Carmenere's (Lynda's) place - #2

Greetings and welcome to my 2017 Thread. I'm Lynda, I've been a 75er for 8 years, married for 23 years (Bill), one son (Will) going on 18. Life long resident of Northeast O H I O and we enjoy traveling as much as possible. When I'm not physically traveling, the books I read take me places I long to see and I tend to share pics of those locations on my thread.

The Tickers:



Books I've read in Inches



Maps:

Where my books take me...
States visited as of 2-5-17

visited 38 states (76%)
Create your own visited map of The United States
Countries completed as of 2-12-17


visited

Yes! I do have goals this coming year, loosely formed, but goals nontheless.
1. Read the ER's I've been accumulating - I'm serious about this so here's my link to the TBR Challenge page https://www.librarything.com/topic/243399
2. Read books within a series I've also accumulated, particularly mysteries by Donna Leon, Alexander McCall Smith, Charlaine Harris and C J Sansom
3. Award Finalists - Awards I may want to follow in 2017. I'm thinking I'll just be focusing on the short lists.

National Book Awards:

Approx - October 12: Finalists Announcement

Approx - November 16: National Book Awards Ceremony and Benefit Dinner (Winners announced)
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The Wellcome Book Prize timetable
https://wellcomebookprize.org/

April 2017
Winner announced

March 2017
Shortlist announced

January 30, 2017
Longlist announced
How to Survive a Plague: The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed AIDS by David France
Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
Mend the Living by Maylis de Kerangal (alternate title: The Heart: A Novel)
The Golden Age by Joan London
Cure: A Journey into the Science of Mind Over Body by Jo Marchant
The Tidal Zone by Sarah Moss
The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee
The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived: The Stories in Our Genes by Adam Rutherford
* Miss Jane by Brad Watson
I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life by Ed Yong

*read
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2017 winner of the Baileys Womens Prize for Fiction
http://www.womensprizeforfiction.co.uk/

Short list announced in April
Winner will be announced on Wednesday 7th June
-------------------------------------------------​
The Best Translated Book Award
https://pen.org/literature/2017-pen-translation-prize

FINALISTS
Finalists will be announced on January 18, 2017.

Confessions by Rabee Jaber

Between Life and Death by Yoram Kaniuk

Angel of Oblivion by Maja Haderlap

Justine by Iben Mondrup

*The Vegetarian by Han Kang

WINNER
The winner will be announced on February 22, 2017
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Man Booker
http://themanbookerprize.com/fiction
The ‘Man Booker Dozen’ of 12 or 13 books will be announced in July 2017 and the shortlist of six books in September 2017. The winner of the 2017 Man Booker Prize for Fiction will be announced on 17 October 2017 at an awards ceremony at London’s Guildhall, broadcast live by the BBC.

Man Booker International
http://themanbookerprize.com/international
Shortlist 4-20-17 Winner announced 6-14-17

Longlist : Mathias Enard (France), Compass
Wioletta Greg (Poland), Swallowing Mercury
David Grossman (Israel), A Horse Walks Into a Bar
Stefan Hertmans (Belgium), War and Turpentine
Roy Jacobsen (Norway),Don Shaw, The Unseen
Ismail Kadare (Albania), The Traitor's Niche
Jon Kalman Stefansson (Iceland), Fish Have No Feet
Yan Lianke (China), The Explosion Chronicles
Alain Mabanckou (France), , Black Moses
Clemens Meyer (Germany), Bricks and Mortar
Dorthe Nors (Denmark), Mirror, Shoulder, Signal
Amos Oz (Israel), Judas
Samanta Schweblin (Argentina), Fever Dream - READ 4.75/5

4. Read the US Presidents in chronological order
1. Washington
2. Adams
3. Jefferson

5. Neighborhood Book Swap
Finding me by Michelle Knight - COMPLETED 12/16

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - my submission

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger - read several years ago

Salt sugar fat by Micheal Moss

STING by Sandra Brown

Paris Letters by Janice MacLeod

The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson

The girl on the train - Read in 2015
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And lastly, Thanks to Kim aka Berly's ABCs for Pres Obama's reading list - I'll read when I'm able, just wanted to place it here so I don't forget it.

1. Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Evan Osnos
2. Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman
3. Moral Man And Immoral Society, Reinhold Niebuhr
4. A Kind And Just Parent, William Ayers
5. The Post-American World, Fareed Zakaria
6. Lessons in Disaster, Gordon Goldstein
7. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, Yuval Noah Harari
8. The Fire Next Time, James Baldwin
9. Andy Grove: The Life and Times of an American, Richard S Tedlow
10. Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity, Katherine Boo

March--All-time Favorites
1. Moby Dick, Herman Melville
2. Self-Reliance, Ralph Waldo Emerson
3. Song Of Solomon, Toni Morrison
4. Parting The Waters, Taylor Branch
5. Gilead, Marylinne Robinson
6. Best and the Brightest, David Halberstam
7. The Federalist, Alexander Hamilton
8. Souls of Black Folk, W.E.B. Du Bois
9. The Power and the Glory, Graham Greene
10. The Quiet American, Graham Greene
11. Cancer Ward, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
12. Gandhi’s autobiography
13. Working, Studs Terkel
14. Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith
15. Theory of Moral Sentiments, Adam Smith
16. All the King’s Men, Robert Penn Warren

April--Excellent Novels and Poetry collections
(Coinciding with Mark's Poetry Month)
1. Cutting for Stone, Abraham Verghese
2. To the End of the Land, David Grossman
3. Purity, Jonathan Franzen
4. A Bend in the River, V. S. Naipau
5. Fates and Furies, Lauren Groff
6. Lush Life, Richard Price
7. Netherland, Joseph O’Neill
8. Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights, Salman Rushdie
9. Redeployment, Phil Klay
10. Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison
11. Plainsong, Kent Haruf
12. The Way Home, George Pelecanos
13. What Is the What, Dave Eggers
14. Philosophy & Literature, Peter S Thompson
15. Collected Poems, Derek Walcott
16. In Dubious Battle, John Steinbeck
17. Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn - Read
18. The Three-Body Problem, Liu Cixin
19. Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling - Read

May--Books About Other Presidents
1. The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, Edmund Morris
2. John Adams, David McCullough
3. Lincoln: The Biography of a Writer, Fred Kaplan
4. Defining Moment: FDR’s Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope, Jonathan Alte
5. FDR, Jean Edward Smith
6. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, Doris Kearns Goodwin - Reading
7. The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln

June--Summer Reads 2016
1. Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life, William Finnegan
2. H Is for Hawk, Helen Macdonald - Read
3. The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins
4. Seveneves, Neal Stephenson
5. The Underground Railroad, Colson Whitehead - Read
Reply | More
4BerlyEdited: Jan 25, 9:01pm Top
July--Summer Reads 2015
1. All That Is, James Salter
2. The Sixth Extinction, Elizabeth Kolbert
3. The Lowland, Jhumpa Lahiri
4. Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates
5. Washington: A Life, Ron Chernow
6. All the Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr - Read

August--Independent Bookstore Purchases
1. Brown Girl Dreaming, Jacqueline Woodson
2. Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad - Read
3. Nora Webster, Colm Toibin
4. The Laughing Monsters, Denis Johnson
5. Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth and Faith in the New China, Evan Osnos
6. Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End, Dr. Atul Gawande
7. Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms, Katherine Rundell
8. The Narrow Road to the Deep North, Richard Flanagan
9. Redwall series, Brian Jacques
10. Junie B. Jones series, Barbara Park
11. Nuts To You, Lynn Rae Perkins

September--Childhood Classics
(Back to School Dontcha Know!)
1. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
2. Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck - Read
3. The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald - Read
4. Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak - Read

October--Additional Authors and Philosophers
1. Langston Hughes
2. Richard Wright
3. Mark Twain
4. Malcolm X
5. Philip Roth
6. Saul Bellow
7. Junot Díaz
8. Dave Eggers
9. Zadie Smith
10. Barbara Kingsolver
11. St. Augustine
12. Friedrich Nietzsche
13. Jean-Paul Sartre
14. Thomas Jefferson
15. Ralph Waldo Emerson
16. Abraham Lincoln
17. Paul Tillich
18. E.L. Doctorow

November--Informative Reads
1. Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution and How It Can Renew America, Thomas L Friedman
2. Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001, Steve Coll
3. Unequal Democracy: The Political Economy of the New Gilded Age, Larry Bartels
4. The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York, Robert A. Caro

December--Books for Daughters
(Because this is my daughter's birthday month)
1. The Naked and the Dead, Norman Mailer
2. One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez - Read
3. The Golden Notebook, Doris Lessing
4. The Woman Warrior, Maxine Hong Kingston

Accomplishments:
January
1. The Invoice ER
2. The Princess Diarist Library
3. A Gentleman in Moscow Passed from Mark, sending on to Beth.
4. Without you, there is no us ER

February
5. A Thousand Acres Thanks to Julia for sending me to Iowa!
6. Human Acts ER
7. March: Book One Library
8. March: Book Two Library
9. The Vegetarian Library Tournament of Books
10. Black Wave Library Tournament of Books

March
11. Homegoing Library Tournament of Books
12. Wide Sargasso Sea Pauls BAC
13. Mexico Stories ER
14. Fever Dream Library Booker International Longlist
15. March: Book Three Library

Accomplishments - 2nd Quarter

April
16. Paris Letters NBSwap

May

June

Accomplishments - 3rd Quarter
July

August

September

Accomplishments - 4th Quarter
October

November

December

Happy New Thread, Lynda!! Yah, I am first!

