written.

>70 Crazymamie: I wish Mamie. I'd just be strapping on my time machine each morning...

>74 Crazymamie: I'm loving these sci-fi tips!

I've never read Jack McDevitt, and I've wanted to give him a try. This (A Talent for War) looks like a good one.

>75 charl08: Ha! That would be oh, so cool, Charlotte!

>76 jnwelch: Look at me recommending sci-fi, and I had hardly read any until LT! See what you guys have done to me?!

Good morning, Mamie!

I have only read one McDevitt and it was called Eternity Road. I rather liked it, but I never read another one.

Good Afternoon, Brodie! This was my very first McDevitt, but it just pulled me right in - so good!

Happy new thread! Your thread topper cracks me up.

>37 Crazymamie: Yes, Mom, Case Histories- We need to watch the second season! *starts slipping into Jackson withdraw* We have the whole weekend...

>42 Crazymamie: oh, you know I love Potter references-very funny

Hey, Miss Abby! Glad you like the topper. And remember that I want that song at my funeral!

I am very excited about the all girl house for the weekend - should be fun!! Definitely more Jackson.

Hi Mamie - Well, hot weather is a good excuse to stay in the air conditioning and read a book, right?

>82 BLBera: I agree. Also cold wet weather.

Or windy weather...

>82 BLBera: It's like you read my mind, Beth.

>83 charl08: Yep.

>84 nittnut: Ha! You ladies are cracking me up!!

I'm stopping by to thank you once again for sending Twain's End. I'm mid way through and have a hard time putting it down.

It is a wonderful book.

Morning, lady!

Morning Mamie! Happy Friday! Cloudy and humid here but still not complainin'...

Happy weekend, Mamie!!

Happy Saturday, Mamie! Looks like I'll be adding Case Histories to my continuously growing Netflix list.

Happy weekend, Mamie!

Just popping in to say hi. Hope your weekend is great!

Hello, All! Saturday afternoon here, and it is gorgeous. The girls and I are enjoying our long weekend without the boys. Last night we made Cajun chicken pasta for dinner - most excellent. It's from the Skinnytaste blog and has become a favorite. Abby made truly decadent chocolate cupcakes for dessert. We watched an episode from season two of Case Histories and an episode from season two of Veronica Mars.

Today we have been out for a bit of shopping to get snacks and kitty litter. We might have purchased some items that we didn't need but that we wanted. Then a quick stop to get fountain drinks and pick up some books from the library. Now we are back home where we intend to laze about and do whatever we please. I need to get stepping because once again Susan has pulled ahead of me - she is on fire!!

We are trying a new recipe for dinner - swiss pan burgers with a rosemary-mushroom pan sauce! Hoping they are as delicious as they look in the photo.

Hurrah for Jason Isaacs and Case Histories. I used to live near this bit

(Although the only time I tried to run it, I was lapped by an elderly lady in a white nylon tracksuit. It was v. embarrassing.)

Food looks amazing. I am thinking I have pasta in the cupboard. I may even add bacon...

>86 Whisper1: Linda, lovely to see you here! You are so welcome - I was happy to pass it on to someone who was interested. Glad you are liking it so far.

>87 scaifea: Afternoon, Amber! And a beautiful one it is!

>88 msf59: Friday was good here, Mark, and Saturday is even better. It's 85F here, and the sun cannot decide if it wants to be out or not, so it's actually not too bad out there.

>89 RebaRelishesReading: Thank you, Reba! Happy weekend to you!

>90 Carmenere: Happy Saturday, Lynda! I don't think Netflix has it, unless it just recently added it - I couldn't find it as part of the free Amazon Prime selection, either, so we requested it from our library. I am loving it, though, so I might have to have my own copy.

>91 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie!! Happy weekend to you! We are savoring ours, for sure.

>92 tymfos: Terri! Thanks for popping in! Happy weekend to you!

>94 charl08: Yes, indeed, Charlotte! Hooray for Case Histories and Jason Isaacs, whom I am developing a slight crush on. I love your running story - made me laugh. There is a little old lady who lives just down the street from us who fast walks, and she can lap me (and does) all the time. She is really in great shape.

The pasta was awesome, and I would add bacon to anything. Ha!

Oooooh, you are tackling Lonesome Dove in July! That title is coming up for me about as much as some of those it-time classics. I guess it means I will have to read it at some point then :)

>93 Crazymamie: yum! That looks great. The last few days I have lost my cooking mojo, in these times i find it helps to get invitations to freinds' places so that they cook for you!

Happy Weekend, Mamie!

Mmm, that food looks good.

Yum! Have a great weekend, Mamie.

>97 LovingLit: You are welcome to join us in July if it calls to you, Megan. Always fun to compare notes.

I love to cook, so if you lived closer, you could just have an open invitation to dinner. It was a bit weird cooking for just four people instead of six, though. Especially since the two missing members are also the biggest eaters. Ha!

>98 jnwelch: Thank you, Joe! Happy Weekend to you! Both recipes were delicious - we loved the mushroom sauce that went on the burgers.

>99 BLBera: My thoughts exactly, Beth! Both dishes were excellent. And thank you for those weekend wishes - hoping that yours is full of fabulous.

Happy Saturday, Mamie! I am FREE for the next 3 days. Yah! We are going to hit a couple brew pubs, to start our weekend and we will leave shortly.

Warm and humid here, but with a refreshing breeze. Should be a beautiful night! Oh yeah, it's our anniversary too! Sweet!

Hey, Mark! Happy Saturday! Sounds like you have a very fun plan in place for a few days full of fabulous!

And Happy Anniversary, my friend!

Happy long weekend, Mamie.

Happiest of Sunday's to you, Mamie! Your girls weekend sounds fantastic and yummy!
OK, library for Case Histories, got it!

Morning, Mamie! Hope you and the girls are enjoying this long weekend.

I finished Zero World and liked it. The ending made me think there's more to come.

Happy Sunday! This morning was full of delight - we had bought the stuff to make our own bacon, egg and cheese biscuits and sausage egg and cheese biscuits, planning on treating ourselves to brunch today. When I got up this morning, Abby had already cooked the bacon and the sausage, and had the biscuits in the oven. And Birdy had made the coffee. Thoughtful, generous girls! Needless to say, it was delicious.

Tonight we are making chicken enchiladas with all the trimmings. Yum! In the meantime, I have to catch Susan, who has passed me by again. She is keeping me on my toes with the stepping! Go SUSAN!

>103 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara! Hoping your weekend is full of fabulous!

>104 Carmenere: Thank you, Lynda! It has been wonderful so far. Crossing my fingers that your library has Case Histories.

>105 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! We are enjoying every moment, thanks for asking. Wow - you sailed by me in Zero World. I am hoping to finish it up today. Glad you liked it, and I would love if there were more to come.

I have to check out the steps. Sundays are sometimes slow days for me, especially if I have a lot of school work to do.

Hi Mamie! Happy Sunday! The enchiladas sound yummy.

Sounds like you are having a lovely time, all the girls together. Happy Monday (!?!)

Morning Mamie! Happy Memorial Day! We are taking a bike ride this morning and then I have to cut the grass. The afternoon will be spent, at a cookout with friends. Sounds good to me!

Have a great day, my friend.

Well, the boys will be back today, so I guess the party is over. But a Monday that doesn't feel like a Monday - I can get behind that!! Last night we watched a few episodes of Sookie, some White Collar and Veronica Mars. We only have three episodes of Sookie left, and we were discussing what we will watch when it is finished. We have decided on Northern Exposure - which I have in its entirety on dvd - they have never seen it, so it should be fun to revisit it with them. Rae will probably not like it because of the quirky factor - too much quirky and not enough murder. Comedy is hard for her because of all the body language and sarcasm; she much prefers drama, so she watches all of the lovely murder mystery shows with me that the other two girls are not interested in - we love Hinterland right now, and she has just discovered Wallender, which she says I HAVE to watch.

