Mamie's 2017 Madness (Page 10)

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snail's pace

Books Read in June:
44. The Resistance Man by Martin Walker (4 stars), off my shelves paperback, police procedural (Bruno, Chief of Police, book 6)
45. The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths (4 stars) 2017 acquired ebook, police procedural (Ruth Galloway, book 9)
46. The Lightkeepers by Abby Geni (5 stars), 2017 acquired paperback, literary fiction/suspense

Books Read in May:
40. The Blackhouse by Peter May (4 stars), off my shelves ebook, mystery/police procedural
41. A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami (4 stars), 2017 acquired audiobook,
42. Love Story, With Murders by Harry Bingham (4 stars), 2017 acquired ebook, police procedural (Fiona Griffiths, book 2)
43. Thin Air by Anne Cleeves (4 stars), 2017 acquired ebook, police procedural (Shetland series, book 6)

Books Read in April:
29. The Captain and the Enemy by Graham Greene (4 stars), 2017 acquired audiobook, espionage
30. Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said by Philip K. Dick (4.25 stars), off my shelves paperback, science fiction
31. Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman, 2017 acquired audiobook, mythology (duh)
32. We Are Legion by Dennis E. Taylor, narrated by ray Porter (4 stars), 2017 acquired audiobook, science fiction
33. Red Bones by Anne Cleeves (4 stars), 2017 acquired ebook, mystery/police procedural (Shetland series, book 3)
34. The Devil's Cave by Martin Walker (4 stars), paperback off my shelves. mystery/police procedural (Bruno, Chief of Police, book 5)
35. The Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett (4.5 stars), 2017 acquired ebook, historical fiction, Lymond Chronicles, book 1) - series recommended by Lucy
36. Blue Lightning by Ann Cleeves (4 stars), 2017 acquired ebook, mystery/police procedural (Shetland, book 4)
37. Ann Cleeves' Shetland by Ann Cleeves (5 stars), 2017 acquired book, non-fiction
38. Dead Water by Ann Cleeves (4 stars), 2017 acquired ebook, mystery/police procedural (Shetland, book 5)
39. Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop (3.5 stars), off my shelf ebook, urban fantasy (The Others, book 2) - series recommended by Morphy

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

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

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

So some thoughts I have:

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

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

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

Books Read in March:
21. An Artificial Night by Seanan McGuire (4 stars), library ebook, urban fantasy/private detective (October Daye, book 3) - series recommended by Roni
22. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque (4 stars), reread, audiobook, WWI fiction, off my shelves
23. Cast in Courtlight by Michelle Sagara (4.5 stars), ebook off my shelves, fantasy (Chronicles of Elantra, book 2) - series recommended by Roni
24. Cast in Secret by Michelle Sagara (4 stars), ebook off my shelves, fantasy (Chronicles of Elantra, book 3) - series recommended by Roni
25. Late Eclipses by Seanan McGuire (4 stars), library ebook, urban fantasy/private detective (October Daye, book 4) - series recommended by Roni
26. The Third Man by Graham Greene, 2017 acquired audiobook, thriller
27. White Nights by Ann Cleeves (3 stars), 2017 acquired ebook, crime fiction/police procedural (Shetland, book 2)
28. The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett (3 stars), off my shelves paperback, crime fiction/detective

Books Read in February:
12. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles, (5 stars), library hardback, historical fiction - recommended by Mark, and Lynda hypnotized me
13. The Looking-Glass War by John LeCarré, (4 stars),2017 acquired audiobook, espionage (George Smiley series, book 4)
14. Thin Air by Robert B. Parker, (3.5 stars), library hardback, crime fiction (Spenser series, book 22), read this with Roberta
15. Raven Black by Ann Cleeves (4.25 stars), ebook, crime fiction, off my shelves (Shetland, book 1)
16. The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov (3.5 stars), 2017 acquired ebook, crime fiction/scifi (Robot series, book 1)
17. A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire (3 stars), ebook, urban fantasy/mystery, off my shelves (October Daye series, book 2) - series recommended by Roni
18. City of Secrets by Stewart O'Nan (3.5 stars), ebook, historical fiction, off my shelves
19. The Hanging Tree by Ben Aaronovitch (4.5 stars), 2017 acquired audiobook, urban fantasy/police procedural (Rivers of London series, book 5)
20. Ghachar Ghochar by Vivek Shanbhag (4.5 stars), 2017 acquired paperback, contemporary fiction

Books Read in January:
1. Rivers of London: Volume 1: Body Work by Ben Aaronovitch, art by Lee Sullivan (3.75 stars), GN - police procedural, off my shelves, (Rivers of London series, GN set in between books 4 and 5)
2. The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John LeCarré (5 stars), paperback/audio combo, espionage, off my shelves (George Smiley series, book 3)
3. The Chisellers by Brendan O'Carroll (4 stars), library paperback, historical fiction/humor - series recommended by Nancy (Agnes Brown trilogy, book 2)
4. The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (5 stars), ebook, off my shelves - series recommended by Jenn (Queen's Thief series, book 1)
5. The Paper Menagerie by Ken Liu (4.5 stars), ebook, short story collection, off my shelves - recommended by Mark
6. Talking to the Dead by Harry Bingham (3.75 stars), ebook, off my shelves, police procedural - series recommended by Julia and Joe and Mary (Fiona Griffith series, book 1)
7. Nutshell by Ian McEwan (5 stars), 2017 acquired audiobook, literary fiction - Katie's Dirty Dozen
8. Summer Knight by Jim Butcher (4 stars), audiobook, urban fantasy, off my shelves - Roberta said to keep going (Harry Dresden series, book 4)
9. The End of the Affair by Graham Greene (4 stars), audiobook, literary fiction, off my shelves
10. Get Shorty by Elmore Leonard (4.25 stars), ebook, crime fiction, off my shelves
11. Going After Cacciato by Tim O'Brien (4 stars), library paperback, literary fiction/Vietnam

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

1. Nutshell by Ian McEwan, narrated by Rory Kinnear, Katie's Dirty Dozen 2016 COMPLETED
2. The Looking-Glass War by John LeCarré, narrated by Michael Jayston COMPLETED
3. Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey, narrated by Carole Boyd - $2.95 Daily Deal
4. The Hanging Tree by Ben Aaronovitch, narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith COMPLETED
5. Till We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis, narrated by Nadia May - a favorite of both Birdy and me - $2.95 Daily Deal
6. Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman, narrated by Neil Gaiman - because I couldn't NOT have it COMPLETED
7. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, narrated by Neil Gaiman - just $6.99, and I am wanting to get to this one soon
8. Sherlock Holmes Collection by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by Stephen Fry
9. A Vindication of the Rights of Women by Mary Wollstonecraft, narrated by Fiona Shaw - $3.95 Daily Deal
10. The Third Man by Graham Greene, narrated by Martin Jarvis COMPLETED
11. The Captain and the Enemy by Graham Greene, narrated by Kenneth Brannagh COMPLETED
12. We Are Legion by Dennis Taylor, narrated by Ray Porter - $1.99, recommended by Kim COMPLETED
13. My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier, narrated by Jonathan Pryce
14. For We Are Many by Dennis E. Taylor, narrated by Ray Porter, Bobiverse, book 2
15. The Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami, narrated by Rupert Degas COMPLETED
16. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami, narrated by Rupert Degas LISTENING
17. The Lewis Man by Peter May, narrated by Peter Forbes, The Lewis Trilogy, book 2
18. The Chessmen by Peter May, narrated by Peter Forbes, The Lewis Trilogy, book 3
19. The Jekyll Revelation by Robert Masello, narrated by Christopher Lane - $2.95
20. The Black Echo by Michael Connelly, narrated by Dick Hill - $3.49, Harry Bosch, book 1 Listening, reread
21. The Black Ice by Michael Connelly, narrated by Dick Hill - $3.49, Harry Bosch, book 2
22. The Concrete Blonde by Michael Connelly, narrated by Dick Hill - $3.49, Harry Bosch, book 3

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

1. Everyday people by Stewart O'Nan (linked short stories)
2. Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
3. Wait Till Next Year by Doris Kearns Goodwin (memoir)
4. The Golden Legend by Nadeem Aslam

From 2016:
1. Kamchatka by Marcelo Figueras
2. Destiny of the Republic by Candace Millard
3. The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez - seconded by Charlotte and Susan
4. In the Walled City by Stewart O'Nan COMPLETED 8/12/16 3.8 stars
5. My Reading Life by Pat Conroy - she recommended the audio, and don't speed it up
6. Nobody's Fool by Richard Russo COMPLETED 7/21/16 5 stars
7. Ruby by Cynthia Bond - seconded by Charlotte
8. Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming - she recommends the audio read by Cummings himself
9. Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan
10. Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye - Roberta also loved this, Katie says the audio is great, purchased 5/15/16
11. The Jaguar's Children by John Vaillant
12. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi COMPLETED 10/2/16 5 stars
13. Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat - she pointed out that this was only $1.99 on Kindle and that it was one of her very favorites, purchased 7/13/16
14. Tribal: College Football and the Secret Heart of America by Diane Roberts
15. Manhood for Amateurs by Michael Chabon
16. Nutshell by Ian McEwan COMPLETED 1/2017 5 stars
17. Black River by S. M. Hulse

AND, from 2015:
1. The Mermaids Singing by Lisa Carey ($1.99 on Kindle), purchase on 2/18/15 COMPLETED 8/19/16 5 stars
2. Bright's Passage by Josh Ritter (2.99 on Kindle), purchased on 2/23/15
3. The Tilted World by Tom Franklin and Beth Ann Fennelly ($3.79 on Kindle), purchased on 3/31/15 COMPLETED 11/7/15 4.2 stars
4. Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler ($12.77 trade paperback), purchased on 4/1/15, COMPLETED read for Mark's AAC in January 2016, 4.25 stars
5. Paradise Alley by Kevin Baker ($.99 on Kindle), purchased on 4/9/15 - second book in a series, first book Dreamland was recommended by Katie and purchased last year
6. Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing - used an Audible credit COMPLETED 6/16/15 4.9 stars
7. Academy Street by Mary Costello ($9.99 on Kindle), purchased on 6/12/15 COMPLETED 7/2/16 5 stars
8. Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn ($5.99 on Kindle), purchased on 8/28/15
9. Sweetland by Michael Crummey ($.99 on Kindle), purchased 9/5/15 COMPLETED 11/19/15 4.5 stars
10. If You Only Knew by Kristan Higgins ($7.99 on Kindle), purchased on 10/26/15

