Joe's Book Cafe 2017 Door 4

Art by French artist Catherine Chaloux

Welcome back to the cafe!

Top 5's for 2016

Fiction

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

Honorable mentions: A Whole Life by Robert Seethaler (hard to leave this out of the top 5), Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson (ditto), Dodgers by Bill Beverly (ditto - I guess that's going to be true for all of these), A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin, The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson, Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood, and others, but I'd better stop there.

Non-fiction

Evicted by Matthew Desmond (remarkable, outstanding, please read it)
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi (and his wife)
Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
Lab Girl by Hope Jahren
Hero of the Empire by Candice Millard

Honorable mention: Create Dangerously by Edwidge Danticat, Dead Boys by Adriana Ramirez (novella-length), In a Different Key: The Story of Autism by John Donvan, Rogue Heroes by Ben Macintyre, Waterloo: The History of Four Days by Bernard Cornwell

Sci-Fi and Fantasy

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemison
The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher
Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet and A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers

Honorable mention: Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Poetry

Without: Poems by Donald Hall
Cold Mountain by Han Shan
Life on Mars by Tracy K. Smith
Neon Vernacular by Yusef Komunyakaa
Natural Birth by Toi Derricotte

Honorable Mention: Strike Sparks by Sharon Olds, The Swallows by Adriana Ramirez, Night Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong

Young Adult

Pax by Sara Pennypacker
The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
The Poet's Dog by Patricia Maclachlan
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

Honorable Mention: On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder,
My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George, Bone Gap by Laura Ruby

Mysteries and Thrillers

Charcoal Joe by Walter Mosley
Darktown by Thomas Mullen
His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet
A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny
Talking to the Dead by Harry Bingham

Honorable Mention: I Shot the Buddha by Colin Cotterill, Night School by Lee Child, An Obvious Fact by Craig Johnson, The Gods of Gotham (wonky touchstone) by Lyndsay Faye

Graphic Novels

March: Book Three by John Lewis
Super Mutant Magic Academy by Jillian Tamaki
Velvet Volume 3 by Ed Brubaker
Saga Volume 6 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Missed Connections by Sophie Blackall

Honorable Mention: Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep Omnibus by Philip K. Dick and Tony Parker, Sleeper Omnibus by Ed Brubaker, Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier, How to Talk to Girls at Parties by Neil Gaiman

2017 Books

January

1. The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths by Harry Bingham
2. Bright Dead Things by Ada Limon
3. The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
4. Love Story with Murders by Harry Bingham
5. Four Swans by Winston Graham
6. This Thing of Darkness by Harry Bingham
7. Tell Me by Kim Addonizio
8. Lola by Melissa Scrivner Love
9. A Robot in the Garden by Deborah Install
10. The Dead House by Harry Bingham
11. Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance
12. Suspended Sentences by Patrick Modiano
13. Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
14. The Selected Poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke translated by Stephen Mitchell
15. The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

February

16. The Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
17. City by Clifford Simak
18. Eggtooth by Solia Carrock

Graphic Novels

1. Jessica Jones Pulse by Brian Michael Bendis
2. The Singing Bones by Shaun Tan
3. Whiteout by Greg Rucka
4. Jane, the Fox and Me by Fanny Britt
5. Monstress by Marjorie M. Liu
6. The White Donkey Terminal Lance by Maximilian Uriarte

Latest Joe Poem

Simple Angel

White wings flow from shoulders to
Calves;
Flare briefly in the
Breeze, then rest.
He strolls the autumn wood, savoring the
Gold-hummed air.
Shreds of sun scatter
Round his sandal-shod feet.
Reds and yellows pitch and
Fleck in the lofting light,
Lifting, falling, among the
Dapper white birches, the trusty sugar maples, the
Serene blue day.

Alone he stirs the lucid wood, all
Questions, hopes, fears,
Relenting in dharma,
Here within this sun-warmed arbour.

This waking reverie, this encompassing
Gladness, this life unshielded and yielding.
Here, between that which came before, and
All that will come after.

In Berlin, by unidentified artist

Ha, glad I made it on your old thread before you closed the door.
Happy new one. I love the pictures.

Happy New Thread, Joe! Love the toppers and Simple Angel. Nice poem. Quite vivid.

Happy new thread!

>6 jnwelch: Ah, you're quick, Barbara. Old thread and new thread - impressive! Thanks. I'm glad you love the pictures.

How about a free tour of Mount Pilatus and the Dragon Path as your prize?

>7 Ameise1: Thanks, Mark! Aren't her illustrations cool?

Oh good. Glad you like the poem. You're becoming a connoisseur now, so I appreciate it that much more. :-)

>8 msf59: Thanks, Jim!

>11 jnwelch: Happy new thread buddy - we both started one today. Isn't it great that we are both starting our threads with poems and that they are our very own.

Nice bits of alliteration by the way up there in >2 jnwelch: above. Also like "gold-hummed air".

>10 jnwelch: Thanks so much for Mount Pilatus. There is something funny about this mountain. It is like a forecast.
In German it says:
Hat der Pilatus einen Hut, dann wird das Wetter schön und gut,
Hat er aber einen Degen, dann gibt es bestimmt Regen.
Free translation:
If Pilatus wears a hut (clouds where you can't see the peak) the weather will turn beautiful
But if he wears a epee (clouds where you still can see the peak) than it will certainly rain.

Well, in 90% this is correct.

The toppers are a little freaky to me. Not sure why.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Joe!
I like the second picture best, with the bird-masks.
*Shreds of sun scatter* sounded good in my head :-)

Happy New Thread, Joe. I like the third picture the best. The poem is lovely.

Happy new one, Joe!

I've made it to the new thread so early! Yay me! And yay for Joe (just because)! I love your thread toppers. There's something strangely charming about them. :)

>12 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. I'll visit and see your poem. Glad that one does okay by you. Fun to have some poetic company!

>13 Ameise1: I love that, Barbara. Particularly since it works so much of the time. That's a far better percentage than our local media's weather people!

>14 Morphidae: Sorry to hear that, Morphy. Would chocolate help?

>15 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle!

>16 FAMeulstee: Ha! I'm glad "shreds of sun scatter" has a good sound in your head, Anita. I wanted to provide something peaceful in our newly trying times.

I like that bird-mask picture, too. I like the third one a lot - I think it's called "Cloud Maker".

>17 thearlybirdy: Thanks, Birdy. I'm with you on that third picture. It gets me the most.

Glad you like the poem!

>18 scaifea: Thanks, Amber!

It's been a day of interruptions - I keep meaning to mention to you Jane, the Fox and Me, a very good one about girl bullying, and how the main character deals with it. Excellent illustrations.

>19 MickyFine: Yay you, Micky! And Yay us!

I'm happy to hear you love the toppers. "Strangely charming" is an apt phrase for them. They make me think - what all is in there? What is happening?

>20 jnwelch: Chocolate always helps. Even when you don't need help, chocolate helps.

Those who enjoy sci-fi might want to try the first episode of "The OA" on Netflix, or wherever. We got on board and had a great time binging through the whole season. While the story is completely different, there are nods to "Stranger Things", and if you're a fan of that one, you might like this.

>23 Morphidae: Here's for starters, Morphy. It should help with the little freaky. If Dementors show up, we'll break out the Chocolate Frogs.

>25 jnwelch: Oh yum!

>23 Morphidae: - I concur. This holds true in Canada, too. :-D

>25 jnwelch: Holy smokes! That looks scrumptious, Joe.

Hi Joe!
Happy thread #4!
Love the very first picture. Every little thing in it appeals to me - even if I don't know what it is :-)

Joe--Congrats on the new thread. I am back for more food and books!! And I am ready!!

>22 jnwelch: Adding Jane the Fox and Me to the list - thanks!

>25 jnwelch: Ohmygosh.

>26 Morphidae:, >27 jessibud2:, >28 rosalita: :-) That does look mighty tasty, doesn't it.

>29 -Cee-: Thanks, Cee! Ha! Me, too. I love everything about that first one, even if I have no clue what it's about.

>30 Berly: Ha! Thanks, Kim! Wait, you read your books with a spoon? Food for thought? Do you bookmark your dessert when interrupted? Am I getting this all screwed up?

>31 scaifea: Oh good, Amber. Madame MBH just read Jane, the Fox and Me, and thought it was "lovely".

^ Wouldn't life be a little more fun if it was a little less serious?!

>35 ChelleBearss: Yes! That's pretty much a guiding principle in my life, Chelle. :-) We've been given a gift, and should make sure to take time to enjoy it.

