Mamie's 2016 Madness (Page 24)

Continuing my list of favorite things...brown paper packages tied up with string, tidings of comfort and joy, silent nights...

......

....

snail's pace

Books Completed in December:
119. Murder in Belleville by Cara Black (3 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, crime fiction/detective
120. Bright Dead Things by Ada Limón (5 stars), library paperback, poetry - recommended by Ellen and Mark
121. A Murder of Quality by John Le Carré (3.5 stars), audiobook narrated by Michael Jayston, crime fiction/mystery
122. The Man With the Golden Gun by Ian Fleming (3.5 stars), audiobook narrated by Kenneth Branagh, crime fiction/espionage
123. For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond by Ben Macintyre (4 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, non-fiction
124. The Magician's Nephew by C. S. Lewis (3.5 stars), audiobook narrated by Kenneth Branagh, YA/fantasy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Books Completed in September:
96. The Noise of Time by Julian Barnes (4.5 stars), 2016 acquired hardback, biographical fiction - recommended by Suz
97. Everybody Behaves Badly: The true Story Behind Hemingway's Masterpiece The Sun Also Rises by Lesley M. M. Blume (4.25 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, non-fiction
98. What Angels Fear by C. S. Harris (4 stars), 2010 acquired ebook, murder mystery - series recommended by Lucy
99. Junkyard Dogs by Craig Johnson (4 stars), 2013 acquired ebook, murder mystery/police procedural
100. Hell is Empty by Craig Johnson (4.25 stars), 2013 acquired ebook, murder mystery/police procedural
101. The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara (5 stars), 2015 acquired ebook/audiobook, historical fiction, Pulitzer Prize winner - recommended by Mark and Brodie
102. A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee (4.5 stars), 2016 acquired audiobook, historical mystery/police procedural - recommended by Susan

Books Completed in October:
103. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (5 stars), library ebook, historical fiction/slavery - Katie's Dirty Dozen
104. Dark Matter by Blake Couch (4.5 stars), Jim's ER paperback - Thanks Jim! science fiction/suspense - recommended by Joe
105. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway (reread, but rating it higher this time - 4 stars), library paperback, literary fiction
106. Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson (4 stars), 2012 acquired ebook, non-fiction/Galveston hurricane of 1900 - recommnded by Kathleen
107. Brandon Sanderson's White Sand by Brandon Sanderson, borrowed hardback, GN/fantasy - Birdy wanted me to read this one
108. Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson (4.5 stars), 2013 acquired ebook, literary fiction that contains murder/private detective (to spare Ms Atkinson's feelings in regards to labeling her books as crime fiction), the final Jackson Brodie book *sob*
109. In Other Words by Jhumpa Lahiri (3.5 stars), library ebook, memoir - learning language
110. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R. A. Dick (4 stars), 2016 acquired paperback, literary fiction/books made into movies
111. The Woman in Blue by Elly Grifffiths (4 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, crime fiction/police procedural
112. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury (reread), 2014 acquired hardback, Bradbury fiction (I think he is his own genre)
------Divorce Horse by Craig Johnson (4 stars), 2013 acquired ebook short story, crime fiction/police procedural
113. As The Crow Flies by Craig Johnson (4.25 stars), 2013 acquired ebook, crime fiction/police procedural

Books Completed in November:
114. A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers (4.5 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, sf/space opera
115. The Mammy by Brendan O'Carroll (4 stars), library paperback, Irish fiction/family/humor - recommended by Nancy
116. You Only Live Twice by Ian Fleming (3.5 stars), audiobook, espionage
117. When Gods Die by C. S. Harris (4 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, historical mystery - series recommended by Lucy
118. Pigeon Tunnel by John LeCarré (4.5 stars), audiobook, non-fiction/memoir

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

1. Kamchatka by Marcelo Figueras
2. Destiny of the Republic by Candace Millard
3. The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez - seconded by Charlotte and Susan
4. In the Walled City by Stewart O'Nan COMPLETED 8/12/16 3.8 stars
5. My Reading Life by Pat Conroy - she recommended the audio, and don't speed it up
6. Nobody's Fool by Richard Russo COMPLETED 7/21/16 5 stars
7. Ruby by Cynthia Bond - seconded by Charlotte
8. Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming - she recommends the audio read by Cummings himself
9. Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan
10. Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye - Roberta also loved this, Katie says the audio is great, purchased 5/15/16
11. The Jaguar's Children by John Vaillant
12. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi COMPLETED 10/2/16 5 stars
13. Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat - she pointed out that this was only $1.99 on Kindle and that it was one of her very favorites, purchased 7/13/16
14. Tribal: College Football and the Secret Heart of America by Diane Roberts
15. Manhood for Amateurs by Michael Chabon
16. Nutshell by Ian McEwan
17. Black River by S. M. Hulse

AND, from 2015:

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

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

1. The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers - recommended by Heather (saw this as I was catching up with her 2015 thread) COMPLETED 1/15/16
2. Slade House by David Mitchell - recommended by Lynda - I know that Mark and several others loved this one, too, but it was Lynda's succinct review that places it firmly on the WL
3. Chinese Takeout Cookbook by Diana Kuan - recommended by Lori (thornton37814) - saw it listed as her favorite cookbook read of 2015
4. Revenant by Mel Odom - recommended by Mark, who came to my thread to deliver the book bullet!
5. Winterdance by Gary Paulsen - recommended by Ellen and Karen COMPLETED
6. Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts - Lucy mentioned that she loved this on her thread, and I looked it up because I was unfamiliar with it. Note to self: DO NOT look up books mentioned on Lucy's thread!
7. The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra - saw Amy's review of this on her thread
8. I Am Spain by David Boyd - recommended by Charlotte
9. The Mirror in the Mist by Susan Hill - saw Lori's (lkernaugh) review of this on her thread
10. The Prestige by Christopher Priest - recommended by Mary (bell7)
11. The Electric Michelangelo by Sarah Hall - recommended by Charlotte - saw her review on her thread
12. The Fade Out by Ed Brubaker - Joe mentioned this one on the GN thread, and it sounds right up my alley COMPLETED 1/15/16
13. The Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason - Faith reviewed the second book in this series on her thread
14. Names for the Sea by Sarah Moss - read Rhian's review on her thread
15. Amsterdam by Ian McEwan - again, Lynda got me with her succinct review on her thread - how DOES she do that?!
16. The Men Who Lost America by Andrew Jackson O"Shaughnessy - read the review on Reba's thread
17. Wartime: Stories From Ukraine by Tim Judah - read about this one on Charlotte's thread, part of her posted Guardian reviews. LOVE those!
18. The Man in the Picture by Susan Hill - recommended by Charlotte on her thread
19. King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild - Suz mentioned this one to Charlotte on the non-fiction challenge thread COMPLETED
20. Everything is Broken by Emma Larkin - recommended by Erik on my thread when we were discussing books on Burma
21. The Rebel of Rangoon by Delphine Schrank - Charlotte recommended this to me on my thread when we were discussing books on Burma
22. Unwind by Neal Shusterman - Mary (bell7) was talking about a follow-up collection of short stories to this series, and peaked my curiosity about the series itself
23. A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain by Robert Olen Butler - read Megan's review of this on her thread - I love interconnected short stories COMPLETED
24. Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson - I read Julia's excellent review on her thread
25. How It All Began by Penelope Lively - read Nancy's review on her thread
26. The Storyteller by Mario Vargas Llosa - read Lori's (lkernagh) review of it on her thread
27. TransAtlantic by Colum McCaan - Charlotte and Katie talked me into this! And Marianne approves.
28. Willoughbyland by Matthew Parker - read Carrie's review on her thread
29. The Quiet American by Graham Greene - read Bill's review on his thread
30. Coast to Coast by Jan Morris - read Paul's review on his thread
31. After Hannibal by Barry Unsworth - read Ursula's review on her thread
32. Fear Stalks the Village by Ethel Lina White - read Heather's review on her thread
33. The Wheel Spins by Ethel Lina White - also Heather's fault!
34. Young Stalin by Simon Sebag Montefiore - recommended by Megan (evilmoose)
35. Mademoiselle Chanel by Pierre Galante - read Judy's review on her thread
36. Romantic Outlaws by Charlotte Gordon - read Suz's review on her thread
37. Crow Lake by Mary Lawson - read Nancy's review on her thread
38. 16055966::War of Two by John Sedgwick - recommended by Reba
39. The Old Ways by David Dalglish - recommended by Charlotte
40. The Nest by Kenneth Oppel - recommended by Anne
41. The Noise of Time by Julian barnes - was included in Charlotte's Guardian reviews, and then Suz reviewed it which is what sold me COMPLETED 9/3/16
42. Countdown by Deborah Wiles - Judy hit me with this 60s Trilogy with her review of Revolution
43. Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal - recommended by Marianne, interconnected short stories - Beth and Susan also liked this
44. The Library at Night by Alberta Manguel - recommended by Carrie
45. Fifteen Dogs by André Alexis - recommended by Rhian
46. Tokyo Decadence by Ryu Murakami - recommended by Joe
47. American Housewife by Helen Ellis - recommended by Joanne
48. Trespass by Rose Tremain - recommended by Nancy
49. The Book of Sands: A Novel of the Arab Uprising by Karim Alwari - recommended by Deborah
50. A Madness of Angels by Kate Griffin - recommended by Mary

LT recommendations continued...

51. The Girl With All the Gifts by M. R. Carey - because Mark said so!
52. That's Not English by Erin Moore - recommended by Susan
53. In the Country: Stories by Mia Alver - recommended by Mark
55. A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin - Mark again
56. 14994800:: The Wars of the Roses by Dan Jones - recommended by Suz
57. Saints and Boxers by Gene Luen Lang - recommended by Carrie (read them together)
58. The Good Wife by Stewart O'Nan - recommended by Jenn COMPLETED 8/3/16
59. Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift - recommended by Suz, Ellen also loved this
60. When Books Went to War by Molly Guptill Manning - recommended by Amy
51. The Girl With All the Gifts by M. R. Carey - because Mark said so!
52. That's Not English by Erin Moore - recommended by Susan
53. In the Country: Stories by Mia Alver - recommended by Mark
55. A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin - Mark again
56. 14994800:: The Wars of the Roses by Dan Jones - recommended by Suz
57. Saints and Boxers by Gene Luen Lang - recommended by Carrie (read them together)
58. The Good Wife by Stewart O'Nan - recommended by Jenn COMPLETED 8/3/16
59. Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift - recommended by Suz, Ellen also loved this
60. When Books Went to War by Molly Guptill Manning - recommended by Amy
61. Exposure by Helen Dunmore - recommended by Charlotte
62. Reading Chekhov by Janet Malcolm - recommended by Charlotte
63. Ways to Disappear by Idra Novey - recommended by Beth
64. The Widow by Fiona Barton - recommended by Diane
65. Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo - recommended by Reba (over on Katie's thread)
66. Super Mutant by Jillian Tamaki - GN - Mark and Joe's fault!
66. The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice - recommended by Charlotte
67. The Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell - recommended by Susan
68. My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem - recommended by Beth
69. The Shepherd's Life by James Rebanks - recommended by Rhian
70. Dodgers by Bill Beverly - recommended by Ellen and Mark
71. The Art Forger by B. A. Shapiro - recommended by Mark
72. Zero World by Jason M. Hough - recommended by Jim COMPLETED
73. Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie - recommended by Susan (and Carrie recommended it to her)
74. Without: Poems by Donald Hall - recommended by Ellen, who read it because of the poem that Katie had posted - poetry collection
75. City of Secrets by Stewart O'Nan - Ellen mentioned this on her thread as getting great reviews
76. River Thieves by Michael Crummey - Judy mentioned that she loved this one (on Ellen's thread)
77. The Improbability of Love by Hannah Rothschild - Beth's review on her thread
78. Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine - read Julia's review on her thread
79. Georgiana by Amanda Foreman - read Anne's review on her thread
80. Pleasantville by Attica Locke - read Charlotte's review on her thread
81. Locally Laid by Lucie Amundsen - Janet's review on her thread - I can't believe that she actually got me with this one, but there you have it!
82. Johannes Cabal the Necromancer by Jonathan Howard - Jim said to just read it, already COMPLETED
83. Black Water Rising by Attica Locke - recommended by Susan, Pleasantville is the next book in the series
84. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys - recommended by Mark, who said the audio was good, too. Joe also liked this one. Also Mary
85. Last Night in Montreal by Emily St. John Mandel - read Beth's review on her thread
86. Body Politic by Paul Johnston - read Charlotte's review on her thread, she said Suz recommended it
87. All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews - read Anne's review on her thread, she said Beth had recommended it - Anne loved the audio narrated by Erin Moon
88. The Private Lives of the Tudors by Tracy Borman - Susan loved this one!
89. Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley - recommended by Joe and Brodie and Ellie COMPLETED
90. Spain in Our Hearts by Adam Hochschild - read Beth's excellent review on her thread
91. Underground Airlines by Ben Winers - recommended by Mark
92. Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave - recommended by Joe
93. Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel - recommended by Diane
94. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch - recommended by Joe COMPLETED
95. The Paper Menagerie by ken Liu - recommended by Mark
96. Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien - read Charlotte's excellent review on her thread
97. Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi - Charlotte says this might be her favorite Oyeyemi
98. What Angels Fear by C. S. Harris - I have had this on Kindle since 2010 (pre-LT!), but giving Lucy credit because her raving about the series is what got me to check out the series on Amazon, which reminded me that I had purchased the title! COMPLETED
99. The Bellini Card by Jason Goodwin - this is the third in the series, waiting to see if Lucy says to read them in order. Lucy says, "Absolutely read those Jason Goodwin's in order-- start with the first one! (The Janissary Tree) What makes these so good is that the fellow is a serious historian -- he really knows Istanbul/Constantinople/Byzantium well." So there you have it!
100. How to be Both by Ali Smith - loved Lucy's review of this!