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

1. Winter by Christopher Nicholson - read Suz's review on her thread, it was one of her top reads from last year
2. News of the World by Paulette Jiles - because Mark said so!
3. The Return: Fathers, Sons, and Between by Hisham Matar - memoir -read Rhonda's review on her thread
4. Those Who Hunt the Night by Barbara Hambly - read Roni's blurb on her thread about this series
5. Knots and Crosses by Ian Rankin - series recommended by Deborah - read her review of the third book on her thread
6. The Western Lit Survival Kit by Sandra Newman - Joe says this is delightful
7. The Inquisitor's Tale, Or, The Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog by Adam Gidwitz - read Anne's review on her thread
8. A World of Love by Elizabeth Bowen - read Meg's review on her thread
9. Under Another Sky by Charlotte Higgins - read Susan's review on her thread, and she said that she heard about it on Jennifer's (inge87) thread
10. He Wants by Alison Moore - read Nancy's review on her thread
11. A Robot in the Garden by Deborah Install - read Caro's review on her thread
12. Full Dark House by Christopher Fowler - read Robin's review of the 13th book in this series
13. A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro - read Faith's review on her thread
14. Moonglow by Michael Chabon - Charlotte talking about reading this on her thread has made me add it to the list, and I was really trying not to...
15. The Assault by Henry Mulisch - read Anita's review on her thread
16. India: A Portrait by Patrick French - read Erik's review on his thread - he says a good look at modern day India
17. The Watcher by Ross Armstrong - read Charlotte's review on her thread
18. The Girl of Ink & Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave - read Jenny's review on her thread
19. I Will Have Vengeance by Mario De Giovanni - read Ellen's review on her thread
20. The Ferryman Institute by Colin Gigi - because Jim said so
21. Madwoman in the Attic by Sandra M. Gilbert - read Gail's review of it on her thread
22. Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah - read Heather's review on her thread - she says the audio is superb
23. Savage Beauty: The Life of Edna St. Vincent Millay by Nancy Milford - read Cee's review on her thread
24. The Riviera Set by Mary S. Lovell - read Susan's excellent review, which has not yet been posted to the book's page
25. In the Kingdom of Ice by Hampton Sides - read Jim's review on his thread
26. Emotionally Weird by Kate Atkinson - read Jenny's review of it on her thread
27. Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders - read Joanne's review on her thread
28. Smoking Poppy by Graham Joyce - read Lucy's review on the book's page after she mentioned it here
29. My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris - because Mark and Joe said so!
30. How to be a Heroine: Or, What I've Learned From Reading too Much by Samantha Ellis - Heather was reviewing another book by this author on her thread and mentioned that this one is her favorite
31. Scriptorium by Melissa Range - read Joe's lovely review on his thread (poetry)
32. Excellent Women by Barbara Pym - read Anne's review of this on her thread, and it's narrated by Jayne Entwhistle!!
33. The Dead Ladies Project by Jessa Crispin - read Lucy's fab review on her thread
34. War and Turpentine by Stefan Hertmans - read Donna's excellent review on her thread
35. Catherine de Medici: Renaissance Queen of France by Leonie Frieda - read Charlotte's (Fourpawz2) review of it on her thread
36. We Are Legion by Dennis Taylor - read Kim's review on her thread - she recommends the audio COMPLETED
37. The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester - Brodie recommended this since I like PKD, and he said that Joe recommends The Stars My Destination
38. The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui - read Mark's review on his thread (GN)

This should do it - next one's yours!

Happy April Fool's Day, Mamie. Am I the first? I'm never the first.
I love the topper.

Beth - you are the first!! I love April Fool's Day - I became an aunt for the first time on this day 37 years ago. I was twelve.

So happy you love the topper!

Nice surprise to see you going with a new thread today, Mamie. xx

Have a lovely weekend at the Pecan Paradisio.

By the way how far are you from Jacksonville?

The topper brings thoughts of a relaxing, sunny weekend. One can only dream (about both the relaxing and the sun). Happy new thread, Mamie.

(Maybe you will notice me on this thread?)

Crazy--It's a little early in the day for wine, but I'll stop back again later in the day to pull up a chair in your cute outdoor bistro. Happy new thread!!

Hey! I made the Recommendation List! Cool. : )

Happy New Thread, Mamie.

>1 Crazymamie: Love it!

>3 Crazymamie: Can I encourage you to dive into another Philip K. Dick, Montalbano or Vorkosigan book? I'm nutso about all of those.

Happy new thread! And look at you with finished book already this month!

Howdy Mamie! I love April Fool's day too.

Happy weekend, Mamie!

Happy new thread Mamie. Wishing you time to read in amongst all the busyness.

Happy new one, my friend! Enjoy your weekend.

Happy New Thread, Mamie! Are there any April Fool pranks going on at the Pecan Paradisio?

Happy April and new thread!!

Happy new thread, Mamie!
I agree with quote in the topper.

Happy new one, Mamie. Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Mamie! You've done a lot of good reading so far this year.

Hi Mamie, first off I must add my voice to all the others who agree with you regarding The Thin Man movies being much better than the book. I also totally understand how difficult it is to keep up here, I have been falling further and further behind all year. Luckily, people here are very understanding.

Happy new thread, Mamie! Hope you're having a mahvalous weekend!

>3 Crazymamie: I've also neglected Harry (Bosch) and Bruno, of late. I need to get back to them both.

Happy new thread, Mamie!

Happy new thread, Mamie!

So, the weekend is over and here we go again. I think I have picked up Craig's cold, which is not making me happy. In fact, it's making me kind of grumpy, and i usually try to avoid that. The weekend was decent - not too busy and it went by without any snags. It was hot here, though - 90F yesterday. We're supposed to get rain this week, and we could use it, so I hope it shows up.


On the reading front, I have finished two books already - Go, ME! The first one was on audio, a Graham Greene that I picked up on a whim, and it was good. The Captain and the Enemy - anyone else read this one? It reminded me of Treasure Island as it starts out with a young man remembering back to childhood and the entrance of a mysterious figure that will change the course of his life. The reader keeps wondering if the mysterious figure is bad or good, and in the end we find out that our own perceptions can often shape the characters of others. This book by Greene had to be an homage to Robert Louis Stevenson - both mysterious figures are called Captain, and both boys are called Jim. With Greene's story we get a different kind of pirate story, but a pirate story nonetheless. This was Greene's last published novel, which I did not know before reading it. Interesting. I really liked it, and the narrator (the fabulous Kenneth Branagh) brought it to life, but the ending felt abrupt and rushed. It had shades of Our Man in Havana, but not as much underlying humor - however, the very last part is brilliant and made me laugh out loud. Highly recommended if you are in the mood for a meandering adventure, but read Treasure Island first - and definitely opt for the audio of The Captain and the Enemy, as Branagh's narration should not be missed.


The second book I picked up in response to Joe's post: "Can I encourage you to dive into another Philip K. Dick, Montalbano or Vorkosigan book?" Um...yes, you can, Joe! I picked up Flow My Tears the Policeman Said, which was calling to me from the bedroom bookcase. And I am so glad I did - very good. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep still remains my favorite, but this was a very enjoyable ride. I like how just when you think you might know where Dick is going, he takes you in a completely different direction. His stuff his clever and innovative and edgy. And it holds up - this was written in 1970. A futuristic dystopian that could be written today. I like the kind of nebulous reality that Dick brings to all of his stories - there is clear definition in some parts while others remain just out of our grasp. Recommended if you like his writing. If you have not read anything by him, I would not start here - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep would make an excellent entry, or try some of his short stories to get a feel for whether or not he is for you.

Catching up with the thread:

>11 PaulCranswick: Hello, Paul. I am sad that the weekend is over as it is a plunge back into over schedules. Heh. This month is a doozy, and I shall not be sad to see the back end of it.

I think Jacksonville is about 3 1/2 hours from us.

>12 Familyhistorian: We got some of the relaxing, and a lot of the sun this weekend, Meg. Craig is sick again with an upper respiratory thing that I am really hoping I don't get.

I thank you for your good wishes and apologize for missing you on the previous thread.

>13 Berly: It's never too early for wine, Kim. *grin* And thank you!

>14 Berly: Yep - you're practically famous now!

>15 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe! Glad you love the topper. And look what a huge influence you are on me - I have already jumped into and finished another Philip K. Dick. Thanks for the push! I remember you and Richard being the impetus for getting me to start the Vorkosigan Saga, too - love that series! I am ready for Mirror Dance, but I remember Roberta saying that I should read that one and it's follow-up Cetaganda Memory back to back, so I need to schedule time for both together - I am thinking June, as that is my birthday month, and it would be a treat to get back to that storyline. In the Montalbano, I am ready for Excursion to Tindari, which I will try to read this month just because you asked so nicely.

>16 cbl_tn: Thank you, Carrie! I started listening to the audio on the last day of March, but the story hooked me, and I finished it with my morning coffee - a nice start to April!

>17 luvamystery65: Howdy, Roberta! Another lover of Fool's Day!

>18 alcottacre: Thank you, Stasia! Hoping yours was full of fabulous.

>19 charl08: Thank you, Charlotte! I am going to make an effort to squeeze in the books wherever I can, as last month was a very poor showing for me.

>20 katiekrug: Thank you, Katie! The weekend went by too quickly. *sad face*

>21 ronincats: Thanks, Roni! No pranks at the Paradidio this year, which is unusual. Our tiredness is showing. We shall have to put in more of an effort next year.

>22 RebaRelishesReading: Thank you, Reba!

>23 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita! I liked that quote, too - and I wouldn't mind sitting at that bistro and soaking up the ambience.

>24 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara! It was gone too soon - hoping that this week is kind to you.

>25 drneutron: Thanks, Jim!

>26 tymfos: Thank you, Terri! I have been very happy with the reading so far this year.

Sorry about the cold, but yay for finishing two books already!

>27 DeltaQueen50: Judy, it si so nice to know that it wasn't just me with The Thin Man.

You are so right about how understanding everyone here is, and I am so thankful for the ability of this group to just embrace everyone where they are at in any given moment. It's a blessing.

