Mamie's 2016 Madness (Page 19)

Continuing my list of favorite things...sitting on my ass, finding joy in the journey, Netflix...

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...

snail's pace

Books Completed in September:
96. The Noise of Time by Julian Barnes (4.5 stars), 2016 acquired hardback, biographical fiction - recommended by Suz
97. Everybody Behaves Badly: The true Story Behind Hemingway's Masterpiece The Sun Also Rises by Lesley M. M. Blume (4.25 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, non-fiction
98. What Angels Fear by C. S. Harris (4 stars), 2010 acquired ebook, murder mystery - seres recommended by Lucy

Books Completed in August:
81. A Room Full of Bones by Elly Griffiths (3.5 stars), library hardback, police procedural - series recommended by Beth
82. Driving Mr. Dead by Molly Harper (reread), ebook, urban fantasy
83. The Good Wife by Stewart O'Nan (4 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, literary fiction - recommended by Jenn
--- Ruth's First Christmas Tree by Elly Griffiths (4 stars), 2016 free ebook, short story in the Ruth Galloway series
84. A Witch's Handbook by Molly Harper (3 stars), borrowed ebook, urban fantasy/paranormal romance
85. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (reread), 2016 acquired audiobook, literary fiction
86. Monstress by Marjorie m. Liu, artwork by Sana Takeda (4.5 stars), borrowed paperback from Birdy, GN - fantasy
87. Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs by Molly Harper (3 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, paranormal romance/urban fantasy
88. Johannes Cabal the Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard (4 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, paranormal - recommended by Jim
89. In the Walled City by Stewart O'Nan (3.8 stars), library paperback, short story collection - Katie's Dirty Dozen
90. A Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths (4.25 stars), library hardback, mystery/police procedural - series recommended by Beth
91. Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck (5 stars), audiobook, memoir - read for the AAC
92. The Outcast Dead by Elly Griffiths (4 stars), library hardback, mystery/police procedural
93. The Mermaids Singing by Lisa Carey (5 stars), 2015 acquired ebook, literary fiction - Katie's Dirty Dozen
---Bruno and the Carol Singers by Martin Walker (3 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, short story in the Bruno, Chief of Police series
94. The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths (4 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, police procedural - series recommended by Beth
95. Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire (4 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, urban fantasy - series recommended by Roni

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


Flaubert's Parrot by Julian Barnes - reading this for the Bowie read with Kim, Megan, Mark, Charlotte, Joe, Paul, Anita, Donna...

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

Books Completed in July:
74. Academy Street by Mary Costello (5 stars), 2015 acquired ebook, literary fiction - Katie's Dirty Dozen
75. Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley (4.5 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, crime fiction/detective - recommended by Joe and Brodie
76. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry (5 stars), 2012 acquired ebook, historical fiction - American West, recommended by the LT masses
77. Symphony for the City of the Dead by M. T. Anderson (4.25 stars), library hardback, YA - history, Siege of Leningrad/Dmitri Shostakovich - recommended by Beth
78. Nobody's Fool by Richard Russo (5 stars), library paperback, literary fiction - Katie's Dirty Dozen
79. I Am No One by Patrick Flanery (3 stars), ER paperback, literary thriller
80. The Hanged Man of Saint-Pholien by Georges Simenon (3.5 stars), police procedural - Ahem. Charlotte

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 COMPLETED
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 COMPLETED
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) 1 COMPLETED
71. Because of Miss Bridgerton by Julia Quinn ($1.99 on Kindle)
72. The Good Wife by Stewart O'Nan - recommended by Jenn COMPLETED
73. A World Away by Stewart O'Nan
74. Sylvester: or The Wicked Uncle by Georgette Heyer ($.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
79. Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat - Katie's fault
80. Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel - recommended by Diane ($1.99 on Kindle)
81. Nobody's Fool by Richard Russo - I wanted my own copy, this was recommended by Katie COMPLETED
82. Suspended Sentences by Patrick Modiano - 3 linked novellas
83. The Art of Neil Gaiman: The Story of a Writer by Hayley Campbell
84. The Noise of Time by Julian Barnes - recommended by Suz COMPLETED
85. The Paper Menagerie by Ken Liu - Mark pointed out this Kindle deal ($1.99)
86-90 Books 2-6 in the John Russel series - Kindle Daily Deal ($1.99 each)
91. Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire - Roni was talking about this series and the first one was just $1.99 on Kindle COMPLETED
92. Named of the Dragon by Susanna Kearsley - I like her books when I am in the right mood, and this was a Kindle Daily Deal
93. The Things We Wish Were True by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen - picked this up for free on Kindle
94. Everybody Behaves Badly: The True Story Behind Hemingway's Masterpiece The Sun Also Rises by Lesley M. M. Blume - I have a fascination with The Lost Generation COMPLETED
95. Rogue Male by Geoffrey Household - Benedict Cumberbatch is set to star in a new adaptation of this, read about this on Judy's thread
96. The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu - picked this up because I am really enjoying his short story collection The Paper Menagerie
97. The Woman in Blue by Elly Griffiths - the newest book in the Ruth Galloway series - series recommended by Beth
98. Brief Encounters With Che Guevara by Ben Fountain - short story collection, $1.99 on Kindle
99. A Murder of Magpies by Judith Flanders - Beth and Charlotte were discussing this series on Charlotte's thread
100. The Patriarch by Martin Walker - the next one in the Bruno, Chief of Police series

30/99 completed = 30% 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 COMPLETED 8/12/16 3.8 stars
5. My Reading Life by Pat Conroy - she recommended the audio, and don't speed it up
6. Nobody's Fool by Richard Russo COMPLETED 7/21/16 5 stars
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
13. Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat - she pointed out that this was only $1.99 on Kindle and that it was one of her very favorites, purchased 7/13/16
14. Tribal: College Football and the Secret Heart of America by Diane Roberts

AND, from 2015:

1. The Mermaids Singing by Lisa Carey ($1.99 on Kindle), purchase on 2/18/15 COMPLETED 8/19/16 5 stars
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

1

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 COMPLETED 9/3/16
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 - Beth and Susan also liked this
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 COMPLETED 8/3/16
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: Poems 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 COMPLETED
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

LT recommendations continued...

91. Underground Airlines by Ben Winers - recommended by Mark
92. Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave - recommended by Joe
93. Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel - recommended by Diane
94. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch -recommended by Joe
95. The Paper Menagerie by ken Liu - recommended by Mark
96. Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien - read Charlotte's excellent review on her thread
97. Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi - Charlotte says this might be her favorite Oyeyemi
98. What Angels Fear by C. S. Harris - I have had this on Kindle since 2010 (pre-LT!), but giving Lucy credit because her raving about the series is what got me to check out the series on Amazon, which reminded me that I had purchased the title!
99. The Bellini Card by Jason Goodwin - this is the third in the series, waiting to see if Lucy says to read them in order. Lucy says, "Absolutely read those Jason Goodwin's in order-- start with the first one! (The Janissary Tree) What makes these so good is that the fellow is a serious historian -- he really knows Istanbul/Constantinople/Byzantium well." So there you have it!
100. How to be Both by Ali Smith - loved Lucy's review of this!
101. Thicker Than Water: History, Secrets and Guilt: A Memoir by Cal Flyn - read Susan's excellent review
102. A Slanting of the Sun by Donal Ryan - read Charlotte's review on her thread, and also I loved The Spinning Heart
103. The Scribe by Matthew Guinn - read Jim's review on his thread - set in 1880s Georgia, he said "...and if you liked Gods of Gotham, this one will give a similar thrill."
104. Shultz by David Michaellis - recommended by Donna, NOT the audio, she says
105. Grief is the Thing With Feathers by Max Porter - read Mark's review on his thread
106. Here Comes the Sun by Nicole Dennis-Benn - read Beth's review on her thread
107. The Drowned World by J. G. Ballard - read Ursula's review on her thread
108. Britain AD: A Quest for Arthur, England and the Anglo-Saxons by Francis Pryor - read Meg's review on her thread
109. The Wrong Kind of Blood by Declan Hughes - read Judy's review on her thread
110. A Touch of Stardust by Kate Alcott - Judy. Again.

A few of my favorite reads from 2015:




This should do it - next one's yours!

GAWD! I was wondering if you were ever going to start a new thread......

Happy New Thread, Mamie. I have to do this at some point today as well...trying to build up the energy.

Happy new thread! Love the donkey pic.

Happy new thread, Mamie :-) I love your list of favourite things in post 1 :-)

>14 katiekrug: Sorry to keep you waiting, Katie. You are first, so here's your prize:



Your own Man Friday so that you don't have to bother yourself with the details anymore. I'm sure he can help you with that pesky desk organizational situation we were discussing on my previous thread...

>15 ronincats: Thanks, Roni! I know, right?! It takes time and energy, plus I have to decide what topper to use...

>16 charl08: Thanks you, Charlotte! Glad you love the topper!

>17 susanj67: Thanks, Susan! A kindred spirit! I knew it!

>1 Crazymamie: Happy new thread! Nothing like being a child and sitting on your ass as much as possible. Cracked a smile at that. :-P

Thank you, Brodie! I actually still enjoy it, even though I am no longer a child. Glad I could provide a smile!

>18 Crazymamie: - I thought you were being a smart ass (see what I did there?), and saying my prize was nothing (because the tray is empty)...

Ha! Oh, dear! Too funny - you have to ask for what you want. He's waiting to do your bidding, but he can't read your mind. Probably a good thing. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess that yours is slightly dingy, just like mine. Your mind, I mean.

Happy New Thread, Mamie! Love the topper. Fine ass, you have there.

Hope those current reads are treating you well.

I finally finished Blonde. I think it is an excellent read but I also feel very liberated and my other books can stop squawking so much.

Thanks, Mark! LOL! You made me belly laugh! I am loving my current reads. And HOORAY for you for finishing up Blonde - that's a load off, huh?!

Happy new thread, Mamie. You are on fire in August. Will you make 100 yet this month?

Thank you, Beth! That's a good question - very doubtful I will make 100 this month. Not impossible, though, and that would be fun!

Happy new thread, Mamie! I love the first post. ;-)

Thanks, Terri! Glad you love the topper - I knew I was going to use it as soon as I found it.

Happy New Thread, Mamie! Long time no see. I've been busy just enjoying the summer. How is Daniel's leg healing up? Well I hope.

Happy new thread Mamie, dear. Good to see you back and healthy and keeping your nose in front of the Postie with the Mostie at the top of the posting league. Unless Amber and myself make a real run at things I think there will be a new winner this year.

2011 Stephen (Ape)
2012 Paul
2013 Paul
2014 Amber
2015 Amber
2016 ???? M or M ???

Morning, Mamie! Happy new one!

Happy New Thread, Mamie!

Good to see Goblin Emperor was a favorite of yours. I enjoyed that one, too.

>30 vancouverdeb: Thank you, Deborah! Daniel's leg is doing really well - he does PT twice a week, and on Thursday he goes back to the surgeon for what I am guessing will be his final visit there. I think he will still have to do the PT, and his leg gets tired easily, but he is back to work and yesterday he went for his first bike ride. It was almost as exciting and scary as the first time he rode off on his bike alone. Ha!

>31 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! My money is on Mark.

>32 scaifea: Morning, Amber! Thank you!

