Mark's Reading Place: Chapter Fifteen

-Common Yellow Throated Warbler. I spotted a couple of these recently. Love that bandit look.



-GHO. Since, I just missed seeing one of these guys, I am adding another for good luck.

Audiobook:



Graphic/Comic:


Books Read So Far...

March:

25) A Separation: A Novel by Katie Kitamura 3.8 stars (audio)
26) The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston 4.4 stars (audio)
27) The Confessions of Nat Turner by William Styron 4.5 stars AAC
28) Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney 4 stars (audio)
29) My Favorite Thing Is Monsters by Emil Ferris 4.7 stars GN
30) Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah 4.5 stars (audio)
31) Birds Art Life: A Year of Observation by Kyo Maclear 4.3 stars
32) Nobody's Fool by Richard Russo 4.5 stars (audio)
33) The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen 4.2 stars
34) Spain in Our Hearts: Americans in the Spanish Civil War by Adam Hochschild 4.2 stars (audio)
35) Mexico: Stories by Josh Barkan 4 stars
36) Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders 4.7 stars (audio)
37) The Wright Brothers by David McCullough 4.5 stars (audio)
38) Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman 4 stars (audio)

April:

39) Wanderlust: A History of Walking by Rebecca Solnit 3.6 stars
40) The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir by Thi Bui 5 stars GN
41) The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks 3.7 stars (audio)
42) If I'd Known You Were Coming: Stories by Kate Milliken 4.3 stars
43) The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel 4.4 stars (audio)
44) Ill Will: A Novel by Dan Chaon 3.6 stars ER
45) Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 4.2 stars (audio)
46) I Contain Multitudes by Ed Yong 4 stars (audio)
47) Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles 4.3 stars
48) Exit West: A Novel by Mohsin Hamid 4.5 stars (audio)
49) The Cubs Way by Tom Verducci 4.3 stars (audio)
50) Lola: A Novel by Melissa Scrivner Love 4 stars
51) Dr. Mutter's Marvels by Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz 4.5 stars (audio)
52) Autumn by Ali Smith 4.4 stars
53) White Tears by Hari Kunzru 4.2 stars (audio)

May:

54) The Someday Birds by Sally J. Pla 4 stars
55) The Road to Jonestown by Jeff Guinn 4.2 stars (audio)
56) Days Without End by Sebastian Barry 4.5 stars (audio)
57) A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami 4.3 stars
58) The Death and Life of the Great Lakes by Dan Egan 4.5 stars (audio)
59) Dust Tracks on a Road: An Autobiography by Zora Neale Hurston 3.7 stars AAC
60) American War by Omar El Akkad 4.2 stars (audio)
61) Wolf Boys: Two American Teenagers & Mexico's Most Dangerous Drug Cartel by Dan Slater 4.2 stars (audio)
62) Anything Is Possible by Elizabeth Strout 5 stars
63) Binti by Nnedi Okorafor 4 stars (E)
64) The Wanderers by Meg Howrey 3.7 stars (audio)

Welcome to the AAC IV! It should be another fun year. Some interesting and diverse authors.

January- Octavia Butler Completed Kindred
February- Stewart O' Nan Completed Songs For the Missing, In the Walled City: Stories
March- William Styron Completed The Confessions of Nat Turner
April- Poetry Month Completed Incendiary Art, There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyoncé, Scriptorium,
No Matter the Wreckage

May- Zora Neale Hurston Completed Dust Tracks on a Road
June- Sherman Alexie
July- James McBride
August- Patricia Highsmith
September- Short Story Month
October- Ann Patchett
November- Russell Banks
December- Ernest Hemingway

The General Discussion Thread: http://www.librarything.com/topic/244600#
The Poetry Thread Continued: http://www.librarything.com/topic/254101#6045134

I am currently enjoying Dust Tracks on a Road, for the AAC and my audio American War.

Morning, Mark!
Glad to hear of the great bird sightings yesterday!
Have a great Tuesday.
Nancy
PS - I think this is a first for me to be first. Hope nobody beats me as I type this.)

Happy new thread, Mark! Good luck on the GHO!

Good morning, Mark, and happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Mark!

Happy new thread, Mark!

Happy new thread, Mark, I hope the third owl topper does the trick ;-)
>4 msf59: Never let your inner or outer weirdo go!

>5 alphaorder: Morning Nancy. Hooray for being Number 1!! You did very well on your bird outing yesterday too. It is supposed to be quite active today too.

>6 harrygbutler: Thanks, Harry. Have a good one.

>7 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie. Hugs to my pal.

Happy New Thread!

Thanks for the answer re the app you are using for birds. Yet another reason to join this millennia and buy a smart phone. I keep waiting for the old flip top to die, but it lives on and on and on and on.

Your thread is inspiring me to take birding up more seriously.

Happy New Thread, Mark!

Love that enthusiastic warbler up top - a kindred spirit for our favorite threader.

The Murakami was quite good, although some are going to wish there was more weirdness. Others will enjoy its accessibility, I'm sure. My favorite in the bunch of Men Without Women stories was "Kino", about the owner of a jazz bar (classic Murakami), whose situation does indeed get weird. I could see it becoming a novel.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Mark. Love the owl.

Happy new thread!

Picked up another new Lemire yesterday - he's been rather prolific lately.
Roughneck

>8 kidzdoc: >9 scaifea: Thanks, Darryl & Amber!

>10 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita. Hooray for weirdos and owls!

>12 streamsong: Thanks, Janet. I am sure where you live, it is a birding paradise. My smart phone is invaluable for birding. I can quickly check for identifications, without waiting until I get home.

>13 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe and Good Morning. It is definitely heating up out here. I appreciate the Murakami summation. I am one that likes his non-weird, so no problem there. Looking forward to the collection.

>14 drneutron: Thanks, Jim.

>15 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. Glad you like the GHO.

>16 SuziQoregon: Thanks, Juli. That Lemire is on fire, isn't he? I did request the Black Hammer.

Drawn into your thread...again!! Happy new one. : )

Happy New Thread, Mark! I am hoping to start reading Dust Tracks on a Road today.

Happy new thread, buddy. Number 15 already and I reckon that you'll run last year's total of posts quite close again this year.

So, Mark, have you read all of the Elizabeth Strout books? Which were your favorites?

I'll start with Lucy Barton since I've got that one for two weeks. Olive Kittredge looks like another. I've never heard of the others.

Happy new thread, Mark. Hope your Tuesday is treating you well.

Happy new thread, Mark. Sounds like you are having better weather. Please send some our way. Good luck with your owl sighting.

>19 Berly: Thanks, Kimmers! Don't be pulled too deep into my thread vortex. You may never emerge...but you would read a lot of books.

>20 EBT1002: Thanks, Ellen. I am deep into Dust Tracks on a Road and should finish it on Thursday. It is a good memoir. I hope you enjoy it.

>21 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! The threads just keep stacking up, my friend. As long as people visit, I will continue to deliver. Grins...

>22 lindapanzo: No question, Olive is my favorite and one of the best books I have read in the past 10-12 years or so. I also read Amy and Isabelle & The Burgess Boys, along with Lucy Barton. I liked all three but not in the same way as Olive. Glad she has your interest.

>23 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky. Good to see you. The week is off to a good start. Very warm here in Chicagoland.

>24 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. It looks like you guys are stuck in a cool, damp weather pattern. Bummer. We were like that for awhile too. it felt like July or August, here today.

56) Days Without End by Sebastian Barry 4.5 stars

“A man’s memory might have only a hundred clear days in it and he has lived thousands. Can’t do much about that. We have our store of days and we spend them like forgetful drunkards.”

“ The bottom was always falling out of something in America far as I could see.”

Thomas McNulty flees Ireland, as a child, after his parents die and his home country is crippled by famines. He ends up in America and becomes a soldier, at barely seventeen, first in the Indian wars and then as a Union soldier.
This is my first time reading Barry, and I was swept away with his beautiful prose. I have read many books, about the Old West and the Civil War and I was impressed by this Irish author's confident narrative style and fine understanding of this period in American history.
This is no rosy, puff piece, though. It is a tough, rugged, wickedly violent story and the descriptions of McNulty's time as a POW in Andersonville, will have the reader cringing and sobbing.
I will now be on a quest to read more of Barry's work. Great introduction.



**Feeling generous (maybe it's the birds), so if anyone wants this I can send it along. Nice hardback copy too. PM me.

Are you watching the Cubs game, Mark? I am but there's no sound but just on that one channel so I have the radio feed. They're not in sync at all but at least it's something.

"There is something about poverty that smells like death. Dead dreams dropping off the heart like leaves in a dry season and rotting around the feet; impulses smothered too long in the fetid air of underground caves. The soul lives in a sickly air. People can be slave-ships in shoes."

"...I had hundreds of books under my skin already. Not selected reading, all of it. Some of it could be called trashy...I do not regret the trash. It has harmed me in no way. It was a help, because acquiring the reading habit early is the important thing. Taste and natural development will take care of the rest later on."