>28 Carmenere: Thank you, Lynda! It was good but short. I am ready for this month to be over, and it has barely started, so I need to adjust my attitude. And stop looking at the calendar. Heh.

>29 Copperskye: Yep. Me, too, Joanne. I just picked up the next Bruno last night - The Devils Cave, which I am thinking you have already read. My next Bosch is The Narrows.

And thank you.

>30 scaifea: Thanks, Amber!

>36 katiekrug: Hello, Katie! What a lovely treat! And you made me laugh! Thanks for that. And yes, hooray for finishing two books - I am really hoping to get more reading in this month.

Good morning, Mamie! Glad to see you reemerge and keeping my fingers crossed that you don't pick up any more nasty bugs.

Morning Mamie! Happy New Thread. Not sure how I missed you yesterday. Hope you had a nice weekend.

Crazy--WOW! Way to start off a Monday--two reviews already. And good ones, too. The Captain and the Enemy sounds like it would be right my alley. Thanks. Hope the cold leaves you alone soon....!

>39 ronincats: Morning, Roni! Thanks for the crossing of the fingers - I need all the help I can get. Craig is completely miserable, the poor dear.

>40 msf59: Morning, Mark! And thank you. No worries - I put up the thread on Saturday, but hen didn't get back to it until today.

>41 Berly: Why, thank you, Kim! I think you would like The Captain and the Enemy - do it on audio if you can.

I just have the headache and the stuffiness right now, so I am hoping it doesn't progress to Craig's version, which is nasty. I told him I love him, but please don't breathe on me.

>43 Crazymamie: LOL. That has been our matrimonial motto lately, too. Good luck!!

Audio--got it!

Ha! Thanks. Not a good run for him lately - he seems to just keep getting one thing after another, and all of it very yucky. Sound familiar?

Hi, Mamie!

>31 Crazymamie:, >33 Crazymamie: Yay! I'm so glad you read Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said. I really enjoyed that one, too. Dick is so bizarre and different. Suits me to a T.

I hadn't thought about reading Mirror Dance and Cetaganda back to back, but it sounds like good advice. I read them all pretty much back to back once I got started - I developed a Vorkosigan craving. :-) Readers have different favorites in the series, and Cetaganda is mine. Something about that story makes it a periodic re-read for me.

>46 jnwelch: Hello, Joe! Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said was a good one. Bizarre and different are perfect words to describe his writing!

I messed up with the order up there - I meant to say that Roberta recommended reading Mirror Dance and Memory back to back. I have already read Cetaganda, and I loved that one, too. I am reading the books in the order you recommended, so i was just having a mental moment there.

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

If you are trying your had at Philip K. Dick, I highly recommend one of his contemporaries, Alfred Bester. My favorite is The Demolished Man. Joe has recommended The Stars My Destination, but I have yet to get to that one.

We are under a tornado warning, so keep us in your thoughts.

>48 brodiew2: Morning, Brodie! And thank you.

I have read several by PKD, and I have liked all of them, so that thanks for the Alfred Bester recommendation - I will give him a try.

Fingers crossed the tornado doesn't land, and that everyone in Pecan Paradiso and the surroundings stay safe.

Stay safe, Mamie.

>47 Crazymamie: Ha! No worries. I know those moments. Mirror Dance and Memory makes more sense. I'm glad you had a good time with Cetaganda.

Good luck dodging the yucky stuff and fingers crossed that the tornado misses.

We survived the stormy weather yesterday - very high winds and for a while the rain was coming at us completely sideways. Last night's sunset was surreal - it looked as though we had put on yellow tinted sunglasses. I have never seen anything quite like it. More rain coming in today, but hopefully it won't be accompanied by tornadoes.

On the reading front, I finished up listening to Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology, read by the author himself, who is always full of fabulous. A very solid entry in his canon, and I really enjoyed it. I am excited to compare notes with Birdy when she finishes it. Up next on audio, I think I will dip into We Are Legion, which was recommended by Kim - Ray Porter is the narrator. If you purchase the Kindle edition of this (just $2.99 currently), then you can add the audio for just $1.99, an excellent deal!


In print, I am continuing in The Hobbit, which I am loving revisiting in my lovely cloth cover illustrated edition that I picked up just last year. This was our Pecan Paradisio Book Club pick for last month, but none of us got it finished so we have carried it over to this month. The illustrations are by Jemima Catlin, and they are charming:





Also in print, I have just started the fifth entry in Martin Walker's Bruno series, The Devil's Cave.

On Kindle, I am finishing up The Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett, which was recommended by Lucy, and which I am loving. Also One Salt Sea, which is book five in the October Daye series by Seanan McGuire (series recommended by Roni).

>51 lunacat: Thanks for that, Jenny! We came through the storm system once again just fine, for which we are thankful. And Bella's new medication to help calm her during storms worked like a charm, so an added blessing.

>52 BLBera: Thank you, beth. We did!

>53 jnwelch: You are so sweet, Joe! You should have just told me that makes no sense whatsoever, Mamie!!

>54 Familyhistorian: So far so good with the yucky stuff, Meg - I am no worse today, so I am hopeful. And we got the very high winds and lots of rain but no tornado through our parts, so hooray for that.

No tornado and a sunset after a day of rain. That sounds pretty good to me, Mamie. When it rains here we don't see the sun for days, so no sunsets. >55 Crazymamie: Love the sign and the Hobbit illustrations.

Morning Mamie! Glad all is well at the Pecan Paradiso, after the big storm.

Yah for Mr. Gaiman. He is a treasure.

Morning, Mamie!

Madame MBH is agog at the number of folks who think I'm sweet. After being annoyed by married to me for 33 years, she finds it unfathomable. :-)

"Solid entry" is on-target for Norse Mythology. Not a transporter like some of his, but good and interesting.

We had some lousy weather, but it sounds like you had worse. Hope today lets up on you a bit.

Glad you hear you're OK from the storms and love it that you're reading Bruno!! I've even got my husband (who rarely reads fiction) hooked on that series.

>57 Familyhistorian: Yep - it was a good day, Meg. And we were supposed to get more rain today, but right now it is sunny and 69F outside, so a very lovely day.

Glad you liked the sign and the Hobbit illustrations!

>58 msf59: Morning, Mark! We are good to go here and happy to have escaped storm damage once again. Craig's office lost power, phones and internet, so kind of a crazy afternoon for them.

Totally agree about Gaiman - I love listening to him talk about anything at all. Always interesting. Always sincere.

>59 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! You made me laugh! She married you, didn't she? That means she is one smart cookie!!

I completely agree with your thoughts on the latest Gaiman. My favorite of his remains The Ocean at the End of the Lane.

The weather was pretty nasty for most of the day here, but I don't mind a storm at all if it doesn't leave a mess for me to clean up.

>60 RebaRelishesReading: Thank you, Reba - we came through it just fine. There was a tornado, but it was north of us - up near the Macon area. And yes - HOORAY for Bruno. Those books are such a treat!

>61 Crazymamie: I loved The Ocean at the End of the Lane too and agree with the general comments about Neil Gaiman. I should pick up Norse Mythology then (curses... my TBR grows again).

>62 sirfurboy: Hello, and welcome to my thread! Happy to see another Gaiman fan. Hoping you can get to Norse Mythology soon.

Oh wow, I love those illustrations in The Hobbit. I've got the graphic novel version around here somewhere, that I'm hoping to get to this year. I'm glad that you came through the weather just fine.

Thanks, Jenny! I love that the illustrations are scattered among the text and then every so often you get a full page one that is stunning. Makes reading it so fun. I think we have the GN version around here somewhere, too.

We had pretty wild weather yesterday too - but no tornado watches. Glad you didn't have a tornado. My husband was flying to Los Angeles via Dallas, and he said it was very bumpy. It's been gorgeous today though.
I need to move Norse Mythology up the TBR pile.

Hello, Jenn! Oh, a bumpy flight - very scary. Today was indeed gorgeous, but I guess tomorrow is supposed to be a doozy. The schools are cancelled and a lot of the area businesses closed because even worse storm systems are predicted. The coffee shop where Abby works is closed, and I must admit that I am happy not to have to worry about what the weather will be like when getting her to and from work.

And yes - move Norse Mythology up the pile - it's a fun one, and Gaiman was true to the original myths while still being creative. And I loved hearing him pronounce everything! He is such a great storyteller, but now I also know what the names are supposed to sound like.

Wow! That's some crazy weather. The coffee shop already closed for tomorrow? Be safe!!

Now I have to get Norse Mythology!!

We'll see what we actually get, Kim. They are very much "better safe than sorry" in this part of Georgia. It makes us laugh because in Indiana they rarely closed anything based on rain patterns. It's a different world down here, and the weather seems mild to us, but we were used to dealing with the winter stuff.

Hooray for Norse Mythology!!

Ooh a reread of The Hobbit sounds a lovely idea!

We are having fun with it, Rhian - we are all huge fans of Tolkien here.

Mamie, it sounds crazy on the weather front down there. I'm glad you don't have to go out in it. And I hope you don't lose essentials like the broadband :-)

It's going to be a bumpy ride today, Susan. The lightening and thunder have already started, and I have just finished covering the furniture on the screened-in porch. I am so thankful that I went to the market yesterday, so I don't have to go anywhere today at all. And I am really hoping that we don't lose our internet - I NEED that.

I hope you can stay hunkered down at home today, and that the weather turns out to be milder than expected. Extreme weather isn't something we really get around here, but it must be rather alarming.

It's a gorgeous spring day over here - want me to send some over? Birds birding, ducks ducking and cats.....well, doing whatever they like. Snoring, currently.

Me, too, Jenny! I grew up in Indiana, which gets quite a few tornado scares every year, but it seems like we have been really being hit by big storm systems this year. Hoping it doesn't do much damage, as Albany is still recovering from the storms that came through a while back.

And yes, please do send me some of your spring.

Morning, Mamie!

So much rain this spring already. Yeesh. We haven't had the storms, though, just the rain/drizzle.

And I'll add my Yay for Gaiman cheer to the rest! I haven't cracked open Norse Mythology yet, but I know I'll love it. It's Gaiman, so of course I will.

Hoping good wishes count Mamie in terms of sending my weather - although we're predicted rain, it hasn't turned up yet.

Happy Wednesday, Mamie! We are having crazy weather here too.

Hi Mamie! I've seen the weather reports and video of the wind damage and flooding. I'm certainly keeping you in my thoughts today. Stay safe!

