Mamie's 2016 Madness (Page 15)

Continuing my list of favorite things...swinging, reading poolside, Cherry Garcia ice cream...

...

...

snail's pace
Books Completed in July:
74. Academy Street by Mary Costello (5 stars), 2015 acquired ebook, literary fiction - recommended by Katie
75. Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley (4.5 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, crime fiction/detective - recommended by Joe and Brodie

July 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 and Jenn


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


In the Walled City by Stewart O'Nan - Katie's Dirty Dozen read


Something by John Steinbeck for Mark's AAC

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

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 MY THOUGHTS
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

Books Completed in June:
65. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson (reread), audiobook, literary fictiony/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
68. The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths (3 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, mystery/police procedural
69. White Noise by Don DeLillo (thinking), library paperback
70. One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson (4.25 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, literary fiction/detective
71. When Will There Be Good News by Kate Atkinson (4.5 stars), literary fiction/detective
72. The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths (3 stars), library hardback, mystery/police procedural
73. Immortal in Death by J. B. Robb (4 stars), 2013 acquired ebook, mystery/police procedural

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 COMPLETED
57-70. The first fourteen books in Cara Black's Aimee Luduc series ($1.99 each on Kindle)
71. Because of Miss Bridgerton by Julia Quinn ($1.99 on Kindle)
72. The Good Wife by Stewart O'Nan - recommended by Jenn
73. A World Away by Stewart O'Nan
74. Sylvester: or The Wicked Uncle by Georgette Heyer ($.99 on Kindle)
75. A Backpack, a Bear and Eight Crates of Vodka by Lev Golinkin
76. Crime Writer by Jill Dawson - heard about his one from Charlotte's Guardian reviews
77. Brighton by Michal Harvey - recommended by Brodie
78. Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley - recommended by Joe and Brodie and Ellie COMPLETED 7/4/16

22/78 completed = 28% 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. Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming - she recommends the audio read by Cummings himself
9. Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan
10. Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye - Roberta also loved this, Katie says the audio is great, purchased 5/15/16
11. The Jaguar's Children by John Vaillant
12. Homegoing by Yaa Gyast

AND, from 2015:

1. The Mermaids Singing by Lisa Carey ($1.99 on Kindle), purchase on 2/18/15
2. Bright's Passage by Josh Ritter (2.99 on Kindle), purchased on 2/23/15
3. The Tilted World by Tom Franklin and Beth Ann Fennelly ($3.79 on Kindle), purchased on 3/31/15 COMPLETED 11/7/15 4.2 stars
4. Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler ($12.77 trade paperback), purchased on 4/1/15, COMPLETED read for Mark's AAC in January 2016, 4.25 stars
5. Paradise Alley by Kevin Baker ($.99 on Kindle), purchased on 4/9/15 - second book in a series, first book Dreamland was recommended by Katie and purchased last year
6. Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing - used an Audible credit COMPLETED 6/16/15 4.9 stars
7. Academy Street by Mary Costello ($9.99 on Kindle), purchased on 6/12/15 COMPLETED 7/2/16 5 stars
8. Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn ($5.99 on Kindle), purchased on 8/28/15
9. Sweetland by Michael Crummey ($.99 on Kindle), purchased 9/5/15 COMPLETED 11/19/15 4.5 stars
10. If You Only Knew by Kristan Higgins ($7.99 on Kindle), purchased on 10/26/15

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

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 COMPLETED
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!
89. Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley - recommended by Joe and Brodie and Ellie COMPLETED
90. Spain in Our Hearts by Adam Hochschild - read Beth's excellent review on her thread

A few of my favorite reads from 2015:




This should do it - next one's yours!

Hi Mamie! Happy New Thread!

Dang! Second. : )

Happy New Thread, Mamie, dear.

>1 Crazymamie: Good to see you're already into the swing of things.

Hello... Not so crowded on this here thread, less hubbub. Nice. And such a lot of lists. Nice...

Well, stay cool.

Happy New Thread, Mamie! Not big on swinging anymore, but reading poolside, sounds perfect.

Happy new thread Mamie!

Happy new thread, Mamie! Love that top pic of the swing :-)

Hi! Love the swing topper. Looks so free and joyful. I am reading poolside tonight, but indoor. Thank heavens. Because it's pouring rain. :)

Hey Mamie, happy new thread. That swing image is lovely.

Happy new thread, Mamie! I love all your lists :-)

Happy new thread! I can swing and eat ice cream, and I can read and eat ice cream, but I can't do all three at the same time without getting sick. Actually, just swinging and reading would do it.

Good Morning, Mamie and Happy new thread!

Morning, Mamie! Happy new thread!!

>13 ronincats: Roni! You are first, so here is your prize:


Your very own pottery studio.

>14 Berly: Maybe next time, Kim. And remember that second place is every bit as good as first. Except that it isn't. *blinks*

>15 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul! Haha.

>16 weird_O: So true, Bill! Lovely to see you here! I will try my best to stay cool.

>17 msf59: Thanks, Mark! No swinging for you - check. But we have reserved a poolside seat in your honor.

>18 brodiew2: Thank you, Brodie!

>19 katiekrug: Katie! Thank goodness! Thank you - I spent many hours on a swing in my youth. That and jumping rope were my favorites. Now I am more of a porch swing kind of girl - that way I spill less wine!

>20 nittnut: Me, too, Jenn. Brings back good memories. Yikes to the pouring rain - you're right reading inside is better in those conditions!

>22 susanj67: Thanks, Susan! I love having all the lists up top to refer to - makes it easy for me.

>23 cbl_tn: Thank you, Carrie! Ha! No motion sickness for me, but I think I would have a hard time swinging and eating ice cream. I could definitely swing and milkshake. Ha!

>24 Carmenere: Morning, Lynda! Thank you!

>25 scaifea: Morning, Amber! Thanks!

Happy new thread, Mamie!

Thank you, Diana!

Oh lucky me, I am here early on. Love the swing photo at the top.

Ooh, I love that reserved poolside seat...Sweet!

Happy new thread, Mamie. You are zipping through the Griffiths series. You'll be caught up soon.

Erm... >21 charl08: (I tried a swing recently and it made me feel quite ill). Loved them as a kid though.

>31 sibylline: Well, hello there, Lucy! Glad you love the topper.

>32 msf59: *grin*

>33 BLBera: Thank you, Beth! I have really been in the mood for mystery series lately, so discovering a new series has been great. And I love Ruth.

>34 charl08: Charlotte, my apologies for missing you earlier. SO sorry! I loved that swing image the moment I saw it, and so did Abby. I still really love to swing, actually - my stomach must be made of iron. But Biscotti, Rae's little poodle used to get motion sick in the hammock, which always cracked me up because she loved to be in it, but it had to remain perfectly still. Which kind of defeats the purpose of the hammock.

>34 charl08: Charlotte, here is the picture I told you about of Daniel getting his cold compression therapy:

And just for fun, here is Mercy, who has spotted a very daring squirrel on the back deck:



You can kind of see her "stingray" pattern on her back in this shot. I need to try to get a better photo of it because it really does look like a stingray.

Happy New Thread, Mamie! And Sweet Thursday!

I can see the stingray on Mercy. Very distinctive.

Hey, Joe, whadayaknow?! How was the dentist? Hoping that Thursday has been sweet to you so far.

Hooray for being able to see the stingray - it's actually very cool!

Happy new thread. Hope Daniel's therapy did feel good as promised. I can see the stingray on Mercy's back -- that's pretty cool.

Thank you, Reba! Daniel said that the therapy felt very good. Mercy is such a sweet and funny cat - her pretty patterning is just a bonus. Eye candy!

>37 Crazymamie: I have one of those contraptions for icing my knee!! It was great. Still have it somewhere in the garage...
Happy Thursday.
Love, Your Second Visitor.

Happy New Thread, Mamie. I totally see the stingray on Mercy's back.

I'm nearly finished with Career of Evil and must say, not for the first time, that 'Robert Galbraith's' books make me deeply uncomfortable. And it makes me even more uncomfortable to think that so many people love this stuff. I personally dislike thinking about, or being in the mind of psychopaths, and some of the issues the author raises, such as the desire to lose a limb in this latest novel, are truly very very sick and twisted, deeply disturbing. I'm making myself finish this book, because I need some resolution, but I don't think I'll be reading the other upcoming books in the series. What's kept me going was Cormoran and Robin, but they come with a package that frankly freaks me out. There. I've spoken my peace and will now copy/paste onto my own thread. Will be interested in your response, since you say you truly loved this book. I'm flummoxed.

Gosh what a mad looking gadget. Glad it worked and didn't hurt too.

>43 Berly: LOL! It did help with the swelling, and Daniel said it felt good, so I bet you were thrilled to have one of your own. Not thrilled to need to use it, of course, but that you had it available to you. Happy Thursday, my friend!