LT recommendations continued...

101. Thicker Than Water: History, Secrets and Guilt: A Memoir by Cal Flyn - read Susan's excellent review
102. A Slanting of the Sun by Donal Ryan - read Charlotte's review on her thread, and also I loved The Spinning Heart
103. The Scribe by Matthew Guinn - read Jim's review on his thread - set in 1880s Georgia, he said "...and if you liked Gods of Gotham, this one will give a similar thrill."
104. Shultz by David Michaellis - recommended by Donna, NOT the audio, she says
105. Grief is the Thing With Feathers by Max Porter - read Mark's review on his thread
106. Here Comes the Sun by Nicole Dennis-Benn - read Beth's review on her thread
107. The Drowned World by J. G. Ballard - read Ursula's review on her thread
108. Britain AD: A Quest for Arthur, England and the Anglo-Saxons by Francis Pryor - read Meg's review on her thread
109. The Wrong Kind of Blood by Declan Hughes - read Judy's review on her thread
110. A Touch of Stardust by Kate Alcott - Judy. Again.
111. A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee - read Susan's review on her thread COMPLETED
112. An Irish Country Doctor by Patrick taylor - Deborah's comments on her thread made it sound like it might be just the thing for when I am wanting a quieter read
113. A Man Lies Dreaming by Lavie Tidhar - read Charlotte's review, plus she said, "I was reminded of his (Phillip Kerr's) Bernie Gunther series - that same murky quality from Chandler moved to a German context."
114. The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry - recommended by Susan, who read Rhian's review
115. The Miss Tutti Frutti Contest by Graeme Lay - read Jenn's review on her thread
116. The Poet's Dog by Patricia MacLachlan - Joe said I would like this one
117. Way Station by Clifford D. Simak - recommended by Joe, who mentioned that it was Roni's favorite by this author
118. Blood, Tears and Folly: An Objective Look at World War II by Len Deighton - read Meg's review on her thread, she said the coverage of the Far East is not as good as the rest
119. The Burma Road by Donovan Webster - suggested by Paul on Meg's thread
120. Burma: The Longest War by Louis Allen - Paul on Meg's thread again
121. The Mammy by Brendan O'Carroll - read Nancy's review of The Granny, which is the last book in this trilogy, on her thread COMPLETED
122. The Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett - series was recommended by Lucy on her thread
123. Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - read Judy's review on her thread
124. Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure by Matthew Algeo - Judy again
125. Bright Dead Things: Poems by Ada Limon - read Ellen's review on her thread COMPLETED 12/10/16
126. An American Childhood by Annie Dillard - recommended by Mark
127. Running in the Family by Michael Ondaatje - Charlotte mentioned this memoir on Mark's thread about the author's childhood in Sri Lanke
128. A Spy Among Friends by Ben Macintyre - recommended by Mark, sho says this is great on audio and would fit perfectly with The Pigeon Tunnel
129. Helmet for my Pillow by Robert Leckie - read Judy's review on her thread
130. To the Letter: A Celebration of the Lost Art of Letter Writing by Simon Garfield - read Susan's review on her thread
131. Create Dangerously by Edwidge Danticat - read Joe's review on his thread

What would the holiday season be without a little Mayhem?

And some Mercy.

This should do it - next one's yours!

Morning Mamie! Happy New Thread! Sweet Thursday! That should cover it...oh yeah- Love the joyful topper.

>11 Crazymamie: Aw! Keep them coming please!

Happy new thread. The Orwell's Nose book is quite tempting.

>14 msf59: Morning, Mark! Sweet Thursday! SO glad you love the topper. You were first, so here is your prize:

>15 charl08: Thank you, Charlotte! I will try to get some new photos for you today - Mayhem has really grown. He's long and lean, and oh, so handsome!

*I think I have to get the Orwell's Nose book. I mean, really, how could I not?!

Happy new thread, Mamie!

Thanks, Amber!

>16 Crazymamie: Thanks for the beer, Mamie! Where do I start? Front row, back row? Oh, these weighty, decisions...

*grin*

I love the grumpy cat image :)

Happy new one!

Happy New Thread, Mamie! And Sweet Thursday!

Ha! Love the joy in >1 Crazymamie:. 'Tis the season.

I'm sure Mark's going to need help with >16 Crazymamie:, and I'm volunteering.

Ha! Grandma getting run over by a reindeer is kinda my dream, Katie. *blinks* And thank you.

>23 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe! Sweet Thursday to you! Me, too with the joy, and also over something smaller, not a big ticket item. LOVE that. You are so very generous to volunteer to help Mark out - I expected nothing less from you.

>23 jnwelch: I reckon on being charitable enough to also pitch in and help Mark out with a bottle or four.

Happy new thread, Mamie. xx

And another volunteer - this group is just so thoughtful!! Thank you, Paul!

Happy new thread, Mamie! Think Mark would mind if I swiped a bottle of his prize.

Ooops, Oh my goodness, I see others are helping him out as well. Well, tis the season :0)

Thanks, Lynda! I am sure Mark would love to share with you. I guess I had better set out some more - this is a thirsty crowd!

Happy new thread, Mamie! Grumpy Cat is always a classic :-)

Thank you, Susan! I though of you when I found that Grumpy Cat.

Naming the kitten is definitely a bad sign. You might be in an irretrievable downward slide towards Mad-cat-lady status.

That's pretty much what I was thinking, Jenny. I'm still hopeful someone will take her - she's so sweet.

Happy new thread, Mamie. Looks like you'll have a lot of mischief and mayhem in your holidays, you'll be crying for mercy--do I denote a trend here?

What about the canine chorus?

>34 ronincats: Thanks, Roni! Your post made me laugh! Let's hope it's not a trend - the Pecan Paradisio is full up.

>35 Morphidae: Well, we have a canine circus - Barnum and Bailey and Bella, the clown.

Happy new one, Mamie.

Happy new thread, Mamie. Looks like it is a particularly happy one for Mark and all his helpful volunteers!

^^Hey, save some of those beers for me! I earned a few!!

>37 BLBera: Thank you, Beth!

>38 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg! Mark didn't know he was such a generous guy, Heh.

>39 msf59: Oh, hi, Mark. Did you want to get to drink one or two of your own beers? Let's get you another round:

>36 Crazymamie: I meant I wanna see a pic! Pics or it didn't happen. ;)

Happy new thread! I'm lucky I caught it! Somehow it became un-starred.

>40 Crazymamie: Now, you're talkin'...Plenty for everyone!

Hi Mamie, happy new thread! It's the festive season already - boy, this year has certainly flown by.

Good morning, Mamie! Happy Friday!

I don't think I've ever had a breakfast beer, but today will be the exception. I know Mark needs the help. (This is all altruistic, as I'm sure you can tell).

Hallo, Mamie! Happy New Thread, December, and Byramid!

>Ballast Point made the cut (bottom far right)! Have you tried it? Is it worth the price?

Happy New Thread, Mamie! And happy Saturday!

Happy Saturday, Mamie.

Hiya, Mamie! Hope you're having a good weekend amidst the furry beasts.

Happy new thread and happy December, Mamie! I too enjoy brown paper packages tied up with string, both giving and getting them ;)

Hope all is well with you & yours.

Wishing all at the Pecan Paradisio a wonderful weekend - where are your lovely daughters these days by the way, Mamie?

Happy Sunday, Mamie!

Happy Sunday!

Back from my dental cleaning, and I am happy to report that I am good to go for another six months. Such a relief! Sorry I haven't been around much, but things are very busy these days at the Pecan Paradisio. All is well, it's just...busy. A good busy, but still I will be happy for any slowing down that occurs as long as it doesn't involve my computer.

On the reading front, I finished my first book for December:



Book #119: Murder in Belleville by Cara Black - this is the second in Black's Aimeé Leduc series. Leduc is a private investigator whose partner is a computer whiz. Set in France, these books are fun and trippy - they move along at a nice gait, but things tend to get convoluted along the way. Not quite a cozy mystery but also not as graphic as Scandicrime. I like the setting and the characters and the pacing. So, if you don't mind a plot that veers out of control at times, these might be for you. The second one is not as good as the first, but I am hopeful the next one will be better. You really need to start at the beginning with these because the back story evolves, and the author does not hold your hand along the way.

>41 Morphidae: OIC. I'll see what I can do.

>42 The_Hibernator: Thanks, Rachel! Oh, dear to the unstarring - so glad you saw me.

>43 msf59: Oh, good, Mark. I didn't want you to go thirsty.

>44 DeltaQueen50: Thank you, Judy! So true about the year flying by - I feel like the older I get, the faster it goes. I am in a slight panic about Christmas because there is still much to be done, and I am running out of days to do it in. Today is Craig's birthday, but he wants to celebrate it on Wednesday instead because he is off that day, so first we have to get through that.

>45 jnwelch: Hey there, Joe! What a friend you are - helping out Mark without him even having to ask!

>46 brodiew2: Hello, Brodie! And thank you! I have not tried Ballast Point, so if you do, let me know.

>47 cbl_tn: Thanks, Carrie!

>48 BLBera: Thank you, Beth!

>54 Crazymamie: I know of what you speak, Mamie! Busy, busy busy and I look forward to December 26th when I can eat leftovers stay in my jammies and read books, books, books bla ha ha ha ha!

>49 jnwelch: Joe, it was good but crazy. Too many work schedules to try to keep track of - there is constant coming and going here at the moment. And lots of critters!

>50 bell7: Thank you, Mary! Lovely to see you here. I love the tying up of the brown paper packages - my favorite part is the bling on the outside. All is well here - hoping it is at your place, too.

>51 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! The girls are working these days - Rae at Craig's office and Abby as a barista at a coffee shop.

>52 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda!

>53 nittnut: Thank you, Jenn!

>57 Carmenere: Hello, Lynda! That sounds like an awesome plan - I aspire to it!!

Hi, Mamie! Glad to hear you had a good weekend. I want to thank you and hug you, for putting Pigeon Tunnel on my radar. I thoroughly loved it and you were correct: It was a perfect audio. Le Carre a fantastic job. He is a natural and what great stories. I especially enjoyed the Hollywood ones. I will draw up a mini-review soon, so the warbling can continue.

