Joe's Book Cafe 2016 Door 19

Illustrations by Pamela Zagarenski

Welcome back to the cafe!

2016 Books

January

1. Hattie Ever After by Kirby Larson
2. Saint Odd by Dean Koontz
3. Tricky Twenty-Two by Janet Evanovich
4. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
5. Cold Mountain by Han Shan (re-read)
6. Bryant & May and the Burning Man by Christopher Fowler
7. Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler
8. Valis by Philip K. Dick
9. Neon Vernacular by Yusef Komunyaka

February

10. Tokyo Decadence by Ryu Murakami
11. The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher
12. Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen by Lois McMaster Bujold
13. Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
14. Martian Time-Slip by Philip K. Dick
15. The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie
16. Natural Birth by Toi Derricotte
17. A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver
18. Winterdance by Gary Paulsen
19. Heap House by Edward Carey

March

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



April

35. Off the Grid by C.J. Box
36. Lighthead by Terrence Hayes
37. At The Threshold of Memory by Marjorie Agosin
38. A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin
39. Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs
40. The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
41. Life on Mars by Tracy K. Smith
42. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, Inga Moore (re-read)
43. The Transmigration of Timothy Archer by Philip K. Dick
44. In a Different Key: The Story of Autism by John Donvan
45. Brotherhood in Death by J.D. Robb
46. The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan
47. Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer
48. The Bangkok Asset by John Burdett
49. The Swallows by Adriana Ramirez
50. The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson
51. The Siege of Krishnapur by J.G. Farrell
52. The Island of Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

May

53. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
54. Shaman Pass by Stan Jones
55. Poems from the Typewriter Series by Tyler Knott Gregson
56. My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
57. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
58. Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie
59. Without: Poems by Donald Hall
60. Dancing at the Rascal Fair by Ivan Doig
61. A Whole Life by Robert Seethaler
62. Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O'Nan
63. Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit
64. Zero World by Jason M. Hough
65. The Dream of a Common Language by Adrienne Rich
66. The Highwayman by Craig Johnson
67. Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorenson

June

68. The Royal Wulff Murders by Keith McCafferty
69. Lab Girl by Hope Jahren
70. Uprooted by Naomi Novik
71. Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
72. Dodgers by Bill Beverly
73. Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye
74. Application for Release from the Dream by Tony Hoagland
75. Waterloo: The History of Four Days by Bernard Cornwell
76. The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge
77. Silence in the Snowy Fields by Robert Bly
78. The Rook by Daniel O'Malley
79. An Infamous Army by Georgette Heyer
80. The Well Speaks of Its Own Poison by Maggie Smith

July

81. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
82. What is This Thing Called Love by Kim Addonizio
83. Charcoal Joe by Walter Mosley
84. Night Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong
85. The Spanish Bride by Georgette Heyer
86. Ubik by Philip K. Dick
87. Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave
88. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
89. The Wayward Bus by John Steinbeck
90. The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
91. The Last One by Alexandra Oliva
92. Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
93. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
94. Aeneid Book VI by Seamus Heaney

August

95. The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancy
96. The Paper Menagerie by Ken Liu
97. Flaubert's Parrot by Julian Barnes
98. Call it Courage by Armstrong Sperry
99. Dragon in Exile by Sharon Lee
100. I Shot the Buddha by Colin Cotterill
101. A Question of Death by Kerry Greenwood
102. Alliance of Equals by Sharon Lee
103. Rogue Heroes by Ben Macintyre
104. Strike Sparks by Sharon Olds
105. A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James



September

106. A Civil Contract by Georgette Heyer
107. Lock & Mori by Heather W. Petty
108. Pines by Blake Crouch
109. Wayward by Blake Crouch
110. The Last Town by Blake Crouch
111. On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder
112. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemison
113. A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny
114. Gods of Gotham by Lyndsey Faye

Graphic Novels

1. The Fade Out by Ed Brubaker
2. Concrete Park by Tony Puryear
3. The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage by Sydney Padua
4. Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson
5. Killing and Dying by Adrian Tomine
6. Sleeper by Ed Brubaker
7. Where is Jake Ellis by Nathan Edmondson
8. Lucifer by Mike Carey
9. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep Omnibus by Philip K. Dick
10. Super Mutant Magic Academy by Jillian Tamaki
11. The Fade Out Volume 2 by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
12. Low Moon by Jason
13. The Fade Out Volume 3 by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
14. Fatale by Ed Brubaker
15. Demo by Brian Wood
16. Alex + Ada by Jonathan Luna
17. Step Aside, Pops by Kate Beaton
18. The Property by Rutu Modan
19. Descender by Jeff Lemire
20. Ms. Marvel Vol. 4 by G. Willow Wilson
21. The Sleeper Omnibus by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
22. Lucifer Volume 2 by Mike Carey
23. Paper Girls by Brian K. Vaughan
24. The Nameless City by Faith Erin Hicks
25. Ruins by Peter Kuper
26. Harrow County by Cullen Bunn
27. The Story of Mu by James Cordova
28. Torpedo Volume 1 by Enrique Sanchez Abuli
29. Lucifer Book Three by Mike Carey
30. Pocket Full of Rain by Jason
31. Batgirl by Gail Simone
32. Descender Volume 2 by Brian K. Vaughan
34. Deadly Class by Rick Remender
35. How to Fall Forever (Black Science) by Rick Remender
36. Hawkeye Volume 3 and Hawkeye Volume 4 by Matt Fraction
37. Wonder Woman: Earth One by Grant Morrison
38. The Planetary Omnibus by Warren Ellis
39. Princess Black by Shannon Hale
40. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and Amy Corzine
41. The Private Eye by Brian K. Vaughan
42. Missed Connections by Sophie Blackall
43. Patience by Daniel Clowes
44. How to Talk to Girls at Parties by Neil Gaiman
45. Maggie the Mechanic by Gilbert Hernandez
46. Almost Silent by Jason
47. Saga Volume 6 by Brian K. Vaughan
48. Lucifer Book Four by Mike Carey
49. Ms. Marvel Vol. 5 by G. Willow Wilson
50. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells and Lewis Helfland
51. Jessica Jones: Alias Volume 1 by Brian Michael Bendis
52. Lumberjanes Vol. 4 by Shannon Watters and Noelle Stevenson
53. Lady Killer by Jamie S. Rich
54. Morning Glories Volume 5 by Nick Spencer
55. Morning Glories Volume 6 by Nick Spencer
56. Jessica Jones Alias Vol. 2 by Brian M. Bendis

Top 5 First Quarter of 2016

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

Top 5 Second Quarter 2016

A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin
The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanthi
Without: Poems by Donald Hall
Lab Girl by Hope Jahren

Top graphic novels so far in '16:

Super Mutant Magic Academy by Jillian Tamaki
The Sleeper Omnibus by Ed Brubaker
The Nameless City by Faith Erin Hicks
Pocket Full of Rain by Jason
How to Talk to Girls at Parties by Neil Gaiman
Saga Volume 6 by Brian K. Vaughan

OK, here's a longish Joe poem.

Voices Upstream

I

In waders I am invincible
A too small boy in his brother's old sleepers.
Not 100 yards away the highway cuts
Into the hillside,
And the hillside can't care. No one would

Think of us
Here in the dark, in the mud,
Beneath the logs and supports
Of this old bridge.

II

My friend, who never understood school,
Persuasively lectures us on river lore.
We examine our bits of fur, our hackles and chenille
The whiteflies and nymphs we will put to use.

This will not matter so much at night.
At night not even the fish see well.
At night the river is deserted,
The only sound the water
Splitting on our legs.

At night the shadows of half-submerged logs
Shadows from the hollows
Beneath the river bank
Move out into the water, splitting
On rocks and branches,
Sliding further into the shiny dark water.
At night the big fish come out of hiding
And can be fooled.

III

Impatiently I work my line
From the overhanging pine tree. My hands
Undo the most of my undoing, eager to
Rip loose, to be done.

There are words all parts of me
Once agreed on; the knot
Between my shoulders shakes loose,
My hands become calm.

The hook is caught in its eye.
For a moment I can't move;
It thrashes in my hand, the hook
Tears.
I work it out slowly, and place the struggle
Back in the water.

There are voices
Upstream. Somewhere,
In the hollows,
A shadow slides back.

Katie's library is so good, we brought it over to the new cafe.

Seasonsoflove/Becca with MST3K guy at Comic Con:



OK, the cafe is open!

Is the place open? I'm not sure...Kinda looks like it is...

Morning to all. Java-palooza!!

Happy new thread, Joe! Lovely poem, mister.

>7 weird_O: Welcome, Bill! It sure is. We're almost ready for Java-palooza!



You, of course, get the first cup in the joint.

Happy new one, Joe! Those toppers are full of whimsy. The last one is my favorite.

>8 scaifea: Ha! Thanks, Quick Draw McAmber! Very nice to hear the poem's a lovely one for you.

>10 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie! Aren't those whimsical? She has a wonderful, light touch.

I'm just following Amber and Mamie around, dropping off happy new thread wishes to Chicago-area LTers. Do you and Mark share a brain or something?

Hope Monday treats you well, Joe!

Happy new thread, Joe. I sure could use some of that coffee long about now . . .

Have a great day!

Morning Joe! Happy New Thread! I started a new one too. You go boy! I like those Zagarenski toppers too.

Later on, I hope to start the new poetry thread. That joint is hopping. It is grueling being on vacation...sighs.

>15 msf59: You both go, Mark as you so elegantly put it!

Happy new thread, buddy.

>13 katiekrug: Ha! Thanks, Katie. I just saw that Mark started his new thread, too. We are on the same psychic wavelength a lot. :-)

I follow Amber and Mamie around, too - they seem to know what they're doing, right?

Arggh. Mmphmumble Day. The good news is next one is work-free in the U.S.

>14 tymfos: Hi, Terri. Thanks! I bet we can find some coffee around here for you.

>15 msf59: Morning Mark! Yeah, I was just over in your part of the LT campus, and found your new thread. Congrats! We probably should put up a Chicago flag in honor.



Ha! You're a trooper for taking on a grueling vacation right now. A new Poetry thread is a great idea. A tip of the hat to you for keeping it going after the AAC month ended. I've got to figure out my next poet to read after finishing that Sharon Olds collection.

>16 PaulCranswick: Ha! Thanks, Paul. Now we just have to figure out where to go. :-) I suspect a local brewery would fit the bill for the two of us.

Good morning, Joe. Happy new thread! Nice toppers. I like 1 and 4 especially.

All the coffee is enjoyable as well.

I hope you have a good one.

Happy new thread, Joe! Your new one is a visual treat, and I enjoyed your poem.

Is the café open? Can I order eggs Benedict to go with my zucchini fritters?

It's almost time...

>19 brodiew2: Good morning, Brodie. Thanks!

Glad you like those Zagarenski illustrations. I'm fond of that third one, as well as the others - interesting quote up in the corner.

Have a good one, buddy.

