Mark's Reading Place: Chapter Twenty-Eight

^Autumn on the route...



- Harold Braul

Audiobook:



Graphic/Comic:


Books Read So Far...

August:

91) The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon 3.7 stars (audio)
92) Death in the Air by Kate Winkler Dawson 4.4 stars ALA
93) Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith 4 stars (audio) AAC
94) Love That Dog by Sharon Creech 4 stars
95) Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami 4.8 stars (audio) Reread*
96) Refuge by Terry Tempest Williams 4.3 stars
97) Olio by Tyehimba Jess 5 stars (poetry)
98) Al Franken, Giant of the Senate by Al Franken 4.6 stars (audio)
99) Charlotte's Web by E. B. White 4.5 stars (audio)
100) Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson 4.2 stars (audio)
101) The Girl of the Lake: Stories by Bill Roorbach 4.2 stars ALA
102) Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz 4.3 stars (audio)
103) The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov 4.3 stars
104) The Heavenly Table by Donald Ray Pollock 4.4 stars (audio)
105) The Solace of Open Spaces by Gretel Ehrlich 4.2 stars
106) Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde by Jeff Guinn 4.8 stars (audio)

September:

107) Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives by David Eagleman 3.8 stars
108) The Graybar Hotel: Stories by Curtis Dawkins 4.5 stars (audio) AAC
109) Jesus' Son: Stories by Denis Johnson 4.3 stars AAC
110) Mrs. Fletcher by Tom Perrotta 3.6 stars (audio)
111) The Punch Escrow by Tal M. Klein 4 stars ALA
112) Swing Time by Zadie Smith 3.3 stars (audio)
113) The Dark Dark: Stories by Samantha Hunt 4 stars (audio) AAC
114) Pastoralia by George Saunders 4.2 stars AAC
115) The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne 4.7 stars (audio/print)
116) What We Talk About When We Talk About Love: Stories by Raymond Carver 4.2 stars (audio) AAC
117) In the Lake of the Woods by Tim O'Brien 3.7 stars
118) Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie 4.5 stars (audio)
119) American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land by Monica Hesse 4.2 stars (audio)
120) Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward 4 stars ALA

October:

121) The Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen 3.6 stars (audio)
122) Solar Bones by Mike McCormack 4.2 stars
123) Truth & Beauty: A Friendship by Ann Patchett 4.3 stars AAC
124) Things to Do When You're Goth in the Country: Stories by Chavisa Woods 4.3 stars
125) Ranger Games: A Story of Soldiers, Family and an Inexplicable Crime by Ben Blum 4.2 stars (audio)
126) Sourdough: A Novel by Robin Sloan 3.7 stars (audio)
127) Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan 4.7 stars ALA
128) Rules of Civility by Amor Towles 4.2 stars (audio)
129) Lightning Men (The Darktown Series) by Thomas Mullen 4.3 stars (audio)
130) Commonwealth by Ann Patchett 4.8 stars AAC
131) Her Body and Other Parties: Stories by Carmen Maria Machado 4.4 stars
132) A Guide to the Birds of East Africa by Nicholas Drayson 4.2 stars

November:

133) Unbelievable: My Front-Row Seat to the Craziest Campaign in American History by Katy Tur 4 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 Completed The Toughest Indian in the World
July- James McBride Completed The Good Lord Bird, The Color of Water
August- Patricia Highsmith Completed Strangers on a Train
September- Short Story Month Completed The Graybar Hotel: Stories, Jesus' Son: Stories, The Dark Dark: Stories
Pastoralia, What We Talk About When We Talk About Love
October- Ann Patchett Completed Truth & Beauty, Commonwealth
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

“We meet wonderful people, but lose them
in our busyness.
We’re, as the saying goes, all over the place.
Steadfastness, it seems,
is more about dogs than about us.
One of the reasons we love them so much.”

“And it is exceedingly short, his galloping life. Dogs die so soon. I have my stories of that grief, no doubt many of you do also. It is almost a failure of will, a failure of love, to let them grow old—or so it feels. We would do anything to keep them with us, and to keep them young. The one gift we cannot give.”

-Mary Oliver

R.I.P. Reese. He was a good boy and will be missed.

So, am I first? Yippee!

Happy new thread, Mark, as far as happy is possible now.

I love the colors of Harold Braul's painting at the top, the more I see his bird paintings, the more I like them.

Happy New Thread, Mark!

I was sorry to hear about Reese and poor Bree. My sympathy, buddy. We met him when she lived in the city, and he was a good fellow.

I'm sure we'll be reading the new John Green, too. When you're in the YA mood, don't forget The Hate U Give! And I can also recommend Akata Witch by the author of Binti.

Love the thread toppers. Looks like more fall colors there. We have almost nothing.

>5 richardderus: You are Numero Uno, Senor RD! High-Five!

>6 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita. Glad you like the Braul. He has really grown on me too.

>7 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe. I am glad you had a chance to meet Reese. I was not sure if he was around for a Meet Up or two. It might have just been Riley.

I found the new Green on audio, so I plan on listening to it next month. I have requested the audio of The Hate U Give!. Just waiting on it.

