Mamie's 2017 Madness

My name is Mamie. 49. Mother of four. Happily married. I am an Indiana transplant currently residing in Georgia. I like to wax poetic about the pecan trees and complain about the heat. I miss winter. I believe in the power of kindness and shared laughter. I heartily embrace wine, snark, and shenanigans; I like to think of them as my posse.

This is my sixth year in the 75ers group. I will read almost anything (Um…NOT self-help), but I tend to lean towards crime fiction, space opera, and historical fiction. I have a soft spot for quirky characters and magical realism.
This group has greatly increased my reading of truth - I love memoirs, travel writing and narrative non-fiction. I am greatly looking forward to another reading year spent amidst the chaos of the 75.

......

....

snail's pace

Books Read in January:
1. Rivers of London: Volume 1: Body Work by Ben Aaronovitch, art by Lee Sullivan (3.75 stars), GN - police procedural, off my shelves
2. The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John LeCarré (5 stars), paperback/audio combo, espionage, off my shelves
3. The Chisellers by Brendan O'Carroll (4 stars), library paperback, historical fiction/humor - series recommended by Nancy

I am planning on walking the cat this year. That is, I am just going to go where my reading takes me. I am not committing to any challenges except for Ellen’s Reread Challenge, which is a perfect match for me because every year I reread multiple books. I love to reread - it’s like getting together with old friends. I like the comfort of knowing where I am going and the surprise of discovering new truths in a familiar landscape.

So some thoughts I have:

It would be nice to read some of the hundreds of books I have sitting on my shelves - especially the authors that I have multiple standalone books by, such as Elmore Leonard, Philip K. Dick, and George Orwell

I want to keep going on some of the series I focused on this past year as well as some that I have neglected for a while: Harry Bosch, Harry Hole, Inspector Montalbano, Bruno Courrèges, Barsetshire, the Vorkosigan Saga, The Others, Sebastian St. Cyr, ...

I would like to eventually read all of the books mentioned in The English Patient, starting with The Histories by Herodotus

Usually I list my print and ebook purchases, but I thought it might be fun to follow my audiobook purchases instead this year. My husband always gets me the 24 credit Audible membership for Christmas, so…

1.

Katie’s Dirty Dozen - That’s right, folks, KAK’s reserved spot is back for a third year, let’s see what she gets me with this time

Every year, LT is an embarrassment of riches for me. I like to keep track of who recommends what and any other pertinent info that lands a book on WL.

1. Winter by Christopher Nicholson - read Suz's review on her thread, it was one of her top reads from last year
2. News of the World by Paulette Jiles - because Mark said so!
3. The Return: Fathers, Sons, and Between by Hisham Matar - memoir -read Rhonda's review on her thread
4. Those Who Hunt the Night by Barbara Hambly - read Roni's blurb on her thread about this series
5. Knots and Crosses by Ian Rankin - series recommended by Deborah - read her review of the third book on her thread

That should do it - next one's yours!

Happy reading in 2017, Mamie!

Happy new thread, Mamie!

>8 FAMeulstee: Welcome, Anita! And thank you!

>9 susanj67: Thank you, Susan!

Mamie made it over!

*grin* Hey there, Jim!

Happy New Year! (dropping a star)

Thanks, Roni!

Happy New Year Mamie!

Thanks, Rhian! Happy New Year to you!

here's to you, Mame!

Thanks, Ellie! And that's perfect! "Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!"

I wish you from my heart health, happiness, satisfaction and much exciting read in 2017. May all your wishes come true.


from my hometown Zürich, Switzerland

Thank you so much, Barbara!

Hope 2017 is wonderful for you!

Found and starred you! Happy 2017 reading!

I am part of the group.
I love being part of the group.
I love the friendships bestowed upon my by dint of my membership of this wonderful fellowship.
I love that race and creed and gender and age and sexuality and nationality make absolutely no difference to our being a valued member of the group.

Thank you for also being part of the group.

Happy New Year, Mamie! Just continue the reading and stepping that you were doing at the end of 2016 and you will be off to a good start.

Nice try, trying to lose me. Found you! Aaaaand STARRED! Now you'll never be rid of me.

Happy new year, Mamie!

Ambling about in the semidarkness, I am. I marked this turf (NO no no. NOT that way). I may be weird, but I'm not a cat or dog.

Mamie! Happy new year! Dropping my star and waiting for the shenanigans to begin.

Hi Mamie! I found you in the introductions. I lived in Virginia for 7 years and a lot of people thought I was strange for missing real winter. I'm back in Michigan now, enjoying my snowy cold winters (although with fewer snow days than VA) :-)

Happy reading and happy new year!

Olly olly oxen free!

Hi Mamie, stopping by to wish you a Happy New Year. I think of you when I'm doing my steps. I may be walking in the new year in another hour! Funny story: got DH a Fitbit Charge HR for Christmas. As I stumbled out of bed the first day he wore it, I asked him how many steps he had. 12,000+ from his run. He is not going to get an invitation to our group!

Happy Reading in 2017!

Happy New Year!

>1 Crazymamie: Haha, good one.

Just stopping by to mark my place here before toddling off to bed. Yes, I am a party animal. Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Mom!!!!
(Trilled I'm the first person to post on your thread in the new year.)

The Oxen are Slow, But the Earth is Patient.

Holy crap three people beat me just while I was typing I'm very impressed

>34 thearlybirdy: Birdy, nice to see another of Mamie's lovely daughters setting out to enliven the group. xx

Btw Holy crap is about right - the threads do zing along a little for a few days at the beginning of a new year.

Hi Mamie! I have you starred!

Happy New Year, Mamie!

Happy New Thread, Dear Mamie! I love your toppers and sentiments. I am looking forward to reading and warbling with one of my favorite LTers.

Good morning, Y'all! It's a very overcast and rainy grey here this morning, and we're supposed to climb back into the 70s today, which I am not excited about. I am, however, very excited about all the possibilities that a New Year brings. I was hoping to clear my reading palette for a fresh start, but that did not happen - I still have just a few to finish up from last year.

So here's what I'm working on:

...

The Paper Menagerie by Ken Liu - this is a collection of short stories, and they are very well done. I tend not to read short story collections straight through unless the stories are interconnected. Short stories are not my favorite - I miss the character depth and the story arc that a novel provides, but I have experienced some truly fabulous collections, so I keep giving them a go. This one was recommended by Mark, and I remember Jim also really liking it, so it is worthy. Heh.

The Burma Road by Donovan Webster - this one was recommended by Paul over on Meg's thread last year when we were talking about WWII history and Burma in particular. I am learning a lot because I knew basically nothing about that aspect of the war. I have been interested in learning more about Burma since reading Emma Larkin's book Finding George Orwell in Burma, which I cannot recommended highly enough - so very good, but be warned that it will make you want to read Orwell and also learn more about Burma. I love when that happens - one book leads you to another and then another. Magic.

Suspended Sentences by Patrick Modiano - this is a collection of three novellas, and it is my first experience with Modiano's writing. I love the foggy feeling of it - he thinks and writes about memory so that you can feel the shadows and murkiness of it.

The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John LeCarré - I am listening to the audio, narrated by Michael Jayston, and he is very good. This is the third book in the George Smiley series.

>21 ChelleBearss: Thank you, Chelle!

>22 thornton37814: Thanks, Lori!

>23 PaulCranswick: Thanks for that, Paul!

>24 Familyhistorian: Thank you, Meg! I am very much hoping to continue with the reading and the stepping that I had been getting back in the groove with. I was all set to go walking this morning, but it is POURING here currently, so I will have ti wait a bit for it to taper off.

>25 katiekrug: I guess I wasn't stealthy enough, as you have tracked me down so quickly, Katie. But I am very happy about the star as I do not wish to be lost. Happy new Year to you!

>24 Familyhistorian: & >40 Crazymamie: Meg, Mamie - pleased to say that I have managed to replace the charger for my fitbit and will be back stepping shortly. Looking forward to seeing whether I can keep up with you "veterans" over the coming months!

Btw Are we to have the pleasure of the third of your lovely daughters this year, Mamie? I thought I saw a little Birdy flutter in and just as quickly disappear.

>26 weird_O: Bill, so good to have you here, and I am relieved (no, not that kind of relieved) that you just used a star to mark your spot.

>27 cbl_tn: Thank you, Carrie! I am very excited about a whole new year of shenanigans. I shall require assistance, of course.

>28 jennyifer24: Hi, Jenny! Welcome to my thread! We moved to Georgia four years ago, and while I think that Georgia has its own kind of beauty, I truly miss winter. Not necessarily the hassle of dealing with the icy roads and the frozen pipes, but the snow and the cold. Thanks so much for stopping in - I'll come find your thread when I catch up here. And thank you for those good wishes!