>20 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl! We're getting mighty close to that rendezvous in London, aren't we? Since next Monday is a holiday, I'll be into work on Tuesday, and then off we go. Can't wait!

You bet - the café's open, and here you go:

Thanks, Joe! I assume that coffee comes with the scrumptious meal.

I just looked at my schedule again. I forgot that I'm on backup call on Monday and off on Tuesday, so with any luck Sunday will be my last work day before I leave on Wednesday night.

I've made several plans outside of the group meet up thread, with Rachael, Fliss, Margaret and Caroline, as recently as today. I'll send you a PM shortly.

Happy New Thread, Joe! I like those whimsical illustrations up there. Very different, but all the same maybe the colouring reminded my of Ayano Imai, whom you featured all that time ago on thread #12. That inspired me to borrow all the children's books she's illustrated I could get from the library (5 in all so far). I find her work so incredibly soothing to look at. One of my favourites was her rendition of Puss & Boots, and I found some of her illustrations for Aesop's Fables absolutely stunning. Here are a couple from Puss & Boots:

 

>22 kidzdoc: Oh yeah, there's a ton of coffee available, Darryl. Bill got us started on Java-palooza, so we've got it all over the place.



I got your PM and responded. Thanks! Soon . . .

>23 Smiler69: Oh good, Ilana. I'm glad you like those whimsical toppers from Pamela Zagarenski. Wow, those Ayano Imai ones from Puss & Boots are knockouts, aren't they. Thanks for posting those.

I was hoping I hadn't posted them too large for your liking, but the fine detail and textures are hard to see otherwise and are so much part of the charm. By the way, I've been meaning to tell you the Emma tutorial will be starting this coming weekend. I think Liz said she'll be posting the thread toward the end of the week. Counting on you to liven things up! :-)

Happy New Thread Day, Joe. revisited the poem and got this for the first time: "My friend, who never understood school,
Persuasively lectures us . . . ." dang, dude. :-)

the toppers are topping as are the >23 Smiler69: Puss 'n' Boots illustrations, Ilana. so very happy making.

>6 jnwelch: chuckle. i'm so used to enjoying Seasons' exasperated expression that it's quite a treat to see her smiling. of course, you're not in the frame. ;-)

lord, i've chatterboxed myself silly over at Ellen's and again on ACC. what joy.

>25 Smiler69: No worries, thanks, Ilana. Makes sense to me. I usually do the toppers larger for that very reason.

Oh good, glad to hear it about the Emma tutorial. I'd like to have it starred before we go, as accessing LT gets a little more complicated when we travel. I promise to wear a lively outfit when I visit - although I'm sure I won't be able to match Emma's father. :-)

>26 mirrordrum: Thanks, Ellie. Oh, I'm glad you revisited that line. I was just thinking about it. All true. Smart guy, lost when it came to school. Didn't know how to play that game, and really wasn't all that interested, when it came down to it. But he knew fishing and hunting inside and out.

I'm glad you find the toppers topping. I wonder what Topper would think? Aren't those beauts Ilana posted? I love how the way they situate us is just a bit off-kilter. She brings us into a different world - like ours, but clearly not the one we're used to.

Ha! Seasons does great exasperation, doesn't she. Somehow I've given her occasion for lots of practice over the years. She and I have had laughfests together watching MST3K, so finding this cosplay guy had additional meaning for us. (BTW, there are going to be more than a dozen new MST3K episodes coming; they had a hugely successful Kickstarter campaign).

You're one of the best chatterboxers I've ever seen. If it ever becomes an Olympic sport, you really need to think about going to the trials.

Whoa. Shaun Tan has a new one coming out in the U.S. in October: Singing Bones. Must have!



P.S. Publishers Weekly has given it a red star review.

All caught up after our trip to the 49th state. Lovely pix as usual, some really astonishing 3D work there!

I don't think I'll be joining the 7 Killings shared read after all. I have to get Invisible Man read for the second Tuesday in September, and that may be enough darkness for now.

>29 ffortsa: Thanks for catching up and stopping by, Judy! Welcome back! I'm glad you're liking the pix and 3D art.

No worries re Seven Killings. Do put it on your list for the future, though. Invisible Man is such a good one. Sounds like it's for book club - what a discussion that's likely to be.

Happy New Thread, Joe!

I'm reading the newest Blue Balliett book--they are middle grade art mysteries that take place in Chicago--and the kids are browsing books in Powell's. Well, that took me aback, but a Google reveals that your Powell's is not related in any way to the one in Oregon. These are great smart fiction for any age, by the way, done exceptionally well.

Happy new thread Joe, lovely toppers :-D

I love the small white whale on wheels in the second picture & and the text of the 3rd one: What is freedom but the gift to do what you must with gladness of heart.

>28 jnwelch: Hooray for a new Shaun Tan. Always cause for a celebration.

BTW: I did request Strike Sparks: Selected Poems. You rarely steer me wrong.

Happy new thread. Love your illustrations in the topper there. Something about the colours.

>28 jnwelch: Woot! I'll be standing in line for the new Shaun Tan for sure. Meanwhile, did you see the Guardian article about his sculptures?



https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/aug/25/bloodbaths-and-bad-dreams-shaun-ta...

Hey, Joe. Here's a possible new menu item.

>36 weird_O: Ha! I saw that beaut on Facebook, Bill. Perfect.

>35 Smiler69: You and me both, Ilana. I didn't see the Guardian article. I'll circle back and read it with gusto, thanks.

P.S. Love the pic of his sculpture. Thanks for posting it.

>34 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte. Glad you like the toppers. There is something about the colours, a sort of muted wash effect and layering? I'm always amazed at the distinctive looks artists are able to come up with. Zagarenski is so good.

>33 msf59: Shaun Tan fans rejoice! Ilana and I will meet you at the queue, Mark.

Oh good. I think Sharon Olds bluntness and fearlessness is really going to appeal to you.

>32 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita. Aren't those toppers lovely?

You and me both. Thanks for noticing the text in that third one: What is freedom but the gift to do what you must with gladness of heart. That's welcome food for thought, isn't it?

>31 ronincats: Thanks, Roni!

I've read her Chasing Vermeer and The Calder Game, but not her more recent ones. Yes, our Powell's is unrelated to the one in Portland; Brad Jonas owns ours. There used to be one near our house, but they cut back to just the East 57th store. Very nice guy; he's helped Madame MBH more than once.

Agreed re Blue Balliett's books. I'll look forward to hearing what you think of this one.

A new Shaun Tan! Woot!

Happy New Thread, Joe!!

Oh good. I just got notice that I'm getting an ER copy of Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly. That's a story I know nada about. Can't wait. There's also a film in the works for next year.

>40 scaifea: Ha! New Shaun Tan, Amber! Let the celebration commence!

>41 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda!

>23 Smiler69: Those are SO charming!

>36 weird_O: Too funny!

Morning, Joe! Very exciting about the new Shaun Tan book.

>44 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! Isn't that great Shaun Tan news?

All right, a book with a wake-up call for the slow pokes out there.

Ha!

^^Ooh, I want to read that one.

Morning Joe! Looks like we have a damp start out there. I just finished Night Sky with Exit Wounds. Wow! I think I will have to buy a copy. It will be one worth dipping back into. What a voice. And speaking of poetry, I put up the new thread. Stop by.

My current GN is A Girl on the Shore. Have you heard of it? It's big and a bit challenging but it does have a nice, moody atmosphere and stark illustrations. I have to get used to reading right to left in the panels. It takes some getting used to.

Good morning Joe! I'd love some bacon please whenever you have time. Thank you.

>47 Crazymamie: :-)

>48 msf59: Ha! It does look like a page-turner, doesn't it, Mark?

Morning! Yeah, I got caught in the deluge. An umbrella just ain't enough when it's coming down that hard. Glad you liked Night Sky with Exit Wounds. Yeah, he's a keeper.

I saw the new thread and did stop by, but I haven't posted yet - I'm still reading what was posted!

I've not heard of A Girl on the Shore. It certainly looks intriguing. For a lot of the Japanese GNs, they've stopped "reversing" them to Western front to back style. The right to left, back to front does take getting used to, but then it becomes second nature.

The second Jessica Jones is a long one, too; I'm really enjoying it. Looks like this is a series I'll be following.

>49 luvamystery65: Good morning, Roberta! Would you like some bacon on that bacon?

Bacon? Did someone say bacon? Mine with ketchup please Mr Cafe Proprietor.

Good morning, Joe. I hope it's goign well.

>46 jnwelch: Is that for real? Hilarious!

>50 jnwelch: 'Bacon tastes gooood. Pork chops taste gooood.' -Vincent Vega 'Pulp Fiction'

>46 jnwelch: We're thinking of adding that book jacket to the overdue notices around here, particularly the ones going out to faculty. ;-) I shared the jacket to my Facebook profile, and all my librarian friends are sharing it.

>54 thornton37814: Ha! Glad to hear it, Lori. That one deserves to be spread around. :-) "She Stopped His Circulation . . . But Good!!"

>31 ronincats:, >39 jnwelch: I had to check; as I suspected, Blue Balliett is related to Whitney Balliett, the longtime contributor to The New Yorker, who wrote hundreds of reviews of books and jazz performances and articles about jazz artists for nearly half a century, and is one of my main role models for what I want to be when I grow up. (The NYT's Ben Brantley is my other primary role model; he gets paid to write reviews of plays he's seen in NYC and London.) Blue is one of Whitney's daughters.

>46 jnwelch: LOL

>50 jnwelch:, >53 jnwelch: Bacon!!! *swoons*

>53 jnwelch: Many thanks. Perhaps not entirely a coincidence that dinner tonight was cauliflower cheese with bacon :-)

>56 kidzdoc: Ooh, good factoid, Darryl. I don't know how I managed to miss Whitney's name over some part of that half century (I pay more attention these days), but that's a cool connection to daughter Blue.

Bacon sure generates strong reactions, don't it. :-) Sometimes even in bold type with a bunch of exclamation points!!!

Good to know you have a Plan B career, and now I'll look for Mr. Brantley's reviews. I'll bet Judy and Jim swear by him.

>57 charl08: Our pleasure, Charlotte. Mmm, cauliflower cheese with (for me, veggie) bacon. Yum.

Hi Joe and Happy New Thread!

It's shaping up to be a busy work week (I arrived at 8am today and did not stop until 6pm... no breaks) so my reading pace is slowing down a bit. I did listen to earlier chapters (Bam-Bam and Demus) and the reading is pretty outstanding. I will read more this evening. I'm somewhere in the middle of "White Lines/Kids in America."

I love...
...the photos at the top of your new thread.
...the poem near the top of your new thread.
...the pictures Ilana posted from Puss & Boots.
...Bill's suggested new menu item.
...weekends.

>53 jnwelch: that is the. most. gorgeous. bacon. ever. but i don't even the veggie stuff so i will move on.

i found 5 of Ocean Vuong's poems on www.poetryfoundation.org. i started with Aubade with Burning City and was so gobsmacked i just stopped with that. he says, "“I think the strongest poems allow themselves to collapse completely before even suggesting resurrection or closure, and a manipulation of form can add another dimension to that collapse.”" i rather think i collapsed internally before the poem collapsed.

is that poem in whatever volume it is you've all been rhapsodizing about?