No specific plans for today except to relax and take it easy. I am hoping to get some reading in depending on how many steps I need to get in order to catch Susan. Again. Right now I need just a little over 12,000 to pull even with her. *grin* She will have us all in tip top shape in no time at this rate.

On the reading front, I have been listening to Case Histories while trying to catch Susan - I decided to revisit it since we have been watching the tv series based on the books. I only ever read the first one, and that was several years ago. Ideally, I would like to reread the first and then continue and read the next three books to complete the series - is she going to write any more of these? No spoilers, please - if she has killed Jackson off, I do NOT want to know.

Also, I am hoping to finish up Zero World today; I have been really enjoying this one, so a huge thanks to Jim for recommending it. I thought I would get it completed yesterday, but I have been watching too much Netflix. *blinks*

Ha! A Monday that doesn't feel like a Monday - I can get behind that, too. :-)

Good morning, Mamie!

I've heard good things about Wallender, too. We're hooked on Orphan Black. What an amazing acting job by Tatiana Maslany.

Go Zero World! I hope you all have a great time today, even with those darn boys returning.

Which Wallander is it Mamie? I think there are two Swedish ones plus the Ken Branagh.

I stopped watching this one though after the actress who was paying Linda his daughter died. It was too sad.

Happy Monday! your party sounds nice while it lasted. I need to go to the store and rent some daughters. My hubsters loves Wallender. I need to check with him to see if he knows about Hinterland.

I tried out a walking app on my phone and it's good for the my daily walk outdoors but I usually put my phone down once I'm home so the log stops too. I've told the guys I'd like a fitbit for Christmas. In fact, I said, we should all have one. *silence*

PS. Bill knows about and likes Hinterland too.

>108 BLBera: I tend to get my steps in early in the week and then slack off, so it has been good to be motivated to keep up with the stepping all week long, Beth. Susan has been keeping me on my toes, for sure!

>109 cbl_tn: Hey, Carrie! Happy Monday! The enchiladas were so yummy - I found a recipe for shredded chicken in the crockpot, and now I always make the chicken that way - really moist and full of flavor.

>110 charl08: We have been enjoying ourselves immensely, Charlotte. Funny how just changing the equation of who is home and who is not changes the dynamics. I love when all of us are here together, but it is very fun to mix things up from time to time.

>111 msf59: Morning, Mark! Happy Memorial Day! Sounds like you will have a nice balance to your day - a bit of everything. Hoping it is full of fabulous!

>113 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! Rae has fallen in love with Wallender, so I will have to check it out.

And don't get me wrong - I am completely smitten with my boys. Over the moon adore both of them. Still, it is fun to ship them out from time to time, as they both love to be moving. Very active, those two.

Morning, Mamie!

>114 charl08: She is watching the Kenneth Branagh one - I didn't know there was more than one! Oh, and I just realized I have been spelling it wrong!

>115 Carmenere: Happy Monday, Lynda! You don't get to hear me say that very often! If you lived closer, you could borrow mine whenever you liked. They are delightful. Truly. I'm not just saying that because they are mine.

Rae and I also really loved Broadchurch, the first two seasons of Death in Paradise and Endeavour.

Oh! I am hoping you get that Fitbit!!

>117 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

Hi Mamie! Enjoy those last few hours with just your girls :)

This weekend has not been good, step-wise. Too much work and answering emails. Ah well. I am hoping the scenery in Alaska will motivate me to spend what little free time I have outside. Though that's also when I usually have a glass or two of wine... Decisions, decisions...

Hello, Katie! I will!

I am not surprised that you are having trouble getting your steps in with everything else that you have to do. I think you are doing great. The scenery in Alaska...*sigh* Soak up some of that for me, please. I say don't skimp on the wine - that decompress at the end of the day is so important. Perhaps a bit of both - first a walk and then the wine?

Hi Mamie! I have stopped moving for the day now (but amazingly I'm still awake) so the leaderboard is yours for the taking. Which I'm sure you will have by tomorrow morning :-)

Hello, Susan! Well, thank goodness you have stopped moving for the day - I have a lot of stepping to do for a holiday just to break even with you. I will try to catch you just so that you can humble me all over again tomorrow morning. *grin*

It's nice to see all the Jason Isaacs/Case Histories love over here. I do wish Kate Atkinson would write another Jackson Brodie book but I haven't heard of one being imminent. You will love the one with the dog (Started Early, Took My Dog of course), I think!

Hello, Julia!!! Lovely to see you here! I am in the Jackson groove right now, so I am planning to just read straight through them. The audio of Case Histories is really well done - Susan Jameson narrates it. The only thing I don't like about it is how she does the voice of Marlee, Jackson's daughter - too whiny and bitchy. Not how I see her at all. Anyway, it's a great way to revisit the book. Very much looking forward to Started Early, Took My Dog now that you have bumped that one. LOVE the title!!

I loved Started Early, Took My Dog! I was sad to catch up with that series since that meant there were no more unread books to look forward to. I did stumble onto a readalike - The Invisible Ones by Stef Penney. But that one's a standalone.

Hi Mamie, way back in >70 Crazymamie: you mentioned introducing your chocolate noir to film noir. What a heavenly image that is!

My hubby and I just finished watching Hinterland and are about to start season two of Broadchurch. My personal addiction right now is Scandal. I never watched this as a regular tv show but started it on Netflicks and now I just can't get enough.

Crazy--Whew! Just catching up here. Sounds like you had a great couple of days. Loving your food pics!! And I love that you have certain series that you watch with your kids. I do too! Need to choose some new ones with the girls again now that they are home for the summer. Jack and I watch Grimm together, oh, and The Flash. : )

Happy Tuesday, Mamie!
I'm with everyone else on the low step count this weekend. That, plus the ginormous milkshake on Saturday means I have some work cut out for me this week...

Good morning, Mamie!

Where oh where have I seen Jason Issacs? He looks so familiar but can't place him and I've never watched Case Histories. *Mmmm, befuddled as usual*

Morning Mamie! I am enjoying one more day off. I sure could get used to this, my friend.

Morning, Everyone! I cannot believe that May is almost over - it flew by for me, and I did not get as much reading done as I wanted. Hoping to finish up a couple today to improve my stats for the month, but we will see.

The boys made it home safe and sound yesterday afternoon, and they brought us lunch from a favorite restaurant, so that was lovely. And delicious. Then they both took a nap. Ha! Mark will appreciate that Craig brought me home a bunch of different craft beers to try - one of the markets that we used to frequent in Indiana now has a huge selection of them, and you can make your own six pack, which is WAY COOL. I am very excited about trying some new ones.

The dogs go to the groomer this morning, and not a moment too soon, the poor dears. I did try and get them in sooner, but she was booked, and this was the first opening. They will be feeling footloose and fancy free once they loose some of that hair.

Nothing too over taxing on the agenda today - pay the bills, organize my desk, which is once again in chaos, and return some books to the library. I have no idea what's for dinner, but I will figure it out and report back.

Wishing for all of you a Tuesday full of happy!

*edited to fix the typo that Mark caught

Okay. Back from dropping the dogs at the groomer and ready to catch up with the thread.

>126 cbl_tn: I think that is probably why I have been hoarding them, Carrie - because there are only four. Thanks for the rec of the readalike - making a note of that.

>127 DeltaQueen50: Hey, Judy! I liked that one, too - felt like it had been written just for me.