>29 Morphidae: Morphy made it! Hello there, dear one!

>30 Donna828: Hello, Donna! Are you feeling any better? You are always ahead of me with the stepping, but I am coming for you this year - I need to get back to it. I love your story of your husband's fitbit, but yes, he cannot join our group. LOL! Perhaps he could from his own group - Spouses of Lters who Fitbit. It could also be a support group. Ha!

Thank you for those wishes!

>31 Cmatha: Hello Cmatha, and welcome to my thread! How did you get that list of my New Year's Resolutions?! I love that image, and I thank you for those good wishes. I'll have to come find your thread when I am finished here.

>32 Storeetllr: Glad you like the topper, Mary! I pretty much went to bed as soon as we made it to the New Year, too, so we could party together. Heh.

>33 thearlybirdy:, >34 thearlybirdy: Birdy!!! How lovely to see you here! *Ladies and Gentlemen, my youngest daughter* You know I love that quote! And I see that you have earned how quickly the threads move this time of year. I am very excited that you have decided to have a thread this year - can't wait to see it.

>35 PaulCranswick: How did you figure out that she was Birdy, Paul? LOL.

>36 kgodey: Hello, Kriti! Welcome to my thread! And thanks for the star! I'll come find you in a minute.

>37 DianaNL: Thank you, Diana!

>38 msf59: Morning, Mark! I love that image! And I am thrilled that you love my topper and sentiments - thank you for that and for your kind words. you are also one of m favorite Lters - this place would not be the same without you!

Morning Mamie! (No, Jamie, on the home computer. Grins...) What a nice surprise to see Birdy make an appearance on my thread. Yah!! Looking to seeing what she likes to read.

I hope The Paper Menagerie speaks to you, the way it did me. What a terrific collection.

Morning, Mark! I am happy to hear that the home computer knows my name. LOL! It IS nice to see Birdy around here, isn't it? She is going to put a thread up today - she reads a lot of GNS and manga, but she also loves fantasy, Jane Austen, fractured fairy tales, the classics... She is a very eclectic reader. And she is full of snark and joy in equal amounts, so you will love her.

I am really liking The Paper Menagerie - a little more than halfway through it, so I should finish it up this month. Thanks so much for recommending it.

" She is a very eclectic reader." My favorite kind of reader. B.A.G.

I did not realize you were so far along in the story collection. Good for you. He is such a smart writer.

She is a lot of fun, and I'm not just saying that because she's my daughter. I should have finished the story collection already, but I kept getting distracted by murder mysteries. Bad Mamie!

Happy New Year, Mamie.

Thanks, Beth!

psst...Happy New Year

Thank you, Kimberly!

Happy New Year, Mamie! I like the sound of your reading plans — or unplans, as the case may be.

Thank you, Julia! I'm thrilled to see you here! Yes - unplans, I like the sound of that.

Happy New Year Mamie!

Thanks, Roberta!

My daughter, Birdy, joined the group this year, and she has her first ever thread! You can find her here: thearlybirdy's Nest if you would like to drop in on her.

What a beautiful group you have, Mamie.

Thank you, Beth! The photo is a couple years old, but it is one of my favorites.

I remember when that picture was taken.

*grin*

Lovely new thread Mamie. I was going to say how much I like the old Toney photos, but I think >57 Crazymamie: tops them.

ETA or even timey. Not sure who Toney is...

Thank you, Charlotte! Glad you like my choice of photos. I love the old black and white photos, and of course, Birdy's blue hair was da Bomb!

>57 Crazymamie: I LOVE that family photo! One of my favorites!

Now, we have to get Daniel to start a thread...

Hi Mamie, thank you for stopping by my thread! Love your thread topper! I see you are keen to keep going with your series reading. I will be joining you in hopefully reading more Sebastian St. Cyr.

Relying on my Irish heritage to leave you the following New Years wishes for your and your family:

That blue hair is brilliant! I'd love to be brave enough to go that inspired, but I'm also far too lazy to keep it up, so the occasional highlights will have to do.

Happy New Year Mamie, and I hope 2017 ends up being a brilliant one for you.

Thanks, Mark! Laughing about Daniel starting a thread, although he does like to read - mostly fantasy and dystopian and GNS. He is a big Tolkien and Jim Butcher fan, but he also likes authors like Gary Paulsen. He stays very active - working, and when he isn't working he's hanging with friends, usually in some sport's related thing. He loves disk golf and ultimate frisbee and has recently started playing spikeball.

>65 lkernagh: Lori - great to see you! Glad you like the topper. I love me a series, so I am very excited about focusing a bit on the ones I have going currently - Sebastian St. Cyr is so fun!

Thanks so much for those New Year wishes - how lovely!

>66 lunacat: Jenny! She loved the blue hair, and it looked great on her. She kept it for Fall and winter, and then went back to her natural color for Spring and Summer since she spends a lot of time in the pool. Our Birdy is a fish! Ha!

Thanks so much for those wishes. I am hoping that 2-017 is full of fabulous for you. And did I mention that I am SO excited that you have a thread?!

Forgot to mention that last night we watched The Accountant, and all of us really liked it.

>39 Crazymamie: Looking forward to your review of The Burma Road. I had a similar experience with Finding George Orwell in Burma. Always neat to find someone as powerfully affected by a book as I was.

Happiest of New Years!

>39 Crazymamie: Oh, dearie me, book bullets already. How will I ever get fifty read from my shelves if I keep visiting your thread?

I'll be watching The English Patient later today. I decided a rewatch was due after your comments -who-knows-how-many-threads-ago.

>70 Oberon: Hello, Erik! I am really liking it so far - loads of detail but not at all boring. And pictures - I love when they include photos. I am thinking of rereading Finding George Orwell in Burma this year for Ellen's Reread Challenge - such a great book.

>71 streamsong: Thank you, Janet! Maybe I'll read some books that just happen to also be on your thread - then it's a win, win. I thought they did a good job with the movie, but I love the book so much more - the movie had to leave a lot out.

Already I can't keep up! Love the idea of "walking the cat". Also the New Year's resolution.

It'll slow down, Lucy - you know how the beginning of the year is. Glad you like my cat walking. It's more of an idea than a resolution, as I always fail at those. Heh. it's lovely to see you here!

>1 Crazymamie: "Love!"

Happy New Year, Mamie! Your thread is rocking and rolling already!

Looking forward to enjoying a new year with you, my friend.

Birdy?! How great. I'll stop by. Maybe Dan next year? :-)

How's Daniel's leg?

Making the rounds. Have your *. Hope you and yours have a wonderful year.

Birdy has a thread going there now!

>57 Crazymamie: Bah! I always guess wrong on these kinds of tests. Post mentions one person--daughter Birdy. Surmising that the person with the sunglasses isn't anyone's daughter, I'm baffled. What's the clue I'm missing? This old fart is lost without name tags.

>78 weird_O: It's her son, Daniel.

>75 jnwelch: Hey there, Joe! Glad you love the topper!! I think most of the threads are rocking today - it's that time of year. I am also looking forward to another year of sharing our reading journeys. Birdy is very happy about starting a thread, and Rae has started hers now, too. Dan? I am thinking not.

>76 Morphidae: Doing so well, Morphy, thanks for asking. He still is working on rehabbing it, but he has a lot more flexibility now. It doesn't bother him unless he has to be on it for a long time. The ankle is going to always be bigger on that side, but that's what happens when they have to put metal in there. He's back to being very active on it. I was thankful, though, that he said no more softball.

>77 BBGirl55: Hello, Bryony! Thanks for the star and for those good wishes. Yep - Birdy has a thread. Most exciting!!

>78 weird_O: My bad, Bill. Let's try it again:


Abigail, Rae, Daniel, and Birdy - they are all mine. Rae is the oldest, then Daniel, then Abby, and finally Birdy (ages 24, 22, 20, 18)

>79 Morphidae: Thanks, Morphy.

Are they all on LT now, Mamie? What are their LT names, the ones that are?

ETA I love Birdy's hair!

When you read about Merrill's Marauders in The Burma Road, my dad was one of them! Hmm, this may have to go on my wishlist.

Great picture of the kids--I well remember Birdie's cobalt hair!

Hey, Mary. Nope - Dan is not here, and Abby hasn't decided if she will have a thread or not.

Birdy is thearlybirdy and her thread is here: thearlybirdy's Nest

Rae is GeezLouise and her thread is here: Rae's Reality

We all loved that blue hair on Birdy - it suited her personality.

>83 ronincats: Oh. My. Word. Roni - that is so cool. Looks like they come up in chapter ten, so I am not quiet there yet. The book is very well written and very interesting so far.