Hi Joe!! Needed a midnight snack so I thought I'd stop in. I love how you intermingle artwork, poetry, food and books. Perfect! Love the sculpture in >35 Smiler69: and the book jacket >46 jnwelch: is a must-post for libraries! LOL

Happy new thread, Joe and mmm, bacon!

>59 EBT1002: Thanks, Ellen!

As I mentioned over on your thread, I got quite caught up in Seven Killings last night, and Madame MBH was out with a pal for a good part of the evening, so I was able to finish this morning. Terrific. Can't wait to hear what you think.

"The problem with a book is that you never know what it’s planning to do to you until you’re too far into it.” (A quote from Seven Killings). Ha! I had no idea what his book was planning to do to us. I sure don't think of that as a "problem" though.

I love your "love" list! Thanks. Ahh, weekends. I'm so bad this week that yesterday I started thinking, "it's almost the weekend."

>60 mirrordrum: The veggie stuff ain't the same as real bacon, needless to say, Ellie, although Morningstar Farms does a pretty good job.

Aubade with Burning City is a gobsmacker, isn't it. Yes, it's in Night Sky with Exit Wounds. Hard to believe this is an ESL guy. I work with a very bright German ESL guy whose vocabulary is larger than that of any American I've come across. Don't know how they do it - and then for Ocean to write such powerful poetry.

I don't see an audio available for it, darn it. NPR does have an audio interview with him: http://www.npr.org/2016/04/24/475511998/in-the-lines-of-ocean-vuong-echoes-of-hi...

>61 Berly: Nice to have you stop by, Kim. Glad you're loving the interminglings. We'll try to keep them coming. Midnight snack? Peach pie?



>62 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg!

I sense a great fondness for bacon in you and other patrons. :-)

Good morning, Joe! Eggs and bacon sandwich to go!

Good morning, Brodie!

You got it.

Thanks, Joe. Looks delicious!

>68 brodiew2: :-)

From A Brief History of Seven Killings:

“I tell myself that I tolerate Kimmy because she could never survive me even once talking to her the way she talks to me. I hate people like that, people you have to protect while they keep hurting you.”

"Then coffin, black with silver handles with the dead boy in a black velvet suit. If you’re never gonna sweat why not go out in winter style?”

By Vinie Graffiti (French)

>63 jnwelch: you finished Seven Killings? you you you (sputters) . . . beast! i expect one could chomp it right down visually. well, like James the snail, i shall get there eventually and it will, believe me, be a triumph. like James, i find myself whuffling a lot. a whuffle, as you may recall, is the sound of a snail in danger. i keep worrying about everyone. that's one thing about audio. if the book and narrator are good, i get even more attached to characters than i used to do in . . . er, what's the visual equivalent of audio?

>64 jnwelch: you know, that's not uncommon in ESL folks who are, how shall i say, generally articulate. it is thought that this is due to such people, and Vuong would certainly be one, finding the word(s) that most precisely expresses what they wish to say, unlike native speakers who spout the verbal dreck of our mother tongue. i read that somewhere and contemplated it enough that i remember it. makes sense, though, que no? Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe would be an example as a native of Montenegro and very precise in his use of English. i think Mamie would bear me out in this.

>72 mirrordrum: Ha! It is a triumph to get there with Seven Killings, for sure. I had Madame MBH out for a good part of the evening, and really got some momentum going with it. I whuffled in triumph this morning (and, oddly, got a responsive whuffle from a few other snails here in the city). What's the visual equivalent of an audio? I'm pretty sure it has something to do with a tree falling in the woods . . .

Ha Part Deux! Oh, you got me with unlike native speakers who spout the verbal dreck of our mother tongue. For me, it's hard to imagine being exceptionally articulate in another language, as opposed to serviceable, but I'm probably influenced by being a typical American doofus when it comes to other languages. If we had to speak another language if we went, say, from TN to GA or S. Carolina, or from IL to WI or IND, we'd be more language-dextrous, like so many in Europe.

I know Nero Wolfe to be very precise in his use of English. I didn't remember he was originally from Montenegro. I think it's easier to be fluent in a second language when you're a fictional character. *ducks*

I also think Mamie would probably bear you out if you claimed that people who read upside down tend to be more capable in the kitchen, or somesuch, if you catch my drift. Pals are like that.

No throwing food in the cafe!

Hi, Joe! I have been running around, since early this morning but now is the time to visit a few threads and get to the books. I have not cracked one yet.

I did a library run and came home with another Criminal volume and 3 more poetry collections, including Strike Sparks. The pile grows.

Love the Seven Killings quotes and I will have to stop back and listen to the interview with Ocean. How cool.

>72 mirrordrum: "you you you (sputters) . . . beast!" That cracked me up.

>74 msf59: You are a poetry-reading Titan, Mark! It's awesome what you've accomplished in such a short time. I've been reading this stuff since high school.

Glad you like them quotes and yes, Ocean's background and thoughts be fascinating. I do seem to have somehow provoked our friend Ellie. :-) I'm not sure I helped matters much up in >73 jnwelch:.

The other 2 titles were from Ada Limon and Aracelis Girmay. Both look like edgy poets. My cuppa. Are you familiar with either?

>73 jnwelch: whooping and belly-laughing myself into a lovely endorphin rush. oh lordy. you are peerless. ha part deux! and yes, Mamie is like that.

and you're, as a local and frequently tipsy weather woman used to say, "talking, even speaking" to someone who came from Cal-Berkeley to east TN and then fell in love with a NC mountain woman who lapses into mountain when relaxed. if you don't think that was a lingo trip, well think again. NC Appalachian dialect, now being slowly lost, originates from, and is often similar to, northern British English. for example, "you'uns," "airy" (any), ye, reave (wreath) have similar words in northern England dialects.

also, there was the speed issue. for at least the first year i was here, my poor students continually begged, "pleeeease slow down."

the weather woman referenced above had some beauts. during storms, e.g., the east coast often had "high waves covered with water," which is, you'll admit, quite something to contemplate. oh me eyes are worth nowt. must away with my day quite made.

>73 jnwelch: p.s. in re: the tree falling, actually, you know, that's always seemed a question quite simple to answer. i reckon that's because i'm not a philosopher.

>76 msf59: Both new to me. Looking forward to your reactions!

>77 mirrordrum: Ha! Glad to hear it, Ellie. Nothing better than whoops and belly-laughs and endorphins (or en-dolphins, as one of my sisters likes to say). (I love the thought of those en-dolphins leaping about in the bloodstream).

Love thinking about that NC Appalachian dialect, too, thanks. Worthy of more contemplation. And the need for you to slow down! Hee-hee, I can just imagine. Darn city-folk. Or was it Berkeley folk?

Oh, "high waves covered with water". Love it. She has the makings of a poet.

>78 mirrordrum: Yeah, me, too, re the tree falling. There is no tree, and there is no forest, right? Or am I thinking of the zen koan? :-)

Huh! I just got a notice that I'm to receive an ER copy of Rogue Heroes! I think I've requested about five books over the years and this is the first time I've succeeded! Very pleased, especially since I've been hearing Trump screaming in the next room and was feeling hugely depressed. (Can't hear what he's saying but the sound of him is so disturbing I can feel my stomach clenching.)

Yes, this is just what I need to calm my nerves: a tale about sabotaging Nazis.

Morning, Joe!

mornin' Joe. i'm off to an early doc appointment and wanted to drop by some banana cream cheese scones. can you handle beverages if requested?



>79 jnwelch: >77 mirrordrum: "endolphins" first heard that on Postcards from the Edge (the movie) in which Annette Benning has a bit part as a ditz who uses the word.

>80 NarratorLady: *chuckle* ah, that's our Anne.

laytah. off to get noxiousness sprayed up my snout. makes me drunk and generally rather yucky. ah well.

>80 NarratorLady: Hi, Anne!

Congratulations on getting Rogue Heroes. Yes, this is just what I need to calm my nerves: a tale about sabotaging Nazis. Ha! You got me with that one. In that case, you should find it very soothing. :-)

I can't listen to Trump, period. Although I'll tune into the debates. I can't imagine. Bluster vs. brains.

>81 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

>82 mirrordrum: Oh my, that looks mighty good, Ellie. Banana cream cheese scones, mmm. Yes, we can come up with the beverages.

Intriguing re endolphins. I've only heard it from my esteemed sister who, like me, loves the image of them swimming about and leaping in our bloodstream.

Noxiousness up the snout doesn't sound pleasant. They should at least give you ice cream. (I suggested that to my dentist last visit, and he scoffed). Good luck, and I hope the yuckiness passes quickly.

I couldn't resist bringing out some more of Ellie's banana cream cheese scones, this time with a bit of frosting.

>72 mirrordrum: It made me laugh out loud that Ellie called you a beast! And I would concur with her Nero Wolfe assessment.

>73 jnwelch: Now, Joe, don't go thinking that I would back up Ellie just because she is full of fabulous and thinks that I know stuff. *blinks*

I will agree with you that it is "easier to be fluent in a second language when you're a fictional character". That made me snort my coffee.

Also I think that going from IN to GA does involve learning a new language - down here a shopping cart is a "buggy" and a license plate is a "tag". A "Coke" is generic for soda and if you order coke, they will ask you what kind. "Fixin'" means "preparing to", with no repairs of any kind in sight, and if you are making a supposition, you are 'reckoning.

Morning, Joe! I'd like a latte to go with those scones, please.

Sweet Thursday, Joe. no noxiosity up the nose. just an in and out w/ a few instructions on maintenance and a hug from my genius doc. she's a pip.

>86 Crazymamie: oh lordy, i've missed you, Mamie. i've got to get around more. i was already rolling about holding my sides but did hold them a bit tighter at the "easier to be fluent in a second language when you're a fictional character." ain't it great?

in re: location and language, we once went to visit JB's Papaw in the hospital and he asked the nurse "do ye keep airy pig?" (have any pigs) she said they did and then she was alright with him. he called me Doc and said to JB, "i reckon she knows just about ever ketch there is." meaning i, too, "knew stuff." he was a man i respected and honored greatly. he had such dignity and humility and never said an unkind word. i did have to learn a whole new etiquette 'cause i wasn't from around there.

now i'm off to bed. again.

Morning Joe! Sweet Thursday! And extra sweet on a day like this. I am power-washing the siding this morning and then back to the books.

We are going up to the U.P. tomorrow morning for the long weekend, to visit our friend. Always a nice getaway and the weather looks beautiful.

>86 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie!

That Ellie - she always gets to be the beauty, and I always have to be the beast. Hardly seems fair.

She is full of fabulous, and you do know stuff, so I guess I'll back up you both.

Don't you think? Those fictional characters often have it so much easier than the rest of us.