Hi, Mark! I am so happy that The Pigeon Tunnel was a hit for you - I knew it would be. Not every author is great narrating their own stuff, but he does such a fabulous job. It was a nice mix of memories, wasn't it?

Just checking in, my friend! Glad you made it through Monday. It's all gravy from here....

>61 Crazymamie: I am not sure anyone could have told these stories better. He even did other voices! And they were perfect! He definitely got me pumped to start reading his work again, especially all the later stuff, which I failed to read.

I hope things will begin to calm down a bit for you, although with the run-up to Christmas, it doesn't seem likely! I found myself wondering yesterday quite why we do it to ourselves, all this time, energy and money poured in to a day that I mostly spend feeling quietly exhausted and half looking forward to it all being over. There are certain highlights, but sometimes I think I'd be happier just having a designated 'catch up with a few people' day, and unexpected gifts given throughout the year instead.

>62 katiekrug: Thanks for checking in, Katie! The rest of the week is looking good now that Monday is out of the way. And the tree is up and the stockings are hung by the chimney with care...

>63 msf59: I totally agree, Mark. He was just so fabulous. I have all the George Smiley books, so I went straight to them when I finished with the memoir. I am currently listening to A Murder of Quality.

>64 lunacat: Thank you, Jenny. You make a good point. I do actually love the thought process of determining gifts and the entire process of stuffing the stockings - those are my favorite Christmas thing. Craig wraps most of the gifts, and I do the bows, which is fun. The part I don't enjoy so much is the crowds and traffic involved in getting what is wanted and needed for the holiday. I do a lot of online shopping these days. When it is all said and done, though, getting to sit down in that room where the stockings are hanging expectantly and the tree is lit in all its glory feels a bit like magic to me.

>65 Crazymamie: - So I don't need to quietly leave this here?

HA! No, leave it, please. I LOVE it! Abby is off today, and Rae is working all day, so I don't have to chauffeur anyone anywhere - so lovely!! I'm really hoping to have all the Christmas shopping done by the end of this week. We'll see...

I feel you on the holiday season. I love Christmas lights, Christmas carols, wrapping presents ... but I can't do holiday crowds for shopping. Once years ago I entered a mall to shop, took two steps in, said "nopenopenopenope", turned around and walked out. I haven't been back since.

(Of course, in the subsequent years we didn't have money for gifts and this year we live in a small town where there's nowhere to shop, so....)

But the parts of Christmas that I love, I really love. Morgan has had to learn to enjoy Christmas carols, or at least grin and bear them.

Yeah, I've done zero Christmas shopping. I warned my family they may just all get gift cards because I have too much going on. And my Christmas gift to myself is, I hope, an organized and mostly unpacked house :)

>68 ursula: That's exactly it, Ursula. I love all the trimmings but not the crowds. And the mall - just no to that. If I have to go there, I park outside the store I want and go in that way, so I don't have to walk the main drag. Luckily for me, our mall has the outside entrance to my favorite store next to the outside entrance to the bookstore, so I usually just walk between the two stores outside.

I am laughing about Morgan and the carols. Last night was Craig's birthday, and although we are celebrating it on Wednesday oer his request, he wanted us to all watch a movie together last night. What did he choose? A Muppet Christmas Carol.

>69 katiekrug: Katie, this is the perfect year for you to take a break on the shopping and just enjoy an intimate holiday with The Wayne. DO IT.

I think I enjoy Christmas Eve the most. It's the potential, and as long as everything is done, you can just chill out, watch the lights and drink wine. Last year, there was a 'slow tv' show on, that was 3 hours POV with a camera attached to a sleigh, of a reindeer drive up in Lapland - hooves crunching on snow, the string of bells, watching them go through the woods - it was so atmospheric and calming.

I love Christmas Eve, too, Jenny. I think that slow tv would be great to have on while reading a book in front of the tree.

>72 Crazymamie: This was the preview they released of it. It was simply delightful. At the moment I am SO behind with Christmas arrangements so I'm not anticipating much time getting to settle in front of the TV, and a lot of time frantically wrapping instead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOI8MEebVkU

Thanks for that, Jenny! I like the sounds and seeing the snow. Definitely relaxing. I think they have to watch that camera angle in regards to the rear endings on the reindeer if the show is three hours long.

Wishing you the best of luck with getting your Christmas managed so you can sit back and soak up the moment, too.

Good morning, Mamie!

I read the first couple of Aimeé Leduc's, and as much as I loved the locale, that was enough. I'm glad you're continuing - I'll look forward to your comments, and see whether I should get back on board.

Morning, Joe! I am continuing because I bought the first fourteen in a Kindle deal. Heh. SO, I will stick it out for now and see if they pick up because I do think they have potential.

Morning Mamie! So glad you were inspired to start the Smiley books. Excellent idea.

Morning, Mark! I had already read the first book, so I jumped in with the second in the series. I have read some of his stand alone books, like The Constant Gardener, but that has been years ago.

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

Morning, Brodie! All is well. It's 76F here today, so I could use a little cold - this does NOT feel like Christmas weather.

Praying for snow, Mamie!

I was just wondering: Do Arctic sommeliers worry about the wine-chill factor? :-P

LOL! Good luck with that, Brodie!

Just stopping by to say hi Mamie!

Hello, Heather! Lovely to see you here!

Hope the Leducs improve Mamie. I had no idea there were so many of them!

Yay for a Muppet movie. Great choice Craig.

Thanks for that, Charlotte - there are actually sixteen in all currently, but I just have the fourteen that were in the Kindle deal. Just. Ha! I crack myself up.

We love that muppet movie - we will watch it again on Christmas morning, as that is a tradition with us. First one up starts the movie.

Muppet Christmas Carol is one of my absolute favorites and I attempt to watch it every Christmas Eve (something about "There's Only One More Sleep 'Til Christmas" only feels right on that exact day).

I have some wrapping to do and some more gifts to buy, but I'm hoping by doing much of it on Monday (I'm working the next two Saturdays anyways) I can avoid the worst of the crowds. I do enjoy the process of choosing just the right gift for my friends & family. I'm knitting a few things for household members as well.

Would you like some snow for the season, Mamie? We would gladly send you ours (well except for the stuff on the mountains, of course.)

Morning, Mamie!

>87 bell7: We used Muppet Christmas Carol to familiarize the kids with Dickens before taking them to an actual production of A Christmas Carol. I think they preferred the version with frogs.

My favorite is 'Scrooge', the musical featuring Albert Finney. The song and spectacle of The Ghost of Christmas Present is amazing!

I watch Love, Actually every Christmas.

Ooh, 76 degrees. Sounds nice to me. It was only 26-28 here today.

Morning, Mamie!

>87 bell7: It's one of my favorites, too, Mary. I am almost finished with the shopping, so now I can focus on wrapping the gifts - every year I aim to get things done early, so I can sit back and soak up the season. Maybe this is my year!

Last night we watched another Christmas favorite of mine - The Family Stone.

>88 Familyhistorian: That would be so great, Meg. I would love it, and it would provide a lot of excitement - you could watch on the news and see that life in Georgia came to a complete halt because they have no idea what to do with snow down here.

>89 scaifea: Hello, Amber!

>90 Oberon: Ha! I also prefer the version with frogs, although I will watch any version as I love that story.

>91 brodiew2: Hey, Brodie! I always love hearing which version is a favorite - there are so many to choose from.

>92 Morphidae: We like that one, too, Morphy.

>93 msf59: No, Mark. It is not nice. It was too hot for December. I want me some cold. *pouts a bit*

>94 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

Good luck getting your shopping finished early! We have Chloe finished but she is the easiest one! Still have family to figure out and shopping for Nathen is a pain!

Thanks, Chelle! I miss shopping for little ones. Craig is also a pain to shop for - if he wants something, he usually just buys it himself. I lucked out this year because he said that really what he wanted was to pick out a new toy tool for his collection - some kind of jigsaw or something. He and Daniel are all excited about picking it out.

Daniel and Mayhem napping. Again.

Good morning, Mamie! Cute pic!

>99 Crazymamie: Ha! Great!

Good morning, Mamie. Sweet Thursday - it's probably a bit sweeter where you are. Very cold, with high winds, in our part of the country.

>100 brodiew2: Morning, Brodie! Thanks!

>101 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! Sweet Thursday! I am guessing you would love the weather here today - bright and sunny and 52F currently. It's supposed to go to 58F. A vast improvement to the 70s we were experiencing. Tomorrow the high is predicted to be 50F. Oh, please let it be so!! *crosses fingers and wishes upon a star*

Okay. So this is Mischief on the day that she was found in a box of kittens that someone left outside of the local Petsmart:



She was the runt of the litter by A LOT, and she had an eye infection and a cold. The local shelter took the other kittens but said they would put her down if they took her, so Dan brought her home for the night, as they had lined up someone to pick her up the next day. Then that someone backed out and no one else wanted her because she was sad looking and had an eye infection, poor little thing. The vet guessed her age to be about four weeks - good thing we still had some of that milk replacement from Mayhem's early days. That was not quite two weeks ago - today is her last day on her eye meds, and she is looking much better, so I will try to post a better picture of her later. The thing is, she has really settled in here at the Pecan Paradisio, and I cannot make her start all over again, not that we had any takers, anyway, but we have decided to keep her. Yes, I have completely lost my mind. But she has finally got her happy on, and I cannot stand the thought of her losing it, SO she stays.

Here she is napping with Bella:

Oh, good for you, Mamie. Mischief is a lucky cat.

Thank you, Joe. We so don't need three cats, but I just can't not keep her. And she is really sweet.

>103 Crazymamie: Well, I could see that one coming a mile off, Mamie! ;-) I'll bet Mayhem loves having a little sister. Is Mercy doing the mommy bit with her? I mean, it's not like you don't have the room there, right? If Mayhem is Rae's, who is Mischief bonding to?

>106 susanj67: - LOL! That's so perfect, Susan.

>106 susanj67: I know, right, Susan?! I'm too soft. *makes note to harden heart*

>107 ronincats: You are a wiser woman than I, Roni. Mayhem LOVES her, Mercy looked at us like, Really, another one? But she barely batted an eye other than that, and the dogs adore her. She is really quiet and unassuming, unlike Mayhem, who is pretty much like a rocket shot off indoors. And yes, we do have the room and the budget for her. I really thought that I was the one doing most of the bonding with her - I hated that no one wanted her because she had an eye infection, but Birdy, who usually can take or leave most animals, is totally smitten. Good timing, I am thinking, because I do not think Bailey will be with us much longer, and he is Birdy's shadow.

>108 katiekrug: Yep, Katie, Susan nails it once again. She has a talent for these things.

Aw, yay for rescue kittens! And yay for YOU!

Did it hurt when you got "Sucker" tattooed on your forehead?

;-)

>110 scaifea: Thank you, Amber.

>111 katiekrug: Yes, ma'am. Luckily there was wine.

Hi Mamie! I see there is a lot of Mischief and Mayhem at the Paradisio. It's now the top vacation spot on Adrian's list. ;-) And no, I'm not getting Adrian a kitten for Christmas!

Hi, Mamie! Lots of kitty love going on over! Love the Mischief and Mayhem!

On audio, I started Spy Among Friends. I adore Macintrye, but this pick was inspired by Le Carre's Pigeon Tunnel, where Philby was mentioned a few times, along with a couple shout-outs to Macintyre. Perfect timing, eh?

>113 cbl_tn: Hey, Carrie! Yep - we are full up on Mischief and Mayhem. And Adrian is welcome any time. No kitten in his future, huh? Shocking!

>114 msf59: Hello, Mark! We are definitely feeling the kitty love.

Oh! I want to read Spy Among Friends, too - and yes, perfect timing. I am currently reading Macintyre's For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond, which is really good so far. So, we are practically twins.

How many foster fails does this make?

>103 Crazymamie: She's such a cute little thing! I'm glad you're keeping her. I'm allergic to cats so we can't have any. My oldest daughter decided to foster kittens and three cats later, I suggested that perhaps she wasn't the best foster home! She also has a dog and 2 fast growing boys in a very small house! Oh, I almost forgot, she has a hedgehog who is definitely very cute but you have to pick her up with pot holders! Anyway, sorry for going off on a tangent...very cute kitten!