Another gorgeous day in the Midwest! And I am off. Sweet!

Happy new one, Lynda!

Woo Hoo, I'm loving this early spring, Mark. Should last all week!
As #1 to my new thread, thought you'd be able to use this and take advantage of nice weather on your day off....

Morning Mamie and Thank you!

>10 Carmenere: Niiice. Happy new thread!

#8-2017
March: Book Two
John Lewis, A Aydin, N Powell
2015
179 pages
4/5
Black History Month

Where am I? ........Washington DC, The Mall, The March

16th Street Baptist Church, Birmingham, Alabama

Thoughts............Book One ended with a glimmer of hope that progress was being made toward desegregation through non-violent means. Yet, in Book Two, we find there are still obstructions which hinder them from living as other Americans live. The activists, knowing they may be met with humiliation and violence and possibly death, continue their quest for equality by taking their cause to the deep south and, ultimately, the attention of the entire nation. This installment if full of tension and hatred and again, even after soaring oratory and non violent unity the reader still, at the conclusion of Book Two, realizes that just won't be enough. On to Book Three!

>12 drneutron: Hi Jim! Maybe you'd like one too? There's more...............

>11 Carmenere: Ooh, love the chair. Could use it today!

And hooray, for March: Book Two. Another triumph.

#9-2017
The Vegetarian
Han Kang
2015 - English translation
188 pages
3.75/5
Powell's Tournament of Books

Where am I? ....... A psychiatric hospital, South Korea

Thoughts............When we first meet Yeong-hye and before she became vegetarian, we see her through the eyes of her husband. We learn she is nondescript, quiet, and obedient. Over night he discovers things have changed and finds chaos in his kitchen. On his own, there is no way, to bring his wife back to be the woman he married. His attempt to seek the help of her family is a disaster. Which brings us to the second part of the book and the reader is now viewed through the eyes of her brother-in-law. He's just as obsessed as Yeong-hye and his attention puts her over the edge. The third and final part of the novella is told by her sister. In very intense fashion we learn what has become of Yeong-hye. Her sister wants to help her but Yeong-hye yearns for something more than can be obtained . An interesting book of a tragic life which would work well in book group discussions.

>15 msf59: Glad you like the chair, Mark! Don't forget the sunscreen ;0)

Happy new thread, Lynda! I'm looking forward to seeing all the places you'll visit.

>18 mstrust: Frankly Jennifer, I am done with Korea! North! South! Whatever, I'm done! My current reads are in 1917 England, very civil and another book takes place in LA and San Francisco. Well, that could be interesting so buckle up for the ride :0)

Happy new thread. You're very brave reading the Vegetarian. I read enough of a review to think 'no thank you'!

>20 charl08: Ha! It wasn't all that difficult, Charlotte! Perhaps Human Acts desensitized me a bit. I can certainly use some light reading to relax my mind.

Happy new thread, Lynda!!

Morning, Lynda! Good review of The Vegetarian. It fell a bit short for me but I am in the minority. I will have to revisit it at some point.

Congratulations on your new thread, Lynda xx

>22 scaifea: Morning Amber and thank you!

>23 msf59: Yeah, Mark, not an easy read in that it's sorta kinda different. I hope you do give it another go and see if you think differently about it.

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I was a bit devastated when I reached the end of episode 10 of The Crown and realized there was no episode 11! Waaaaa! Will, who also enjoys it, tells me it has been renewed *Squeel* Can't wait!

Oops I missed Victoria on Sunday night so at least theres that :0)

Now that volunteer sign ups are done, I must wait for people to fill the slots. 70 slots! Ugh!
In the meantime I'll get back to work on annual photo album and reeeeeeaaaad!

I've only watched the first half of the first episode of "The Crown", but was very pleased to see James Laurenson. I've put that one on hold as I watch "Victoria". I'm one episode behind, but enjoying it a lot. And I'm really hoping Rufus Sewell isn't gone from the palace for good. ; )

Afternoon, Lynda!

Happy New Thread, Lynda! (Not Mamie!). Go March trilogy! I thought the third one was even better than the outstanding first two. What a story, and what a great way to tell it.

>26 mstrust: You've got a lot a good episodes to come, Jennifer! and yeah, I liked the relationship which Melbourne and the Queen. Very entertaining.

>27 Crazymamie: Good Afternoon, Mamie! We are having an uncharacteristically beautiful day here. Hope you are as well.

>28 jnwelch: LOL Hi there, Joe! I've requested Book 3 from the library. What a way to commemorate Black History Month!

Such a lovely day here. I bumped into some neighbors who were also walking and with their dogs, I may add. So, I got the chance to be a dog walker today. Love it!

Never did get to the photo album today. Fiddle de de bla bla bla :0)

>1 Carmenere: I absolutely love that!

And Happy New Thread!

Nice review of The Vegetarian. It's already on my wish list so I dodged one. :-P

Morning, Lynda!

Hi Lynda, I am very happy to hear that we have another season of "The Crown" to look forward to.

I am now going to start watching "Victoria" which I have been looking forward to.

Good luck with all your Tournament of Books reads!

>30 EBT1002: And it's quite accurate, Ellen! As much as we love to talk books we also love to sample all the bottles brought to the yearly meeting!

>31 Crazymamie: Hi there, Mamie!! Ya know if it's Wednesday I'm at coffee with the moms. We tried the newly build Starbucks in an adjacent city. Ugh. The former Starbucks had a tremendous amount of parking. comfy sofas and a warm atmosphere. The new one sacrifices all that just to accommodate drive thru orders. We'll not be going back. Half of us couldn't find a parking place and had to park at a Walgreens across the street. Ugh.

>32 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy! Yes, we learned a few things regarding the monarchy and the acting has been fabulous! Can't wait for its return. Oh! and Victoria is so well done too. Queen Victoria is charming.
The TofB is another great opportunity for me to pick up books I would have ignored. Are you working on it too?

Happy new thread, Lynda. LOVE the topper.

Great review of THe Vegetarian and the Lewis book as well. How could anyone not love it?

Morning, Lynda! Happy Friday! I still have one or 2 episodes of the Crown to watch. I have been savoring them. Excellent series.

Victoria is not on the same level but it is watchable.

>34 BLBera: Lol, Beth, that's actually what my RL book club is all about......well, there is food and a little book discussion, of course.

>35 msf59: It's funny you mention that, Mark. With the first episode of Victoria I thought they showed landscape painting like photos to let the viewer know where they are. Thought that sort of amatuerish. But Jenna Coleman is just so darn adorable, she reels me in.

Another beautiful day in Cleveland, 70f degrees and sunny! I've been walking all week and enjoying seeing neighbors outdoors. Back to winter tomorrow :0(

I picked up more books from the library for the Tournament of Books and they've all visited my house but were return unread. Hopefully, this time that won't be the case.
Good News: My county library system has changed over to a new system called CLEVENET. So now, when you're looking at the online catalog you're virtually looking at catalogs from all over NE Ohio. It will make finding hard to find books much easier. Maybe even those hard to find Canadian authors will be readily available.
Bad News: Some libraries have different expiration dates from my county, which is 3 weeks. I've noticed some books I borrow are now 2 weeks because of this. So I'll need to be more attentive and read those first.