Rae and I both like season two of Broadchurch and were relieved to see that there will be another season. Abby and I watch Scandal together - another that is really good is How to Get Away with Murder. I hardly ever watch things on regular tv - except sports. I have no patience for the commercials and for having to report in at certain time to watch. Netflix has completely ruined me for regular tv. I feel like Veruca in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - "I want it NOW."

>128 Berly: Kim! Hello there! We did have a very lovely indulgent extended weekend - highly recommended!

I love watching different shows with different kids - so fun. None of the other kids love murder mysteries as much as Rae and I do, so I love that that is our thing. Abby and I try to pick shows with gratuitous sex and violence. *blink* Just kidding, but it does seem to work out that way, as two of our current favs are Game of Thrones and TrueBlood. Ha!

Abby, Birdy and Dan are watching Flash together. They also like Arrow.

>129 scaifea: Happy Tuesday, Amber! My step count would have been lower except for Susan. She motivated me to get up and get going, otherwise I would have probably been content to sit. I am excited to get to a new month and watch everyone's progress - should be fun!

>130 Carmenere: Morning, Mark! Hooray for another day off! I bet you could get used to it. I think Craig will be a complete nut when he retires - he loves keeping busy, so we will have to find new hobbies for him. LOL!

Good morning, Mamie!

You reminded me in >133 Crazymamie: of one we use in our family all the time, from the Addams Family movie. Wednesday says "May I have the salt?" and Morticia reprimands her, "What do we say?" Wednesday, sternly: "Now!"

Morning, Joe! Love that one. And that is also funny because Veruca's last name is Salt! Remember?

>132 Crazymamie: Craft bees? I have not heard of those. Looking forward to your thoughts...grins.

>136 Crazymamie: Yes!

>137 msf59: Haha, Mark. Beer, I meant. Beer.

>138 jnwelch: *grin*

I'm happy to see the positive recommendations for Broadchurch here. I saw Olivia Colman in another thing (The Night Manager on AMC, with Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie. The miniseries overall ended up being kinda meh, but she was fabulous so I went looking for other stuff she's been in that is available over here, and found Broadchurch on Netflix.

Oh, Julia! Broadchurch is fabulous! Really well done and completely addictive.

>132 Crazymamie: Good luck with that beer selection. Let me know if any of them, ring your bells.

There is actually a rock group from Chicago called Veruca Salt, that is really good. They have not released anything in a long time but it is great stuff.

Will do, Mark! To name a few, I have Dragon's Milk, Mad Hatter, and The Poet. You will love this - Craig was in Indiana because his nephew was getting married. His new wife is an assistant brewmaster.

That is so cool about the band - I will have to see if I can find something to listen to by them.

>130 Carmenere: Jason Isaacs is probably most recognizable as Lucius Malfoy from the Harry Potter movies. He was also in the Jennifer Aniston movie "Friends with Money".

>133 Crazymamie: Yea for a third season of "Broadchurch"!

>140 rosalita: Funny to see Olivia Colman mentioned as I was watching "Peepshow" last night. It's a big leap from a show like that to "Broadchurch".

>144 mstrust: Thank you for that, Jennifer - I managed to miss replying to Lynda this morning.

Rae and I were also very excited about the third season of Broadchurch.

I adore Olivia Colman - so talented!

"Broadchurch," eh? OK, then. I've been looking for a new series.

MAMIE! I have Finally caught up. Glad to see you had a wonderful Happy Mother's Day.

Paint on fluoride is the best... glad to see you dentist likes to paint. ;-0 Also, so very happy to learn that Mercy's spider bit has healed. Poor Mercy! I hate spider bites.

Wait.... Dove chocolates come with messages/advice?! You may just convert me from being a tried and true Lindt addict, just so that I can get hidden messages. Intrigued.

I tend to love Friday the 13th.... helps when everyone is being overly cautious and trying not to make waves = a very relaxing day for me. ;-) That, and my last two cats have been black.

Glad to see you have had some wonderful weather... what is spring without sunshine and the bursts of more to come?

Taking a BB for The Bird Artist. Uh huh.

New shoes! Love them! I am assuming that they are for walking. Curious, why do your kids call them your "Peyton Shoes"? Is it the colour scheme? Good choice on the socks. I am totally into low cut socks... trying to minimize tan lines, don't you know.... although I am developing interesting strap lines from my Columbia sandals that don't exactly work well with my office wardrobe shoes.

Good luck with your fitbit group!

I love when a reader has to let a book "marinate".

Glad to see that Mercy is doing well after her rabies vaccine. That is one thing that we never needed to get for the furkids back in Alberta/.... or wait, maybe we did. Overall, I have no memories of adverse reactions, etc so I can only assume that all was well.

>93 Crazymamie: - Dinner looks YUM! We have finally settled on a menu balance of alternating days of animal protein and vegetarian. Today was a "vegetarian" day which was a tad tricky in that my other half suddenly informed me that he wants to incorporate more tumeric into our diet. The man is a master of ill-timed planning but, whatever. I did the deed and will probably be back posting a mix menu offerings over on my thread.

Glad to see that the boys made it home safely and all is well and YAY for watching Broadchurch and not the U.S. market geared adaptation GracePoint> that was shot here in Victoria. Not to slag the location (like I would!), but I have an issue when UK dramas are re-done for a U.S. market - like the U.S. market cannot understand the dialect or something, almost like it is degrading the intelligence of the U.S. viewer. Anyways, that is my beef and I am so happy you have been watching the original version, even if it means you don't get to see Oak Bay and other areas of Victoria that were used when shooting GracePoint. ;-)

Have a great (and, um, restful) day, Mamie!

Hi Mamie! Happy birthday! I hope there will be chocolate.

It's your birthday!?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LADY!!! I hope it turns out to be the Best One Yet!

Happy Birthday, Mamie.

Birthday? Birthday?

Happy Birthday, Mamie!

Morning Mamie! Happy Birthday, book buddy! Have a wonderful day!

>143 Crazymamie: I like Founders Brewery. They are available here. Is The Poet a Founders beer? I had not heard of that one.

Hello, Everyone! Thank you so much for the birthday wishes!!! I am very excited to be 49 today - I know some people don't like getting older, but I like to think of it as an adventure, and I am always ready for the next step.

We had quite the drama last evening - Daniel dislocated his ankle while sliding into home at a softball practice. So he received treatment from paramedics and then got taken to the ER. A mere seven hours later he was home again - they had to reduce it twice to get it set correctly. He broke his fibula and his tibia, but no nerve damage, so we are very thankful for that. He will have to get an orthopedic evaluation today. It's in a splint right now, but they will have to cast it.

Strangely enough, this was not n the plans for my birthday celebration. Go figure.

Oh Mamie - Too bad about Daniel. My kids both broke fingers, wrists playing baseball, softball. I should count my blessings. I hope he heals quickly. Too bad he'll be in a cast for the summer! I imagine he's pretty bummed. You'll have to find some good books to distract him.

Catching up with the thread:

>146 BLBera: Oh, yes, Beth. Do give Broadchurch a try.

>147 lkernagh: Lori! What a lovely and thorough post!!

The Dove chocolate advice is printed on the inside of the wrapper. SO fun!

We are also fans of Friday the 13th since our first child was born on one. I remember they came in to ask me what name we had chosen for her, and I said, "Jason", thinking she would get the movie reference, but the nurse looked at me seriously and said, "Honey, you had a girl."

And right - Peyton shoes because they are orange and blue, like the Broncos colors. I really love those shoes!

The Fitbit group is proving to be fun - there are twelve of us so far, and it is keeping me motivated to get up and get those steps every day. Hooray for that!