I need to get a newer one of all four of them, but I really love that photo. Birdy's hair was awesomeness.

Mamie!! Happy new year! LOVE that family photo - your kiddos are lovely.

Hi there and Happy New Year, Mamie. Your thread is nuts as usual. No wonder I often find myself in the dust watching that little speck in the distance as it races away from me like a bullet train!!

>39 Crazymamie: I *here she goes already* have been meaning to read The Spy who Came in from the Cold for a gazillion years. ;)

Love the new thread, and your cat walking challenge intentions :) Last year I participated in exactly one challenge, if you don't count the 75 books challenge, and it was the Bowie's Top 100 one a month challenge. That I actually managed to do it was a miracle.

Lovely to see you in the group, and I hope to get knuckling down with some reading and some thread visiting.

>86 scaifea: Thank you, Amber!

>87 Fourpawz2: Hello, Charlotte! Sorry about the nuttiness, although it does say crazy right in my username. I think all of the threads are a bit crazy this time of year - fun but also kind of frantic.

>88 LovingLit: Hey, Megan! I am liking The Spy Who Came in From the Cold - I have had the books on my shelves for a while, so it;s nice to be finally getting to them. Go me!

So happy you like the new digs. I tagged a long for some of those Bowie reads, and it was a lot of fun - are you and Kim doing it again this year?

I thank you for those kind words - I am happy to see you back, too. Can't wait to hear what Lenny and Wilbur get up to this year!!

Hi Mamie! Dropping off a star, getting a chuckle out of the picture at >1 Crazymamie: and loving the photo of your kids. They look like they are good friends. #lifegoals

Hi, Mamie. Following back! Love the quote at the top - it really resonates with me!

Book #1: Rivers of London: Volume 1 Body Work by Ben Aaronovitch, art by Lee Sullivan (4 stars), GN - police procedural, recommended by Heather

Heather reviewed this one on her thread last year, which is what landed it on my list. This GN falls between Foxglove Summer and The Hanging Tree. It's a really fun short story, and I liked the artwork even though some of the characters, especially Nightingale, were not as I pictured them. A nice little interlude to lull us over until the long awaited The Hanging Tree comes out here. If you have not tried this series, I highly recommend it - the audios of the novels are fabulous, narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, who brings something extra to the stories with his voices and inflections.

Happy Sunday, Mamie! The Spy Who Came In from the Cold has been in my TBRs for several years now. I plan to read it for the BAC in March.

>90 nittnut: Hello, Jenn. Glad you got a chuckle out of the topper! My kids are a tight bunch - they are all totally cool individuals, and while they have their moments (like any siblings), they have a great dynamic together.

>91 rretzler: Hello, Robin, and welcome to my thread! If the quote resonates with you, then you will fit right in here.

>93 cbl_tn: Happy Sunday, Carrie! Hooray for The Spy Who Came in From the Cold - we can compare notes after you've read it, which is always fun.

Found you!!

Happy New Year to the Paradisio Gang! Wishing you a box of wonderful in 2017!

>96 Berly: Hooray, Kim's here! And you brought refreshment!! Hope your feeling better.

>97 Carmenere: Thank you, Lynda! A box of wonderful sounds just perfect.

Morning Mamie! Happy Monday! I stalled out on the River of London series. I think I read the first 4, but the last 2 were just okay. The GN adaptations do look good though.

I am loving News of the World. This is soooooooo your cuppa. Just sayin'. Plus it is a shorty, which is always a bonus.

See? The warbling continues unabated.

My parents had a cat they used to walk. His name was Jack, and they'd take him on the lead for picnics in their local park, tie him to a tree, and he'd hang out and watch the world while they ate. He also adored cucumber and would beg my mum for slices when he heard her chopping some. Strange boy!

>99 msf59: Morning, Mark! Happy Pre-Tuesday! I agree that the first four are better than the last two - I am hoping the next one will be back on track. I thought the GN was a great way to introduce a short story set between books.

I will add News of the World to the list - I am thinking that Beth also loved that one. And hooray for the warbling - I wouldn't have it any other way.

>100 lunacat: I love that story, Jenny. There is a man who frequents the local coffee shop who has a rather large ginger tabby that walks on a leash. He loops the leash around an outside chair while he goes in to order his coffee, and the cat sits patiently, looking very regal.

Morning, lady!

Hi Mamie! It's a public holiday here so Monday is sliding by rather nicely. I'm still not looking directly at it, though. Just in case.

>102 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

>103 susanj67: Hello, Susan! It's a public holiday here, too - but Craig is on call, so he is at the office. And right - don't make eye contact or look directly at it, Monday's are sneaky and should be given a wide berth.

Interesting that there is a graphic version of Rivers of London . . . and yep, I can see how the audio books could be wonderful. So many are!

Lucy, I cannot recommend the audiobooks highly enough - they are full of fabulous. And the GN is just a short story that falls in between the last two novels, so not a graphic version of the novels.

Morning, Mamie!

>80 Crazymamie: Ha! Yeah, I don't think we'll be getting son Jesse on LT either, although he's a big time reader (mostly sci-fi and NF).

I didn't think the Rivers of London GN was a knockout, but I enjoyed visiting with the characters visually after reading the originals.

>107 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! Well, that's our loss because Jesse and Daniel are both full of fabulous. I agree that the Rivers of London GN was not a knockout, but I thought it was a good vehicle for a novella. I would have liked more depth to it.

So the Pecan Paradisio Book Club has made it's first selection of the year - our January read will be The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner. Jenn's warbling from last year has gotten us to bump this one up. The poor dear has been languishing on our shelves for a very long time now. In fact, it made the move with us from Indiana. *embarrassed cough*

>109 Crazymamie: I love the idea of "The Pecan Paradisio Bookclub"; Mamie. It is one of the few names that I coined that have genuinely stuck and seems to suit your happy and loving family to a T.

That one was a Christmas gift a few years ago on LT. How will you do it? Do you all have your own copy? Is it an audio book? Will you read it aloud? Will you take turns?

Hello, Paul! We love the name Pecan Paradisio. And thank you for those kind words.

We have one print copy, and we also have it on Kindle, as I picked it up when it was offered for $.99. So Rae, who prefers a physical book, will probably read the print copy, and the rest of us will read it on Kindle - all our Kindles are linked to the same account, so we just have one massive library that belongs to me, but which we share.

Great photo of your kids, Mamie. Gosh how they've matured since I last saw pics of them a year ago. Love Birdy's hair!

Caro!!! Most exciting to see you on the threads! You have been greatly missed. That photo is actually a couple of years old, but they look pretty much the same since they are fully grown - just Birdy does not have that fabulous blue hair anymore.

Aww.... thanks, Mamie. That's so sweet of you. I'm bummed Birdy is no longer sporting that glorious blue hair. She gave up the blue for.... green? maroon? some other fabulous color that matches her personality?

You're welcome. I miss Birdy's blue hair, too. She just has her natural blond right now, but I'm sure that she'll be up to something out of the box before we know it.

Oh, great choice for your January read, Mamie!

Thanks, Roni!

Happy New Year, Mamie! I really love that picture of your children, I can see why it's one of your favorites. Like Daniel, I also love Jim Butcher. I was lucky to get quite a few of his books, eleven I think for 70 cents at the end of my local library sale about 2 years ago! Of course, then I had to start buying them as they came out and I listen to them on audio whenever one pops up. I haven't read most of them yet since I keep them in the storage ottoman in my dining room. I keep forgetting until I try to move the ottoman so I actually put my feet on it and it's too heavy to move! Let's hope that Kevin doesn't discover that hiding place...

I'm looking forward to seeing what you think of The Thief!

>118 Dianekeenoy: Thank you, Diane! So glad you love the photo - it captures their personalities, as at the very last moment Daniel leaned forward putting his arms around Rae and Birdy, effectively shutting Abby out just to make Abby and I laugh. And Abby's totally on to him - look at her expression! Ha!

I have only read a few by Butcher - the first several in his Dresden series. I love the audiobooks, which are narrated by the fabulous James Marsters. Craig loves all of his stuff, but his favorite are the Furies of Calderon books, which Daniel also loves. I have not read those yet. And I am wanting to read his latest effort - The Aeronaut's Windlass, which I have heard only good things about.

I love the story of your secret hiding place - so secret you even hid them from yourself. Too funny!

>119 kgodey: I am excited to get to it, Kriti.

Crazy--It's not Monday...it's still Happy New Year!! I am jealous that you have your very own family book club. Love it!!