-Dust Tracks on a Road. I can really relate to those last two lines.

>28 lindapanzo: I am watching Linda, but my audio is fine. I have U-verse. Nice long ball by Schwarber.

>29 msf59: I like those last two lines, too. They are so permission-giving. :-)

>27 msf59: Just thumbed your wonderful review of Days Without End. So glad that you liked it!

Happy New Thread, Mark! Enjoy your Wednesday! Thumbed your review of Days Without End.

Congrats on your shiny new thread, Mark and happy Wednesday.

Happy new thread!

Oh horror of horrors, I have not visited in 200+ posts, so haven not responded to your question What is twitching?.
I think it is what bird watching is referred to as, in some places at least. Maybe the UK?

Loved your review of The Road to Jonestown by Jeff Guinn....I am sure I could get the household involved in that as my lovely other likes the band Brian Jonestown Massacre. He saw them recently, actually! I have read zilch on that, and tour book sounds a goodie.

>27 msf59: yikes! I am conflicted, on the one hand we have the prose, and on the other the sobbing! I may have to refrain.

>29 msf59: Great quotes Mark. I'm tempted by this one, but sadly the library doesn't have a copy. Boo!

Morning, Mark!

Do you use any bird-watching apps when you go on your walks? A friend showed me one just the other day that looked really neat and I'm trying to remember the name of it for you...

OH NO!! I did not set my alarm and overslept! This might happen once a year, maybe once every two years. The good news is, I get up EARLY, so I still have over an hour to get to work. That said, if I have to cut this short...

>31 EBT1002: It is a good memoir, Ellen! Not what I expected at all. A unique life.

>32 mdoris: Thanks, Mary. The review was a bit of a quickie but I had to jot down something. It deserved it.

>33 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deb and I always appreciate the Thumbs!

>34 Ameise1: >35 banjo123: Thanks Barb & Rhonda! Hugs to both of you.

>36 LovingLit: Hi, Megan. I did not know twitching was birding. Interesting! It feels more like a drug related word...here, anyway. Smiles.

Beware, The Road to Jonestown can cause sobbing too. Ooh, I have not heard Brian Jonestown Massacre in many years. Good band.

>37 charl08: I am surprised that they don't have the memoir, Charlotte. What a bummer.

>38 scaifea: Morning, Amber! I mostly use the Audubon Bird app. It seems to be the easiest. I also have E-bird, but I do not use it much.

>40 msf59: I wish I could remember the name of this app (I'll have to ask again). It's probably more basic than you need, but it seems really pretty cool: you can enter the details of a bird you've spotted (how big, what color,...), where you saw it and what time of year it is and such, and it'll bring up a list of possible matches.

Days Without End sounds very good, Mark. I like those last two lines in the Dust Tracks on the Road quote. We always tell other parents (who ask), read to your kids when they're young, and let them read what they want as they get older. It's developing a love of reading (and learning) that matters.

I'm reading the GN One Hundred Nights of Hero, and liking it. Did you read the second Paper Girls? I'm getting antsy for a new one.

>29 msf59: Love the quote. I need to get back to Hurston.

>41 scaifea: Nancy just mentioned this app to me too and at this moment I am drawing a blank. It will come to me. It looks very handy.

>42 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. Days Without End is fine book and he is a fine writer. You might like this guy.

I have to request One Hundred Nights. Thanks for the reminder.

>43 BLBera: Hi, Beth. The Hurston memoir is nothing like I expected. She had taken many different paths in her early life.

Just added Days Without End with a "Mark's Fault" tag

I hope you're having a good day, Mark! It's going to be a scorcher here.

>45 SuziQoregon: Aw, shucks, Juli! You shouldn't have. Hey, I picked up Descender from the library. I thought I had read this one. We will see...

>46 harrygbutler: Hi, Harry! The day went well for a work day. Warm & muggy here too but it is supposed to cool off tomorrow. Hope you survived the scorcher.

^I know, I know big shock, right? But, I can't say it enough. Libraries are amazing. Okay, my audio copy of American War suddenly developed a glitch, right at the end. It kept repeating one short section over and over. So, on the way home, I called my library to see if they had a print copy of shelf..AND THEY DID!! AND THEY SAVED IT FOR ME!! I was going there anyway to pick up a collection of poetry. I thought I may have only missed a couple pages of American War, since it felt like it was winding down but it turns out, it was more than 20 pages. I haven't finished it yet, but I will. Happy Camper!

-Harry Bliss

>47 msf59: Ooh - I LOVE Descender. I've read the first three and I'm on the wait list at the library for the next one.

>27 msf59: “A man’s memory might have only a hundred clear days in it and he has lived thousands. Can’t do much about that. We have our store of days and we spend them like forgetful drunkards.”

So true!

Happy new thread!

>50 SuziQoregon: Looking forward to Descender, Juli. Sounds good.

>51 Storeetllr: Thanks, Mary. Glad you like the quote. Excellent book.

Morning, Mark! Yay for libraries! I feel the same way about ours.

Morning, Amber! Sweet Thursday. Yep, the library is like the post office, it always delivers.

>48 msf59: Sounds good to me. Hope your day is going well.

>55 charl08: Yah, for more library love! It is still early here, Charlotte but I am getting ready to head out on my A.M. bird walk. Hope it isn't too windy.

Hiya, Mark. Sweet Thursday!

Our flight's pushed back 4 hours, so here I am, darn it. I read the first two Descenders and thought they were good.

Howdy, Joe! Just got back from another successful bird walk. Now, I have a few outdoor chores to attend to...and then the books.

So, sorry to hear about your delayed flight, Bummer, bud. More reading time?

Good to know on the Descender GNs. Hope to start the first one today.

^Had another fun bird walk, (this one organized) and I saw, not one but 2 Indigo Buntings. What blue beauties. FOY. (first of year)

>59 msf59: Nice! I hope we'll see some, or scarlet tanagers, if we make it out to the walk we're planning to attend on Sunday.

>58 msf59: Ha! More reading time. I like your way of looking at it, Mark. Off to a book I go.

Have just started reading a book I got from the library and thought of you. Natural Gardening for Birds looks right up your alley! Have you seen it?

>60 harrygbutler: Hi, Harry! Also saw a few scarlet tanagers and an oriole or two. Great splashes of color.

>61 jnwelch: Yah, for more reading time, Joe. I am squeezing in some too. Just a few pages left in the Hurston memoir.

>62 Storeetllr: Hooray for reading a book and thinking of me! Grins...No, I have not heard of Natural Gardening for Birds but it sounds like my cuppa. I will watch for your final thoughts, Mary.

^a Rose-Breasted Grosbeak. I also saw one of these guys today. A lifer. I know they have been spotted in the upper Midwest, so I was just biding my time.

Those indigo buntings are stunning. I have seen one but it was several years ago and it was in the States, not in my area.

Yesterday, I think I saw a black and white warbler as I was sitting on a bench waiting for the bus. By the time I got my camera out, though, it was gone. I always try to photograph so I can study it and confirm ID later. Oh well. It caught my eye because of the black and white striping on the head and because the body looked sparrow-like though I couldn't see enough of the tail. It wouldn't have been my first but since I seldom see them, it would have been cool. I have only once seen that male Rose-breasted grosbeak, on the tree in my front yard. But again, I just stared through my binocs, with no time to go fetch the camera. That was a first for me, too!

Glad that you are seeing so many and enjoying the guided walks. They are really helpful, I know

>65 jessibud2: Hi, Shelley! Hooray for indigo buntings! One of the best looking birds out there. Glad you saw a black and white warbler. Have not seen one this year but it was one of the very first warblers I saw last year, during my maiden voyage.

I have not seen a grosbeak at my feeders but I have heard that they sometimes visit.

Hi Mark, just about to head into a long, 5-day weekend. Hurray!!

>67 lindapanzo: Sweet Thursday, Linda! Hooray for a 5-day weekend. Nice. In one more week, I will be on vacation. I have been itching for one, my friend. It has been awhile.

Go Cubs! Nice sweep!

Have you thought of a trail cam centred on your feeders Mark? We've recently got one and it's amazing, takes really good pics and videos and is motion activated.

Anything Possible. After falling very hard for Olive Kitteridge I was suddenly smitten with Strout. Not everything else I have read by her, has lived up to that lofty standard, but that is quite all right and I heard this collection comes very close. Can't wait to dig in tomorrow.

>69 lunacat: That sounds interesting, Jenny. If we had more interesting critters visiting the feeders, I might consider it. We are suburbia and there are no deep woods close by.

What do you see on the cam? Foxes, right?