Good point about IN to GA. I reckon I was fixin' to put a tag on my buggy before I figured out the differences. Back in the day Coca-Cola went after fast food restaurants in GA when they simply gave Pepsi to folks asking for Coke (deceptive substitution). That's where the "what kind do you want" or "we only have Pepsi" come from.

Latte - yes! I'll join you.

>87 mirrordrum: Sweet Thursday, Ellie! And you know the original Sweet Thursday well now. :-)

Great news re your pip of a doc. No noxiosity up the nose would improve any day.

I'm glad you two beauties, you and Mamie, are having a good time. I'll just beast about the cafe while you do.

I love the story about JB's Papaw. Some day you might read The Unknown Ajax and enjoy the Yorkshire dialect.

Here in IL I drink soda; a short jaunt over to Michigan and I'm drinking pop. And don't put ketchup on your hot dog here or the locals get upset. Only mustard.

>88 msf59: Morning Mark! Sweet Thursday, buddy!

Power-washing the siding - you know how to have a good time on a vacation day. :-) You remind me that for years we couldn't power wash, because we had the siding painted. Now we've got new Hardie board siding, and there'll be power-washing in the future, I'm sure.

Oh good for you - that should make for a great weekend. Driving to the U.P.? Audio books picked?

" Driving to the U.P.? Audio books picked?" Yes, we are driving. I still have more audio left on The Hour of Land, so I will continue that. There is a state park in Sheboygan WI, that is right along the lakefront, so we plan on stopping there first for a little hike.

>91 msf59: Sounds good, Mark. Have a great trip. That ain't a short drive. Good idea to stop for a hike.

>9 jnwelch: java-polooza!! I love it :)

>85 jnwelch: I could think of so many fun titles for that book. If only I had had the coffee (you know, in order that I could then do the things) ;)

I would like a little Babka with all those lattes.

I am in the last bit of Seven Killings. The momentum at this stage is impressive.
I love Dorcas Palmer.

Morning, Joe!

>94 LovingLit: Hiya, Megan! Java-palooza was great. We may have to celebrate that more often. I know, I try (unsuccessfully) to get people at work to refrain from talking to me before I've had some coffee. We need those fun titles for >85 jnwelch:, so here you go:



>95 benitastrnad: More Babka, Benita? Sounds good to me. Hope you like chocolate. This is the foodiest cafe we've had in a while, isn't it.

>96 EBT1002: Go Ellen! I had the same experience with that last part of Seven Killings. I just flew through it. Dorcas Palmer - ah yes. Let's talk about Dorcas when you get to the end. :-)

>97 scaifea: Morning, Amber! You're always such an early bird. Have you had your coffee or tea? Happy Friday!

Ha! I love the "Your life ain't worth forty cents, Punk!"

Morning, Joe!

Morning, Mamie! I love it when librarians get tough. :-)

>100 jnwelch: That seemed so true to me when I was 16 years old :) I lost a book from the Public Library when I was about 16 or so. I dared not face the librarians, so I never went back to my public library until a friend of mine convinced me that the librarians would not throw me out the door. I waited until I had my married last name! :) Yes, I'd recommend An Irish Country Doctor for something nice and light for your trip to London. Hey - while you are there, take a trip to Waterstones Book store. I understand it is fantastic. Are you having an LT meetup in London?

Ohhh- those librarian are scaring me :) As I grew up a bit, librarians stopped scaring me.

>103 vancouverdeb: Ha! Did you wear a disguise when you went back to the library, Deb? I've never lost a library book, but I've always wondered what they do if it happens.

Good to hear re An Irish Country Doctor. I don't take much in the way of books (although I've also loaded some on my Kindle), because we visit a lot of bookstores when we're there, Daunt and Foyle's being two of our favorites. We've been in Waterstones, but another visit of course would be fine.

Yes, there'll be a lot of LTers meeting up. We always coordinate with Darryl, and the numbers climb from there. You can probably find out more on his thread.

Librarians still can scare me, even at my advanced age.

Good morning, Joe! I hope your day is going well.

>93 jnwelch: In in the immortal words of Spock: Fascinating.

>85 jnwelch: >100 jnwelch: These are hilarious. as for >100 jnwelch: that's one approach to debt collection. :-P

>100 jnwelch: Love this.

Reminds me of the library I went to as a kid. The librarian behind the high wooden counter was pretty fierce. I envied her (paper) tickets in a fancy box though.

>105 brodiew2: Hiya, Brodie. So far so good. We're closing early for the Labor Day Weekend - gotta love that!

Did I sense a Spockian arched eyebrow to go with that "Fascinating"?

Aren't those covers in >85 jnwelch: and >100 jnwelch: a hoot? Yes, fines would not be much of an issue with that collector.

>106 charl08: Ha! Glad you enjoyed >100 jnwelch:, Charlotte. I'd pay immediately.

I didn't have fierce librarians in my home town. On the other hand, I'd misbehave elsewhere, but never in the library. I got too enchanted by the books.

OK, let's try a shortish Joe poem. No title yet.

I

Your hand
opens; each crease
eased by a wind; the wind
a desire, a desire swelling,
a desire to swell you up
'til you can't hold no more and
with a rush and a swoop your small
joys hit the beach feet-first:

II

We wandered the beach;
she ran ahead
among the gulls.
'Look' she laughed.
'I bring my arms down
and the seagulls settle.
And look, look, when I swing
my arms up!'

The sky shouts
The countless white pulse
moves up, and up.

hope you're having a larrupin' good Friday, Joe, and looking forward to a toothsome weekend. see what you Sweet Thursday boys have unleashed?

>96 EBT1002: more momentum? heavenly betsies, Ellen. i'm chuckling my way through Alex with the Priest sitting on the end of the bed (3rd part of Shadow Dancin'). it's very confusing actually, b/c Alex is both tripping and time-tripping. or at least i think he is. i'm just at the bit where Alex comes undone b/c Priest sat on his foot. i nearly fell out of bed laughing. i'm not at all convinced that the narrator who does Alex isn't also the guy who does Bam-Bam. he's that good. anyway, i'm confused again and have to go back. again.

>108 jnwelch: nice one, Joe. fun to see the erotic side of Joe the Proprietor. :-)

loving those book covers. you know, i still whisper in libraries, something i can not teach JB to do. well, nobody else does anymore either. but still . . .

>108 jnwelch: I like that short Joe poem quite a lot. Thanks for posting.

>109 mirrordrum: Oh, Ellie, I remember chuckling through that scene. It was perhaps the only amusing scene in the whole novel. Your confusion is not unique to listening to the book. There were many times when I would read part of a chapter and suddenly realize that something about the time, place, people was, well, different than I had been thinking, and I would go back and read a page or two to get myself centered. Sometimes I hate that in a novel but for some reason I didn't mind in Seven Killings. It felt consistent with the somewhat disorienting, not-hallucinogenic-but-vaguely-unreal tone of the whole narrative.

I whisper in libraries.

Happy Friday, Joe. I hope you have some reading and relaxing plans for the weekend.

>82 mirrordrum:, >84 jnwelch: Those scones look sooooo wonderful, even if it is Friday evening when my thoughts usually turn to something less sweet and crumbly. Like beer and wings, or pizza, or such.

>110 EBT1002: it's just done beautifully in audio b/c it's narrated as if on speed.

i know what you mean about the disorienting part. not only are at least half the characters on coke but James bounces around in time and i don't know about the print version but in the audio version it's very hard to figure out where we are temporally as i can't flip back and forth very easily. this isn't unique to James, of course. i have the same difficulty with Kate Atkinson. also both James and Atkinson write dense material that is highly stimulating, thought-provoking, and often both visual and visceral.

in Atkinson's case, this is especially true of Life-after-life. i frequently want to stop and reflect on a passage or event, often resort to google as do you, and look for images so my visuals are better informed. when i just relax and remind myself this isn't some sort of race, i'm free to revisit parts over and over if it's interesting to me. i do get into the "time's winged chariot" space from time to time but, really, as JB says, this isn't a contest. just enjoy yourself." she's a very sensible woman.

you said, "I whisper in libraries." you were brought up right and are, clearly, an estimable person. i'll try to keep this in mind when i think of you cheering for all those UConn grads. ;-)

Joe, so you are going back to London. Did you leave something there? It seems like you just got back. Haha. You are becoming the jet setter of our bunch. I'm glad you take us along with you via pictures and descriptions. Looks like another good meet up there. Safe travels and have fun!

I'm no longer afraid of librarians, but as kid and young adult , I was. I did not wear a disguise when I finally went back to the library, but my friend who had no fear of librarians accompanied me and I had my married name as a disguise ;)

>109 mirrordrum: Good morning, Ellie!

It was a larrupin' good Friday, all right, and the toothsome weekend has begun, with a lyin' in bed late reading. Now we've got to get organized to pick up some Melissa and Doug (? - I think that's right) puzzles for seasonsoflove and her kiddles, and then do some phone work so we can make and take calls from across the pond next week.

That Alex chapter is a hoot, although squeamatic by the end, too.

Glad you like the gulls poem - here I thought it was all so innocent. :-)

Aren't the book covers chortle-licious? I do still whisper in the library. I'll bet we've got a bunch of whisperers in the 75ers, we're all so respectful of books and readers (and scared of librarians, if we're not scary librarians ourselves).

>110 EBT1002: Oh good, Ellen, thanks. Glad you like the poem a lot. I hesitate a bit each time with posting these, but as long as people are enjoying them, I'm sure enjoying sharing them.

Yes re the Alex chapter, and yes re the occasional confusion over who what where and when. Me, too. Some of that was intentional from Mr. James, too. I like how he lets the reader figure things out, rather than bonking us over the head. It felt consistent with the somewhat disorienting, not-hallucinogenic-but-vaguely-unreal tone of the whole narrative. Yes.

Library whisperer - typical of the coolest people ever.

>111 Familyhistorian: Happy Friday, Meg! And now Saturday, as I'm a slow poke.

We have a few errands to run, but reading is definitely on the agenda. I'm hooked on Blake Crouch's Wayward Pines trilogy, after thoroughly enjoying his Dark Matter. I quickly ate up the first one, and I'm more than halfway through the second. I'd be reading it right now if I could multi-task that well.

Morning, Joe! Love the latest poem - thanks for sharing.

>112 laytonwoman3rd: Hi, Linda. I could eat scones any time of day, I must admit. Now sounds better for you, so here you go - in honor of Fall, pumpkin scones.



>113 mirrordrum: Yeah, the jumping back and forth in time would be mighty tough on audio, I'd think, Ellie.

I did listen to Life After Life on audio, and somehow the time switcheroos didn't bother me that much in that one. She seemed relatively clear on it, and there was that bit of repetition overlap. For me the hard part was slowing down for the audio pace - that's a long book!

I agree re the estimability of our pal Ellen and her whispering whilst in a library.

>114 Donna828: Ha! Thanks, Donna. Yes, we keep leaving something in London, so we have to go back. We love it there, as you can probably tell. Theater, museums, bookstores, walking tours, trips to the countryside - what's not to love? Plus seeing our pal Darryl and various and sundry other LTers. We may even briefly get Paul and Hani this time. We'll see.