Oh dear, I was thinking this round of storms was due yesterday but it's still to come. Stay safe!!

Morning, Mamie. It is raining here too and they are mentioning snow tonight. Are you kidding me??

Hope the worst of the storms misses you.

Morning, Mamie!

That sounds like very severe weather. Hope you're all okay. We've got lousy weather, including snow predicted tonight (!), but nothing that would shut down retail places.

Good morning, Mamie! Happy newish thread and hope all is well with you & yours.

Hope all is OK in Pecan Paradiso, and that the worst of the weather is beginning to pass.

>3 Crazymamie: I like your ambition of reading the books mentioned in The English Patient. That movie got me to read Herodotus. I think my copy even has images from The Cave of Swimmers on the cover.

I recall them reading Kim but I don't remember what else. Guess I need to see the movie again.

I hope the bad weather missed you today!

Are you all OK down there?. My friend in Atlanta posted a rainbow picture. I hope it's all rainbows and unicorns at Pecan Paridiso. We are supposed to get something exciting late tonight, or early tomorrow. That's fine, if the kids sleep through it and the trees stay upright.

>55 Crazymamie: gorgeous book! I love that you have a Pecan Paradiso book club :)
I didn't read the whole lot since the tornado warning, but how did that go!!?? We are currently under the low that was Hurricane Debbie that hit the Australian coast last week. It just means rain rain rain for us though. So no sport practice for the kids, and no outside! The back lawn is mush.

They mentioned Albany on the weather report last night. Hope all is well with you all.

Good afternoon, Mamie!

Finally getting a chance to check in today - once again, we came through the storms just fine. Thanks so much to everyone who took the time to send good thoughts our way. Today it is bright and sunny but VERY windy. It was really nice to be able to open up all the windows and air the house out a bit.

On the reading front, I have been listening to We Are Legion, which was written by Dennis Taylor and is narrated by Ray Porter. Kim was so right about this one - it is full of fabulous. The humor and logistics in it remind me of The Martian. I just have about 1 hour of audio left, and I have already pre-ordered the sequel, so it definitely comes recommended by me. Very fun and very well done. You are going to want the audio of this one if you do audiobooks.

Great photo, Mamie! Glad you weathered the weather (heh) just fine.

Must investigate We Are Legion. Could be a good one for a road trip with The Wayne...

Love the picture and glad you made it through all the weather. Really going to look for We Are Legion now as it sweeps the threads and I feel left out!

Glad to here all is well and that the storms did no significant damage. I shall investigate We Are Legion, it sounds like it might be a good balance to the more staid (though just as enjoyable) Sherlock Holmes.

Glad to hear you're well. Hope the weather gives you a break for a bit now.

Glad to hear it was not too bad. Yesterday my daughter sent me a picture of some impromptu waterfalls that appeared in Athens, and said that last night they were getting lots of thunder and rain.

Good to hear you are in one piece, Mamie/

>91 Crazymamie: I'm really happy to hear that all is well in paradise, Mamie. And that windblown dog is just the best picture ever!

Glad to hear you came through the storms okay. Kim put We Are Legion on my wishlist too; glad to hear you are liking it.

Good to see you weathered the storm, Mamie.

chickory root

Morning, All! And HOORAY for Friday - this was a weird week and it really flew by, but something about a Friday always makes me exhale and relax my shoulders and get ready to move a little slower for a few days. Craig and I have been doing a new thing on Sundays - I make coffee in a percolator with Café Du Monde coffee, which we use to make cafe au lait. The coffee is a course grind, making it not a good match for a drip coffee maker, which is what we normally use - it's better with a percolator, a French Press or one of those Vietnamese coffee makers. I chose a percolator wholly for sentimental reasons - I can remember my mom making coffee for my Dad in a percolator every morning until she bought the Mr. Coffee. I was fascinated by it. Anyway, I really love the chicory taste - it's adds an extra depth. What really surprised me, though, is that Craig also loves it. A new Pecan Paradisio tradition is born.


On the reading front, I finished up We Are Legion - this one holds up all the way through. It is funny and snarky and intelligent. And the audio - like all good narrators, Ray Porter's delivery takes the story up a notch, adding that little something extra. Here's a laugh for you, don't know that I would quantify it is a spoiler, but I'll put it in spoiler brackets just in case. When the clone named Homer enters the scene, I was thinking of Homer - you know, the author of The Odyssey, so the voice and the attitude felt totally wrong to me. But it was Homer Simpson from The Simpsons (DUH!) I have never actually watched The Simpsons, but I have seen ads for it, and my nephew is a huge fan, so I know what Homer is supposed to sound like and the attitude he has...the narration is actually a perfect fit. Anyway, I got a giggle over the mix-up. And Amber would be so proud. Again, a giant thanks to Kim for putting this one on my radar.

Nothing too much on the agenda today - some errands and I need to pick up Abby from work when she gets off. Baked potato bar for dinner.

Morning Mamie! Happy Friday! And hooray for a new Pecan Paradiso tradition.

I love family traditions. Your cafe au lait tradition sounds great -- at least in theory. I can't stand coffee so in practice I wouldn't like it so much. Are you going to make beignets to go with it?

It's FRIDAY! Oh...hmm...just another day off (for me). Heh heh. Guess I'll read a book. Halfway through The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles, couple of chapters into Francine Prose's Reading Like a Writer, couple of pages into Faulkner's Intruder in the Dust, couple of lines into T. S. Eliot's The Waste Land.

Jealous, aren't you.

Happy Friday, Mamie!

That's good to hear re We Are Legion. I picked up, too, on Kim's recommendation. I'm reading The Three-Body Problem for her Obama challenge first, but I hope to get to WAL soon. I'm not an audio guy, so I'm hoping non-audio gives close to the experience you guys enjoyed.

Good morning, Mamie!

>101 Crazymamie: Excellent review for We Are Legion. I am now inspired to locate it on cd if available. Maybe Hoopla. I was wondering how you got turned on to this, but I see now that it was a rec. Excellent.

Catching up with the thread:

>102 msf59: Hello, Mark! Happy Friday! Craig and I are both enjoying the new tradition.

>103 RebaRelishesReading: Me, too, Reba. Well...most of them. Heh. No coffee for you, huh? Craig used to drink only tea when we were first married, but now he also drinks coffee. But only in the mornings. I have never made beignets, but that would be fun to give it a go.

>104 weird_O: I think Friday has its own kind of lucky vibe whether one is working or not, Bill. I don't have a job, either, but Friday is still a favorite of mine. Looks like you are reading some good things there - but no Faulkner for me, please. Your line-up seems kind of heavy on the ...heavy. Where is your fluff?

>105 jnwelch: Happy Friday, Joe! I think you'll like it fine in print - I'm just recommending the audio for those who do like audiobooks because the narrator is so good.

>106 brodiew2: Hello, Brodie! Thank you. And yes, do track down the audio if you can as it is really fabulous in that format. I read about it on Kim's (Berly) thread.

>92 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie! Once again we came through the stormy weather just fine. I think We Are Legion would be an excellent choice for a road trip audio - I am thinking that both you and The Wayne would be laughing out loud. Humorous, snarky and clever - what's not to like?

>93 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte - I just snagged it off the web because it made me laugh. Hoping you can find We Are legion, as it is loads of fun.

>94 lunacat: Yep. We came through just fine, Jenny. I think that We Are Legion would be a very nice counter balance for Sherlock. Definitely laugh out loud funny, and it moves at a fast pace.

>95 RebaRelishesReading: Thank you, Reba! Me, too.

>96 ursula: It was very dark with loads of thunder and lightening and high winds, but I think we got less of the drama than further North of us. I will not complain. Glad that your daughter came through it fine.

>97 BLBera: Thank you, Beth!

>98 rosalita: Thanks, Julia! Glad that you got a laugh out of the photo, too. When I saw it, I knew I had to use it.

>99 ronincats: Thanks, Roni! We Are Legion is really fun.

>100 Familyhistorian: Thank you, Meg!

>76 scaifea: Hello, Amber! I think we have had more than our fair share of the storms this season. And yep - you are sure to love the Gaiman. SO full of fabulous is he!

>77 charl08: They do, indeed, Charlotte! I am convinced that all of the good wishes are what has brought us through so many storm systems with no damage so far.

>78 alcottacre: Happy Friday, Stasia! I usually love me some crazy, but I would not mind at all if things settled down weather wise. Enough already!

>79 Carmenere: We came through all of it just fine, Lynda. Thanks so much for keeping us in your thoughts.

>80 RebaRelishesReading: We did, Reba. Thank goodness.

>81 msf59: Snow?! Wow, Mark. Did you get it? We lucked out and came through the storms just fine.

>82 jnwelch: Hello, Joe! It was severe weather, indeed, but not as bad as it could have been, thank goodness. I guess we know that our house was built well. Loads of local businesses closed, and it was probably a good thing because the wind and the rain were pretty intense.

>83 bell7: Hello, Mary! And thank you - I need to come catch up with you!

>84 lunacat: Thank you, Jenny, for those thoughts.

>85 Oberon: Hello, Erik! I can save you some time - here's the list I compiled from the top of my head:

The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper
The Histories by Herodotus
Kim by Rudyard Kipling
The Charterhouse of Parma by Stendhal
The Annals by Tacitus

I am wanting to reread the book and make note of all the books mentioned because I know there are more than that, but at least it's a start. I bought myself the Penguin Deluxe Classics edition of The Histories, but I have not read it yet. Have you read Travels With Herodotus? It's a travel memoir by Ryszard Kapuściński, and it is full of fabulous - some one gives him a copy of The Histories and he dips in and out of it and muses about its contents while he travels for his journalism gig. Highly recommended if you haven't already read it.

>86 Copperskye: It didn't miss us, Joanne, but it didn't harm us, either. Thanks for thinking of us.

>87 nittnut: Yep. We came through it fine, Jenn. I was really wanting the trees to stay upright, too. Hoping you came through your weather with no damage.

>88 LovingLit: It is so pretty, isn't it, Megan? We have been having a lot of fun with our book club. And we came through the storms just fine. No tornadoes in our neck of the woods, thank goodness. They had some further north of us, though.

Oh, dear for the keeping of the two boys inside - hoping that things have improved and they have been able to get out and run off some energy. I remember that age, and they definitely need to run!