>33 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe! I really loved The Goblin Emperor - I remember Jim recommended that one. I might have to buy my own copy because i would like to read it again.

Morning Mamie! It is raining here as I start the route. Hope it moves on, before long...

Have you tried a revisit of TKAM, with Spacek doing the narration? If not, it is a wonder.

Morning, Mark! We were supposed to get storms yesterday, and we did get a LOT of thunder and lightening, but hardly any actual rain. But at Craig's office and at Dan's work, it poured.

I do plan on trying out that audio of TKAM. I have read it in print twice, so it would be nice to revisit it in audio next time. Not this year, since I just reread it a few years ago, but maybe next year.

Good morning, Mamie! I hope your day is off to a good start.

Morning, Brodie! I need to go to the market, which I am not looking forward to because it is HOT outside. Other than that, it should be a good one.

Hey Mamie! Loved that TKAM audio. Hot for here here, but I think compared to your temps it'd be nothing.

Happy new thread, Mamie!
>31 PaulCranswick: Go Mamie, Go!!! I'll do my best to keep you the top banana!

>39 charl08: Hello, Charlotte! Temps in the mid-90s for us this week, but what is killing me is the humidity. I will welcome Fall with open arms. I am also ready for the return of football.

>40 Carmenere: Thank you, Lynda! Ha! And I appreciate your enthusiasm and dedication. Who shall I make the check out to?

LOL! Book Depository would be just fine! thanx

>We had mid 90s temperatures last week her in greater Seattle. Humidity wasn't as high, but it was still pretty oppressive for this area. I feel ya.

The return of football will be a glorious thing as well. Go Seahawks! I keep forgetting where you are, Mamie. Who is your team?

>42 Carmenere: Good thinking!

>43 brodiew2: Oppressive is the perfect word for it, Brodie. I live in Georgia, but I am originally from Indiana (just moved down here not quite 4 years ago). I was a HUGE Peyton Manning fan, so I followed him from the Colts to the Broncos. I am currently without team. *sob* I just watch the games when the season starts and see who calls to me. We have a very mixed bag here at the Pecan Paradisio:

Craig - doesn't really watch football unless forced (or there are delicious snack options)
Rae - Giants
Daniel - Eagles
Abby - Saints
Birdy - Falcons

Hi Mamie! I'm fashionably late to the new thread. I love your topper!

>44 Crazymamie: Live in Lake Charles, LA as a child and was a huge fan of, you guessed it, Archie Manning. I've been a firm transplant to greater Seattle since 1987 and The Seahawks have been my team for as long as I can remember. Thought there was the time in the early 90s when I LOVED the Buffalo Bills.

Speaking of Peyton, the 'Peyton on Sunday Morning' commercial with Lionel Ritchie is genius!

Just join the cool kids and declare your allegiance to the Giants!

>45 cbl_tn: Hello, Carrie! Perfect timing! Glad you love the topper - it makes me laugh every time I see it.

>46 brodiew2: I had to goggle the 'Peyton on Sunday Morning' commercials - cracked me up! I don't watch very much actual tv if it's not football season, so thanks for mentioning it, Brodie.

>47 katiekrug: Ha! I almost said earlier that you told me I could choose any team except for the Cowboys or the Eagles, Katie! You sound like Rae who keeps telling me that Peyton would want for me to root for Eli. No declarations until the season starts, and then we'll see. But I will keep the Giants in mind.

Any team except for the Cowboys, Eagles or Redskins :)

I'm just saying there's no point in holding out for more illustrious company than Rae and me....

I beat Carrie at being fashionably late - Happy New Thread, Mamie. Love the topper.

Morning, Mamie!

>49 katiekrug: Oh yeah, or the Redskins. No worries there. Heh.

>50 Familyhistorian: Look at you stealing Carrie's glory, Meg. Well done. And thank you. Glad you love the topper.

>51 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

Morning Mamie! Hey hey hey! The Browns are the team to watch this year! I'm not sure exactly what you'll see but, surprise, we've got a new quarterback. I think it's like the 25th in 10 years. Yup, G III is the one!

Morning, Lynda! I am SO ready for the start of the regular football season. A new quarterback for the Browns. What a surprise! Not.

Hi Mamie! Great news that Daniel's back to work (I nearly wrote "already" there, but I suppose for him it's "at last" :-) )

You Crack Me UP! Great thread topper. I can't wait for fall either-tired of this muggy weather.

Goodness, I log on, find a new thread and am already #57!!! Happy new thread, Mamie :)

Morning, Mamie!

If we had a better team, I'd suggest following the Bears. Not worth your time. Maybe the Seahawks?

>55 susanj67: Hello, Susan! Daniel was thrilled to go back to work, and you are right - it seemed like a long time coming to him.

>56 Thebookdiva: Thanks, Abby! Today is actually not too bad, weather wise. I even got to sit and read out on the screened-in porch this morning. I just won't mention that it's supposed to go to 95 later.

>57 RebaRelishesReading: Reba! Where have you been?!

>58 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! Your Bears need a new quarterback - one who is more consistent. Talent is good, but you need someone who is also willing to work hard. I do really like the Seahawks - we shall see...

Hi Mamie! I'd wish you "Happy New Thread" but you're already 60 posts old, so... just Happy Thread!

Now I know why so many people have been reading Flaubert's Parrot. It's that Bowie thing. Heh.

I'm home sick today (the only good thing about that is that I get to catch up on LT and do some reading in between naps --- oh, and Abby likes it because nothing is better than having a mom propped up in bed all day) and hoping to make some good progress in Brief History of Seven Killings. Tonight we will watch the Seahawks' third pre-season game. I'm always a bit ambivalent about pre-season but it's interesting to watch the guys who are still hoping to play in September.

Hello, Ellen! This thread is only two days old, so still new, I am thinking. And yes, Flaubert's Parrot is a Bowie thing - I am wondering what they will choose for next month.

You're sick after just getting back from vacation? Total bummer! I'll just bet Abby is thrilled, though - she probably missed you so much. Mercy greets us with woeful meows when we all return from dinner and a movie. I can't imagine what she would do if we all left for actual days - she likes her people home.

I always skip pre-season. I want the real "it totally counts" thing. Thank goodness it's almost here.

Feel better, my friend, and thanks so much for stopping in.

Good morning, Mamie!

>48 Crazymamie: You are welcome. That commercial is a real treat.

>53 Carmenere: I used to follow the Browns back in the Bernie Kosar days. I liked him as a QB. He elevated them a bit, but I don't recall if they had a playoff birth with him.

>58 jnwelch: >60 EBT1002: Seahawks. Yes! *nods head vigorously*

Morning Mamie! Sweet Thursday. I am still deeply immersed in baseball season, with my soaring Cubs, so no interest in football...for awhile at least.

Hope to start Flaubert's Parrot at lunch.

>60 EBT1002: "I'll just bet Abby is thrilled, though - she probably missed you so much."
Oh yeah. For the first 24 hours, she just followed us around the house, meowing to be petted. She is getting older (aren't we all?) and she really likes her peeps to be present. P got the virus first and stayed home on Tuesday, we both went to work on Wednesday but came home early (and I went right to bed), and today I'm home. It has made for a better transition for her, I think. But still, it is a bummer to get sick right after returning from vacation!

>62 brodiew2: Morning, Brodie! The Seahawks are definitely on the list - we shall see.

>63 msf59: Morning, Mark! Sweet Thursday! I do not watch baseball. My heart belongs to football. *grin*

>64 EBT1002: That is SO sweet! It was so thoughtful of both you and P to get sick so that Abby could have a better transition to your returning home. And better to be sick at home than while on vacation. When I am sick, I want my own things around me.

"...better to be sick at home than while on vacation."
Amen, sister!

*whispers*

>62 brodiew2: >53 Carmenere: Kosar's Browns were in the playoffs 4 or 5 times in the '80's and were in the AFC championship 2 or 3 times but never made it to a Super Bowl.
Then, Belichick cut him and not long after the Browns moved to Baltimore and of course won a Super Bowl as the Ravens. *sigh* :(

Sorry I hijacked you thread, my friend.

>68 Carmenere: That was it. He was so close but never made it. I liked that guy.

Morning, Mamie!

I thought I was here yesterday, but I guess not. "If I only had a brain."

Well howdy Mamie!

Good morning, Mamie! Happy Friday!

Hey Mamie! Friday! I've been picking blackberries for a pie. Or possibly a summer pudding. Mmm.

Morning Mamie! Are you safe? Are you sound?

Steelers.

Good morning, Mamie! The heat is getting to us her in Seattle. 90s is not good for the People of the Puget Sound. :-P

So I have somehow managed to re-break that same big toe that I broke down in Florida a few years ago. I stubbed it on a ...wait for it...flip flop. Seriously. The flip flop was wedged up against the bookcase, so it really hurt even though it sounds extremely lame.

Spent most of yesterday binge-watching Netflix and also did a small bit of reading. Planning pretty much the same thing for today. We are having those salisbury steak meatballs over mashed potatoes for dinner, and they are already in the slow cooker, so it's all good. I was forced to purchase the latest Ruth Galloway because our library doesn't have it and I would have to wait six months in order to request it through ILL since it is newer. I might just have to buy my own copies of the ones I don't have anyway because I could see myself re-reading these down the line. SO far, I just have books 1, 2, and 7 because they were cheap on Kindle. Well, and now I have book 8, which was not cheap, but I needed it. After all, I am injured, and I need to keep my spirits up. *blinks* For those of you who want to know, the 9th book comes out next May and is titled The Chalk Pit.

While I was making my purchase, a few other things might have fallen into my possession:

Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire - Roni was talking about this series and the first one was just $1.99 on Kindle

Named of the Dragon by Susanna Kearsley - I like her books when I am in the right mood, and this was a Kindle Daily Deal yesterday

The Things We Wish Were True by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen - picked this up fro free on Kindle

Everybody Behaves Badly: The True Story Behind Hemingway's Masterpiece The Sun Also Rises by Lesley M. M. Blume - I have a fascination with The Lost Generation

Rogue Male by Geoffrey Household - Benedict Cumberbatch is set to star in a new adaptation of this, read about this on Judy's thread

The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu - picked this up because I am really enjoying his short story collection The Paper Menagerie

>66 EBT1002: *grin*

>67 EBT1002: I'm listening. They are definitely on the short list.

>68 Carmenere: You are welcome to hijack my thread any time, Lynda. (But NO politics here. EVER.) Especially with football trivia!

>69 brodiew2: *grin*

>70 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

Ooh, ooh, Rosemary and Rue! Yes!!!

Good morning, Mamie! Ouch! I'm sorry to hear about your toe. So what were you binge watching on Netflix? Some friends of mine have recently started binging Fringe. Not necessarily a recommendation, I thought it sounded clever. :-P

>71 luvamystery65: I have done that before, Roberta. And remember that the scarecrow was actually the one who had all the great ideas.

>72 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! Happy Friday!

>73 charl08: Hello, Charlotte! Hooray for Friday! Blackberries - YUM!

>74 msf59: Morning, Mark! Thanks for checking on me. I am safe but not quite sound. Ha!

>75 weird_O: I actually have a soft spot for the Steelers, Bill. When I started watching football, Terry Bradshaw was their quarterback, and I loved watching him play.