58) The Death and Life of the Great Lakes by Dan Egan 4.5 stars

Okay, what do Asian carp, sea lamprey, homo sapiens, zebra mussels and climate change have in common? They are all destroying the mighty Great Lakes. Ouch! The five Great Lakes are one of the true wonders of the world, but we are continuously throwing wicked curve balls at this amazing water system. A system we all take for granted, much like our great oceans.
Dan Egan, a prize winning journalist, lays it all out here: the history, the canal systems, the invasive species, the various battles, which include the losses and recoveries and finally what can be done to restore and revitalize these national treasures.
Egan is a fine writer and his narrative flow, is smart and informative. At first, I thought this might be just a grim, painful look at the destruction of the Great Lakes, but Egan balances it out with some humor and a surprising amount of hope. Highly recommended.

**This was also a fine audiobook and I want to give a shout-out to Nancy for putting this one my radar.



^Sunset on Lake Superior

Nice review! It's still on my list...

Love your bird sightings and your great review of Death and Life of the Great Lakes! Thanks for spreading the word, my friend.

>72 msf59: Are the Asian carp the invasive species that jumps out of the water and dive bombs boats?

>73 drneutron: Thanks, Jim. Good book.

>74 alphaorder: Hi, Nancy! You make fine book suggestions, what can I say? Congrats again on seeing the Leucistic Pileated! What a find!

>75 Storeetllr: I think the silver carp or the bighead are the ones that jump out of the water, Mary, but the Asian carp are very destructive.

>72 msf59: Sounds intriguing. Wonder if it will make it over here.

Watching a family of starlings visit the garden. Mum / dad and three fluffy 'teenagers' sit on the garden fence and check out the garden's potential for food (at least I'm assuming that's what they're doing...).

>77 charl08: Happy Friday, Charlotte! I hope The Death and Life of the Great Lakes makes it's way over the pond. An intriguing read.

Yah, for a family of starlings. I see them here too but rarely at my feeders.

Morning, Mark! I'm sitting at my desk this morning looking out the front bay windows at the biggest rainbow I've even seen!

>79 scaifea: WOW! What a great way to start your morning, Amber! Happy Friday! We just have clouds and work here. Sighs...

I tried to get a good photo of it, but didn't quite manage it, I'm afraid. Frustrating. But the real thing was gorgeous.

^I remember hearing some buzz about Wolf Boys when it came out last year, so I grabbed it on audio. I have heard no LT buzz, so it looks like I will finally test the waters. I like keeping a NF in the rotation. I did finish American War, (thank you again, library) but more on that later.

LOL! Wolf Boys touchstone goes to Winnie the Pooh! Thanks for the giggle Mark (and the fickle touchstone gods).

Hi Mark, happy chilly Friday.

I'm off today. Sold my Cubs ticket for today. Don't want to sit out in the cold and rain.

Will probably go out to our favorite Chinese restaurant and read My Name Is Lucy Barton. I like her writing but not caring much for the story itself.

Okay, 80 degrees yesterday, with sunshine. Today we have 45 with rain. Welcome to the Midwest.
Sighs...

>83 charl08: That is funny, Charlotte and it won't let me correct it on my cell. Winnie it is...

Are there Wolf Boys in the Winnie the Pooh stories?

>84 lindapanzo: Happy Friday, Linda. Happy long weekend. Good idea, about not attending the Cubs game. Staying warm, snug and dry, with the books sounds much preferable.

^I am only 2 stories into Anything is Possible but I am hopelessly smitten. This is her thing, her forte, if you will- connected stories. I hope she continues doing these. Yes, the structure is similar to Olive but the tone and setting, remind me more of Kent Haruf, which, of course, is high praise indeed.

Despite the crappy weather, I am a Happy Camper and to top it off, Wolf Boys is pretty damn good too.

Imagine Wanting Only This by Kristen Radtke 3.7 stars Graphic Novel

While Ratke was in college, she suddenly lost her beloved uncle. She had a difficult time recovering from his loss and started to take refuge at different ruined and forgotten places, around the U.S. and a few abroad, searching for answers and some kind of closure. She visits old mining towns and other abandoned cities, that once beat with life and hope. This is a melancholic narrative, nicely illustrated in stark black and white. I am not sure it all works for me, but this is a talented artist and writer and one worth keeping a close eye on.

>45 SuziQoregon: Juli, what a good idea for a tag. I have done the same thing.

I've put Anything is Possible on hold at the library. It will be a while until I get my copy so I'll be interested in how this collection is holding up for you Strout fans.

Wolf Boys sounds kinda brutal....(and I get Winnie-the-Pooh, too!) I have a fiction work, The Power of the Dog by Don Winslow on my TBR shelves. It is about the Mexican drug cartel and is supposed to be excellent.

Happy weekend my friend!

Have a great weekend, Mark. I hope the weather gets better for you.

Morning, Mark!

Hmm, a comparison to Kent Haruf? You've got me intrigued.

>89 banjo123: Aw shucks, Rhonda. This is one thing I do not mind being blamed for.

>90 EBT1002: Happy Saturday, Ellen. I know you have issues with Strout but this could be the one that turns it around. You are a Haruf fan, right?

Wolf Boys is tough and brutal, but it has to be, to tell this story. I believe The Power of the Dog is a novel, which I also want to read. The follow-up, The Cartel received strong reviews too. Somehow, I missed both of them.

>91 Familyhistorian: Happy Saturday, Meg. More rain in the forecast today but it is supposed to warm up 20 degrees, so there is that. Hope you have a nice weekend too.

>92 jnwelch: There is the traveling man! Hola, Joe! Hope you are having a terrific time. I am sure you are. We are shivering and wet in in Chicagoland.

And yes, Anything is Possible is reminding me of Haruf, with small town Illinois, standing in for Holt.

Anything is Possible = Olive * Kent Haruf

Perfect.

Glad you're loving it, Mark!

Morning, Mark! Rainy and chilly again today. Yoicks.

But yay for happy reading! That's awesome.

>95 lauralkeet: Morning, Laura. Yep, as I was making my way through those first 2 stories, they kept evoking Haruf's small town vision, which, of course is high praise indeed.

>96 scaifea: Morning, Amber. I am getting ready to head out on the route and there is a light rain falling, but the temps are definitely better than yesterday. I have vacation in about a week, so that is carrying me through.

Hi Mark - Stay dry. It is pretty wet here today, a good day for sitting on the couch reading, I guess.

Happy Saturday, Beth. I did not stay dry but at least my last 2 hours or so, were clear enough. A soggy day.

Hope you got plenty of reading in, on that couch. Sounds perfect.

^It was a rainy day in Chicagoland, but while I was taking a brief break near that little creek, that meanders through my business section, I spotted a Great Blue Heron, with a red-winged blackbird, hot on it's tail. This is not my photo but I was surprised how many photos there are with these two birds in it. Do blackbirds harass the herons or just follow them around? Interesting...

I was checking quickly on line:

"Male redwinged blackbirds are extremely protective, and they are
absolutely fearless when defending their nests. They will routinely
harass and drive off much larger birds if they feel any threat to the
safety of their mates or the eggs."

>100 msf59: That's interesting, Mark, and makes for a colourful photo too. I like to cheer for the small and feisty!

>93 msf59: You are so right, that was a typo. I meant to say that The Power of the Dog is fiction. My sister loved it.

Happy Saturday (which is almost over for you by now)!

We see larger birds (bald eagles, red tail hawks) being harassed by smaller birds all the time. It's almost a clue that we might be seeing a bald eagle when we see a large bird with two or three smaller ones alongside!

I've seen a big hawk driven off by a couple of blue jays, so I guess attitude is everything! :)

Happy weekend, Mark.

Overnight, I finished Elizabeth Strout's My Name Is Lucy Barton. I liked it just well enough to give her another try but not much more.

Any suggestions?

>101 Familyhistorian: Hi, Meg! Glad you like the photo. I did not see them from that angle. It was higher up and not as colorful. LOL.

>102 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen. If I can find an audio copy of The Power of the Dog, I would join you on it and then we could do the follow-up, The Cartel.

>103 EBT1002: >104 drneutron: I have seen bird mobbing too, but never against a gangly old heron. I have seen hawks, eagles and crows mobbed.

>105 lindapanzo: Hi, Linda! Glad you hung in there with Lucy Barton. If you are asking for another Strout rec, I would have to go with Olive Kitteridge, although Anything is Possible is loaded with Lucy Barton references. I am really loving it.

>106 msf59: I have never seen a crow being mobbed. I saw two crows having a fight. The crows around here tend to hang out with the ducks at the lake and everyone seems to get along - well except for those two crows that were fighting with each other.

>100 msf59: Love this photo. That protective instinct and will is amazing.

Have a good one, buddy. I'm enjoying The Someday Birds. Charlie is an intriguing young guy.

>100 msf59: that's very interesting! I love all the fun birding facts you share with us here, Mark.

Happy Sunday, Mark.

>107 Familyhistorian: That sounds like complete harmony, Meg. Crows and ducks living comfortably...side by side.