Book #2: The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John LeCarré (5 stars), paperback/audio combo, espionage, off my shelves

This was a perfect read for me. Hard to believe that it was written more than 50 years ago - it stands up brilliantly. This is the third book in the George Smiley series, although Smiley is not a prominent character here. I started this on audio, which is narrated by Michael Jayston, who does a very good job of it. I switched to print at the end because I wanted to go faster - I had to know what happened! A great entry for fans of espionage thrillers - Alec Leamus, who is the British head of the Berlin section of MI5 spies, is given the chance to get even with an old enemy. All he has to do is disgrace himself, serve time in prison and then defect so that he can set his story up - an incredible scheme designed to discredit and permanently take care of the man responsible for killing off Leamus' best people. Sounds so simple, right? What could possibly go wrong?

This was LeCarré's first big hit, and I am excited to read more of his work. Highly recommended.

>121 Berly: It's not Monday? Most excellent news, Kim. Hopefully we can keep our book club going - so far we have only read two books, but then we just started inOctober of last year. How are you feeling today - any better?

>123 Crazymamie: Two books is more than my family has read together!! Just saying. I still feel like yuk. But thanks for asking. ; )

So sorry to hear that you still feel like yuk. Total bummer. Sending healing vibes and good mojo your way stat.

I really enjoyed the Rivers of London series. I read them first and was ambivalent, then got them on audio and discovered I appreciated them more in that format.

Cats always manage to look regal until the point they fall off the sofa while chasing their own tails. Something that happens with disturbing regularity in my household. I still need to talk the BF into a cat though, I'm at his a lot (indeed, currently) and it's not the same without a moggy.

Hello, Jenny! Yep - the audio is awesomesauce for those books. It brings a something extra to the books.

Cats are so entertaining! I love when they accidentally misjudge things, then spontaneously bathe themselves as if to say, I totally meant to do that. Crossing my fingers that you can talk the BF into a cat. I am totally enamored of our three.

Happy New Year, Mamie! Your new thread is suffused with awesome imagery.

>1 Crazymamie: I love this quote and it is a fine description. :-)

>3 Crazymamie: >4 Crazymamie:> >6 Crazymamie: these classic photos are cute. They made me smile.

>57 Crazymamie: What a lovely family you have. I'll be sure to drop in on Birdy's thread.

>69 Crazymamie: I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed The Accountant. I've been looking forward to it. The premise sounds very interesting.

Happy New Year, Brodie! And thank you. I had a lot of fun deciding how to set up my thread and what images I wanted to post - my favorite part of a new year here. Hooray for dropping in on Birdy's thread - she'll love it.

The Accountant was really good - Affleck did a very good job with his character. One I will definitely watch again.

>120 Crazymamie: I got Rae and Abby mixed up in that picture. I thought Rae would be a bit more stand-offish but considering that look on Abby's face, I guess I should I have known better!

Re: Butcher - I actually prefer the Fury books to the Dresden books. There's more growth of the characters and it's not so noir. The Aeronaut's Windlass was really good, too.

Too funny, Morphy! Rae comes across more as shy, but she does tend to stand back and observe - just not with us for things like photos. She doesn't usually like to be touched, but she will put up with it from us because she has a HUGE heart. She has even mastered some sarcasm, of which I am extremely proud. She just keeps pushing the envelope, which is a beautiful thing.

I need to read the Fury books - Abby read the first one and loved it. I like the Dresden books on audio just because Marsters does the narration, but Dresden is so angsty that he gets on my nerves, so I have to just space them out. And yes, I NEED to get to The Aeronaut's Windlass!

>122 Crazymamie: Will make a relistening of that one later this year. I loved the book when I've read it years ago.

>89 Crazymamie: no more Bowie reads for me this year, unless I happen upon one and just read it. The pressure of challenges is too much, I am usually a glance and grab kinda girl!

>132 Ameise1: Oh, good, Barbara. I am guessing I will reread it somewhere down the road.

>133 LovingLit: Good thinking, Megan. I'm skipping the challenges this year except for Ellen's - I just want to fly by the seat of my pants, so glance and grab sounds good!

>131 Crazymamie: There is some angst in the Fury books. But that's because he starts off in the first book as a teen boy and it comes with the territory. It's not overdone and he, for the most part, grows out of it. It doesn't define him as it does Dresden, if you know what I mean.

Yep, I totally get that - makes sense, Morphy. Thanks for the heads up.

OHMYGOSH, The Thief!! One of my favorite series of all time, ever! I can't wait to see what you all make of it.

So, Amber, how do you feel about the series?

>109 Crazymamie: Hooray!! It is so good. It's on my re-read list this year, and I only just read it last year. *grin*

Hello again, Mamie! Please let me know if you or any of the fam see the film 'Hell or High Water'. I'm eager for other opinions.

Great family photo, Mamie. Good for you getting with the stepping. I am out and about today and think I should get extra steps for walking on ice!

>139 nittnut: I am starting to get just a bit nervous, Jenn. Um...what if I don't like it? Oh right! That could never happen because you and Amber and Roni all love it. It practically has the LT Seal of Approval stamped right on it. Seriously, I am very much looking forward to finally reading it.

>140 brodiew2: Hey, Brodie. I have actually seen both. I saw hell years ago when Craig, Rae and I vacationed with his parents up in Minnesota at the tiny family cabin with no electricity or plumbing. And my MIL, who is a lousy cook prepared all the meals - that's when I found out that to her "stew" was a pot of boiling water with all of the leftovers from the fridge in it. And I have seen high water many times - I grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana - city of three rivers, so it floods on a yearly basis. Oh, wait. You meant the film? Oh...um...no. I haven't seen that one.

>141 Familyhistorian: Thank you, Meg! I am lousy with the stepping today - we went from lovely 50s weather to very humid 70s with rain, and as a result I have a killer headache. I am not good with pressure changes. You should definitely get extra steps for the ice walking. Or, at the very least bonus stairs or something.

Evening, Mamie! Weather headache here, too. :-( I'm going to try an ice pack and see if that will take the edge off.

>42 Crazymamie:
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>122 Crazymamie: Lovely review of The Spy Who Came In From the Cold. I really should read these — do you recommend reading the Smiley series in order?

>144 cbl_tn: Evening, Carrie. A kindred soul! Let me know if the ice pack helped.

>145 brodiew2: Sorry, Brodie - I couldn't resist.

>146 rosalita: Thank you, Julia! Okay, this is a tough one because I have only read the first three books, and although each of the first two reveals things about Smiley's character that I think will be insightful later in the series, the third could honestly be a standalone. Smiley is there but just barely, really. So, don't start with the second one, but you could just read the third one, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, and if the writing and story appeals, then go back and start at the beginning. I am very curious to see where the fourth book lands.

Have you guys seen these new Cupid's Messages m&m's? They are "3x the chocolate per piece", so larger and have messages on them like the Valentine's Conversation Hearts. They get the Mamie Thumb of Approval. They go nicely paired with wine. *blinks*

M&Ms look good. But I don't drink wine. Perhaps a nice refreshing glass of water?

*blinks back*

>149 katiekrug: Presumably you mean water mixed with grapes and left to sit for a while? That kind of water? It's just like some form of squash or cordial really.

>149 katiekrug: Yeah, let me know how that works out for you, Katie. *sputters*

>150 lunacat: I think you might be on to something there, Jenny.

>148 Crazymamie: >149 katiekrug: Milk. Milk sounds good.

Ooh, weather migraine here today as well--not something I'm thrilled to share!

3x the chocolate, you say...?! Hmm, that could work.
Glad the Le Carré is working so well.

>148 Crazymamie: Whenever you *blink* I know something good is afoot. Especially when KK *blinks back*! : )

>138 Crazymamie: Ha! I will say this, though: if you're not absolutely in love by the end of the first book, KEEP GOING - that first one is still really good, but the series takes off exponentially after that one. Just sayin'.

Also, please pass the triple-sized M&Ms...

Some of you might have seen on the news the footage of storms and tornadoes that swept through the South late last night - we are fine and we have no damage to our property. There are lots of downed trees and power outages in our area, but although we lost power several times last night, we are good to go now.


On the reading front, I started The Chisellers last night. This is the second book in the Agnes Browne trilogy written by Brendan O'Carroll and recommended by Nancy. I will finish this today, but so far it is just as full of humor, wit and charm as the first book. I love these books set in Ireland starting in the late 60s. This one is set in 1970, three years after the first book.


I also started How to Read Literature Like a Professor. This one is written by Thomas C. Foster and was recommended by Carrie. I read through the intro and the first chapter, so just getting started, but so far I like it.

>152 Morphidae: Milk?! Oh, dear. I don't even know what to do with that.