Thank you for your good wishes. We'll report back! I'm not sure I'll be able to post photos while there; I'm iffy on how to do it with the technology I'll have. But Darryl will, and I will once we get back.

>115 vancouverdeb: Good idea to bring back-up to the library, Deb, and an alias, I mean, married name. Those librarians are savvy generally, and some have had higher levels of training beyond the ken of normal patrons.

>118 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! Thank you! Feels good to hear you love that one. Seemed like a good end days of summer one, right?

P.S. No chocolate chips yet, but we do have pumpkin scones if you're interested.

Yes, sir. And I love I love pumpkin anything, so yes, please.

>122 Crazymamie: Hey, we found some with c-chips! Here you go:

Lovely! Thanks, Joe!

Morning Joe. Happy Saturday. Gorgeous day up here. Getting ready to kayak. Friends are camping along the bay, so we will join them for dinner and drinks, later on.
Really nice people, so it should be fun.

Enjoy your weekend, my friend.

>119 jnwelch: MMMmmmmm....those look yummy. I had a lemon ginger one this morning from a local bakery. Very tasty.

Morning, Joe!

Swimming and lurking my way through. Sitting up in bed, eating mango sorbet, and drinking coffee. Foot is propped up on three fat pillows. Surrounded by books, Kindle, and computer plus reading glasses, notebooks and pens. Oh, a couple of magazines, a phone number list, my Echo, my telephone, and a few pills.

At risk of sounding as if I'm auditioning for Hypochondriac Inc., I do love the recuperative days when they allow for reading and chatting with readers.

>124 Crazymamie: :-)

>125 msf59: Sounds great, Mark. We kayaked out in Ellen and Karen's part of the world (San Juan Islands) and loved it. Enjoy!

>126 laytonwoman3rd: Ohh, lemon ginger sounds like a scone I'd welcome, Linda.

>127 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

>128 maggie1944: Oh, I like your style, Karen. Mango sorbet and coffee in bed. Nice. How's the recovery coming? Your "nest" makes a lot of sense. Command central. I agree - sometimes it's a good thing to have to stop and recuperate. Reading and chatting with readers - that's on my agenda, too, for later. Now we're off to the phone store for sim cards.

I'm glad my stylin' is pleasin'

I like mango sorbet and coffee, too. I really like coffee, it is the one thing that gets me up outta the bed every morning, including these mornings.

Recovery is coming along just fine, I believe. I've just sent out an SOS to a half dozen of my buddies here at Silver Glen for a ride to the doctor's on Tuesday, coming up. Boy! it is so cool to have so many friends hovering around me and offering to help!

I'm off to read Growing a Farmer now, it is a great deal more cheerful than is The Empire of the Summer Moon. The latter is so depressing!

Joe, Where do you find such interesting illustrators? I love the opening images!

>116 jnwelch: >108 jnwelch: in re: "the gulls (poem)." what i didn't say is that, like the red panties poem, it's such an exquisite love poem. in my mind, "she" could be either your beloved or your child or both. there's passion (contemporary sense) that really opens you to passion in the Biblical sense (suffering) if you love so wildly and wholeheartedly. you don't suggest it, that's just where my mind goes. "small joys": i can feel that but only understand it intuitively where it seems perfect and exact.

>131 maggie1944: i'm glad you have a nest of good things to go with the rest of your experience, Karen. it is nice sometimes to be forced not to have to force constantly, isn't it? glad your sorbet was tasty and i rejoice with you in your friends. :-)

>131 maggie1944: Ha! Your stylin' is mighty pleasin', Karen. :-)

I loves me some coffee, too, as you can probably tell. Not sure I make a whole lot of sense before I have a cup.

it is so cool to have so many friends hovering around me and offering to help! Yes! I'm so glad you made that move to Silver Glen.

Growing a Farmer is new to me. Makes me think of the Little House books. We just finished On the Banks of Plum Creek, our favorite so far. I'm on book three of The Wayward Pines trilogy, which really sucked me in.

>132 Whisper1: Now I look for cool illustrators online as well as in the stores, Linda. There are so many good ones out there! Glad you're liking this thread's. :-)

>133 mirrordrum: Thanks, Ellie. Right, gotcha. Thank you for bringing a close reading to the "gulls poem" (it may remain forever untitled). I feel the same way about "small joys." I was just thinking about that the other day. I'm happy it showed up and said, I belong in there, coach.

Dittoing your Karen sentiments.

>136 jnwelch: Like!

Happy Sunday! Having a fine time in the U.P. Getting ready to head out and start our day.

Hope you are enjoying the holiday weekend.

BTW- The Underground Railroad is excellent. It might give Homegoing a run for it's money.

Good morning Joe. Happy Sunday!

I have had a busy weekend so far and today is shopping day. Grocery shopping at several venues (the market that specializes in peppers and chilis, the one at which we get the best Yakima Valley peaches and corn, the drug store, and finally the main grocery store...) but I hope to settle in later with my laptop and my copy of Seven Killings and pull my thoughts together. I gave it five stars and I jotted down some thoughts after walking from the light rail to the office on Friday -- some of my best(?) thinking happens during walks like that when I am not listening to anything, just letting my mind do its thing.

I have been reading Empire of the Summer Moon which is an excellent work of narrative nonfiction. And yesterday I picked up five books from the library and started reading Eileen. It is on the Booker long list although I think there have been some naysayers. It's too early for me to develop an opinion.

I hope you have a great day! You presumable have the luxury of a 3-day weekend, yes?

By the way, I'm fighting my tendency to get anxious when I feel like a wonderful reading train has left the station without me on it. I am still in the queue at the library for Homegoing and I'm in a very long queue for The Underground Railroad. By the time I get them, the discussion will have moved on.... but they will wait. I know this.

>136 jnwelch: Love that view.

Great to read all the enthusiasm about Seven Killings. Have you come across anything about what James might be working on next?

>137 msf59: Happy Sunday, Mark!

Doesn't that look good? Nice way to start the day.

Glad you're having a fine time in the U.P. Must be beautiful. It's a nice one in Chi-town today, low 70s and clear. We've got Becca and the furry mastermind with us, and plan to watch the Austen movie Love and Friendship at some point.

I've heard nothing but positives about The Underground Railroad, but if you'd been thumbs down that would have made a difference. Glad it's working so well for you. It'll probably be post-London for me.

>138 EBT1002: Happy Sunday, Ellen!

Woo, the Sky just eked out that win over the Storm the other night. Good battle, and great comeback by the Storm.

That's an ambitious grocery shopping day! I don't think we've ever done more than one in a day; maybe before a party?

I haven't pulled all my thoughts together re Seven Killings either. But, like you, I'd give it 5 stars What an accomplishment. Looking forward to your comments.

Empire of the Summer Moon looks like a good one. I'm racing through the pages of the Wayward Pines thrillogy. The Booker one I'm going to pick up in London is Do Not Say We Have Nothing, based on the positive reaction of Charlotte in particular, who has been reading all of them.

Homegoing is terrific, and you may end up wanting a keeper copy. I don't think I'll be able to resist buying The Underground Railroad

>139 charl08: Isn't that view lovely, Charlotte?

I'm haven't heard anything about a new Whitehead book. I haven't read The Book of Night Women by him, so that'll be my next one.

'lo Jo. >136 jnwelch: i'm going to sit there aaaaaalllll afternoon until twilight. then i shall sip a pleasant beverage and watch the lights twinkle on below. i like sitting in the dark but maybe i'll light the candle. i wonder what it sounds like and what the aromas. i imagine sun-warmed herbs, heated stone, sea smells possibly. ahhh, nice trip. i'm so easy.

>135 jnwelch: yes. not only belongs but, er, springboards the rest somehow.

>138 EBT1002: waiting is one of the things books do well, Ellen. lordy what a nice shopping day!

>139 charl08: Charlotte, Marlon James is working on the script of Seven Killings for HBO. after that he says 'he will “geek the fuck out” and create his own fantasy series. Our friends at Vulture got the goods on James’ plans, reporting that James describes what he has in mind as “an African Game of Thrones.”

The author said: “I realized how sick and tired I was of arguing about whether there should be a black hobbit in ‘Lord of the Rings.’ African folklore is just as rich, and just as perverse as that shit. We have witches, we have demons, we have goblins, and mad kings. We have stories of royal succession that would put ‘Wolf Hall’ to shame. We beat the Tudors two times over.”' and i say, 'bring it on, MJ.'

Afternoon, Joe!

>142 mirrordrum: Lovely description, Ellie. You're my kind of daydreamer. Journeys of the imagination are usually big cost-savers, too. :-)

You've got such good instincts re poetry. I agree re "small joys". "Countless white pulse" then brings it on home for me.

I did read that "African Game of Thrones" ambition somewhere for Marlon James. He's right about rich wealth of material just waiting to be used. I feel like some writers like Octavia Butler and Nnedi Okorafor have been doing a bit of that.

Seven Killings on HBO. What a challenge to wrestle that into tv series shape, but what great characters to work with.

>143 Crazymamie: Afternoon, Mamie!

It's been another good one. After some morning errands, we had a visit from Seasonsoflove and her furry sidekick, and we all watched the funny and adorable (Becca and Madame MBH's word) Love and Friendship. We're going to head off to a favored seafood joint (Glen's) soon for a holiday weekend repast.

>144 jnwelch: you wrote: "I agree re "small joys". "Countless white pulse" then brings it on home for me." yes, that's it. yes.

When you and Walklover head out for the LT meetup in London?

Oh and I think there is a little sightseeing on the side as well?

>135 jnwelch: Joe, If you haven't discovered P.J. Lynch


Bagram Ibatoulline


or
Gennady Spirin


I highly recommend them!

Happy Monday off, Joe. When do you leave for London?

>145 mirrordrum: :-)

>146 benitastrnad: Hi, Benita. We leave Wednesday. We may see Darryl and some others Friday; Sunday for sure.

Yes, a bit of sight-seeing as well. Lots of theater, some museums and guided walks are already on the agenda, and we're looking at a day trip to Rye. We'll be revisiting favorite bookstores like Daunt, Foyle's and London Review of Books, and Joseph's bookstore in Golders Green, and trying a couple of new ones as well.

>147 Whisper1: Nice! Thanks, Linda. Fun to have a fellow appreciator. I will look at the work of those artists.

>148 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. Woo, slept in late and I'm just starting to get my marbles organized. It's great to have a Monday off. We leave for London on Wednesday. We're going to use the extra day off to get everything picked out for packing, and to do some more research on adventures there.

Safe travel Joe (and Mrs MBH). Look forward to hearing all about the book hauls.

>151 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte. We use miles, and this time that means no direct flight, so I'm hoping the travels are safe and smooth.

Morning, Joe! Happy packing!

>154 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie! Laundry's nearly done, so the packing prep is about to commence. :-)

It's hard work, so we may need some pumpkin cream cheese muffins to sustain us. There are plenty, so you're welcome to have some.

Safe travels to you and Debb Joe!