>108 jnwelch: Hola, Joe! Glad you like the photo. A parental unit of robins flew and chattered around me yesterday, for probably the same reason. Veering to close to a nest.

Hooray for Charlie & The Someday Birds! Nice, light reading for your vacation.

>109 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura. My incessant birding chatter may have turned off some other visitors, but I am glad you are enjoying it. More to come...and lots of bookish things too. Although, I am slipping on beer reports.

>110 DianaNL: Happy Sunday, Diana. Good to see you.

>108 jnwelch:. Morning, Joe. Yay for another Someday Birds reader!

Morning to you too, Mark. Headed off to a day a the Center. We have our big spring event today. Thankfully the weather turned dry... I didn't expect this when I moved the event from April to May!

Happy Sunday, Mark.

>112 alphaorder: Morning, Nancy! Happy Sunday! Have a great day at the spring event. Let us know how it goes. No birding for me today but a day off is okay.

>113 Ameise1: Happy Sunday, Barb!

Morning, Mark! Happy Sunday!

Morning, Amber! We are taking Sue out for lunch and brews this afternoon but hope to spend time with the books in the A.M...

^ I had a good audiobook morning. I managed to snag these titles. All 5 look very promising. I have not read Lehane or Ferris in a few years.

^Anyone else have any of these on your T.R. list?

Heron discussion is fascinating. Just been for a walk along get the canal and the fields were full of birds- swifts swooping around us my favourite I think.

I have The Color of Lightning on my Kindle...

>118 charl08: Are these chimney swifts, Charlotte? I have not seen one.

>119 katiekrug: Happy Sunday, Katie! I have The Color of Lightning in print too but I may get to the audio a bit faster. I have Lighthouse Island waiting on my Kindle. I adore Jiles.

>117 msf59: I am reading The Dinner Party (in paper) now. Will be curious to hear what you think. I am not sure.

>121 alphaorder: Sorry, The Dinner Party isn't ringing your bells. I hope it improves. I have only read Then We Came to the End but I thought it was excellent.

#27
If you read more of Sebastian Berry you will find the name McNulty shows up again and again.

#82
Years ago a friend and I read God's Middle Finger. This is a travel book about the Sierra Madre area of Mexico. The book came out in 2008 and the author said up front in the book that there were places, cities, and towns in Mexico where he would not travel due to the control of the area by the drug cartels. Even so, his description of many of the major tourist cities that are "safe" were hair raising. Reading that made me think that perhaps we don't need to worry about failed states a longer distance from here. We have at least two or three in our own backyard. This book was also one of the reasons why I won't travel to Mexico. Even those hot tourist spots that are favored by international travelers and many Americans.

I heard from Tim Spaulding regarding the ALA conference. LT is NOT going to have a booth. Tim and Abby will be part of the Pro-Quest booth. (Pro-Quest is one of the biggies in the information world.) Tim is NOT sure that they will be able to offer the free passes, but he is checking with Pro-Quest to find out what their rules are regarding the free passes and other give-aways. He asked me if there was a meet-up planned. He wanted to get it on his and Abby's schedules if there was going to be a group of LTer's at the conference. I told him that there was a group that had expressed interest in meeting up, but we were waiting on news from them before finalizing plans. I will keep in touch and post news here and on Joe's threads when I find out more definite plans. I will also e-mail to you and keep you posted that way.

I have been very busy at work the last two weeks and so haven't been around the threads much. In case others on this thread are interested the ALA conference is in Chicago at the McCormick Place Convention Center June 23 - 26. This is a big conference with about 20,000 people attending and it involves 24 of the big downtown hotels.

If you will be coming from out-of-town, please stay at one of the conference hotels. I will post a list of those hotels later. They offer a special rate for ALA attendees and there is free transportation to and from the convention center if you stay at one of them. This is a good thing because they will even transport your boxes and bags of free books.

There is a U.S. post office on the convention floor, and there is one located at Daly Plaza. Daly Plaza is one block from the Palmer House Hilton.

I will keep you in touch with the news as I get it.

HI Mark,
This is another review from the Guardian of Anything is Possible. Thought you might be interested.

HERE

#72
Life and Death of the Great Lakes was an ARC at the Mid-Winter ALA conference. Norton, the publisher, was really pushing it as one of the must reads or the year. This is the kind of book that you can find in the exhibits at ALA.

Hi, Mark! Happy Sunday! We went on a birding walk this morning and had some good birds, both by sight and by ear — most of the latter we'd never have been sure of without the expertise of others on the walk. As with your walk earlier this week, we had a Baltimore oriole and some others worth seeing right at the parking lot.

>121 alphaorder:.

I am still not sure what I think about the book. I am reading it quickly and find myself thinking about it, so those are good signs. But...

>123 benitastrnad: Happy Sunday, Benita! I should have mentioned that in my mini-review of Days Without End, about the McNulty clan. Of course, I did not know that, until I started reading other reviews. Looking forward to reading more Barry.

>124 benitastrnad: God's Middle Finger sounds interesting. A companion piece to Wolf Boys.

>125 benitastrnad: I would love to attend ALA, Benita but I do not think I will pay 60 bucks to attend, so I will wait to see what Tim can work out. If there ends up being an LT Meet Up at some point, I might be able to make that.

>126 mdoris: Thanks, Meg. I will check out the review.

^The Freeburg clan celebrating a belated Mother's Day at Mikerphone Brewery. Sue was camping last Sunday. The handsome young man on the far left is Bree's beau, Cory.

Glad we were wearing the Cubs apparel. They beat the Brewers 13-6.

>127 benitastrnad: I hope you snagged a copy of Life and Death of the Great Lakes, Benita. I would love to hear your thoughts on this one.

>128 harrygbutler: Happy Sunday, Harry! I am glad you had a had a good time on your bird walk. Hooray for a Baltimore Oriole sighting.

>129 alphaorder: I sure hope that The Dinner Party ends up being a hit, Nancy. Fingers crossed.

>131 msf59: From the looks of those smiles, you are all having a great Mother's Day Celebration - BAG, indeed!

Buenas Dias, Mark!

Another beautiful day here. I hope the weather has improved in Chicagoland.

Not much reading getting done right now, but I am nearing the end of the well done The Someday Bitds.

A YA that I just read that I loved is The Sun is Also a Star. I'm a pushover for romance, and this one happens in one day against a dire background. I'm definitely going to read more Nicola Yoon. Her Everything, Everything is getting a lot of buzz.

P.S. I sure hope it works out for all of us to go to ALA. Many thanks to Benita for her continuing efforts to help that happen.

Happy Monday, Mark. Did you watch CTM last night? Another fine episode, and the season finale so the usual emotional punch was highlighted by wrapping up the ongoing story lines. Great stuff and now we have to wait for the Christmas episode. :)

>133 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg! This is what the wife wanted and it is exactly what she received. Big grins all around.

>134 jnwelch: Hola, Joe! It is supposed to warm up today into the 70s. Last work week before vacation, so I am chomping at the bit. Glad you are enjoying The Someday Birds. I have not read Nicola Yoon yet, but I have heard good things.

And yes, let's hope it works out for ALA. Fingers crossed.

>135 lauralkeet: Morning, Laura. We are 2 behind on CTM, including last night's episode. Hope to catch up this week. Glad to hear it ended on a high note. Such a good show.

Are you still watching The Handmaid's Tale or did you finish it? We are 4 in. My wife can only take it in small doses, due to it's bleakness. LOL.

Excellent photo of your family, Mark!

Happy Monday!

Thanks, Amber! Good morning, my friend. Enjoy your day.

Enjoy your Monday, Mark! It looks like you and your family had a good time yesterday.

>137 msf59: you'll love the CTM episode when you get to it, Mark. We are watching The Handmaid's Tale but Chris is like Sue, he can only do one at a time and then we need to follow with something light or it will keep him up at night! We still need to watch the most recent episode (6?). We are trying to watch each one within a week of release so we don't get behind.

>140 harrygbutler: Morning, Harry. Monday's are my heaviest work day but I am slogging through. At least it is nice here, plenty of sunshine.

>141 lauralkeet: It looks like Chris and Sue would make good TV partners. LOL. Sue also watches anything scary, between her fingers or ducks out of the room.

More on the American Library Association Conference in Chicago - June 23-26, 2017.

Here is the URL for the list of ALA hotels.
http://2017.alaannual.org/hotels

There is free transportation to the conference center from these hotels. For people from outside of Chicago who might want to attend - if you can find your way to one of these hotels you can use the free shuttle buses to get to and from McCormick Place. The bus drivers will also accommodate bags and boxes, which is very helpful when carting stuff from the conference center.

#130
At this point - a pass to the exhibit floor will cost $60.00, but that pass is good for more than one day. ;-)

I am working on details but I think that there will be enough of us to plan some sort of meet-up, and I think that Tim and Abby would like to meet-up with us as well. I will keep you and others posted about any developments. Is your e-mail still the same?