>153 ronincats: And back again today, Roni. 70s muggy weather today, but we have another front coming through, and the weather stations are announcing that winter will arrive this weekend, which is cracking me up.

>154 charl08: They are most yummy, Charlotte. I am excited to get to the next book in the LeCarré series, but I am going to try wait so I can get to some other books first. You know how great I am with waiting, so we'll see.

>155 Berly: I don't know what you're talking about, Kim. *blink twice*

>156 scaifea: Good to know, Amber. Thanks for that. *passes the the giant m&ms*

Oh gosh, I didn't know you were getting storms last night - I'm glad that you're all safe and sound!

>157 Crazymamie: So glad to hear the storms did not damage your little corner of Paradise, Mamie. Thanks for the tips about the M&Ms (must look for those) and also the Agenes Browne trilogy, which I'm not at all familiar with but sounds like something I would really love. I received How to Read Literature Like a Professor as a gift last year but haven't cracked it open yet, so I'm interested to see how you get on with it.

>159 scaifea: We're good to go, Amber. Lots of school and business closing as there are trees and power lines down. Kind of a mess, but no deaths reported, so that is very good.

>160 rosalita: We were lucky, Julia. Craig's office could not open today because of trees down, and the roads are a mess in areas.

Hoping you can find the m&ms - delightful! The first book in the Agnes Browne trilogy is The Mammy, and I highly recommend it - poignant and full of humor. You will love Agnes! I will be sure to report back with my thoughts on How to Read Literature Like a Professor.

>122 Crazymamie: I read The spy who came in from the cold in december and agree is did not feel dated at all. Altough it was a comforting thought for me that the days of Cold War and Iron Curtain were over, it might have felt to thrilling in those days.

>161 Crazymamie: Schools here are closed today, too - fog and slippery roads, apparently. I'm okay with that, since it means a whole day with my favorite 2nd grader...

Hello, Anita! I am wondering how it would read to my children, who have not experienced the Cold War or the Iron Curtain - so strange to think how much the world has changed since I was their ages.

>163 scaifea: Hooray for an extra day with Charlie!! I still remember sitting by the radio listening to the school announcements, fingers crossed, and chanting please, please, please for the snow day - always a delight to get an unexpected day off. And I loved school, but still...

Morning Mamie! Love the idea of the PP Book Club! A family that reads together.........!
Ya know what?! I think I'll pull our my copy of How to Read Literature and read it next. Afterall, I've owned it for years and since I do read literature quite a lot I guess it's time to read it like a professor :00

>157 Crazymamie: I'm going to have to read that Foster book. The digital gods are hounding me about. About a week ago, I ran across the reading list that's in the back of the book on line. Curious about the book, I checked it out at amazon. Literally the next day, I spied a copy of it whilst making my Final Twenty-Sixteen Book Buy at, of all places, Goodwill. So I have a copy. But the damn amazon follows me on my internet journeys, badgering me through ads for the book.

>158 Crazymamie: Oh, puhlease... Milk always goes with chocolate. Especially cookies. Especially Oreos. Especially Double Stuff Oreos. Oh, man. Now I want Oreos. See what you did there?

Happy New Year Mummy and Happy Reading in the Pecan Paradisio Bookclub! :)
Such a lovely picture, and blue hair never looked as good as on Birdie (and that includes the blue-haired fairy in the original Pinocchio)!
I'm not promising to follow throughout the year as I have been such a terrible follower in 2015 and 2016, but I starred you and will do my best.

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

My parents experienced some serious flooding in Mississippi back the late 60s, but thankfully, I've never been flooded out.

Good morning, Mamie!

Hope all is well at the Pecan Paradisio. What a treat to have Birdy with us this year!

>168 Morphidae: Nope. I have no idea what you're talking about, Morphy. And Oreos are very good with wine. Just saying...

>169 Deern: Hey there, Nathalie! And thank you. Birdy did rock that blue hair, didn't she?! No worries about keeping up - you are welcome to just always drop to the bottom and say hello.

>170 brodiew2: Morning, Brodie! Yep - all is well. I grew up just two blocks from one of those rivers in Fort Wayne, and we got flooded out all the time. We had loads of school days that were spent sand bagging because our high school was right on the river and when the waters rose, it always flooded the bottom level of the school. Ah, memories...

>171 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! Everything is perfectly fine here, though there is power out all around town - the phone lines were out at the vet's this morning and the library did not have internet.

Glad you are enjoying Birdy's presence in the 75 - she is so fun to be around and if she is not bubbling over with happy, then you know she is sick. She's a treasure, our Birdy.

Morning Mamie! Glad all is well at the Paradiso.

I am honking along, like crazy, but otherwise trudging along. The temps are mild at the moment and that helps too.

I was once asked to participate in a recipe exchange at work for easy and quick meals, so I wrote out instructions on how to open a bottle of wine and a package of Oreos. Heh.

Morning, Mark! Yep - we're good! You poor baby with the cough - no fun at all. Craig has had one forever - just can't seem to shake it.

Temps are definitely mild here - very humid and 69F currently. We're going to 75 today. UGH!

>174 katiekrug: Oh, I love that, Katie! So did you list that as an appetizer, the main course, or dessert? Personally, I would go with appetizer.

I wasn't asked to categorize it, but as far as I'm concerned, it's a 3-course meal in and of itself :)

To dress it up for dessert, I occasionally like to spread some peanut butter on top of the Oreo... But that extra step may be too much on a busy night.

>174 katiekrug: I don't like oreos, but I'll take the wine as a recipe! We're looking at making our own alcohol again this year (not with grapes, mostly with other fruit) but it's rather more complicated than 'open bottle'. Sometimes, that's the only recipe you need.

Happy new year Mamie! So behind here....

>92 Crazymamie: So pleased you enjoyed the first Rivers of London GN - I am impatiently waiting for the next volume from the library.

On the subject of walking cats, our cat often insists that we go for walks with her. Not with her on a lead as you might expect but she wants us to walk round the block so that she can follow - darting from hedge to hedge with that special run on tiptoes cats do when they're trying to get somewhere quickly unseen. I'm not sure if she's trying to train us to patrol our territory properly or using us like sacrificial canaries (if anything bad's going to happen it will happen to us and she can run home). She is a strange cat in many ways.....

>174 katiekrug: *snork*

>180 souloftherose: All the cats we have owned have wanted to come with us on walks. I had one who used to have to be captured and put in the house before I took the dog for a walk, or she'd come all the way along, including through woods etc. I was too scared of losing her to let her continue, but occasionally we wouldn't have corralled her and I'd realise I had a tagalong behind me.

I do like the idea of her training you as sacrificial canaries. Of course, that will only work if she also has thumbs in order to open the front door. One of our girls tries to train us to hunt by bringing back half dead animals and yowling and chirping for us to come and get them, then sitting and watching as we don't catch them. It's rather unpleasant, but the behaviour is so clearly a mothercat towards her kittens, it's also hard to be cross.

>180 souloftherose: That is too funny, I've never heard of a cat doing that. Maybe she's spying on your neighbors, and needs you to act as a diversion.

>177 katiekrug: Right. What was I thinking?

>178 katiekrug: That's so true, plus it raises the difficulty level from novice to intermediate.

>179 lunacat: All I want to do is open the bottle, Jenny, but I wish you good luck with your wine making.

>180 souloftherose: Thank you, Heather! Now I'm wondering if the next one is out here yet. The Hanging Tree doesn't come out here until the end of the month, and I am chomping at the bit.

I LOVE your cat story!! Way to go, Erica!

>181 lunacat: I have never had a cat want to come on a walk with me, Jenny! We'll see if Mayhem or Mischief does that. Mercy has absolutely no interest in going outdoors. I love your stories, but I would not want the bringing back of half dead animals. I think it is a lovely compliment that one of your cats sees potential in all of you to become hunters.

>182 thearlybirdy: You made me laugh, Birdy! That probably exactly it!

>179 lunacat: - Making things myself tends to ruin it for me. It's why I don't cook :)

>184 Crazymamie: >185 katiekrug: The wine we made actually came out alcoholic, much to our amazement! It needed a lot of sweetening to make it drinkable which, given we added a lot of sugar at the start, means it must be quite potent. Alas, we have no way of working out what strength it is other than the drink test - how tipsy do we feel after a glass of it. Are we lying on the floor or do we feel completely fine? Always a fun game.

>184 Crazymamie: it's certainly not the most pleasant. In actual fact, I'm being unfair to her, most of what she brings back is dead which is better. Although it does lead to a fair number of mouse tails on the patio............for some (unknown to anyone but her) reason she doesn't like to eat the tails. Maybe they are just too stringy, or get stuck in her teeth? Who knows!