As far as marinating my reads - I am still thinking about The Master and Margarita - really good, but almost impossible to describe. I still can't quite wrap my head around it.

Mercy continues to do awesome - her bite is completely healed and she did great with the vaccines when they were given to her separately like that with meds before hand to stave off a reaction. I'm so thankful.

We have had some great meals lately, and I am glad that I don't have to worry about trying to keep it vegetarian - that would be really hard for me. My gang will eat almost anything and we have very few allergies (most of them are mine), so it makes the task an easy one, and I LOVE to cook, so... I will be interested to see what you come up with in your menu plan.

I honestly didn't even know there was an "American" version of Broadchurch until it was mentioned here. SO interesting that they feel they need to do that. My thoughts run in the same direction as yours - so not necessary.

Thanks so much for taking the time to catch up with me and to write such a lovely, lengthy post.

>148 susanj67: Thank you, Susan! Ha! I am pretty sure there will be less stepping today.

>149 cbl_tn: Hi Carrie! And thank you! There will definitely be chocolate - Birdy has already left milk chocolate and dark chocolate sea salt cashews on my desk. I am gazing longingly at the bags, but so far I have resisted temptation - once they are open, all bets are off. I am completely addicted to them.

>150 scaifea: Yep! I'm 49 today!! And I thank you for those wishes. Going to be a bit of a bizarre day with Dan needing to go to the orthopedic evaluation - lunch at the Mexican restaurant is SO not happening. And we are all exhausted from just getting to bed at 5 this morning, so it could turn into a day of napping. I'll take what I can get - I'm not picky. For dinner Chinese takeout, I think. YUM!

>151 BLBera: Thank you, Beth!

>152 jnwelch: I LOVE that graphic, Joe! Thank you!

>153 msf59: Morning, Mark! Thank you for those wishes!

The Poet is actually from New Holland Brewing Company, but it does have the look of the Founders beers - I am also a fan of those.

>155 BLBera: Beth, Daniel is 21, so probably older than you are thinking. But yes, he will be bummed about being in a cast for summer - he is a very active guy, so this will be very hard for him. Luckily he had asked off work for the next week because he was going to help a friend with an event, so he doesn't have to worry about figuring that out while he is still hurting so much.

Forgot to comment on the relief of Mercy's bite healing and no reaction to her vaccinations which are now complete!

POOR Daniel! That's major breaks and a sports-less summer unless he takes on managerial duties.

And last, but not least, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

>159 ronincats: We were thrilled with Mercy's outcome, Roni.

POOR Daniel is so right - he is a very active young man, so no Ultimate Frisbee and no softball will be major bummers for him.

And thank you! Definitely a memorable birthday. Ha!

Happy Birthday Mom!!! It's going to be a memorable one!

LOL! Thank you, Abby! Memorable, for sure.

So Daniel will be going to surgery on Friday to stabilize the fractures and finish the realignment of his dislocation, Then he has to be off work for 6-8 weeks. Poor, poor baby. We appreciate any positive thoughts you can send his way.

Birthday greetings (and comiserations to poor Daniel). I brought a flower. Wish I could send the scent of the first rose that opened in the garden this morning. Google must be working on that though?!

Thank you, Charlotte - very thoughtful. Also beautiful. Sending the scent would be awesome - perhaps someday.

I'll be thinking of Daniel! I am sorry to hear of his break. When I was young, I always thought it would be cool to have break a bone and have a cast. Well, I did not break a bone til I was 48 or so and it was not fun or cool to wear a cast on my wrist and neither the was the reduction that had to done on my wrist. I also fractured my foot at the same time and so had to wear a boot cast on leg. People asked me - a ski accident? No, in fact I'd slipped and fell the foyer of our townhouse. After a while I just yes to the ski accident.

Birthday wishes , Mamie, and I'll be thinking of your Daniel. . Hugs, Mamie!

Thank you, Deborah! At least it's not his face - the only bones he has broken before this were his eye orbital and his jaw. Two separate occasions. Those reductions are no fun - they did two last night, but it is still not right, so now he will have the surgery. They also have to stabilize the tibia, so I think he is getting a plate and a fusion or something like that. At least it is outpatient, so he will get to come home.

You seem to have waited a long time to start breaking bones, but then jumped into it with gusto - I have broken both wrists multiple times, an ankle, and multiple toes. I am really good with breaking the toes while on vacation. I never had any exciting stories to explain the breaks, either. I like that you just agreed to the ski accident. Ha! You should have said espionage and that you couldn't really talk about it.

I thank you for the birthday wishes, and for your very entertaining post! And Daniel and I both truly appreciate the thoughts and the hugs.

Hey, Bill!

Happy birthday dear Mamie! Happy Birthday to yoooooooou!

So sorry to here of Daniel's upcoming surgery. He really put his all into the game. Was it the winning run?

>144 mstrust: >130 Carmenere: Oh yeah! Duh!

Howdy, Mamie. My thoughts are with you and Daniel. My daughter broke her arm in early Spring. She's getting back to normal, but the arm is still tender.

So sorry to hear about Daniel's ankle. Ouch! This will be a memorable birthday for you for all the wrong reasons. :-(

>157 Crazymamie: Oh yeah, I have seen The Poet after all. We also get New Holland beer too. I have never tried it though. Note to self...

So sorry to hear about Daniel's surgery. Poor guy. Tell him, the Mighty 75 will all be cheering for him.

>170 Carmenere: Thank you, Lynda! I am looking forward to next year so that I can constantly refer to the fact that I am one half of a century and therefore wise. LOL!

He really put his all into the game. Was it the winning run? Um...no...sadly not. It was a practice. *parental sigh*

>171 brodiew2: Hey there, Brodie! Thank you for those thoughts. It's going to be a long road back for Daniel, poor guy. We could use the Hogwarts infirmary to mend these bones faster, huh?!

>172 cbl_tn: Very true, Carrie. He kept his sense of humor throughout, which is telling, I think. He was in a lot of pain but still joking around.

>173 msf59: I am excited to try them, Mark! And I will tell Dan - you guys are the absolute best. I believe in the positive powers of the Mighty 75.

>163 Crazymamie: Hmmm. I blame that Chase Utley.

Oh, gosh, Mamie, I'm so sorry about Daniel's troubles! Not at all the best birthday present for a mom. Dang. I'll be keeping him and you in my thoughts, friend.

>161 Thebookdiva: *snork!* Love it, Abby!

Happy Birthday!



And healing vibes to Daniel...

>175 weird_O: So I had to goggle Chase Utley, Bill. Ha! We are not baseball people, can you tell? I think that Daniel has never even seen an entire baseball game - he is just willing to play any sport that is not technically a contact sport (he only has one good kidney). Okay. Wait. I take that back. He and some friends went to see a Braves game last year. SO one. He has seen one game. Daniel just loves to go whole hog.

>176 scaifea: Thank you, Amber! Right - I did remind him that I don't like surprises. Especially for birthdays - I am funny that way. Thanks for keeping us in your thoughts.

Abby is a hoot, isn't she?!

>177 katiekrug: Thank you, Katie!! You made me laugh out loud with that graphic! And I appreciate the healing vibes. Tomorrow I take him to his pre-surgical evaluation. Should be fun. At least I know exactly where to go and what to expect since I just did it myself with my gallbladder in November. It was a hurry up and wait thing, but every single person there was so very kind, which makes all the difference in the world.

Happy birthday, my dear.

We are now the same age for at least a little while before I beat you across the Rubicon in September.

Morning, Mamie! How's Daniel this morning? How's Daniel's mom faring?

>179 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul! I am delighted to share 49 with you, even if you must leave me in your dust when you cross the Rubicon.