Morning, Lynda! Georgia has a library system like that - linking most of Georgia except for the Atlanta area. I love it. Luckily, expiration dates are not affected by where it comes from. Not sure if this is because all the libraries have the same rules or because they check it out to you following the rules of your "home" library. We just get two weeks, but we can renew it online twice if it has not been requested by someone else.

#10-2017
Black Wave
Michelle Tea
2016
325 pages
3/5
Powell's Tournament of Books

Where am I? ....... Mission District, San Francisco, California

Franklin Strip?/Village, Los Angeles, California

Thoughts.............This novel is divided into 2 halves, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The main focus is on Michelle. She is a transplant from Boston and, when we meet her, living the artsy/hipster/LGBTQ lifestyle. Her sexual liaisons are many. Sometimes casual, sometimes more meaningful. She spends her nights drinking and doing drugs, her days are spent getting sober so she can do it all over again. This lifestyle carries on until she receives a call from her brother in LA with news that the world is about to end soon and she should come out to LA and be with him. As with many literary journey's, her drive down the coast brings a change, a transition if you will. I think, and I'm saying this because I'm really not all that sure what the author wants the reader to take away from this story, Michelle realizes a few things about her life in San Francisco and learns what she wants but now the world is ending.
Although this novel was quite a stretch from my usual genre I'm glad the Tournament of Books pointed me in this direction and hear a new voice.

>37 Crazymamie: Yeah, Mamie, I assumed due dates would follow the home rules. That not being the case, I hope eventually they'll see the complexity in this and change it. The librarian informed me I can renew it, but a book like Homegoing is so popular I may not be able to do so. A sad day for snail readers like me. :(

Nice review of Black Wave, Lynda. I'll add it to my list.

Thanks, Beth. Not an easy review to write and, at one point, I was about to give up on this book but like I usually do, I carried on :0)

I'm going to have a glass of chocolate milk and choc chip cookies and try to get some sleep.
Help yourself if you're an insomniac tonight too.

Morning Lynda. Looks like a nice breakfast to me (!)

Happy Saturday, Lynda. Only 33 today. What? We haven't had a high like that in a month. What am I going to do?

>43 charl08: Yup, Charlotte, that combo always helps me fall asleep and it did it's job once again! Woke up at 9am feeling refreshed!

>44 msf59: and Happy Saturday to you, Mark! yeah, the temp took a nosedive this morning. Still though, it is sunny and that is enough for me to get rolling!

After I do a bit of this and that, I've got Home going from the library, yes, again, and I'll try to get a big chunck done today. It's also a Tournament of Books book.
What's everybody else reading this weekend?

I'm also watching the live stream of April the giraffe. She's due to have her baby soon and i love giraffes.

I'll join in some giraffe love, Lynda.

My sleep has been bad lately; I'll have to give your solution a try.

>46 BLBera: Beth, My doc thinks I'm nuts because chocolate contains caffeine and should keep me awake. For me. it works just the opposite. :0}

Still no baby giraffe. Poor girl, I've been watching off and on since yesterday afternoon.

Lynda, I follow the Tournament of Books as I love all the great comments that come from not only the judges but the reading public as well. I don't read the current year's books because #1. I am to cheap to buy the recent books and #2. I am too impatient at waiting to endure a long waitlist at the library. So I am usually a few years behind with my reading. This way I can see what other LTer's think of the new books before I put them on my wishlist.

>48 DeltaQueen50: that is a wise decision, Judy! My fear is I won't be able to read them all by the championship round and if that's the case, well, that's ok too. The good thing is a few of the books were also nominated for the Booker prize, and I read them already :0) still, lots more to go.

Still no little giraffe. it will probably happen in the dead of night when no one's watching. *sigh*

Tournament of Books? That sounds like something to get my competitive juices flowing.

Have a splendid weekend. Lynda.

Hi, Lynda! Happy Sunday!

Hi Lynda! Did the little giraffe come yet? I am watching The Crown with my Hubby and oldest daughter -- I think we are on episode 4 -- I am very glad to hear it was renewed!! I liked The Vegetarian a lot, but I am also done with Korea. And anything else serious right now. I need some lighter stuff!! Just started a new detective series (like I needed that!): Fiona Griffiths. Perfect. Wishing you Happy Sunday.

Hello Dear Friend

Thanks for taking time to list all the award-winning books. Since joining LT and this group, I've discovered award that I never knew about. I still try to work my way through all the Caldecott and Newbery winners. Currently, I'm reading most of the 2017 books.

I simply love the creativity of your thread in telling us where you are visiting when you are reading a certain book. You are highly creative to think of this.

All the best for a happy Sunday of reading!

The sun is shining today. While we haven't experienced a lot of snow this winter, we had grey days. I do love snow, as long as I don't have to drive in it. Where my daughter lives (Beavercreek, Ohio) it is flat and thus the snow turns to ice. How about your part of Ohio? Do you get much snow?

>50 PaulCranswick: Here's a little something for your competitive juices, Paul Link to Tournament of Books is right here http://www.themorningnews.org/article/the-2017-tournament-of-books-shortlist-and....
I pulled the bracket off Facebook and it's right here https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9IKmXfuudVvTkRESV9STy13d2M/view

>51 scaifea: Thanks, Amber and Happy Sunday to you!

>52 Berly: No, not yet, Kim!! Here's the link I've been watching https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuYR4cTNbB0. BTW: this is taking place in New York. She, April, is such a beautiful animal and I'm mesmerized! I too could use some light reading by here I am reading Homegoing.
Everybody seems to be reading Fiona Griffiths! I need to check if those books are still offered on sale for Kindle. ETA: Yes! I purchased the first in the series Talking to the Dead for .99! Yay!

>53 Whisper1: Hi there, Linda! This winter has been rather mild in the Cleveland area. Not much snow and no where near the sub zero temps we experienced last year. But when it snows, believe me, it snows!! We tend to get most of our snow from Lake Effect, which is cold dry air picking up moisture from an unfrozen Lake Erie and plopping it down as snow in the higher elevations near Cleveland. It's no fun but when you consider earthquakes, hurricanes, wild fires etc. Cleveland gets off kind of easy.
Beautiful picture you posted!!

Happy Sunday, Lynda! I am spending the day with the books. No complaints here...

I hope you are finding Homegoing as wonderful as I did.

Thanks for the brackets for the ToB, Lynda. I hadn't seen them yet. I loved Moonglow; that might be my favorite. But there are lots of good ones.

>55 msf59: I'm spending the day with books too, Mark. I sense a cold trying to attack so I'm laying low. So far, I've only just read the portion I listed to when I had the audio out from the library. It's working better for me now because I was a little confused about the two women receiving stones.

>56 BLBera: You are quite welcome, Beth! I have Moonglow in my hands so maybe, I'm not sure yet, I'll read it next.

Still no baby giraffe.

Morning, Lynda! I think you will really enjoy Fiona - good thinking to put something lighter with Homegoing.

>58 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! Fiona sounds good but it will surely be awhile before I get to it. I'm going to read an ER from my TBR Challenge, Mexico and it looks relatively tame.

Still waiting. *sigh*

Happy Tuesday Lynda!
Waiting with you now for the baby giraffe while making the rounds on LT. Oh, and I will read that link on the tournament of books. And err... maybe work a bit given that this is my office computer. :)
Great review of The Vegetarian. When I read it, it didn't feel like " so much", but it's still with me many months later. It was certainly intense.

Giraffes are such lovely lovely creatures. How fun that you are getting to spy on a baby being born! I've checked your link a couple of times, but so far she just seems to be standing around. I know I'm projecting, but she looks bored. She needs a good book to read while she's waiting!

Morning, Lynda! I hope you are enjoying your Homegoing. Fingers crossed...

Happy Fat Tuesday!

>60 Deern: Thanks, Nathalie! Hope your Tuesday is going well! April, is getting larger by the day. If you watch very closely you can see when baby is moving about. I love the grace and elegance giraffes exibit, not to mention their amazing spots.
Yeah, I think the Vegetarian has much to do with mental illness and how it is addressed by family and the medical profession. It lingers with me too.

>61 rosalita: Hahaha, she does a lot of standing, Julia and carrying around and additional 150lbs can't be easy. I hope they give her a spa day when all is done.

>62 msf59: lol, you can uncross your fingers, Mark, I am enjoying Homegoing. It's up against Sweet Lamb of Heaven in this round and I say Homegoing is the clear winner. We will see.