Just in case you or others are interested Tim has started a group thread for ALA - Chicago. It is located here. https://www.librarything.com/topic/257588

It looks like there might be some interest in a meet-up. How would you feel about a downtown location on Sunday evening?

Happy Monday Mark!

I was thinking about you this weekend when I read in the paper that there is a new museum open to the public in Chicago

The American Writer's Museum. Sounds very interesting, just another reason to try to get back to Chicago sometime...

http://americanwritersmuseum.org/

A very late swift, Mark.

This short post was in the monthly LT e-mail newsletter.

Librarians out there—are you going to ALA Annual in Chicago? (It's June 22-27.) Abby and Tim will be there. If you're going, let us know on Talk. A beer-night with LibraryThing and TinyCat people?
We'll be demoing and doing talks about Syndetics Unbound, the catalog enrichment product we made with ProQuest. We'll be working out of the ProQuest booth. So come by and say hi.
By the way, in case you haven't heard, ALA revealed its secret closing speaker—it's Hillary Clinton.

>143 benitastrnad: Hi, Benita! Thanks for all the great ALA info. You are both thorough and kind. I did see the LT ALA thread. I hope Tim can come through on the passes. 60 bucks is a bit steep, but if there is an LT Meet Up later on Sunday, I may be able to attend. You know I like being around LTers.

>145 mahsdad: Hi, Jeff. The American Writer's Museum has been sparking my interest too. Maybe, I can meet Joe down there at some point. Looks fascinating.

>146 charl08: I love the late swift, Charlotte! It put a smile on my mug.

>147 benitastrnad: You KNOW I would be interested in a beer night with LTers. I was born for that!

That Hillary event will be crazy!

^"In four years Prime Space will put the first humans on Mars. Helen Kane, Yoshi Tanaka, and Sergei Kuznetsov must prove they’re the crew for the job by spending seventeen months in the most realistic simulation every created."

I started The Wanderers on audio. I wanted something a bit less brutal, after wrapping up the excellent but disturbing Wolf Boys. I was keeping it on a short leash, until I listened to an hour or so, but it has an easy-going narrative and I do like books that deal with space. Curious to see where it goes...

This is also a new release and it came out in March.

Mark, do you ever watch Jeopardy? Tonight there was an entire category that made me think you'd have aced it if you were a contestant: Beer By State.

;-)

Hi, Shelley. Great to see you, stranger. I like Jeopardy but rarely watch it. I would have loved taking on that category. I would have nailed it. LOL.

>48 msf59: ditto. I love the library. We used to be so regular, and with Lenny being so chatty to the librarians, he would always be bending their ears about where to find the next great train book. They would humour him and take him about, showing him where they were. I would quietly whisper to them that they didn't have to, but they quite enjoyed it, I think.
Once, we accidentally dropped off one of out own train books with a pile of library train books and they rang us, knowing that it would be ours :)

>131 msf59: I look forward to the day when I can take my clan out for beer to celebrate mothers day! It looks great fun.

Buenas Dias, Señor Mark.

Mid-day break on my end. Gorgeous weather here. I just met with business folks at a shaded street cafe on a gorgeous day, having cafe con leche and lattes. This is the way to work!

I'm starting the second Orphan X book by Greg Hurwitz. I think its title is The Nowhere Man. Main character Evan Smoak is a bit like Jack Reacher, usually one step ahead of the bad guy(s). Not exactly brilliant prose, to say the least, but he knows how to move them pages along.

Hope your week is going well. Looks like much improved weather back home.

>152 LovingLit: Howdy, Megan! I love your library tales, with Lenny and the train books. I would be totally lost without my beloved library. Is Wilbur still an avid reader?
I am sure you will love it, once the boys get old enough to share a beer. It is also nice to have kids that know how to enjoy a fine ale, along with your partner, of course.

>153 jnwelch: Buenos Diaz, Joe. Looks like you are wrapping up the business end of your trip. I am sure you are looking forward to that.

I have not read Hurwitz but I have seen his books around. Probably not my cuppa but it looks to be a perfect holiday read.

Morning, Mark! I like the sound of your space audiobook...

Morning, Amber! I think The Wanderers may be riding on the success of The Martian but this is much more low-key. A character study. I will let you know.

>154 msf59: Yes, IMO you'll miss very little if you don't read Hurwitz. It is a perfect holiday read, though.

>150 jessibud2: HA! I was thinking of Mark during that category too! He really ought to meet the guy who ran through it...they'd enjoy one another's company, I'll bet.

>157 jnwelch: Yup, not Great American Literature, but the Orphan X books were good brain candy when I needed some. :)

>157 jnwelch: Your plan was to take easy page-turners on your vacation and you did exactly that. I tend to do the same.

>158 laytonwoman3rd: If they ever have a beer challenge special, I will have to interview.

>159 drneutron: We need our easier reads, Jim, plus they are perfect palate cleansers.

I haven't heard back from Tim or Abby. Yet. I will keep you posted. I am looking into having an LT meet-up at Eately. That is in downtown Chicago. I don't know if they have beer, but they do have wine. From Italy.

I hope the Eataly in Chicago isn't as loud and full of tourists as the one in NYC! Hard to hear oneself think, much less hold a conversation.

But admittedly, I don't get the appeal of places like that in cities with fantastic food scenes already. *shrug*

ETA: Hi Mark! From your curmudgeonly friend, KAK ;-)

>162 katiekrug: Despite the wince-worthy name, Eataly is supposed to have really good food, Katie. We've got it on our list of ones we want to get to. I know nada about the noise level.

I mentioned over on my thread that Conde Nast Traveler just identified Chicago as the #1 restaurant city in the U.S., over LA.

#162
Last time I was there it was quiet. But that was winter and right after the great Super Bowl blizzard of 2015.

Since this is also a books and brews group I am hunting for a brewery close to, but not in, downtown. Suggestions welcome.

I should also warn everybody that Tim and Abby are still planning their trip so much of the planning depends on what they find out.

Good to hear Anything is Possible is a winner.

>89 banjo123: I think if enough of us used it we could make 'Marks Fault" a heavily used tag.

>117 msf59: I have not read Lehane in years either. Must remedy that. A blogging friend of mine posted a review of Radium Girls today that convinced me to add it to my list.

love the Mother's day photo

>163 jnwelch: - Yeah, I'm sure the food isn't bad. I didn't stay long enough to eat because I disliked the environment so much, and I figured I could get equally good food elsewhere. Mario Batali probably doesn't need my money, anyway ;-)

(Also, the marketplace sold brands of boxed pasta I could find in my local supermarket in Texas, so I kind of question the point of the whole enterprise. But to each her own. I'm just getting cranky in my old age!)

Chicago is the home of several very active LT'ers who enjoy meeting other LT'ers. This same group of LT'ers would be amiable to having a meet-up during the ALA conference this year. In the several conferences that have happened in Chicago since the first meeting I had with Tim and Abby, (that meeting was at the Cafe DuMonde in New Orleans, and because it was early in the morning, the Cafe Du Monde were washing the place down with a pressure hose and other cleaning machines. It was too noisy to have much of a conversation, so we know about noise at venues) the group has chosen to meet for lunch in the exhibit hall, and once we met at Haymarket Brewery. In the past, the LT Gods - Tim and Abby - have given away free passes to the exhibits at ALA. That wonderful very appreciated perk, may - or may not, happen this year. Also, Tim and Abby are not going to have a separate LT booth this year. They are going to be in Chicago, but they are going to be working in the ProQuest booth. They are working on a joint project with ProQuest, called Syndetics Unbound, and have obligations to meet with ProQuest. Abby and Tim have told me that as soon as they know what they are allowed to do to promote LT they will let me know.

In the meantime, I need to know if there is interest in having a meet-up. I am thinking that an evening meet-up would work best, since this conference is a working conference for me and many other librarians who use LT. How many of you could meet on Saturday evening?

Tim has established a thread here https://www.librarything.com/topic/257588
If you think you might be interested in attending a meet-up go to that thread and post there. I would like to get an idea of a number and a day to have the meet-up.

Let me make it clear, this meet-up is open to anybody who lives in Chicago and is an LT member, or hanger-on.

>161 benitastrnad: Not familiar with Eately but I would be up for something like that. Of course, I prefer places with fine beer but I am flexible. I do not think there are many breweries, in that part of the city, due to the expense. We could do Haymarket again. You know I love that place.

I know Tim & Abby mentioned meeting over a beer!

>162 katiekrug: Hooray for my favorite curmudgeon! You come by anytime, Katie!

>163 jnwelch: Hooray for Chicago landing the #1 spot!

>165 SuziQoregon: Hi, Juli! Just finished Anything is Possible. 5 star read! Strout knocked another one, right out of the park. And hooray for the Mark's Fault Tag and The Radium Girls. I might try to put that one in the audio rotation for June.