>25 jnwelch: *gimme hands* And coffee, please!

>37 laytonwoman3rd: :-) Good partnering with >25 jnwelch:, Linda. Coffee coming up.

>33 jnwelch: Ha! I wondered where you might go with that. I thought about putting this in with it...



But then decided to just go with the spoon.

To answer your questions: I only read my books with a spoon when I am in bed eating ice cream. I can think without food, but it doesn't hurt. Everybody knows not to interrupt me when I am eating desert so no need for a bookmark. Aren't we all screwed up?

: )

>39 Berly: You know me, Kim - no silliness can be resisted. :-)

Those bookmarks are a hoot - if you'd included them, I would've really messed it up.

Reading in bed with ice cream - there's an idea that'll appeal to a lot of our patrons! (I'm not a big ice cream guy, although a cone of it on a hot summer's day is worth the entry fee). Ha! I can imagine you're formidable with a desert in front of you. And thank goodness we're all screwed up; what a boring world it would be if we were all neat and tidy and sensible.

I thought Hillbilly Elegy was very good, and recommend it as important reading in connection with the recent U.S. election. There is a large bloc of working class whites who have grown disenchanted with the Democrats, and who voted for Reagan and Trump. The Democrats' failure to appreciate that group's importance and to speak effectively to it has hurt the country, and the failure to do more to try to help that damaged group is unsupportable.

Vance grew up a hillbilly, and became a Marine and a Yale law grad. He's now a principal at a Silicon Valley investment firm. How unusual is that?! He has a remarkable personal story to tell, but it's his understanding of and insight into the social context that sets this book apart. I was struck, for example, by his pointing out that, even apart from race, Obama is nothing like this group, and that the white working class couldn't relate to him. Highly educated, professorial, belonging to what the WWC folks consider an elite apart from them, the challenges he overcame to get there made no difference. The same with Hillary.

Here's an excerpt from the NY Times review of the book:

"Now, along comes Mr. Vance, offering a compassionate, discerning sociological analysis of the white underclass that has helped drive the politics of rebellion, particularly the ascent of Donald J. Trump. Combining thoughtful inquiry with firsthand experience, Mr. Vance has inadvertently provided a civilized reference guide for an uncivilized election, and he’s done so in a vocabulary intelligible to both Democrats and Republicans."

It's well worth your reading time.

>41 jnwelch: Excellent review, Joe, and thumbed accordingly. I know I need to read that one, but I can't yet. The group of voters I most want to have explained to me are the ones who voted for Obama twice, and then voted for Trump. I can't fathom how that could happen.

>40 jnwelch: And that's why I like you. : ) Nice review of the Hillbilly. I tend to avoid talking about politics, but I could read about it...

>42 rosalita: Thanks, Julia, and thank you for the thumb!

Isn't that bizarre re Obama voters voting for Trump? And all that sturm und drang about Hillary's emails was a load of hooey, as we now know conclusively with the ridiculously expensive investigation just closed and nothing there.

>43 Berly: Ah, shucks. Thanks, Kim. :-)

Hillbilly is an engaging and important read. He's got a nice way about him, and quite a story to tell.

Happy Thursday, Joe! Here's a photo I took in western Mass that made me think of you & the street art you often post:


(Odd shape because I cropped the cars out of it - it's right by a small parking lot)

>45 bell7: Thanks, Mary! Isn't that cool? Where in western Mass? My wife's from Pittsfield. I'd love to see this one in person.

This middle-grade graphic novel by Quebec author Fanny Britt is set in Montreal and translated from the original French. I loved the illustrations by Isabelle Arsenault, and I want to look for more of her work. She did award-winning illustrations for a Virginia Woolf book by Kyo Maclear, so I'll look for that first.

Hélène is a young girl from a poor background who is being bullied at school by girls who once were her friends. A lot of the teasing focuses on her weight, although she's actually not heavy. She reads Jane Eyre every day on the bus, and this escape is portrayed in gentle, genial watercolors, in contrast to the grays of her bullied life. On a school camping trip, she meets the fox, and that in turn leads to friendship with fellow outcast Géraldine. That friendship changes her world.

It's a story well told, with a positive message for victims of bullying. Older readers will enjoy it, too, as my wife and I did.

>34 jnwelch:, >39 Berly: - Love these!

>47 jnwelch: - Interesting. I had not heard of this book and only recently heard of Kyo Maclear, whose new book, Birds, Art, Life is a lovely memoir of slowing down and becoming aware of the nature around you. I'll have to look for this one

>47 jnwelch: I'm so glad my book bullet worked for you, Joe. I thought it was really beautiful when I read it last year.

>45 bell7: I'm getting a grey circle with a white line through it.

>41 jnwelch: I look forward to reading Hillbilly Elegy; I hadn't heard of it until the day after the election when a friend recommended it for the same reasons mentioned in the review. A couple of weeks ago Vance wrote a lovely Op Ed in the NY Times, explaining that while he doesn't agree with his politics, Obama is his role model for the type of husband and father he hopes to be one day.

I think that it won't be long before the country wakes up to the realization that the kind of integrity it takes to excel in those roles are pretty important in a president as well.

>39 Berly: I love the book mark : Read all the books. Something I am aiming to do myself :)

>47 jnwelch: beautiful illustrations. I would often get out the cool kids books and end up hogging them all for myself.

>48 jessibud2: Those are good 'uns, aren't they, Shelley.

>49 jessibud2: Yes, do give Jane, the Fox and Me a look-see, Shelley. Really good, and a brief read.

I want to find that Kyo Maclear Virginia Woolf book; encouraging that you read a different KM book and liked it.

>50 MickyFine: It's been long enough, Micky, that I couldn't remember where I first heard about Jane, the Fox, and Me. Thank you for the book bullet! I really liked it, as you can tell.

>54 jnwelch: - I haven't yet read Kyo Maclear's newest book, Joe. I hard about it from our morning guy on the radio, after he read it and raved about it. Then, a few days later, he had her on the show to talk about it. I was at the bookstore yesterday, just to browse and have a look. It's only just come out last week and is selling for $28, more than I usually like to spend on a book, if I can wait a bit. But I looked through it and it is definitely one I will get to. Perhaps the library will get a copy soon

>51 Morphidae: Yeah, unfortunately the >45 bell7: image has gone underground now. Happens sometimes. With any luck, Morphy, Mary will stop by and figure out a way to fix it. It's one I don't know, so we'll have to hope she can do something.

>52 NarratorLady: Hi, Anne. Good to hear that Vance wrote a lovely Op-Ed in the NY Times. That comment about Obama really fits with the personality that comes across in the book. He's even-handed, and I was actually a little surprised to find out he was politically conservative. He's fair and broad-minded in his assessments.

I look forward to hearing your reaction when you get to Hillbilly Elegy.

As you can imagine, I completely agree with your comment on the type of integrity we want in a President. I'm one of those keenly missing the Obamas.

>53 LovingLit: Hi, Megan. If you find those illustrations from Jane, the Fox and Me beautiful (as do I), do take a gander at the book, because there's lots more where those came from.

I'd love it if this turned out to be a cool kids' book.

>55 jessibud2: OK, gotcha, Shelley. Please report back if you get your hands on a library copy. I'll do the same if I find the other one.

Another good book about the divide between voters is Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right by Arlie Russell Hochschild. It was a finalist for the National Book Award two years ago. I started reading it today and found the first chapter interesting. Unfortunately, our library only has it as a digital book, so I think I will order a copy. That will make reading easier.

Glad to hear that you are starting Queen of the Tearling. That is great escapist reading. All three books are out, so you can even do the whole series. The end will blow you away, even if you see it coming.

>41 jnwelch: I plan to read that one later this year. I don't remember which month it is tentatively penciled in to read--somewhere in early fall, I think.

Hillbilly Elegy is coming up in a few months for my RL Book Group. Nice review.

Morning Joe! Happy Friday! Any snow?

Good review of Hillbilly Elegy. Thumb.

Are you having a bachelor weekend?

>58 benitastrnad: Thanks for the tip on Strangers in Their Own Land, Benita. I must have seen it named as an NBA finalist two years ago, but I don't remember it. Looking forward to your comments.

I'm liking Queen of the Tearling so far. Kersea's prospects are looking pretty dismal at the moment, but she's determined. Good character. It helps to hear your enthusiasm about the trilogy - I've started some that petered out by the end.

>59 thornton37814: Oh good, Lori. Let us know what you think of Hillbilly Elegy when you get to it.