Morning, Lynda!

Howdy, Mamie!! I hope your day is going well!!

Yuck yuck yuck! I needed to drop Will off to school this morning just when a heavy snow burst hit. Too quick for snow plows to respond. Slow going but back home, snug as a bug. Possibly 6-8 inches by tonight. I think after the roads are cleared it won't be so bad.

So how is your morning :0)?

Morning, Lynda! Friday!! We didn't get any snow.

>66 Carmenere: we got a light dusting, nothing sticking to roads and such. So I indulged in a stop for some good coffee and a mini-beignet trio on the way to work. KInds like donut holes, only better. :)

"you can uncross your fingers," Hip, hip, hooray!

Happy Friday, Lynda! I was disappointed with Sweet Lamb of Heaven. I hope it works better for you.

ETA- Boo to March snow!

>67 Crazymamie: Ha Ha Ha Ha Don't worry Mamie, I'll FedEx some to you post haste :0)

>68 drneutron: Oh, that sounds delightful, Jim! :( I was to meet up with friends for breakfast but looks like everyone's hesitant to hit the roads. Boooo Hooo, sob *

>69 msf59: Hey Mark! I read Sweet Lamb last year as it was nominated for the Booker. I was NOT impressed in the least.
March snow is indeed Booable but certainly better than April snow!

Happy Friday, or should I wish you a Warm Friday?

>71 mstrust: Ha Ha! Jennifer, last week 70 degrees today 7 inches! I'd warm up with a good book if I could just detach my fingers from these computer keys. Help! I'm being held hostage by an HP!

Lynda--That is just crazy to go from 70F to snow!! In a week!! I hope your ransom was paid and the computer has let you go without incident. Happy reading!! I really have to get to Homegoing someday soon.... Any giraffe news?

7 inches? Goodness. Hope mum giraffe is doing well. Hope you have a warm, wrapped up weekend.

Morning, Lynda! Big plans for the weekend?

>73 Berly: Really, Beth, this is no unusual situation in Cleveland. It's nothing to go from 70 to 20 in one day and have sun, rain, hail, ice and snow all within 24 hours! We learn to dress in layers just to be on the safe side :/
I'm a little teed off regarding the somewhat exploitation of April, and this is why. In the evening the "animal park" which appears to be privately owned opens a chat line for updates regarding April's condition AND chatters, who of course have fallen in love with April, are given the opportunity to make donations. Mmmm, the longer this "close to labor" situation continues the more donations come in. This has gone on for more than a week, maybe longer, but my local tv station just brought it to our attention the Thursday before last. I'm not sure how to feel about this.
To answer your question :0) April is visibly larger but no baby as yet.

>74 DianaNL: Oh! I love that Diana! Thank you and back at you!!

>75 charl08: Well, Charlotte, today is bright and sunny and will warm up to upper 40s f. *snork* go figure!

>76 Crazymamie: Morning Mamie! Well, not really big plans just catching up on things we need to take care of like, Will needs to have a new passport pic because he's eligible to get an adult passport but maybe a haircut first? I'm not sure. While we're out perhaps a quick trip to bag day at branch further away from us but, ya know, books.

I've finished Homegoing. I'll keep you on the edge of your seats, bwaa hahahaha, reviewed tomorrow!

Next up...........
ER

Neighborhood book swap (NBS)

Still listening to last months NBS

Tournament of Books (Chosen because I need a comedy)

Morning Lynda! Happy Saturday! Yah, for finishing Homegoing. Boo, for making us wait for the verdict.

Thanks, to Janet, I also have a copy of Mexico: Stories. I might try to fit it in.

Happy Saturday, Lynda!!

I got your morning snow on Thursday, Lynda. I was happy to send it your way. :)

I'll be interested to see what you think of Mister Monkey - it was one of my favorites last year, very original.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Hello, Lynda!

>78 msf59: Hey Mark! Sorry about the delay, busy weekend but review right after these messages :0)

>79 scaifea: Hope you had a lovely weekend, Amber!!

>80 BLBera: One of your faves, Beth? OK not I'm really psyched!
Please, only send sunshine our way, thank you in advance! ;0)

>81 alcottacre: Sssssstasia?! Is it really you?


Welcome back to the fold my dear!!!!
------------------------
OK stay tuned, working on review

#11-2017
Homegoing
Yaa Gyasi
2016
300 pages
5/5
Powell's Tournament of Books

Where am I?................... Cape Coast Castle, Ghana

Fells Point, Maryland

Kumasi, Ghana

Harlem, New York

Thoughts.............This novel is an astoundingly memorable read! Within its 300 pages the reader sees and experiences a progression of nine generations, no, more like 18 generations! Let me explain. There are two branches to the common ancestor, Maame, and, thru her skillful technique, the author is able to see-saw between two families and two continents while keeping the reader attuned to where they are in time and space. Ghana, North America, colonization, slave trade, jazz clubs, tribal warfare. Whichever way you tag it, this beautiful and sometimes ugly story is truly amazing!

>83 Carmenere: I am still waiting to grab that book in the normal mass market paperback size I like. I haven't seen a single negative review yet.

>84 PaulCranswick: Yes, Paul, for a guy on the go, paperback is the best way. I look forward to your thoughts.

Thank you, lunacat! Hope you have a great week too :0)

>83 Carmenere: I'm on the library hold list for that one but there are well over a hundred people ahead of me, so I won't be reading it any time soon! Nice review.

>88 rosalita: Oh my, Julia! 100 people ahead of you?! Yikes! I doubt I would have gotten my copy so quickly if my library didn't go with Clevenet which opens up the lending program to many library systems in NE Ohio. My book came from a county library outside my area. It's a great thing!

and thanks!

Update: April as not yet given birth http://www.wkyc.com/features/watch-live-giraffe-birth-at-ny-zoo/413297896

The way things are going April might be when April has her giraffelett

Morning, Lynda!

>83 Carmenere:



Hooray, for Homegoing! 5 stars is just about right! What did you start next?

Morning, Lynda!

>83 Carmenere: Into the BlackHole it goes!

>91 scaifea: Back at cha, Amber!

>92 msf59: Hey Mark! I've started Mexico Short Stories simply because.........it's short :D

>93 Crazymamie: Howdy, Mamie!

>94 alcottacre: Hey Stastia, glad to contribute :0)

-------------
Today calls for finalizing caterer for grad party and order photo announcements/invites. Check out the paper products we will need.
Maybe, return to photo album 2016
Hair cut, just a trim.
OMG! It's March already and sooo much to do. eeee!

Happy International Women's Day!


Happy Girl Scout Cookie Distribution Day!

I like Tag-a-longs or whatever lemon cookie is available

Which one is your favorite?

Is there a bad cookie?

>97 BLBera: *snork* actually, there is for me! Anything with a shred of coconut makes me a tad nauseous. Not a good thing :0(

I guess you're right, Lynda. I don't like things with raisins in them.

Howdy, Lynda. I may join you, with Mexico. Always fun to share a read.

I feel like I've returned to the human race! Extremely high winds on Wednesday knocked out our electricity. Maybe you've seen this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEoS22FgUUc

Ugh, no cable, no (landline phone), no internet, no heat, no water, no school as roads were blocked by fallen trees and power lines! We were told it could be as late as 11pm tonight before crews had it repaired but as we were beginning to freeze our tushies off last night around 9pm everything came back on!
Therefore, lots of catching up to do today. We took our frozens to my mom's apartment so I'll probably pick those up today and get fresh dairy products and clean out the fridge since it's so empty.

-------------
>99 BLBera: Yup, Beth, shriveled grapes aren't for everyone!

>100 msf59: Hey Mark, I read 1/2 of Mexico yesterday during times of sunlight. I'm liking it and look forward to finishing it up today!

Happy Friday, Lynda. Good news on Mexico. I am ready for some short fiction.

>102 msf59: I think you may enjoy the writing, Mark, I had to check the back to see if it indeed was Fiction. It is, or course, but I'm thinking all the stories could be possible south of the border.

Finally, getting my life back in order today. Picked up the frozen food from Mom, replaced dairy items and cleaned out fridge and freezer while it was empty. Now I'm tackling laundry then to collapse into a comfy place and read the rest of Mexico stories.

I've been a baaaaad girl! I said I wasn't going to attempt winning ER's, but I'm addicted so I requested LOLA and won it. Didn't realize it was going to be such a large tome.