>76 brodiew2: Good morning, Brodie! 90s is not good for anyone. Just saying... Supposed to go to 97 here today, and I am weary of it.

>79 ronincats: Ha! I actually started reading it in the early morning hours today as I couldn't sleep, Roni. Was it your thread that the Rogue Male discussion was on?

>80 brodiew2: Morning, Brodie! Ouch is right! Yesterday we were watching Bones. I love that show because the main character is a lot like Rae - very literal and doesn't do sarcasm. Yesterday we were watching season tow. We have watched through the show multiple times over the years, but I have never watched further than whichever season she has the baby in. I looked up Fringe, and it sounds like it might be right up our alley, so thanks for that. I will check it out.

Hi Mamie - Too bad about your toe.

Oh NO!! Sorry about your toe. Does seem like a good reason to stay off you feet a lot which might mean time to read a lot ?

Poor Mamie! Stubbing toes is annoying enough; broken is really lousy. That's one of those they can't do much about, either, right? I'm glad you've got some distractions.

Hello, Beth. Thank you. I am great at breaking toes - it's a gift. Too bad I can't return it.

>84 RebaRelishesReading: Thank you, Reba. Yep - definitely time to read. And Netflix.

>85 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe. Right - nothing you can do, really. Buddy taping is good if it is not the big toe, but I went for the big one, so...

Hi Mamie, I am so late that I am not even fashionable! I think it may have been my thread that had the Rogue Male discussion, I read it earlier this year and loved it. Speaking of love, I love your topper and if you could move your ass just a little, I could squeeze mine in beside you as one of my favorite things is also sitting on my ass!

Oh, dingdang to the re-broken toe! Netflix and reading sounds like the perfect way to recuperate. Would you mind sharing the meatball recipe? It sounds wonderful!

Sorry about the injury, Mamie. And of course you needed to buy the book to cheer you up! I think you'll like that newest one. I did :)

>88 DeltaQueen50: Judy, you are always fashionable. Thank you - I knew I stumbled across the Rogue Male discussion while trying to catch up with threads, but then I couldn't remember where.

Your comments about my topper made me laugh out loud!! Thanks for that! I am happy to move my ass a little so that yours can join me!

>89 scaifea: I know, right, Amber?! The meatball recipe is truly delicious - her is the link to the recipe: Skinnytaste Salisbury steak meatballs recipe

>90 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie. I usually try not to spend that much on a Kindle book, but I really wanted it. Glad it's a good entry!

So sorry to hear about your foot. Glad you've got a good book to distract you though. Get well soon.

Thank you, Charlotte. I have not done any reading yet (well, since the early morning hours), but I did just watch the pilot episode of Fringe, which Brodie suggested, and the girls and I enjoyed immensely. I appreciate those good wishes, my friend.

>91 Crazymamie: Thanks for the link!!

Mamie, I'm so sorry to hear about your toe. But it seems like you really do have a talent for breaking it, so there's that...I am always stubbing mine against furniture, but no breaks yet.

Susan, thanks for that. I am VERY good at breaking toes, although I usually tend to do it while on vacation. Birdy also stubs her toes all the time but has never broken one.

Sorry to hear about the broken toe. Ouch! I think you need to add chocolate to the Netflix and reading. I understand it has an analgesic effect, so it will help with the pain. It's medicinal.

I used to love watching Terry Bradshaw, Lynn Swann, and Franco Harris. I don't find the current crop of pro players nearly as interesting.

>93 Crazymamie: I'm glad it was a hit with you, Mamie. I watched first 3 or 4 when it originally aired and didn't connect with it. My friends are watching it now and loving it 6 episodes in.

You should buy more books until your toe feels better.

Hope your toe is healed soon, Mamie. Sounds like a you have a good recuperation plan with Netflicks, reading and chocolate.

>44 Crazymamie: I love that your whole clan supports different teams, how funny. I am pretty much indifferent to sport, but my lovely other loves rugby league, so now W does too. And I am getting less repulsed by it ;)

>77 Crazymamie: yikes, poor show re: broken toe. My sister broke hers while looking after my kids (as I was recovering from foot surgery). She was running plates of pancakes to and from the table, quite literally. And she stubbed it on the table leg. I hear it is a real pain! I hope you recover fast and well!

>97 cbl_tn: Thank you, Carrie. Good thinking with the chocolate. I will add that immediately to my regime.

A lot of the players I loved watching the most are no longer playing, so I need to find new ones. I really love watching when you have players that elevate each other's game, and you see that less now that they are constantly moving around. It's hard to achieve a chemistry when the ingredients are never the same for more than a year or two.

>98 brodiew2: Brodie, you made me laugh - you suggested a show that you didn't connect with!! Too funny. I have only watched the pilot episode, so we'll see if it holds my attention.

>99 BLBera: I like that suggestion, Beth!

>100 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. So far so good with the healing plan.

>101 LovingLit: I know, it is funny, isn't it, Megan? We do the same thing with tennis and soccer - we each have our own personal favorites. I had fun watching the rugby during the Olympics - it's not something we normally get to see.

That is a funny story about your sister breaking her toe while watching your kids during your recovery from foot surgery. Oh, the irony! I thank you for those good wishes.

Morning, Mamie!

Morning, Katie!

Morning Mamie! At least the heavy rain has stopped here. Whew! I can handle a light drizzle.

I am loving my current audio, The Hour of Land. Where is this author been all my life?

No question: NNF Rules!

Morning, Mamie!

>105 msf59: Morning, Mark! I would welcome pouring rain - but I would not want to have to deliver mail in it! So glad you are loving your current listen - makes the time go faster, I bet. And yes, NNF rules!

>106 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

Morning, Mamie!

Afternoon, Joe!

You broke your toe on a flip-flop? Wow. Sucks. Sorry. Sucks.

Yes, ma'am.

Good Sunday to you, Mamie! Flip flops should come with hazard warnings! Glad you found the right medicine for it, binge watching and online shopping are a cure all, for sure! Take more and get plenty of rest!

Good Sunday, Lynda! A totally lame way to break a toe, the flip flop. We watched more Bones yesterday, and I read a bit in each of the books that I currently have going, so the day was not a total loss, but not much else got done. Just as well - it was way too hot to be outside. Even Craig hung out in the A/C, and he never does that - he likes to keep busy outside most of the time.

Late to the party as always. Happy new one, Mamie.

Happy Sunday, Mamie! Sorry to hear about your toe. I hope it isn't giving you too much trouble. Fingers crossed.

Since I can't seem to keep my warblin' trap shut, I have to keep singing about The Hour of Land. I am smitten.

Why does Robinson Crusoe always come up on the touchstones? LOL.

Happy Sunday, Mamie!

Oh, I broke a toe and it has been so sensitive ever since - makes it harder to want to be barefoot . . .

>114 Ameise1: Better late than never, Barbara! It's great to see you here. And thank you.

>115 msf59: Happy Sunday, Mark! The toe is bothering me today, but it's my own fault - I had my hands full and I pushed the door open with my toe, SO not thinking. Really stupid, but I'm betting it won't happen again.

I don't know about The Hour of the Land - about the National Parks, right? I'm not much of a nature girl. Not sure it's mu cuppa - how much history is in it?

The touchstones are completely screwed, my friend - so frustrating.

>116 jnwelch: Happy Sunday, Joe!

>117 sibylline: Yep. I hear you Lucy - I have had trouble with this toe since the first time I broke it a couple of years ago. Now I have broken it again. I am guessing it will never be the same, the poor dear.

>77 Crazymamie: Ouch! Lucky you don't need to turn the pages with your toes my dear. Calls for a stiff drink I think. Better get one of the girls to mix it for you as you probably fall in the pool on the way otherwise. xx

>102 Crazymamie: I'll make you laugh even more by saying I watched the first three episodes this weekend and almost nearly all in. The 4th episode was the last one I watched originally. We'll see what happens.

Morning, Mamie! How's the toe this morning?

Another Monday morning Mamie. Bank holiday here.

>119 PaulCranswick: That's so true, Paul. And good thinking about the drink. xx

>120 brodiew2: You're right, Brodie - that did make me laugh. Too funny! I spent yesterday binge watching Longmire.

>121 scaifea: Morning, Amber! The toe is not too bad this morning, so if I take it easy and remember not to use it to push open any doors, I am hoping it will stay that way.

>122 charl08: I know, Charlotte. Ugh. Bank holiday there?! WahHOO! No bank holiday here, but next Monday is our Labor Day, so...

Morning Mamie! Glad that toe is feeling better. There is some history in The Hour of Land, the Gettysburg National Park segment is both beautiful and devastating, but it is mostly nature and environment based, so if that doesn't ring your bells, I understand.

Morning, Mark! Thank you. So, I am thinking no about The Hour of the Land, although I would love to read the section about the Gettysburg National Park - we have been there and you can feel the history. Literally feel it - such a haunting and beautiful place. I might see if the library has it just for that. Thanks for getting back to me.

Sadly, I have not yet been to Gettysburg. I was chatting with a friend last night and I think we might make a "guys getaway" to PA next year.

The author toured the battlefield on horseback. Now, that would be cool.

Monday. Again. Laundry and The Big Clean on the agenda. Definitely reading, and I would really like to post some thoughts on the books I have read but not written reviews for. I finished Rosemary and Rue over the weekend, which is an urban fantasy series that Roni recommended - not as good as the Mercy Thompson books, but still a lot of fun. I have several books on the cusp of being finished, so I'll see what I can knock out before August exits.

>126 msf59: Oh, Mark! You should go. It is a really moving experience. Photos cannot do justice to the feeling of actually standing there and seeing it with your own eyes. On horseback would be such a fitting way to tour it.

The Angle

In Devil's Den

The Devil's Den as viewed from Little Round Top

Birdy and Daniel on top of Big Round Top, looking down over Gettsburg

A tolerable Mmphmumble Day to you, Mamie!

Hope the toe is getting a wee bit better.

I'd like to get to Gettysburg, too. Thanks for the photos. Hard to imagine such a war on U.S. soil all these years later.

Ha! Thank you, Joe! The big toe is less ouchy today - I'm going to try to keep it that way.

You're welcome for the photos - we took the kids there when we were homeschooling while we were studying the Civil War. It really brings it home to see it with your own eyes - merely reading about it cannot compare to actually standing there. It's staggering.

Lovely photos, Mamie. I can't imagine what it would be like to be there in person. The Killer Angels is in the my top three ever. It must have been amazing to be there.

Thanks, Brodie! I have The Killer Angels in the stacks, but I haven't read it yet. Birdy was in third grade when those photos were taken, and this year she is a senior - all those years ago, and yet it stands out so vividly in my memory because it made such a huge impact.

Howdy, Mamie! Great pics of Gettysburg! Awesome place to spend the day.
Hope you have an easy breezy day!

Howdy, Miss Lynda! Thank you. We actually spent several days there - so worth a trip. The park is haunting and the museum is really well done. There is so much to see.

I appreciate those good wishes. Hoping yours is full of happy!

Wow! Great Gettysburg photos, Mamie! I particularly love The Angle. The author, The Hour of Land talks about how they have been trying to restore the entire park, into the exact condition in was in, on those fateful days in 1863. Quite an achievement.