>89 RebaRelishesReading: We are fine, Reba, but poor Albany has had enough already with the storm systems. We are very lucky to live in an area that has not been hit hard by the damage, but the city has a lot of downed trees and wind damage to recover from.

>90 brodiew2: Hello, Brodie!

>107 Crazymamie: Fluff! FLUFF!!! The Drumpf Klan is going to end the world as we know it, and before summer at that. And you want me to read fluff!!

Kidnapped is well-known to be just an entertaining adventure yarn. Kinda fluffy. I just read that.

It's poetry month. Here's a thought-provoking rhyme (with just a dash of fluffy).

The cow is of the bovine ilk
One end is moo, the other milk
Ogden Nash
Nobelist for doggerel

Yep. I want you to read fluff.

Oh, I liked Kidnapped!

I love the "thought-provoking rhyme (with just a dash of fluffy)". Perfect. Made me laugh and everything!

>101 Crazymamie: Yay!! So glad you liked my recommendation of We Are Legion!! And your Homer story is just too funny. I totally agree that the narration takes the story up a notch. Loved the snarky humor so much.

Have a great weekend.

>112 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie. Our weather was comparatively underwhelming, mainly just wet. Our main complaint is that it delayed the start of baseball games. Our first game was meant to be Monday, but we finally had it tonight.

>115 Berly: It was just what I needed to get me stepping again, Kim. Glad you got a giggle out of the Homer story. I also loved the snarky humor - Bob totally cracked me up. Thanks again for recommending it.

Hoping your weekend is full of fabulous!

>116 nittnut: Hey, Jenn. I'm happy that you got milder weather - just wet is good. You are a better woman than I - I just do not have the patience for baseball. Daniel played for one year, and I was over the moon when he decided he wanted to play just soccer.

>117 Crazymamie: I also need to get back stepping - not losing weight and with all the hassles of life to boot it is a recipe for disaster.

Wishing you and all at the Paradisio a wonderful weekend, Mamie. xx

I hear you, Paul. I have gained back more weight than I would like to admit, so I really need to make it a priority again. I was feeling so much better and had more energy when I was making it a routine part of my day.

Hoping that the weekend is kind to you. xx

Hi Mamie! It's good to hear that the storm wasn't too hard on you. That poor little dog, though :-) I was very glad to see Friday too. Even more glad to see it in about three weeks, when a big filing is due on something I'm working on :-)

Hello, Susan! It's gorgeous here today - sun is shining, and the winds have settled down. Hoping that the work thing goes quickly and smoothly for you.

Happy Saturday, Mamie! Glad to hear you've got some gorgeous weather. Ours is finally improving, and it should be a good weekend here.

Happy Saturday to you, Joe! Hooray for the good weekend vibes.

>117 Crazymamie: I hear you on the weight thing. Having not done TKD for the past month, the scale is not currently my friend. Hoping to get back to things this next week now that I am finally starting to feel like myself again.

Wishing you a fabulous weekend!!

Happy Sunday! Just to let you know the vote is open on my thread. Hope the weekend is going well.

Morning, Mamie! Happy Sunday!

>124 Berly: I am so happy that you are starting to feel like yourself again, Kim. Hopefully, we can both get back to being more physically active and then mend our relationships with the scales.

So far so good with the fabulousness of the weekend. Now if Sunday will also be amenable...

>125 BBGirl55: Hello, Bryony! Lovely to see you here. Happy Sunday to you! I will stop by your thread as soon as I finish here.

The weekend has been a lovely mix of getting things done and relaxing. Hoping that yours has been behaving itself.

>126 msf59: Morning, Mark! Happy Sunday, my friend!

I cannot wait to get my hands on We Are Legion -- perfect for my spousal unit's upcoming birthday! I love having that excuse to get a book I want to read!

Hello, Lucy! You will get a kick out of it when you get to it - really fun but also smart. And very cool that you can buy it for the spousal unit and then snag it when he has finished it. Good thinking!

I have almost finished The Game of Kings, and I have been dragging it out because I don't want it to end. Silly, really, when there are more books in the series, but what a lovely introduction to an incredible cast of characters. Thanks so much for bringing this one to my attention.

>101 Crazymamie: Ha! *Totally* proud of you, Mamie!!

*grin* Thanks, Amber!

Hi Mamie! Wishing you a beautiful Sunday! Is it time to open the pool?
I'm a tad confused. Your link for A Game of Kings takes me to A Game of Thrones which it just don't associate with your taste in reading. (Although, I really really really enjoyed book 1 of the Game of Thrones series.

Hello, Lynda! It is a truly beautiful day here - sunny and in the high 70s. We will probably start using the pool again towards the end of the month. It is a heated pool, so we usually turn the heat on when the temps start remaining consistently in the 80s.

I will correct the touchstone - thanks for pointing that out. I was referring to the book by Dorothy Dunnett - it is a five book series of historical fiction set in Scotland in the late 1500s (the first book begins in 1547). The title is actually The Game of Kings, but I keep typing the title wrong. And just for the record, I LOVED A Game of Thrones, and I own all the books in that series so far - I am needing to get back to it.

Morning, Mamie!

I've started We Are Legion, and I'm getting a big kick out of it. Go Bob!

Morning, Joe! Birdy and Abby are also listening to We Are Legion - we made it our Pecan Paradisio Book Club pick for April, and they are loving it. SO glad you are also getting a kick out of it - I knew you would!

>135 Crazymamie: Whoohoo for Bob and the Pecan Paradisio Book Club pick for April! So glad it was a hit! My work here is done. Can I skip Monday at the office now? : )

I know, right?! Look at you going above and beyond the call of duty. And yes, you can skip the office.

Howdy Mamie! You made it to my book bullet recommendations list this year and this is what I have to say about it.

Ghachar Ghochar by Vivek Shanbhag by Mamie (Crazymamie) Bullseye! Damn good shot

It was really good throughout, but the last chapter. Wow!

>129 Crazymamie: My sister (who is a great reader) has been strongly recommending Dorothy Dunnett although it's the House of Niccolò series that she has read. Apparently you are supposed to read The Game of Kings series first so I have that one on my wishlist as of yesterday.

>111 Crazymamie: I have not read Travels with Herodotus. I have seen it at the bookstore and thought about it. Looks like I need to make the jump and buy it. Thank you for the list too. That sounds like a fun and manageable reading list.

>138 luvamystery65: Howdy, Roberta! I am so very thrilled that you loved Ghachar Ghochar. You are so right that the last chapter is a stunner. And a bullseye for me in bold print - you just made my day.

>139 SandDune: Rhian, the writing is very good and she really created a very layered story. I would recommend the companion to it as there are tons of references that are not footnoted, so the companion really adds a lot of information. I knew she had another series, but I had no idea that you were supposed to read one before the other, so thanks for that. I think you will love The Game of Kings when you get to it.

>140 Oberon: Yes, do make the jump and buy it, Erik. It's so good! And you are welcome for the list.

Hope today is not too "manic" for you, Mamie!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsmVgoXDq2w

Morning, Mamie! Hope your week is off to get a good start. Did you read Americanah? It is my first Adiche and I am impressed.

Morning, Mamie. The Game of Kings sounds like a good one. Phew, the list of possibilities for the touchstone is way long. No wonder you keep getting the name mixed up.

Hey Mamie. I wish I was feeling as perky as >143 Ameise1: Can I switch for a Tuesday nap?

I'm reading a great western The Brittle Star - can't quite believe it's a first novel. Impressive stuff.

Happy Tuesday, Mamie :0)

It's Tuesday, Mamie. You can come out now.

^LOL!

I'm just carefully popping my head up now meself, Mamie. Hope it's been going well. Great to hear the Pecan Paradisio book club is enjoying We Are Legion - I am, too. About halfway through now.

>107 Crazymamie: You don't like Faulkner, but you do like fluff. So here's a little anecdote (fluff) from a bio of Mr. Faulkner that I'm near to finishing. Faulkner had a notoriously bad marriage; a binge drinker married to a binge drinker. So Bill has just finished the typescript of Light in August, but he's exhausted and broke. His publisher had just gone belly up, taking $4,000 in royalties owed to Faulkner with it. While he was sequestered working on his newest novel, his wife was running up charge accounts. He's broke.

"His financial worries only exacerbated the inevitable depression that followed the completion of a novel. And he and Estelle quarrelled, about her spending, about his writing all the time on his novel. At one point she got so angry at him that she flung Light in August out of their car, and he had to chase down the scattering pages."

Reminds me of a scene in Wonder Boys wherein Robert Downey Jr. flings pages from Michael Douglas's just completed manuscript into the air, so they'll blow across Pittsburgh.

And now it's Thursday!! Manning the booth at the OR Convention Center again tomorrow. Loooooong day. Hope yours is more fun. : )

The Audible Dailey Deal is a good one today - News of the World by Paulette Jiles is just $1.95. It's narrated by Grover Gardner.

Morning, Mamie!

Oh, I'm totally snapping up the Audible deal! I'd love to re-visit it on audio...

>150 weird_O: OMG That's both horrific and funny!!

Just picked up In a Lonely Place with Bogart on the cover and thought of you.

Hi Mamie! The last two weeks have been crazy. I'm still finding time to read, but my LT time is suffering. I'm missing out on all the fun. :-(

Have a great Easter weekend, Mamie. I am looking forward to some R, R & R (rest, relaxation and reading).

Hope you have a great Easter weekend!

Happy Friday, Mamie. I hope all is well. I've been lurking more lately.

Happy Easter weekend, Mamie.

Happy Easter! I hope your weekend is lovely.

>160 brodiew2: ha!!
In the movie Boss Baby the boy has a Gandalf alarm clock, as well as waking him up in the morning the wizard also counsels him on a few matters. It is very *Gandalf* (cos lets face it, we all ask ourselves from time to time, 'what would Gandalf do?')

Happy Sunday, Mamie!

Happy Easter, Mamie!

Wish we could've somehow gotten you to yesterday's meetup at Mark's. You would've loved it.

Hope all is going well with your wonderful family at the Pecan Paradisio.

Happy Easter, Mamie :)

Big waves from over the pond, Mamie. I hope everything is ok.

I hope your Easter was a good time with family, Mamie. I am going to have to increase my daily step routine for awhile…too many jelly beans and chocolate eggs!