Well, I finished up Lola, just haven't written up my review yet. I thought it was really good and just flew by!

>104 drneutron: Jim! That's excellent news! Knowing that I'll probably read it sooner rather than later :0)

I have Lola too. I won a copy from a different site. We are definitely on the same biblio-wavelength lately.

>106 msf59: Ha! Great minds, Mark!

What a bummer that your electricity was off, Lynda. Such an inconvenience. We had high winds. I woke up and thought the roof was going to blow off but other than a lot of branches down we fared well. I am so not looking forward to tornado season. I hate it when sirens go off in the middle of the night. I usually end up going down to the basement but my husband says to wake him up if we get a tornado! Men!

Homegoing was one of my favorite books of last year. You have good taste in books.

Poor April! She looks like she is unconcerned, but I want to see the baby giraffe.
I like this one's smile:

>108 Donna828: Hi Donna! Ha! I dislike those sirens too. It seems the guys 1. can't hear them or 2. they do but choose to stay in bed.
Even though Underground Railroad seems to be the hands down favorite and one I personally enjoyed, I think Homegoing is even better.

This April story is dragging on a bit too long. I want to see the baby giraffe tooooo!

------------

I've been up since 2:34am *sigh* my volunteer slots aren't filling up and it troubles me. I'm working on a new email to parents. Something between anger and desperation.

Lynda, I cannot believe that giraffe has not dropped her baby yet! Did they set up the webcam as soon as they knew she was pregnant?! Apparently the gestation period for giraffes is over a year — I wonder if it will happen in 2017, even. :-)

>110 rosalita: LOL! I wonder too, Julia!! She looks pretty huge but then again I don't know how huge giraffes get before they drop. Here's this mornings live stream http://fox8.com/on-air/live-streaming-sc/

I've been dropping in on April from time to time too, just to check on her. Doesn't look like she has much to do but pace around, the poor thing. I don't know if giraffes like to play. Maybe there's information about it from Dr. Doris Haggis-on-Whey in Giraffes? Giraffes!.

>111 Carmenere: drat, in trying to access the link, it tells me no valid source can be found.

>108 Donna828: I saw a really funny video on FB the other day, in which a very pregnant woman was pacing her bedroom with a giraffe mask on...

>109 Carmenere: I hear you on the volunteers desperation. It's what's taking us down the path to possibly dissolving our PTO. Frustration.

>112 mstrust: She does look very confined, Jennifer, but she doesn't seem interested in going outside when her door is open. So it looks like the wall hugging and camera mugging will continue. Darn, just returned from the library, I could have looked for that book.

>113 Whisper1: Here's another live cam for you, Linda. http://abc7news.com/live/7704/

>114 scaifea: >108 Donna828: I was trying to capture that link this morning and discovered that mom has given birth to a baby boy
Take a look at this copycat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-xikX-MMOY

>114 scaifea: >109 Carmenere: It is such a sad state of affairs, Amber! Where would our schools be without these fine organizations?! It seems parents are pulled in many directions and they pick and choose their volunteer time very carefully. In the meantime, I lose sleep over the possibility that concessions won't open and then you've got the sports teams ticked off because they want their hot dog and coke. I'm out of this in May but you have a long way to go and I hope , for you, things change for the better

>114 scaifea: Cute.

Have a great weekend, Lynda.

Hi Lynda! Okay, so my favorite GS cookies are the Thin Mints and then my kids like the TagALongs, too. I can't believe they started all this hype over the giraffe, April, and no one has any idea when she might give birth!! LOL. Best of luck filling the concession stand volunteer spots. Things usually work out, but it can be stressful. Kudos to you for helping organize the whole thing! And I have Homegoing waiting for me, somewhere in my TBR Tower. Happy weekend!

>116 PaulCranswick: The US seems to have giraffe crazy, Paul but it's a nice diversion from, you know, other things. Hope you had a wonderful weekend too!

>117 Berly: The cookies are here, the cookies are here! They arrived at my door this afternoon. yumyumyum! I like Thin Mints too Kim but this year I've chosen Tagalongs and Savannah Smiles and do-si-dos.
Yeah, when April's video started, it seemed like birth was imminent, obviously every day this continues is just another day for giraffe lovers to donate to their animal park. *sigh*

----------
Tournament of Books news:
Underground Railroad kicks out Black Wave - no surprise there.
All the Birds in the Sky beats The Vegetarian - I have AtBitSky from the library but haven't read it as yet.

Apparently every Saturday in March two pairs of books go head to head. I got caught up in Mexico so I haven't really started Mister Monkey but soon, very soon.

Squirrels! They are strangely intelligent creatures! I awoke to find my bird feeder containing sunflower seeds on the ground. no surprise! but this time the hanger was still attached to the pole. Could it be, the industrious long tailed furry villains have been working at unscrewing the hanger from the lid? In any case the feeder on the ground, the lid off and the seeds, or what remained of them, scattered on the ground.

WANTED!

Honest to goodness, I spent the entire Sunday working on Sign Up Genius for concessions. After I emailed it to parents on Saturday, I rec'd a text from a lacrosse parent said there was a change to the schedule. Well, the Athletic Director didn't tell me that! So I tracked him down to confirm. Confirmed! Had to delete that game notify those who had already volunteered for that game, add the rescheduled game and re-email to parents, who at this point probably think I'm inept!

Caterer confirmed for Will's party and invites I created with Shutterfly look great.
Travel plans to Hungary are done, now to choose and plan out excursions.

Off to pick up some items before the big storm hits us. Then, barring any power outages, I'll iron, tidy up and read.

LOL! Love the Wanted sign! Squirrels have been terrorizing my suet feeder this morning too. They truly are relentless. Fortunately they can't get to the main feeder, so they pretty much leave that alone.

I hope you do not get hit with as much snow as they are predicting there. Fingers crossed, for Lynda.

>120 msf59: How is your main feeder unreachable, Mark? Have you placed land mines around your feeder, maybe laser beams surround it? Please share your secret defense.
Local meteorologists are telling us to be patient but right now it's just a typical cold day. I've got my soup fixings just in case.

-------------
Here's April's live feed. Denver news reports that she has dropped significantly with increased kicking. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHNOlOststI

Our main feeder is not unreachable, is just has a good design and the squirrels can't navigate well on it and can't get to the seeds.

Check out the photo on my thread and you can see it.

>122 msf59: Would that be the rectangular boxed shaped feeder with snow on it?

>119 Carmenere: Sounds like you need round the clock CCTV protection!

>124 charl08: *snork* I need something, Charlotte. I hate it so when those furry varmints are so selfish as to not leave anything for their feathered counterparts.

In my estimation, I think the big storm fizzled. We were gifted with just a couple of inches of snow but the roads seem slick so every school system around Cleveland to close today. This, so called storm, is moving out but we'll be getting lake effect snow tonight into Wednesday so another snow day is very likely tomorrow.
Perhaps if Will can be pryed away from his computer, we can use the day off to submit his passport stuff at the PO.
Beef soup tonight, which will make tummies happy :0)

Morning, Lynda! All caught up here and still no baby giraffe. Love the wanted sign for the squirrel! Reminds me of our Indiana days when Craig was constantly battling those critters - they are diabolically clever with the stealing of the birdseed. I like to think they have their own theme music - something like Mission Impossible.

>126 Crazymamie: LOL Love the Mission Impossible theme but you know squirrels, nothing's impossible for them! Maybe you've seen this video of squirrels in training. https://vimeo.com/13763125

>127 Carmenere: LOL! At least the bird feeder owner got some entertainment out of it!

That's incredible! I wonder how a squirrel learns to pedal that little car.

>127 Carmenere: Oh, that made me laugh, Lynda! I can't wait to show the kids that!

>127 Carmenere: Okay, after all that, the squirrel deserves some seeds!! LOL. Priceless.

>115 Carmenere: I hope that baby gets a life-sized giraffe in the nursery after being traumatized by the first look at his/her mother!

Loved the squirrel video. I have one feeder similar to Mark's that the squirrels can't penetrate but several others offer them an easy meal. I really don't mind feeding them because they are so entertaining. I do mind when they start munching on my spring and summer flowers, though. I have a Super Soaker water gun and am developing a pretty good aim.

When are you going to Hungary? That sounds awesome.

Since I've last posted we have been blasted with lake effect snow. We have about an additional 10 inches to the 2 that we received Monday. It's also very windy and fingers crossed our power stays on. Another snow day for Will.