Reading this back, I realise I lead a very strange life. At least one of the others has stopped catching live bats, bringing them in and letting them go in the house.

Crazy--Glad you and yours survived the weather!! Laughing at all the kitty stories, and the recipes!

>172 Crazymamie: >174 katiekrug: Yeah, but who dunks Oreos in *wine*? You have to milk for the dunkage. I mean... really.

>184 Crazymamie: Far too chewy. Rather like rubber. And cats get bored easily.

Mamie, I've liked both of the Foster books I've read, although I still don't feel like a professor. He is surprisingly witty and rekindles many fond reading memories. By the way, DH walked/ran 25,000+ steps yesterday. It is hard living with him these days...

>185 katiekrug: I love to cook, but I do not want to make my own wine. That seems above and beyond the call of duty.

>186 lunacat: I am so in favor of the alcohol part - in fact, I highly recommend it. And the tasting does sound fun, but I still don't want to do the part with the work. And I am not good with waiting.

If I were going to eat a mouse, I would also leave the tail. Just saying...

>187 Berly: Thanks, Kim! This thread is one stop shopping with the help of all of you. I mean, what else could you possibly need?

>188 Morphidae: But doesn't the milk soak into the Oreo then, meaning you would actually be consuming the milk? *blinks* I don't dunk, but I think the wine would be just fine for dunking.

I agree the tails would be too chewy.

>189 Donna828: Which two did you read, Donna? I loved the he said the reason he doesn't assign the book for his course is because all of his jokes are in there, so then he would have to come up with new jokes to use while teaching.

I am SO glad that the DH is not on LT, so he can't possibly join our Fitbit group! Of course, Birdy is here now, so I will have to send her an invite, and then maybe she won't be looking so cute to y'all. She is a crazy walker.

>191 Crazymamie: I'm so contrary. I don't even know why I'm debating the point since I'm not a dunker. I peel the Oreo apart and eat the center first. LOL.

Okay. Now you made me belly laugh. Too funny, Morphy!!

If it's morning, I dunk my Oreos in milk. 12:01 or later, and there is no dunkage!

>192 Morphidae: - Made me laugh, too!

I am not a fan of milk, unless it is steamed and poured into espresso. Then I adore it. I like that you have standards, Katie.

>191 Crazymamie: I do not have this problem. I got Oreos (mint Oreos no less) for Christmas. My children ate them all. So I have nothing left to consider dunking or not dunking.

Oh, dear, Erik! I LOVE those mint Oreos! They are probably my favorite. So thoughtful of your children to spare you the dunking dilemma.

Finally getting a chance to browse and star threads and here you are at nearly 200 already.

Happy New Year!

LOVE the topper!

Off to go say hello to Birdy and Rae

And then I have to go find those M&Ms

I'm not a dunker either. I take my oreos Morphy style.

I always drink milk with oatmeal and occasionally with something spaghetti-ish. I use milk in cereal. (Can't remember the last time I ate cereal though but used to every morning.) Rarely I'll drink milk with a chocolatey dessert (e.g. Oreos, chocolate cake.)

Hello, Juli! Happy New Year to you! So happy you love the topper. And hooray for dropping in on Birdy and Rae - they will be delighted. Both the m&ms and the Oreos come highly recommended, however yo chose to eat them.

Milk and cookies is a staple for me. I love to dunk!

>199 Morphidae: I am not a huge milk fan, BUT besides the latte, which is the best use of milk, hands down, I like a small amount of milk with very spicy foods because nothing cuts the heat like milk. I will sometimes have a bowl of cereal - I really only like Smart Start, the original kind, and then only occasionally. All of my kids adore milk, though, so we do go through an awful lot of it.

>201 Storeetllr: Rae does, too, Mary!

Hi Mamie! I'm glad to see you're reading the Foster book. I think I would enjoy sitting in on one of his courses.

My dissertation wouldn't have been written were it not for oreos and milk: Type one sentence, take a break for one cookie and some dunking. Repeat.

I LOVE milk. Sadly, though, I think the milk here in Wisconsin tastes weird, so I binge drink the stuff when we visit my parents (my mom buys extra for me because she knows it'll disappear). Thank goodness Charlie doesn't mind how it tastes here.

>195 Crazymamie: I am also not a fan of milk unless it is in some form of caffeine ... however a good dunking session with fresh baked chocolate chip cookies or Oreos is wonderful (as long as I am not expected to actually drink the rest of the glass after!)

>206 ChelleBearss: OooOOooh, a Chips Ahoy all mushy from being dunked in milk. Oh, yeah.

I don't get fresh baked much.

I only dunk Oreos. No other cookies benefit from dunking. And I will only drink ice cold millk. And the only time I will drink it is with a super chocolate-y brownie or cake. Otherwise, I only ever have milk with cereal, and that's not a regular thing for me. Milk qua milk (Amber is going to correct my usage!) is gross. It also doesn't agree with me...

>204 cbl_tn: Hey, Carrie! I am liking it so far - he makes good points, and I love the humor. I think I would enjoy sitting in on his courses, too.

>205 scaifea: I love that, Amber. I but the Greenwise organic milk from Publix because it tastes the best - I am very picky about the milk even though I don't drink a lot of it.

>206 ChelleBearss: HA! Chelle, too funny! It is a condiment for your cookies!

>207 Morphidae: Oh! I adore Chips Ahoy!! My favorite store bought cookies, but I don't dunk them. No dunking for me. I make a mean chocolate chip toffee cookie that I bet you would love, Morphy.

>208 katiekrug: We are learning so much about ourselves and each other, Katie. Totally agree that the milk has to be ice cold if one is going to drink it straight. Craig laughs at me because I will use milk as a chaser to VERY spicy Thai food, but I just pour it one inch at a time. It's more of a palate cleanser than a beverage in that instance.

Hi, Mamie! Finally home and relaxin'. Both of my current reads sure made the day go quickly. A nice way to start the year. You will LOVE News of the World. There I go, getting pushy again. Another resolution shot to hell...

>211 msf59: Hello, Mark! Home again, home again... I added News of the World to the list as soon as you told me to - see how much I trust your opinion?! Sorry about the resolution - that's why I never make them. Still, look at you making it three whole days!! I'm so proud!

Hi Mamie! Over the years, I have dipped into your thread now and again, but must admit to being a bit overwhelmed! However, having spent a bit of time reading all the chatter on this page, I had to drop a star. A couple comments/reactions - 1) wine is great, but prosecco is my current preferred beverage, 2) homemade chocolate chip cookies dipped in milk are my dream, 3) Birdy's blue hair is awesome, and I'm super jealous that your kids are joining you on LT - I've had no luck getting my kids to join in, and 4) I started How to Read Literature Like a Professor and am now thinking about adding it to my already too long TBR.

But really, I just wanted to drop a star and follow along (and the picture on my thread is from the house we stayed on on Ocracoke Island this past summer!)

"Still, look at you making it three whole days!! I'm so proud!" Beams with delight...

Three whole days? Without being pushy!? Intense Warbling...sme diff ;)

Oreos in wine? No thanks, oreos in hot chocolate, or coffee, or tea? I'm in.

How to Read Literature Like a Professor nearly wooed me somewhere else around here....now I should just go check if my library has it. Just to see....

Hi Mamie, and Happy New Year to you! Congrats to Birdie for her first thread! My daughter Callia had a thread for awhile a few years back, but she couldn't keep up once school started, which is pretty much my problem, too.

I read like you do. I have not had too much success with reading challenges, etc, as I am a pretty moody reader, and prefer to read whatever is calling my name at the moment. I DO love to reread also. Like you said, (and what I always tell my students), it's like visiting an old friend. Some students grumble when I read something they've read, but most love it, and often beg for old favorites.

(Adding) LOVE the Agnes Browne books! I also have How to Read Literature Like a Professor, in fact, I just touched it yesterday! Hopefully it will call my name very soon:)

>213 lalbro: What a lovely post, Liz. Thank you for that, and I am honored by the star. First, let me point out that most of the posts are just shenanigans, and skimming or just jumping straight to the bottom is always fine. Second, I will have to admit that I have never tried prosecco, so I will definitely have to remedy that. I thank you for the compliment to Birdy's blue hair - it is one of my favorite moments. She had always wanted blue hair, so on her 15th birthday we surprised her with a trip to the salon to get her hair dyed. She was thrilled, and we were all shocked by how very good it looked on her. I hope she will do it again some day.

I will join you in the homemade cookies, but not the milk. And I am sincerely hoping that you do add How to Read Literature like a Professor to your list - it would be fun to compare notes.

The photo on your thread is gorgeous - looks like a great place for a bit of vacation! Thanks so much for stopping in.