>44 Smiler69: Thank you, Ilana! I guess I don't mind the dark and twisty depending on how it's delivered and on what it is surrounded by; I do, however, totally get your point. It's good to know your own comfort zone because once it's in your head, it's hard to get it back out again. I have to be very careful with books containing child abuse of any kind - it is deeply disturbing to me, and I just can't stop thinking about it. I did love Career of Evil - what I love is that Cormoran/Robin combination and the intricate story that is being woven for us. I think that is the thing about reading, and about life, that is truly amazing - we are each a unique individual self and though our interests and loves may sometimes overlap, they will also sometimes be at complete opposites. Nothing wrong with that - it's what keeps life interesting. I value how honest you always are with your impressions and opinions because at the end of the day if we can't be honest about that, what have we got?

>45 charl08: I know, right, Charlotte?! I was worried about it hurting, too, but he says it didn't.

Hi Mamie. Boy, I wish I could get on a swing and let go with such wild abandonment like the child in your top picture. One of the hardest things about being a senior citizen is how much your body slows you down. You have to watch where you walk, sit carefully and swing gently. I would love to just let go every once and awhile and go "crazy"!

>26 Crazymamie: Oooh, thank you! Just what I need!

Whoa. That pressure cuff looks great.

A teacher and advisor I had in high school seemed always to be wearing a bulky truss, which tantalized a number of my classmates. ("What has he got in his pants?!") Years later I saw mention of him in an article about the use of pressure cuffs to deal with lymphedema, telling how this new therapy was such a godsend to him. My wife had pressure therapy to reduce lymphedema after surgery removed lymph nodes; I didn't see it, but I think she had a couple of sessions with that sort of device.

Different, but in my mind somehow related, I remember an article in The New Yorker about Temple Grandin, which described a squeeze box she devised in her youth that served to calm and relax her. She'd crawl into it and it would gently squeeze her body. That hugging was beneficial.

Howdy Mamie! Your threads are flying as usual.

I have finally gotten around to The Great Gatsby narrated by Jake Gyllenhaal. So far he is doing a decent enough job. I know this is one of your favorites so I am listening in normal time and absorbing it all in.

>38 Crazymamie: That might be a dead squirrel if the cat had access to it.

Morning, Mamie! Yay for the therapy and I love the Mercy photo!

Hey Mamie!! Is it Friday already?! Love ice therapy. My physical therapist applied it to my frozen shoulder last year and it was divine!!!!
Mercy's stingray is way awesome.

I think the title, Career of Evil, would be enough to put me off the book but Ilana's comments seal the deal. That's one I don't have to add to the wish list.

Morning, Y'all! I am very excited about it being Friday - Fridays just do that to me. Totally mental. Ha! Daniel has another cold compression therapy session today, so I plan to sit outside at the attached Starbucks and read while I wait for him. The things I do for my children. *adopts a tragic put upon mother air*

Nothing much else in the plans - decide what's for dinner (since I never did make up that menu plan), stop by the library, some laundry and some cleaning. Hoping to snag some reading time either poolside or on the screened-in porch - we're supposed to have rain moving in on Sunday that should stay a few days. We could use it.

On the reading front, I finished up When Will There be Good News, and I absolutely loved it! My favorite Jackson so far - really well done. Trying to decide if I will just jump right in to the final book or save it for later in the summer. I definitely want to read it before the others get too far from my thoughts.

Here's hoping that this Friday is filled with fabulous for all of you!

Morning Mamie! Happy Friday! This is an extra special Friday for me. Kick-off day and it looks to be beautiful.

Good luck with Daniel and enjoy your Starbucks time.

>47 DeltaQueen50: I hear you, Judy!! Part of the price you pay for having acquired all that wisdom and power. *blinks*

>48 ronincats: *grin* Happy to help, Roni!

>49 weird_O: He said it felt really good, Bill. I am almost always amazed by technology - so great what they can come up with.

Yep - the pressure is reassuring. Rae loved close fitting long sleeves when she was younger for just that reason. We were constantly looking for the perfect sweatshirt - the right pressure, the right weight and the right texture for her, and when we found it, we would buy several.

>50 luvamystery65: Howdy, Roberta! Have you read The Great Gatsby in print before? I always think it's best to visit it in print first because the language of the novel is so important. I like Gyllenhaal's narration because he simply tells the story without trying to do too much with it. He's no David Tennant or Juliet Stevenson, but he does a good job of it and I like his tone and inflections.

>58 Crazymamie: I haven't read it yet Mamie, but sometimes I do better listening to certain books first. I can't tell you why but I "know" it. So far it's lovely and I agree with you about his narration. It's actually just right for the story. I think if he was too dramatic, he might have lost me. I had similar situation with The Handmaid's Tale. I tried to read it but just couldn't. I listened to Claire Danes narrate it and it just came alive for me. She also had just the right restraint for that novel.

>51 thornton37814: So true, Lori. Luckily for him, Mercy has absolutely no interest in going outside. She loves the screened-in porch or to sit in the windows with just the screen between her and nature, but she does not want to venture forth. I think her life before we found her in our crawl space must have been very scary.

>52 scaifea: Morning, Amber! lad you love the Mercy photo!

>53 Carmenere: Hey, Lynda! Yep! Friday!! I always have trouble talking myself into icing something down that is hurting - usually my wrists, but it always helps. I'm so happy that everyone else sees the stingray, too! It's not just me. LOL!

>54 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, Career of Evil is the third book in Robert Galbraith's (J. K. Rowling's) Cormoran Strike series. He is a private detective, and the mysteries are definitely not cozy ones. That being said, I really love them - the writing is superb and I really like the complicated and twisty storylines that emerge. The third book does have part of the story told from the killer's point of view, but those chapters are relatively short and interspersed with several other POVs, including Comoran's and Robin's. The books are dark - closer to Scandicrime than to Agatha Christie, but they are well done. I would liken them to Jo Nesbø or Dennis Lehane as far as crime content, but the lead characters are not as dark and troubled. I like them, but I totally understand that they are not for everyone.

>56 msf59: Morning, Mark! Happy Friday! Hooray for the start of your vacation!!

I thank you for those good wishes! Hoping you get to relax and enjoy the beginning of your time off.

>57 Berly: Thanks, Kim!!

>59 luvamystery65: I actually know just what you mean, Roberta. Audiobooks are so fabulous - I only learned how to actively listen to them a few years ago, so each year my list of "listened to" reads grows. I think it is fascinating which books work on audio for me and which books don't and why. And it's different for everyone, which is also fascinating. I love hearing what others like or dislike about a certain narration or a certain narrator.

I read The Handmaid's Tale, but I bet it would be lovely to listen to - I love revisiting books on audio. Her's hoping that you at least like The Great Gatsby when all is said and done. I don't know why I always want people to like that one, but I do. *grin*

Happy Friday, Mamie! I am currently listening to the dulcet tones of men with saws (?) drills (?) something, taking the old tiles off my pool! *happy jig*

>62 katiekrug: Happy Friday, Katie! Hooray for pool repairs!! Way to go, girl!

>62 katiekrug:, >63 Thebookdiva: Whoops! That was actually me, not Abby - I didn't realized she had logged in on my computer!

>63 Thebookdiva: and >64 Crazymamie: - Ha!

Oooh, they've moved on to hammers now. So exciting. I got to pick out tile yesterday - I went with a kind of speckled greenish blue. I hope it looks nice when it's all done!

New tile is very exciting! I bet you'll be surprised at how big a difference it makes.

I am loving Career of Evil, for all the reasons you mention in >60 Crazymamie:. And I have to thank Mark for getting me into audio books--now I love them! I have only pearl-ruled one audio and it was because of the narrator and not the book. Now I try to listen to a snippet before I buy.

>66 Crazymamie: - Well, really, anything will look better than the green sludge pond it was becoming, so my bar is set pretty low ;-)

>67 Berly: I love the narrator of that series, Kim - he does such a great job! Sometimes it is hard to tell if the narrator is good from just the snippet, but luckily Audible will take them back if they don't work for you. Audios are so great because I love being able to listen while I am doing something else like walking or folding laundry or cooking.

>68 katiekrug: Ha! Well, if your bar is set low then you should really be thrilled with the results!

Happy Friday Mamie! We've got a bank holiday today, so it's a long weekend. Since I'm essentially retired, long weekends to me just mean no chance of receiving a book in the mail for three whole days. *sigh* Life is tough.

Happy Friday, Ilana! Your post made me smile because that is usually what I think of when there is a three day weekend or National holiday - no packages!! Daniel will never get a card in the mail on his actual birthday because he was born on Veteran's Day.

I was trying to have second thoughts based on your comments here but then I came to "closer to Scandicrime than to Agatha Christie" and I was once again convinced it isn't for me. I read The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and hated every minute of it. Just not my cuppa.