>167 benitastrnad: Thanks for the continuous flow of ALA info, Benita! And I would clarify that the Meet Up is open to any LTer, Chicago resident or not. Just be prepared to talk books!

>167 benitastrnad:

Hi - I now live too far from my hometown to attend anything,
but wonder if the free passes to ALA include LT members who are not Librarians?

And what happens after you pay the $60 entry fee > are you then entitled to all free books?

Sounds very exciting - maybe someday you'll meet in Madison...

Hi Mark, I'm back from my brief Green Bay getaway. Got almost no reading done but had a great time. Back to the books.

>170 m.belljackson: Hi, Marianne! I have attended a couple of times. You do not have to be a librarian and yes, this pass would include the "free" books. We have received free passes through LT, in the past. Honestly, I do not think it is worth 60 bucks otherwise, but that might just be me, being cheap.

If I ever make it through Madison, I will give you a yell.

>171 lindapanzo: Hi, Linda! I hope you enjoyed your LONG weekend. Do you listen to audiobooks, while driving?

-Harry Bliss

>154 msf59: W is an avid reader for exactly ten minutes per day, which is what he needs to be to get his turn on the tablet :) But- his reading has improved so much in the last 6 months. So I am one happy mumma :)

>45 SuziQoregon: >165 SuziQoregon: "Mark's fault" sounds an excellent tag ;) I use recMark, recWhoever as my 'recommended by' tag. I like to try and go back once I have read a recommended book and thank the person.

>154 msf59: It was wonderful how you phrased it...."I would be totally lost without my beloved library". I feel exactly the same way!

>174 LovingLit: Hi, Megan. Hooray for Wilbur and Mark's Fault Tag!

>175 mdoris: Hi, Mary! Can't get enough of library love, can we?

Morning, Mark!

Morning, Amber!

^The full boat for Anything is Possible. Strout has hit it out of the park, once again. I am not sure anyone is writing linked stories better. This is definitely her forte.

Hola, que tal, Mark?

Five stars! That's like spotting a great horned owl! Nice.

Hope the day goes well, buddy. It's another beaut in Barcelona.

Hola, Joe! Have you read Strout? She is an amazing writer.

Glad your weather in Barcelona is beautiful. We are damp, cloudy and cool. Broken record weather...

I'm glad you enjoyed Anything is Possible, Mark. It's such a great book. You don't have to have read Lucy Barton, but if you have it makes both books better. If that makes any sense ...

#170
You most definitely don't have to be a librarian to get the free passes or the free books. You do have to be judicious in your choices of ARC (Advance Reader's Copy) of titles. If you have children or young adults (High schoolers) bring them. The publishers reps love to see them and talk to them about books.

Most of all you simply have to be willing to talk about books.

There will be long lines of fans waiting to get books signed by authors, and you will get face time with authors. Famous ones and not so famous ones. It is a good place to get exposed to new authors or what publishers refer to as "mid-list authors."

I love the exhibit floor at ALA. In that, my opinion differs from Mark's.

If we get those free passes you will have a great time. If we don't, you would still get $60.00 worth of books that would defray the cost of the pass.

I will let everybody know as soon as Tim and Abby know anything.

>183 benitastrnad:

Thank you - that ALL sounds like a great deal!

>182 lauralkeet: Morning, Laura. Lucy Barton and her family are referenced enough times, in Anything is Possible, to make it worth reading that one first, but I agree, it isn't essential. Now, I want to reread Lucy Barton. LOL.

>183 benitastrnad: Hi, Benita. You definitely make ALA enticing but I am not sure about the sixty bucks. I will definitely try to make the Meet Up at Haymarket though.

I am super slow around the threads in the last week or so, Mark, as work and life is bearing down upon me heavily. Finally managed to get across to the Postie with the Mostie to hope that he's in great form.

>186 PaulCranswick: Good to see you, Paul. Sorry, to hear life & work have been weighing you down. Hope it all begins to improve.

Hi Mark, hope your week is going well while you count down to vacation. The weather here is beautiful this week, almost like it knew I was off and could appreciate it. Hopefully your weather will improve for your week as well.

Buenas Dias, Mark!

Getting close to that vacation week, buddy.

I've not read Elizabeth Strout before; Olive Kitteridge did not call out to me. This one sounds more to my liking at this point in time.

I'm enjoying my thriller, and it looks like the good guy may survive a tough situation. But can he save the two in dire straits? Tune in for the next episode.

>188 Familyhistorian: Hi, Meg. Glad your vacation is going well and the weather is cooperating. Yep, 2 more work days. I volunteered to work Saturday, because we are short-handed and then I am outta here.

>189 jnwelch: Hola, Joe! I bet you are glad the work part of your trip is over and now you can focus on the fun part. And yes, I think Anything is Possible would be a good place to start, with Strout, but reading Lucy Barton, (it's a shorty) first is recommended.

Morning, Mark! I'm happy to see that the Strout was so good for you! So, what's next?

Morning, Amber! I started Binti. Have you read this one? It is definitely your cuppa. Joe and a few other LTers were singing it's praises last year. It is very short too. Less than a 100 pages.

>192 msf59: I haven't read that one yet, but it's definitely on the list!

I have had it on my Kindle forever and it is still available, at a great price. I am going to purchase the second one, which is out too. Win, win.

Glad you liked Anything Is Possible, Mark. I think it could stand alone, but having read Lucy Barton adds to the enjoyment.

>195 BLBera: Morning, Beth. She really nails this format, doesn't she? This may be my favorite type of short fiction and she excels at it. I want to reread Lucy Barton now.

Hi, Mark! I hope your work day goes quickly and smoothly. Here it's a rainy day. Enjoy the bird walk tomorrow!

>197 harrygbutler: Morning, Harry. Yes, the work day is going smoothly. I am off tomorrow. I work Saturday and then I am on vacation. Happy Camper.

I bet Saturday evening can't come soon enough, huh, Mark? Did you say where you were going, or is that "Happy Camper" a hint?

My interlibrary load of Secret Path came in. Picking iit up tonight and putting it on my weekend reading agenda.

I'm also picking up My Name is Lucy Barton.

Hi Mark! I hope you are doing well. I have been having a crazy busy week but I have still managed to read some of my mystery novel for Murder Mayhem... whatever it's called.

I also got to meet, talk with, and present with the author of Hate Crimes in Cyberspace. That was an excellent evening!

I've put the Paulette Jiles on my wish list. I love her.

>199 Storeetllr: Hi, Mary! I was supposed to be off the whole weekend but they asked me to work Saturday, so I am going in. My vacation starts next week and we head out of town on Monday, so the extra cash will come in handy. Still a Happy Camper!

>200 SuziQoregon: Hi, Juli! Hooray for the Secret Path. It is a very quick read but packs quite a punch. Lucy Barton is a good read and a perfect set-up for a GREAT read. Request Anything is Possible now. Just sayin'...

>201 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen. Glad you got the books. I am off tomorrow. Work Saturday and then I am on vacation. Kentucky & Tennessee bound. Looking forward to it.

Not familiar with Hate Crimes. Sounds important.

Was the Jiles, you mentioned The Color of Lightning? I also have it in print, so once I am done with the audio. Just sayin'...

-Harry Bliss

^"Most people want to avoid thinking about death, but Caitlin Doughty—a twenty-something with a degree in medieval history and a flair for the macabre—took a job at a crematory, turning morbid curiosity into her life’s work.
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes tells an unusual coming-of-age story full of bizarre encounters and unforgettable scenes. Caring for dead bodies of every color, shape, and affliction, Caitlin soon becomes an intrepid explorer in the world of the dead."

^After finishing the audio of The Wanderers, I switched back to NF and started this engaging memoir. I had heard some buzz about it a couple of years ago, found it on audio and thought it would be an interesting change of pace. AND IT IS! Doughty narrates it herself and is smart and funny, a perfect balance for such grim material.

Hi Mark. Check this out, from the Hellgate (Montana) osprey nest. If you go full screen, you will be amazed at the quality of the photography and feather detail.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCRpFXKjsf4&feature=youtu.be&a

(the next one after this is also good, from yesterday. Make sure your sound is on)

I have not been checking in there lately but we had a pouring rain day here today so I had a peek. I think there are 4 eggs in the nest.

I am nearly finished Their Eyes Were Watching God, by the way!

>206 jessibud2: Hi, Shelley! Thanks for the osprey link. I watched some of the live-cam. Like you said, the detail is stunning. I saw a couple of these on a bird outing, a couple weeks ago.

I hope you are enjoying Their Eyes Were Watching God. First time?

60) American War by Omar El Akkad 4.2 stars

“You fight the war with guns, you fight the peace with stories.”

It is late in the 21st century and America is fighting it's second Civil War. It is also another war between the north and the south. The Blues and the Reds. The cause is not slavery but oil. Climate change has completely altered the country. Most coastal cities are gone and drones fill the sky.
Sarat Chestnut, born in Louisiana, is only six , when this new war begins but the story follows her, as she grows into womanhood, with a strong and fierce personality. She is destined to be a rebel leader.
This is a solid novel, nicely written, with a low-key style, but it does not gloss over the violence and other atrocities that are committed during wartime. This makes a good companion piece, to Exit West.