>180 scaifea: Morning, Amber! Daniel is in pain. And he is also looking a bit worse for wear - we are going to shampoo his hair this morning, so that will help. Daniel's mom is doing okay - he has a kidney condition, so we went through lots of hospital time and lab work when he was younger and also a surgery. I will be happy when the surgery part is over - I think he will be in less pain when everything is back in its proper place and he has a solid cast instead of a splint. Daniel's mom is also a bit peeved that there was no dessert last night - they are totally going to have to make that up to me.

Morning Mamie! Gorgeous day in Chicagoland!

Sorry to hear Daniel is in pain. Nothing hurts a parent more, seeing their kids suffering. Hope he gets relief soon.

Morning, Mark! It has boon so HOT here lately - temps in the 90s with high humidity. Not fun. Glad to see that you are getting some gorgeous.

So true about parenting - I want to just be able to fix it.

Okay. SO May was my least productive month, reading wise:

Books Completed in May:
58. The Bird Artist by Howard Norman (4 stars), library hardback, literary fiction, GR
59. Pietr the Latvian by Georges Simenon (3 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, crime fiction/police procedural - series recommended by Charlotte
60. The Crowded Grave by Martin Walker (4 stars), 2016 acquired paperback, crime fiction/police procedural
61. The Other Side of Silence by Phillip Kerr (4.5 stars), library hardback, crime fiction/mystery - recommended by Suz and Charlotte
62. Frozen Sun by Stan Jones (2.5 stars), library hardback, crime fiction/police procedural
63. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov (thinking), 2016 acquired paperback, Russian literature
64. A Talent for War by Jack McDevitt (4.3 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, space opera/mystery

Only seven books finished, and most of them were mysteries. I was in a murder kind of mood, I guess, as The Bird Artist and The Master and Margarita also contained murder.

All of the authors were male. I read no non-fiction. Five of the books were part of a series - I do love me a good series. Three of them were from the library and the rest were newly acquired. Three hardbacks, one paperback, one paperback/audiobook combo, and two ebooks. Only one of the books was very recently published, the rest were older.

I shall try to do better in June.

Hiya, Mamie. Sounds like you had a good birthday, even with Daniel's bustuppedness? My sympathy to Daniel; being hobbled during summer has got to be a drag.

>177 katiekrug: Love it! That Katie knows how to do things right.

Way to go on the series reading.

Hope Daniel's hair is now looking splendid (and the pain is less, if not gone altogether).


I brought cake.

>185 jnwelch: Um...I would say a decent birthday, Joe. I will have to go for fabulous next year, I guess. Pretty much we were all exhausted from the previous evening of drama, so it was actually kind of comical. In a truly pathetic way. The great thing is that we were all together - don't know how many more of those I'll get, so I do love that we all got to be together in one place for it.

Agreed. Katie rocks.

>186 charl08: Thank you, Charlotte!

Daniel's hair is looking so much better! Ah, the miracles of water and shampoo.

And thank you for the cake!! Looks yummy!

>187 Crazymamie: The great thing is that we were all together - don't know how many more of those I'll get, so I do love that we all got to be together in one place for it.

I think that's the best gift any of us can get - to be surrounded by our loved ones. Anything else is a bonus!

It sounds like Daniel could use some chocolate. I've heard that it has some analgesic properties. :-)

Truth, Carrie. Good thinking with the chocolate. I feel in need of some myself.

Belated happy birthday Mamie and so sorry to hear about Daniel's ankle. :-(

Lovely new thread, Ro! Great photo of Bruce.

>190 souloftherose: Thank you, Heather. His surgery is early tomorrow morning, so after that he will be on the road to recovery.

>191 ronincats: Thank you, Roni! Um...Bruce?

Happy (belated) Birthday!
Sorry about the surgery, but it is very nice it's not the face. :) EEK! Too bad he has to be uncomfortable for so many days before. :( Poor kid.

>93 Crazymamie: I may have missed the review on the burgers? Were they good? The photo is almost edible.

So here are the books I picked for my birthday:



spill, simmer, falter wither by Sara Baume - this one just sounded good
The Glorious Heresies by Lisa McInerney - because of Charlotte's review
The Honeymoon by Dinitia Smith - fictional account of George Elliot's honeymoon in Venice 1880
happy family by Tracy Barone - another one that just sounded good
A Country Road, A Tree by Jo Baker - I loved her Longbourn

And for my main birthday gift, I got the new Kindle Oasis, which I am completely and utterly in love with.

>193 nittnut: Thank you, Jenn! Right - I love that it is not the face. And we lucked out in that he is the first surgery up tomorrow - HOORAY for that!

The burgers were truly fabulous - that sauce was just delicious. A huge hit, so we will definitely make them again.

>192 Crazymamie: Errant click of the mouse, Mamie. That was supposed to go on luvamystery's new thread. Can't explain it otherwise.

Roni, I have done that before! No worries.

What perfect b-day presents! You lucky girl! You'll all be in my thoughts tomorrow as Daniel goes in to surgery. Healing mojo is sent your way as is a cyber bottle of wine for you.

Perfect is right, Lynda! And thank you so much for thinking of Daniel - we have to have him there at 6am.

That's 12 pm in Spain so easy to remember.

Cool!

>194 Crazymamie: Good evening, Mamie. I was perusing B&N earlier this week, bought one book, Smoke: A Novel, and collected four other Kindle samples from books I thought deserved a closer look. spill, simmer, falter wither was on that list. I have read the opening found it captivating and passionate writing. I'm glad someone else has discovered it as well. :-)

Not familiar with the books in your Birthday Book Haul but I will wait to be enlightened.

Nice job, on the Kindle Oasis! Sweet!

>202 brodiew2: Good evening, Brodie. How cool that spill, simmer, falter, wither hit your radar, too! I am hoping to read my birthday books this month - I purposefully chose ones that I wanted to read right now. SHould be a fun project.

>203 msf59: Mark! I have stumped you!! I think they are all very recently published - especially the last three, which are brand new hardbacks. I don't usually purchase hardbacks, but I thought it would be fun to pass them along when I am finished with them unless I totally fall in love and can't bear to part with them.

And yes, the Kindle Oasis is awesome. LOVE that I can once again turn the page manually. And it is a dream for those of us with carpal tunnel - so lightweight, ergonomically designed so that you can hold it in either hand and benefit from the design - the page rotates and the upper button always turns the page forward, the lower one always backwards. Truly brilliant. Worth every penny.

Okay, I partially take that back- I recently requested a copy of The Glorious Heresies from somewhere. It really sounds like my cuppa...

Feeling somewhat redeemed...Oh yeah, I really enjoyed Longbourn...inching closer.

Ha! Charlotte reviewed The Glorious Heresies on her thread, and she loved it. And Longbourn was really well done.

Oh Mamie!! So sorry I missed your birthday yesterday and also hate the news about Daniel's ankle. I hope he has quick, thorough healing. (and hope you that your get your birthday dessert soon ;-) )

Reba, thank you so much for those thoughts and wishes! Craig is going to make me an apple streusel pie on Sunday, so I am very happy.

Hey mom stopping by to see you.

Well, hello Rae! SO lovely to see you here!!

Happy DayAfterYourBirthday!

Love your book haul!

Ah, the first few days after breaking a bone(s!) hurt! I hope Daniel is doing well and that surgery is able to put it all right.

Mamie, I'm sorry to hear about Daniel. I hope everything goes well today and he is soon feeling better.

And I have MAJOR Oasis envy :-)

Morning, Mamie!

Good morning, Mamie! Happy Friday!