>72 RebaRelishesReading: There are lots of other cuppas to choose from. It's good to know what flavors you like. : )

>72 RebaRelishesReading: No need for second thoughts, Reba - my point was that it wasn't for everyone. I wasn't trying to change your mind, I was just trying to clarify what I like about it - I prefer the darker mysteries to the cozy ones. That being said, I love the Bruno, Chief of Police series and the Ruth Galloway series which (IMO) fall between the dark and the cozy.

>73 Berly: Completely agree, Kim!

Happy New thread , Mamie! Oh that cold compression therapy - how does Daniel find it? I recall when I needed rehab for my broken wrist - after the cast came off, I had plunge my arm up to elbow into a container of ice and hold it there for a while and then put it into a swirling vat of 100 - 105 F swirling water and do exercises with my fingers and wrist .Supposedly this was supposed to help regain flexibility to my wrist, but it reminded me of some sort of Swedish Sauna. :) I had the strictest slightly older lady as my physiotherapist and she used to shout at me so much it scared me to death - and I was 48 or so! She had that scary "Olga" European vibe and accent - but she was a great deal of help. I wished she could be a little calmer though .

Ruth Galloway is good, at least the first one was. I need to get to the next one in the series. Happy weekend, Mamie!

Morning, Mamie! Happy Saturday!!

>75 vancouverdeb: Oh, dear, Deborah! That sounds slightly intimidating. Did she also ask you questions like, "Where were you on the night of the 15th?" Just kidding. I don't so well with shouting - unless it's me doing the shouting. Then I am fine with it. Glad you survived your therapy - I think Daniel's is much calmer and probably less stressful.

>76 Familyhistorian: Morning, Meg! I think the first book in the series is stronger than the next two - I only gave the second book 3 stars, so good but not great. The third one is proving a bit uneven, although it is still entertaining. Luckily, I was expecting the books to be kind of hit and miss, as I remembered reading others' reviews of them. There is just something about Ruth that keeps me coming back - that and the fact that the other main character is called Nelson, although it is his last name. That was my Dad's name and I love reading it and seeing it in print.

Happy Weekend to you - here's hoping it is full of fabulous!

>77 scaifea: Morning, Amber! Happy Saturday - gonna be a HOT one!

Hi Mamie! Stay cool today! It's supposed to be a hot one here, too.

Morning, Carrie! You, too - I'll be forced to hunker down inside and read. The horror!

Morning Mamie! Happy Saturday! We leave tonight for Oregon, so my online time will be limited. You know I'll check in when I can.

I posted the Steinbeck AAC thread. Will you be joining us?

Congrats on your new thread, Mamie and happy weekend.

>82 msf59: Morning, Mark! Happy Saturday! I will miss you, but know you will have a great time.

Definitely joining you for Steinbeck - he is one of my favorites. Not sure what I will be reading yet, but I have plenty to choose from. Thanks for letting me know the thread is up.

>83 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara! A very happy weekend to you, too!

Hi Mamie! Happy Saturday, and indeed all weekend. I'm glad to see Daniel is mending well. That cuff looks scary, but if it does the trick then I suppose it can look as weird as it wants to :-)

Hello, Susan! Happy Saturday! Daniel says that the cuff thing actually feels great, and it is helping to reduce the swelling, so it's all good. It does look kind of sci-fi, doesn't it?!

Happy Saturday, Mamie! I am having a lazy Saturday, full of books and soccer. Happy Katie.

Career of Evil. Did she have to end it there?! Just saying. : )

Happy Saturday, Katie! Books and soccer and full of lazy sounds just about perfect. Throw in a glass or two of wine, and I am there.

>88 Berly: I know, right?! We are all eagerly awaiting the next installment, Kim!!

Seriously. Like isn't it out yet. .. (drums fingers)

I am going to guess October at the very earliest. *sigh*

Noooooooo!

Well, the last one came out in October...*there, there, pat, pat*

October?! I need more than a pat on the back....maybe some wine will help.

>78 Crazymamie: I won't expect too much of the next Ruth Galloway and hopefully, that way I won't be disappointed. I picked up another Elly Griffiths book when I just happened into a bookstore the other day (not sure why that happens so frequently). It is The Zig Zag Girl and is billed as a Stephens and Mephisto mystery.

Morning, Mamie! It's rainy here this morning, but it's the kind of rain that makes things muggier, not cooler. Gross. We'll be staying indoors today for certain.
Wishing you a non-gross, not-too-hot Sunday!

>95 Berly: Maybe A LOT of wine will help. October is a long ways away, and I'm just guessing; I couldn't find anything about a release date for the next book.

>96 Familyhistorian: Good thinking, Meg. I really love the setting, and the character interaction is fun. The plot gets away from Griffiths at times, and I am wishing that there was more of the forensic archaeology part incorporated - I feel like she just keeps rehashing the same things she has already covered, but it has only been three books. LOL about the bookstore - that happens to me a lot, too! I have not heard of Stephens and Mephisto - is that a different series that she writes?

>97 scaifea: Morning, Amber! We got part of a storm yesterday - more wind than rain, but still. The temps felt a bit cooler, but we had no relief in the humidity, so we are still at soup level. Gross is just about right - we spent most of it inside, too. It's supposed to rain all week, and I hope it does because we could use it.

Thanks for those wishes - only going to 94 today, so already it's looking better than yesterday. Ha!

Morning, Mamie! It's supposed to be another hot one here today. A good day for staying indoors and reading!

Morning, Carrie! We have the same plan of action for today!

Enjoy your Sunday, Mamie.

Thank you, Beth! Hoping yours is kind to you.

Happy Sunday! Jack has a soccer game today and I plan on being lazy the rest of it. ; )

Happy Sunday, Kim! Sending Jack my winning mojo and hoping you get your day full of lazy.

I'm feeling like this today.

Me too!

*grin* At least I have delightful company!

Back to say that I started reading Nobody's Fool last night, and I am loving it so far!

Excellent! The sequel just came out and is getting good reviews, I believe.

Will you read it, do you think? Sometimes I don't read sequels if I like where the first one ended.

I haven't decided - for precisely the reason you mention :)

Definitely not this year - I'll wait for Nobody's Fool to recede a bit and see how I feel.

That's a good plan, I am thinking. Often, if I like the ending, I don't want anyone mucking about with the characters again - not even the author. Ha!

A reader's prerogative :)

I admire you ladies' self control. I would be wondering what happened in the sequel. It wouldn't hurt to peek...

>114 katiekrug: So true.

>115 charl08: Ha! Why does that not surprise me, Charlotte?!

Happy Sunday, Mamie!
>105 Crazymamie: Oh my! Time to pull out the slip n slide!

Too funny! I used to have a slip n slide, waaaayyyyy back then. Probably the original thing. We loved it.

Happy Sunday, Lynda!

Ha! I had a slip n slide, too! And Charlie has one now! He and the neighbor girls had a great time playing with it - about 4 hours worth! - last week.

Oh! How excellent! A great way to beat the heat.

Scout was also telling me about running through the sprinkler today. She quite enjoyed it.

I used to love running through the sprinkler. Truth be told, I am often tempted to walk through the sprinklers of people who are watering their lawns when I am out walking.

Happy new-ish thread! Just stopping by to say hello. Nothing much to say.

Oh, I do love the picture of Mercy looking at the squirrel. Similar posture to Sig watching the chipmunk on our back porch . . .

Struggling a bit to get round the threads this weekend as I had site visits and even cooking to do with Hani a little under the weather. Hope the weekend has been full of your now famous fabulous.

Morning, Mamie!

Howdy Mamie! Hope a cold front swept through the Paradisio last night!

Happy pre-Tuesday, Mamie! I'm investigating the Elly Griffiths books, but the library sadly doesn't have the first one. I'll have to go to another branch. Ooh, Amazon has it for £3.99 :-)

>123 tymfos: Thank you, Terri! Glad you love the photo of Mercy - so cool that we both had these wonderful furry friends enter our life so close together. And just look how much joy they brought with them!

>124 PaulCranswick: Sorry to hear that Hani is not feeling well, Paul. I hope she is feeling much better very soon. Now I am wondering what you cooked - Craig did the cooking last night, and he had planned on grilling but a storm had come through and it was accompanied by lighting, so no grilling. He had to use the stove - the horror! He did a great job of it though - ribeyes in the broiler and corn on the cob on the cooktop. They were both very good.

>125 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

>126 Carmenere: Howdy, Lynda! Well, we didn't get a cold front, but the storm did bring slightly cooler air. Of course, the humidity refused to budge, so it was a very subtle change. More rain on the way, which is lovely - we need it. And temps only in the low 90s, so I am dancing a happy. No triple digits is good!

>127 susanj67: Thank you, Susan! I liked the first one the best so far, but the other two have been worth reading. I have been in the mood for mysteries this month, so they have hit the spot.