>60 michigantrumpet: Thanks, Marianne. Excellent - I'm glad Hillbilly Elegy is getting this broad exposure. Lots of food for thought. Should be quite a discussion in your RL book club.

>61 msf59: Happy Friday, Mark!

Thanks for checking in from the land of the cactus. And thanks for the thumb!

Kinda sorta bach-ing it this weekend. Out with Becca tonight for the Bulls game, but otherwise nothing planned yet. I'll try to stay out of trouble. I'm going to give Infinite Jest a go, so that'll keep me occupied for some of it.

I just thought this one by Robert Bissell was cool.

>64 jnwelch: was that the cover of a children's book?
If not it totally should be!

Actually on second glance it would be a lovely picture for a child's bedroom!

Hey, Joe! Happy Friday! I need to get round to Infinite Jest soon. Love him tons.

Joe--Eager to hear what you think of Infinite Jest. Have fun baching it!!

Love the topper as ever Joe. There are some truly talented artists about. Love >64 jnwelch: too.

>41 jnwelch: great review, but I have read a review elsewhere on LT that slated it. I need to go find it as I can't remember why. I shall probably read one of the books about the rise of US populism this year.

>68 Caroline_McElwee: There have been a few responses/reviews published about Hillbilly Elegy that I've seen. They seem to center around two criticisms:

- Vance is only 31, how can he write a memoir so soon?
- Vance isn't truly of the culture and emphasizes bad over all the good in the culture.

I'm planning to read it along with the group read, so will try to respond to those in my comments about it.

Finally got to your new thread, Joe. Happy new thread and happy weekend!

>65 ChelleBearss: You're right, Chelle, >64 jnwelch: would make a great book cover. I'm not aware of its being one yet. A lovely pic for a child's bedroom, yup, that, too.

>66 scaifea: Hi, Amber. Yeah, I like DFW, too, and I made a commitment to myself that I'd give Infinite Jest a go this month. The only hard part is forgoing other books while I digest the whopper.

>67 Berly: Thanks, Kim. I'm expecting to like Infinite Jest, since I like his writing, but we'll see.

I just worked out, and I'm ready to melt into a puddle, but I'll bounce back eventually for some baching it fun.

>68 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks, Caroline. You're right; there are just an amazing number of talented illustrators out there right now. It's fun discovering ones I didn't know before. Isn't >64 jnwelch: a knockout?

Thanks re the Hillbilly Elegy review. I'm not sure what angle someone would take to slight the book. I can see "not my cuppa", but it's well done, and he's an engaging guy.

>69 drneutron: Thanks, Jim.

Hillbilly Elegy: His age - who cares. He's experienced what he experienced. He's got quite a story to tell at his young age. It probably makes him more reliable about the childhood memories.

I'm not from that culture. But he sure seems to be, so I don't get that part. Whether he emphasizes the bad over the good in the culture too much, I don't know. It feels accurate to me, from what little I do know.

Yeah, see what you think upon reading it. I'll keep an eye out for your thoughts. I was just saying to someone today, this should be a great book club book - it seems likely to stimulate a lot of interesting discussions.

>70 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg! I'm looking forward to goofing off as much as possible. :-)

>46 jnwelch: Northampton. I was driving in the Main Street/Route 5 area and it's on one of the side streets where some metered parking is near the shops. Couldn't tell you exactly where, unfortunately, as it was raining and I had to leave the parking area because it was cash-only and I only had a credit card!

Sorry it disappeared. I was trying to link to it from my Google photos. It's now uploaded into my member gallery so hopefully it will stay put for awhile.

>74 bell7: Howdy, Mary! Love the street art, and wanted to chime in to say I'm only about 90 miles away from Northampton. I spend a good amount of time in Springfield for work.

>74 bell7: Ah, it's showing back up and looking good, Mary, thanks.

Northampton. Okey-doke, I'll let Madame MBH know. We can give it a go on the side streets near the shops. We used to be in Pittsfield every year, sometimes multiple times, but now her brothers are both in eastern TN. She does still have a beloved aunt there who we plan to see in the fall.

ETA: >75 michigantrumpet: Ah, good for you, Marianne. We love that part of the country. Madame MBH's aunt (and up until he passed away, her uncle), live in the Berkshire mountains there. Beautiful.

L>76 jnwelch: Let us know when you get here, Joe. We spend a LOT of time in Western Mass and the Berkshires. Lee, Lenox, Springfield, Pittsfield, Williamstown, Great Barrington.

Just signed up for another season of summer stock at the Williamstown Theater Festival, so will be there quite a bit. In another twist, much of my immediate family left the A2/Ypsi area and moved to ... Eastern Tennessee!

>76 jnwelch: Seconding Marianne. The Berkshires are lovely and not a bad trip for me at all.

Hi Joe. I picked up A Robot in the Garden and read it straight through. What a delightful book!

I just picked up book 3 in the Takashi Kovac series Richard K. Morgan. Woken Furies must be hard to come by. I requested it from Inter-Library Loan on January 5 and just got a copy last night. That is three weeks. Very slow. It is due back in two weeks so I will be starting it soon. I must finish Empire of Storms first. That is the 5th book in the Throne of Glass series that I like so much.

I finished listening to Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry. This one was a Booker Prize short list title from ten years ago. The recorded version was well done and I liked the narrator. The novel has lots of plot twists, which I enjoyed. It is not a mystery or a thriller, but it is twisty. When I finished it I immediately started listening to a children's book about which you warbled. War that Saved My Life is very well done. I am enjoying it and have recommended that Mark listen to it when he gets home and back to work. Secret Scripture and War that Saved My Life are very different from the thrilling mystery/adventure and fantasy novels with lots of action that I have been reading lately.

>80 benitastrnad: The narrator of Secret Scripture is Wanda McCaddon. She also records under the name Nadia May if you want to find more of her books.

The extent of my hillbilly knowledge is from the Simpsons caricature of that type. I could probably benefit from reading Hillbilly Elegy! I shall look out for it.

Morning, Joe! Somehow I have managed to miss this entire thread until now. I love the toppers - their charming oddness speaks to me. And Kim's spoon made me laugh.

A very nice review of Hillbilly Elegy - adding my thumb to it when I leave here. I am on the library waitlist for that one, so not sure when it will get to me.

Hoping that your weekend is filled with fabulous, my friend!

Morning, Joe! Foregoing other books while reading a whopper? Huh. I guess that's one way to do it... *snork!*

>77 michigantrumpet: You got it, Marianne. Makes me smile just to hear those town names.

Eastern Tennessee is a beautiful part of the country; I can see why much of your immediate family moved there. I'm too much of a city guy now to contemplate that, but we do plan to revisit down there.

Did you ever hear Ypsi called "Ypsitucky"? I did, growing up, and after reading Hillbilly Elegy, I'm betting it had a lot of Kentuckians back then.

>78 bell7: Cool, Mary. We've got some family business that has "when" a bit up in the air, but we'll figger it out.

>79 Dianekeenoy: Oh good, Diane. A Robot in the Garden was delightful, wasn't it? Many thanks to Caro for tipping us off to it.

>80 benitastrnad: Lots of good reading there, Benita. I'm glad The War That Saved My Life worked so well for you. I hope you get Mark to try it.

I've been tearing (oops) through Queen of the Tearling, and am near the end. Go Kersea! Looks like I'll have to get my hands on the second one right away.

>81 NarratorLady: Hmm. Wish I was more of an audio guy, Anne. Good info.

>82 LovingLit: It's a different world, Megan. Hillbilly Elegy would be an engaging way to get to know it a bit.

>83 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! Good to see you here. Aren't those toppers odd and charming? I got a kick out of Kim's spoon, too. We finally got it all straightened out, I think.

Thanks for the thumb re the Hillbilly Elegy review! Yes, you'll eat this one up, once you get your hands on it.

So far it's been a fab weekend, and I'm enjoying today's slow start. The coffee's ready, so I'm going to grab some of that. Hope yours is fabulous, my friend!

>84 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

Ha! Yes, you manage to combine whoppers and whatevers together just fine. :-) I will have my Kindle book (another Tearling I suspect), a GN (The White Donkey: Terminal Lance at the moment) and a poetry book (Rilke collection, translated by Stephen Mitchell right now) going with Infinite Jest, but you know what I mean. I could probably read 3 or 4 other books in the time it'll take to get through Infinite Jest, and I have so many I want to read!

By Beatrix Potter

This made me think of everyone here at the cafe!

>88 jnwelch: Admittedly, it does take me a good long while to finish books, really. But I just can't seem to read one at a time...

I can't wait to see what you think of Infinite Jest.