Thanks, Mark! The Angle is my favorite, too. It's really an amazing thing to see - the monuments are truly incredible. It's one thing to read about it, but you can feel it when you are standing there - hallowed ground. I would love to go back again.

2017- It is on the docket...

WHoop!! VERY exciting!

I join with Brodie on how good The Killer Angels is, Mamie. And you'd get even more out of it, I'm sure, than those readers who've never been to Gettysburg.

I have it in the stacks, Joe, so I'll be sure to get to it. I'll give it the bump since you and Brodie said so.

^I am also chiming in on The Killer Angels. It is not a long book but it packs quite a punch. I have a copy on my "keeper" shelves.

You, too, Mark? Okay, then. I will add it to September's read list.

RIP Gene Wilder. Thanks for all the laughs.

One of the comic greats.

I know, right?! LOVED him.

Morning, Mamie!

Hey Mamie! So sad re GW. Although now I'm laughing at the Roddy Doyle tribute on Bill's thread.

>150 katiekrug: Morning, Katie!

>151 charl08: Hello, Charlotte! It is sad. Bill's thread, you say? I'm off!

Good Tuesday to you, Mamie! We took Will to Gettysburg many years ago, maybe 10. I don't know how much of that trip Will remembers, I need to ask him. What sticks out in my mind is visiting the Soldier's National Cemetery where Lincoln gave his Gettysburg address. So moving.

Morning Mamie! We are having a rainy start to the day here, ruining my plans for outside chores. Bummer. I guess I have to be stuck inside reading. Oh well...

And a very good Tuesday to you, Lynda! I almost mentioned that cemetery yesterday when we were talking about Gettysburg. We went there, too, and you are so right that it is very moving. I had to memorize the Gettysburg Address in sixth grade, and I can still recite it by heart - gets me every time. To say so much with so few words is amazing.

>154 msf59: Morning, Mark! Rain? I am jealous. You are forced not to do outdoor chores - oh, the horror! Consoling yourself with a bit of reading is a grand idea.

I also toured Gettysburg years ago. I went with some colleagues after a class in Emmetsburg, PA and we hired a guide to go in the car with us and explain what we were seeing. Very worthwhile!! Touring on horseback sounds even better though.

Good morning, Mamie!

Yeah, wet, wet, wet in our hereabouts. Madame MBH wisely made me bring an extra pair of dry socks today.

>157 RebaRelishesReading: Hello, Reba! We also toured by car and we listened to the tape you can rent that tells you all the stories and the significance of the monuments. That was perfect for us then because we had all four kids wth us, so we could stop the tape and get out and take the time to explore each part. Touring on horseback does sound fabulous except that I have not been on a horse since the pony rides at the zoo when I was MUCH younger. Heh.

>158 jnwelch: Good Morning, Joe! We might get some rain later - it's in the forecast, but the weather down here doesn't always read the forecast. Dry socks are a very good thing.

Saw the sad news on Gene Wilder. His Stir Crazy film with Richard Pryor was a favourite of mine.

Love the pictures from Gettysburg.

Hello, Paul! Yep - Gene Wilder always made me laugh. He had a gift.

Glad you liked the Gettysburg photos - such a great memory of seeing it with the kids and watching history make a true connection. Being there had such an impact on us.

I'll likely never get to Gettysburg unless I make the trip on my own - Tomm's dad is a huge Civil War buff, so all of their family vacations when Tomm was growing up were trips to battle sites and such, in which he was never really interested. So he pretty much loathes the idea of going there again, I think.

Oh, dear. I can see where it would get old, and not all battle sites are equal. Some are really boring.

Morning, Amber! Hoping you feel much better very soon.

Yeah there was a big battle in the civil war (the English one) in my town way back in 1644. Nothing to see here. Also Battle, on the south coast which I got taken to as a kid, has Nothing except a Big Field, despite being a key site for English history. (Although I do recall fine icecreams. All the makings of a future history student!). I did like Hadrian's wall though, where they have stuff about how people lived (as well as the stuff about all the northern barbarians being kept back with fancy Roman shield techniques).

I think they should have to post a sign, Charlotte - "Yes, this is a battle sight, but there's nothing to see here, folks!"

Good afternoon, Mamie! I hope all is well. I have a book now I have to decide what to listen to on audio. I"m considering another 'Cat Who' book. They are short, but peaceful and relaxing.

Ohohoh, I can't wait to see what you think of The Killer Angels. I read it a couple of years ago and recommended it to my dad (who generally only reads sports/history nonfiction) and he's since gone on a Civil War kick, seen Antietam, and wants to go back to Gettysburg. We went to Gettysburg years ago when I was homeschooled, and I'd love to go back and appreciate it with adult eyes.

Also, so sorry to hear about your broken toe :( I've never managed to stub my toe on a sandal, but I have hurt myself in a variety of creative ways, and am sorry you're in pain.

Hey there, Brodie! All is well. I love listening to mysteries on audio.

>167 bell7: Hello, Mary! I have put The Killer Angels on the September reading list, so I will get to it for sure. My Dad loved history, and I bet he would have loved seeing it with us. Sadly, he was completely blind by then, so he didn't go.

The big toe is doing fine if I would just remember to be a bit more careful with it.

>167 bell7: >169 Crazymamie: Did someone say Killer Angels? I am glad to hear that you have fast tracked it, Mamie. It is such a wonderful piece of literature. It is beautiful and tragic and so rich in character that you cannot help but take it to heart.

Ha! This group cracks me up - I'm on it, Brodie.

Hi Mamie. Tomorrow's Wednesday! Midweek already. How's the toe?

Hiya Crazy--Just catching up here. : ) Sorry about the toe...again. But, as usual, you have turned a bummer of a situation into another opportunity to buy books!! Well done. Glad Daniel's leg is healing well and that it is football season. I am amused that you all favor different teams. Thanks for your get-well wishes. I am sure they helped, but I still feel crummy. Maybe Ellen gave it to me. LOL

Sounds like you are still taking the cure for your toe, Mamie. I hope that your injury doesn't distract you from your reading and watching.

>172 BLBera: Hello, Beth! Hooray for Wednesday! The toe is on the mend, so not too bad.

>173 Berly: Hey there, Kim! The toe is a magnet for solid unmoving objects. I know, right, with the book buying?! You have to keep constantly alert for opportunity.

With the football, we used to all root for the Colts, but then their idiot owner let Peyton go and the whole offensive line was scattered. It was heart-breaking. I followed Peyton to the Broncos, and the kids still rooted for Peyton, but they also chose their own favorite team based on who they loved to watch play.

I'm sorry to hear that you are still sick. Sending you healing mojo, my friend.

>174 Familyhistorian: I am Meg, although I am slowly adding a bit more steps each day. Thank you for those thoughtful wishes!

Morning Mamie! A friend is joining me for a bike ride, in a little while. It has cooled off here, so it should be perfect. Only in the 70s for the next few days. Can you say sweet? I knew you could...

Hope that toe is on the mend.

Morning, Mark! Your projected temps look lovely - hoping that your bike ride is a lot of fun.

The toe is behaving itself, so I can't complain.

Good morning, Mamie!

I'm glad the toe is behaving well. Got to be a bit frustrating to be hobbled.

Did we mention Lonesome Dove and Plainsong in addition to Killer Angels? Oh, yeah, we did. Old news for you. :-)

I just finished A Brief History of Seven Killings, and it was terrific.

Morning, Joe! The broken toe is a minor setback. At least it is not achy now as long as I don't overdo it.

Haha with the book warbling. I have Plainsong on the shelves, and will get to it sooner or later, but not this year. A Brief History of Seven Killings is SO not calling to me, but I'm glad that you enjoyed it.

Gettysburg is one of those places I should have visited when I lived in PA. I probably won't get there any tome soon now.

Good morning, Mamie! I promise not to mention The Killer Angels today. Nothing about Lee, Longstreet, or Little Round Top. Not an alliterative peep.

>179 Crazymamie: Ha! Seven Killings is very violent, among other things. It's not going to be for everybody.

Morning, Mamie!

>180 The_Hibernator: I probably would not have gone if I didn't have kids, Rachel. BUT I am so glad that I went, and I would go back in a heartbeat. So moving.

>181 brodiew2: Afternoon, Brodie! Ha! I started The Killer Angels today.

>182 jnwelch: And there is a lot of it, Joe - it's a big book. I don't mind violence, but I am just not interested in that particular book. I love me some Scandi-crime.

>183 katiekrug: Afternoon, Katie! I went to the market this morning and have been busy putting some meals together for the rest of the week, so I just now made it back here. Hope your Wednesday is going smoothly.

Hope you're having a good day Mamie.

>184 Crazymamie: Hee-hee! "I love me some Scandi-crime". Does it ever snow in Jamaica? Probably not.

>Joe! you stole my 'love me some' thunder! :-P

I was just going tell Mamie that I love me some Buford, who opens that Gettysburg book I promised not to mention today.

Good Afternooooon, Mamie!

These warblers are so pushy! What are we going to do with them? We are not even allowed to come up for a breath. Jeesh...

>185 charl08: I am, Charlotte! Thanks for thinking of me. Hoping yours was also full of happy.

>186 jnwelch: HA! Yeah, probably not. Just like Georgia.

>187 brodiew2: Great minds, Brodie...

I'm reading it already. I'm on it, Brodie. I have it on Kindle, and I added the audio, so I'll be switching back and forth depending on which is more convenient.

>188 Carmenere: Good Afternooooooon, Lynda! And it HAS been a good one. We are doing sliders and hotdogs tonight, and I have a lasagna all ready to go in for tomorrow's dinner. Potato soup for Friday with bacon, tomato and cheese quesadillas. YUM!

>189 msf59: I know, Mark! I know! *grins*

Morning, Mamie!

Morning, Amber!

Can you believe it's September already?! August turned out to be a very good month reading-wise for me - probably because it was too HOT to do anything else. I managed to finish a grand total of 15 books - one memoir and the rest were fiction. Mostly mysteries, but I did squeeze in two Steinbecks, two O'Nan's, and one by Lisa Carey (The Mermaids Singing), which was my favorite book of the month, closely followed by Travels With Charley.

Books Completed in August:
81. A Room Full of Bones by Elly Griffiths (3.5 stars), library hardback, police procedural - series recommended by Beth
82. Driving Mr. Dead by Molly Harper (reread), ebook, urban fantasy
83. The Good Wife by Stewart O'Nan (4 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, literary fiction - recommended by Jenn
--- Ruth's First Christmas Tree by Elly Griffiths (4 stars), 2016 free ebook, short story in the Ruth Galloway series
84. A Witch's Handbook by Molly Harper (3 stars), borrowed ebook, urban fantasy/paranormal romance
85. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (reread), 2016 acquired audiobook, literary fiction
86. Monstress by Marjorie m. Liu, artwork by Sana Takeda (4.5 stars), borrowed paperback from Birdy, GN - fantasy
87. Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs by Molly Harper (3 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, paranormal romance/urban fantasy
88. Johannes Cabal the Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard (4 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, paranormal - recommended by Jim
89. In the Walled City by Stewart O'Nan (3.8 stars), library paperback, short story collection - Katie's Dirty Dozen
90. A Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths (4.25 stars), library hardback, mystery/police procedural - series recommended by Beth
91. Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck (5 stars), audiobook, memoir - read for the AAC
92. The Outcast Dead by Elly Griffiths (4 stars), library hardback, mystery/police procedural
93. The Mermaids Singing by Lisa Carey (5 stars), 2015 acquired ebook, literary fiction - Katie's Dirty Dozen
---Bruno and the Carol Singers by Martin Walker (3 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, short story in the Bruno, Chief of Police series
94. The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths (4 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, police procedural - series recommended by Beth
95. Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire (4 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, urban fantasy - series recommended by Roni

Morning Mamie! Sweet Thursday! Nice book round-up. Hooray for 15 books. Hey, I read 15 too. That is surprising, since Blonde took such a big chunk of time. My audios are a blessing.