>156 luvamystery65: Thanks, Ro!

Happy Labor Day, Joe! I am sure you and Debbi are getting very excited about your trip. Do you have those vacation books all lined up?

And another Big Thumbs Up for Empire of the Summer Moon. Boy, I loved that book.

>158 msf59: Happy Labor Day, Mark! Are you safely home? I'll check your thread.

We've loaded the Kindles, and have a couple of hard copy books picked out. (One for me is An Irish Country Doctor). We're keeping it lean, because we tend to get a little crazy at the wonderful London bookstores.

"We're keeping it lean." Excellent idea, Joe. Boy, those Kindles are terrific for travelling, aren't they?

We got home home at 2:30. A miracle, we avoided any holiday traffic coming back. Sometimes 94 can be a parking lot. The reason we left early.

>161 msf59: Great! Yes, re 94. It was horrible last time we drove back from Michigan. Glad it was okay today.

I think if we would have hit that area, around 4, we would have been screwed. Good decision to leave at 10am.

Back to hot weather though. Groans... It was low to mid-70s all 3 days we were there.

>163 msf59: It was like that here, too (low to mid-70s - beautiful). Unfortunately you got back in time for the heat-up. We ate outside last night at a favorite seafood restaurant (Glenn's Diner) and it was idyllic. Sure wouldn't do it tonight. :-)

>160 jnwelch: lovely illustrtaions!

>165 Whisper1: Isn't that a good one, Linda? I love the feel of it.

joyous travels, Joe. eta: just been spending some time on Seven Killings and guess i should've said, "cool runnings." :-)

It has been so hot down here today was 97. Simply awful.

Happy Labor Day, Joe!

I heard you say Northanger Abbey is a funny book. I tiok your word and have already started. It has been a 'Squirrel!' type of third quarter, but I'm back on track.

Hi Joe. I finally mustered up the courage or energy or something to write some comments about Seven Killings. What a read!

I have asked the Seattle Public Library to order a copy of Do Not Say We Have Nothing, also based largely on Charlotte's warbling. If they don't order (although I think that they will), I will purchase it. I'm not crazy enough to think that I'll get to every work on the Booker long list, but I'll get to those that I can. I know Darryl and some others hated Eileen but I thought it was oddly brilliant (if vaguely unappetizing).

Morning, Joe! LOVE >160 jnwelch: !

Morning, Joe! I also love >160 jnwelch:.

>167 mirrordrum: Thanks, Ellie. We look forward to joyous travels and cool runnings. Cool runnings always makes me think of the Jamaican boblsled team - joyous indeed.

>168 benitastrnad: Oof, that is awful, Benita. Muggy, too, I bet. My sympathy. Stay inside an air-conditioned library if you can.

>169 brodiew2: Thanks, Brodie. Happy Day After Labor Day! I'm a bit of a slowpoke sometimes.

Oh, I hope you enjoy Northanger Abbey. She's spoofing gothic novels of the time.

Austen is such a smart author. We just watched the witty Love and Friendship movie, featuring one of my favorite JA characters ever, Lady Susan. What a star turn by Kate Beckinsale!

>170 EBT1002: Oh good, Ellen. I'll look for your Seven Killings comments. I join you in "What a read!"

I'll be glad of some reading company with Do Not Say We Have Nothing. You're making me think twice about Eileen.

>171 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

Ah, isn't >160 jnwelch: idyllic? Good one for daydreaming.

>172 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! >160 jnwelch: is a beaut, isn't it. I love being out in the woods, especially in the fall.

Breakfast?



Poached egg over spinach polenta with crispy mushrooms and herbs.

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

>173 jnwelch: I'm four chapters in and table is still being set, so to speak. I am enjoying reentering Austen's writing style. Strangely, it is providing a comfort I did not expect.

>176 jnwelch: These covers continue to amaze. Where was she to have been 10 minutes ago that not arriving caused her demise.

>177 brodiew2: Good morning, Brodie! All is well. Last day of work before departure.

I've always found JA's writing style comforting meself. Smooth and witty.

I think poor Mrs. Leach ignored the warning that the library was closing. :-)

>175 jnwelch: Yes, yes, yes!!!

Hmm...speaking of fabulous breakfasts it would be great if we could go to the Duck Egg Café in East Dulwich at some point. Bianca, Claire and I went there last year, and we all loved what we had.

We're still waiting to hear from everyone, especially Paul C., but we've proposed meeting at Café Also at 1 pm on Sunday ("we" being myself, Claire, her sister Karen, Paul Harris, Luci and myself).

Hmm. That reminds me...I want to get rid of the perishable food I have in my refrigerator. I have spinach, four eggs, some cherry tomatoes, and feta cheese. How about a Spinach, Tomato and Feta Egg White Omelette for lunch?

>179 kidzdoc: The Duck Egg Cafe sounds good, Darryl. Let's try to coordinate on that one.

I saw the 1 pm Sunday discussion. We're still in, of course. We'd love to travel there with you again if possible. King's Cross station for starters, right? (Track 9 3/4?)

>180 kidzdoc: Ah, you're speaking my food language, Darryl. Although I'm normally not health-conscious enough to do just egg whites. A tip of the hat from the kitchen for bring your own perishables. :-) Here you go.

>181 jnwelch: I think that meeting at KGX (King's Cross) makes the most sense. From past posts I seem to remember that the train that Paul C. takes from Wakefield calls at KGX. Checking...yes. Wakefield is on the Leeds branch of the East Coast Main Line, which terminates at KGX. If he can make it for lunch we could meet there, and hop on the Edgware Branch of the Northern Line at King's Cross/St Pancras to Golders Green, and walk to Café Also from there. If that time is too early and he wants to meet later we could head back to KGX and meet him there.

I'll post a message on his thread now.

>182 jnwelch: Looks good!

I have everything I need for that omelette in my refrigerator and kitchen cabinet, so I'll get started on it shortly.

>183 kidzdoc: Excellent. Thanks, Darryl.

>184 kidzdoc: Ah, it's great when RL matches VL. Enjoy, buddy.

dahlink, if on your travels you are near or at the National, please give a quiet shout out to Nina Sosanya who's in David Hare's wildly lauded Young Chekhov trilogy. at Chichester, she was in both Ivanov, as Anna, and Platonov but she may only be in the former now they've moved to the National. please feel free to rip down an Ivanov poster as well. i'm a doting fan of her work. not the kind who wants to meet her, gods forfend. i worship quietly from across the pond and am well content, but she's very fine in BBC's hysterical self-send-up W1A and in Last Tango in Halifax w/ Sir Derek, Sarah Lancashire, Anne Reid and Nikola Walker.



"cool runnings" may be "translated" as "peace be the journey."

i've finally gotten to "White Lines" in Seven Killings.

ooooh are you too excited to bear it or too busy to be excited or both?

>186 mirrordrum: We'll be going to the National for the Threepenny Opera, Ellie, so I'll quietly shout outwards toward Nina Sosanya. Given walls, distance, doors and such, there's a chance she may not hear me. But if she does, I'll tell her the source of my out-shouting. If I can rip down a poster and skedaddle without risk of offending the authorities, I'll be ripping and skedaddling.

Although Nina is not on our agenda, we will be seeing Kenneth Branagh in The Entertainer, and pals Ian Mackellen and Patrick Steward in Pinter's No Man's Land.

I like "peace be the journey" very much. Peace IS the journey, right?

Go Seven Killings! Good for you for keeping after it. It's worth it.

I'm too excited to busy it and too much of a bear to be excited about it. Can't wait!

Hi, Joe! Very late today but it was a heavy and hot haul, at work, but I am home in my own friendly confines. Ahhhh...

You leave tomorrow, right? I am sure you are bursting with excitement.

You haven't heard from me because I'm sitting here in a jealous funk.

But say hello to Blighty for me anyway and have fun in my favorite city in the world.

BTW Hatchard's in Picadilly is a divine bookstore.

>189 NarratorLady: Oh yes, Hatchards. That's where all the Regency heroines hung out, Joe. As a Heyer reader you really have to have a look.

Morning, Joe!

Morning, Joe! Wishing you safe travels, my friend.

Happy last morning in the US, Joe! I sent Paul C. a PM, and he'll let us know whether he and Hani will come to London on Friday or Sunday.

I decided to make the Spinach, Tomato and Feta Egg White Omelette for breakfast just now instead of lunch, as I wanted to use up as much of my leftovers in my refrigerator as possible. It was very easy to make, and other than being a bit moist I liked how it turned out:



It isn't as visually appealing as the photo you posted, but I'll take it.

See you soon!

Safe travels, Joe!

While I'm thinking about it, if we do decide to go to the Duck Egg Café it would probably make more sense to go to the Brixton location instead of the one in East Dulwich. The former is a short walk from Brixton station, the last stop on the Victoria Line, on Coldharbour Lane. If we went to East Dulwich (close to where Bianca lives) we would probably have to take a Southern Railways train from London Bridge to East Dulwich, and walk on Lordship Lane to get there, which would be a much longer journey.

>188 msf59: Hiya, Mark. Yeah, we're getting ready to head to the airport. Long travel day, but wonderful London on the other end. Hope everything goes okay for you while we're gone. Hot today!

>189 NarratorLady: Hi, Anne. Ha! Understood. Our favorite city in the world, too (next to sweet home Chicago, of course). Now I just have to find out who Blighty is, and I'll say hello. Hatchards, got it.

>190 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. Heyer? I'm on it. :-)

>191 scaifea: Morning, Amber! Please take good care of Charlie while we're gone. Oh, yeah, wait. You'd do that regardless of where we might be.

>192 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! Thank you, my friend. We've been lucky in the past to have direct flights; I've got a bit of trepidation about everything connecting up all right, but I'm sure it will.

>193 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl. I've been following Paul and Hani's adventures in Edinburgh on FB. If they come in on Friday, we may try to join you all at least for dinner if not the play.

Good-looking vittles, buddy. See you soon!

>194 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie. I should be able to keep you all posted, although I likely won't be able to do the visuals on this. Go to Darryl's thread for pics, until we get back.

>195 kidzdoc: We know Brixton (Debbi performed there at Sparks, and may do it again this trip), so that would be fine. We cabbed it that time, but it does sound easier.

Have a great time while we're gone, everyone. As I mentioned to Katie, I should be able to check in periodically. Feel free to use the café kitchen and other resources while we're gone.

I'm reading Fifth Season, a sci-fi-er that won the Nebula, and starting An Irish Country Doctor. I suspect we'll find one or two more volumes while in London. :-)

Adios!

Safe travels, Joe. Looking forward to vacation updates.

Thanks, Mark. Weather delays, but the clouds' silver lining was we were able to switch to a nonstop flight that gets us in more than two hours earlier. Nice!

Safe travels, Joe! My flight (Delta 30) is scheduled to arrive at Heathrow Terminal 4 just after 11 am. I'll take the Piccadilly Line from Termina 4 station to Hammersmith, and transfer to a Circle or Hammersmith & City train to Shepherd's Bush Market, a couple of blocks from where my hotel is located. See you soon!