Morning Mamie! You still feel like that lazy kitty up there^^
The weather is beautiful here. Yes, the temps are pushing 90 but without any humidity and a decent breeze, it's lovely in the shade.

Morning, Mark! I am feeling more energetic today - we are off to Target this morning to take advantage of my 15% off coupon. I know, I know...VERY exciting!

It's supposed to be only 85 on Wednesday - I hope they are not toying with me.

Good morning, Mamie! I hope all is well with you.

>105 Crazymamie: You know Mamie, that photo pretty well sums up how I feel every day. Not necessarily a bad feeling, but does explain why I rarely get much done! :-)

>131 brodiew2: Hey there, Brodie! All is well. We have a bit of a crazy household at the moment since Daniel can't drive, and he needs to be taken to his appointments.

>132 Smiler69: I know, right, Ilana?! That is how I feel most days in this heat. I feel like I am constantly playing catch-up at this point. I am eagerly awaiting Fall. Ha!

>98 Crazymamie: Elly Griffith's Stephens & Mephisto series currently has two books: The Zig Zag Girl and Smoke and Mirrors. The books are set in the 1950s and one of sleuths is an actual police detective and the other is a magician. Looks interesting.

>133 Crazymamie: That's my household!! "Eagerly awaiting Fall." I get it, I get it!! LOL

Mamie! I'm behind, but I see that you are sweltering through the start of another Georgia summer.
Having grown up in Florida, but now living in the Pacific Northwest, I get grumpy when it tops 80F. I get intolerably irritable when it tops 90F. I get murderous when it tops 100F. Thank god the latter almost never happens.

>134 Familyhistorian: Read the first one, it was OK but I don't feel any great urge to read the next one.

Hey Mamie! Made it to Tuesday... I'm half hoping for rain so I don't have to go outside...

Morning, Mamie! Oh boy, a Target run sounds pretty amazing, honestly. The exciting lives we lead, eh? Ha!

Morning! Today Daniel has another therapy session, so I get to hang out at Starbucks again. *happy dance* Other than that, just an ordinary day - I do need to decide what's for dinner.I'm thinking about trying a new recipe - spicy Thai beef and jasmine rice (from the Skinnytaste blog).

>134 Familyhistorian: I will be awaiting your thoughts, Meg. I have seen Zig Zag Girl, but I did not know it was part of a series.

>135 Berly: LOL! Fall is my very favorite season anyway, Kim, but I am really wanting it RIGHT NOW.

>136 EBT1002: Yes, Ellen, it's HOT. I don't mind the humidity or the temps, but I would like for them to be segregated. LOL! One or the other but not both together in high concentrations.

>137 charl08: Hey, Charlotte! Hooray for Tuesday! The rain is still in our forecast, but we didn't get any yesterday, and it sure looks bright and sunny out there right now. I am not hopeful.

>138 scaifea: Morning, Amber! We actually had loads of fun at Target, and Daniel got to use one of those automated shopping carts - there was even a place in the back of it for his crutches! So now he can cross that off his bucket list, as he has always wanted to try one of those.

Happy Tuesday, Mamie!

Thank you, Katie! Hoping yours is full of fabulous!

It will likely be full of emails, but I'll survive :)

>55 Crazymamie: so I plan to sit outside at the attached Starbucks and read while I wait for him. The things I do for my children. *adopts a tragic put upon mother air*
You are a true martyr. Really :)

>105 Crazymamie: is that good or bad? Admittedly, you do look a little droopy, but also, you are in the sun relaxing. I'm hoping for the positive for you!!

>142 katiekrug: Total bummer. Was there at least wine at the end of the day?

>143 LovingLit: Right, Megan. I am happy to make sacrifices for my children. *sighs tragically*

Um...yes. Droopy but relaxed. Good for holding down the sofa.

>144 Crazymamie: - Waiting on The Wayne to get home so we can go out for margaritas :)

Happy mid-week, Mamie!! Can you or anyone tell me where the Elly Griffith's Stephens & Mephisto series take place? I love the Ruth Galloway series largley because the Norfolk coast plays such a huge character in that series.

Happy Wednesday, Mamie :-) I am taking Friday off to read my library books. I don't dare tell anyone at the office, but I know y'all will understand. And that means I just have ONE more day to go, plus the rest of this afternoon.

>146 Carmenere: I think the first book is set in Brighton. Will check.

ETA Wikipedia agrees with me.

Hey Mamie!

Hi Mamie!

>148 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte!

Good morning, Mamie! Given that I've already hit Joe and Mark's threads with this warbling, I figured I let you in on it too.

I am devouring, at record speed, Michael Harvey's Brighton: a novel. It is a Boston crime story and a stand alone novel. I have read Harvey's Chicago PI series and enjoyed them. There is something a bout his style that draws me in and won't let go.

Happy Wednesday, Mamie!

>151 brodiew2: Now I'm wishing I had looked for Brighton at Powell's yesterday!

ETA: I put it on hold at the library.

Big storms came through last night, and they are supposed to return tonight. Rain is good. Still hot and humid but definitely better - high 80s instead of 90s. I'll take it. Feeling better because I have actually gotten my steps in the past few days. Reba keeps passing me and then I have to catch her again, so she is keeping me on my toes. Go Reba!

On the reading front, I have finished Immortal in Death, the third book in J. D. Robb's In Death series - these books are so fun. Futuristic police procedurals with a bit of romance thrown in. Highly entertaining and nice to pair with heavier things. These really should be read in order to appreciate the character development.

>145 katiekrug: Most excellent! One of my favorite drinks.

>146 Carmenere: Thank you, Lynda! I see that Charlotte answered your question, which is good because I had no idea. Totally agree about the Ruth Galloway series - the setting is a big part of the books.

>147 susanj67: Happy Wednesday, Susan! I love that you are taking Friday off to read - so full of fabulous! I think you should totally concentrate on reading and not let other things get in the way. If I were you, I would just relax and take a break from the stepping. *blinks*

>150 Carmenere: *grin* Charlotte to the rescue.

>154 Crazymamie: Mamie, that's a great idea! I can't see any downside to - oh, wait. I see what you did there :-) I am looking forward to it. I emailed my secretary to tell her. She emailed back "I will hope for a sunny day!" I said I was staying at home to read my library books. There was no response to that one. She sings in a band, and sometimes takes Fridays off if they have a gig that evening, which is definitely cooler than the library books. But each to their own, I suppose.

>151 brodiew2: Hello, Brodie! Look at you coming over to warble!! I looked it up, and that does sound right up my alley, so I picked it up on Kindle. Thanks for that!

>152 EBT1002: Happy Wednesday, Ellen! I snapped Brodie's rec right up, as it sounded very good.

>155 susanj67: Days off are for doing whatever floats you boat, so I think your reading is every bit as cool as her singing in a band. The point is to get your happy on, right?!

I will never catch you on the Fitbit LTers July leader board; my only hope lies in knocking you from the top spot on my friends board. Of course, if you would just sit down for a few days and take it easy...

hey Mamie. happy mid-weekling. during all that poetry chat at Joe's, i was inspired to go see if i could find a vid of Michael Williams narrating Dylan Thomas's Fern Hill. didn't but found Dylan Thomas narrating it. i think it's the version i had on a Caedmon LP long, long ago. same scratchy background. worth a listen.

Hey there, Ellie! Happy mid-weekling to you! Thanks for that link - off to check it out.

Morning, Mamie!

I've all but given up even reaching my daily 10,000 steps this summer. With Charlie home from school there's just not time for the treadmill or long-enough walks - we walk the dogs together, but those walks aren't that long. I'm not complaining, though - I'll trade the steps for time with The Charld and get back to the longer walks in September.

Also, did someone say Dylan Thomas? Lovely.

I relate to your struggles with the heat at the moment. I usually love heat, but we got hit with a sudden patch of hot days and boy was I cranky on the first couple. I'm okay now, and have worked out some strategies to manage both heat and light to acceptable levels. (If I keep the shutters low, the temperature is better in the apartment, but I don't have enough light to draw. If I put the shutters up, I have plenty of light to draw by, but my hands are too sweaty for it.) So I'm good for now, until we get above about 35C probably (95F).

Wow, words I never thought I would hear " Reba keeps passing me and then I have to catch her again, so she is keeping me on my toes. Go Reba!" I'll bet I didn't pass you yesterday though -- need to go and look.

Howdy, Mamie!

>160 scaifea: Morning, Amber! Right. Soak up that time with Charlie because you will blink, and he will be grown.

I also love Dylan Thomas, and it was great to hear his voice - he sounded different than I thought he would.

>161 ursula: Hello, Ursula! I don't mind heat - it's when the heat and the humidity are both very high that it sucks the energy right out of me. The hottest part of the day down here is between 3-5 pm, so I try to avoid outside then if it's like soup out there. We do the shutter thing, too, but I hear you about it keeping it cooler but making it dark. Developing a strategy sounds like an excellent idea.