I am going to do my wrap-up too.

72 today! Can be you say lovely? I knew you could.

Morning, Mark! Sweet Thursday! 15 for you, too? We're practically twins!!

72 sounds delightful - I'll take it! Oh, wait...I live in Georgia.....

Hooray for Twins! I finished my round-up too. Thanks for keeping me on task and being on vacation helps too. Grins...

Happy Thursday, Mamie! >193 Crazymamie: Lovely autumn like pic. August was a good reading month for me too and having those couple of extra days at the end helped. I hope to keep up the pace.

>196 msf59: Any time, Mark! I need to write some reviews, but I keep getting side-tracked, and yesterday our internet was all wonky, and we kept having to reset it. Hopefully I'll be able to get to them today.

>197 Carmenere: Happy Thursday, Lynda! I would love to keep up the pace into September - here's wishing both of us good luck with that!

Happy September and Sweet Thursday, Mamie!

Hope you have a swell one today.

Morning, Joe! Happy September and Sweet Thursday to you! Supposed to storm here, and I am really hoping we get it. Other than that, should be easy peasy. I made the lasagna yesterday, so today I just have to put it in the oven. *happy face*

FYI, the Madame Bovary thread is up.
http://www.librarything.com/topic/231253

Also, Gene Wilder! :(
I loved the meme I saw a while ago of him, looking smugly awesome, saying "I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of how awesome I am."
He was awesome.

Happy Thursday! I saw a projection of Hermine's path earlier today that has it passing over a good chunk of Georgia on its way from the Gulf to the Atlantic. It sounds like a good excuse to stay indoors and read.

Did someone say lasagna?!

...

I'll be right over...

Just checked the Weather Channel re Hermine and see that you're directly in her path. I hope you're doing OK -- no pecan trees down, power on, etc. I'll be thinking about you today!

>198 Crazymamie: "I would love to keep up the pace into September - here's wishing both of us good luck with that!" I'll drink to that!

I wonder if you may have lost power. normally, you jump on posts in a matter of minutes. Hope you're all safe and snug, read books or playing board games!!

We made cinnamon buttermilk muffins last night - please help yourself.

Morning, Y'all! Happy Friday!! Just checking in to say that the internet is VERY slow today and that we are expecting a lot of rain and very high winds due to Hermine. Schools here are closed and also some businesses. We'll se what we get, I guess.

>201 LovingLit: Thanks so much for that Megan - I dropped a star. I'm excited that this got picked since I have it on the shelves - actually, it moved from Indiana with us. *sheepish grin* It's probably getting a bit miffed to be still sitting there.

Love that Gene Wilder quote - he always made me laugh. You are so right - he was awesome.

>202 cbl_tn: Hey there, Carrie! Yep, definitely a good day to stay home.

>203 scaifea: Yes, ma'am. There are still a couple of pieces left.

>204 RebaRelishesReading: We are, Reba. This part of Georgia is pretty cautious, so a lot of things just closed down today. So far so good - just a lot of rain and some wind. No trees down near us. Thanks for keeping us in your thoughts - I sure appreciate it!

Cautious sounds good in this context Mamie. Hope you have a good weekend even so. Off to look up a cinnamon muffin recipe!

I think so, too, Charlotte. We don't have any big plans for the weekend - Craig is on call, so we were just going to hang out and enjoy each other's company. I thank you for those good wishes.

here is the BEST recipe for cinnamon buttermilk muffins: Awesome Recipe. Mamie Approved

>206 Crazymamie: Oh yeah! *nummh nummh nummh* Delish!

Happy Friday, Mamie!

Oh my, I didn't realize you were directly in the weather path. Hang tight, and keep us posted.

>208 Crazymamie: Those look awesome. I kept the recipe to try out later. I'm sure I'll be inspired to do lots of baking this winter.

Hope the weather's not too bad for you. My daughter was under a flash flood warning but she's gone off to her boyfriend's in western South Carolina where they're not expecting nearly as much rain.

>209 jnwelch: They truly are delicious, Joe. Happy Friday to you! I promise to hang tight and check in periodically.

>210 ursula: I love that recipe because it is so easy and it turns our every time, Ursula. We also made pumpkin chocolate chunk muffins - YUM!

So far so good with the weather - just a lot of rain and some wind. Good thinking on your daughter's part!

How are you doing?! Getting settled in?

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

I can't believe I'm saying this, but thankfully the rain has returned to Seattle.

Good Morning, Brodie! Good to see you! Everything is good here. Laughing about the rain - I was happy to see us finally getting some. We needed it.

What'cha reading?

I"m reading When the Astors Owned New York. I saw it on another LTer's page and have always been interested in the Jazz and Golden Age. The insanely rich do build beautiful hotels. It's under 200 pages and nice diversion.

>210 ursula: Pumpkin chocolate chunk muffins? Where is the recipe for that one?!

We're working on getting settled - work started so soon for Morgan that tomorrow will be our first opportunity to get any furniture aside from the bed. We are looking forward to having somewhere to sit!

>214 brodiew2: That sounds like one I might like, Brodie. I'll await your final thoughts to see if it goes on the list.

>215 ursula: Right here: Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chunk Muffins It calls for 6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, roughly chopped, but I just use the 1 cup of the Tollhouse chocolate chunks. We also press toasted almond slices into the tops of the muffins before baking. SO good!

I bet you are looking forward to having somewhere to sit! Goodness!

Mamie, I just saw quite a long report on your weather on the news. I hope you don't lose power, and you all have a good day inside avoiding the weather.

Hi, Mamie. Haven't spoken up in a while, although I've been here, so figured I'd better make my presence known. Nothing much to say, though, other than hope the storm is benign there.

Happy Friday, Mamie. You had a great month of reading in August.

It has been eons since I last visited your thread. I recall earlier this summer you purchased a new pair of running/ jogging /walking shoes and we discussed the different brands . I can't remember if you were an Asics or a Saucony fan. I used to always wear Nike's but lately I've been wearing Mizuno's for several years and after trying on several brands I went with Mizuno's again. For me , the most comfortable - but startling and somewhat hideous purple and bright pink mix of colours.

I hope that you are all keeping safe and warm inside and that the storm has passed you by, Mamie.

Morning Mamie! Happy Saturday. Greetings from the U.P.

So pretty much all we got yesterday was a lot of rain with some wind in the morning and then nothing. And now here we are at Saturday, which has arrived all sunny and cheerful. It's less humid out there, which is a welcome relief. The sunset last night was GORGEOUS.

On the reading front, I finished up The Noise of Time last night - I am determined to catch up on my missing reviews, so more on that later, but I loved it. Very well done, but I am so glad that I read the book on Shostakovich that Beth recommended first (The Symphony for the City of the Dead), so that I already knew his story. Thank you, Beth!

Bacon, lettuce, and fried green tomato sandwiches with bacon-horseradish sauce for dinner. YUM!

>217 susanj67: No worries, Susan. It passed just to the east of us, so all we got was some wind and rain. Thanks for thinking of me.

>218 ronincats: Thanks for delurking, Roni! Your hopes were granted - remember to use your power only for good!

>219 BLBera: Happy Saturday, Beth! I am really hoping that September will be just as good as August reading-wise.

>220 vancouverdeb: Hello, Deborah! My newish shoes have not been getting much of a workout since I broke my big toe. I am a fan of the Asics - I am missing part of my left heel, and after trying many different shoes, I have found that the Asics have the best fit for me. I have never tried Mizuno's - or heard of them actually - I'll have to look them up. Seems like all of the sneakers right now are very bold and bright. Eye-popping, even.

>221 Familyhistorian: Thank you, Meg - we lucked out with just the heavy rain, and today is looking full of beauty.

>222 msf59: Morning, Mark! The UP! You sure do get around, my friend!

I think Snoopy is on to something there.

Glad the weather passed over. On a much smaller scale, trying not to feel too annoyed with all the rain here. Happy weekend.

I agree, Charlotte! Sorry you are getting doused. The girls were really hoping it would be pouring here today so they wouldn't have to work in the yard. No such luck.

Happy weekend to you. Hoping the rain lets up.

HOORAY for lower humidity. We're having lovely, dryer weather here in western NY too. About time!!!

Morning, Mamie!

It's a beautiful morning here (as was yesterday when I went for a nice walk in the park) - I'm about to go sit out by the pool with my book and coffee. I love when summer starts fading into fall... *happy sigh*

And I *really* want those BLTs you're having for dinner. Have a great day, my friend!

>227 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, I know it's my own fault for moving to the Deep South, but I am SO ready for Fall this year. Glad you are finally getting some cooler weather. Humidity makes such a huge difference.

>228 katiekrug: Morning, Katie! OH! Happy pool sitting - ours is sick at the moment. The pump is broken, so we are having to do a lot more maintenance - they can't fix it until later next week as they are waiting on a part. I also love when summer fades into fall, and then drops dead into winter. Ha!

Those BLTs are fabulous - and making the fried green tomatoes is so much easier than I thought it would be. And the sauce!!! Now I'm hungry and dinner is not until six. *moan*

Thanks for those wishes - hoping your day is full of fabulous!

Happy Saturday, Mamie! I'm glad to hear that Hermine didn't linger in your neighborhood.

Hey, Carrie! Happy Saturday! Me, too, with the no lingering.

Glad you liked the Shostakovich books, Mamie. Have a great weekend.

I was just over at your place, Beth! Thank you for those wishes - hoping yours is full of fabulous!

>223 Crazymamie: "Like" Cookies have had a big impact on my life, too.

Good morning, Mamie!

I plan to read The Noise of Time. I'll give some thought to reading the Shostakovich book first. I'm sucked into Blake Crouch's Wayward Pines trilogy, and I'm halfway through the second one already.

Ha! Love me some cookies!

Morning, Joe! I do hope you read the other Shostakovich book first, Joe - it's really well done and packed with photos, and reading it first really increased my enjoyment and understanding of what Barnes has done.

Glad to hear that you are having fun with the Wayward Pines series - I know I have at least the first one of those waiting on my Kindle.

Happy Saturday, Mamie!

Happy Saturday, Amber!

And one more...Happy Saturday, Crazy!!

Hi Mamie! Happy Saturday afternoon!!! Me like cooookies too! yum num num!
I just brought home the Noise of Time from the library, and like you, glad I read Symphony for the Dead first. Still, I've got a few books line up before I can get to Barnes. *sigh*

I had a fried green tomato po boy in New Orleans that was awesome!

>238 Berly: Kim!! Happy Saturday! How are you feeling?

>239 Carmenere: Hi Lynda! It is a glorious Saturday here, so full of happy - I have been sitting on the screened-in porch and reading. Feels decadent.