Seems funny to be only a few hours from the Pecan Paradisio. A belated Happy Easter to all of you, Mamie. xx

*Waves to Mamie*

Hi Mamie, I have also taken a hit with We Are Legion (We Are Bob). I still find it hard to believe that I am reading and loving science-fiction as I spent most of my life avoiding it!

>171 PaulCranswick: You are going to love it!!

Mamie--Just got my second in the Bobiverse series, For We are Many. It is by the same narrator so I am stoked!!

Hey, Mamie! Hope all is well at the Pecan Paradisio.

I've read the free sample of the first Bob book, and I'm sure I'll buy it soon, but at the moment, I have more books than I can handle now. Hope all is well there and you are just taking some well deserved relaxation time for yourself. We miss you.

I hope you are doing well, Mamie!

Hi Mamie, I noticed you're flying through the Shetland series. I just finished the latest, Cold Earth. It was really good! But now I'm done until she writes another. :(

Hope you're having a good weekend, Mamie.

Crazy--Thinking of you! Hope you had a great weekend. : )

How goes it, Mamie? Hope furkids and human family are all alright.
Maybe you've got a book funk too.

Dropping off some hugs for you and the family, Mamie!

*waves to Mamie*

Awfully quiet over here, Mamie. I hope everything is OK.

I stopped by because I've volunteered to start the May Murder & Mayhem thread. Since you were my only visitor for the April Autism Awareness thread, and you also read some crime-themed books, I figured I'd drop you a link to my latest effort:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/255974

>185 tymfos: T--I like the sound of that thread! ; ) Off to star it....

Before I go...Hi Crazy!!

Where are you, Mamie...? We miss you!!

A bit quiet here, I see. Hope all is well.

I am happy as can be that you are hooked on Lymond and The Game of Kings - believe me when I say the books just get better and better!

The spousal unit has finished We Are Legion. I'm a bit obsessed with the Sir John Fielding series of mysteries at the moment, but i will have to take a break soon and I know I won't be able to resist.

Mamie! Where are you!!?!?
(just wondering)

Hugs Mamie

More hugs Mamie

Joining the loudening chorus seeking out our friend, the mistress of the Paradisio.

Hope all is well, dear lady.

I was feeling a little guilty as I have been absent from LT as things in RL are keeping me hopping. But now I see you are also taking a break. I hope all is well with you and your family, Mamie.

Hey Mamie. I saw they'd reviewed newly published 'lost' stories by F Scott Fitzgerald and I thought of you....

Just stopping by to catch up after a long tax season! Love the illustrations in The Hobbit, although I am also partial to the ones in the copies I received in junior high school - I believe they may have even been my Tolkien himself, if my memory serves. (I'm too lazy to walk upstairs and find the books - plus they are so old and loved the pages are in danger of falling out.)

I'm also a big A Game of Thrones fan. I would like to do a reread, but I don't want to have to do one now, and then again before The Winds of Winter comes out - if it ever does!!

Crazy--I saw you popped in on my thread (best happy dance posting ever!!), so I know you are alive, which is good! LOL. Hope you are making the most of your LT break. Missing you! Best wishes to you and the fam. : )

Way to go on the stepping, Mamie. You are blowing us all out of the water!

Hiya, Mamie. Like Kim, I'm heartened by seeing you pop up here and there on the LT campus. Enjoy the break!

I also noticed that you updated your reading so I was relieved even in the silence.

Have a wonderful weekend at the Pecan Paradisio and know that we miss your fabulous.

Have a great weekend, Mamie!

MAMIE! Come on out! I left my safe place for the day.....come out and play!!

Hi Mamie. Just popped in to wave hello as I finally start my LT rounds - but you seem to have disappeared. So much to catch up on! I'm thinking I may have to start on audio books, you have so many recommendations for narrators. Glad to see you survived the weather. We've had quite a few downpours with thunder and lightning ourselves. Jasper, our golden retriever puppy adolescent, loves water (maybe it helps him keep cool) and he'll go out and play on the lawn in the rain. After which, he's banished from the house so he doesn't track mud all over the place.

Hope all is well with you, and we see you on LT again soon.

Mamie, I've been missing you. Wishing you all the best.

Crazy--As you know, I have not been feeling up to snuff, so thank you so much for doing all that extra walking for me!!! You are the best. Hugs. : )

Just keeping your thread warm until you get back. : )

I left my bloody fitbit in the UK, but I am walking, honest.

Take a few steps back to your thread, dear lady, I miss you. Have noticed you have popped up on a couple of threads and look forward to your barrage of posts again. xx

Wishing all at the Paradisio a great weekend.

Hi Mamie, have you traded time on your thread for walking time? Those are very impressive numbers on the Fitbit group.

Go Mamie!

Both Madame MBH and seasonsoflove are Fitbit enthusiasts, and they're racking up some big numbers. It's a great way to keep track of your efforts.

Far, far behind you on steps, I fear. You go, girl!

I miss you Mamie, but if you are walking a lot, that is good! FYI my fitbit no longer will sync with my computer, I've tried many things but so far nothing has worked. I have, give or take a few, been making my 70,000 a week goal. I keep hoping to move it up to 80 or 90 but alas, I never seem to quite get there.

Crazy--Happy Mother's Day to one of the best!!

I know Mamie is walking her freakin' butt off! Perhaps literally. But I miss seeing you around these parts, dear friend.

I'm glad you plan to join Kim and Mark and me for a reading of Kafka on the Shore in August.

>213 EBT1002: I think she still has her butt, but she said on Fitbit that she has lost almost 10 pounds: less LT time, more walking time is paying off!! I just hope she reaches her goal soon though, so she can come back here and play. : )

>214 Berly: Ditto, Kim. I'm glad the hiatus is for something so positive.

We miss our Mamie!

Bravo to Mamie for losing those pounds - I know how difficult that is.

In the vain hope that she'll stop by I will wish the good lady and all the inhabitants of the Pecan Paradisio a splendid weekend.

Stopping by to say Happy Sunday Mamie! Congratulations on losing almost 10 pounds!

Stopping by to say hello, Mamie!

Hi Mamie. Wherever you are. :)
I decided to start wearing my Fitbit again this week. So far, mixed results. As in I wake up, put it on, take kids to school, go for a walk, take it off, shower and totally forget to put it on again...

Crazy is still kicking it. Averaging 14,000 steps a day. Whew!! You go girl!

>220 Berly: Impressive stuff! Keep on stepping folks... I see from https://www.librarything.com/topic/257733#6063050
there is a new fitbit convert in the group too. Maybe it's time for me to convert from Samsung's version.

My sister got me a wine glass with this quote on it - so funny!

A HUGE thanks to all of you who have kept my thread warm over the last several weeks. Life got very busy, and then we lost our internet for over a week. Hopefully, June will be smooth sailing. Our internet is back and better than ever - we needed a signal adjustment or something like that and a new modem. Craig also replaced our router with a much better version, so I am crossing my fingers that everything will consistently work smoothly from now on. We'll see...

Yesterday was my fiftieth birthday, and everyone took the day off for me, which was SO sweet and thoughtful. We went out of town for the day, indulged in a trip to the big bookstore and ate lunch out. It was lovely. The only downside was that my steps suffered, so I will have to make them over the next few days. Or not. *grin* Anyway, here's my birthday book haul:

From the bookstore:
Delicious by Ruth Reichl
The Lightkeepers by Abby Geni
The Gargoyle Hunters by John Freeman Gill
Jane Austen, the Secret Radical by Helena Kelly
Churchill and Orwell: The Fight for Freedom by Thomas E. Ricks

Gifts:
The Burning Page by Genevieve Cogman - from Abby
The Chessmen by Peter May - from Rae
Cold Earth by Ann Cleeves - from Birdy
The Likeness by Tana French - from Birdy - I already had this but in hardback, and the rest of the series that I have is in paperback, so Birdy wanted the books to match! I have no idea where she gets that from. *blinks*
The New York Times Essential Book of Cocktails by Steve Reddicliffe - from Birdy
Romantic Outlaws: the Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and Her Daughter Mary Shelley by Charlotte Gordon - from Craig

Happy Birthday!!
Awesome book haul. You have trained your family well. :)

>223 nittnut: Thank you, Jenn! I was most pleased.

Mamie!!

>222 Crazymamie: Belated birthday wishes! I guess it's not enough for our fathers to have been practically twins. We are, too! My birthday was last Friday. I'm 29 and holding, but I've been 29 a few years longer than you have. ;-)

>221 charl08: Charlotte, thanks for the head's up - I sent her a PM, and she sent me her email, so she should be good to go. I hope you do convert - it's a very fun group, and we would love to have you.

>220 Berly: And now it's a new month, and I have to start all over again! I'm not off to a good start, but it was worth it for the fun we had yesterday.

>219 nittnut: I have done that, Jenn - or plug it in to charge overnight and then forget to put it on in the morning.

>218 lkernagh: Hello, Lori!

>217 souloftherose: Thank you, Heather!

Well, well, well, look who's here!

>225 cbl_tn: Hello, Carrie! Your post made me laugh! So funny that our birthdays are so close together with the dates that our Dads already share. A belated Happy Birthday to you - hoping it was full of fabulous!

>216 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! I appreciate everyone keeping the thread warm for me - it's been busy times here, but as we head into summer it should slow down for me. Hoping to be back to normal here. Well, as close to normal as I get. *grin*

>215 jnwelch: Thanks for missing me, Joe!

>214 Berly: Right. I still have my butt, LOL!

>213 EBT1002: Ellen, thanks for that. I have been trying to focus more on getting back into shape, shedding the pounds that I gained back and hoping to lose the rest that was part of my original goal. And our schedules were just so full for the past few months, but things should slow down now.

I am excited about reading Kafka on the Shore with all of you in August. I kind of had a Murakami May - I added eight of his books to my library, and they look so happy sitting there on the shelves.

>227 katiekrug: *grin* LOVE that!!! Hello, Katie - it feels good to be back.

>212 Berly: Thanks for those good wishes, Kim - Mother's Day was full of fabulous here.

>211 sibylline: Lucy, I see you are back in the Fitbit lineup, so you must have fixed the problem. You had some nice stepping yesterday! Hoping June is the month you get to 80 or 90, 000 for the week. And thanks for missing me.

>210 ronincats: Thank you, Roni! Some days the stepping came easy, and some days I had to really make myself do it. Hoping to repeat this month.

>209 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe! We have a great LT group over there - please let Madame YBH and Becca know that if they want to join our group, all they have to do is PM me their emails, and I will send them an invite.