Have fun guys!

>201 jnwelch: That is one of the best delays I have heard about, Joe. Enjoy your flight.

Hope you all have a great time. I envy you the meet-ups.

Landed - and our luggage made it! Headed to the flat soon.

Welcome to London, mate! I'm glad to hear that you were able to get a direct flight to Heathrow, and that you are in ownership of all of your possessions. See you soon!

>136 jnwelch: I love, love, love that picture/painting, Joe! Who's the artist?

Nice to see you had a good flight to London. Your meet up with fellow LTers sounds splendid! Enjoy!!

*vicarious excitement for all the meet-ups*

splendiferously sweet Thursday, Joe. don't respond to this. it's just a sort of generic greeting and well-wishing. happiest of meet-ups, you dawg!

>202 kidzdoc:. Good to hear from you, buddy. See you soon!

>203 Oberon:. Thanks, Eric. We promise!

>204 Familyhistorian:. We had a great woman behind the counter at American, Meg. We felt really lucky. She even was optimistic that our luggage would be successfully switched over, and when we got to London, there it was.

I know, it's wonderful to see LT folk in person, and we love this town.

>206 kidzdoc:. Hey, there's our bloke. Blimey, we're having some trouble finding some proper codswallop. (I'm not sure I trust this phrase book).

Looking forward to seeing you, mate.

>207 Carmenere:. Hi, Lynda! I love that one in >160 jnwelch:, too. No artist was given. I hope to track it down at some point. Oh, >136 jnwelch:! That's a photo, same problem, unfortunately.

It was a good flight, and we're getting time-adjusted. We're here - woot!

>208 laytonwoman3rd:. Hi, Linda. *in person excitement for all the meet-ups*

>209 mirrordrum:. This is not a response, Ellie, just a dawg happily woofing. We're heading over to the Tate Modern soon, hoping we can get into the Georgia O'Keefe exhibit.

Happy Friday, and have a great weekend!

P.S. I finished The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemison, and it was very good sci-fi/fantasy (kind of in between the two - magical science).

Fingers crossed for the Georgia O'Keefe. Looks good.

>160 jnwelch: - that's me, except the dog is a Miniature Schnauzer, and I have short brown hair, and its not yet days of massive leaves on the ground, but then again.... isn't that the point of reading, and illustrations, we can see ourselves there, if we want to see ourselves there!

Very jealous of your trip to London-town, and meet ups with all good LT buddies. Have a great time!

Good morning, Joe! I hope all is well on your vacation. What is the best thing you've seen so far?

>210 jnwelch: You certainly lucked out there, Joe. I hope all of your trip goes as well.

M. and Mme. go all the way to London to see O'Keefe? what's up with that? might as well fly across the pond from London to see, uh, whom, er, Turner? no, Banksy. ;-)



do hope it's a great exhibit and that you have joyous meetups, too. and plenty of food, books and beverages. like you ever wouldn't.

We LOVED the O'Keeffe exhibit - and it had the best audio tour we've experienced. Fascinating to learn about the importance of music and sound in her painting, her relationship with famous photographer Alfred Stieglitz, the influences of Kandinsky and contemporary photography, her rejection of gender-based interpretations and eroticization, and much more. Plus the paintings were great. 😄

I hadn't seen the ones from her NY high rise period, and was enchanted by them.

We also followed our tradition of first full day's dinner outside at Attilio's, a favorite little Italian restaurant near Smithfield's. No fish and chips yet.

Oh, I'm jealous you got to see the O'Keeffe exhibit! I love her work. I went to the GOK museum in Santa Fe when we were there last Thanksgiving, and I learned a lot. As much as I love her giant flower paintings, it was cool to see some of her lesser known stuff, too.

>220 katiekrug:. You would've loved it, Katie. It was a huge exhibit - 13 rooms! Several paintings were from the Santa Fe museum, which is now on our "to-go" list.

>214 charl08: Made it, Charlotte. It's there until some time in October - highly recommended.

>215 maggie1944:. I'm like you, Karen. I imagine myself in these beautiful places artists create for us. I'd love to be there in >160 jnwelch:.

London-town has become our home away from home. Such a great city. We'll keep you posted. Kenneth Branagh in The Entertainer tomorrow.

>221 jnwelch: - 13 rooms!!!! Oh, so jealous! The Santa Fe museum is pretty small. Next time I'm there, I plan to go the larger art museum which apparently has a good O'Keeffe collection, too.

>216 brodiew2:. Hiya, Brodie. We love all of it when we're here, but today's best had to be that Georgia O'Keefe exhibit. See description above.

>217 Familyhistorian:. We did luck out on the change to the nonstop flight, Meg. I will say that Madame MBH tried for 4 months to get us switched to a nonstop, so maybe the universe was finally rewarding all her hard work (and her lame ass husband shared in the benefit).

We always have such a great time here. As oldsters, the flights and time adjustments are the hard part, but it's so worth it.

>219 jnwelch: Good you enjoyed the O'Keeffe exhibit, Joe, great way to start your stay in London!

>218 mirrordrum:. The Tate Modern has terrific exhibits, Ellie. We saw the Matisse cut-outs there, too, among others. We were just remembering when Seasonsoflove was in school here, and the TM had an artist's slide from the top floor all the way to the bottom. Seasons and her best friend and her bro had a hooting happy fest with that one.

We have seen Turners and Banksys here. There is an outstanding guided street art tour we took last year. Great city for that - artists from all over the world take advantage.

We're on it - lovely Italian dinner, excellent Pinot Grigio, with books and meet ups to come.

>223 katiekrug: Ah, good tip on the second Santa Fe museum. We hope to go within the next year or so.

Yeah, the 13 rooms would've bowled you over. And best audio tour ever.

>225 FAMeulstee:. Hi, Anita. Yes, it was a perfect start to the vacation. And we can walk to the Tate Modern from our Islington flat.

Sounds like you're off to a lovely start! Carry on and keep us posted please!

Happy Friday, Joe! Glad you both made it there safely and early too! Yah! The O'Keeffe exhibit sounds fantastic. Glad you enjoyed it. I am sure you have a terrific weekend lined up. Enjoy, my friend.

OH! Sante Fe is definitely on my list of places I must see. If you get serious about going, you must alert me and I'll see if I couldn't just MeetUp there! Wouldn't that be great good fun.

Weather here is lovely, autumn feel to the mornings which are a tad chill, but afternoons are brilliant blue skies and warm enough to avoid all thoughts of fall or winter. Yah! I love September in Seattle.

Hope it is good one there in London, too.

"...we will be seeing Kenneth Branagh in The Entertainer, and pals Ian Mackellen and Patrick Steward in Pinter's No Man's Land." I'm soooooo envious!

Oh, and I adore Georgia O'Keefe (and I definitely recommend a visit to Santa Fe!).

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.

I've only been to London once and we were on the way to somewhere else. I need to fix this.

>224 jnwelch: Who you calling oldsters? You're just young pups. Seriously though, if you want to talk jet lag you should try flying to the UK from the West Coast - no we are talking jet lag!

>219 jnwelch: Wonderful stuff Joe. Never fails to amuse me how much visitors take advantage of London's arts scene compared to the residents.

I'm glad to hear that the O'Keefe exhibition was as good as billed, Joe. Claire also enjoyed it, and her sister Karen, who'll join us for lunch tomorrow, will see it after we part. I'll catch it on a weekday this coming week or the following one.

Georgia O'Keeffe, Kenneth Branagh, Ian McKellan, Patrick Stewart----*weeps*. Seems superfluous to wish you a wonderful time, somehow.

>228 Carmenere:. Thanks, Lynda! We will Keep Calm and Keep the Cafe Posted. 😎

>229 msf59:. Hiya, Mark. Yes, the trip turned out safe and smooth, and we're having a great time. I managed to finish the new Louise Penny, and it's another corker.

We have to leave, so I'll catch up some with everyone later.

happy day, mate. i join Linda in her weeping. i'm a bottomless puddle of envy.

>98 jnwelch:
Alternative book titles for >85 jnwelch:
What do you mean, "they sounded friendly so I have then our bank account details"!!??!

>98 jnwelch: also, when scrolling this post, the bakery item looks a lot like ET before getting to its base!

>100 jnwelch: how many guns has she actually got! I count at lest three, and that isn't even including her upper arms, the muscles in which are not really developed enough to refer to as 'guns' ;)

Aaaah, the Tate Modern, I have such fond memories of wandering about there circa 2000. Have fun, Joe, and MBH. And Darry!

It sounds like such a wonderful trip!

>230 maggie1944: Hi, Karen.

We'd love to see you in Santa Fe! It's a definite for us at some point.

Glad to hear you're having lovely weather in Seattle. Here it's been a bit unseasonably warm, but that's almost funny, as it means mid-70s. We got doused with some rain yesterday, but that worked out fine, as it was as we were going into the theater.

Looks like a good 'un today. We leave soon to join Darryl and Bianca at King's Cross Station, and then off to Golders Green to meet others. Sounds like Paul and Hani may be able to make it - we'll see!

>231 EBT1002: Oh my, I think you'd love London, Ellen. It's a walking city, too.

Kenneth Branagh was terrific in a complex role as Archie Rice in The Entertainer. Very Brit play, set in the 1950s, as England's losing its colonial empire and is in dire economic straits due to the costs of WWII. Greta Saatchi played his wife, and the whole cast was excellent. Madame MBH was rightly impressed with his dancing, and we wondered whether he learned it for this role, or had picked it up earlier in his career.

Happy to see another Santa Fe and Georgia O'Keeffe Museum recommendation; we'll follow up. You would've been fascinated by the audio tour at the Tate Modern, a good bit of it with her speaking about her work and experiences.

>232 Familyhistorian: Ha! I wouldn't want to try flying to the UK from the West Coast, Meg! We did fly to Australia a few years ago, and that was a whomper. I don't sleep well on airplanes either, so that exacerbates the problem. I had a great, on-time sleep last night, so I'm getting into the right rhythm here.

I like your perspective on our being young pups! I'm going with that from here on out. :-)

>233 charl08: Ha! We know that one, Charlotte. We try to be tourists in Chicago, and are very good on the theater front. But it takes visitors to get us to some of the good stuff.

Wish we could've seen you here. Bookstore heaven, as far as we're concerned.

>234 kidzdoc: Yes, the O'Keeffe exhibit was great. I often annoy Debbi by not getting the audio, and asking her questions about what she's hearing (!), but this time I got it, and heartily recommend it when you and Claire's sister go.

See you very soon!

>235 laytonwoman3rd: Ha! It's true, Linda. We'd have to be heavily sedated not to have a wonderful time with all the grand stuff on the agenda. Looking forward to our LT meetups today, coffee, lunch and bookstore. Branagh was impressive.

>237 mirrordrum: Ha! Thanks, Ellie. We're happy campers. Looks on FB like you've had a bit of a swell time y'self with your friend visiting.

Ah, gotta run. Have fun, and I'll catch up some more later today.