I feel like Daniel plus kitten could have his own Tumbler. Or is it Tumblr? Not sure. Anyway, all the kitten pics are lovely. The James Bond bio sounds interesting - look forward to hearing more!

Ummm......do I need to write 'I told you so' or can I just imply it with a raised eyebrow and a smile?

I'm so glad you're keeping her, and I bet Mayhem is thrilled with a new partner in crime close to his own age. Be warned, kittens that have been through a rough start are often quite mellow to begin with, then have an insane period where you walk around going 'why, why, why?' at everything they do! Anyway, I hope she stays the delightful little miss that she is currently, and your certificate to both the 'Crazy Cat Lady' club and the 'Sucker for Small Furries' society are in the post now.

Oh what an adorable kitten! I'm surprised no one wanted her because of an eye infection. Such a minor thing, and a lot of pet lovers have extra big hearts for helplessness. Was it so bad that they thought she'd lose the eye?

Morgan told me he thought it was a great strategy for shelters - "Oh, that one, well - if we take her we''ll just have to put her down. You should definitely take her home." ;) I'd fall for it every time, and he knows it! (And now I have kitty envy x2!)

Morning Mamie! Happy Friday! I had not heard of For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond. What a cool sounding book. That Macintyre is so prolific.

ETA- I did post my min-review of Pigeon Tunnel, along with a shout-out to my pal, Mamie.

>116 Morphidae: Just one, Morphy. We found Mercy under our house in the crawl space two years ago, and we checked to make sure she wasn't a lost kitten, but had wanted to keep her from the start. Mayhem we purposely went to see when Dan's friend found a box of kittens left behind his work - Rae had been wanting a tabby kitten, and three of those kittens just happened to be tabbies, so we chose one for her (she was sleeping as it was late at night, so just Dan and I went). So, Mischief is our only foster fail - and that phrasing made me laugh out loud! I'm totally stealing that and using it from now on.

>117 Dianekeenoy: Thanks, Diane; she's a sweetie. And I love your daughter's story - a hedgehog!! I have always loved cats, but my niece is very allergic to them, so we didn't have any for years, as my niece came to visit a lot and would stay for a week or so in the summers. We also hosted most of the family gatherings. But when we moved from Indiana to Georgia, my family said it was too far to visit, and they have never been down. When we found Mercy two years ago, and we had already been here two years with no visits, we decided we could have a cat again. I guess now we are making up for lost time. Heh.

>118 charl08: I think you are right, Charlotte. Daniel is like a magnet for baby anything, lol. And thank you - glad you are enjoying the photos. Now that our resident photographer has gotten a job, I guess the rest of us will have to step it up with taking photos.

The James Bond bio is very good, and it makes a great companion to Matthew Parker's Goldeneye: Where Bond Was Born: Ian Fleming's Jamaica, which has a different focus, so I don't feel like I'm reading the same thing over again. I also really want to read The Man With the Golden Typewriter: Ian Fleming's James Bond Letters edited by Fergus Fleming.

>119 lunacat: The raised eyebrow and the smile will do it, Jenny. Thanks for the advice - if she starts being naughty, then I will know she is feeling at home. When you are comfortable enough to misbehave, it's a good thing, I am thinking. *sits down to eagerly await her package*

>120 The_Hibernator: That's what I think, too, Rachel. Such an easy fix. Really the only thing the vet said to us about the infection was that when kittens get infections like that at such a young age they can be prone to them recurring throughout their lives. I am guessing that the worry of the expense of treating the infection plus the fact that it might indicate that she had additional health problems was a factor - we networked through the kids' friends, so they are a younger crowd with tighter budgets. We also had our vet looking, but a lot of people had already committed to getting a pet for the holidays - plus, the cat population in these parts is rampant, sadly - too many kittens needing homes.

>121 ursula: Could be, Ursula - that would be brilliant strategy, I also think the shelters have only so many spots and so much funding, so they want the ones that have a better chance of being adopted quickly. I was saying that if the LT crowd lived in the area, we could have found her a home immediately.

>122 msf59: Morning, Mark! Hooray for Friday - I though it would never get here. I heard about the book on Jim's thread - he mentioned he would like to read this one, and I had never heard of it before, so I tracked it down and snagged a copy.

*a shout-out!! I am honored!!

Happy Friday, Mamie! We made it!

Happy Friday, Joe. I usually love me a Friday, but this one is killing me - they messed up Rae's insurance again, so when I went to pick up Rae's prescription, they said they were waiting for pre-authorization. We have been waiting for the pre-authorization for over a month now, so very frustrating as then we have to pay out of pocket for the prescription, which is almost $300. Can you say, AARGH?! SO, I have spent the morning on the phone with the insurance, and the problem is still not fixed, but now at least they figured out what is wrong. Should be fixed within 48 hours. What?! After that, I can file a reimbursement claim. Oh, joy. *bangs head on desk* Okay. I'm done now. Thanks for listening, Joe.

Happy Friday, Mamie. May your weekend be filled with mischief and mayhem :)

Good morning, Mamie! I hope all is well with you. I lost my comment I made about Holiday Inn. I'm not sure if I made it here or not. Is this one on your Christmas film list?

When I was looking for kittens a few months ago it wasn't so easy to get free ones. It didn't seem much to ask. But some people were asking $100 for unfixed, unvaccinated kittens! How can they get away with it? I had the impression they were purposely breeding them! They weren't even some special breed. Just your normal kittens.

>126 Crazymamie: Arggh! is right, Mamie. How lousy. I'm glad they finally figured it out, but what a hassle and expense for you. And, of course, even though it's their mistake, you have to pay and then file a reimbursement claim. What a racket. Drives me nuts, too. I hope it all gets better from here.

>127 BLBera: Ha, Beth! Happy Friday! My weekend is guaranteed to be filled with Mischief and Mayhem.

>128 brodiew2: Hello, Brodie! All is well now that I have recovered from dealing with the insurance. You made that comment on your thread. I love that movie, but the black face really bothers me, so I don't watch it every year any more. The rest of the film is charming, though.

>129 The_Hibernator: Oh. My Word. I can't believe that, Rachel. Truly incredible. You could definitely get one for free in these parts.

>130 jnwelch: Joe - you snuck in there while I was posting. And thank you so much for the insurance sympathy. Greatly appreciated. Shall we latte to get rid of the bad tastes from talking insurance?

>132 Crazymamie: Great idea! Let's latte and muffin, how's that sound?



Start the weekend - we're ready!

Most excellent! Thanks, Joe!

When our youngest cat landed on our doorstep, we were told ginger male kittens were in short supply! The vet nurse said the cheapest she could find one was £80! So goodness only knows why ours was dumped. Unfortunately it's quite difficult to get a kitten from our local rescue as the hoops they make you jump through are ridiculous - yes we live on a road, but it's a quiet cul-de-sac, we're right at the end so there is no through traffic! Apparently that's not good enough for them, they think we need to be living in the middle of a field in order to be allowed a cat. So we've always got ours as 'free to good home' kittens.

Oh, and you have my sympathies but not my understanding on the issues with the insurance. My (filled) prescription turns up on my doorstep every month because I'm six miles out from my doctor's surgery and therefore 'out of town', so they do free delivery. And if I'm not in, the lovely deliveryman leaves it in a safe place. This month I got two months worth as he's not delivering over Christmas. I can't imagine some of the hoopla you have to go through. Although perhaps it's swings and roundabouts - often it's not easy for me to get an appointment less than a week in advance, and emergency ones can be hit and miss, but I'd rather deal with that and have easy to manage prescriptions!

So..........in short........very sorry it's such a hassle for you.

>123 Crazymamie: So all your dog were "on purpose"?

>135 lunacat:, >136 lunacat: So interesting, Jenny. I had never heard of someone charging for generic kittens before. Of course, I don't get out much, either. Truly. I've never gone looking for a cat or kitten, so have never inquired.

And thank you regarding the insurance. I would LOVE to have Rae's medication delivered to our doorstep! She has been on the same medication for years, so it always seems weird to me that every time we switch insurance, she has to get pre-approved again. Seems redundant. Oh, well...

>136 lunacat: Yep.

Oh my!! Another kitten?!?! Lucky you :) Mischief is adorable.....

Happy Saturday, Mamie!

Morning, Mamie!
Sorry for the insurance hassles - we're having them a bit, too, right now. You know, I don't think I've ever heard a happy, un-frustrated insurance anecdote...

Keep those kitty pictures coming, Mamie! They make my day! Have a lovely weekend!

>139 kittenfish: Oh my! about sums it up, Ellen. And thank you.

>140 jnwelch: Happy Saturday, Joe!

>141 scaifea: Morning, Amber! So true about insurance stories. Hoping you get your troubles worked out quickly.

>142 Carmenere: I'll try to get some good ones this weekend, Lynda - Birdy took a really sweet one of Mischief and Bailey sleeping side by side.

Hoping your weekend is full of fabulous!

Congrats on the new kitten, Mamie. Might I suggest "Peace" and "Quiet" for the next two foster failures? ;)

Oh, I'm getting hungry browsing around over here. And I love this, Mamie: Continuing my list of favorite things...brown paper packages tied up with string, tidings of comfort and joy, silent nights...

>144 DeltaQueen50: Thank you, Judy. You name suggestions for future critters cracked me up - good thinking!

>145 lit_chick: Let's get you a little something, Nancy. How about cinnamon crunch scones? And glad you liked my December favorite things!

>99 Crazymamie: Mayhem is so cute! I love it when cats sleep in that position.

>103 Crazymamie: Aw, poor Mischief. I'm glad you've decided to keep her - she looks so content in the second photo.

>147 souloftherose: Thanks, Heather! I love when they sleep all sprawled out and belly up, too. Mischief is fitting right in. If she is sitting on your lap, and you are wearing a hoodie, she will crawl up and into the hood and sleep there. She does that with Abby all the time, and then Abby is walking around with a kitten in her hood. So funny!

SO here's a funny - Daniel works at Petsmart, and yesterday their Santa couldn't make it, so Dan had to fill in. Nothing like a six foot tall, young, muscular Santa! He said he took photos with a ton of dogs, three cats. four guinea pigs, and...wait for it...one rooster! The rooster's name was Fruit Punch.

Great story! Go Dan! Go Fruit Punch!

Morning Mamie! Did you read A Spy Among Friends? If not, it fits in perfectly with Pigeon Tunnel, plus it is another terrific audio.

Joe and I chatted about you last night, in regards to spreading your book joy.

Morning, Mark! Glad you liked our rooster story! I have not read A Spy Among Friends - the Bond book I am reading is my first Macintyre, but I will add that one to the list. And hooray for it being good on audio.

I am honored to have been mentioned in such great company. That made me smile big, my friend!

>149 Crazymamie: Ohmygosh, how fun for Daniel! Getting to cuddle with all those animals as Santa... I love it!

Happy Sunday!

Good morning, Mamie!

I didn't even realize that Macintyre had written a Bond-related book. I'll look for it. I second Mark's recommendation of A Spy Among Friends, and you and he are convincing me to try Pigeon Tunnel at some point.

Did I tell you I'm really enjoying The Mammy? I'm about 3/4 of the way through.

Hi Mamie! You are kind people to take on a tiny, ailing kitty. She is a lucky girl :-)

Now a burning question: Is Petsmart "pets-mart" or "pet-smart"? Because it could be either. I suppose the first way makes more sense, but then it could be like "the smart place to buy things for your pet". I think the UK equivalent is Pets At Home, and I don't have any trouble with that one :-)

>152 scaifea: He is back again as Santa today, Amber. He loved it and said that all the animals were great. Happy Sunday to you!

>153 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! I didn't, either, until Jim mentioned it on his thread, but it's very well done and a lot of fun to read. I will go straight into A Spy Among Friends next , I think , while The Pigeon Tunnel is still fresh in my head because he mentions that book and Macintyre in the memoir. You should definitely squeeze it in at some point - so great!

Hooray for The Mammy - I just picked up the other two books in the trilogy the other day from the library, and I am looking forward to getting back to Agnes.