>208 Familyhistorian: I kind of did just that, Meg. Hoping to achieve better balance this month.

>207 PaulCranswick: Sure, Paul. Um hmmm... I'm really hoping to be more present here this month. May was really crazy for us, so I am looking forward to a slow down.

>206 Berly: Thanks, Kim. I LOVE that image.

>205 Berly: You are most welcome, Kim - hoping to see you back at it as you are feeling better.

>204 Matke: Thank you, Gail. Hoping to catch up here and then stay current.

>203 humouress: Nina, thank you for that thoughtful post. All is well here - we came through all of the storms just fine, although it wrecked havoc with the internet services in town. I wish that our dogs liked the rain, but alas, they do not. They just stand on the porch and give us that looks that conveys, "I think not."

I love audiobooks - I had to learn how to be a better listener with them because at first I would tune in and out just like I do with music, and then I would have to try to find the place where I stopped listening. Now , I've got it down, and I seem to add more audiobooks to my list of reads every year. With the right narrator, the book is elevated and made even better. I also love that I can listen while walking or folding laundry or cooking dinner - gives me more reading time in my day.

>202 Carmenere: I think I'm back now, Lynda. How about you? I can't make any promises, but June is looking good for me staying on top of things here. We'll see, I guess.

>201 tymfos: Thanks, Terri!

>200 PaulCranswick: I did try to keep the reading updated, Paul, since I don't keep track of it anyplace else. And thanks so much for missing me.

>199 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe. It was a much needed break, as life got very busy and time was limited.

>198 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg!

>197 Berly: *grin* Thanks, Kim! It's lovely to be missed by such a great crowd, and I sincerely appreciate all of the good wishes.

What a nice surprise to switch on my computer and find you back!

Happy slightly belated birthday, Mamie. xx

>233 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul!

>196 rretzler:, >195 rretzler: So cool, Robin! We are huge Star Wars fans here.

I own several different editions of The Hobbit for just that reason - love the cover or the illustrations or sentimental reasons. So fun to see different printings of the same story - I have multiple editions of all my favorites. It's a weakness for me. Just. Can't. Resist.

Abby and I both love Games of Thrones, and my nephew LOVES it - he has read through all of it several times and is also waiting on the next one...

>194 charl08: Charlotte, I love that it made you think of me - I have my own shiny copy sitting right here. I snagged it immediately.

>193 DeltaQueen50: Judy, all is well here - I was just needing to use my time differently. No worries about feeling guilty - everyone here knows how RL gets busy and takes us away sometimes. That's the beauty of this group.

>192 PaulCranswick: I thank you, Paul. Hoping to be around more going forward.

Welcome back and happy day after your BIRTHDAY!

>191 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe! Hugs are always appreciated. Hugs back to you.

>190 luvamystery65: Thank you, Roberta!

>189 LovingLit: Well, I'm here now, Megan. Thanks for looking for me.

>188 sibylline: Lucy, I am hoping to get to the second in the Lymond series this month. I did not get much reading done in May - with the busyness of life in general and the focus on the walking, I struggled to keep up with the reading.

I know you have already finished with We Are Legion. The girls and I had a lot of fun with that one, and we were not bothered by the lack of female presence which I know you mentioned in your thoughtful review. I always find it interesting to see what each person brings to and takes away from a book, and I love comparing notes.

>187 scaifea: I'm back, Amber - thanks for missing me. I was still here occasionally, but mostly just lurking as RL was a bit crazy. Mostly I lurked on my phone, which is not ideal for posting for me, so...

>236 Berly: Aw, shucks! Thanks so much, Kim!

>186 Berly: Hello, Kim!

>185 tymfos: Hi, Terri! Thanks so much for posting the link to that thread here - as you, know, I did stop by. I have been on a mystery kick this year, so I was thrilled to see the return of that monthly theme. I miss those general themes where you can just plug in a book from your own shelves that fits. Thanks so much for hosting!

>184 msf59: Thanks for missing me, Mark! What a sweet image!

>183 jnwelch: *waves back at Joe*

>182 ronincats: Thanks for those hugs, Roni! Hugs back from all of us!

>181 Carmenere: Nope. No book funk, Lynda. We were busy with pets - Mischief got spayed, Mayhem and Mercy had eye infections, Mercy needed her yearly round of shots which they have to do separately an with Benedryl and steroid injections each time because of allergies. Bailey and Barnum are old dogs, and continue to need additional care. Then there was everyone's overlapping work schedules and a limited number of vehicles, which means I spent time acting as chauffeur. And Birdy finished up high school, so life has just been very full these past few months.

Hoping that your book funk is a thing of the past.

>180 Berly: Thanks, Kim - what a great job you did of keeping my thread warm!

>179 jnwelch: Thank you, Joe!

>178 Copperskye: I love the Shetland books, Joanne! Birdy just bought me Cold Earth for my birthday, so I am eager to dig into it. (See what I did there? I crack me up!) Then I will be right there with you on waiting for the next one to come out. Have you watched the tv series based on the books? We love it even though Jimmy Perez is totally different from his physical description in the book - they have changed up quite a few other things, too, but it is very well done. Also, the book she wrote about and titled Shetland is truly a feast of information and the photographs are stunning - highly recommended.

>177 EBT1002: I am, Ellen. Thanks for asking. LOVE the pecans!

>176 ronincats: Thanks for that, Roni. It's lovely to be missed and I appreciate all the good wishes. I am wanting to get to the second entry in those Bob books and find out what happens next. The first one was such a fun ride.

>175 weird_O: Hello, Bill! All is well here.

Glad to see you are back, Mamie, belated Happy Birthday!

>241 FAMeulstee: Thank you, Anita!

>174 Berly: We snapped that one up right away, too, Kim!

>173 DeltaQueen50: Too funny, Judy! LT is great with getting us to stretch our reading comfort zones, isn't it?!

>172 jnwelch: *waves to Joe*

>171 PaulCranswick: You would not have wanted to meet us then, Paul. Craig and I were both sick that week - Easter was a total bust.

>170 Donna828: The jelly beans do not tempt me, Donna, but oh, those chocolate eggs!!

>169 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara!

>168 lunacat: Thanks, Jenny - hoping yours was better than mine.

>167 jnwelch: That would have been so fun, Joe! Hoping I can make it to that meet-up some day... And thanks for those good wishes!

>166 Berly: Lovely! Thanks, Kim! Tulips are my favorite!

>165 scaifea: Thanks, Amber!

>164 LovingLit: Your post made me laugh, Megan!

>163 nittnut: Thanks, Jenn!

>162 FAMeulstee: Thank you, Anita!

>161 DianaNL: Thanks, Diana!

>160 brodiew2: Thank you, Brodie! That made me smile BIG! So fun!

>159 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle!

>158 Familyhistorian: Thank you, Meg! I always look forward to R, R, & R!

>157 cbl_tn: Me, too, with the missing out on LT. I am sure that I will be even wittier and more charming since you all had a break from me! *grin*

>156 charl08: I want that cover, Charlotte! And I am thrilled that Bogart made you think of me!!

>155 RebaRelishesReading: Hello, Reba!

>154 katiekrug: Whoop! Always happy to share a good deal, Katie!

>153 scaifea: Hello, Amber!

Made my day to turn on my computer and see a full Mamie thread come up at the top of the LT lineup! Happy belated Birthday (sounds like you had a great one!) and welcome back, Mamie.

>247 ronincats: Me too! (Well, that and fish and chip day, but lets not be pedantic :-)

>151 Berly: I'm thinking mine had to be more fun, Kim. Sounds like a very long day.

>150 weird_O: Bill, thanks so much for sharing that Faulkner story. What a hoot - I'm glad you managed to get the pages back because that is the only thing that he has written that I have ever liked.

>149 jnwelch: It has been going very well, Joe, but I will be most happy to slow down and meander a bit. I am looking forward to some deck time with a cold drink and a good book.

>148 ronincats: You've got my number, Roni. Mondays should be avoided at all costs.

>147 Carmenere: Thank you, Lynda!

>146 charl08: Hello, Charlotte. A nap is always a responsible choice. I have never heard of A Brittle Star, but I like the title - I'll have to look that one up.

>247 ronincats: Thanks so much, Roni! Your post made me smile BIG. The birthday was a complete success - there was much happy involved, which made it full of fabulous.

>248 charl08: Aw, thanks, Charlotte! And fish and chips day!! I WANT some!

>145 Familyhistorian: Hello, Meg! Game of Kings is very good and highly recommended. You are so right about the touchstone!

>144 msf59: Hello, Mark and thanks! I have not read Americanah, but ti sounds like I need to add it to the list.

>143 Ameise1: Oh, I love that, Barbara! Thank you!

>142 ronincats: That song takes me back, Roni! Thanks for the link.

Believe it or not, I think I have caught up with my thread!!! Holler if I missed you.

Belated Happy 50th Birthday for yesterday Mamie! And I hope you enjoy Cold Earth - it's one I really enjoyed.

Happy birthday, Mamie, and many happy returns.

Great book haul. What a nice family. You're doing something right.

You don't have to make up the steps. Give some others a chance...

>253 SandDune: Thank you, Rhian! Good to hear that Cold Earth is another good one.

>254 BLBera: Thanks, Beth! Lovely words. You made me laugh about not having to make up the steps.

>228 Crazymamie: "I kind of had a Murakami May - I added eight of his books to my library, and they look so happy sitting there on the shelves."
LOVE that! Happy books!

I have to admit that I'm almost dreading going over to my own thread and trying to catch up since I have also been AWOL. But when I do, I will kick up my heels along with your sheep!

Happy belated birthday, Mamie. What a perfect way to spend your birthday - does your family know you or what? I was watching your Fitbit stats all month, very impressive, and a good sign that you hadn't totally disappeared although I hear that there is less of you now. Keep up the good work. I expect to see you above Stephen in the stats again this month!

>222 Crazymamie: Happy Birthday! I was worried there for a while that by finally turning up again on LT, I'd knocked you out. Good to see you back, and sounds like a fabulous birthday day.

>225 cbl_tn: You're a few years ahead of me; in a few months I shall be 21 again. Though as I now have a teenager, I suppose I may have to move on a bit.

So glad you're back, Mamie! It just doesn't seem right with you missing. And, wow, the big 5-0!! Congratulations. Sounds like you had a good day. Hope the coming year is fantastic for you.