>162 RebaRelishesReading: Ha! You did pass me yesterday, Reba, and I had just sat down. So then I had to get back up and pass you back. LOL! Then I became a crazy nut because I kept just needing a few thousand more steps to pass the next person - I ended up with 21,514 steps yesterday!! That got me to the top of my Friends leader board, but there is no catching up with the LTers leader board this month, as I have fallen too far behind.

>163 Carmenere: Morning, Lynda!

>160 scaifea: - Me, too. Only my imaginary child is very shy and doesn't like me talking about him. Or photographing him. Or providing any sort of evidence of his existence. His name is Bubba. And he is the reason I'm not getting my steps in :-P

Good morning, Mamie!

Love the in Death series, and I look forward to each new one that comes out. Did you ever read Walter Mosley's Easy Rawlins series? One of my favorites, and I just got my hands on the new one, Charcoal Joe.

>164 Crazymamie: Heat and humidity go hand-in-hand here. I have been running in the morning, around 6:15, when it's usually about 70F and 90% humidity. Yay! ;) But obviously it only gets worse from there - both in the course of the day and the fact that we haven't quite sneaked into July yet, not to mention August. How do your dogs deal with the heat? You can pretty much tell how hot it is by how willing Penny is to move. Today is a mostly no-moving day!

>165 katiekrug: Ha! Please give Bubba my love, Katie.

>166 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! I have not read any Walter Mosley - I need to add that to my list. Thanks!

>167 ursula: I do not know how you run in it, Ursula. I don't even like to walk in that. Our dogs are old - they do not go for walks any more, so they only have to tolerate the heat in small doses. Usually Barnum likes to nap on the screened-in porch, but not in this weather! You know it's hot when he doesn't want to be out there!

>166 jnwelch: I never went past the first two Easy Rawlins, Joe. You'll think this is sad rationale, but it jumped too far into the future for me interest. I really enjoyed the late 40s, early 50s time of the first couple. Jumping into the 60s lost me. Which one or two are your favorites?

>169 brodiew2: I love all the Easy Rawlins books, Brodie. His latest is set in the late 60s, so we have traveled in time with him. Two of my favorites are Devil in a Blue Dress, of course (made into an excellent Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle, Jennifer Beal movie) and White Butterfly. I love a bunch of his other books, too, including Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned and The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey. He's prolific.

>170 jnwelch: I'm definitely familiar with Mosely. I remember listening to the audio book of Devil in a Blue Dress and enjoying the movie. I'll look into White Butterfly.

Mosely has also written some interesting sf. I remember trying Blue Light a few years back. I might have to try that one again as well.

>171 brodiew2: I thought Blue Light was pretty good, especially given he was branching out into a new genre.

>169 brodiew2:, >170 jnwelch:, >171 brodiew2:, >172 jnwelch: Joe and Brodie, I am enjoying following your conversation. I have requested Devil in a Blue Dress from the library.

>173 Crazymamie: You have a topnotch reading experience ahead of you, Mamie. I'm glad you're giving it a try.

>173 Crazymamie: >174 jnwelch: Indeed you do, Mamie. It is a good one.

>174 jnwelch:, >175 brodiew2: *grin* Thanks for the tip, guys!

yo, Mamie. :-) Dylan Thomas is quite something, que no? there are also recordings of Thomas on youtube performing A child's Christmas in Wales, Do not go gentle into that good night, and A refusal to mourn the death by fire of a child in London.

>170 jnwelch: must get back to Rawlins. loved Devil in a blue dress and as usual, Don Cheadle stole the show in the movie.

>153 Crazymamie: I love that gif!
And rain is lovely sometimes. I don't mind a good old rainstorm. It certainly makes me feel grateful to have a warm dry home!

I finished White Noise and loved it all over again. Its a cracker that one.

Just stopping by to say hi, Mamie! As for the fit bit, I try to get my 5000 steps in each day, and more is gravy. Not to say that I would not like to walk more, but I'm okay with that time wise. I only wear it out on my walks, as it is fit bit, not one that I can put on my wrist.

>177 mirrordrum: Yes, ma'am, he is! I need to find him reading Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night, as that is one of my favorites. I'll seek it out today.

Obviously, I need to read Devil in the blue Dress so that I can watch the movie very soonish.

>178 LovingLit: I was happy to have stumbled across it - I love it, too! I actually love a good rain most of the time - it's only if it rains for days on end with no sun in between that I start to mourn the sunshine. It always feels like a lovely excuse to stay in and read.

Glad that you loved White Noise all over again - I love when books hold up to rereading. And I love the thoughts that you posted over on the GR thread - spot on. It was a bit uneven for me - I loved the first book more than the second two, but the ending saved it for me.

>179 vancouverdeb: Hello, Deborah! I love that everyone has their own goals for Fitbit use - I like to get as many steps as I can because I still need to lose some weight. I bet you are actually getting very close to 10,000 steps per day if you get 5,000 on your walks. You get more steps just doing household things than you would think.

WOW - is it ever HUMID outside this morning. I was actually contemplating walking outside this morning before Daniel's PT session, but um...NO. At least it's Friday. FRIDAY!!

Yesterday I picked up a few books that had come in at the library - I have quite the stack out now, so I need to get busy. Anyway, one of them was Last Exit to Brooklyn, which is the Bowie Top 100 pick by Megan and Kim for July. Anyone read this? I took a dip into it yesterday afternoon just to get a feel for it, and I. Am. Out. Too much work - barely any punctuation and what is there is a kind of personalized form of it. Everything in present tense and no quotations around the dialogue. This might be fabulous, although I have heard it is very gritty, but I am just not up to. Not right now anyway. SO, I will sit this one out but follow the thread to see what Kim and Megan and Charlotte think of it.

SO here's what July is looking like for me:


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


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


In the Walled City by Stewart O'Nan - Katie's Dirty Dozen read


Something by John Steinbeck for Mark's AAC

>181 Crazymamie: Didn't realise Steinbeck had written so much! That's quite a choice there...

Happy Friday. I've done chores so am now feeling virtuous (rare feeling).

Morning Mamiee! Ooooo, Steinbeck! I joined Mark for his year of Steinbeck a couple of years ago and I enjoyed them all. You are in for a treat!
Are you enjoying The Penguin History of the World? Does is cover the entire world? How far back does it go? Is it a mammoth tome? It's something I may want to look into.

Morning, Lynda! I adore Steinbeck - one of my favorite authors with Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath being two personal favorites. I participated in that Steinbeckathon - it was actually my very first year here on LT. SO fun!

The Penguin History of the World gets better as it goes on - it starts out a bit dry. And yes - it starts at the very beginning. It's a history of mankind, so think hunter/gatherer to cities to society... And yes, it's big - I have it on Kindle, but it's over a thousand pages. We are reading 100 pages a month. It's not gripping, but it is interesting - if you do decide to get it, remember that I said it starts out s...l...o...w and yawn inducing. But it does pick up.

>182 charl08: How did I miss you, Charlotte?! SO sorry. That is not all that Steinbeck has written - just a small selection. I think he wrote close to thirty books or something like that.

Your chores are done?! *sigh* My day is just beginning...

Happy Friday, Mamie. It looks like you have some great reading lined up for July. Hmm, Steinbeck. I've been thinking that I should reread Grapes of Wrath; it's been a while.

(mouth agape)...OMG, 21, 514!!! I barely made 10,000 yesterday...but I'm gonna do better today :)

>186 BLBera: Happy Friday, Beth! I can't decide what I'm going to read for the Steinbeck - perhaps Travels With Charley or A Russian Journal or, if I am feeling really brave I could finally tackle East of Eden, although I'm not sure if I want to read that in the same month as Lonesome Dove. Decisions, decisions...

>187 RebaRelishesReading: I know, Reba - I was a complete nut. Okay, come on, let's see what you've got today!

Good morning, Mamie! I finished Brighton in record time. Very enjoyable book. I hope your day is off to a good start.

Morning, Brodie! That was fast - I am hoping to get to that one this month, so we can compare notes. So far so good with my day, but then I always love me a Friday. Hoping that yours is full of fabulous!

Happy Friday, Mamie!

I'm struggling with my Steinbeck pick, too. I read so many good ones, in large part due to the Steinbeckathon a couple of years ago. An outlier that I thought was really good was Log of the Sea of Cortez.

>177 mirrordrum: Agreed, Ellie. I'm not sure whether that was Cheadle's first movie, but if not, it had to be one of the first. I'll never think of anyone else as Mouse.

>181 Crazymamie: - Lonesome Dove AND In the Walled City AND a Steinbeck?!!? July is going to be your favorite month of reading EVAH :) FOr what it's worth, I loved East of Eden and like Lonesome Dove, it is long but reads quickly and is very engrossing.