>154 susanj67: Hello, Susan! Mischief is doing great - she is a great observer, taking every thing in before she ventures forth. And then she kind of looks at you like, Do you think it would be alright if I played with this? Completely charming.

Right, Good question - I think it is pets-mart, but I am guessing that they like the double meaning because they want to be both. Daniel works mostly in the animal care - taking care of all the animals they carry, which is a ton of work, but he loves it.

Book # 120: Bright Dead Things by Ada Limón (5 stars), library paperback, poetry - recommended by Ellen

"Every time I'm in an airport,
I think I should drastically change my life....

Then, I think of you, home with the dog, the field full
of purple pop-ups - - we're small and
flawed, but I want to be
who I am, going where
I'm going, all over again."

I checked this out from the library after reading Ellen's review of it on her thread. She gave it five stars. and so did I. It's that good. It's exquisite, actually. Thoughtful and insightful and intelligent. I like the way that Ada Limón thinks about things. This collection is divided into four sections, and each section deals with life and choices and heartbreak and hope - it's like reading her internal dialogue with her heart. The fourth section, especially, spoke to me. I just cannot recommend this highly enough. Here's one of my favorites:

Oh Please Let it be Lighting

We were crossing the headwaters of
the Susquehanna River in our new car
we didn't quite have the money for
but it was slick and silver and we named it
after the local strip club next to the car wash:
The Spearmint Rhino, and this wasn't long
after your mother said she wasn't sure
if one of your ancestors died in childbirth
or was struck by lightning, there just wasn't
anyone left to set the story straight, and we
started to feel old. And it snowed. The ice
and salt and mud on the car made it look
like how we felt on the inside. The dog
was asleep on my lap. We had seven more hours
before our bed in the bluegrass would greet us
like some southern cousin we forgot we had.
Sometimes, you have to look around
at the life you've made and sort of nod at it,
like someone moving their head up and down
to a tune they like. New York City seemed years
away and all the radio stations had unfamiliar
call letters and talked about God, the one
that starts his name with a capital and wants
you not to get so naked all the time.
Sometimes, there seems to be a halfway point
between where you've been and everywhere
else, and we were there. All the trees were dead,
and the hills looked flat like in real bad landscape
paintings in some nowhere gallery off an interstate
but still, it looked kind of pretty. Not because
of the snow, but because you somehow found
a decent song on the dial and there you were,
with your marvelous mouth, singing full-lunged,
driving full-speed into the gloomy thunderhead,
glittery and blazing and alive. And it didn't matter
what was beyond us, or what came before us,
or what town we lived in, or where the money came from,
or what new night might leave us hungry and reeling,
we were simply going forward, riotous and windswept,
and all too willing to be struck by something shining
and mad, and so furiously hot it could kill us.

Okay, one more. Because I can:

Outside Oklahoma, We See Boston

Big blue horizon wakes me
from a car catnap and the boys
tell me about Boston, the bombs.
Soft edges of sleep turn sharp
and point inward to the terrified
heart. Out the window, ancient
horses and trees bent over
like the wisest crones. Under
the overpass a flittering swarm
of mud swallows have built
careful nests with prairie clay.
How do they do it? Demand the
sweet continuance of birth and flight
in a place so utterly reckless? How
masterful and mad is hope.

^Okay, you must have missed me gushing about Bright Dead Things a couple months ago. So, yes, I think we are now even, my friend. It is one of the best poetry collections I have read, in my short poetry reading life and I am so glad that a few of my pals are also enjoying it.

I loved your selections too. You should share these on the AAC poetry thread, so others can revel: http://www.librarything.com/topic/230813

I did?! My apologies, Mark. Too funny since I was just ragging you. *sheepish grin*

And since you left me the link, I will post my thoughts and the poems there.

Thanks, Mamie! You are a sweetheart! Funny, we were just talking about this collection last night. Joe has not read it yet. Really??

Joe NEEDS to read it. He would love it. And you are welcome - it was the least I could do.

Morning, Mamie! Gorgeous poems. Adding to the list...

Morning, Amber! Those poems are just a taste; the whole collection is stunning. I'm glad you're adding it to the list. *grin*

Good morning, Mamie! I hope all is well with you. It was a slow, because of snow, reading week. Snow was only around for a couple of says so I don't really have a any other excuses. I just didn't make much progress.

Morning, Brodie! I am taking today for myself as a reading day - this season gets so busy, and I am wanting a time out. So, I am staying in my jammies and indulging in ignoring the tasks of every day life. Hoping that your reading takes you where you want it to very soon.

Thanks, Mamie. I wish you the best down day possible. Enjoy!

Thank you, Brodie!

Hey, Mamie, I have a question for you! My lovely mother-in-law gave me a Fitbit for Christmas (which happened yesterday for us because, well, we had our reasons). So I have a brand-new thingy and I understand that there is a group where I can be made to feel inadequate - of course I want in on that, if they'll have me. Can you give me info/point me in the right direction?

Just PM me your email address, and I'll send you an invite, Ursula. Most exciting, and your post made me laugh.

Book #121: A Murder of Quality by John Le Carrė (3.5 stars), audiobook, crime fiction/mystery

This is a very good little mystery, and the second entry in the George Smiley series. What makes it slightly disappointing is that there is no espionage involved, and of course, that's what we want from Le Carré. Here, Smiley is asked as a favor to look into a murder at a prep school. He must find his way through an interesting maze of lies, and we see a bit more of his character revealed, which is the most interesting part, IMO. It's good, just not great, but the trashing that the upper class receives as the story unfolds is highly entertaining. It's a shortie, so definitely worth the read if you are interested in this series.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Michael Jayston, and he does a very good job. I loved him as narrator!

Did I hear my name? I love your selections from Bright Dead Things. Oh Please Let it Be Lightning particularly got me.

I've been reading a very long, dense collection of Rilke poems, translated by Stephen Mitchell. Good stuff, but maybe I'll take a break from it and read Bright Dead Things.

I LOVED The Mammy. Thanks for the tip, and thank you to Jim, too. There are two more, you say? I'll have to track those down. Agnes was a great character, and what a mensch son Mark was.

>156 Crazymamie: Excellent review. And excellent selection of poems to highlight. We are of the same mind with regard to this collection, that is for sure.

>158 msf59: and >159 Crazymamie: You know, it's not the first time I have gotten credit for something Mark recommended, and I think it's happened once or twice (probably only once) that he has gotten credit for something I recommended. I take this as the ultimate compliment -- to be confused with Mark. Or just to be anywhere near in the same league as him with regard to recommendations! I think he has done as much damage to beautification of LTers' wish lists as anyone. :-)

>103 Crazymamie: Mischief is ADORABLE!!! I'm so pleased that you adopted her.

Our Edgar was the runt on his litter and weighed only one pound, exactly one pound, when we brought him home. He turned out to be the sweetest, most loving cat I have ever had (and I've been lucky to have some sweet ones, she says as Abby curls up next to her here on the couch). As you may remember, he had an undetected heart condition that resulted in our losing him suddenly and unexpectedly when he was but nine years old, but I wouldn't trade those nine years for anything. I wish you MANY loving years with little Mischief -- and I will visit regularly to see if new pictures have been posted.

Sweet Bella, making space for her. :-)

Evening, Mamie!

>172 EBT1002: Aw shucks! You are really making me blush, Ellen! The good thing is, we all turn each other on to good books and that is why we keep coming back.

Morning Mamie! I will not be able to visit much during the work day, due to arctic weather, so I will try to drop in early or late.

So good to see you, reading Le Carre. I hope to read a few of his books next year.

We watched Casablanca, Sunday night. The film was mentioned several times, in A Gentleman in Moscow and I decided I wanted to see it. Is this the perfect Hollywood film or what? Stellar cast and such smart, witty writing:

“Not an easy day to forget.” “…I remember every detail. The Germans wore gray, you wore blue.”

"I heard a story once — as a matter of fact, I’ve heard a lot of stories in my time. They began with the sound of a tinny piano playing in a parlor downstairs…”

Morning, Mamie!

Morning, Mamie.

Ah, Casablanca. There's a movie that will sweep you away.

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

>176 msf59: Mark! This is your fist viewing of Casablanca?

Hopefully, this will be the beginning of a beautiful friendship...with the film, I mean. ;-)

>171 jnwelch: You did indeed, Joe. And glad you liked my review and the poems I chose to highlight that beautiful collection. And I'm thrilled you loved The Mammy - it was so fun, wasn't it? There are two more books - The Chisellers and The Granny, and I have both of them out from the library, but I have not dipped into them yet. It was actually on Nancy's thread that I learned about the trilogy - she had reviewed the final book and said how much fun the trilogy was, so I requested it from our library.

>172 EBT1002: Ellen!!! Ellen!! I'm so happy to see you here. And thank you. And you still get credit for it - it was your review that got me to request it from the library. I didn't realize that Mark had also read it until he mentioned it, but how cool that he got you to read it, and you got me to read it, and now maybe we're gonna snag Joe, too! Very cool.

Mischief has just been back to the vet this morning, and the vet said she is looking so much better. Her eyes are free of infection, and she has put on some weight. The vet was thrilled that we were keeping her. I don't know if you caught it, but we actually have two kittens now - Mayhem is just a few weeks older than Mischief, and we got him for Rae. He had also been abandoned in a box with the rest of his litter - so tiny when we got him that we had to bottle feed him. I'll try to get a photo of them together. Here is what he looked like when we first got him:



And here are he and Mercy hanging out:



Thanks so much for sharing about your Edgar - I knew that you had lost him, but I didn't know it was sudden and unexpected. How devastating. Out Bailey has a heart condition, and he is in the middle stages of heart failure, so at this point we are just soaking up what time we can get with him. Thirteen years we have been together, and we will have to let go soon, but I am dreading it.

>180 Crazymamie: adorable pics of Mayhem and Mischief.

>174 cbl_tn: Hello, Carrie!

>175 msf59: Amen, Mark. Well said - this is such a great community of sharing.

>176 msf59: Morning, Mark! Sorry about the arctic weather - it is in the 70s and kind of humid here. I am going straight into the third George Smiley book on audio, so the Le Carré love continues.

Oh, Casablanca!! One of my very favorite films - love that one! So many great quotes in that one. I am wanting to read A Gentleman in Moscow - I even had it out from the library, but I had to return it before I got to it. Hoping to get it back soon.

"Was that cannon fire, or just my heart pounding?"

"I like to think that you killed a man. It's the romantic in me."

They just don't write them like that anymore.

>180 Crazymamie: Aw! So cute to see your cats playing together.

Wondered if you saw this review - sounded like it might be good for a Hitchcock fan...

The Watcher sounds intriguing… “When troubled birdwatcher Lily turns her binoculars on her neighbours from her new-build flat, she realises that something sinister is happening in the marked-for-demolition block over the road. An elderly neighbour, Jean, tries to phone Lily just before she is killed, and, when the police are dismissive, Lily decides that she must investigate ... An intriguingly unreliable narrator, plenty of suspense and the added bonus of name-spotting fun for Hitchcock aficionados.”
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/dec/08/best-recent-crime-novels-review-ro...

>177 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

>178 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! I couldn't agree more about Casablanca.

>179 brodiew2: Morning, Brodie! All is well. I bet I have seen Casablanca at least one hundred times - it's Rae absolute favorite, and it makes my top ten.

>181 brodiew2: Thanks, Brodie. Both photos are actually of Mayhem, but when he was younger, I was just reposting them for Ellen. I need to get a photo of them together so you can see the size difference. Our Mayhem is long and lean, and oh, so handsome. Mischief is much smaller and has more brown in her coat. She also has longer hair. They are very funny together.

>183 charl08: Thank you, Charlotte - that is an older photo of Mayhem and Mercy together.

I had not seen that review, so thanks so much for sharing! That sounds right up my alley! I'll track it down - I honestly think I could plan all of my 2017 reading just on books you have pointed out to me or recommended. You're just that good! Like my own personal literary shopper.

>180 Crazymamie: I reviewed The Mammy over on my thread, Mamie, and I just added Chisellers and The Granny to my WL. Thanks!