Report is April is really really close!

>128 jnwelch: True, Joe! You can't beat their antics for entertainment value.

>129 mstrust: I know, Jennifer! It's amazing what a squirrel can do when he sees the mother load ahead.

>130 Crazymamie: Mamie, I can watch that video over and over again. Hope your kids enjoyed it too!

>131 Berly: I do admire their industriousness, Kim.

>132 Donna828: Ha! You've got that right, Donna! His parents will probably spend a bundle determining why their son has giraffe nightmares and an aversion to zoo's.
I'll need to check around for the squirrel proof feeder and maybe a corn cob holder for the squirrels. hahaha re: the Super Soaker. I have begun opening the front door and barking when a squirrel is on the feeder. Of course, my family is ready to commit me.
We're headed to Hungary in June. It's going to be so cool!

Squeal! The Booker International Longlist has been revealed!!
Mathias Enard (France), Charlotte Mandell, Compass (Fitzcarraldo Editions)
Wioletta Greg (Poland), Eliza Marciniak, Swallowing Mercury (Portobello Books)
David Grossman (Israel), Jessica Cohen, A Horse Walks Into a Bar (Jonathan Cape)
Stefan Hertmans (Belgium), David McKay, War and Turpentine (Harvill Secker)
Roy Jacobsen (Norway), Don Bartlett, Don Shaw, The Unseen (Maclehose)
Ismail Kadare (Albania), John Hodgson, The Traitor's Niche (Harvill Secker)
Jon Kalman Stefansson (Iceland), Phil Roughton, Fish Have No Feet (Maclehose)
Yan Lianke (China), Carlos Rojas, The Explosion Chronicles (Chatto & Windus)
Alain Mabanckou (France), Helen Stevenson, Black Moses (Serpent's Tail)
Clemens Meyer (Germany), Katy Derbyshire, Bricks and Mortar (Fitzcarraldo Editions)
Dorthe Nors (Denmark), Misha Hoekstra, Mirror, Shoulder, Signal (Pushkin Press)
Amos Oz (Israel), Nicholas de Lange, Judas (Chatto & Windus)
Samanta Schweblin (Argentina), Megan McDowell, Fever Dream (Oneworld)

I'm like this little pooch when I hear "longlist, shortlist" http://iheartdogs.com/watch-what-this-dog-does-when-he-hears-the-word-squirrel-i... I'd love to read this list from all over the world, but I'm still into the Tournament of Books. what to do? what to do? Firstly, I'll check my library and see what's available. Also, short list revealed on April 20th, I could wait.

#12-2017
Wide Sargasso Sea
Jean Rhys
1966
176 pages
4/5
Paul's BAC MARCH : A DECADE OF BRITISH NOVELS : The 1960s

Where am I?...................
Caribbean island

I normally go into a book knowing very little about it. Yet, I wanted to read this novel because if was compared to another novel I read last year, To the Lighthouse and more recently, I discovered it was written as a prequel to Jane Eyre. Certainly, I can see why it is similar to Woolf's Lighthouse in that the options for a woman in the late 1800's are so minuscule that madness is often the only way out. Which brings us to Bronte's Jane Eyre. We new very little about the woman in the attic and Sargasso Sea explains much of Bertha's story. I have a feeling, after reading Sargasso Sea, a reread of Eyre would be quite different for me. Perhaps, a little more sympathy for the first Mrs. Rochester and a little less for Mr.

>133 Carmenere: I was able to reserve 6 from Booker International list. Since I love to travel, I may have to succumb to the call.

However, In Tournament news: Version Control advances past Lucy Barton - IMHO that's a good thing
The Mothers advances past High Dive - I hadn't got around to either one.

Morning, Lynda! I was talking to my mom this morning, whose been watching April the giraffe too. Her opinion is "I don't think that giraffe is ever going to have that baby!"

>136 mstrust: LOL I can see why she feels that way! If and when it does happen, it will probably be when we're all asleep.

Morning, Lynda. Sweet Thursday. Hope you survived all that snow. We had starlings at our feeders yesterday. They love the suet.

I am hooked and watching the live stream of April and her impending birth. Gesh, it is hard to wait so long. Poor giraffe. Last night she was so weary and overweight that when she tried to sit down, she almost rolled. What a great educational opportunity. Giraffes are my favorite animal, and to watch this live stream is incredible. Can you imagine being pregnant 15 months!

I found another story of a zoo in Denver, Colorado that had an unexpected pregnancy. The 23 year old female was on birth control, 99% effective. Two weeks before birth, they discovered a 1% occurrence. The baby was born a bit small and need a plasma injection, but the little guy named Dobby is doing just fine.

Without your mention, I would not have known about April. Thanks!

>138 msf59: Yup, Mark! Survived. Easy when I remained indoors all day. Yes!

>139 Whisper1: I'm so happy you are enjoying April and Baby Giraffe watch, Linda! Poor April, she does have a difficult time sitting down. She must be exhausted. No, I can not imagine being pregnant for 15 months nor can I imagine a 6 foot, 150 baby kicking my insides every now and then. hahaha. Dobby has an incredible story!

Leprechauns are not PC, this I know

Tournament of Books news: Home Going beats Sweet Lamb of Heaven Yes!

Grief is the Thing with Feathers beats Moonglow

I'm hoping Home Going wins it all followed closely by Grief is the Thing and Underground Railroad

April Update: Still waiting - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClnQCgFa9lCBL-KXZMOoO9Q/live

Pulmonary Doc today, yucky weather this afternoon - Corn Beef and Cabbage tonight makes it all right :0)

Oh, you remind me, Lynda. I've got Grief is the Thing with Feathers, but I still haven't read it. If it's up there with Homegoing and Underground Railroad, I need to get off my duff soon and read it.

>142 jnwelch: You most certainly do, Joe! It's so small, you'll knock it out in a couple of hours but beware it may stick with you for days :0)

-------------
Doc says asthma is under control and after we see how spring affects me, I may be off my daily inhaler :)

>133 Carmenere: Thanks for the longlist, Lynda. A little light on the women, isn't it?

>134 Carmenere: Great comments.

And, I'm reminded to go back and see how the ToB is doing.

Happy Saturday, Lynda. Hooray for Homegoing and Grief. 2 of my favorites. Have a great weekend.

I hope everything went well with the pulmonary doctor yesterday and that you have a wonderful weekend, Lynda!

>144 BLBera: Most definately, Beth, most definately!

>145 msf59: Hey Mark! They are my favorites this year along with A Gentleman in Moscow. You may be surprised by my review of Mexico stories.

>146 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia, I'll always have asthma but it seems under control and the possiblity of dropping one of my 2 inhalers shows promise. fingers crossed

OK review to follow. Grab a cup of coffee and I'll be back soon

#13-2017
Mexico stories
Josh Barkan
2017
242 pages
5/5
Librarything ER

Where am I?.........Polanco , Mexico

Basque de Chapultepec, Mexico

Acapulco, Mexico

Veracruz, Mexico

Thoughts............A thoroughly readable compilation of 12 fictional stories taking place in different areas of Mexico with subjects ranging from elderly artists to pre-teen students. The narrative of each short story pulled me in and although strung together by only incident upon incident of drug related events or bullying, most seemed plausible and intriguing. I Look forward to more from his author.

>148 Carmenere: Mexico has never been near the very top of my travel wishlist despite loving its cuisine. I guess I ought to review that one.

Have a great remainder of your weekend, Lynda.

>149 PaulCranswick: Although I've never been to Mexico City, Paul, I have spent the past 30 years traveling to touristy spots like Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, Merida and Cancun. All of our trips have been pleasant and the locals very friendly. I only have good things to say about it. Still, we read the newspapers and like anywhere, one needs to be alert and know the surroundings.
What you'll get in this collection is the dark side, certainly not a pleasant travelogue. Still I hope you give it a try.

5 stars for Mexico? WHAT? That is great news, since I will be starting that collection next.

Happy Sunday, Lynda. Hope you had a great weekend.

Glad that your last book was a Five star read. I am flying phobic, so of course I've never been to Mexico, but my dad and brothers, all airline pilots, have certainly visited Mexico. As far as I know, if you stay in your resort area, you are okay. Poor old April, I've been following her story too.

Morning, Lynda! Happy new week!

Spring is here, spring is here!

>151 msf59: Sounds shocking, doesn't it, Mark? It was a surprise to me too but with Mexico stories one good story just led to another and another and on and on till the end.