I haven't ever read Last Exit to Brooklyn but I saw the movie (with Jennifer Jason Leigh, I think?) and it was pretty disturbing. I was also probably too young to see it...

And I agree with everything you said about the PHW to Lynda. I'm actually enjoying it now (for the most part) but I've always been a nut for European history from the Renaissance onwards... The bit on the Reformation and Counter Reformation reminded me of a history class in college that I took - called "Reformation and Counter Reformation" and taught by the most boring man alive - a Jesuit priest named Father Worcester (funny, because my college was in Worcester, MA). But the content was fascinating so I ended up quite liking the class, despite the fact that the good father spoke in a monotone for his entire hour+ lectures....*rolls eyes*

ETA: Happy Friday!

ETA2: I am going to listen to Of Mice and Men and maybe Travels with Charley for the AAC this month. Both are read by Gary Sinise, and I expect he'll be quite good.

>191 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! Oh! I have that one in the stacks!

>192 katiekrug: Good morning, Katie! Ha! And right now I am reading both Nobody's Fool and Academy Street, which are both Dirty Dozen picks - I added last year's list to this year's to have it all in one place.

Yep. It's made up of six stories, and they are supposed to be disturbing. I'm just not up for working at being disturbed. LOL! *motions to waiter for another cocktail*

Father Worcester!! I just want to say that three times fast. And YES - much more interesting as you go along, not gripping narrative non-fiction, but still, worth the read.

Happy Friday! You make me want to join you with Gary Sinise reading Of Mice and Men - I LOVE that one! I might have to flip a coin between Travels With Charlie and East of Eden because they both are ones I want to get to.

Off to therapy - back in bit!

Be still my heart! Academy Street! I *still* think about that one... *sigh*

I think I read Of Mice and Men in school but I don't have a clear memory of it, so I'm looking forward to it.

Hi Mamie! I hope therapy went well, and your Friday is a good one. I also agree with you about PHW. It's reading faster now, or maybe I've just heard of some of the people :-)

>195 katiekrug: I am loving Academy Street, Katie!

I read Of Mice and Men every few years, and it always has something to say to me - here's hoping you like it.

>196 susanj67: Hi Susan! Therapy went well, and now Daniel is done with it until the surgeon has him go back for rehab. Friday has been lovely so far except that it is HOT out there. Getting my steps inside today, which takes longer and is WAY more boring. However, I don't keel over gasping for breath in a big puddle of my own sweat, so that's a huge plus.

PHW has definitely picked up.

Of Mice and Men is, indeed well written and evocative. I think the ending has much more impact in the written word than in any film adaptation I've seen.

I have never watched it in film version, Brodie - I always worry it will take something away from the novel for me because it is such a short book. I have actually not watched any Steinbeck on film. Ha!

>199 Crazymamie: A wise choice, I think, Mamie. The impact of events is so rich in Steinbeck's words. A film can try, but never, quite create an equal reaction.

*grin*

'lo Mamie.

>185 Crazymamie: I may have edited the list of chores somewhat and declared a win regardless... Since I posted, it rained on my washing, a dog pooped on my newly mown lawn and I suspect the rain also washed away the tomato food. But hey ho...

Wishing you a good weekend.

>203 charl08: - See, the optimist in me would say:

It rained on my washing = A double wash so now I can skip the next one!

A dog pooped on my lawn = Fertilizer to keep it green and lush!

The rain washed away the tomato food = Yay because tomatoes are gross!

Luckily, the optimist in me is usually beaten senseless by the real me :)

>202 mirrordrum: Howdy, Miss Ellie!

>203 charl08: Good thinking about the editing, Charlotte. Sorry about the rain, the poop, and the wash out. YIKES! Please tell me there is wine.

Hoping your weekend is better than your Friday.

>204 katiekrug: I love the way you think, Katie! The part about the tomatoes cracked me up. Also the part about your optimist side being beaten senseless. Ha!

Hi Mamie! I have the audio of Of Mice and Men ready to go, read by Gary Sinise. I hope I like it better than The Grapes of Wrath, which didn't work for me at all. If not, at least it's short!

Happy Friday, Mamie! Hope you had a great week. I have not been able to stop by many threads but wanted to say hello.

We are getting ready to go to a rodeo tonight. Looking forward to seeing some cowgirls.

Loving Underground Airlines. Expect Warbling Galore...

>206 cbl_tn: Hey, Carrie! Hmmmm...not sure you'll like it if you didn't like The Grapes of Wrath. But you are right - it is much shorter!

>207 msf59: Mark!!! mark is in the house! Happy Friday, my friend! Rodeo, huh?! I have never been to one of those. Hoping you have fun.

Oooh, sounds like I need to put Underground Airlines on the list, pronto.

Guess who I thought of when I saw this, Mamie (as I was sipping my evening glass of wine)?

OH, dear! It's probably a good thing that I don't have one of those, Roni!! And you made me snort my coffee. I am touched and deeply honored that you thought of me when you saw that. Ha!

Woot woot for Saturday, Mamie! Ha! >209 ronincats: I love that you had your sink repaired, can you give me the name of your plumber? I'd like one spigot for red and the other for white.

Yes, ma'am! Woot woot for the weekend, Lynda! I was thinking that about the red and the white, too. LOL!

>212 Crazymamie: Great minds, right? ;0)

Exactly.

Morning Mamie! The rodeo was a lot of fun. It's probably something I won't do again but I am glad I did it. I do like horses and they were everywhere.

Morning, Mark! Now you can check that off your bucket list - glad you had a good time.

Morning, Mamie!

Morning, Joe!

Hi Mamie! I started listening to Of Mice and men last night and I really like it so far. Maybe because Gary Sinese is reading it to me?

Book #74: Academy Street by Mary Costello, 5 stars, literary fiction, Katie's Dirty Dozen pick

"She had always felt separate from people, and lately she had the sense that when she was out of view she disappeared entirely from the minds of others. At such moments she siphoned off images from the past and used them to imagine herself back into existence."

I have just finished my first book for July, and we have started out with the bar very high - the full five stars goes to Academy Street, which made Katie's Dirty Dozen list last year. I really loved this - the language here is gorgeous and I was intrigued by the use of third person narration, which keeps the reader at a defined distance while the emotion and the carefully chosen wording of the narrative makes a profoundly honest connection. This, I think is what Hemingway was trying to achieve - sparse prose that has not one misplaced word that nevertheless feels grand. An entire life story told within less than 200 pages that pulls the reader in and won't let go. Amazing. And bittersweet. And haunting.

>219 cbl_tn: Morning, Carrie! I am so thrilled that you are liking Of Mice and Men so far. *crosses fingers* And yes - it's hard to go wrong with Gary Sinese bending your ear.

>220 Crazymamie: - Couldn't agree more - excellent review, Mamie.

I still think about that one. And the quote you shared is perfect.

Have a wonderful Saturday!

I'm having trouble deciding which Steinbeck I'll be reading/re-reading. So many options!

>222 katiekrug: Thank you, Katie! I would not have picked it up on my own, so I am very thankful for your recommendation. It's one I know I will reread.

Happy Saturday to you, my friend!

>223 thornton37814: Oh, good! I am not alone in having trouble choosing, Lori. Let me know which one you pick when you decide.

>224 Crazymamie: I'm supposed to have a copy of The Winter of Our Discontent in my unread book stash in the house, but I can't locate it at the moment, so I guess I'll move on to library books. I looked to see if our public library had any of Steinbeck's available via Overdrive. They do, but all are checked out in both print and audio formats and the ones I clicked on had waiting lines that made it unlikely I'd get one in time for the challenge. We have several available at the library at work so I'll probably grab one on Tuesday. I think The Moon Is Down is kind of leading the way at the moment; however, I might try his children's coming-of-age book, The Red Pony too. I have to admit though that I'm intrigued by his version of The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights, which surprisingly my university library does not have; however, the public library has a print copy which is not checked out. It would just likely be later next week before I could get that one. I suspect if I pointed out this omission to our medievalist on the English faculty this glaring omission would be corrected and a copy ordered.

I was doing well with Of Mice and Men until I got to the drowned puppies and the ranch hand who insisted on killing another hand's elderly dog. I was taking Adrian to his grooming appointment, and I wanted to reach over and cover his ears. :-(

>225 thornton37814: I loved both The Moon is Down and The Winter of Our Discontent. I have the other two on the shelves, but I have not read them yet. I dipped into East of Eden - read the first several chapters, and it is lovely. I might have to go with that even though it is longer than I really want to tackle with Lonesome Dove.

>226 cbl_tn: Right. This is what I was worried about, and there is more coming. Steinbeck doesn't pull any punches.

>220 Crazymamie: This didn't work for me, but I'm wondering whether I should add it to my list for the rereading challenge list

ETA not that I thought it was bad, just that I didn't love it...

cheerio, Mame. you're not an auntie are you, by chance?