>242 jnwelch: "I often annoy Debbi by not getting the audio, and asking her questions about what she's hearing (!)." that's such a young-pup-but-been-married-a-good-while thing. marvelous. i'm so pleased you're having fun and that Branagh was a success. naturally i got nosy. found this bit about the dancing but not about how much he had to work on that part. posted you the brief, very brief, cinematic trailer on FB. what a stunner.

GUARDIAN: "You’re playing music-hall performer Archie Rice in a revival of John Osborne’s The Entertainer. Can you talk through the look for your character (seen, below, for the first time)?

BRANAGH: The play is being directed by Rob Ashford, with whom I’ve now collaborated three times, and he comes from a choreographic background. He wanted me to very much concentrate on Archie as a hoofer, not to feel that he was someone who regarded himself as being on the skids. The problem for Archie is not, in Rob’s view, so much that he is troubled about the possibility that his career and talent are second-rate, but he is terrified that his soul might be. What Rob wanted to see was a sort of theatrical grafter, a hoofer, so we maybe see more of the sacrifices Archie has to go through in order just to get on – or even be as good as he hopes will keep an audience’s attention. I think there may be just a little more dancing, more of that backstage graft and a sense of the sweat on the guy than people may be expecting."

the entire Guardian article if it matters. may not as you've seen it.

>242 jnwelch: "We try to be tourists in Chicago, and are very good on the theater front. But it takes visitors to get us to some of the good stuff." Same for us, in Seattle.

"Bookstore heaven, as far as we're concerned." See, this is one of the many reasons I need to spend some time in London. I've been to the V & A, and I've had a fabulous curry as well as a wonderful scone with Devonshire cream -- all in London. But I need to spend more time there. Full stop.

If I missed your post, please let me know!

We had a great meetup yesterday. Darryl may be posting photos, or friend me on FB.

>238 LovingLit: Hi, Megan. You would've enjoyed yesterday's meetup at Café Also in Golders Green. Paul Cranswick was talking about meeting you in NZ.

Yeah, that alternative title would definitely work. I better not let Madame MBH see that cover in >100 jnwelch:; it may give her ideas. That woman is packing, isn't she?

We may go back to the Tate Modern - that huge Georgia O'Keeffe exhibit took a long time, and we'd like to poke around a bit more if we get a chance. We go every year, but we still like re-visiting.

Morning, Joe!

Hi, Joe! Looking forward to having you share a photo or 2, those LT Kings, in all their glory. I have seen it and it is a thing to behold.

Keep having a wonderful time, my friend!!

>239 banjo123: Thanks, Rhonda. It's a wonderful trip we be having. Today's a lazy day, except we're meeting Bianca (drachenbraut23) for lunch at a Japanese restaurant called Tenshi. It's in Islington, so we'll be able to walk over.

>245 mirrordrum: "How may I annoy you? Let me count the ways." Actually, the number keeps going up, but Madame MBH and I have made it through 33 years of marriage, so she's built up some tolerance. I test it on a regular basis, but it seems well-constructed.

Thank you so much for posting that trailer. Branagh's dancing was surprisingly good, and his singing . . . fit the part. :-) Actually, it was fine, but his dancing and Music Hall overacting were even better.

That Guardian article excerpt is spot on, and I'll go back and read the rest. Thanks for the link.

>246 EBT1002: Exactly, Ellen. It's such a great town for book readers. Besides the galomphus number of great bookstores (we still haven't been to all that have been recommended!) there are wonderful literary walking tours. A bunch in town, and then it's easy to train out to others. You might remember we went on that Jane Austen tour in Hampshire last year. Not to mention all the exceptional theater here. And the food situation, which was mediocre at best years ago, has improved dramatically. Lots of topnotch restaurants - everyone loved the food at Café Also yesterday, for ex.

>248 scaifea: I'm probably going to have to fix the numbering. Something's awry. Afternoon, Amber! We be six hours ahead of you, you early bird.

>249 msf59: Good morning, Mark! Yes, you got to see a bunch of photos of the meetup on Facebook. Café patrons may want to travel over to Darryl's thread. I'm guessing he's posting on LT. I've got my Surface Pro 4 (not my work PC) and, as with the IPad, I haven't figured out how to transfer photos from Facebook to LT. So, as in the past, I'll probably end up posting some here when we get back.

You would've loved the meetup. Paul C. and Hani still plan to get to Chicago at some point, and are eager to meet you. No surprise, I left Joseph's Bookstore (great name, right?) with two poetry recommendations from Paul - Tyrannnosaurus Rex versus The Corduroy Kid by Simon Armitage, and The Lost Leader by Mick Imlah. I also snagged Mr. Pip on the recommendation of Paul C. and Paul Harris (Polaris), and The Secret River by Kate Grenville.

Leaving soon for lunch with Bianca! Catch up with you all later.

^Is this the Holy Trinity or what?

>253 msf59: OMG! Is that an awesome picture or what?!

>253 msf59: *like*

All caught up here, Joe! Sounds like you are having a fabulous time. Alas, I do not Facebook, so I will have to await further postings here. Hoping that you manage to soak up every moment, my friend!

>253 msf59: Excellent!

>253 msf59: Thank you, Mark! Wish we'd had you there, buddy. This is at the St. Pancras train station.

>254 Carmenere: It was so great to finally meet Paul and Hani and, as always, to spend time with our pal Darryl.

>255 drneutron: :-)

>256 Crazymamie: It's full of fabulous, Mamie. :-) Maybe we'll have some more guest photo posters, or I'll figure out how to get a photo or two over here before our return.

>257 laytonwoman3rd: Mark's not only a most excellent warbler, Linda, but a most helpful fellow, too.

Too bad we're not yet in the age of RL teleporters, so we could all meet up at St. Pancras or the venue of our choice.

Good morning, Joe! It looks like the trip to London is going smashingly (is that a word?)!

>253 msf59: Great pic!

Boys will always be boys:

>260 kidzdoc:. I really need to work on my gangsta look, Darryl. You're rocking it, but I look like I may've joined you from the Flitterbee Cheesetoasts. Perhaps a ballet gang?

Thank you for posting this! What a wonderful time that was.

>259 brodiew2:. Hiya, Brodie. Smashingly sure is a word in my universe. We're having a blast. Hope all is well in your part of the world.

>261 jnwelch: >260 kidzdoc: yeah, mate, you've got to work on the cheery image a whole lot.

so glad all continues to go swimmingly. have fun and be safe on the road.

>261 jnwelch: "...I look like I may've joined you from the Flitterbee Cheesetoasts." LOL! Um, yes, Joe, you need to work on that fierce look. I'm just not intimidated.

The meet-up sounds delightful. Keep enjoying London so we can all live vicariously!

You all look as if you've swollen the fattest mouse in the yard! (that is if you were kitty cats, sort of like the Cheshire Cat in Alice)

>251 jnwelch: ooooh, Mr. Pip, that was a riveting story.

Sounds as though you're having a ball in Blighty.

(Def. of Blighty) an informal and affectionate name for England, coined by soldiers from WWI and WWII. My niece is always sending us "greetings from Blighty" and since she was never a soldier and too young for either war, I assume that it's in common use today.

Great times you are having.

>263 mirrordrum: My cheers cup runneth over, Ellie. Very hard to get curmudgeonly right now.

We just need to be safe walkers here. We don't drive here or in other side of the road countries. I'd get us stuck in a roundabout, and like "Charlie on the MTA" we'd never return. We are careful walking, as you've heard the stories of Americans looking the wrong way and crossing - a friend lost his mother that way.

>264 EBT1002: I know, Ellen. It's hard to look fierce and intimidating while having a blast. :-)

I don't know where that "Flitterbee Cheesetoasts" came from, but I bet Wallace and Gromit would be comfortable in that gang.

'Twas a delightful meetup. Wonderful to spend more time with Bianca (drachenbraut23) yesterday. We had a long lunch at Tenshi. (Delicious bento box, too). Today's agenda includes one of our favorite bookstores, Foyles, some time at Trafalgar Square, and No Man's Land with Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart. Yes!

Wow, the rarely sighted double post. Anyone quick enough to catch it?

>265 maggie1944: Ha! Oh, I like that one, Karen. There is some Cheshire Cat in there, for sure. "We're all mad here." :-)

>266 NarratorLady: Bugger all, mate, it's been brilliant in Blighty, not a damp squib to be found.

I'll try "Blighty" on a few natives and see whether they embrace it or throw something at me, Anne.

Very happy to hear your endorsement of Mr. Pip; that was a bit of a flier for me.

>267 avatiakh: We are Kerry. Maybe some day we'll have a chance to see you?

BTW, both A Great Reckoning and Gods of Gotham were excellent.

I was bothered a bit in the former by an unlikely coincidence's importance as a clue, but it's the characters and her writing and Three Pines that drive these stories, so that's not that big a deal. GOG was better than I expected, and was interesting and convincing in its depiction of 1845 NYC. I'll be reading the next one.

Good morning, Joe!

>268 jnwelch: 'I'd get us stuck in a roundabout, and like "Charlie on the MTA" we'd never return.' Thank you for the Kingston Trio reference, Joe. It made my day.

>270 jnwelch: I'm also glad to hear that you enjoyed Gods of Gotham. I look forward to you review.

Loving your travel postings Joe.

You all look like you are having an amazing time. Keep it up!

>271 brodiew2: Good morning, Brodie!

Glad you liked the "Charlie on the MTA" reference. Our dad (who played ukulele and banjo, and still plays harmonica) used to lead us all in song, and Charlie on the MTA was a staple. :-)

Yes, Gods of Gotham was quite good. Have you read any more Timothy Wilde books?

>272 luvamystery65: Thanks, Roberta. More to come! We had an amazing time at the Patrick Stewart/Ian McKellen play No Man's Land. Their acting was phenomenal. (They're pals, I mean mates, in RL, and obviously were having a great time together). The Pinter play was challenging to figure out, to say the least. I hope to do a little research on it today to help sort it out.

Madame MBH was in heaven. She's had a thing for Patrick Stewart for years. Thank goodness he didn't spot her in the audience. Although apparently both he and Madame MBH are happily married.

>273 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. We'll exert our utmost efforts to continue to have an amazing time. Breakfast out and wandering on the South Bank of the Thames is on the agenda today, including the South Bank book market.

>274 EBT1002: Yes! Love Wallace and Gromit. Thanks, Ellen. :-) They look like naturals for the Flitterbee Cheesetoasts.

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

>275 jnwelch: So funny about MBH and Patrick Stewart. When I was way younger and my Dad and I were on an outs, I would tell my mom why did she pick him for my dad and so she dubbed Jean Luc Piccard as my father. I guess that would make Debb my step mother! A very young step mother. ;-)

>277 luvamystery65:. I think that's a family Debbi would be happy to put together, Roberta, especially having had a chance to meet you in Houston. Of course, it's my job to keep her distracted from that good-looking bloke, and I've got my phaser ready and set on stun just in case.

I will say she's very understanding about my hoping to take Helen Mirren out on a date some day.