Happy weekend, Joe. Any plans?

>47 jnwelch: I loved Virginia Woolf by Kyo Maclear when I read it a couple of years ago. I was looking out for Isabelle Arsenault's work back then.

Good luck with Infinite Jest.

>90 lunacat: LOL! Perfect, Jenny.

>91 scaifea: I'm psyching myself up to dive in, Amber.

>92 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara. Happy weekend to you.

Daughter #1 and I went to a ballgame last night and had a great time. I'm hoping to spend today reading and goofing around on LT. Madame MBH is off visiting our nieces in LA, so it's pretty quiet around these here parts.

>93 avatiakh: Oh, good to hear, Kerry, thanks. I'll look for her Virginia Woolf, and more from Isabelle Arsenault.

Thanks re Infinite Jest. I'm about to dive in.

Morning Joe. Greetings from Goodyear. Hope you are enjoying your swinging weekend.

I am so impressed you are starting IJ. I will now have no choice but to follow suit...it just may be a bit later on.

And how are things at the Bachelor Pad? : )

>95 msf59: Morning Mark. Nice to hear from Goodyear. I'm such a swinging guy that I plan to drink coffee and read. The paparazzi should be showing up soon.

I've just got to dive into IJ. I look forward to your suit-following. We can do this!

>96 Berly: It's really hopping at the Bachelor Pad, Kim. Jazz music, swirling colors on the walls, plenty of berets. I'm even thinking about watching some "Victoria" once I finish my coffee and want a break from reading. What a life!

>97 jnwelch: *snerk* I may have dig out the leisure suit and drop by!

>98 drneutron: :-) It's a happening place, Jim. A leisure suit would be perfect to set off the decor. Come on by!

Mamie, Kim and Charlotte have already seen this review on Charlotte's thread, but here goes.

Suspended Sentences



This book bored the crap out of me.

Ha!

>101 Crazymamie: Got to be my shortest one yet, Mamie. :-)

Succinct and yet illuminating.

>100 jnwelch: Ha! Bored the crap out of you? I must begin a "do not ever read" list!

Happy new-ish thread, Joe!

I'll be sure to avoid >100 jnwelch: like the plague!

>100 jnwelch: - LOL! Next time, tell us what you really think! ;-)

I love an honest review. No *alternate* reviews here. Did you actually read till the end? You are stronger than I am, that's for sure. I usually give a book one week or around 50 pages. If I am not hooked by then, I move on....

Joe, What incredible art work for your opening. Naturally, I scrambled to find this artist. I've saved many of her words on pintrest. Thanks, as always, for leading me to wonderful illustrators.

>100 jnwelch: well I guess that's one to avoid! Very to the point! I like it!

Better pick up some science fiction to clear your palate, Joe!

I started Talking to the Dead. Fiona Griffiths is a character I can definitely relate to. Thanks for the nudge, Joe.

>100 jnwelch: First snigger of the day, thank you Joe. I guess the Nobel folk are allowed an off day....

>100 jnwelch: I've read one book by him and nevermore.

Just finished an interesting scifi, Naomi Alderman's The Power.

>103 Crazymamie: Can you believe it, Mamie, that review came to me in a blink. Easiest one yet to write.

>104 NarratorLady: You probably read between the line (is that possible?), Anne - this is not one I recommend. :-)

>105 Storeetllr: Thanks, Mary! Yes, run like the dickens the other way if you see this one. Luckily, I don't think it's contagious. Once you've read it, you don't pass it on.

Morning Joe! Happy Sunday. Last full day in Goodyear. Sunny and 70. I think we have have a more low-key day, just relax and soak it in.

Enjoy your day too. How far did you get into IJ?

>106 jessibud2: I must have a screw loose, Shelley. I did read this one to the end. He's a Nobel prize winner, for goodness' sake. What were they thinking?

It's three novellas, so I read the first one and thought, boring, but beautifully written. So I'll give the second one a chance. After I finished the second one, I thought, I'm going to finish this. There's got to be something salvageable. Nope.

Some people do like the mood he creates. I'm not one of them. Can you tell?

>107 Whisper1: Great to hear, Linda! Vice verski, my friend. You know you've turned me on to a number of illustrators, too. I'm glad you were taken with Ms. Chaloux's work. She's got a wonderful touch and imagination, doesn't she.

>108 ChelleBearss: Ha! I'm glad the message came across clearly, Chelle. I've now read his Missing Person and this one, and I'm done.

>109 ronincats: You're so right, Roni! I'm reading the second Tearling book, and feeling much better. And Infinite Jest may be challenging, but it's sure not boring. In my experience, that's one thing DFW never was.

P.S. If you're so inclined, take a gander at the tv series "The OA" some time. It's on Netflix, and maybe elsewhere. It's one I think many sci-fi-ers will like, although some may find it too crazy cakes.

>110 Familyhistorian: Yay! I love to hear that, Meg. Go Fiona!

I ripped through them, per usual, so now I've got to wait for the latest to come out. But they were delicious.

>111 charl08: You're welcome, Charlotte. I'm honored to have given you the first snicker of the day. We'll be working on giving folks chortles, hoots and guffaws as the year goes on; fingers crossed.

What was the Nobel committee thinking? We know there are a lot of deserving authors out there. Darryl has a list of a half dozen or so that, IMO, would be worthier than this author. I don't get it.

>100 jnwelch: I do have one of his novels on my shelf Joe, as I'd not heard of him when he got his gong, I thought I'd see what I'd been missing. It's still unread because I haven't read one positive review of his work.

>112 avatiakh: Quoth the Reader, Nevermore. As you can tell, I'm with you, Kerry re Modiano. I read two (raising questions about my sanity), but nevermore. Enough watching paint dry. Even in Paris, that's not worth it.

We lag behind you UK-ers sometimes, as you know. The Power looks quite intriguing, but currently isn't scheduled to appear here until October. I'll keep an eye out for it.

>118 Caroline_McElwee: Ha! Well, I'm one person who won't be pushing you to read it, Caroline. As I mentioned up above, some people like the mood Modiano creates. Not me.

Morning, Joe!

>121 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

Morning, Joe! I liked the mood Modiano created, I just wanted there to also be plot. And a story. And a destination. And plot...

^^Did you miss your best buddy up there?

>123 Crazymamie: Ha! Asking Modiano for a plot, a story, a destination, and also a plot, doesn't seem like asking for too much, does it, Mamie?

I didn't even like the mood. What a washout, darn it.

>124 msf59:, >114 msf59: Oops! Thanks for tactfully pointing that out, Mark. Yes, yes, I did. I'll make my second cup of coffee right after this. :-)

Sunny and 70 = perfect. Soak it all in, and put it in the storage battery. I'm looking at gray sky and snow flurries out the window.

I got 20 pages into Infinite Jest. What the heck am I doing reading this? No, actually, it's very smart (no surprise), funny, and already challenging. I wish this guy were still with us.

I think I'm going to be able to finish the Rilke collection today. I've liked some of it a lot, and I'm in the Sonnets to Orpheus part now, which is an easier read. I'm going to have to work on my understanding of the Duino Elegies - they're beautiful, and I love the large themes, but more than once I felt in over my head trying to follow it all.

I posted one of the Poem-a-Days over on the Poetry thread. I thought it was a particularly good one.

>100 jnwelch: My favorite review so far this year, Joe. I appreciate honesty! And the warning….
I hope you and the family are having a good Sunday.

One to stay away from and one to anticipate. I'll be reading Hillbilly Elegy with Rachel's NYT "How We Got This Way' book reads in May. Hope you'll pop in with your comments!

I'll be interested to see how Infinite Jest goes for you.

>126 Donna828: Ha! Thanks, Donna. I thought, that's really all I need to say about this one. :-)

We are having a good Sunday. Madame MBH just called from LA, and is having a grand time. One of our nieces (we have three out there) lives in an area that has become popular with celebrities, so they walked around yesterday and looked at various celebrity houses. Octavia Spencer was one I remember, and Melissa McCarthy apparently has one in the area now and is building a new one.

The kiddos are fine. I had a great time with daughter #1 Friday night, and son #1 in Pittsburgh is a happy guy; work goes well, as does home life, and he just had two of his close poet friends from Seattle move to Pittsburgh.

I'm knocking on wood, but we're in a good stretch. I hope all is well on your end, and you're having a good Sunday, too.

>127 streamsong: Ha! Yes, Janet. From my POV, Hillbilly Elegy is well worth your time, and Suspended Sentences . . . isn't.