61) Wolf Boys: Two American Teenagers & Mexico's Most Dangerous Drug Cartel by Dan Slater 4.2 stars

At fifteen, Gabriel Cardona had it all. He was smart, handsome, a fine athlete and a born leader. By the time he was twenty he was a drug-slinging, cold-blooded killer. What happened?
This meticulously researched book, covers Gabriel's life in Laredo Texas, near the Mexican border, a tough place to be brought up and an easy place to be lured in by the Mexican drug cartels that own the cities, on both sides of the border. Much like inner city ghettos, these areas offer very little opportunities for poor kids and the allure of easy money is overwhelming. Recruiting is a piece of cake. One boy is arrested or killed, five more take his place.
This is a fine piece of journalism and the author covers all angles of the war on drugs and the grip that the cartels have over officials in the U.S. and Mexico. A fair warning- this is a brutal story. The violence and viciousness is overwhelming at times. Life is absolutely meaningless to these people, but if you can stomach it, give this terrific book a try.

>207 msf59: - Yes, it is the first Hurston I have read although this one has been on my physical shelf (unread) for years. The dialect takes some getting used to. I sometimes have to read out loud to *get* what they are saying but it's a good read so far.

I read 4 books during the 10 days I was in Montreal visiting my mum but haven't reviewed them yet. Hopefully, I'll find the time tomorrow or by the weekend.

American War sounds great, Mark.

Agreed, American War goes on the list.

>210 jessibud2: Glad you finally pulled the Hurston down off the shelf, Shelley. See? The AAC is good for something.

Looking forward to seeing what your other reads were.

>211 BLBera: >212 drneutron: Thanks, Beth & Jim. It is a good book and deserves a wider LT readership.

Hi Mark, I am home from my travels and catching up here. I am definitely taking a hit on Wolf Boys, and I am also interested in checking out the Don Winslow books, The Power of the Dog and The Cartel. I arrived home to find that The Stranger in the Woods was waiting for me at the library so I am now starting on that one. Once we move, I will be a short stroll down the street from the library and I am looking forward to spending even more time there than I do now.

>209 msf59: Well, I'll try Wolf Boys having just read a YA, Saint Death which covers similar territory.
American War has been on my radar for a while, I had it home from the library a few weeks ago but didn't get it started before it had to go back.

Morning, Mark! Look at all those reviews! You're burning through the books, friend!

>214 DeltaQueen50: Hi, Judy! Great to see you. Wolf Boys is a worthy read and I have also wanted to get to those Winslow books forever.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on The Stranger in the Woods. It is such a good book. And hooray for living within walking distance from the library. What a treat.

>215 avatiakh: Hi, Kerry. Now, I may have to track down Saint Death. I have not read much YA lately. And yes, American War is a good one.

>216 scaifea: Morning, Amber! Actually, I am just trying to keep up with past mini-reviews. I feel guilty if I don't jot down something. I am the Warbler, after all. That said, I still don't hit every one. AND, I just wrapped up The Wanderers & Binti yesterday. Whew!

Morning, Mark! Happy Friday! When does your week off start - Sunday?

Yeah, we're glad to be in the fun part of the trip. We need to do some grocery shopping now to get some sustenance into the flat for those not-a-restaurant times.

Thanks for the tip on Lucy Barton. I'll add it to the WL.

I finished the thriller - it was thrilling - and now I've teed up The Toll-Gate by Georgette Heyer, using Julia's guide to GH.

Hola, Senor Joe! I am off today, but work tomorrow, so yes, it officially kicks off on Sunday. Yah!

Enjoy the fun-times! How much longer are you there?

^Off on a bird walk. This one is organized...

>221 msf59: Happy Friday, Mark! I'll look forward to your post-walk report of sightings.

>210 jessibud2: I'm a great advocate of reading out loud to yourself...it really does help make sense of unfamiliar dialects, old style English and poetry. I think I learned this when our high school English teacher made us read Shakespeare out loud in class...even the tough guys started to pick up on it that way.

>220 msf59: Fly back in a week.

^Savannah Sparrow. Lifer.

>222 harrygbutler: The walk went very well, Harry. Nice bunch of folks and a beautiful morning, walking the prairie.

>223 laytonwoman3rd: I will have to try this sometime, Linda, when I have the house to myself, of course. The wife would throw things.

>224 jnwelch: Ooh, another solid week of fun-time. Sweet!!

>225 msf59: >226 msf59: Excellent! I think our walk tomorrow will be grasslands; if so, I'm hoping for a grasshopper sparrow, as though I've heard them, I don't think we ever managed to get a glimpse of them.

^Green Heron. Lifer. Saw two of these perched in a tree. Without ID assistance, I would not have known what it was.

We birded the Springbrook Prairie Forest Preserve. This was my third time here but my first time with a group. Gorgeous place and it was a beautiful morning. Beside the Savannah sparrow and heron, we also saw field & song sparrows, snowy egrets, kingbirds, meadowlarks, a baltimore oriole, bobolinks, flycatchers, yellow warblers and a mess of red-wings. Not shabby at all, and it really helps being with knowledgeable folk and all the extra eyes are a bonus.



^Field Sparrow. A lifer...I think. WRONG...not a lifer.

Green herons are beautiful birds. We see them around here occasionally when paddling.

>227 harrygbutler: Looking forward to hearing about your grasslands walk, Harry. I have not seen a grasshopper sparrow. I will have to check, if they even come through our area.

>229 drneutron: Honestly, Jim, we couldn't quite see the herons, in all their glory. They were perched in a tree, at a distance. We also saw them flying. I hope to get a closer look, one of these days.

^"Two neurologists are engaged in divergent quests: one to locate the source of memory and the other to study speech patterns in humans by analyzing and manipulating bird vocalization. Both men use experiments on live songbirds in a laboratory on a university campus, and both become romantically intertwined with a woman lab assistant who takes issue with their methods."

I was offered a Net Galley ebook copy of "Cages", from Schaffner Press. Sorry, I can't find the right touchstone. Help, would be appreciated. I do no know why I was selected for this title, unless they heard about my birding interests. Is my warbling that loud? Yes, birds are featured prominently and I do like the cover.

Only a few pages in, we will see...

^"The acclaimed author and poet Denis Johnson has died aged 67. Best known for his classic short-story collection Jesus’ Son, Johnson won the National Book Award for his novel Tree of Smoke in 2007 and was twice shortlisted for the Pulitzer prize for fiction. His work has been compared to that of Raymond Carver and William Burroughs."

^This is sad news. I have only read Train Dreams, which I loved. I have a couple more of his on shelf. I have considering featuring him on the AAC in the past but I did not do so.

Like we did with Kent Haruf, I wouldn't mind setting up a AAC thread for Johnson. It would be open-ended and you could read one of his, whenever you choose to. How does that sound?
I really want to read Tree of Smoke & Jesus’ Son.

**Correction: I also read Nobody Move, which was slight, but enjoyable.

Mark, I'm living vicariously through your bird walks. You're really spotting some good ones. When you say "lifer," do you mean it's the first time you saw that species, so you can add it to your life list?

>225 msf59:
Sounds like a great bird walk! My life list is at work, so I am not sure if I have seen the Savannah Sparrow before.

>231 msf59:
Curious about this one, as birds are involved. Off to look it up!

#205
I saw Caitlin Doherty, the author of Smoke Gets In Your Eyes speak at ALA in Chicago when that book first came out. She was a great speaker. Very amusing and yet very serious. She talked about how American's have a really weird idea of death. In many ways she seemed to present a less academic viewpoint of death and how families make decisions about death and dying than did Atul Gawande's Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End. I have both books in my collection and have managed to read neither of them.

Hola, Mark!

Too bad about Denis Johnson. So far I haven't been drawn to reading him, but I'm keeping an open mind.

We'll be in the Gothic quarter today, on a walking tour. I'll report back.

>228 msf59: Wow, the Green Heron is a beautiful bird! Thanks for sharing, Mark.
After looking up at the Wikipedia, I found out that, although it is from your side of the big pond, there have been a few sightings over here in the last ten years, that attrackted lots of birders.

Morning, Mark! I was going to ask about 'lifer,' too, but Laura beat me to it!

>233 lauralkeet: Happy Saturday, Laura! Glad you are enjoying the bird sightings. Yes, "Lifer" means a first-timer. Most birders keep a Life List of all the birds they have seen. It is nice to add one or two, each time I go out, although it is more difficult going solo.

>234 alphaorder: Morning, Nancy. I would have never identified either sparrow on my own. Sparrows may be the most difficult. At least, with the many different warblers, most have distinctive coloring.

Not far into Cages yet, so we will see.