>214 msf59: *BAG*

>215 LovingLit: Ha! I could do the Oreos and coffee. AND coffee, not in coffee. No dunking for me, thanks. Carrie read and reviewed it last year - perhaps that's where you saw it?

>216 AMQS: Hello, Anne! Happy New Year! I remember Callia's thread - she is delightful! I always try to do too many challenges and then very bogged down about three months in, so this year I just decided to fly by the seat of my pants, which suits me much better than planning, although I do love to plan. And rereading - I ADORE that! One of my favorite things.

Hoping that How to Read Like Professor calls to you very soon! And hooray for Agnes Browne - she is such a treat!

Okay, confession time. Though I drink cow's milk, I'm probably going to gross everyone out when I say that I really prefer goat's milk. I know, I know, but it's what I was brought up drinking. At least it's not, like, yak's milk.

Last year, I read How to Read Literature Like a Professor and enjoyed it enough to want to read How to Read Novels Like a Professor.

You made me laugh, Mary! I have never tried goat's milk, so I cannot judge.

Have you read that second one yet, or is it on the list?

Still on the list. I'll probably get to it one of these days. I'm not in a giant rush, though.

>210 Crazymamie: My favorite homemade cookies are chocolate chip pecans. Maybe you can send me some pecans for birthday!

Ooooh, I forgot another milk pairing. This time it's very important that the milk be ice cold - PB&J!

And THAT reminds me of my second favorite homemade cookie - peanut butter!

Almost missed your first thread! Happy New Year, Mamie! Happy reading!

And you will love News of the World!

Weighing in on the great milk debate, I have to agree with Amber, I LOVE milk! I don't think anything quenches my thirst better than a nice tall glass of really cold milk. Any time of day is fine, although I do prefer hot milk before bed. My older son is totally with me on this, but my younger son only drinks milk when he has too (breakfast and dinner, much to his chagrin!)

Not much of a cookie dunker, though - too many crumbs in my milk makes me sad!

Cold milk as a drink, especially with warm food, is a strange idea for me. I guess my body would react very badly to that.You lose that ability do digest pure milk very quickly once you stop drinking it regularly.

As a child I enjoyed a cup of hot milk with honey in the evening, but not with a meal. We also didn't do the dunking, but then we had no Oreos, more the crunchy type of biscuits you wouldn't want to get soggy. We had a different type of sandwich cookie (Prinzenrolle) with crunchy biscuits and a chocolate filling which I also alwyays tried to split as I do now with the (very) occasional Oreo. Oreos came to Germany with Walmart in the 90s, and earlier as an ice cream ingredient, now you get them everywhere, but usually just the classic ones.

>217 Crazymamie: I will have to admit that I have never tried prosecco In the UK it's absolutely impossible getting through Christmas without Prosecco, assuming that you drink alcohol at all! I have to admit though that sparkling wine isn't my favourite, but we keep being given bottles of it. But I'd much rather drink a glass of prosecco than a glass of milk - latte is the only good method of drinking milk in my opinion! I'm of the age that got a free little bottle of milk every morning in school and hated it. I always tried to get out of drinking it.

>224 rretzler: Robin: WOOT!!

Morning, Mamie! I haven't ever had prosecco, either, but now I really want to try it...

Good Tuesday to you, Mamie!
Oh my! As I was scrolling down your thread this morning which started off with walking cats, I came upon this post "I agree the tails would be too chewy."
I think, optimistically, by this time the subject changed to Oreos. Yes?

Good morning, thought I'd drop by, and weigh in on the great milk and cookies debate.
Personally I only drink milk by itself when I'm really in the mood. I do tend to eat a lot of cereal though. As far as dunking goes, I'm not a fan. Something about a soggy cookie has never apealled to me. I don't want crumbs in my milk >224 rretzler: either.

On another note, Mom >210 Crazymamie: "I make a mean chocolate chip toffee cookie that I bet you would love". Correction Big Ol' Cookies, and now I want some.

How can you never have had prosecco? It's such a staple in the UK! I'll admit there are many things I would rather drink than it, but if my hand is forced (ie, someone offers a glass ;) ) then it's simply rude to decline.

Goat's milk tastes far too...........goaty for me. Like goat's cheese. Just too much of the goat.

This thread is cracking me up - The Great Milk Debate!

>221 Storeetllr: Thanks for coming back to answer, Mary. I was wondering about that one myself.

>222 Morphidae: Okay, I know I should know this already, but when is your birthday, Morphy? Don't gasp, but I am not a huge fan of peanut butter - I like it in recipes, like Thai food or Indian food, and I like it on toast if I am in just the right mood, but I don't much care for it in cookies. My girls, on the other hand, will eat it by the spoonful straight from the jar. Birdy and Abby love the crunchy, but Rae only likes the creamy.

>223 Copperskye: Hello, Joanne! Thanks for those good wishes! And another fan of News of the World! I'll try to make sure I get to that one this year, then.

>224 rretzler: Abby does, too, Robin. LOVES it. And Daniel will drink great big glasses of it with a meal. If it's going to be hot, though, it has to be in coffee or espresso - I do not do the warm milk before bedtime, but perhaps if I had grown up with it, it would be a comfort thing. My mom used to make a milky tea with sugar in it that she gave us when we weren't feeling well, and I have tried to recreate it but have never succeeded. I miss that tea, which is strange because I don't drink tea.

>225 Deern: I think a lot of US households serve cold milk for breakfast and dinner, so we just grew up with it. We always served milk for those meals until the children were teenagers, and then they could drink what they wanted. All of my kids still drink milk, at least occasionally. and Daniel and Abby love the stuff.

So interesting about the cookies - I love learning stuff like that! I will occasionally dunk Biscoff cookies in my coffee, but just sometimes because, like Robin, I don't care much for the crumbs in there.

Morning Mamie! I have a massage appointment this A.M. and then I will hunker down with the books, for the rest of the day. Sounds like a good plan, doesn't it?

It's so nice to see Birdy making the rounds. Puts a smile on my face.

>226 SandDune: So interesting, Rhian, and how fun. I would love to have it forced on me! I am not big on sparkling wines, either. And I would also rather drink sparkling wine than milk. Heh. I used to hate the milk they gave us in school - in the little cartons, and it always tasted funny and was too warm.

>227 scaifea: We'll both have to try it this year, Amber - it can be part of our wild adventures for 2017!

>228 Carmenere: Happy Wednesday, Lynda! Um...the tails went with the mice that Jenny's cats ate. She said they left the tails... So you're saying you prefer the Oreo discussion? *blinks*

>229 thearlybirdy: Hey there, Birdy! I said chocolate chip toffee because they wouldn't know what Big Ol' cookies are, but you are correct. And we should make some!

>230 lunacat: Um...let's see...I have never been offered a glass, and I have never ordered it? But I promise to try it very soon and report back. And right, it would be rude to decline. I mean, really!

I have never had goat's milk, and I am not eager to try it, either, I must confess.

>233 msf59: Morning, Mark! A massage! How fun - I have never done that. Your plan does sound like a very good one. So glad that Birdy can put a smile on your face - she aways puts one on mine, too!

Like Rhian, I'm not a huge fan of sparkling wine, but I do prefer prosecco to champagne...

Morning, Mamie!

I am grateful for the Great Milk Debate because it has reminded me that I have some past-date milk in the fridge that I need to get rid of!

>232 Crazymamie: >225 Deern: I grew up drinking lots of milk too, but changed my diet a couple of years ago. I quit drinking milk and quit most suger. For two years I quitted all suger, but I am less strickt now, on special occasions and when we are on holiday I take something sweet with tea or coffee. I tried to drink some milk recently, but I just don't like milk anymore...

Yes, I used to dunk any cookie in coffe, tea or milk ;-)
Most common in my youth were dry biscuits called "Mariakaakje":

>236 katiekrug: Morning, Katie! I had old milk in the fridge, too, but it was buttermilk - we use it for pancakes. It had gotten pushed to the back and forgotten about, so now it is gross. Buttermilk always makes me think of Craig's dad - he loved the stuff, and when they would come for Craig's birthday, he knew I would have made a spice cake (Craig's favorite), and he would ask for the leftover buttermilk, which he would drink straight up from a glass. YUCK! But he loved it, and it used up the buttermilk, so no complaints from me.

>237 FAMeulstee: I never drank it as an adult because I never liked it, but I do like it steamed in a latte. That must have been hard giving up all sugar for two years - it would be hidden in so many things, I would think.

Those biscuits look good!

Morning, Mamie!

Jeez, you all are tempting me with How to Read Literature Like a Professor. I've looked at it multiple times.