I'll keep an eye out for the Rachel group read of HE in May. It should spur some interesting discussions.

I'll keep you posted on Infinite Jest. I have an open mind about it. I can already say, it won't be boring.

OK, here's a Joe poem, inspired by a Ross King book

Do the Work

Have you heard of Messonier?
The best of the best in the
Time of the Impressionists.
Painter of horses, tributes to
Napoleon,
His small paintings
Painstaking, detailed, obsessive.
Featured in the Paris exhibition,
He received big money from
Americans and others, while
Monet, Cezanne, Degas and more
Couldn't get into the show.

Success today may mean
Nothing tomorrow;
Failure today may mean
More tomorrow.

Do the work, and be grateful
That it wants to be done.

Hi Joe, I just finished Love story, with murders, the second Fiona book, it was as good as the first one. Now I am desperately waiting for the 3rd to be translated...

>131 FAMeulstee: Wonderful, Anita. I'm so glad you're also enjoying the Harry Bingham Fiona series.

It also makes me think the books deservedly must be doing well if they're getting translated. I'm in a similar position to yours, although a couple of books further into the series. I've read all the ones published here, through The Dead House, and now I'm desperately waiting for the next one.

>130 jnwelch:

'Do the work, and be grateful
That it wants to be done.'

I like that Joe.

>133 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks, Caroline. Right?

I got home from the ALA conference late Monday night and Bang! on Tuesday morning it was get started and get going. It was non-stop till Friday night. I was exhausted and as much as I liked the ALA trip and all the people I got to see, I am not sure the rest of the week was worth it. I was so tired yesterday that I didn't cook - and I needed to. I did make a batch of honey whole wheat bread, but thankfully, there is all that down time with waiting for the dough to rise. I napped.

I had a great time with Suzanne and on Saturday night she came to our hotel room where we had a great conversation about books. She showed us the books that she got and we had to discuss the books and the authors. It was very enjoyable.

I did mail her books to her yesterday. I have been so slow this week that I have not gotten all of her books to her, but will do that this coming week.

I was going to the student celebration of the Lunar New Year this afternoon, but am foregoing that event and will stay home with PBS and more Masterpiece Theater. I am sure enjoying War That Saved My Life. Jane Entwhistle is a very good narrator.

#100
I laughed when I read this review. Darryl had much the same reaction to this author winning the Nobel.

My latest award winning read was Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry. This was a Booker shortlist title from 2008 and this one was worthy of being on that list. It was all about the aftermath of the Irish Civil War and the overbearing power of the Catholic Church in that country after it became a free nation. Anyway it was good stuff.

I have now read the first chapter of Strangers in Their Own Land a finalist for the National Book Award in 2016 and think this one is a winner along the lines of Hillbilly Elegy in the effort to understand Trump and the results of this election.

Speaking of the Orange Hitler, I am outraged by the turn-away of people with Visa's. And of course, the fact that Saudi Arabia, the country with the most citizens on the list of the 2001 terrorists, was exempted from the list of banned countries. WTF?

>131 FAMeulstee:, >132 jnwelch: Yes! Another Fiona Griffiths fan! The series is so good, isn't it, Joe! I believe the new one (The Deepest Grave) will be out later this year. CanNOT wait!

In the meantime, Bingham is giving away a free download of his short story "Lev in Glasgow" on his webpage: http://www.harrybingham.com/.

>135 benitastrnad: Hi, Benita. Sounds like quite a week. Sorry it was so draining. I'm glad at least you got to spend some good book time with Suzanne.

Good to hear The War That Saved My Life is still working well for you. Ada, Susan, Jamie. Beautifully told story.

>136 benitastrnad: Did Darryl have the same reaction to Suspended Sentences? Ha! Love it. I'll have to touch bases with him.

I'm glad Secret Scripture was worthy of the Booker nomination.

>137 benitastrnad: Strangers in their Own Land - I've seen positive comments about it, Benita, and it looks awfully good. I've added it to the WL.

I'm outraged, too. This is not the America we grew up in and aspire to be. Lawyers are having some success, and I'm hoping there's more to come. Our Constitution and our legal system still have importance in this era of the Orange Hitler.

>138 Storeetllr: Ooo, thanks for the Lev story link, Mary. Yes, go Fiona! I can't wait for the next one either.

>130 jnwelch: Yep, never heard of Messonier.

Also like...

Do the work, and be grateful
That it wants to be done.

Truth.

>137 benitastrnad: It's all about where the money is.

>141 Morphidae: Thanks, Morphy. Right? Messonier was a big deal as an artist during his time, and now no one's heard of him. Meanwhile, Monet, Cezanne and Degas are known everywhere today.

I wonder whether we have authors like that, who were little known or not successful during their time, but now highly respected and widely read?

I'm glad you liked the poem. I try to follow those last two lines.

Money, money, money. Yup.

>143 jnwelch: Oh, I would have loved to stay in bed this morning! Chloe woke up when she heard Nate come home from work :(

>144 ChelleBearss: My sympathy, Chelle. Doesn't that look good? I got up for other reasons, but especially this time of year, I'm with Garfield.

Thanks again to Benita for pushing the Tearling books. I raced through the second and immediately grabbed the third.

Hi Joe--Happy Monday!! I want more of >143 jnwelch: what Garfield is doing. And I believe you have just exemplified "brevity" in a most stellar fashion in >100 jnwelch:. LOL

Good morning, Joe! I lost track of you for a week or so. I don't know what happened. Anyway, Good to have found you again.

>1 jnwelch: Excellent toppers.

I also really like the fox and bunny imagery.

>143 jnwelch: Ha, if I could have chosen that would have been my day. So enjoy a relaxed one, Joe.

>147 Berly: Thanks, Kim! I want more of what Garfield is doing, too. I may find myself there later this afternoon, we'll see.

I tried to get right to the point with that >100 jnwelch: review. I'm glad you appreciated the brevity. It's going to be tough to do one shorter than that. :-)

>148 brodiew2: Ah, good to have you back in the cafe, Brodie. Good morning!

Aren't Chaloux's illustrations excellent? Glad you like them, along with the fox and bunny imagery.

>149 Ameise1: Me, too, Barbara. I still hope to sneak in some Garfield-type relaxation later this afternoon.

Continuing with our Mrs. Queen theme.

#146
I am glad you are liking them. They are worth the read time in excitement, character, and plot. Watch for that twist at the end.

>152 benitastrnad: Thanks, Benita. I've started the third one, and I'm looking forward to the twist at the end.

Hey, Joe. I got a bit (or a lot) behind, but I'm all caught up now.
>100 jnwelch: I know it's still early, but this might be my favorite review of the year.
>130 jnwelch: I liked your poem.
>142 jnwelch: I remember my mom telling me that, that happened to F. Scott Fitzgerald.
>151 jnwelch: I'm going to be honest with you, this one I find creepy.

Love the queen theme. Hope the retirement continues to treat you well. The life of Garfield seems pretty nice.

OMG OMG OMG OMG

I never starred your thread this year!!!! aauuuurrrggh!!!

Repairs are underway. I read through the first door. I love your poem there. And I'll catch up soon.

>154 thearlybirdy: Hey, Birdy. Thanks for catching up with us.

Ha! Glad the Suspended Sentences review is in the running for your favorite of the year. I put all of my thinking about the book into that one.

Yay! That poem likes to be liked. Thanks.

I don't know a whole lot about F. Scott Fitzgerald. Was his work not well-known or widely read during his time?

Our queen, with her corgi, out having fun painting graffiti? Creepy? But she's so happy.

>155 charl08: Hiya, Charlotte. Ha! I'm happy you're enjoying the queen theme. Yes, I'm enjoying the heck out of retirement. This is the best. I'm with you re Garfield. Seems pretty nice, and worth aspiring to.

>156 ffortsa: LOL!! I wondered why we hadn't seen you around these here parts, Judy. That explains it. :-)

I'm glad to hear you love that first poem. There are two or three more after that, I'm pretty sure. Someone commented that the thread before this one was very Zen.

Hi, Joe! Back in town, sir! Cold but no snow. I can live with it, for the end of January.

Had a great vacation, but now back to the grind.

Thanks for turning me on to Kim Addonizio. I have been really enjoying Lucifer at the Starlite and I will be sharing a couple poems on the poetry thread. I would also like to look for her new one, that you were warbling about.

Love the queen theme! I love British Royalty! Great review of Hillbilly Elegy. I'll get to it one day! :)

Morning, Joe!

Morning, Joe. I think Fitzgerald was not well appreciated in his time. Especially for The Great Gatsby. (That is if I'm remembering what my mom told me correctly.) She could tell you more.