>220 Crazymamie: oh hang! not in audio. what a superlative quote and fine review.

have a happy 4th, she-who-knows-stuff. we and our critters will spend a lot of it hunkered down b/c of east Tn's obsession w/ fireworks. and guns.

>227 Crazymamie: East of Eden is my favorite. and Cannery Row b/c of familiarity w/ Monterey and b/c i grew up w/ my father's reverence for the real-life Doc Ricketts.

>228 charl08: I'd say if it didn't work for you the first time around, then it is probably still not going to work - only saying this because it hasn't been out that long (2015), so it probably hasn't been that long ago that you read it. I can see why it wouldn't work for everyone, but I loved it. It spoke to me.

>229 mirrordrum: I am, as a matter of fact, Ellie - nineteen times over. And I adore Auntie Mame because I am a lover of shenanigans.

So sorry that it is not available in audio - I think it would work very well in that format. Dang! And thank you for that fine compliment.

Hoping that your 4th is full of fabulous - we will also be hunkered down because of the HEAT. I ain't going nowhere.

>230 Crazymamie: i can't think what to do if we're going nowhere. hmmmm. surely there's something worthwhile, interesting, entertaining, enriching and full of fabulous with which to engage ourselves. let me know if you have any ideas. we too heat. and it ain't even getting started, sister.

eta Auntie Mame is a great fave in our house. Roz Russell. oh my oh my.

Crap! Is it July already? Time to break out Lonesome Dove! The Count (of Monte Cristo) will have to wait a bit longer. Yay! Group read!

Happy Sunday, Mamie! Sending cool breezes your way.

Happy Sunday, Mamie!

Woo, that's some recommendation for Academy Street. I've added it to the WL.

>231 mirrordrum: My idea of fabulous might be different from yours, Ellie, but I love small moments that feel big, so a glass of wine while watching the sun set, indulging in a favorite dessert, watching a favorite movie or a new movie you've been wanting to see while eating sinfully buttered popcorn with a side of chocolate...or themes are fun, so pairing dinner and a movie or dinner and music, or forget dinner and do all appetizers - we love to do that on New Year's Eve and then switch back and forth between movies and board games...

>232 dragonaria: Ha! Yeppers, Kim. I have read the first two chapters of Lonesome Dove, and I hope that snakes and centipedes are not going to be a regular part of the narrative because they creep me out.

>233 Carmenere: Happy Sunday, Lynda! Thanks for those cool breezes - much appreciated.

>234 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! You snuck in there! SO happy you added Academy Street to the WL - hoping you like it when you get to it.

Morning Mamie! Happy Sunday! Good review of Academy Street. My LT pals really seem to like that one. I will have to read it.

Lonesome Dove! B.A.G.

Academy Street sounds like a winner!

>237 msf59: Morning, Mark! Happy Sunday! I am thrilled to see you here! Academy Street is a quick read that is just so perfectly written. I am liking Lonesome Dove so far - I just met Dishwater. And I LOVING East of Eden - I was not expecting the humor at the beginning.

>238 sibylline: Morning, Lucy! Academy Street is a gem.

>230 Crazymamie: 2017 still sounds like Sci find to me, even if it is next year. But I take your point!

Happy Sunday. Sun shining, beef consumed, book in hand...

I know, right?! Happy Sunday to you! I also have the book and the sun, but no beef. However, Craig is bringing home Chinese for lunch, and there are steaks and corn on the cob ready for the grill tonight...YUM!

Great comments on Academy Street, Mamie. I loved it, too. Happy Sunday.

Thank you, Beth! Happy Sunday.

Hi Crazy! Sorry you already ruled out Last Exit To Brooklyn. It is waiting for me at the library and then I'll dive in. I didn't enjoy White Noise at all. So, they are not all winners on the Bowie list. But I do like that his favorites tend to push me in directions I might not have travelled. So onward!!

Hey, Kim! Yep - I'm out with this month's pick for the Bowie read. As Amber would say nopenopenope. I actually liked White Noise, but I think the first half of the novel is so much stronger than the second half.

The Bowie list is an interesting one, to be sure. There are definitely ones on there that I am not interested in, and I would like to see a list of his top 100 duds, because I am guessing some of my favorites might be on that list. Ha!

Crazy--I totally agree that some of my faves might be on his dud list. LOL. But I have really enjoyed some of his top 100 and I had many of them already checked off before I started the list with Megan. I think I had already read 17 of them and they were mostly winners for me, which is the only reason I am attempting more of his. : ) Well, I'll let you know what I think of July's pick. Off to meet Mark!

I have really enjoyed The Master and Margarita, White Noise, and The Bird Artist. And I love The Great Gatsby and The Illiad. However, I hated As I Lay Dying. There are quite a few on the list that I have on the shelves, so it'll be fun to see if I agree or disagree with Bowie's assessment. I do love me a list, and his is a very intriguing one.

Have fun at the meet-up!! So fun!

Last Exit to Brooklyn is strong stuff, even today. I can understand taking a pass on it, although it is very well done. I'm another non-fan of As I Lay Dying.

>248 jnwelch: I'm not saying I'll never read it, Joe. Just not this month. It was less about the content and more about the wacky punctuation and lack of quotation marks - I just don't want to work that hard at something when I am tackling two bigger tomes anyway this month. We share a non-love of Faulkner. Ha! Although, I did like Light in August - I have not liked anything else by him though, and to phrase it that was is being kind. I am a HUGE non-fan.

Hi. Starting a new on threads, and stopping by to say hello and hope that all is well with you.

Happy 4th Mamie. Hope you and yours have a great day!

Happy Pesky Colonialists Day, Mamie! Maybe this is one of those possibly-maybe-almost-good Mondays?

Morning, Mamie!

Morning, Mamie!

Happy Fourth!

I never tried Light in August, but I doubt I ever do. My brain starts getting mad at me when I think of his books. :-)

Hey Mamie. Will there be fireworks?

Hey, Mamie! have a dog gone happy 4th!

Phew! I wonder how many virtual steps it takes to catch up on your thread? I am awarding myself 12000...

Happy Independence Day! Homesick for BBQ and fireworks and cheesy country songs about America today. *grin*

Morning, Mamie!

Morning Mamie! Lonesome Dove & East of Eden? Sweet! I hope to start Grapes next week.

Morning, Y'all. Happy Tuesday. I did not report in yesterday as I was not feeling well - just allergies. So mostly I read - I was in the mood for noir, so instead of waiting for the library, I picked up Devil in a Blue Dress on Kindle. LOVED it! The writing and the tone captured the setting so perfectly, and the characters kept surprising me. Since we had been talking about the movie, I kept picturing Denzel Washington as Easy, and I could hear his voice and see that flash of white teeth and charm in my head as I was reading. Seems like Mr. Washington was born to play this role. I need to track down the movie and watch it ASAP.

What else am I reading? Well, I'm so glad you asked:

...

...

Nothing much on the agenda today - I need to tackle the huge mound of mail on my desk and pay the bills, do some laundry, and decide what's for dinner. Craig grilled most of the weekend, which was lovely. He did chicken last night and we added beans from his garden and slow cooker ranch potatoes, which the kids have been requesting. Very YUM.

Hoping that Tuesday is filled with fabulous for all of us.

Oops, I almost forgot to mention that Devil in a Blue Dress as #75 for me, so double hooray!

Great taste for number 75 Mamie. Congrats on your magic number. Hope the allergies are better today.

Thank you, Charlotte! I have not been outside yet today, so we'll see.

Catching up with the thread:

>250 Whisper1: Linda!! I am so happy to see you here - you are in my thoughts constantly. And in my heart. Thanks so much for stopping in and for thinking of me - I am hoping that today is a good one for you.

>251 RebaRelishesReading: Thank you, Reba! I was not feeling great, but I think everyone else had a great 4th - Dan went to a party at a friend's house and the girls spent hours in the pool. Craig grilled for dinner, and it was delicious. Hoping your 4th was full of fun.

You are off to a great start with the stepping in July!! Still keeping me on my toes, so thanks for that.

>252 scaifea: Ha! Thank you, Amber! Hoping your Pesky Colonialists Day was fabulous. The allergies struck, or it would actually have been a good one. Oh, well...you can't have everything. And really, where would I put it if I did?

>253 cbl_tn: Morning, Carrie! How was your 4th?

>254 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! A day late and a dollar short, but...hoping your 4th was happy.

Right. Good thinking about the Faulkner. Mostly I just want to throw his books against the wall and watch them slide down.

>255 charl08: Hey, Charlotte. There were fireworks. Luckily they were not nearly as loud this year, so Bella did not have a panic attack.

>256 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul. I am hoping that this week will prove less stressful for you.