You stumped me with those books, too, although I know Jo Baker from the most excellent Longbourn. Looking forward to hearing your reactions to them.

Wonderful book haul. I fancy the new kindle too!

Morning Mamie! Happy Friday! You must be completely absorbed in your Kindle Oasis. I can understand that...

HI Mamie, just checking in to check on Daniel. Hope all went smoothly!

First of all, thanks so much for all the positive thinking and wishes for Daniel. This group is such a huge blessing, and it is touching that our shared love of reading has led to so many other kindnesses. I truly appreciate each and every one of you. Daniel's surgery went very well - they put a plate with six screws anchoring it into his fibula and needed to do a bone graph because part of the bone had been shattered. They were able to properly set and put his tibia back into place without having to stabilize it with a fusion, so that was really excellent news. Better than expected. Now begins the long recovery process - he goes back to the surgeon on Monday to get it checked, and we will go from there. He will get new films taken in three weeks to check the progress. It's in a splint right now, but eventually it will be casted. Daniel takes his health very seriously, so I have no doubts that he will do exactly what they tell him to concerning his recovery and rehabilitation.

You know I always love me a Friday, but I am especially grateful for this one. What a week! Let's not do it again, please.

>211 streamsong: Thank you, Janet! I am also very pleased with the book haul. *grin*

I think that Daniel will be hurting quite a bit the next few days and then have less pain then he has been experiencing. Not having the bones in the right place was not good, and he was managing the pain but never quite able to be feeling comfortable. I am confident that things will start improving now.

>212 susanj67: Thank you, Susan. We are all relieved to have the surgery behind us and so very thankful that things went so smoothly with a better than expected outcome.

You NEED an Oasis. Trust me when I say it is worth the price tag.

>213 scaifea: Hello, Amber! Thanks for stopping in!

>214 jnwelch: Hey there, Joe! Yes - Happy Friday!!! I started reading Spill, simmer, falter, wither this morning while Daniel was in surgery, and I am loving it. Beautifully written.

>215 charl08: Thank you, Charlotte! The new Kindle is a charmer - I am completely in love with it. And Abby loves it, too, because I let her have my Paperwhite.

>216 msf59: Morning, Mark! Happy Friday, indeed! Actually my poor Kindle was left home today - I took one of my brand new pint books to the hospital for company. Don't worry - I promise to make it up to the Oasis. It will get plenty of love today, too.

>217 Carmenere: Thanks for checking in, Lynda. He did so well with the surgery. We feel blessed that he had such a good outcome.

I am so happy that Daniel's surgery went off, without a hitch. I did not realize it was going to be so extensive. Poor Kid. Good luck to him, on his recovery.

I'm so happy that Daniel's surgery is behind him and that things went well . I was thinking of him last night and this morning. As Mark mentioned, I did not realize how extensive the surgery was. That must have been a bad break. Fortunately he a young man at 21 and young people do so well with recovery compared to old folks like me! :)

>221 msf59: Me, too, Mark - and relieved that everything went so smoothly. And yes - he really did a number on that leg. The doctor said it might never be the same again, but that was when he thought they were going to have to stabilize the tibia. Thanks so much for those good wishes.

>222 vancouverdeb: It is a load off to have the surgery over with, Deborah. Thanks so much for keeping him in your thoughts - that means the world to me. It was indeed a very bad break. What you say is so true - youth has its advantages. And luckily, Daniel was in very good shape before it happened, so rehabbing the leg will be very similar to the strength training and exercise that he was already doing. The hard part will be getting him to tale it easy and to be patient with slow steady progress.

So glad the surgery went well, Mamie. I'm sure he'll be much more comfortable shortly. Good news about the tibia.

Thanks, Roni! I was elated about the tibia and totally agree about his comfort level improving very soon.

Gee whiz, I go away for a few days and you have a birthday and Daniel breaks his ankle. Good luck with keeping him quiet!

Hi Mamie! So glad the surgery went well. I hope the recovery is fast and relatively painless.

Oooh. Kindle Oasis is on my wishlist. Good to hear it's as awesome as I thought it might be.

I have put a pin in the Swiss pan burgers. Going to make them next week, I think.

Hope the rest of your weekend goes beautifully.

Hi Mamie! Glad to hear that Daniel's surgery went well. I hope he'll be able to rest comfortably this weekend.

Glad to hear the surgery went well Mamie. Hope you have a more restful weekend after all the "excitements".

Mamie, it sounds as though everything went well, and I hope Daniel is feeling a bit better today (or has the good painkillers).

Morning, All! This week has been so messed up that it doesn't really feel like Saturday. Of course, I don't know what day it does feel like. Ha! I went to bed really early last night and slept straight through - this NEVER happens. I finally feel rested, which is a very lovely thing. Nothing on the agenda for today except paying some bills, so hooray for that. Craig is off to the hospital and then to the office, as he is on call this weekend, so for the moment, the house is quiet. I am trying to soak it up.

On the reading front, I am behind in my reviews again, so I need to get those cranked out - probably will be just mini-reviews with a few of my thoughts on the book. As I mentioned to Joe yesterday, I am really loving the writing in spill, simmer, falter, wither, which was one of my birthday picks. Speaking of books, the Revenant, which Mark raved about is one of the Kindle Daily Deals - you can snag it for just $2.99 today.

Happy Saturday to you!

>226 sibylline: I know, right, Lucy?! We cannot be trusted when left to our own devices. Thank you for those wishes- I am going to need them.

>227 nittnut: Hey, Jenn! Thank you for those good wishes.

Seriously, the Kindle Oasis is wicked good. The coolest one yet, and it has all the features that I love. Plus, the battery lasts even longer and the device is lighter in weight - I remove the leather cover when I am reading to take advantage of the ergonomic design. Fabulous. Truly.

Those Swiss pan burgers were awesome - we all loved them. The only thing I would change is to maybe add a bit of ground pork or something a bit fatter to the meat to help them be more moist. And we wanted caramelized onions to go along with our cheese and rosemary-mushroom sauce - we are greedy that way.

Thanks for those weekend wishes - hoping yours is full of fabulous!

>228 cbl_tn: Thank you, Carrie. He is OUT right now. They gave him good pain meds!

>229 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte. Right. Enough excitement, already.

>230 susanj67: It really did, Susan. I don't know yet how Daniel is feeling today because he is still sound asleep - a good sign, I am thinking. He does indeed have very good pain killers - thank goodness.

Morning, Mamie! I'm so, so glad to hear that Daniel's surgery went well! Here's hoping you all have a lovely, quiet Saturday.

Morning, Amber! The surgery was full of fabulous, for sure, and I am s very thankful. And thank you for those wishes. I know you will have fun today because you get to spend it with Charlie - and there will be pizza!!

I'm sending good thoughts for a rapid, uneventful recovery. Have a nice, quiet weekend.

Beth - so funny because I was just over at your place! Thank you so much for those thoughts! They are perfect ones.

Morning Mamie! Happy Saturday! Glad you mentioned The Revenant ebook deal. I thought the film was just okay but really liked the book.

Morning, Mark! Happy Saturday! I'm not really interested in the film at all, but the book I would read.

Mamie I'm sorry I missed your birthday. Happy Belated Birthday. So much going on at the Pecan Paradiso. Too much. I'm glad Daniel is better. Will send him my best thoughts for recovery. This week is almost over and tomorrow starts fresh. Enjoy your weekend.

>191 ronincats: Thanks Ro! *grins*

Roberta, thank you so much. You're are right - an overfull week for us. Next week will be better. Every day is a new opportunity - I love that!

Happy Belated Birthday!

Cool on the new Kindle!

So glad Daniel's surgery went well

Happy birthday!