I'll be right over, Joe!

>187 Crazymamie: :-)

>180 Crazymamie: Your kittens are so cute! I'm glad your little baby got a good report at the vet's!

Hi Mamie! Good for you - rescuing kitties and letting your children nap with them. Lol How nice that your big kitty is generally welcoming. Hope you had a wonderful reading day. I sure could use one of those. Must schedule it soon...

If this book isn't on your wishlist, I think it should be! I think you'll understand why when you see the title. :-)

http://www.librarything.com/work/8717504/book/136408998

>191 cbl_tn: LOL - I'm sure Marie will want to read that one, Carrie.

Mayhem and Mischief are cerftainly bringing just that in the gentlest and happiest manner to the Pecan Paradisio.

Always told myself that I didn't like cats but when faced with a vet seemingly keen to dispense one of my daughter's kittens that had had a fall, I realised that I couldn't countenance and, like Dan did so splendidly, we brought the kittie home where he remains to this day. Bravo to him and to his Mom.

>188 jnwelch: *grin*

>189 thornton37814: Thank you, Lori!

>190 nittnut: Hey, Jenn! Our older cat Mercy is a peach - she has been really great with all of the little ones that have been through here lately. And I had a great reading day - finished up several books, so I am very happy. Hoping you get to schedule yours soon!

>191 cbl_tn: That made me laugh, Carrie! I'l have to track it down just for the title.

>192 thornton37814: Me, too, Lori! Who's Marie?

>193 PaulCranswick: SO true, Paul. Mayhem tries valiantly every day to live up to his name. LOL. I'm glad that both of our kitties got a happy outcome.

>194 msf59: LOVE that, Mark!! Too funny, and that is the book I am on now.

Book #122: The Man With the Golden Gun by Ian Fleming (3.5 stars), audiobook narrated by Kenneth Branagh, crime fiction/espionage

I am a bit sad that now I finished all of the Bond novels - I just have the short stories left. This one was very fun on audio as it was narrated by Kenneth Branagh. The celebrity narrations of this series was brilliant - each book read by a different celebrity, and they were all great. I know I will listen to them again somewhere down the road.

What is amazing to me is that Fleming wrote all thirteen of the novels and the short stories and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in a span of just thirteen years.

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

>197 Crazymamie: I'm glad you enjoyed this one. It was my first attempt in this particular audio series and it struggled to hold my interest. I'll try another one next year.

Book #123: For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond by Ben Macintyre (4 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, non-fiction

"Above all, his job with naval intelligence had taken place in a wartime world where anything seemed possible. Winning a war, like writing a novel, required one weapon above all others: imagination."

This book was not quite what I was expecting, but when I read the notes at the end it made perfect sense to me. Macintyre states, "This book, published to coincide with a major exhibition at the Imperial War Museum in London, is a homage to Ian Fleming and the centenary of the author's birth, and a celebration of James Bond, his greatest creation. It is not a biography of Ian Fleming...nor is it a biography of James Bond....it is a personal investigation of two lives, one real and one fictional."

What Macintyre does is take us through a brief history of Fleming's career in the spy world and then point out how his real life intersected with the Bond books. Names, places, and characters that reflected his own circle - some of them thrilled to be included in the books and some that threatened to sue him. A very interesting journey, but I wanted more details. And photos. There are just a few photos included, and they were all at the end of the Kindle version - inserting them into the proper chapters would have made for a better read for me. I like to put names and faces together, and there are a lot of names here to digest. Still, the book is very nicely paced and a very good read. Last year I read Goldeneye: Ian Fleming's Jamaica: Where Bond Was Born by Matthew Parker, and that is the better book, IMO. However, the focus of both books is different, so they make truly great companion books. I was glad I had read the Parker book first, as it goes into a lot more detail about Fleming's personal life and gives us a deep understanding of how Fleming came to write the books and to do so in Jamaica.

One thing this book does a great job of is getting across just how important it was to Fleming to be accurate - he consulted experts and conducted his own investigations to aid his story lines. I loved reading about the gun expert that wrote to him explaining that Bond was carrying the wrong gun. This led to a correspondence that lasted the rest of Fleming's life, and the letter writer (Geoffrey Boothroyd, who would eventually get a character named after him) helped Fleming chose not only James Bond's weapon of choice, but also those of his enemies. Another fun fact is that Fleming met and went scuba diving with Jacques Cousteau, who had invited him to join him on his current excavation of the remains of a Greek ship sunk off the South of France. He used what he learned in Live and Let Die. I love this kind of trivia!

Another thing that Macintyre did an excellent job of was establishing that Bond is very much a product of the WWII generation and the Cold War. Pointing out that after the horrors of WWII, the villains that Bond faces don't seem all that unbelievable:

"The criminal inventiveness of Bond's enemies seemed horribly believable in a world that had experienced the death camps, Japanese torture and Gestapo interrogation methods."

Anyway, fascinating stuff even if it didn't go into as much detail as I would have liked. Highly recommended to anyone who is at all curious about Fleming and his creation. But read the Parker book, too. A huge thanks to Jim for mentioning on his thread that he wanted to read this - I had not heard of it before then.

>198 brodiew2: Morning, Brodie! It's all good here. I think what you have to be ready for with the Bond books is that they are so very different from the movies. Slower and more detailed, and Bond makes mistakes and agonizes over killing his enemies. He is less smooth and more human.

I see what you mean, Mamie. It's possible it just wasn't the right time. I didn't mind the Bond character, I just lost interest quickly on an audio that was only four discs long. :-)

I totally understand that, Brodie - I am very much a mood reader.

Hiya, Mamie!

Good review of For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond. I'm a Macintyre fan, and a Bond/Fleming fan, so I'll add that to the WL. I know what you mean about photos. One of the things I liked about Lost in Shangri-La is the photos were embedded in the text at the appropriate place - I loved that! I'd sure like to see that happen more often.

I re-read all the Bond books a few years ago, and really enjoyed it.

Hello, Joe! And thank you! The book is very well written and very interesting, but properly placed photos would have added so much. I read the Kindle edition, so perhaps the print version is different. I guess it's probably a lot more tricky and an added expense to get all the permissions needed to place the photos. It does make a huge difference to have the visual input, though. I'm probably just greedy!

This was my first time through the Bond books, but I look forward to reading them again and getting even more out of them now that I know more about their backstory. My Dad and I used to watch the movies together, so I like the journey back to those memories. Now I wonder if he ever read any of the books.

>103 Crazymamie: So not a surprise that you have a new kitten, Mamie. You all named Mischief and took a photo of her when she arrived - it was a given that she was going to stay, it was just you trying to fool yourself that you were being responsible by saying you had enough animals already, that put any doubts in your mind.

Morning, Mamie!

I'm not much interested in spy novels, but the Kenneth Branagh part makes me almost want to...

Hey Mamie, thanks for the compliment about the books up there. The MacIntyre Bond sounds interesting - I'm not a fan, although grew up watching them shown on terrestrial TV on Saturday afternoons.

I do rather fancy Branagh's narration of pretty much anything. I've just mentioned another radio drama on Joe's thread, and am now going to mention another one! Branagh did a dramatisation of Life and Fate which was wonderful. One day I will read the original too.

I want to be at at the Pecan Paradiso! I want to be at at the Pecan Paradiso! Pouts...

Morning Mamie! Good review of For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond. Thumb! Macintyre is the MAN!!

The sexiest unsexy man of the silver screen.
You guys!!!! Casablanca is my first favorite movie!!!! (followed closely by White Christmas) So interesting that it is mentioned in TGfM! It will be interesting to see how it's used in the story.

Oh. My. Goodness! Sean Connery! The sexiest sexy man of the silver screen. IMHO :0)
Nice review of For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond and makes a nice companion read to the other 007 novels you've read.

>180 Crazymamie: that cuteness is just toooo much! Note to Santa "Please put a little Mischief in my stocking"

>149 Crazymamie: Daniel's going to have one heck of a resume!

>205 Familyhistorian: Actually, Meg, Daniel took that photo of her on his phone at work that first morning that they found the box of kittens outside, and used it to post on the internet trying to find her a home. When he brought her home that first night, she was just supposed to stay over night, as they had lined up a home for her. Then that fell through. After we had her a few days, Birdy started calling her Mischief, and we were upset that no one wanted her just because she had an eye infection. I would say it took me a full three days to decide that she wasn't going anywhere - she was settling in and I figured we wouldn't find a taker until the eye infection was cleared up, and I didn't want her to have to start all over again somewhere else. I would really have preferred not to have three cats all at the same time, but sometimes the universe sends you things because it is wiser than you are. I think Mischief is here for Birdy, whose dog Bailey is not going to be here much longer - he has taken a bad turn, and now we are just trying to make it through Christmas with him. I don't know that we will.

>206 scaifea: Morning, Amber! Laughing about the narrator love - I would listen to anything that David Tennant read, so I hear you. Yesterday I started listening to The Magician's Nephew, which is also narrated by Branagh.

>207 charl08: Hello, Charlotte! You're welcome, and it's all true. I am wondering how interesting the Macintyre book would be to a none fan of Bond - there are some really interesting things in there, but there is also a lot of referencing to particular books and characters. I think if you know most of the main players and some of the bad guys, you would find it worth the read. Each chapters deal with a different component - so there is one for the Bond girls, one for the guns, gadgets and gizmos, one for the plots, etc.

I also love Branagh's narration, and have been looking for more of it, so thanks for that recommendation.

I'm really sorry to read about Bailey. I hope that you can ease him through the festive period in comfort, but of course it isn't always possible, and it's one of the hardest things to do, making those decisions for our pets that bring the grief sooner but are the kindest for our animals. Fingers crossed for him staying comfortable and happy so that you can have one last Christmas, and I'm grateful that Mayhem and Mischief came along, both for their sakes in finding a wonderful home, and yours in having fun new life to help during difficult times. It's hard not to have a smile on your face with the antics of kittens, or when they've passed out in blissful exhaustion!

>208 msf59: Oh, Mark, you would love being here today - 45F right now, but it's going to 55, which is just about perfect for me. The sun is out, the birds are singing...

Thanks for the thumb!! That never gets old, and I am delighted every time I get one. You would like it. It was my first Macintyre, but it won't be my last. I have A Spy Among Friends on request from the library, and I am just waiting for it to get here.

>209 Carmenere: Morning, Lynda! So true about Bogart, but I think his voice was very sexy. You and Rae are practically twins - those are two of her very favorite movies - Casablanca is her first favorite, and I will have to ask her where White Christmas falls, but I would guess top ten. I am also wanting to get to TGfM and see where it pops up.

I also adore Connery - he got even better looking as he got older, IMO. Glad you liked my review and the accompanying photo!

Mischief is REALLY sweet. I have never met a quieter kitty. She likes to sit back and observe everything first, and then she makes her move. Here's hoping you get a little Mischief in your stocking! Ha!

So true about Daniel - he's usually up for pretty much anything. That kid came out of the womb comfortable in his own skin, and he loves to make people laugh, so naturally, kids and animals flock to him. I wish he had gotten a photo for himself (okay, for me) of him and Fruit Punch the rooster.

>211 lunacat: Thank you, Jenny. He is mostly sleeping these days, and we are just taking it one day at a time. I would love for us to get one last Christmas together, but a week is looking very far away right now. I guess we'll see. I so appreciate your kind thoughts and words.

>213 Crazymamie: Sleeping is good as it shows he is comfortable, it's when they start being unable to sleep or looking in significant pain upon rising that I start getting concerned. Of course if there are other problems with wobbliness, incontinence, not eating etc then that's a different matter.

Sending lots of love to you all, including the beasties, and wishing for a pain free and happy time for Bailey, however long that ends up being.

Good to know, Jenny. Lovely wishes, and I thank you for them. Sending our love back to you.

Good morning, Mamie!

Oh, I wish we could have some of your weather. It's brutal here.

Loving the Tales of Mischief! She and the Mamie clan seem meant for each other. Daniel sounds like a great kid. I join in sending positive thoughts for poor Bailey.

Morning, Joe! I was just over on Mark's thread, and it does sound brutal there. Sending warm thoughts your way immediately.