You will like the Barnes when you get to it - he did a fabulous job of condensing a complicated life.

Oh! Fried green tomato po boy sounds good!

Good afternoon, Mamie! I hope you're having a good one.

Good afternoon, Brodie! It's been full of fabulous - really nice weather and a lazy day to enjoy it.

I'm staying in with the kids today. one isn't feeling well and its been raining these last two days. We're going to watch the new Jungle Book movie.

Oh, Rae is wanting to see that one. A movie sounds like just the thing - hoping your sick one gets to feeling better very soon.

I have no idea why I just found myself at the Kindle store downloading The Killer Angels! Some warbling must have gotten into my head. Don't know when I'll get to it, but now I am really looking forward to your thoughts on it!

Oh, missing a part of your heel - that would make shoes tough to fit. And I thought I had a problem. I had never heard of Mizano either, until the " Runner's Room" that is in my city recommended them to me. My last three pairs of walking shoes have been Mizanos. I've got a picture of them on my thread. Shocking colours! Not to my taste!

here is a link to the brand of runners that I have - http://www.mizunocda.com/Running/Womens/Running-Shoes Crazy colours!

i have been away so long and i can't catch up. so first of all, hey Mamie and thanks for bear witness at Joe's. i can count on you in a pinch.

just by way of reparation, i have brought a bunch of pumpkin bread with cream-cheese and chocolate bits. let me know how it strikes you, oh crazed one. :-) thanks.

Today was pretty nice here too, Mamie. But on my walk there was evidence that there had been rain after a dry spell. I saw two places where it was obvious that cars had gone off the road. In one case there were tire tracks leading up to a small tree that was snapped off towards the bottom of the trunk and the rest of the tree was lying on the other side of the sidewalk. I think the car probably won that one but not the one where the cement blocks were moved in on the sidewalk, there were lots of pieces of light there - I think the wall one that one.

Ooh pumpkin bread! Hope the green tomatoes were as tasty as they sound.

How-deeee, Mamie! This weather has been amazing! I just want to box it up and bring it out to enjoy in January!
Reading on a screened in porch sounds like heaven! Enjoy!
Oh, grabbing some baked goods on the way out, thanks!

Morning Mamie! Happy Sunday. Hope the weekend is going well. We are having a terrific time.

Yes, please on the pumpkin bread.

Morning, Mamie! I hope your Sunday is fabulous!

Checking in. Glad the toe is slowly subsiding, had to rush by all the beautiful bread and muffin pix.

Concur that Gettysburg is amazing - but most of them are -- Shiloh too.

We made these for brunch today - hashbrowns with egg, cheese and bacon baked in muffins cups. Really yummy and what a lovely presentation - they looked like little works of art. And last night we devoured a white chocolate banana cream pie in a sugar cookie crust that Abby made - it was TO DIE FOR. Most excellent! And also gorgeous before we cut into it. Heh.

On the reading front, I finished up Everybody Behaves Badly by Leslie M. M. Blume - really good. It recounts how Hemingway came to write his first novel The Sun Also Rises and the fallout from it, as it was based on a true story, and he changed the names but still left everyone in it completely recognizable. I have a fascination with "The Lost Generation" - more on this later, as I am committed to writing up those missing reviews today. Craig is on call, and he has gotten called in, and the kids are playing board games on the screened-in porch, so it is a perfect moment for getting caught up with my reviews.

Hoping all of you are enjoying lazy weekends - we sure are. (Well, not Craig, poor baby, but at least the food has been fabulous.)

>245 DeltaQueen50: Ha! They got you, too, Judy! I think you will love it when you get to it. It's so well done, and I am enjoying it immensely.

>246 vancouverdeb:, >247 vancouverdeb: Right - I was riding double on my sister's bike when I was little and she said, "Watch out for the bushes!" I instinctively tucked my leg in on that side, which resulted in my heel slipping in between the spokes on the back tire. She didn't stop, so I lost part of my heel. It was a major ouch. SO now I have a little divot back there and when shoes go right into that place, it hurts, so I have to be careful when buying shoes.

Thanks for that link! Those are some bold colors, which I think must be the trend right now because you see the same thing with the other brands. What happened to a lovely grey with just one accent color? I will have to look next time I go to the shoe store to see if they have those so I can check them out in person. My last few pairs of Asics I have just ordered online because I just keep buying the same style.

>248 mirrordrum: No worries, Ellie! And you are welcome! That pumpkin bread looks delicious - thank you! I love pumpkin anything, so you picked perfectly.

>249 Familyhistorian: Oh, dear - I hope no one was hurt, Meg. It's really nice here today - overcast and just *4F currently with lower humidity. It's supposed to go to 89, but if the humidity stays low, it will be fine. It was perfect sitting out on the screened-in porch last night, reading and watching the sky change colors as the sun set. I love evenings like that.

>250 charl08: The fried green tomatoes were most yum, Charlotte. I love those, and they are really good on a sandwich. Let's get you some of the bread...

>251 Carmenere: Hey there, Lynda! We have been soaking up the lower temps and humidity, and it is a welcome change. I hope we get to keep it. January here just means you get to wear long sleeves and jeans. Maybe a sweatshirt if it gets "really cold". Ha! Enjoy the baked goods!

>252 msf59: Morning, Mark! Happy Sunday! The weekend has been full of fabulous so far. We are just sitting back and taking it as it comes, and we have tried some new recipes, which is always fun. Glad to hear that you are enjoying your vacation. *hands Mark a piece of pumpkin bread*

>253 cbl_tn: Morning, Carrie! Thank you - so far it has been. Hoping yours is, too!

>254 sibylline: Lovely to see you here, Lucy! The toe is coming along. I was able to put a sneaker on, so I am hoping to slowly start increasing my steps.

I have not seen Shiloh, but I would like to at some point.

hey Mamie. :-)

>256 Crazymamie: >246 vancouverdeb: >247 vancouverdeb: oh ouch, hon.

have a great rest of the . . .

Trying to catch up...

Books in need of review:

92. The Outcast Dead by Elly Griffiths (4 stars), library hardback, mystery/police procedural
93. The Mermaids Singing by Lisa Carey (5 stars), 2015 acquired ebook, literary fiction - Katie's Dirty Dozen
---Bruno and the Carol Singers by Martin Walker (3 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, short story in the Bruno, Chief of Police series
94. The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths (4 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, police procedural - series recommended by Beth
95. Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire (4 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, urban fantasy - series recommended by Roni
96. The Noise of Time by Julian Barnes (4.3 stars), 2016 acquired hardback, biographical fiction - recommended by Suz
97. Everybody Behaves Badly: The true Story Behind Hemingway's Masterpiece The Sun Also Rises by Lesley M. M. Blume (4.25 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, non-fiction

>259 mirrordrum: Hey Ellie! Yep. It was a major event in my life - I had to wear flip flops for a VERY long time.

Thank you - hoping your day is full of fabulous, dear!

Book #92: The Outcast Dead by Elly Griffiths (4 stars), library hardback, mystery/police procedural

This was the sixth book in the Ruth Galloway series, which many here have talked about, but which Beth sold me on with her review of the latest book in the series. These have been like candy to me - I love Ruth, who is a forensic archaeologist. She seems like someone I could hang out with - she is so smart but also so down to earth. She loves history, Bruce Springsteen and wine - what's not to like?!

This particular entry was a lot of fun - Ruth has unearthed the body of Jemima Green on the grounds of Norwich Castle. Known as Mother Hook (she had a hook arm), she was hanged back in 1867 for murdering children. She has become a notorious historical figure, but did she do it? To complicate Ruth's life, the find is to be featured on a sensational tv series called Women Who Kill. Meanwhile, DCI Harry Nelson, the police inspector that Ruth sometimes assists is dealing with figuring out whether a child has been murdered or if it's just a tragic case of SIDS.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes:

p.8-9 “But recently, particularly this winter when they were snowed in for several days, she has begun to wonder if this is really the best place for bringing up a child. Shouldn’t she be nearer to civilisation, playgroups, Chinese takeaways, that sort of thing? The trouble is that Ruth doesn’t always like civilisation very much.

p.393 “‘One of your colleagues has just offered to take some of the grey out of my hair,’ says Frank, sitting beside Ruth.

‘Grey’s okay on a man,’ says Mary-Anne. ‘Silver fox and all that.’

Ruth notices that there isn’t a female equivalent to ‘silver fox’. ‘Grey-haired old bat’ doesn’t cover it somehow.”

And this one, which brought back a conversation we were having earlier this year over on Susan's thread:

p. 313 “Dani gads joined them. Ruth has noticed before how she often defers to Frank on set. Now she’s asking him what he thought of the earlier segment with Corinna. ‘I thought it was quite good.’

When Dani has darted away, in a hurry as always, Frank turns to Ruth. ‘When Americans say something’s ‘quite good’ they mean that it’s very good. When Brits say it, they mean ‘so-so’. That had me confused for years.’"

Book #93: The Mermaids Singing by Lisa Carey (5 stars), 2015 acquired ebook, literary fiction - Katie's Dirty Dozen

"She thinks how odd it is, that the strongest convictions, like possessions, can lose all meaning when you are dying. Everything that she thought she was about has slipped from her, and the things she never wanted are clinging to her memory like the seaweed in the crevices at her feet."

This one spoke to me. It's about mother-daughter relationships, and it is told from differing viewpoints of three generations of women - grandmother, mother and daughter. I think mother-daughter relationships are so complicated; we want our own opinions and lives and yet we cannot escape, if that is the right word, the lingering shadows of the women who have shaped us. For good or for ill, our mothers are a part of who we are. Their voices sound in our thoughts and in our hearts, and their choices have far reaching consequences.

"He saw my mother differently that I had. After all those years of believing my mother a cold, unforgiving woman, it frightened me to hear myself likened to her. For the first time I had the notion that my father had seen my real mother, and I her facade, rather than the other way around. Perhaps I had merely misunderstood her, just as I believed that Grace (her daughter) misunderstood me.

My father died twenty-three years after his wife, and yet it was my mother I grieved at his funeral. I grieved that I had not known her, that she had died before I was a mother, before I had a chance to understand that no one is the mother she plans to be."

This book does such a good job of dealing with all of those feelings and of dealing with grief. Here, the grandmother and the granddaughter are left to deal with the loss of the woman that ties them together. Grace has died of cancer and her teenage daughter is left to deal with truths that she does not understand - she did not know that she had a grandmother and a father back in Ireland. She has only ever known America, and the fiction that her mother had created for her. Now she must travel back to Ireland with her grandmother and learn a new truth.

"I sometimes think that God planned our lives all wrong. What's the use in learning the truth so long after the opportunity to use it has gone by?"

This novel is just so well done. Every character rings true and the heartbreak and redemption that can be found in opening yourself to another are apparent on every page. This is one I know that I will revisit, and I have to thank Katie for pointing it out to me. I might not have found it on my own. Thank you, Katie.

First, >255 Crazymamie: looks so good! Works of art is right. Yum, yum, yum. Plus white chocolate banana cream pie in a sugar cookie crust ? Oh, to live in Mamieville. Outstanding.

Excellent reviews, too. I'll have to check out the Ruth Galloway series - my beloved wife loves archaeology, so I'll mention it to her, too.