Morning, Mamie!

>241 SuziQoregon: Thank you, Juli! SO great to see you out and about on the threads. You have been missed.

>242 drneutron: Thank you, Jim! I ended up loving Zero World, so thanks for recommending it - so fun. I am ready for the next one. Have you read his Darwin Elevator series?

>243 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

Happy Sunday, Mamie!

I have to remember to thank Jim as well for Zero World, even though I caught the frisbee from you. Like you, I loved it and can't wait to read the next one. I haven't read The Darwin Elevator, and didn't realize it's part of a series.

I've just started the Nebula winner, Uprooted, by Naomi Novik, and all indications are I'm going to enjoy it.

I join Mark in warbling about the excellence of Lab Girl.

>245 jnwelch: Happy Sunday, Joe!

I picked up The Darwin Elevator because it was by the same author, and it is only $1.99 on Kindle right now - figured I'd try it while I wait for the sequel to Zero World.

Abby has Uprooted, and she started it, but I don't think she has finished it yet.

Lab Girl, huh - I'll think about it. It's not calling to me yet.

Happy belated birthday, Mamie. Good that Daniel's surgery went well and good timing on his part. Better this birthday than the next!

Thank you, Meg! Ha - I'll tell him that!

>244 Crazymamie: I haven't yet, but the series is on my list!

So today we are celebrating my Unbirthday. Board games currently, to be followed my nachos. Then they will be singing me Happy and, Craig has made not one but two apple pies with a pecan streusel topping for dessert. And two new wrapped packages have emerged, so I am most excited.

>249 drneutron: I have started The Darwin Elevator, so I'll let you know what I think, Jim.

A very Merry unbirthday to you!

Happy Unbirthday! Apple pie with pecan streusel sounds yummy!

>252 mstrust: Thank you, Jennifer!

>253 cbl_tn: Thank you, Carrie! The pie was delicious, and to top things off we were all treated to an absolutely GORGEOUS sunset.

Mmm, apple pie - sounds good and an unbirthday worth waiting for! Just had a boo at the group Fitbit site. I am seriously falling behind, will have to pick up the pace to keep up with you all.

Happy unbirthday Mamie!

Apple Pie and a Very Merry Un-Birthday! With more presents! Excellent.

Wishing you a Very Merry Un-Monday, Mamie!

>255 Familyhistorian: The pie was delicious, Meg, and the unbirthday was full of fabulous. I am loving the Fitbit group as it makes me walk more than I would have on my own every day.

>256 The_Hibernator: Thank you, Rachel!

>257 scaifea: It was so fun, Amber - highly recommended! And thank you for those wishes. I have to take Daniel back to the surgeon's office today so they can check his leg, so of course it is storming outside. Yep. It's Monday.

Good morning, Mamie!

Celebrating your unbirthday - what a good idea. This year's birthday wasn't the usual for you or your fellow celebrants.

A Fitbit group - excellent idea. I know Debbi and the kids and maybe some friends (not sure) are able to compare steps online and inspire each other. Our daughter, the preschool teacher, always wins during the week, because she's constantly in motion. She averages around 17,000 or so, if I remember correctly. I don't have one, but Walklover (the online name is accurate) does, so she lets me know how we're doing when we're together.

Ramadan started today so I will exit the month a slimmer me and one determined to have it last until my 50th.

Relieving to see that Daniel came through surgery in pain but all problems settled.

Also excited to see a Rae sighting above and wish it was a much less in-frequent event.

Like the birthday book haul but, of course, you would have predicted that, I guess. xx

Morning Mamie! Another warm, sunny day in Chicagoland. I hope you have a good one.
Can't wait to start digging deeper into Jane Steele.

We're back form the surgeon's appointment! Of course, it was pouring down rain - luckily they have a covered drop off area. Daniel's incision is about seven inches long! It's looking good, but he has a lot of swelling in his foot - this is normal, I guess. We have been keeping it up and iced. He goes back in ten days, and if the incision is healed, they will cast his leg then. Daniel is doing an excellent job of being still - no easy task for him. And bonus - there is a Starbucks in that building, so I latted up on the way out. Hooray for civilization!

>262 Crazymamie: I'm glad I have a full head of hair otherwise.........

>259 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! So true about this year's birthday, but the Unbirthday has completely made up for it. They even sang me Happy Unbirthday!

17,000 a day is AWESOME! I think that having a group makes it feel so much more fun - I love comparing stats and trying to catch up when I have fallen behind. Keeps me on my toes.

>260 PaulCranswick: Hello, Paul. I have put back on a few on my lost pounds, so I need to get with the program already.

Daniel is doing very well and is excited to get to the part where he can start rehabbing it.

Rae may be more present in these parts very soon - she is thinking about starting a thread.

And right - this group is always so supportive about book hauls! Ha! xx back to you, my dear.

>261 msf59: Morning, Mark! It is storming here with no end in sight - pretty much supposed to rain all day. We do need it, so it is a good thing.

I can't wait to get to Jane Steele!

>263 PaulCranswick: Haha! That's Danny Devito, Paul! I like that he still has his socks and shoes on - totally cracks me up!

>264 Crazymamie: Hooray on the Rae news. I will look out for that.

I am being a little conservative about my book buying this year. Last year's embezzlement in my company made me a little nervous about my spendthrift ways but I won't be able to curb my inclinations entirely. Only 150 added this year so far.

>265 Crazymamie: He starred in the movie Twins with Arnie. I have a twin - Peter - who is tall whilst I am not. Danny, the similarities abound.

Greetings and another happy unbirthday day to you. I'm happy to read Daniel is making progress!

Love Danny's turn. Thanks for the smile Mamie.
(Whisper it, but I think there are home grown Strawberries in my future...)

>266 PaulCranswick: I will tell her, Paul.

I love that 150 so far is conservative for you. Made me smile.

LOL about the fraternal twin issues!

>267 Carmenere: Thank you, Lynda! Daniel is completely exhausted now, so napping. We did stop by the library on the way home, and he was able to snag some movies and GNs for later, so he was happy about that.

>268 charl08: Anytime, Charlotte! *whispers* Strawberries! How lovely!

Hi Mamie! Haven't dropped by in a long time... no hope of getting all caught up with you, but just looking at some of your reading I see you've got Lonesome Dove to look forward to, and am a bit jealous you'll be discovering it for the first time (assuming you haven't read it before already?). I loved it so much I ended up listening to the whole series, one book after another, which is something I never do! Of course, LD is the best of the bunch, but I just wanted to stay with the characters for as many adventures as Larry McMurtry was willing to share with his readers.

Glad you enjoyed The Bird Artist. I was really blown away by it, and it ended up being a 5-star read for me, a rating I'm extremely parsimonious with. I guess the fact it's about an artist helped hook me in, but it's one of those books I already can't wait to reread. I don't think I would have picked it up if it hadn't been on David Bowie's list, so it was a bittersweet experience to read knowing one of my idols had loved that book too.

I read The Master and Margarita a while back, and decided it was one of those books I'd have to revisit more than once to help me make sense out of it, but it was certainly entertaining. I absolutely love the cover art you've put up there. Is that from the edition you actually own? If so, I must get my hands on it too!

Happy unbirthday. It sounds like Daniel is recovering. Enjoy the rest of the day.

Happy unbirthday Mamie! Glad Daniel's surgery went ok, hope the swelling goes down soon and he is in less pain soon.

>270 Smiler69: Hello, Ilana! SO very lovely to see you here! I have not read Lonesome Dove before, so yes, this will be the first time. I am impressed that you listened to the whole series back to back - wow!

I really loved The Bird Artist. Like you, I probably would not have read it if not for that Bowie list - I had never heard of it before.