Mayhem and Mischief are keeping us highly entertained these days. And Daniel is a great kid - I think all of mine are, although I might be slightly prejudiced. I thank you for those thoughts for our Bailey - a bittersweet holiday season for us.

Oh, so sorry to hear about Bailey :(

Thank you, Katie.

Hi Mamie. I'm sorry to hear about Bailey. Maybe Mischief's attachment to Birdy is helping Bailey let go. I'm sure you'll know when the time is right, but it won't be easy.

>213 Crazymamie: >214 lunacat: With both our dogs that died, we knew it was time when they stopped eating.

I'm so sorry about Bailey. It's so hard when a member of our furry family passes. It's not like a human that you can communicate with about what is happening and how much they mean to you. I hope his passing is filled with grace and the love I know you all can share with him. *hugs*

Good morning, Mamie!

Have you seen the show 'People of Earth' on TBS? quirky, funny.

>220 cbl_tn: Hello, Carrie. Thank you. Bailey has been letting Mischief sleep by him on Birdy's lap, which is an incredible thing as he won't let any of the other animals sleep by him right now. Birdy feels it is a sign that Bailey is telling her it's alright to love Mischief. Made me cry. It's gonna be hard to let go, as we have had him for 13 1/2 years and he is top dog here - our smallest dog, but he thinks he is a big dog. He definitely has enough heart for a big dog.

>221 Morphidae: Thank you for that, Morphy. Such kind and caring words, and it eases my heart to know that all of you are sending good thoughts our way. Hugs back to you, dear one.

>222 brodiew2: Morning, Brodie! I have not seen that or heard of it - I will have to check it out. I love quirky.

TWO kittens!?!?! Mischief and Mayhem. Perfect.

I have never read any of the Bond novels although I love the films. Well, most of them.

>224 EBT1002:, >225 EBT1002: Yep. Mayhem is older than Mischief by about 6-8 weeks.

I have now read all of the Bond novels, and I think that Thunderball is my favorite, although I also really liked On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The books are so very different from the movies.

I actually caught all of the felines in one photo!


Mayhem - his eyes have changed to a beautiful jade green.


Mischief

Abby took this photo of Mischief, and I love the shadowing

Gorgeous felines all round, and no wonder you couldn't give up Mischief. I do so love a house full of cats, but that might be why I have five of them......I'm still trying to convince The Boyfriend that he needs a couple - I've got his dad onside but not him yet!

Thanks, Jenny! Good luck with convincing the Boyfriend - I'm rooting for you!

Okay, just one more, as it shows Mischief closer up.

She's so brown! I wonder if she'll stay that colour as she grows up - all our silver tabbies darkened as they got their adult fur but they are more on the grey/black spectrum. She's very cute anyway :).

I love the brown, so I hope she keeps it. Mayhem is definitely grey and black, and his markings are much more distinctive.

Beautiful pictures Mamie. >228 Crazymamie: Makes me wonder: what happened next?!

Thank you, Charlotte! Next? She jumped into the chair seat and then down onto the floor to play with Mayhem, who was trying to nap.

Nothing but Mayhem and Mischief, going on over here. Not surprised at all, my friend.

>236 msf59: Or of course Mischief and Mayhem. Lovely photos, Mamie.

Loving all the cat pictures!

You know, my aunt used to have a cat named Trouble. I think he'd fit right in there.

^Ha!

Good morning, Mamie! Hey, Happy Friday!

I'm enjoying the cat photos and cat talk. You've come up with great names for them.

>236 msf59: Right you are, Mark. We love us some trouble!

>237 PaulCranswick: Ha! Thank you, Paul!

>238 ronincats: Glad to hear it, Roni!

>239 cbl_tn: Yes, he would indeed, Carrie.

>240 jnwelch: Trouble often follows in the trail of Mischief and Mayhem, right, Joe? Morning, to you! And hooray for Friday!! May it please be good. Glad you are liking the cat tales. And the names - we are pleased with them, and they fit. Mercy, of course, was named after Mercy Thompson - LOVE those books!

Morning Mamie! Happy Friday! Glad this work week is winding down.

>241 Crazymamie: Ah, I didn't know that about Mercy. I love the Mercy Thompson character and those books, too. :-)

Good morning, Mamie!

>231 Crazymamie: That is a beautiful photo of Mischief. He looks sad and mournful, but still cute as all get out.

>242 msf59: Hey there, Mark! Me, too, with the week winding down. But I can't believe it's almost Christmas and then time to start all over again with the threads in our next daring adventures of reading. Incredible.

>243 jnwelch: Yep. We all love those books, and so when we were adding a cat to our quartet of poodles, and an intrepid smart female at that, we naturally thought of Mercy Thompson, the coyote living among wolves.

>244 brodiew2: Afternoon, Brodie! And thank you - she does have sad eyes. We are hoping to help her get her happy on.

>245 Crazymamie: That beginning time of the year when the threads are flying is probably my favourite bit of the year. I was travelling lats year and missed some of the fun.

Wishing all at the Pecan Paradisio a wonderful weekend in the run up to Christmas. Notice that you haven't managed to get across to my own little pied-a-terre for a couple of threads. :(

>227 Crazymamie: I know what a difficult achievement it is to get all three cats in a single photo!

Morning, Mamie! You have a houseful of ADORABLE cats! Love the photos.

Happy Saturday, Mamie!

Great kitty pictures, Mamie. Hope you are having a wonderful weekend.

>246 PaulCranswick: I love beginning a new year, too, Paul. I am hoping that things will settle down a bit in the coming months, and I will have more LT time. Currently, it's very hit and miss, which is why I have not been around the threads as much - I tend to do more lurking than posting these days.

>247 thornton37814: So true, Lori! About the time you get the shot lined up, one or more of them has vanished.

>248 scaifea: Hello, Amber! And thank you! Glad you are loving the photos.

>249 jnwelch: Thank you, Joe! It was good. Half the household had to work, but we also managed some present wrapping. In the evening we enjoyed French dip sandwiches while watching The Ref.

>250 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg! So far so good with the weekend - I am hoping to get most of the wrapping done, and I have a few packages I want to get out on Monday, so I need to finish them up. Hoping yours is also full of wonder.

Hi Mamie! Your Christmas preparations sound like they're going well :-)

Morning Mamie! Happy Sunday! Woke up to more snow and my son just cleared off our driveway before I came home yesterday. Sighs...May have to crack out the snowblower, plus today may be our coldest day of the season, so far, just above zero. A good day to curl up with the books.

I loved The Professor and Madman. Good audio too.

Book #124: The Magician's Nephew by C. S. Lewis (3.5 stars), audiobook narrated by Kenneth Branagh, YA/fantasy

I have read all of the other Narnia books at some point, but never this one. Recently, audible had this one on sale, and it was narrated by Kenneth Branagh, so I picked it up. This is the story of how the magic wardrobe from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe came to exist. An interesting backstory, but it pales in comparison to the other books, IMO. I gave it an extra half star for the narration, which was delightful.

>252 susanj67: I'm getting there, Susan, but I still have a lot to do. Luckily, the shopping is all done, so just the wrapping and some baking is left. And I will have to go to the market on Monday, which I am dreading as it will be packed. Which reminds me - when I was there last week, I was checking out all of the holiday hams and turkeys and there in the middle of them, wrapped in clear plastic wrap, was an entire pig! The ticket on it read: Whole pig. Well, duh! And it was priced at $96. I have never seen an entire pig like that in the display case - it was slightly unsettling and made me want to laugh at the same time.

>253 msf59: Morning, Mark! I am envious of your snow, but not those low temps. If you could send me some cold, and I could send you some warm, we could both be happy. *sigh* The humidity is making me grumpy.

You have finished the Professor and the Madman already?!

>255 Crazymamie: A whole pig?!! OMG. I've never seen one of those in the supermarket! I couldn't face it yesterday after my talk at work, so I'll have to get a few things every night this week. At least quite a few people at the Wharf will be taking this week off as the schools are out for Christmas, so it might not be too terrible. It's a commercial area rather than a residential one, and anyone driving in for a big shop will likely do it earlier in the day. Or at least that's what I'm telling myself until I find out otherwise!

I really wanted to take a photo because it was huge. And just so odd, placed there between the hams and the turkeys. Strangely, it has never occurred to me to roast an entire pig for Christmas dinner. Just thinking about it makes me giggle because it was so big. I am hoping to get my menu and list together today, so that I can hit the market first thing in the morning - by lunch time and later, it will be a mess. Wishing you luck with yours!

The Professor and the Madman was just over 7 hours on audio, so I knocked it out pretty quick. It also helped keep my mind off the lovely weather.

I would still like to hear Winchester narrate it, at some point. I heard he does a terrific job.

I'm still impressed, Mark - nicely done!

Hi Mamie! Pig pickin's are a Southern tradition that involves roasting a whole pig. One of my best friends is from eastern North Carolina, and she had a pig pickin' for her wedding rehearsal dinner, because that's what they do there. Someone in the family usually has a pig to butcher, or knows someone who does. They usually don't have to buy it at the supermarket.

A few weeks ago I was in a grocery store where I don't usually shop, and I was surprised to see pork mountain oysters among the other offerings in the meat section. I know what they are, but I had never seen them for sale anywhere before.

Is a pig pickin' the same as a hog roast? I have been to a hog roast before, Carrie, but I have never associated it with the Christmas season - I guess because I'm from Indiana, and it would be too cold to enjoy a proper hog roast there in the winter. The pig wrapped in cellophane in the meat case is what got me - I have never seen it before. I will say that I have seen EVERY part of the pig available for purchase at the markets down here, but never as an all in one package.

The Ref is a favorite holiday movie of mine :-) Good choice!

I remembered you saying that, Katie, which is why we picked it. We had never seen it before, but we laughed all the way through it, so thank you.

Oh, most excellent! Glad you enjoyed it!

We did! So fun, and we will be sure to watch it again next year. Right up our alley.

Ohhh! I love all the pictures of kittens! Mischief and Mayhem are excellent names. My two kittens are Puck and Hero, but they are a couple months older than your kittens. As long as they get along, it's better to have two kittens than one, because then they can play with each other and leave the adult cats alone. At least, that's what's been going on in my house.

Hi, Rachel! Glad you like the names - I love your Shakespeare names, too! And yes - the two kittens get along really well, and they are excellent are wearing each other out.

So groceries, a trip to the post office to mail some packages, more wrapping and hopefully some time left over for a bit of reading. We'll see. I am actually looking forward to waiting in the post office line because I will probably get a funny story to share out of it. Last year was a hoot!

On the reading front, I am reading Smilla's Sense of Snow on Kindle - this was recommended by Roberta either last year or the previous one, and I know that Charlotte and Beth also loved this one. SO far, I am really enjoying it - the writing is fabulous, and I love the way that Smilla's mind works. I have finished the first novella, Afterimage, in Patrick Modiano's Suspended Sentences, which I purchased earlier this year. There are two more novella in this collection. Originally, these novellas were published separately, but they have been collected together here - I liked the first one, so I am eager to see what awaits me in the other two. Also, yesterday I started listening to Herodotus: The Father of History, which is one of the Great Courses and is taught by Elizabeth Vandiver - I am wanting to read The Histories by Herodotus next year (and I have the Penguin Deluxe Classics Edition waiting on the shelves!). Before digging in, I wanted to know more about the author himself, so I will hopefully finish up this lecture series this month and be ready to go for the New Year. I have been wanting to read Herodotus since I read The English Patient - I made a list of the books mentioned in it, and I plan on reading all of them. *squee*

Morning Mamie! Love the old P.O. photo! Mail Early!!

I am enjoying this Monday off. Happy Warm Camper!

*The Audible Daily Deal is an awesome one today: Patrick Ness's A Monster Calls, which is narrated by the fabulous Jason Isaacs for just $1.95. Highly recommended.

>269 msf59: Morning, Mark! I love that old photo, too. And hooray for Monday off - all Mondays should be off if you ask me.

Good morning, Mamie! Happy Mmphmumbleday!