>159 msf59: Hiya, Mark. Welcome back!

Great to hear you're enjoying Kim Addonizio's poetry. I'll need to check out the one you're reading. Maybe I can hand off the other one to you in March. I'm terrible about mailing things now that I'm not downtown.

Not too shabby out there for this time of year. Hope it's an okay first back at the grind for you.

>161 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

>162 thearlybirdy: Thanks, Birdy. I'll follow up re Fitzgerald. Intriguing to try to come up with authors who were more appreciated after their time than during it.

By David Zinn

Morning, Joe!

>157 jnwelch: Actually, his early work was greatly appreciated in his time, but it didn't last for his lifetime. He wrote The Great Gatsby and thought it would be his greatest work, and it flopped. He ended his career washed-up and writing for Hollywood. It didn't become a hit until it was re-released as part of the war effort - those pocket sized armed services editions produced by Penguin. Of course, by then, Fitzgerald was dead - he died in 1940.

>151 jnwelch: LIKE.

Morning, Mamie!

Thanks. I didn't know that about Fitzgerald and The Great Gatsby. It sounds like he may have been viewed as a promising young writer who never reached his potential and never wrote his masterpiece. We view it so differently now. Too bad he didn't live long enough to find out the public (eventually) viewed TGG as his greatest work, and a timeless classic.

Are there other authors like that? Jane Austen didn't reach the heights during her lifetime that she has since, but her work was well-regarded and she was viewed as a quite successful author, as far as I know. It's interesting to think of authors who may not have been fully understood/appreciated during their lifetimes, who nonetheless speak to us today.

>100 jnwelch: This book bored the crap out of me.

Perfect. Can I expand on that statement and say that Patrick Modiano bores the crap out of me? I own but haven't yet read Suspended Sentences, but I have read three of his books, Missing Person, which I gave 4 stars to several years ago although I don't remember a thing about it, Ring Roads, which earned a generous 3 star rating, and Pedigree: A Memoir, which got 2 stars from me, along with this review:

This brief memoir by Modiano, the most recent recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature, concerns the first 21 years of his life, after he was born to an indifferent Flemish actress and a ne'er-do-well Jewish man in Paris who met during the Occupation. He was the unmarried couple's only surviving child, and he was passed on to relatives and friends like an unwanted pet for most of his early years. Although his parents appear to be colorful, if irresponsible, characters and his childhood would seem to have been a chaotically unique and potentially interesting one, Modiano chooses to list the people that entered and exited his life in a droll chronological matter, without analysis or reflection, as if he was filling out a lengthy school entrance or government form about his past, which made this book a mind numbingly dull read. Fortunately it was a short book, but it was worth about 1/100th of the $25 I paid for it.

Barry (@baswood) from Club Read told me that I should read The Search Warrant to experience Modiano at his best. I highly value his opinion and do own that novella, so I'll give him one last chance. However, I think the Nobel Prize committee made a huge error in choosing him, as IMO he isn't close to being the best contemporary French author; I think a much stronger case could be made for Jean Echenoz or Michel Houellebecq, although I don't think either is Nobel worthy.

After last year's dreadful choice of Bob Dylan and other recent missteps (Herta Müller, Elfriede Jelinek, Mo Yan and Modiano) I've come to the conclusion that the insular Nobel Prize committee knows almost nothing about contemporary literature that isn't widely available in Sweden, and I won't plan to follow the award closely or automatically buy books by future laureates, as I have done for the past decade or more.

>165 jnwelch: Love it!

Hi, Joe! Just a quick check-in, but I do have to sing a bit: Just Mercy has been fantastic. This is on the same level as Evicted, but more gut-wrenching. It really makes you wonder, just how civilized we really are. I had similar feelings reading the March Trilogy. We should be ashamed.

>168 kidzdoc: Ha! Thanks for expanding on my brief review, Darryl. a mind numbingly dull read. Yes, I can relate to that. :-) What a shame, because the guy can write.

I agree completely about the Nobel committee, and you've included misstep authors I didn't even remember. They should reconstitute that committee; winning that literary prize used to mean a lot.

>169 msf59: Thanks for the quick check-in, Mark. "Fantastic" for Just Mercy will put it on the WL right now. It may be a while for me. I admire your strong stomach; with current events being so nauseating, I'm not sure I could handle a book that covers how awful we are. Although it does have "Redemption" in the title.

>165 jnwelch: Love it.
Happy Wednesday, Joe.

Bucharest Stairway

>171 Ameise1: Oh good, Barbara. Isn't that a fun one?

Morning, Joe! Happy February!

>172 jnwelch: - LOVE this! :-)

>174 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! That's right - we're kicking off a new month. Happy February!

>175 jessibud2: Isn't >172 jnwelch: cool, Shelley? Beautifully thought out and created.

Morning, Joe. >172 jnwelch: This is AMAZING!!!!!

>172 jnwelch: Love that!! Thanks for posting it. Happy February!

Morning, Joe!

Morning Joe! Happy Wednesday! I am thinking about starting Infinite Jest on audio and see how it goes. I will keep the print version handy too. Good idea?

Good morning, Joe! I hope all is well.

Random comic book question of the day: Did you ever follow The Legion of SuperHeroes?

>181 brodiew2: I did

>182 magicians_nephew: Hello magicians_nephew! I have been a fan of the Legion for years. I first discovered them when Keith Giffen return for the 5 years later series. After that introduction, I went crazy gather back issue and whatever trades I could find. I really enjoyed the Legion Lost 12 issue story.

>172 jnwelch: I'm with everyone else — that is some amazing street art!

>177 thearlybirdy: Hiya, Birdy. Isn't that stairway amazing?

>178 Berly: Happy February, Kim! You're welcome; glad you're enjoying >172 jnwelch:.

>179 scaifea: Hiya, Amber. We're back from working out and a cafe visit, and picking up a folding bookcase for seasonsoflove.

>180 msf59: Happy Wednesday, Mark!

You know, I've never figured out how they handle footnotes on audio, and David Foster Wallace is known for them. So I've got the hard copy - but all the notes are in the back, not mixed into the text. So you could do the audio only, if they have some way of handling those for you. There's no name chart, like Marlon James had in Brief History of Seven Killings.

It is one crazy book so far. I could use the company!

>181 brodiew2: Hiya, Brodie. All is well.

I did not follow the Legion of Super-heroes, unfortunately. It looks like Jim's a fellow follower, though.

>182 magicians_nephew:, >183 brodiew2: Would Vonnegut say you're in a karass together?

>184 rosalita: This one (>172 jnwelch:) is getting some widespread love, Julia. It deserves it, doesn't it.

Hi Joe, I was woefully behind but have managed to get myself caught up! I feel very accomplished :)

I posted a poem on my thread you might like...

#168
Daryl, I totally agree with you about the Nobel committee. I do think that Bob Dylan could qualify for a Nobel Prize, but for me the question is, should he? I think that there are other more worthy potential winners and they keep getting overlooked.

Hi, Joe. What's a folding bookcase?

Morning, Joe. Happy Groundhog's Day!!!

Morning, Joe!

>187 katiekrug: Way to go, Katie! Caught up is taught up, as my mother used to say. I have no idea what she meant, and even stranger, she never used to say that. Just more blather from that oddball proprietor.

I like that poem. I'll be over later and give it another peruse.

>188 benitastrnad: Agreed here, too, Benita. A Nobel prize still can make a big difference in a writer's career, or can simply be well-earned recognition, and it's hard to see deserving authors ignored.

I finished the Tearling trilogy, BTW, and enjoyed it. I thought she had one weak spot in the third one, the conversation in Desmesne between Kersea and the Red Queen seemed awkward and out of keeping with the rest, but that finish was a good twist and a thought-provoker.

>189 DianaNL: I thought "folding bookcase" might be a mystery to some of our patrons, Diana. It's a bookcase that collapses in on itself when empty, and is therefore easy to move and to store. Particularly good for folks who rent apartments here.



>190 thearlybirdy: Morning, Birdy. Happy Groundhog's Day!

Have we heard anything yet? I never remember what his shadow's supposed to signify, long or short winter. All I can think of is Bill Murray.

>191 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie!

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

>194 brodiew2: Hiya, Brodie. All is well, thanks. I went into work for a bit, and it was good to see folks. Hope you're doing well as we head into the weekend.

Magic carpet ride



Bettona, Italy Kurt Wenner

^must be awesome to be on that flying carpet ;-)
Looks amost real, very skilled artist!