>257 Carmenere: Thank you, Linda. The dogs never left - they were here the entire time. *blinks*

>258 nittnut: Oh! I like that idea, Jenn!! Good thinking! Aw! Sorry about the homesickness - hoping you at least got some BBQ, which is what I would pick if I could only have one of those.

>259 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

>260 msf59: Morning, Mark!! Are you home again? I am enjoying both East of Eden and Lonesome Dove, so hooray for that. Oh, Grapes....LOVE that one! It would make my top five every time.

Whoa, you ate up Devil in a Blue Dress, Mamie! That was fast. How'd you like it? I'm enjoying Charcoal Joe, the latest Easy R.

Congrats on 75!

And Good Morning! Did you notice we completely skipped over that day that shall not be named? Happy Tuesday! This is the day on which work weeks should start.

I did indeed, Joe! Exactly what I was in the mood for, so I thank you. I really loved it - 4.5 stars from me, and I am looking forward to the second one. The writing reminded me a bit of Chandler (my hero!), but I think Easy is a more likable character. Now if Philip Marlowe had Mouse to back him up...

And thank you - I had hoped to hit 75 in June, but I missed.

I think we should place all holidays on the day that shall not be named! Then we can call it something else and pretend that it isn't...you know...pre-Tuesday. We agree completely on Tuesday!!

Congrats on hitting 75, Mamie.

Thank you, Beth!

Just for fun, since I never got around to writing a review, here are some favorite quotes from White Noise:

Book One:

"Babette is tall and fairly ample; there is a girth and heft to her. Her hair is a fanatical blond mop, a particularly tawny hue that used to be called dirty blond. If she were a petite woman, the hair would be too cute, too mischievous and contrived. Size gives her tousled aspect a certain seriousness. Ample women do not plan such things. They lack the guile for conspiracies of the body." (p.5)

"Murray is able to produce a look that is sneaky and frank at the same time. It is a look that gives equal credence to disaster and lecherous success. He says that in the old days of his urban entanglements he believed there was only one way to seduce a woman, with clear and open desire. He took pains to avoid self-depreciation, self-mockery, ambiguity, irony, subtlety, vulnerability, a civilized world-weariness and a sense of tragic sense of history--the very things, he says, that are most natural to him. Of these, he has allowed only one element, vulnerability, to insert itself gradually onto his program of straightforward lust. He is trying to develop a vulnerability that women find attractive. He works at it consciously, like a man in a gym with weights and a mirror. But his efforts so far have produced only this half sneaky look, sheepish and wheedling." (p.20-21)

"What we are reluctant to touch often seems the very fabric of our salvation." (p.31)

"It was as if guilt were a luxury she allowed herself only when the danger were minimal." (p. 39)

"The family is the cradle of the world's misinformation. There must be something in family life that generates factual error." (p. 81)

"The power of the dead is that we think they see us all the time. The dead have a presence. Is there a level of energy composed solely of the dead? They are also in the ground, of course, asleep and crumbling. Perhaps we are what they dream." (p. 98)

"Make no mistake,. I take these children seriously. It is not possible to see too much in them, to overindulge your casual gift for the study of character. It is all there, in full force, charged waves of identity and being. There are no amateurs in the world of children." (p. 103)

Book Two:

"It was a period of looks and glances, teeming interactions, part of the sensory array I ordinarily cherish. Heat, noise, lights, looks, words, gestures, personalities, appliances. A colloquial density that makes family life the one medium of sense knowledge in which an astonishment of heart is routinely contained." (p. 117)

"The genius of the primitive mind is that it can render human helplessness in noble and beautiful ways." (p. 141)

SO, I'll just mention once again that I thought the first book was brilliant. The second book was sloggish despite being the shortest of the three books. We lost the wit and charm here and picked up the mundane and boring. Book three was at first a total loss for me, and I was beginning to think that it would destroy what book one had so deftly created. But, the ending saved it. I ended up really liking this book that has so much to say about consumerism and about how we live our lives. We are buying what we are being sold without stopping to consider whether or not we actually want it or value it.

Good morning, Mamie! I hope you had a good 4th of July weekend.

>262 Crazymamie: Nice! Like Joe said, that was fast. Did you get a chance to see that movie yet? I look forward to your review of the book.

Congrats on 75!

>273 brodiew2: Morning, Brodie! It was a lovely weekend - I really love when you get a bonus day because of how the holiday falls. Hoping yours was full of happy!

I have not yet seen the movie, but I will very soon - I just need to track it down.

And thank you!

Crazy--Yay on the 75!!! I have to say that I loved individual sentences and passages from White Noise, but as a whole it was not a hit for me. Someday, I will get around to articulating why! But I am glad you enjoyed it. I know it is one of Megan's faves.

Mamie, congratulations on reaching 75! I am a book behind you, but it might take me a few days. The steps are a disaster, but the roomie is back from holiday so I'll get her to delete and reinstall the app on my BlackBerry, and hopefully that will inspire me.

Thanks, Kim! I will await your articulation. Not every book is for every person, which is why it is so much fun to compare notes. I did not agree with everything that DeLillo was saying, but I loved the humor.

>276 susanj67: Thank you, Susan! I will be waiting in the wings to celebrate your 75. Sorry about the stepping - my apps are not working right, either, which is a pain. It only syncs correctly with my laptop at the moment, which is beyond weird. They need to fix the problem.

Hooray for 75! And it was a winner, too!

Thanks, Katie! And yes - I was thankful that it was a winner. Bonus!

Congratulations on hitting the 75 book mark, Mamie! I'm behind too--maybe once yard projects are over I can catch up to the usual rate.

Check your PM for an interesting picture!

Congratulations on hitting 75 already, Mamie! It's still pretty far out there in the distance for me. :)

Hey Mamie! It really feels like this week did not include a Monday, didn't it. *yup*

Happy Woots and dances for reaching 75!

Hooray for hitting 75!! High-Five!

>281 ronincats: Thank you, Roni! Your yard projects are so awesome, I imagine they are cutting into your reading time. I loved the photo - CANNOT WAIT.

>282 ursula: Thanks, Ursula! I'm rooting for you - Go Ursula! Go Ursula!

>283 Carmenere: Hey, Lynda! I completely agree about the week - so fabulous! Getting ready to head out to the pool with Lonesome Dove.

And thank you!

>284 msf59: Thanks, Mark! *high five*

anxiously awaits Mamie's verdict of Lonesome Dove

>278 Crazymamie: Mamie, it's interesting that your apps aren't working properly either. I had assumed it was just me. The one on the Fire works intermittently, but the BlackBerry one is hopeless (after a recent update). I've just synced to my laptop at home and it's not quite as terrible as it seemed at the office. You have just over double my steps now :-)

>286 luvamystery65: I just read the chapter about the sign, and it had me laughing out loud, Ro!

>287 susanj67: Nope. It's not just you, Susan. Weird, isn't it. And annoying. Just over double you say - come and get me, sister!!

>286 luvamystery65: Me, too. I saw the Lonesome Dove miniseries, but have not read the book. Definitely want to hear what Mamie thinks.

Hope you're feeling better today. It was warm and humid here yesterday and my allergies were giving me fits too. I did have a really nice 4th though. It's pretty special at Chautauqua. We have a community picnic in the main square park with a concert by the community band. Then in the evening the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra does a really fun pops concert that ends with the audience providing the canon shots for the 1812 Overture by blowing up and popping paper bags. After the concert we head down to the lake which is rimmed with red flares, beautifully outlining the shore. From there about 6 sets of fireworks are visible. While we watch fireworks the bell tower plays patriotic songs. I simply love the whole thing!!

>289 brodiew2: Well, I'm on page 101 - Chapter 9, so I've got a ways to go yet, but so far I am in deep like. Very good, and really, I am not a huge fan of westerns.

>290 RebaRelishesReading: I am, Reba, thank you. Your 4th sounds truly lovely and full of wonder. Sounds just like Mary Poppins - practically perfect in every way.

>288 Crazymamie: The sign is classic. So funny.

Congratulations on reaching 75!!

I love the "We don't rent pigs" part! And thank you, Jenn!

Congrats on 75!

Thanks, Rachel!

Morning, Mamie!

Morning, Amber!

>288 Crazymamie: Mamie, I'm coming to get you! I just went for a lunchtime walk and I'll walk home tonight if it's not raining, as I have to stay late for yet another Brexit talk, so the sun will have gone round a bit by the time I leave. Happy Wednesday!

*grin* I am currently in my jammies and drinking coffee, Susan! I did think briefly about walking outside, but then I actually stepped outside. So, no. Lately I have been getting almost all of my steps indoors, which is very boring but much cooler. SO I get more steps that way on account of the not fainting part. Ha!

Happy Wednesday to you! I look forward to eating your dust.

New thread's up - come on over!!

I'm late, but Congrats on 75!

Thank you, Jim!