Wow, A Monster Calls, which I loved, narrated by the fabulous Jason Isaacs. That does sound awfully good.

I had a great time with Smilla's Sense of Snow way back when. Good Roberta rec.

Ellie loved Suspended Sentences, and I'm planning on reading that one, too, at some point.

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

>272 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! We'll see how happy it is - I am reserving judgement until we are further in. And Jason Isaacs' narration of A Monster Calls is not to be missed - trust me, he nails it.

Hooray for another positive comment regarding Smilla's Sense of Snow! Roberta is very good with the recs.

I am also loving Suspended Sentences - the writing is hard to describe, but I love how he makes you feel like you are looking at slightly out of focus photographs and how he uses memory as a plot device.

>273 brodiew2: Morning, Brodie! All is well...so far, I mean, after all, it IS Monday.

>270 Crazymamie: I shared this on the Great Deals thread! It is such a No-Brainer!! And the film version is coming out too.

Excellent, Mark! I didn't even know there was a Great Deals thread.

>148 Crazymamie: 'Mischief is fitting right in. If she is sitting on your lap, and you are wearing a hoodie, she will crawl up and into the hood and sleep there.'

Cuteness overload! *melts*

>180 Crazymamie: Glad to hear Mischief is doing better. But sorry to hear that Bailey is not doing well (>210 Crazymamie:). Hoping that Bailey can hang on and have one more Christmas with you all.

>227 Crazymamie:, >228 Crazymamie:, >231 Crazymamie: Love those photos!

>270 Crazymamie: I love A Monster Calls but I'd recommend getting hold of the paper copy as well - the illustrations were amazing and won an award in the UK (the Kate Greenaway medal).

Hello, Heather! Mischief loves the hoodies - I don't know what she will do when she gets too big to pull it off. She gets in there and snuggles down and purrs. So sweet!

Thanks for those thoughts for our Bailey - we are just taking it day by day at this point. I would love for him to make it to Christmas.

Glad you love the photos - I have some more that I need to go through and see if any are post worthy. I am hoping that the one of Mischief and Mayhem sleeping together in the cat hammock comes out.

I totally agree that the illustrations are amazing - I listened to the audio and followed the print version when I read it. I should have mentioned that the illustrations are fabulous and should be sought out. I can see why they won an award.

Trying to catch up with two months of LT is not easy but I love the photos of Mayhem and Mischief and love that all of your kitties have "M" names. Baby animals really are a lot of fun.

Reba! Hello there!! You have been missed! Hoping that your travels so far have been full of fabulous. I'm glad that you loved the photos of our newest additions and their names. They fit, believe me! So true that baby animals are full of fun.

Continued safe travels to you, my friend!

Another one pulling for Smilla's Sense of Snow. I really liked it when I read it a few years ago.

Hey, Jim! Seems like everyone has read it but me. Heh. Did you see that I liked the Macintyre book about Bond? It was very well done.

I saw that! It's still on my list!

*grin*

Morning, Mamie!

>281 drneutron: Yay! More votes for Smilla...

>285 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

>286 charl08: Hello, Charlotte! I had never even heard of Smilla before Roberta brought the book to my attention, and now I see how beloved she is - you gotta love LT!

Good morning, Mamie!

Did I mention liking Smilla? :-)

Did you read A Gentleman in Moscow? I have this feeling you did. I'm enjoying it lotsa.

Morning, Joe! I believe you might have mentioned that. *grin*

I have not read A Gentle man in Moscow, but I do have it out from the library - hoping to get to it soon.

>289 Crazymamie: Oh good. You'll have a great time with it. Seems like a good one for the holidays, actually. Quite a charmer.

>282 Crazymamie: Erm, I have a copy of Smilla but still haven't read it yet...... But then that's true of so many books....

Mornin' Mamie!

I'm stopping by a few of the busier threads to get the word out - there's a new place to party around here!

http://www.librarything.com/groups/75booksin2017

>290 jnwelch: Look what I wrote!! Cracking myself up - A Gentle Man in Moscow - sounds like porn. Ha! I was in a hurry because we were taking Mayhem to the vet for his last round of shots.

>291 souloftherose: Well, when you get to it, you'll like it, Heather. Smilla will charm you with her intelligence and moxie.

>292 brodiew2: Morning, Brodie!

>293 drneutron: Look at you getting us ready for the New Year, Jim! Thanks for the link and for setting us up again.

Thanks, Mamie. How nice of you to say that :)

You're welcome, Reba.

I've read Smilla's Sense of Snow and gave it 7/10 stars. My mini-review from 2011: "I had a hard time relating to Smilla - she's quite a cold fish - and the story creeped along yet I enjoyed reading about the culture of Greenlanders and Danes. It was very atmospheric."

Not completely your cuppa, huh, Morphy? Although 7/10 is very decent.

I'm stopping by to wish you and your family Happy Holidays.

Much love to you Mamie!

Thank you, Linda! What a lovely image. Here's hoping that your holidays are full of fabulous! Sending you my love and my good thoughts, my friend.

Birdy, Abby and I went to see Dr. Strange in the theater today, and it was great fun. I really loved the special effects, which were like a cross between Inception and The Matrix. I bet this would be really cool in the 3-D version. Anyway, Mamie like.

The Wayne has been wanting to see that one, but I'm not really interested. So he'll watchit at home some time while I'm away for work :-P

It was really well done - I am betting The Wayne will like it.

>297 Morphidae: I think Morphy's got it right: Smilla's a cold fish. However, I loved her, cold fishiness and all. Off to go and gaze at my own navel to discern what that means about me... (!!!) I have been wrapping presents, and watching an Andy Williams compilation show (those jumpers?! wth??) so feeling pretty festive. I've forgotten to put labels on them so thinking Xmas is going to have an added element of a memory game, which could be fun after a few glasses of fizz :-)

Oooh, I wanna have Christmas at Charlotte's! Mystery gifts AND fizzy drinks!

>301 Crazymamie: I have not been able to see Doctor Strange yet, but I was able to make it to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story this past weekend. I was a 7 when Star Wars hit theaters. Suffice to say I was transported back in time, while also enjoying some beautiful modern special effects, to the wonder of the universe originally created by George Lucas. I clapped at the end and would have done a fanboy happy dance in the isle if I had the nerve. R1 is fantastic, Star Wars fan or not.

>304 charl08: I agree, Charlotte. But she has a soft spot - Isaiah had won her over.

>305 katiekrug: Me, too. Let's ask Charlotte what time we should be there...

>306 brodiew2: Oh, we really want to see that one, but we have been trying to find a time when we could all go together, which is not easy these days. I was ten for the first Star Wars - such a great memory! We are all HUGE Star Wars fans here at the Pecan Paradisio.

>306 brodiew2: Mamie! I missed you by two minutes!

>298 Crazymamie: My mini-reviews tend to focus on the weaknesses, so keep the star rating in mind which is a stronger indication of my thoughts on a book. A 7/10 is "very decent" as you say. Per my rating system, a 7/10 equals "Better than average but with some flaws. Recommended."

>308 Crazymamie: Hey! I was 12, you can't be younger than me. You have teenage and twentyage kids!

>310 Morphidae: Mamie, you definitely can't be younger than me! ;-P

edit: oops, bad math skills.

>309 brodiew2:, >311 brodiew2: Ha! You made me laugh, bad math skills and all! Correct me if I'm wrong, but the first movie came out in 1977, so that makes me older than you but younger than the fabulous Morphy. I was born in the awesome year of 1967 - I'll be 50 in 2017, which I am very excited about.

>310 Morphidae: I LOVE your mini-reviews - you know this! Always so full of sass, and I like your ten scale rating.

My kids are 24, 22, 20, and 18, but still I am 49. Anyway, years are nothing to you as you have the magic of being young at heart.

>261 Crazymamie: They are hosting a Pig Pickin' at the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh as one of the evening activities for the National Genealogical Society Conference. I'm probably going to skip it because it's a bit pricy. Of course the cost includes the buses from the convention center. I may change my mind, but I'll probably hit someplace else I enjoy instead.

>312 Crazymamie: I'm not old enough to have a 24 year old. Therefore you aren't old enough to have a 24 year old.

So there.

Nyah.

:P

>307 Crazymamie: Everyone welcome. Bonus points for keeping a straight face when my dad ends up opening some bright pink socks that were meant for my sister...

Morning, Mamie!

Hi Mamie!! Such beautiful pics of the furry family members! Have a happy day!

Morning Mamie! Happy Mid-Week! Is Christmas only 4 days away?

Hope those current reads are treating you well. I am actually surprised how much I am enjoying White Noise. It was not what I expected.

>313 thornton37814: But, Lori, it's serendipity. First my seeing the whole pic for sale in the holiday meat case, then Carrie telling me about pig pickin's and now this. I think the Universe wants you to go. And then report back here. Heh.

>314 Morphidae: My bad, Morphy. I could have sworn I had a 24 year old...

>315 charl08: Ohh, a challenge! I like it!

>316 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

>317 Carmenere: Morning, Lynda! Thank you! Hoping your day is also full of happy. I have been sitting here talking with Abby and Birdy, with the various cats and dogs on our laps and the tree all aglow, and now I am about to go walking with Abby, so my day is off to a fabulous start.

>318 msf59: Morning, Mark! Yep - only four days away. I need to get the wrapping finished. YIKES! My reading time is spotty these days, so mostly just a bit before bed and then some more when I wake up in the wee small hours of the morning, and the house is quiet as a mouse.

Can you listen to audios when you decorate, wrap or bake?

Good morning, Mamie!

>301 Crazymamie: Oh, I'm glad you liked the Dr. Strange movie. Me, too. Wasn't the cape a hoot?

We did get to see it in 3D, and you're right, it really works well that way.

>314 Morphidae: Nope, just your imagination. *snickers*

>321 msf59: Yes, Mark, I am very talented so I can listen to audios doing any of those things. And my new (to me) car has a spot that I can hook my iPod to, so now I can listen to audios while I drive, which is awesome.

>322 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! We LOVED the cape! Yesterday was the last day it was playing here, so sadly, I will not get to see it in 3-D, but I bet it was really good that way.

>323 Morphidae: Huh. So strange. Maybe I dreamed that I had a daughter who is 24.

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

I thought the mention of Rogue One might start a little conversation. But, alas, there must not be many Star Wars fans about. ;-P

Morning, Brodie! All is well. Just got back from a 3.8 mile walk with the girls and feeling very good about it. I know that Lynda saw it and loved it, I'm not sure who else has seen it yet. We need Abby and Rae, and then we could get the conversation flowing.

Hooray, for making "audio" time. It's great, that even when we are busy, we can still "do" the books. B.A.G.

>323 Morphidae: It was all a dream ala Dallas!

>327 msf59: *grin*

>328 Morphidae: Ha! You made me belly laugh, Morphy. Nicely done.

Okay, so on our walk this morning, the girls and I spotted a kind of creepy Christmas decoration. Well, it creeped us because Santa was inside the porta potty when we began walking by, and then peeked out at us. I mean, really, I think it is rude to not let Santa use the indoor facilities.

Keeping it classy in Georgia!

Right.

Heh. My neighbors have a life-sized, pretty realistic looking Santa on their front porch. At night, when it's only lit by the porch light, it look like a home invasion in progress. We've taken to calling it Santa Creeper. :)

I need to take a picture of the house a few streets away. It has a plastic (?) bottom half of Santa over one window, so it looks like he's climbing in. I believe there is crack visible.

Keeping it classy in New Jersey, too!

>334 drneutron: OH! The neighbors down the street have one of those, and it totally freaks me out even in the daytime, Jim. "Santa Creeper" cracked me up!

>335 katiekrug: Butt Crack Santa. Totally classy. I love embracing the elegance of the season.

>335 katiekrug: Remind me again of the difference between Texas and New Jersey? :D

Ha!

>337 drneutron: - In Texas, they say "y'all." In New Jersey, they say "youse." That's about it, as far as I can tell ;-)

Good to know. *files that info away*

I know you continued elsewhere but first.....

>227 Crazymamie: and >228 Crazymamie: and >231 Crazymamie: I LOVE these photos!!!!!