>196 jnwelch: Great Image! I have a fear of heights, or I else I would ride that carpet throughout the beautiful streets.

>197 FAMeulstee: Isn't that awesome, Anita? Maybe we can figure out the artist at some point. Very skilled, indeed!

ETA: Looks like Kurt Wenner is the artist.

>198 Whisper1: Right, Linda? That 3D effect is remarkable, isn't it.

Afternoon, Joe! Have you found your way home yet?

>196 jnwelch: That is sooo cool!

>200 scaifea:. Hiya, Amber! Luckily, I left breadcrumbs, and I did indeed find my way home. Two hours at work was plenty. I need a break now!

>201 drneutron:. Isn't that, Jim? Amazing.

How did I get so far behind in just a few days? Here you go, not a painting but a rose from my front yard today!

Sweet Thursday, Joe. Late making the rounds today.

Enjoying IJ! But it feels like an intricate puzzle to me and I am trying to figure out each piece. I plan on listening to it for a few days and then switching to something else.

I really enjoyed my last GN, Paul Goes Fishing. Have you heard of this guy? Very talented Canadian artist and he has written several of these "Paul" books.

>203 ronincats: Woo, that's gorgeous, Roni! Can you feel the envy from the gray and brown heartland? It still feels good to see that.

We're off to New Orleans next week - I'm hoping we see some color there.

>204 msf59: Sweet Thursday, buddy. Yeah, I agree both ways on IJ - it's an intricate puzzle, and I'm going to switch on and off, too. Right now I'm alternating it with a re-read of a favorite sci-fi from my youth, Clifford Simak's City. A much simpler read!

Speaking of GNs, did you read Ghosts? I just started it. It looks like it will be another gem.

And once, you are in the right frame of mind for it, read Just Mercy. It was outstanding.

>206 msf59: Yes, LOVED Ghosts. Debbi did, too.

Right, Just Mercy is on the radar. It'll be a while. Or sooner, if Trump gets knocked out of the presidency this month.

Oh , Joe, if only somehow Trump could get knocked out of the presidency this month. He's wreaked enough havoc for the world already. Love the magic carpet ride. I hope you and Mark can sort out Infinite Jest. A friendship hangs in the balance! ;) just kidding! :)

>196 jnwelch: Beautiful.
Happy Friday, Joe.

Morning, Joe! Yay for DFW!!

>193 jnwelch: I have one of those bookcases! Got it in a secondhand store and it comes in mighty handy!

FINALLY caught up. Whew!

I loved the Shaun Tan sculptures on one of your previous threads. Sculpture always gets to me more than what I once called 'flat art', and these were no exception. I think my favorite was the first one.

I was a little alarmed when you said you were going to listen to IJ, because I know he made a real art out of footnotes - sort of an alternate post-modern thread through the book. And I'm surprised to hear the hard-copy has the footnotes in the back, just because that makes them less immediately attractive to readers. Let me know how hit goes. I read his 'Broom' book and didn't much like it, but I think I needed more time and a guide to really appreciate its craziness.

Happy Friday, Joe!

>208 vancouverdeb: Wouldn't that be wonderful, Deb? Makes me think of Arnold Schwarzenegger's brief video response to Trump's criticisms of his TV hosting: Let's switch jobs and let everyone sleep easier again.

Infinite Jest is a challenge, but a good one. Mark and I may have to have a book club discussion over brews.

>209 Ameise1: Isn't >196 jnwelch: a beaut, Barbara? Happy Friday!

>210 scaifea: Morning, Amber! I really enjoyed DFW's Consider the Lobster. Have you read Infinite Jest? Any encouraging words?

>211 NarratorLady: Ha! Right, Anne? The folding bookshelves do come in mighty handy. We've bought three in the past couple of years, with two going to our daughter - all second hand at yard sales here.

>212 ffortsa: Hi, Judy. Oh, I'm glad you like the Shaun Tan sculptures. Browse Singing Bones at the bookstore or library - he has many more great ones in there.

I liked David Foster Wallace's Consider the Lobster a lot, and it was filled with those footnotes you speak of. I plan to read more of his nonfiction. I was just thinking, Infinite Jest to me is like Ulysses. I knew it was going to be hard, but I also knew it would be worth it.

Mark's doing audio, with a print backup, and I'm doing just print.

>213 brodiew2: Happy Friday, Brodie!

Nancy Drew Book Sculpture by Alison Glasgow

Joe, I was gonna tell you about Starman and post an amazing Tony Harris piece, but I decided not to because I think I did the same thing last year at this time. *kookie*

>216 jnwelch: - Love it! You always find the coolest pics, Joe!! :-)

What, no love for my pic, Shelly? ;-p

>219 brodiew2: - It's so...so... I almost want to say, psychedelic, so '60s, but that may be dating me and I don't want to go there, lol! ;-)

Happy Friday, Joe! Down to one more work day, so I am plugging along. Over the 100 page mark in IJ. There are a couple of story threads, that I am a bit baffled at, but I am sure it will come together. I am really surprised how fun and smart most of it is. The footnotes have started coming in at a much faster pace. I think I am up to footnote #45. I am not sure the footnotes are required reading but many of them are a joy.

Hiya Joe. Happy almost-Saturday (on the west coast). I'm slowly trying to make my way back into caught-up-ville. Ha.

I love that you and Mark are making your respective ways through Infinite Jest. I bought it, owned it for a couple of years, and decided that I was never going to read it. I do love Mark's comment: "I am really surprised how fun and smart most of it is." I'll be interested in final comments from both of you.

How are you enjoying semi-retirement?

Hi Joe. Happy weekend! You are only semi-retired, so you still appreciate weekends, right? I love the Nancy Drew sculpture, because, well, I love ND!! I went to school with David Foster Wallace, but I have never read anything by him. I think I am scared to. Don't ask me why. But I do have one in the TBR pile: Both Flesh and Not. Essays. Hope you and Mark enjoy IJ!

>193 jnwelch: Thanks for the explanation, Joe. What a good idea for a bookcase!

Happy weekend, Joe.

>217 brodiew2: Thanks for the reminder, Brodie. Starman is on my WL. Maybe the library has it? I'll check.

>218 jessibud2: Isn't that cool, Shelley? Our daughter and I read a bunch of Nancy Drews together when she was young, so it brings back good memories, too.

>219 brodiew2:, >220 jessibud2: That is one unusual cover. Retro? Steampunkish? And yes, psychedelic. Like a black light poster from the old days.

>221 msf59: Hi, Mark. I'm in about the same place in Infinite Jest. Yes, some of it is very funny. With your encouragement, I've gone to the back of the book and I'm caught up on the footnotes. To tell you the truth, based on Consider the Lobster, I expected more of the footnotes to be funny. The recitation of info on the drugs was a bit meh for me.

He sure was a smart guy. That shines through on every page, doesn't it.

>222 EBT1002: Hiya, Ellen. Thanks for stopping by, my friend. I know you've been up to your ears in work this past week. Hope you get chance to relax this weekend.

We'll keep you posted on Infinite Jest. So far I'm not enjoying it as much as Consider the Lobster, but I'm not that far in. Smart and funny is right.

I'm loving semi-retirement. I just took on some more work, but we had planned on this, since my insurance is all being taken care of, and we'll get some extra spending money. It won't be too demanding. I'm getting in much better physical shape with the working out, and all the unscheduled time is a blessing. We're getting tips from all over on cafes we should try for reading and writing. And we're off to New Orleans next week. No complaints here!

Hey Joe! Happy new thread! Ha! Just wanted to touch this one before it's history! Have a lovely weekend!

>223 Berly: Thanks, Kim! Happy Weekend!

You know, it's so ingrained, I think I'll always appreciate weekends. I'm actually going to do a little work on this one, but it bothers me not. I was determined to take off all of January, and that happened.

I love Nancy Drew, too! I actually read both her and the Hardy Boys when I was a kid, and had a grand time reading the NDs with my daughter when she was young. She loved mysteries from the git-go, and our son loved fantasy (e.g. the Oz books) and sci-fi (he loved to have me read Barlowe's Guide to Extraterrestrials to him) from the git-go.

Isn't that a cool sculpture?

I can recommend Consider the Lobster by DFW. I want to read more of his NF after Infinite Jest.

>224 DianaNL: isn't that a good idea for a bookcase, Diana? Very clever. We've got to get the most recent one over to our daughter's; maybe this weekend.

>225 Ameise1: Happy Weekend, Barbara. You're well into yours by now. I'm still waking up with some good coffee (my sister and her hubby brought some back from Costa Rica).