>152 vancouverdeb: Hey Deborah, we were in Acapulco 25 years ago and it's sad how things have changed. No desire to go back. Normally, we use Cancun as our base and many times we'd skip the organized tours, rent a car, and explore but we'd think twice about that now. The hotel zone in Cancun is still relatively nice and safe as is Merida which is such a beautiful colonial town.
I bet a lot of people, me included, have some sort of flying phobia but I've tried to subdue it. I've been bitten by wanderlust and there's no remedy.
April seems content but gee wiz lady, give it up already! Let's see how she's doing today
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGEEGDIHDRc

>153 scaifea: Thanks Amber, back at cha!

------
Currently I'm reading this month's Neighborhood Swap book . I like it, so far.

I also have home from the library so I'll weasel that in right after.

BTW: My men's ncaa final four teams have made it through the weekend - Yeah!

Thanks lunacat! Hope your week is just as great!!!

Morning, Lynda!

Good Morning, Mamie! Good to see you on a day beginning with M :0)

Hi Lynda - Good continued luck with the basketball.

Mexico Stories goes onto the list. Great comments.

>148 Carmenere: Into the BlackHole it goes!

Fingers crossed that you get to get rid of one of those inhalers :)

^Have a great day, Lynda! Spoil yourself, on your special day.

It's your birthday? Here's hoping it is full of happy!

Are the rumors true?


Happy Birthday!

>159 BLBera: but be forewarned, Beth, Mexico stories is a little on the dark side and I do have strange taste in books at times :}

>160 alcottacre: Same warning goes to you too, Stasia. But, obviously, I though the stories really well written and worthy of being place in the black hole.
My fingers are crossed too especially because this particular inhaler carries a hefty price tag.

>161 msf59: Thanks Mark! I'm indeed getting spoiled today and I'm loving it :0)

>162 Crazymamie: It's my birthday, Mamie!! Thanks, So far very full of happy :0D

>163 mstrust: Yes, Jennifer, it's not fake news! Thanks, how were you able to whip up that personalized cake so quickly?! You're just amazing!

----------------
Met 1/2 of my coffee bunch at Panera this morning for my birthday souffle, SOOOO GOOD! The other 1/2 is in Sedona looking at a vortex. Soooo Coool!

I picked up a little book from the library yesterday, Samanta Schweblin (Argentina), Megan McDowell, Fever Dream from the Booker international longlist so I thought I'd page through it and instead read 3/4 of the book. I'll finish up today. Can't wait to tell you about it!

Happy Birthday, Lynda!

Good to hear you're being spoiled. :-)

>165 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe but Ugh! just found out the band boosters board are calling a meeting tonight sooooooooo off I go!

Well, heck. I hope you had a good birthday even with the last-minute band boosters meeting, Lynda!

Happy Birthday, Lynda!

Happy Birthday, Lynda! I am sure that you will have a lovely day/evening.

Happy Birthday, Lynda! I hope you have had a wonderful day!

Happy Birthday, Lynda. Many happy returns. It's my godson's birthday as well. A good day.

>167 rosalita: Thanks Julia! It was great! band boosters broke within an hour so not bad. Now home in my jammies, glass of wine and headed for a book. Sweet!!

>168 DeltaQueen50: Thank you, Judy!!

>169 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul! and happy anniversary to you and Hani. Tomorrow, is it?

>170 vancouverdeb: Thanks Deborah! It's been a great great day.

I'm going to read now so sleep tight everyone!!

>172 Carmenere: Well, you were right both times, Lynda. It was today here when you posted and it is now today in both locales and my anniversary in both!

Morning, Lynda!

Happy birthday, Lynda!! I hope it was a fabulous day!

>173 PaulCranswick: Cheers to many many more happy years, Paul!

>174 Crazymamie: Howdy, Mamie!

>175 scaifea: Thanks, Amber! It was a perfect day!

-----------------
The guys gifted me with a red carry one suitcase! No no no, they are not sending me packing. It's for use on our family vacay this summer.
I was hoping it would be filled to the gills with books but a gift card to our local independent book store is almost as good.

Oh! A new suitcase filled to the gills with books would indeed be a thing to behold! But hooray for the red - that is my very favorite color.

>177 Crazymamie: Red is my favorite color too, Mamie! Will texted me from the store and asked if I wanted something in purple. "Purple?" I said, "I'm not sure, I don't have anything to go with purple." needless to say, I've been thinking whatever it is they purchased will have to be returned. But, lo and behold, my gift was indeed red!

Tournament of books Quarter finals: Underground railroad beats All the Birds in the Sky
Version Control beats The Mothers
Homegoing beats Grief is the Thing with Feathers
Today The Nix is up against Mister Monkey

In other news April is still pregnant!

Morning, Lynda! I am also sadly lacking in purple. Heh. And hooray for not having to return it!! Bonus!

#14-2017
Fever Dream
Samanta Schweblin
2017
183 pages
4.75/5
Booker International Long List

Where am I?.........Argentinian horse ranch

Thoughts.............This little gem of a book lassoed me at page 1! It is a tale told through a conversation between David and Amanda. It is dreamlike and surreal and so many questions begin to float through your mind, so you keep reading and reading and reading. From the start, we know that Amanda seems to be paralyzed and it is apparent that David has been through what Amanda is experiencing and it is frightening. Other characters they reference include Amanda's daughter, Nina and David's mother Carla and , oh yes, a mysterious lady in the green house. I could not put this book down yet the conclusion was a bit nebulous and rather undefined. But, don't let that hold you back, there's too much to this book that works.

>179 Crazymamie: Hi there Mamie! Well, it never fails when I return 1 thing I find 5 other items to buy. The guys most know this about me. :0}

Great comments on Fever Dream, Lynda. Off to check to see if my library has a copy.

>182 BLBera: Oh I hope they do, Beth! I'd love to see what you think!

Happy Friday, Lynda. Good review of Fever Dream. Sounds like a winner.

And speaking of winners, I finished Mexico: Stories. Very good collection. I like his style.

>184 msf59: and Happy Saturday to you, Mark! So happy to see you enjoyed Mexico stories! The sad thing is, Cancun, the city we've vacationed at for the past 30+ years seems to be seeing more violence. Ultimately, they'll see a decline in tourist dollars. Then what?

Hi Lynda! I'm sorry I missed your birthday. I hope it was a good one!

I'll have to keep an eye out for Mexico Stories. I have enjoyed all of my trips to Mexico. I'm fortunate to have my SIL's large family to serve as tour guides. They know which areas are safe and which areas to avoid. I felt very safe in Merida when I was there for a few days in December.

>180 Carmenere: Well, my library doesn't have a copy, but I'm hoping they'll find one. Your review makes it very tempting.

>180 Carmenere: That sounds like a fascinating little book well reviewed, Lynda. Isn't it a shame though when you feel let down by the ending.

I hope that nothing lets you down in your having a great weekend. xx

How did all of these threads get away from me? Just getting caught up here, Lynda and I have a squirrel story.

Last year our city decreed that even townhouse stratas would have to separate out their organic garbage so we ended up with a plastic garbage type container for our food scraps. It is about 3 1/2 feed tall and was mauled repeatedly by a black bear for most of last year so there are some gaps in the lid. I had to walk past the garbage area on the way to my townhouse and one of my neighbours was taking out her trash. She stopped and said she couldn't come any closer because she was scared.

There was a squirrel in the organic container. I was right beside the container and I could hear a body ping ponging around in there and then a head popped out through a gap in the lid and it had a crust of french bread grasped in its teeth. The squirrel wriggled out of the hole in the lid and onto the wooden stockade around the Smithrite containers for the regular garbage. My neighbour still couldn't move because now the squirrel was actually where she wanted to go. Seeing her dilemma, I opened the door to the stockade so the squirrel scampered up a tree and out of her way.

I can still picture the squirrel's head popping out of the organic container. All I can say is that it was easier to deal with the scary squirrel than the black bear that did the number on the organic container in the first place!

Stopping by to get caught up and see that I have missed your birthday, Lynda. Happy belated Birthday to you!

Love the intrepid squirrel story. ;-)

Hi folks, I'm crazy busy so apologies for not getting around much.
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>186 cbl_tn: Hey Carrie! Merida is a lovely city! We've been there twice and it a great base for exploring south to Uxmal and Labna and north to Progresso. I'd be happy to send you Mexico: stories just PM me your address if interested.