Great quotes from The Mermaid Singing. Mother/daughter does seem to be a different relationship. My sisters talk about what a complicated relationship they had with ours; mine was pretty simple.

For a funny take on that, we just saw Love and Friendship, which is available On Demand here. Lady Susan's self-absorption as the mother (beautifully played by Kate Beckinsale) is something daughter Frederica (new actress to me) has to deal with cleverly to get out from under.

Yeah - good times, nothing but good times here, Joe! That pie was some kind of fabulous.

Thank you for those kind words - the Ruth Galloway books are uneven and at times the plot gets a bit hinky, BUT the setting, the history and the characters makes up for all of that.

The mother-daughter relationship is such a tricky thing. Part of the problem is that women tend to be very hard on each other. As you know, I have five sisters, and each of us had a complicated relationship with my mother. She was a difficult person. The older I get, the more I wonder about what her dreams were for herself and why she made certain choices. I think the thing about being a mom is that you never stop being one even when your children are fully grown. I want my children to make different choices than the ones I made - they are not me, and I am excited to see what they will choose for themselves. My own mom felt that making different choices meant that you thought that the ones she made weren't "good enough for you". It has always confused me - surely if I have done my job right and taught my children to stand on their own two feet, then their journey will be their own wild ride, and the only part that reflects on me is whether or not they are kind and confident and generous. I hope that they will laugh often and live big. I hope I get to be a part of it. That's all anyone can ask, I think.

I have not seen Love and Friendship, but I will make it a point to.

>262 Crazymamie: "oh, oh, oh," she cried. i read and adored The crossing places. i immediately read Janus stone and was rather bored. i'm very excited to see that as she goes along, the review improve. this is quite exciting as i like to have a decent mystery as a break from heavier fare. have you followed her work? i have some vague memory of a discussion w/ you about Crossing places several years ago.

i'm considering leaping ahead to the 4th book. have you read A room full of bones? if so, any thoughts, oh you who know stuff?

The books are uneven, IMO, Ellie. The Janus Stone is my least favorite so far. I really liked A Dying Fall, which was book five. I had not read The Crossing Places until this year, so it must have been someone else - I just started this series a few months ago after I read Beth's review of the latest entry in the series. The quote she used hooked me, so I read the first one, and then just got pulled right in. Part of it might be that one of the main character's names is Nelson, which was my Dad's name. I love seeing it in print, and I love the second book where he reflects on loving his daughters. My Dad had six daughters and no sons, and he used to get so mad when people would ask him if he wished he had a son. Why would I want a son when I have all of these delightful daughters he said - well, he said that to us. To others he said, "NO." And let that stand with complete silence - it was an insult to him to be asked.

I have read A Room Full of Bones - I have read all of them in order; I just have the most recent one left to go. Let's see - I gave it 3.5 stars, which is a very decent rating from me. SO, not my favorite one in the series, but not my least favorite, either. There is a lot more action and plot than in The Janus Stone.

---Bruno and the Carol Singers by Martin Walker (3 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, short story in the Bruno, Chief of Police series

I didn't count this one in my totals. This was just a short story in the Bruno, Chief of Police series by Martin Walker. There is really not much of a mystery, it's more of a sweet Christmas story that can be taken or left without any consequences. It's free on Kindle, so if you are a completist...

Book #94: The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths (4 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, police procedural - series recommended by Beth

This is the seventh installment in the Ruth Galloway series, and I actually bought this one because it was only $4.99 on Kindle. This one was kind of far-fetched, but I still enjoyed it, and I loved the WWII history in it. New construction unearths a WWII fighter plane with an airman inside - the problem is that the man in the pilot's seat isn't a pilot, and he wasn't supposed to be in that plane.

Favorite quotes:

"Ruth is wary of him. There is something closed about Tim, something secretive. Ruth is secretive herself so she distrusts it in others."

"Ruth sits at her desk staring at her poster of Indiana Jones. Harrison Ford stares back as if he understands."

"'Legend has it that the Devil was building a dam at Old Hunstanton,'" says Cathbad. 'He took the soil from Devil's Hollow, hence the name.'
'Why does the Devil always do that?'says Ruth. 'He's a shockingly bad digger. I wouldn't have him on one of my excavations.'"

>265 Crazymamie: So much agree with what you said about hopes for your children and their choices. I had two goals in raising them - to have them turn out to be capable adults (this involves a constant process of letting go), and to try to raise them to be people I would want to hang around with if they weren't my kids. I feel like they've turned out/are turning out to be exactly those things, so I can't complain. :)

>267 Crazymamie: how very good you are to take time to answer so fully, Mamie. you've no idea how much i appreciate it. i shall download A Room Full of Bones now and shoehorn it in to use as a break from the strife of Seven Killings. it needs tempering.

>263 Crazymamie: - You're welcome :)

Your comments are so spot on. And I agree totally with what you said to Joe about part of the complication of mother-daughter relationships is that women can be so hard on each other. As you know, I loved and adored my mother but as I've gotten older, while I don't love or adore her any less, I do wonder about certain things - how she ended up on the road she did, why she didn't make some different choices, etc. It's interesting to ponder...

>270 ursula: - Ursula, your two goals seems pretty right on to me. If I had children, I think my goals would be similar. The part about being the kind of people you'd want to hang out with is so key, I think.

Hi Mamie

I'm sorry I haven't visited as often as I would like. Congratulations on reading so many great books. I read your thoughts/comments on mother/daughter relationships. I also had many sisters. There were four of us, and we each had a very complicated relationship with my mother. Alas, I know how to be a good mother by remembering the ways in which she treated all of us and doing just the opposite.

I hope your weekend is a good one.

I really enjoy the Ruth Galloway books, Mamie. I am currently reading The Janus Stone. At half-way through I am loving it. Part of that is because it has been about a year since I read the first one and the other part is it is so good not to be reading a challenge book! I know the challenges are good for me and all but I want something I can just slide into.

I hear you about the mother/daughter thing. I am currently writing some blogs about living without modern conveniences and have chosen to focus on my grandmothers. I started with my Mum's mother and doing the research and writing has made me think back about my mother and really appreciate how she was able to live her own life while being the only child of a very particular mother.

Happy Sunday II - Enjoy a laborless and carefree labor day!

Morning Mamie! My vacation comes to a close, as we head home, a little later on. Sad to see it end.

Good review of Mermaids. Not sure it is my cuppa. What do you think?

I like the sound of the Barnes and Hemigway, though.

I slept in, and I still can't quite get going this morning. Luckily there is coffee. And leftover white chocolate banana cream pie in a sugar cookie crust. Not much to report - last night we played Settlers of Catan (Birdy won) and had ribs, corn casserole and slow cooker ranch potatoes for dinner. In the evening I crawled into the big bed and read for a few hours. All in all, a lovely lazy day spent with my very favorite people and furred ones. Today there are a few things (like laundry) that need to be done in preparation for the rest of the week, but there will still be plenty of lazy. It's gorgeous here - really nice outside right now, so I am thinking I need to soak up some of that.

Here's hoping that your day is full of happy!

Sounds like a perfect day, Mamie - enjoy!

>270 ursula: Yep. That's just exactly it, Ursula. The older they get, the more I keep my mouth shut unless they ask for my opinion. I want them to make their own decisions and be comfortable in their own skins and stand on their own two feet. I don't want my own fears and hesitations to hold them back or make them second guess themselves. And I want them to be happy. And kind. Kind is such a small word but such a big thing. It's important.

>271 mirrordrum: Happy to oblige, Ellie. I love that you are shoehornign in a murder mystery as a break from Seven Killings - that made me laugh, but I totally get it. Murder mysteries are me comfort reads, so I like to squeeze them in with heavier stuff. Hope you enjoy it!

>272 katiekrug: It was a fabulous read, so heartbreaking and reaffirming at the same time. My mom and I hadn't spoken for more than fifteen years before she died, but it was not an anger thing. It was an I can't live like this thing. A gentle letting go of a negative presence in my life. The older I get, the more I think about what I would ask her if I could because I would like to understand her. It's one of the great things about growing older, I think - the increased perspective. And the distance to evaluate earlier life events without being mired in the grief and the anger of the moment. You are right - it is so very interesting to ponder.

Morning, Mamie! I love your thoughts on being a mom, and agree with them lots - if I can raise a Charlie who shows loving-kindness to all around him, including himself, then I'll count the whole business as a success.

I hope your labor day is a good one!

>273 Whisper1: Hello, Linda! How are you feeling? No worries - it's always lovely to see you and keeping up with the threads is totally impossible.

Thanks for sharing - we have very similar approaches to motherhood. I did the same thing as you!

And thanks for those wishes - looks like I have all the ingredients for a great day if I just assemble it correctly. Hoping yours is full of fabulous!

>274 Familyhistorian: I hear you about the challenges, Meg. They are so fun to participate in, and it's a great way to read authors you might not chose on your own otherwise. But they can be restricting, too. I like to keep the challenges in mind so that I can join in it the mood suits me and I have a book that fits, but I can't commit to doing it every month or it starts to feel confining. Which takes all the fun out of it. Hoping you enjoy the Ruth Galloway - those books have been such a great find for me this year. Very fun and not at all taxing.

I think knowing the grandparents would really give insight into the parents. I didn't get to meet or know my own grandmothers, as they both died before I was born, but I think that would have added so much to understanding where my parents came from. Each generation adds its own dynamic and helps to shape the next one.

>275 Carmenere: Ha! Happy Sunday II, Lynda! I like how you think. And thanks for those fabulous wishes! Wishing for you the same.

>276 msf59: Morning, Mark! Bummer about the end of vacation, but it sounds like you made the most of the time you had.

Right. I don't think Mermaids would be your cuppa. I do think you would like the others that you mentioned, though.

>278 katiekrug: Thank you, Katie! May your day be filled with fabulous!

>280 scaifea: Morning, Amber! How are you feeling today? Thank you for those kind words. totally agree about the loving-kindness. Reminds me of that quote: "It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice."

Have a day full of happy, my friend!

Hope you're all having a grand long weekend, Mamie! Plenty of lazy today sounds just right.

I am, Joe, I am! It feels decadent. Hoping that you are getting some lazy in amidst the packing.

Glad to hear about the lazy day Mamie. Sounds like an excellent pre-Tuesday.

Good morning, Mamie! Have a great holiday.

Any 'Killer' first impressions?

>277 Crazymamie: Unfortunately, the animals woke me up at 6:00 IN THE MORNING! What's with that? Other than that, it's a beautiful day, mid-70s, and we're staying home away from the crowds and cooking ribs on the grill. Hope your day is just as relaxing.

Oh, and Bev-Mo is having their 5-cent sale on wine this weekend so I went and picked up a case of Zinfandel (6 different wineries) yesterday. I'm set for a while!

hey, Mamie. when you read this, it will be/is your tomorrow/today morning, but right now it's my tonight. well, it's your tonight too but it won't be by the time it gets to tomorrow morning. tiddly pom.

i like what you said about your hopes for your children. wonderful.

hope you have a fine day and plenty of time for words to rise and rest upon your eyes.

Morning, Mamie!

Hola, mi amiga :0)

Good morning, Mamie!

Morning, Mamie!

I'm back to work today, but I'm sure I'll muddle through somehow....