I could definitely see myself coming back to reread The Master and Margarita - I think it is one of those books where the reader takes away something new each time. A lot to maul over, but I did love the writing. My copy is the same as the cover I posted - it's the new Penguin Deluxe Classics edition, and it is even more beautiful in person.

>271 BLBera: Thank you, Beth. Daniel is feeling much better today after his nap. They put a new dressing on his leg at the doctor's office, so I think that is feeling better, too. The rest of the day was lovely - I snagged a nap, and for dinner we had the Mamie Blue Plate Special (little cheddar meatloaves, mashed potatoes and gravy and corn). YUM!

>272 souloftherose: Thank you, Heather! I am hoping the swelling goes down, too, although the surgeon was not concerned abut it, so it must be routine for this type of surgery. Thanks so much for those thoughts and wishes.

Please give the kitty my love.

He sleeps.

>274 Crazymamie: Ahh, he must be worn out. That is a startling white cast!

>275 Familyhistorian: He does tire out very quickly these days, Meg. I think you're seeing the bag of ice on top of his leg - he is actually just in a splint for now. He has a seven inch incision which will have to heal before they will put a cast on. He goes back in ten days for a recheck.

Hope he keeps getting lots of those good zeds, Mamie.

>274 Crazymamie: Oh, the poor tiger! Still keeping him and you and the whole Pecan Gang in my thoughts, lady.

>274 Crazymamie: There's the wounded soldier! Poor guy! I am sure Mama Bear, is taking good care...

Morning, Mamie! Hope those current reads are treating you well. I know mine are. Grins...

>277 charl08: Me, too, Charlotte. He has not complained even once about anything, so he is a good sport.

>278 scaifea: I know, right?! We appreciate those thoughts so much, Amber, so thank you for them.

>279 msf59: Yep. There he is. Poor, poor baby. He has several Mama Bears at this point, as the girls are pretty protective of him.

Morning, Mark! I am enjoying my current reads, and i just added in White Noise for the Bowie read - picked it up from the library yesterday. I am liking it so far.

Hooray for multiple Mama Bears! Never hurts, right?

As long as it's the right kind of Mama.

>274 Crazymamie: - I was icing my foot this morning when I came upon this image. Guess I shouldn't whine too much about my slightly swollen foot :)

Hope you have a good Tuesday, my friend!

Everybody gets to whine about their own troubles, Katie. I hate swollen anything because it always hurts.

Thanks for those wishes. Hoping yours goes smoothly and that the swelling goes down in your foot.

>274 Crazymamie: Poor guy!

Morning, Mamie.

Hope peace reigns supreme at the Pecan Paradisio today.

He's handling it really well, Joe. What I hated was that he had to go so long in the ER with no pain meds because he had to be seen by a doctor first - he waited more than five hours.

Morning! I love that wish for the day!! Thank you! We have decided on Big Breakfast for dinner, so everyone is very excited about that.

Yes, please!

I'm so far behind on threads that I missed your birthday. Belated wishes to you!

>288 thornton37814: Thank you, Lori!

Just thought I would let you know that you are the first past 4,000 posts today, Mamie.

Top ten :

1 Mamie 4010
2 Mark 3737
3 Amber 3612
4 Paul 3402
5 Joe 3120
6 Charlotte 2423
7 Darryl 2304
8 Katie 1972
9 Ellen 1680
10 Barbara 1388

We've been away at a family wedding but I am so sorry to read of Daniel's accident and would like to add my best wishes for his swift recovery.

>287 Crazymamie: Oh, yes please. Pass the sunscreen...

Morning, Mamie!

>290 PaulCranswick: 4,000 posts? Chatty Mamie! Chatty Mamie!

Morning Mamie! I have the day off and I plan on spending plenty of time with Jane Steele. Faye rules!!

>291 DeltaQueen50: - Oh, I love that!

Morning, Mamie!

Morning, Y'all! I am enjoying the screened-in porch before it becomes unbearable. It is truly lovely right now - 73F, the sun is shining, the birds are singing...all is right in this world. Everyone (who is home - Rae and Craig are working) is still sleeping except for me. A rare occurrence, as Birdy usually rises with the sun. I am guessing she was up earlier and went back to bed. She likes to see Craig off to work.

I am happy to report that Daniel is feeling less pain as he settles into the serious task of mending that leg. I ordered him new crutches as the ones we have from way back when do not accommodate his 6 foot frame. RANT Get this - I ordered them from Amazon on Monday and paid for the one day shipping, and they are still not here. I called Amazon this morning (and get, I must say, the most unhelpful service person EVER) - according to my tracking info, they are in Tallahassee, Florida and will be here on Friday. What?! The lady I get tells me they are running late. "Really?" I said, "well, I paid for the one day shipping, and even if I hadn't, I have Amazon Prime, which guarantees two day shipping. So why am I not getting them until Friday?" She apologizes for the delay, and says apparently they are not on schedule. (I had kind of figured this out on my own) But, according to the newest info, they should be here by Thursday evening. "Thursday evening is still not Tuesday," I say. "I was guaranteed they would be here by Tuesday. I paid for that guarantee." Well, Thursday is close, she says. What? "Thursday is not close - Thursday and Tuesday are actually separated by an entire day," I tell her. She offers to refund by one day shipping costs. "Um...yes. You will have to refund the one day shipping cost since you did not in fact provide one day service." Let me just say that I could drive to Tallahassee and back today (it would take about 4 hours round trip), so the fact that Amazon cannot get them to me until Thursday evening makes my blood boil. I am usually a very calm and patient person, but this is ridiculous. There is some sort of time slippage in the South that I usually find charming - BUT NOT WITH MY DELIVERIES. Okay, I'm done. See? Perfectly calm and rational now. End of Rant

>290 PaulCranswick: Paul you brought the stats to me! Sweet! Thanks for that.

>291 DeltaQueen50: That made me laugh out loud, Judy! I LOVE it!! And thanks for those good wishes.

>292 charl08: *passes Charlotte the sunscreen*

>293 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

>294 msf59: Um...look whose right behind me, Mark! Happy day off! Hoping there is plenty of reading time in there.

>295 katiekrug: Me, too, Katie! Good Morning to you!

Good morning, Mamie!

>296 Crazymamie: How lousy. And of course it would be something that important. I'm surprised - I've never had Amazon screw up like that, and I thought not screwing up was a big point of emphasis with them. I'm also surprised the service people were so unhelpful and unsympathetic - we're talking about crutches for someone who's laid out, for goodness sake. They should have moved heaven and earth to do better by you.

Morning, Mamie.

>296 Crazymamie: Wow. And reading that reminds me what I sound like when dealing with screwups like that. And why I am the one to deal with them instead of my husband.

>298 jnwelch: Morning, Joe!

I know, right?! I will say that we have been happy Amazon customers for many years, and I have never had customer service be so unhelpful, either. They are usually very nice and really wanting to fix the problem quickly. This lady seemed like she could care less, and I lost it a little bit when she said that Thursday was close.

>299 Familyhistorian: Morning, Meg!

>300 ursula: Yep. I always deal with the screwups, too.

I am also a screwup-dealer-wither. I hate it.

Nice rant. Way to get your heart rate up in the morning ;-) Who needs steps?

I am usually calm and collected. And patient. Because the person dealing with correcting the issue is almost always not the one responsible for creating the issue. However, I have a very low tolerance for unhelpful when your job is to actually be helpful. At least pretend to be trying to fix the problem. I wanted to say, "Can I speak to someone who can actually feign interest in resolving the issue?" But I didn't. See? Good Mamie.

Thank you. And good thinking about the heart rate!!