>187 charl08: Hope it comes your way soon, Charlotte!

>188 PaulCranswick: Well Paul, not everyone will be let down. For me, where souls and black magic are concerned, I'm a bit fuzzy.

>189 Familyhistorian: Hi there, Meg and welcome! Ha! your squirrel story is a hoot! Seems the bears and the squirrels are co-conspirators in this matter!
I do like Mr. Squirrel's trans-continental flair in absconding the french bread, c'est la vie!

>190 lkernagh: Thanks, Lori! I need to catch up on your thread too! You've probably walked to Toronto by now!

#15-2017
March: Book Three
John Lewis, Andrew Aydin
2016
256 pages
5/5

Where am I?......Dakar, Senegal
Selma, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama
Washington, D.C

Thoughts................With fortitude, intelligence, focus and love, John Lewis and associates continue the arduous fight for the right to vote, the right to be counted as a fully endowed United States citizen. That desire was often times met with jail time, violence and murder yet they persevered until the eyes of a nation and its government saw the point of their struggle and the need for a resolution. Highly recommended.

Morning, Lynda! Hooray for March love! So glad to see this important trilogy get plenty of attention. It deserves every bit.

Seeing any interesting birds?

I love the March books as well, Lynda. They should be required reading in schools.

>193 msf59: I agree, Mark! the March trilogy is a must read! I learned a few things myself, especially Book Three and the lead up to the march to Montgomery. Wow!

>194 BLBera: I agree with you too, Beth! Required reading for sure! It's not only a fabulous recounting of the times but also how peacefully people can bring attention to the needed change and how working with government not against it can sometimes bring it about.

Belated Happy Birthday wishes, Lynda. The red bag sounds great! I got a purple (actually more of a plum color) purse for Christmas. Now I have to plan a wardrobe around it! Thanks for posting the Booker International list. I highly recommend War and Turpentine. I finished it last week and though it was excellent.

Morning, Lynda!

Hi Donna and thanks! I've got War and Turpentine home from the library and a few more from the Booker International list. So much good reading ahead, if only I could get in one day of solid reading.

>197 Crazymamie: Good morning, Mamie!! :0)

Happy belated birthday!! With a shiny new red suitcase and a gift card, it looks like this year is off to a great start. : )

>200 Berly: Thanks, Kim! As much as I love gift cards, the task is always daunting. What to buy, what to buy?

We're still waiting on Ms. April to deliver the goods. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClnQCgFa9lCBL-KXZMOoO9Q/live

The final 4 included two of my picks - Gonzaga and Oregon! It's Gonzaga's year!!

Today is the championship round in The Tournament of Books 2017 the battle's on - The Underground Railroad vs Homegoing
Both books are spectacular and I just knew it would come down to these two novels. My money in on Homegoing. Why? It told a different story whereas TUR told the same story in a different way. I learned something new from Homegoing and it took me to a new place. Homegoing, if you haven't read it, you should :0)

Off to finish a book and then daughterly duties.
Motherly duties are sort of caught up at the moment - the grad party's coming together, most party supplies and invites purchased - Need to order birthday cake which for this momentous 18th b-day will be a chocolate bombe or molten lava cake.
Wifely duties - Hubsters is turning the big 60 at the end of May, so I've got to begin thinking about this. With already a grad party and Bill's b-day 2 days before I think something low key might be suitable, then again there's nothing low key about my husband.

I think some selfly duties are required :}

>201 Carmenere: I have Homegoing. I haven't read it and I should--I know! I know!! I just need more hours in the day.

Graduation and big birthdays. Whew. I vote for the molten lava cake, but would gladly suffer the chocolate bomb. Did that help? And sounds like the 60th must be celebrated in style. You have all sorts of exciting coming up! I think you should definitely take care of yourself first, so you don't get too tired out during all this. LOL

Big news and really no surprise, The Underground Railroad beat Homegoing in a landslide. Either way you can't go wrong.

April watch: The vets say soon, but still no baby for April.

>202 Berly: Hi Kim! Ugh, my eyes must have been deceiving me! It was not a moltan lava cake I saw, turns out they've never made them, but a domed shaped cake filled with more cake :( No matter though, I ordered a chocolate cookie pie! Will loves them, truth be told, so do I :0)

>203 DianaNL: How'd that little kitty cat get into my computer? So cute, hope you have the power to make him stay, Diana!

OK, back to basketball Gonzaga vs South Carolina and Gonzaga's up by 11. :0D

Hi Lynda, I have just started the March trilogy with the first book. I have the 2nd and third books on order from the library but don't expect to get them for another month or so. This first book has impressed me so much with it's excellent telling of John Lewis' memories and the artwork.

>205 DeltaQueen50: Glad you're enjoying the March trilogy, Judy! It is a wonderful collaboration, isn't it? I think you'll find the entire trilogy just as excellent.

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Gonzaga! Yay!

I was eyeing March: Book Three among the GNs in the book store today as there has been a lot of warbling about these books on LT. I figured I should start with book one, though and they only had book three available.

>207 Familyhistorian: Yes, Meg, you really should wait and begin at the beginning. I learned so much as I was just a wee one during much of the story.

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OK, the NCAA Championship will be Gonzaga vs North Carolina. North Carolina? shucks I didn't see that coming. This is looking really good for Gonzaga!

Morning, Lynda. Happy Sunday! Back to clouds again today. I sure liked all that sunshine yesterday but it looks like it will be absent for most of the week. Boo!!

#16-2017
Paris Letters
Janice MacLeod of the clan MacLeod
2014
256 pages
3.75/5
NBSwap

Where am I?......Notre Dame Cathedral w/garden Paris, France
Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland
Villa Hadriana, Rome, Italy

Thoughts...............Escape from your humdrum routine and take a day or two to discover Paris through the eyes of Ms. MacLeod. She found a way to save enough cash to leave her job in California and embark on a life changing adventure to Paris, where she fell out of love and in love and not just with Paris its self. Nice sketches reveal a clue to how she spent her time and made a little franc on the side.

>209 msf59: Yup Mark, The sunshine you enjoyed yesterday is visiting us today and like you followed by gray, rainy days for the next 5 or so days. Ugh!

Next up...................
Booker International Longlist

Neighborhood Book Swap

TBR Challenge - ER from a few years back

Hi Lynda - Lots going on here. You have a lot to celebrate - enjoy!

I have Across Many Mountains yet to read as well. Maybe this will prompt me to get to it.

Have to go check out the ToB.

Rain here today, after a lovely, sunny day yesterday. Well, it could be worse.

Have a lovely Sunday.

Hi Lynda! We are having a nice sunny day ,which is cause to celebrate! The wind is a little gusty, but a good weekend. I hope you are enjoying your weekend too! Paris Letters looks lovely. I think I may have seen in the bookstore.

>192 Carmenere: Hi Lynda. Reading about Selma and the bravery of so many began my two-year addiction of reading as much as possible about not only Selma, but a lot about Civil Rights! It takes me on a road wherein I am astounded at the courage of so many. It sounds sappy to say, but now, every single time I vote, I am aware of how very hard some had such a long journey to be able to do so.

Happy Sunday, and again, thanks (I think) for the hours I've spent watching April, Oliver, Alyysa, Corey, Jordan regarding the impending birth of this calf. The other day Good Morning America had a short take on April. It was cute!

>213 BLBera: Really?! You, too, own Across Many Mountains?! I hope you do read it along with me, it will be the incentive that's been lacking for the past 3years!
The rain will arrive here late this afternoon and last still Friday with the chance of a few snowflakes falling, Ugg!

>214 vancouverdeb: Paris Letters is a nice, gentle read, Deborah! I hope you're able to get around to it.
Isn't it amazing what the sunshine can do?! Certainly makes me feel alive and ready to conquer the world........ok, maybe just give the house a really good cleaning!

>215 Whisper1: I can not believe I've been following April for nearly 2 months, Linda! It's got to happen soon, right?
I've been enthusiastic about voting since I was a little girl, maybe 4 or 5, and I'd walk down the street to the voting location with my mom. For me, it is a good memory and I couldn't wait for the day when I too could cast a vote. I always assumed that of every American! After reading March, especially book three I realized that while I was walking to the polls with my mom, others in the South were still working and dying to be recognized as a US citizen with all the rights it entails. It's really unfathomable, what were people thinking?! (I shake my head and roll my eyes)