Hello Mamie. Happy Belated Birthday my dear!

I hope you received lots of shiny books for presents.

>222 Crazymamie: from Birdy - I already had this but in hardback, and the rest of the series that I have is in paperback, so Birdy wanted the books to match! I have no idea where she gets that from. *blinks*
lol
Great idea Birdy :) She is clearly of your ilk.

>252 Crazymamie: lol again! Love that pic :) Congratulations on your big b'day! And what a lovely idea for the family to take the day off with you.

>256 EBT1002: The Murakami bunch makes me smile every time I pass by it, Ellen.

Wishing you the best of luck on catching back up with your thread - I was sorely tempted to just start over. Heh.

>257 Familyhistorian: Thank you, Meg! Stephen is off to a determined start to hold the lead, I am thinking. I am hoping to get back in the groove with the walking after the weekend, so we'll see what I can do.

>258 humouress: Thank you, Nina! Rest assured that my absence here had nothing to do with your return, lol!

You and Carrie have a good time lurking in your 20s - I had a good time while I was there, but you could not pay me to go back. And since I have three children in their 20s...

>259 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks for that, Reba! I am planning on soaking up my year of being 50 - it's off to a very good start.

>260 Whisper1: Hello, Linda! And thank you! I did get loads of shiny new books this year, which is usually not the case - it was a lovely surprise.

>261 LovingLit: Birdy was very pleased to see the books line up "as they should". And I was thrilled and touched that everyone took the day off for me - such a great memory.

>262 Crazymamie: Stephen is off to a determined start to hold the lead, I am thinking. Always, Mamie. Go get him!

*grin* You're actually closer than I am, Meg - let's both get him!

>265 Crazymamie: I have been trying to catch up to him for months, Mamie. From the looks of last month's stats I think you have a better chance of getting ahead of him. I need to dial back a bit because RL will be very busy this month.

Bummer. All right - I'll give it my best shot. Beginning on the Day That Shall Not Be Named.

Happy Two Days Before The One That Shall Not Be Named!!

Welcome back, Mamie, and Happy Birthday (a bit late).

Happy birthday, Mamie, and welcome back!!

Happy belated birthday, Mamie. May all your wishes come true.

Happy Belated Birthday, Mamie!

Good luck with the day before Tuesday. Good to have you back!

^Happy Belated Birthday, my friend. Good to see you posting.

Welcome back and happy birthday.

I see now it was from you that I added Norse Mythology to my TBR. I read that last month. Review is in my thread:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/256684#6058820

>262 Crazymamie: I felt like I was catching you up towards the end of May but then I took a trip to London with a couple of very inactive days. In any case you were averaging higher distances than I had managed yet this year - but with better weather I may take some more walking days this month :)

Morning, Y'all! The weekend was an indulgent one - we had lovely rainy weather that made sitting with a good book feel like just the thing. It was very soup-like outside, so I did not do much stepping. I'm hoping to get back into a rhythm with the walking this week - enough goofing off, although it was delightful.

On the reading front, June is off to a very good start - I only read four books in May, so I need to do better this month. I am still listening to both The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and The Black Echo - the Bird Chronicle is over 27 hours long, so that accounts for a load of my May listening time. The Black Echo is a reread for me - I read through the first ten or so Harry Bosch books back in 2011, when I first discovered Michael Connelly, and now I am revisiting them on audio and hoping to go forward when I finished with the project. The Bosch series on Amazon Prime is also worth a visit - very well done, and I love Titus Welliver, although he did not match my picture of Bosch that I had in my head. I love that they included some of the gorgeous jazz music that is mentioned in the book.

So what have I finished? Let's see:

Books Read in June:


43. The Resistance Man by Martin Walker (4 stars), off my shelves paperback, police procedural (Bruno, Chief of Police, book 6) - I love these books set in a small village in Southern France and featuring Bruno, the Chief of Police there. The books are filled with food and wine and history, and on top of that, you get a mystery thrown in - what's not to like?


44. The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths (4 stars) 2017 acquired ebook, police procedural (Ruth Galloway, book 9) - Another fun entry in the Ruth Galloway series, although I really wish Griffiths would get back to including more archaeology as Ruth's character seems wasted here. She could be doing so much more. Still, I am completely addicted to these books an have been caught up in Ruth's life, so I am eagerly awaiting the next entry. Of course, since this one just came out on May 30th, it's gonna be awhile. *sigh*


45. The Lightkeepers by Abby Geni (5 stars), 2017 acquired paperback, literary fiction/suspense- Oh, how I loved this one! It is worth it's own post, so I will share my thoughts on it in just a bit...

Well, well, well, look who's back! Glad the interwebby thing got worked out.

Happy birthday, a bit late!

A rare instance of disagreement! I did not like The Lightkeepers very much at all. Did you read it or listen? I listened - just wondering if that could have made a difference, or if it's just "different strokes..."

The Lightkeepers by Abby Geni

"There are envelopes for you in every state I have ever visited. Fro nearly two decades, I have written to you. Perhaps it is strange that I still have so much to say. I often find myself turning to you, reflexively, a question on my lips: I still engage in imaginary quarrels with you. I store up the memories I have left - the ones that have not fallen by the wayside - and run them through my hands, examining them. The raucous cackle of your laugh. The honey-and-lavender odor of your hair. Your habit of humming on long car trips. Your penchant for linen skirts. I still experience that surge of bottomless sorrow. Even now, this can only be alleviated by by a few minutes spent at my desk, scribbling away, head bent over the page."

This was one of my bookstore picks from my birthday trip, and I gobbled it up in just two days. The writing is beautiful and Geni does an excellent job of slowly building the tension in this book that is worthy of a Hitchcock film. It's stunning. Miranda lost her mother at the age of fourteen, and that has colored everything that came after it - she writes her mother throughout her life and the book is formatted as a narrative to her mom. It's perfectly done - no dates or separate entries, really, it's just divided up by the seasons. Miranda is a nature photographer and has gotten permission to stay on the Farallon Islands (a nature preserve that only allows biologists to stay there, and under very specific conditions) for an entire year photographing the islands and the wildlife. And right from the very beginning it is a trial by fire, as she is not exactly welcomed by the six researchers that are already ensconced there.

"In other places I have visited, I have been able to photograph everything I needed in a month or so. But this archipelago is something else. The islets are the central stars in a galaxy of marine life. The birds and seals are the inner constellations -permanent residents who eat, mate, and raise their young on the rough-hewn granite. There are great white sharks, periodic visitors, pulled out of their mysterious orbits to linger offshore. Whales, like far-flung comets, pass by in search of krill. There are tufted puffins. Sea otters. Comb jellies. I am slated to be on the islands for a full year. I will need all that time to capture this end-of-the-world spot."

As the weeks and months pass, the drama that unfolds is interspersed with lush descriptions of the scenery and wildlife that bring the islands to life. There is beauty here but also darkness. We can feel the menace that intrudes and then recedes but never quite leaves the stage. It is brilliantly done. Highly recommended and sure to be one of my favorite reads of this year.

"There is a wonderful violence to the act of photography. The camera is a potent thing, slicing an image away from the landscape and pinning it to a sheet of film. When I choose a segment of horizon to capture, I might as well be an elephant seal hunting an octopus. The shutter clicks. Every boulder, wave, and curl of cloud included in the snapshot is severed irrevocably from what is not included. The frame is as sharp as a knife. The image is ripped from the surface of the world."

>276 drneutron: Hello, Jim - good to be back! And thank you!

>277 katiekrug: That's so interesting, Katie - I read it. I would think the narrator could make or break a novel like this. I'll have to listen to a sample to see what I think.

*Back to add that I listened to the sample, and I hated the narration. Not how I read Miranda at all - funny how inflection and tone can change so much, isn't it?

>268 Berly: Ha! Thanks, Kim!

>269 tymfos: Thank you, Terri!

>270 scaifea: Thanks, Amber!

>271 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara for those lovely wishes.

>272 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe! I am looking forward to Tuesday's arrival - you know how I feel about Tuesday's predecessor.

>273 msf59: Aw! Thanks, Mark!

>274 sirfurboy: Thanks, Stephen! Were your ears burning? A trip to London is totally worth sacrificing the steps! I had a very good May with the stepping - we'll see what I can manage for June. Wishing you the best of luck in retaining the top of the leaderboard. Coming over to check out your review!

So so glad to see you here.

Great review of The Lightkeepers.

I hope it is clear that my review of the Bob book accepted the first book being exactly how it is. I'm more concerned about the future Bobiverse.

And Happy Birthday!

My stats would be better on the Fitbit if I remembered to put it back on when I change clothes -- I do that here quite often since I walk in the woods a lot.

xx

Thank you, Lucy. Your review did make that clear - it was a very thoughtful review, and I always enjoy reading your musings on what you have read.

Thanks for those birthday wishes - it was a very good one.

Your stepping is looking great for someone who forgets to put the Fitbit on! I finally got myself moving yesterday, so I will try to do it again today.

xx

>274 sirfurboy: Ah, there you are Stephen. You are hard to keep up with and best of luck staying at the top of the leaderboard.

>280 Crazymamie: (What happened to "go get him", Mamie?)

Hello, Meg! I am definitely going to do my best to go get him, but I figured it's only fair to wish him the best of luck.

Morning Mamie! Great review of The Lightkeepers. Thumb! Thanks for putting it firmly on my radar.

Morning, Mark! A thumb! Thanks, my friend.

Adding my thumb, Mamie. The Lightkeepers sounds great. Adding it to the WL, too.

Thank you, Joe! I really enjoyed it, and now I am wanting to read The Devil's Teeth, which is a memoir written by Susan Casey about her time studying the great white sharks there - the author of The Lightkeepers mentioned it in her acknowledgements.

Belated happy birthday Mamie! From your birthday haul, Jane Austen, the Secret Radical, sounds really interesting - I'll have to look out for that one at the library. And you also hit me with a BB for The Lightkeepers.

Happy belated birthday!

>289 souloftherose: Thank you, Heather! I was excited to see the book about Jane Austen, and I'm hoping it is good. I hope you like The Lightkeepers when you get to it.

From that birthday haul, Romantic Outlaws was your doing - it got put on my list because of your review of it! And I'm very happy it's available in paperback now since it's over 600 pages.

>290 humouress: Thank you, Nina!