In Paris by Seth

>219 brodiew2:, >226 jnwelch: - Yes, I remember now, the name of the artist that cover reminds me of. Peter Max. His posters kind of defined the 1960s for me, Like this one: http://store.petermax.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_27_29&amp...

>228 Carmenere: Hiya, Linda! Thanks!

I'm almost missed you there. We're having a lovely weekend so far. Madame MBH is off to her writing class soon, so I'll be rolling out the kegs and starting to blast the dance music. Or read. Maybe I'll read and drink coffee instead.

Hope you have a lovely weekend yourself.

>232 jessibud2: Ha! Yes, I was a big Peter Max fan back in the day, Shelley. Brodie's Starman reminds me of his work, too. I had a pair of pink, striped bell bottoms at one point. Please don't tell anyone. (My sister loves to remind me; jeez, I thought I was cool).

ETA: Here we go, from your link:

Thanks, Joe! In exchange for your wizardry of posting the pic instead of my cumbersome link, I promise I will keep my lips zipped about those bell-bottoms of yours. I also had neon pink bell-bottoms (sans stripes). I also had a big Peter Max poster on the wall in the basement. My bedroom walls were reserved for the Beatles and other rock stars.

The Court of the Two Sisters -- I need say no more.

I remember reading all the Nancy Drew's as a kid also - two older sisters and i inherited their books.

Funny that I can't recommend any one book (Though The Hidden Staircase is a good one) - its the whole series - good books and bad ones - that i remember.

Judy and I met a Japanese girl years ago who was trying to learn to read English - I recommend reading "Nancy Drew" to get her started.

Morning, Joe! Happy Saturday. Hope you can read a healthy chunk of IJ today. I think I will listen to it through the work day Monday and then take a break. Unless, of course, it becomes unputdownable.

>235 jessibud2: LOL! We probably could've lit up a small metropolis with our bell-bottoms, Shelley. I still remember a friend's black light poster of Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced. We'd turn off the lights and be awestruck.

The bell-bottoms are lost in the dustbins of history, but I still love Hendrix's music.

>236 magicians_nephew: Hi, Jim. I was going to say, yes, you do need to say more. But having followed the link, you don't. Looks great. Thanks for the tip. I've passed it on to Madame MBH.

Yes, I had two older sisters, too, although I don't think either was a Nancy Drew reader. I'll have to ask. I did get all the Oz books (there are way more than you might think) from one of them, and now our Oz-loving son has them.

Our daughter and I laugh that, for some reason, I really liked The Secret of Shadow Ranch. I'm not sure why. I should go back and read that one. If I remember correctly, Carolyn Keene is the name given to a whole slew of writers hired by Stratmeyer. They did a heck of a good job.

Nice idea to suggest Nancy Drew for learning English. Did you ever hear back? We're going to try to improve our Spanish later this year, and I should think about trying some simpler books in that language.

>237 msf59: Happy Saturday, Mark! I'm going to give it a go with Infinite Jest today. I don't feel like I've picked up much momentum yet - the story threads keep jumping around, don't they. Maybe I can change that re the momentum.

Right, I'm switching up with it, and may need to take a break next week. We'll see. I liked a shorty called Eggtooth that Lucy reviewed. Now I've got Georgette Heyer's first one, The Black Moth, started.

The second Paper Girls is bizarre and good. I'm about halfway through the Eileen Myles poetry collection, and I'm still liking it. I'll have to track down that Kim Addonizio one you just finished. Sounds great. I also picked up a Phillip Levine, The Simple Truth.

>238 jnwelch: - In the mid-1980s, I lived in Germany for a year and I also got hold of some children's books (for VERY young children!) to try to improve my very beginning German. Think, the Dick-Jane-Sally variety of kids' books. I'm not so sure it helped me but if I had been there longer, it would have been a good start. And why not? It's only logical that beginning readers start their learning with beginner's books!

>239 jnwelch: You're right, Shelley. Makes sense. Hmm. This will warrant some thought.

Happy Saturday, Joe!

>242 scaifea: Happy Saturday, Amber!

I have the whole OZ collection downstairs in my bookshelves. Love that series! I don't think I have gotten around to adding it to my LT collection. In fact, I haven't done any of the shelves downstairs. Hmmmm...not today! ; )

>244 Berly: Great, Kim! He's got the dozen or so L.Frank Baum ones, the Ruth Plumly Thompson continuations, and then assorted continuations by other authors from an earlier time. Here's a Wikipedia link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Oz_books

Bookish street art for you, Joe.

>245 jnwelch: I think I read a few of the Thompson continuations, but I didn't collect them. I have Wicked and the Eyre Affair and loved them both!

>246 weird_O: Thanks, Bill. Love it. Talk about Mount TBR!

>247 Berly: I liked Wicked a lot, Kim, and I chuckled at the Eyre Affair. What was the Oz connection in the latter? I can't remember.

Happy weekend! Have fun in New Orleans!

>249 drneutron: Thanks, Jim!

>234 jnwelch: Too bad your sister didn't take a picture, Joe. I would love to see that on your thread LOL! Have fun reading The Black Moth. I will be reading Beauvallet this month. It's a non-regency Heyer that I haven't read before. Have you read it?

Hi, Joe! Getting ready to head out to dinner, with Sue. Beer will make an appearance at some point.

BTW- I picked up The White Donkey and Paper Girls 2, from the library. I am such a push over...

I posted a few poems over on the poetry thread. Check 'em out.

Oh yeah, we watched Hidden Figures last night. Very good film, although it only deals with a small portion of the book.

>251 Familyhistorian: She did have a pic of me in those pink, striped bell-bottoms, Meg. I'm hoping it's lost forever. Knowing her, I would've seen it recently if she knew where it was.

The Black Moth is off to a good start. Beauvallet is new to me. (She was prolific!) We can exchange notes.

>252 msf59:, 253 Sounds like a fun one, Mark. Debbi is out dining with her writing class, so I'll try to stay out of trouble.

Oh good, you're going to like both those GNs. Good job, library.

I did see those poems. I'll get back over to comment at some point. I'd seen the Alexie one on Katie's thread, and commented there. He's sharp.

I'm glad the Hidden Figures movie was a positive. I think we'll view it in the home theater when the time comes.

Nancy Drew? I was a big fan back in the day. I'd even read The Hardy Boys if I had to do so.

>216 jnwelch: I remember as a girl bringing home piles of Nancy Drew books from the library. My father's comment was that his favorite Nancy Drew was "Nancy Drew Flies."

Had to think about that one for awhile.....

>254 jnwelch: I will report back on Beauvallet. Don't get in too much trouble with no supervison!

Hey, Joe. Just thinking. Is it possible to get buns, hot out of the oven?

>258 weird_O: I will have you know that Joe's buns are the stuff of legend around here

>255 vancouverdeb: I was a Hardy Boys guy, Deb, but I read a number of the Nancy Drews as a kid, and many more with our daughter once she showed up.

>256 kac522: That's the kind of obscure joke I'd make, Kathy. Did he mean the Nancy Drew that flies off the top of your library pile?

>257 Familyhistorian: I did manage to stay out of trouble while unsupervised, Meg. The closest to being hauled to the police station was having to explain the bungee jumping from the roof to the sergeant-at-arms. Thank goodness, she accepted the scientific experiment explanation. I will say Madame MBH made it back home in the nick of time.

>258 weird_O: Whoa! That's an eye-popper early in the morning, Bill! A good one, I must say. I'm glad you're the kind of guy who's willing to share. Let me grab my cup of coffee and let's start serving.

>259 magicians_nephew: Ha! My wife has certainly said that more than once, Jim, but I didn't know they had entered into legend. I was lucky - my parents were bakers, and often got compliments on their buns.

By Will Bullas

Morning, Joe! Happy Sunday! Enjoy that coffee run.

>263 msf59: Morning, Mark! Thanks! Hope you're having a good Sunday. The coffee was most excellent.

We're going to go grab Becca now, and start getting ready for the Super Bowl party. Have fun at the one you're going to!

>260 jnwelch: I think my dad was thinking of the Nancy Drew that had an aversion to bathing. :)

>265 kac522: Ha! Oh my goodness, Kathy. I hope you gave him a good slug on the arm. (That's what our kids used to do to me).

>266 jnwelch: We just groaned, but I have to say that every time I see or hear Nancy Drew, I think "Nancy Drew Flies", with an image of Nancy a la Pigpen from Charles Schulz's Peanuts.

>267 kac522: :-) I'd like to see an illustration of that one!