Morning, Joe! I think you should just go for it - it's well written and he is very funny.

ATTENTION: Today's Kindle Daily Deal is a very good one - 26 non-fiction books, each priced less than $3. There are some really good ones in there like The Worst Hard Time and Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. I picked up Spain in Our Hearts by Adam Hochschild for just $2.99.

>210 Crazymamie: Why cold milk as a palate cleanser when you could use ice cream?!?

Okay, don't panic Reba, but I'm not a big fan of ice cream. It makes my teeth hurt, so I only eat it occasionally. I do love, however, Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream.

Good morning, Mamie!

>225 Deern: >232 Crazymamie: I love dipping cookies into coffee. These are the bestest! Ginger snaps!

>Morning, Mamie. I read the Foster book you're reading and the sequel which has a similar title: How to Read Novels like A Professor. He differentiates between novels and literature using deductive reasoning. He likes the syllogism "All pigs are animals, but not all animals are pigs" substituting novels for pigs and animals for literature, because literature includes poetry, drama, short stories, etc. He must be a fantastic professor!

I do hope Birdy joins the Fitbit LT group. I will never be first and don't mind plodding along with my 10,000 step goal. It works for me. I knew a long time ago that I had married a Super Achiever. He is a pretty good husband, too, and let's me be me.

Loving the milk and cookies discussion. Two of my favorite things...or perhaps I should say one of my favorite combinations as I don't often drink milk by itself. Now I'm off to check out Amazon. *Sigh*

>244 brodiew2: Afternoon, Brodie! And look at you bringing treats!! I love ginger, so those are most welcome - YUM.

>245 Donna828: Hello, Donna! I was wondering how he differentiated between literature and novels - that makes complete sense, and I like the analogy. He has a very nice conversational writing style, which immediately draws the reader in, so I would imagine that he is an awesome professor.

Birdy will for sure join the Fitbit group, but just remember I warned you. She always walks me under the table. Hooray for good husbands - I have one, too, and I am very thankful for his presence in my life.

Be sure to report back if you snag something at Amazon.

Book #3: The Chisellers by Brendan O'Carroll (4 stars), library paperback, historical fiction/humor - series recommended by Nancy

Agnes Browne is back with a whole new set of adventures, and once again, she doesn't disappoint. This is the second book in Brendan O"Carroll's Agnes Browne trilogy, and it is just as heartbreaking and laugh out loud funny as the first one. This one begins three years after we left the widowed Agnes and her brood of seven children in the previous installment, so 1970's Ireland. Agnes has done well, but now she faces a new set of problems as she has just found out that her housing is being demolished and she must move her family from Dublin center to Finglas. With Agnes at the helm, you know that whatever happens, it won't be boring. Highly recommended!

>231 Crazymamie: I'm a Summer baby - June 18th.

Re: Milk - The thought of warm/hot milk grosses me out. Must be cold, if not ice cold!

Re: Peanut Butter - Smooth and crunchy have their places. Smooth is better for toast as crunchy can tear the bread. I don't like a lot of peanut butter on toast and smooth allows you to do a thin smear. For PB&Js however, crunchy is the thing. It gives the sandwich heft. Lastly, for cookies, either can be used depending on if you want a crunchy cookie or not.

***

Oh! Ben & Jerry's Super Fudge Chunk. And that's all I have to say about that.

I have a June birthday, too, Morphy - we're practically twins! I like crunchy peanut butter, even on toast, but you're right that it's harder to spread than creamy.

>181 lunacat: She has a cat flap so wouldn't need thumbs for the front door but the food pouches would be a problem.

>182 thearlybirdy: I like that idea!

Hi Mamie! I love milk - with some chocolate to nibble on is very comforting. Peanut butter is a big no-no for me although my husband loves it.

>250 souloftherose: Opposable thumbs are just so fabulous, aren't they? And I liked Birdy's idea, too!

Are you allergic to peanuts, Heather?

>230 lunacat: Most commercial goat milk in the U.S. is mild, though I've had a carton every now and again that tasted gamey.

>243 Crazymamie: Oh! Cherry Garcia! My very favorite commercial ice cream! Favorite homemade is Lotus Cream (recipe can be found here).

ETA that the link doesn't seem to work, so I copied the recipe out. Really, it is absolutely amazing ice cream!

Lemon Almond Ice Cream
Makes about 1 1/2 pints

1 C whole milk
1 C heavy cream
1/2 C + 2 T sugar
1/2 C fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
2 1/2 t lemon zest (I used 2 lemons)
1/2 t vanilla
1/2 t good quality almond extract, to taste
good pinch of salt, to taste
1/3 C toasted sliced almonds

Whisk together all the ingredients except the almonds. Refrigerate the mixture overnight to marry the flavors and to chill thoroughly.

Toast the sliced almonds in a single layer in a 350 degree oven for about 6 to 8 minutes. Watch them closely as they will burn quickly.

Churn the ice cream base in your ice cream machine. Fold in the toasted almonds. Pour into a clean airtight container, press a piece of plastic wrap into the surface, cover and place in your freezer to firm up.

.

Mary, thanks so much for that - we will have to try making that. It sounds yummy - I so appreciate you taking the time to type out the recipe for me.

>241 Crazymamie: WOW! Those are some fantastic NF titles, Mamie! Hats off to you, for mentioning it. I am an evangelist for both The Worst Hard Time and Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. I all ready have Spain in Our Hearts saved in print and on audio. I HAVE to get to that one. Sounds great.

>243 Crazymamie:

>254 msf59: i know, right, Mark?! I also loved both of those. I am hoping to get to Spain in Our Hearts later this year.

>255 RebaRelishesReading: Reba? REBA?? Oh, dear! You should have fainted on Nancy's thread because she has the couch...

It's OK...I'm up now and didn't hurt myself...but really!?!?

Sorry. I should have been more delicate with the subject matter. The problem is that my teeth are really sensitive to cold, so frozen stuff makes them kind of pulse with pain.

That fainting couch needs wheels. Or removal people.

The best biscuits for dunking are dark chocolate hobnobs. Got me through several essay deadlines.

Could we just have a person on each corner of the fainting couch to carry it around, dashing to place themselves just behind the swooning being. Somewhat akin to a litter?!

Good thinking, Charlotte. I wonder if they make those? And now I must goggle dark chocolate hobnobs...

>260 lunacat: Oh, I love that idea, Jenny! Like footmen.

The hobnobs look good, Charlotte! I love these:

>131 Crazymamie: Mamie I thought Dresden was too angsty and whiny when I first read them, but he does grow out if it somewhat. He starts to rely on his friends and network instead of trying to do everything alone. That makes all the difference in the world. Totally changed the way I view him.

>264 luvamystery65: How many books does it take to get to that, Roberta?

>149 katiekrug: WHAT?! I remember eating peanut M&Ms and drinking some chardonnay in Mamie's honor with you KAK. Hmm... let me keep scrolling through this thread. Shenanigans!

>266 luvamystery65: I didn't fall for it, either, Ro!

>265 Crazymamie: Mamie after book 6 I think it really comes together for Harry. You will meet many of the recurring characters before then, but Harry really stops trying to act like he has to do everything by himself. Where are you at on the series?

>267 Crazymamie: She is too funny.

>268 luvamystery65: I am ready for book four, so I guess just two more - I can do that. Especially since James Marsters narrates them.

Yep. That's why we love her so!

>249 Crazymamie: Well, I knew that. But you are probably short. I took all the height in the family. I'm 5'10".

>260 lunacat: I like this idea. Make it so.

>261 Crazymamie: >263 Crazymamie: No hobnobs for me. I don't care for oatmeal cookies.

>269 Crazymamie: Book 4 was a good one!

Hmph. Nobody takes me seriously.

>270 Morphidae: So maybe we're practically fraternal twins, then. I am 5'2", so untall.

Captain Picard has spoken, Jenny.

No oatmeal? How about shortbread?

>271 luvamystery65: Are you just saying that to get me to read it, Ro?

>272 katiekrug: I think you are seriously funny, Katie.

>274 Crazymamie: No I'm not. I wouldn't say that. I almost gave up after book 2, but luckily, Joe, BookLizard, Tina, Eva and Wolfy encouraged me to continue. Book 4 is one that I really liked. Also, I have a huge issue with a scene in book 5, but I'll discuss with you if and when you get there.

I think Katie is seriously funny as well.

I was just kidding - I'll read it.

>273 Crazymamie: Shortbread is just fine.

Oh, good. I love shortbread!

>277 Morphidae: >278 Crazymamie: Funny - I just decided this morning to make shortbread cookies this weekend...

>279 scaifea: Too funny! I love shortbread!