Good morning, Mamie! I hope your day is off to a good start. I've started Northanger Abbey and it it appears just the thing I need at the moment. I'm only a few chapter in, but I like what I'm reading.

So we took Bailey back for a recheck at the vet this morning, and his lungs have less fluid, so the meds are working. We bought ourselves a little more time with him, and he is doing great. *happy dance* On the agenda today, I have to pay the bills and do some laundry. The Big Clean was moved to today since yesterday was a holiday. Trying a new recipe for dinner tonight - it's from the Skinnytaste blog: One Skillet Chicken with Bacon and Greenbeans.

On the reading front, I finished up What Angels Fear yesterday, and it was very good. This is the first book in a murder mystery series recommended by Lucy. Set in Regency England, it was fast paced and highly entertaining. I will definitely read the next one. AND I had to return some things at the library and what do you think was just sitting there on the new fiction shelf? Underground Railroad! I snagged it.

Another day of gorgeous here, and it was so wonderful to get up this morning and discover that it was actually cool outside! 60s!!! Going to 90F today, but the humidity is so much lower, it feels fabulous.

Happy Tuesday, Y'all!

I can't believe you were able to snag a copy of Underground Railroad! Are you the only person who uses the library there? ;-)

>285 charl08: It was, Charlotte. And Tuesday is also looking very good - very well behaved so far and running smoothly.

>286 brodiew2: It was a lovely weekend, Brodie. Lazy and indulgent. I am not very far into Killer Angels yet, but I am loving the narrator of the audiobook and also how it makes you fell like you were there. The alternating viewpoints is very well done.

>287 ronincats: Oh, dear, Roni! Hoping they let you sleep later this morning. We just hung out at home, too. That's actually my very favorite thing to do - I'm pretty boring. Heh.

That wine sale sounds full of fabulous! I love going to the wine store.

>288 mirrordrum: Ellie, your posts always make me smile. They are always full of delight. And I thank you for those kind words. "...plenty of time for words to rise and rest upon your eyes" sounds most excellent.

>289 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

>290 Carmenere: Hola, Lynda!

>291 jnwelch: Morning, Joe!

>292 katiekrug: Morning, Katie! Good luck with the working thing - may it go quickly and smoothly.

>293 brodiew2: Morning, Brodie! So far so good with the going on of the day. I can't complain. Northanger Abbey is one I have yet to read, but i have it in the stacks. My favorite Austen is Pride and Prejudice - it's my alltime favorite book ever. Persuasion is right up there, too. I'll look forward to hearing your thoughts.

>295 katiekrug: I know,right, Katie!?! I could not believe it, either. I might have squealed a bit. And done a mini happy dance.

One skillet chicken looks lovely .
And ditto what Katie said. That was some smart work.

I'm hoping it's a winner, Charlotte. I'll be sure to report back after we eat it tonight.

And I almost didn't check the new fiction section because the last two times they didn't have anything I was interested in. Ha! It pays to look.

Book #96: The Noise of Time by Julian Barnes (4.5 stars), 2016 acquired hardback, fictional biography

"Turgenev was not to his literary taste: too civilised, not fantastical enough. He preferred Pushkin and Chekhov, and Gogol best of all. But even Turgenev, for all his faults, had a true Russian pessimism. Indeed, he understood that to be Russian was to be pessimistic. He had also written that, however much you scrubbed a Russian, he would always remain a Russian. That was what Karlo-Marlo and their descendants had never understood. They wanted to be engineers of human souls; but Russians, for all their faults, were not machines. So it was not really engineering they were up to, but scrubbing. Scrub, scrub, scrub, let's wash away all this old Russianess and paint a shiny new Sovietness on top. But it never worked - the paint began to flake off almost as soon as it was applied."

It's truly amazing what Julian Barnes was able to say with so few words. This fictional biography is stunning. It's polished very near to perfection, and in less than 200 pages, the complicated life and sophisticated music of a composer is laid bare before us. And yet it doesn't feel short. Or succinct. It feels agonizingly long - I cannot imagine being in Dmitri Shostakovich's place; it must have been unbearable, and yet he did bear it.

"Yes, he loved Shakespeare; before the war, he had written the music for a stage production of Hamlet. Who could doubt that Shakespeare had a profound understanding of the human soul and the human condition? Was there a greater portrayal of the shattering of human illusions than King Lear? No, that was not quite right: not shattering, because that implied a single great crisis. Rather, what happened to human illusions was that they crumbled, they withered away. It was a long and wearisome process, like a toothache reaching far into the soul. But you can pull out a tooth and it will be gone. Illusions, however, even when dead, continue to rot and stink within us. We cannot escape their taste and smell. We carry them around with us all the time. He did. "

What happens when you live your life the best that you can and it still is not good enough? Shostakovich knew this feeling well. He was eventually forced to join the Party, sign articles that he did not write, make speeches that he did not agree with and prostitute his music. He wanted to be stronger, but he was afraid. The writing here is so palpable that you feel that fear and that disgust and that disappointment in every page. He only wanted to be a composer; he could be a brilliant composer but he did not know how to fight a political system that was so corrupt that you never knew from day to day who would still be standing.

"Perhaps this was one of the tragedies life plots for us: it is our destiny to become in old age what in youth we would have most despised."

If you have not read anything about Shostakovich, I would not recommend starting here. Start with a biography or with Symphony for the City of the Dead, in fact, I highly recommend starting with the second one. It tells his story in a simple and straightforward manner with lots of background information on all the major players and lots of photographs. And it tells the story of just how amazing the writing and performing of his seventh symphony, the one written for Leningrad while it was under siege during WWII really was. It's not that you can't appreciate The Noise of Time without any prior knowledge of Shostakovich, it's just that you will get so much more from Barnes' writing if you do your homework first.

Great review Mamie. Can I thumb? I am tempted to reread it when the paperback comes out.

Thank you, Charlotte! And yes, you may - I'm so excited! I was really impressed with how much he packed into such a tiny book.

>193 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie, I had to stop and immediately order The Mermaids Singing, they have it so I should be able to pick up either Wednesday evening or Thursday morning. I should have figured it was recommended by Katie! She is responsible for quite a pile of books that I've read or will be reading! Now, to finish catching up...

>304 Dianekeenoy: - *grin*

>294 Crazymamie: Ooh, you are starting the St. Cyr mysteries. They are a fun read. That reminds me, I need to get back to that series.

Morning, lady!

Lovely review of the Barnes - my last Barnes was disappointing, but this one sounds terrific.

Well, the recipe last night (>295 katiekrug:) was a complete success - everyone loved it, and what a beautiful presentation it made. Our market didn't have the french cut green beans, so I used regular ones and blanched them first (4 minutes in boiling water and then into an ice bath), then followed the recipe directions. SO good!

On the reading front. I started The Sun Also Rises. I have read this before and really didn't like it, but I wanted to read it again after reading about how Hemingway came to write the novel and get it published. And now I know who all the thinly veiled players are - I can see why he lost friends over this one.

Hoping to finish catching up my reviews today, and I see that I am needing a new thread...

>304 Dianekeenoy: Hello, Diane! Hooray for ordering The Mermaids Singing - so fabulous! And yes, Katie is responsible for a lot of my library, too.

>305 katiekrug: *waves at Katie*

>306 Familyhistorian: Fun is just the right word, Meg. A duel, a sword fight, clever disguises...what more could we ask for? I'm excited there are more of them.

>307 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

>308 sibylline: Thank you, Lucy! It was really well done, and it packs a punch for such a small book. What was the last one you read?

Morning Mamie! It looks like I have another Barnes book to read. It looks fantastic.

Morning, Mark! Yes sir - it's very good!

Morning, Mamie! Happy Friday Eve!

I'm going to have to give the green bean recipe a go. We're onto runner beans (I think they're the same as pole beans) do that would be great.

>313 scaifea: Friday eve, I love it.

Just checking in at the Paradisio! *looking around* Everything seems to be in order. Carry on! and happy Friday Eve from the Cave

Morning, Mamie! I like the 4.5 stars you've given The Noise of Time . I've got the book beside my desk being patient!
Good news about Bailey!

Hey, Mamie! Hope the toe is doing much better! What happened to Daniel's leg?!? Maybe you can just point me to the appropriate thread?

>279 Crazymamie: I was like that with my dad fifteen, twenty years ago. I wasn't angry. It was more, "I wouldn't put up with this nonsense if a friend did it. Why am I doing so just because I'm biologically related to this person?" From what I understand, my father still thinks I'm angry at him. He doesn't get that I wish him well but that I don't want to be around him.

I'm glad to hear Bailey is feeling more chipper.

>313 scaifea: Morning, Amber! I love the sound of Friday Eve!! Hoping your is full of fabulous!

>314 charl08: Yeah, Charlotte! I hope you like it as much as we did.

>315 dragonaria: Me, too, Kimberly! Thanks for those Friday Eve wishes. Not much going on here today, which I am thankful for - no appointments, and I love that.

>316 Carmenere: Morning, Lynda! You'll really appreciate it when you get to it, especially since you already read the Symphony of the Dead.

>317 Morphidae: MORPHY!!! Hello, Morphy! Lovely to see you here! The toe is feeling better - I have even gotten my 10,000 steps in the past two days. I'll find the thread with the details, but basically Daniel attempted sliding into home during softball practice, and he ended up dislocating his ankle and breaking his leg. It was so bad that he had to have surgery where they put a plate and six screws in, and a bone graft because he had shattered part of the fibula. It was a long haul to recovery, but he is walking and back to work now. He is still rehabbing it, but he has made very good progress. Here is a link to the start of the drama: Daniel breaks his leg on the eve of Mamie's birthday

Yep, that's just exactly it. My mom got it, so it worked out for both of us.

Bailey is doing awesome - the heart medicine and the increased lasix are doing the trick.

>319 Crazymamie: Maia is on heart medicine, too. She isn't on Lasix regularly but when she get the wheezes, she'll take it for a couple of weeks.

Bailey has an enlarged heart, so he was already on lasix and Enacard, but now they have added Vetmedin because his heart has started to fail. He'll need a renal profile every six months because of the high lasix dosage - they need to make sure his kidneys don't start to fail. He is doing great, but he pees like a maniac, poor boy. Luckily, he rings a bell to go outside - keeps us on our toes, but at least the pee is outside where it needs to be!

SO great that Maia doesn't need to be on the lasix all the time. Hooray fro that!

Good morning, Mamie!

>296 Crazymamie: I enjoyed the alternating perspectives, given that each one is equally unique and rich as the last.

>298 Crazymamie: Northanger Abbey has a looser structure than P&P, but is amusing for sure.

Morning, Brodie! I am loving the alternating perspectives. I have Northanger Abbey on the shelves - I'm kind of hoarding it.

I NEED this!

>324 Crazymamie: Love this one! LOL!

Hey, Roberta! I want it!

>324 Crazymamie: - Oh, that is hilarious! Perfect for the Paradisio!

I know, right?!

>321 Crazymamie: Maia has a heart murmur and enlarged heart but it isn't as bad as Bailey's. She takes just one medicine. Enalapril? Something like that.

Yes - Bailey has the murmur, too, which is how they found his heart problem. I'm so thankful they can at least treat it. And I am happy to hear that Maia is not as bad as Bailey - she's younger, too. Our Bailey is thirteen.

>324 Crazymamie: "Like"