>235 benitastrnad: Glad you are familiar with Caitlin Doherty. She narrates the audio herself and you can tell how engaging she is. She is deft at balancing the grim with humor. I hope you can find time to read those books. I am also a big fan of Being Mortal.

>236 jnwelch: Hola, Joe. I have not read enough Denis Johnson to recommend him to you or not, although Train Dreams is a lyrical beauty.

Not familiar with the gothic quarter of Barcelona. Waiting to be enlightened.

>239 msf59: Thanks Mark!

>237 FAMeulstee: Happy Saturday, Anita. I am hoping to see a green heron again and a little bit closer and I hope they make another appearance in your fine country.

>238 scaifea: Morning, Amber! Hooray for Lifers and hooray for my last work day!

>241 lauralkeet: You are welcome, Laura. We aim to please around here. We watched episode 5 of The Handmaid's Tale.

Cages sounder good Mark, I'll have a look for it when published. Your warbling must be travelling well!

When are you going to be in Nashville. Maybe I could meet up with you?

>243 charl08: Happy Saturday, Charlotte. Still early days on Cages. Curious where it is headed.

>244 benitastrnad: Hi, Benita. We are only going to be in Nashville for a couple of days. We will arrive Wednesday afternoon and head back home Saturday morning. Not sure it would be worth your time.
We are stopping at Mammoth Caves first.

Oh! What will you be doing in Nashville? Have fun visiting Mammoth Caves! I always wanted to see; Carlsbad Caverns too. When I was a girl, I visited Meramek Caves in Missouri. It was magical!

>246 Storeetllr: Hi, Mary! My daughter went to Nashville last year and had a great time. We are going with another couple and our friend Nancy, also recently visited there and loved it. We will do some sightseeing, drink fine beer, frolic and listen to some good music. There is also a nice big lake nearby, that we plan to hike and kayak. I have never been to the Mammoth Caves either, so really looking forward to the entire trip.

"Bird watching gave him permission to be alone, a sense of exploration, emotions that didn't require explanation."

^"Cages" (Still can't find the correct touchstones. LOL)



^Zebra Finch. A native of Australia. Good looking bird and it is featured prominently in "Cages".

Hi Mark, happy weekend. My BOB book, the book of books, came in from the library's reserve list. The book about the Great Lakes did as well.

Went to a mother/daughter/granddaughter tea this afternoon but no other plans for the rest of the weekend.

>249 lindapanzo: Happy Saturday, Linda! We are off to cookout with friends. Have to kick off my vacation right.

Hooray for your BOB & the Great Lakes book.

And Go Cubs!!

Hi, Mark! Enjoy the start of your vacation.

We had a pretty good walk today, and I did get to see grasshopper sparrows (a lifer for me!).

Mammoth Cave is pretty awesome, hope you like it! I remember seeing a documentary a while back about some folks who explored a cave near there and wound up connecting with Mammoth - they ended up in a snack bar area at like 3 AM...

Try:

19609010::Cages

- In the usual square brackets (number from the work page link)

Is it me, or is the bird in >248 msf59: remarkably like

He turned up in our garden last year.
No wonder we couldn't find him in the British bird book...

>251 harrygbutler: Happy Sunday, Harry! Hooray for a grasshopper sparrow. It is always nice to tick one off the list. I am hoping to add a few on my trip to Kentucky and Tennessee .

>252 drneutron: Thanks for sharing the cave story, Jim. We are all new to this so we are just sticking with a couple of the general tours. We may also do some exploring on our own. Time permitting.

>253 charl08: Thanks for the Cages link. Would you have to use all the numbers each time?

And yes, that does look like a zebra finch. Very distinctive markings. I wonder if some summer that far north?

Nice review of the Great Lakes book in the NY Times today.

Hits home right from the start. We live on the western shore of the lake. We, too, live in Lake County in a town with Lake in the name. We'll almost in such a town.

Morning, Mark!

Oh, Nashville! Sounds like so much fun. Of course, I think you should visit the Parthenon, too...

>255 lindapanzo: Morning, Linda. I did not read the review but Dan Egan was interviewed on the NYT Book Podcast, which I listened to yesterday. Good stuff. I think you will really like this book.

>256 scaifea: Morning, Amber! The Parthenon is on the list. We might get to The Hermitage too. We are only in Nashville for a couple of days, so we may not see everything, on our first visit.

#245
My niece lives in Nashville, and I have been wanting to make a trip up to see her. It is only 4 hours, including 2 Starbuck stops from here to Nashville. (That is closer than my hometown in Kansas is to Kansas City and a Royals game.) My niece lives in East Nashville, very close to downtown. I know that you have all your plans made for the week so won't bug you about it, but if anybody else is planning on going to Nashville, I am always game for a meet-up.

The Parthenon is on the Vanderbilt campus and is close to some of the very hip neighborhoods in South Nashville.

There is a children's picture book biography of the man who was one of the first explorers of Mammoth Cave. It is out this year and is getting very good reviews. Lift Your Light a Little Higher: The Story of Stephen Bishop: Slave-Explorer. We don't have it in our library, yet.

Have fun in Nashville, Mark. I lived in Kentucky as a child and have some good memories of visiting Mammoth Cave several times.

So, Anything is Possible got the full five stars, huh? Like you, I am a huge Olive fan, and I am looking forward to more connected stories. Laura Pritchett also does that concept well. There is a story devoted to the great American bird count in The Blue Hour. Just sayin!

You will have to make time to go to Ann Patchett"s bookshop in Nashville. It is called Parnassus Books and is in one of those South Nashville neighborhoods and would be doable when you see the Parthenon. It is south of Interstate 440 and on Highway 431.

Just don't try to buy Stanley Cup tickets while you're there, Mark. Nashville is notorious for banning ticket sales to people from outside Tenn. We've learned that the hard way, though I think my old college roommate would lend a hand.

>258 benitastrnad: Hi, Benita. Thanks for the Nashville tips. I am sure we will be spending a big part of the time in East Nashville, it seems like that is where most of the action is. I want to visit the Smoky Mountains, so next time, we will visit there first.

Thanks for the Mammoth Cave book rec. Sounds good and I would definitely like to visit Patchett's bookstore, even if it is for a brief visit. Thanks for the directional tips too.

>253 charl08:, >256 scaifea: Or the zebra finch could have been someone's pet that escaped. People do keep them in cages as pets. :(

Happy First Day of Vacation, Mark!!!

>260 Donna828: Hi, Donna. Great to see you. Looking forward to both Mammoth Caves and Nashville. It should be a terrific time. You know, I will be reporting in.

Yes, Anything is Possible is fantastic and I am really looking forward to The Blue Hour. I have it saved on audio.

>262 lindapanzo: Thanks for the Stanley Cup advice. No plans to go to a game. I hope they will be playing away while we are there. Fingers crossed.

>264 Storeetllr: I was thinking the same exact thing, Mary, about the zebra finches.

>265 Storeetllr: Thanks, Mary. It is all ready off to a good start, plus it is our anniversary too. Yah, for us!

-Cedar Waxwing (gorgeous, aren't they?)

I went on a short solo bird walk, to another forest preserve. Not a whole lot of birds but enough to make it interesting. The highlights, included several cedar waxwings, at least 4 or 5 and the first bird I spotted, not counting the ubiquitous robins, was a male rose-breasted grosbeak. I ended up seeing two. I also saw a blue-gray gnatcatcher. I am 80% certain on that one.



-Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

Happy anniversary, Sue and Mark!

>269 Storeetllr: Thanks, Mary. 28 years.

Hey, have you put your feeders up yet?

I am chilling on my patio, soaking up some rays, drinking a beer, book at hand. Plus. I can just see the feeders, if I stretch a bit to my right. Life is good.

>1 msf59: That warbler is sure singing with gusto. Thanks, as always, for posting such lovely images.

Happy Sunday to you Mark.

>271 msf59: That sounds like a little bit of heaven, Mark. Enjoy.

Nice day to have an anniversary! Happy, Happy You Two!

>260 Donna828:

I loved connected stories and I have never read Laura Pritchett. Blue Hour added to the wishlist! Especially since there is a bird-related story in it!

>268 msf59: Ooh those are lovely.

I just finished The Best We Could Do, and someone had helpfully tagged it 'Mark's Fault' :-)

I think the Zebra Finch must have been an escapee. I hope he survived our local cats...

>272 Whisper1: I was having a very good day and a Linda visit just made it better. Happy Warbler!

>273 jnwelch: Hola, Joe! Of course Downers Grove is not Barcelona but I am making the best of it. Gorgeous day in Chicagoland.

>274 alphaorder: Thanks, Nancy! I really liked Hell's Bottom Colorado and I have been wanting to read more Pritchett.

I am sure you see cedar waxwings up there regularly, right?

>275 charl08: Glad you like the birds. Our feeders have been hopping too. Hooray for The Best We Could Do! It is a terrific GN memoir.