>8 lindapanzo: Hi, Linda. It is mostly the maples that have turned. The others should be following soon. I like snapping those shots, in full sunshine. The colors are dazzling.

Happy New Thread, Mark!

I'm sorry for the Reese shaped hole in your family's heart.

I'm so glad you're going to be reading The Hate U Give.

You know, I've said often that when I'm in the mood to donate books to worthy causes, I check out donorschoose.org and usually give copies to teachers looking for the March trilogy.

I'm going to give copies of The Hate You Give for a while. (And there are lots of teachers wanting that title!) IMO, it's like the March books in that **everyone** should read them. Having said that, I'm debating whether I should suggest it for my book club next year. I had planned to recommend Lincoln in the Bardo.

I also enjoyed Elizabeth whoopsie! Victoria and Abdul very much! Lots of laugher, tears at the end. The friend that I went with said her husband would *not* have enjoyed it, but I think many of my LT male friends might well enjoy it. Her hubby stayed home to watch football.

Happy new thread, Mark. Gorgeous autumn day here, too. I just came inside from having spent the better part of the day outside, laying down mulch, and doing other end of the season stuff around the back patio.

I am going to sit down with a book now but hope I don't doze off! Yard work is tiring!

Thanks, Shelley! Our weather is changing here, today. It is drizzling and the temps are slowly dropping. It looks to be a cooler week ahead.

Glad to hear you are having a lovely day there, getting chores done and now, some book time. Enjoy.

Happy new thread, Mark!

New thread love, Mark. Beautiful image up there at the top. Then all the leaves fall and it's "where'd I put the rake?" :)

Thanks, Amber & Mary!

>14 Storeetllr: I am not rushing winter or anything, God forbid, but our leaves have barely started to drop. We do not have many trees on our own property but our neighbors, are a whole different calamity. Sighs...

Happy new one, Mark!

Happy new one, Buddy.

Hope you are going to enjoy your holiday/break with your Sis.

Happy new thread! Got your message on Lightning Men. Both now bumped up on the priority list!

>16 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie!

>17 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. I am going to enjoy my week off with my Sis.

>18 drneutron: Thanks, Jim. Look forward to your thoughts on the Darktown series. It is a good one.

Hey Mark! Happy new one! Love Braul's Birds up top. Beautiful fall colors. Again, sorry about the sudden loss of Reese. Enjoy your week off with your sister. : )

Hi Mark. I missed most of your prior thread, sorry about that. I am also terribly sorry to read about Reece. I know Bree and your whole family are sad to see him go, so young and so suddenly. Somehow that is harder than if he had been an old dog with a long life behind him.

I know your sister is visiting; I fly to NC on Nov 2 to visit my sister and I'm really looking forward to it. Lots of reading time and lots of time with my sister whom I love with all my heart! Yay!

I'm glad I read Bel Canto for the AAC. I had resisted that novel since it was out and there was so much hoopla about it. I'm ever so glad that I read it. The plot is odd but the execution is brilliant.

Have a great week, Mark.

Happy new one, Mark. Have a great visit with your sister. Will you take her birding?

Morning, Mark!

Good morning, Mark! Happy Monday and happy new thread. "Autumn on my route" made me immediately go into a riff on Autumn in New York. Singing on a Monday morning with only two sips of coffee under my belt. Whew.

>24 karenmarie: Now I'm visualizing Mark, the singing postman, strolling through greater Chicago crooning that tune.

Good morning, Mark!

You're going to be crooning on your route? Nice!

Did I miss your finishing Lightning Men? Sounds like it was a good 'un?

>20 Berly: Thanks, Kimmers. At least we got Bree out of her room, yesterday and we watched a couple of movies, with some laughs along the way. My sister is in, so Bree is going to join us for a ride into the city to visit one of the museums, later this morning.

>21 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen. No worries about keeping up around here. No one has that kind of time. Grins...

It will take some time for Bree. The suddenness, is what makes it so difficult to deal with. Glad you had such a good time with Bel Canto and hooray for an upcoming vacation, with your own sis.

>22 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. I am not sure my sister likes traipsing around in the woods, like I do, but I might take her out on a couple short ones. There is an organized one Saturday morning, that i would like to attend. We will see.

>23 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

>24 karenmarie: Morning, Karen and thanks. Yes, it is a bit early to be belting out Autumn in New York. LOL.

>25 lauralkeet: I do not croon on the route, Laura. I don't want to upset my customers or chase away the wildlife. I may emit a chuckle now and then, depending what I am listening to, but that's about it.

>26 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. Not much of a crooner. I let the birds do the singing. I loved Lightning Men. Perfect follow-up to Darktown.

Due to a snafu on my part, we did not see the new Blade Runner film yesterday. Bummer! But, we did come back home and watched the original Blade Runner and downed a few beers and as a bonus, Bree joined us. We then followed that, classic film with 1922, a Netflix original, based on the short story by Stephen King, (featured in Full Dark, No Stars. Nice and creepy, with lots of rats. A good evening, with the family.

I picked up my sister from the airport this A.M. She caught the red-eye, so she is napping now and then we are heading into the city to visit the Field Museum, which is one of her favorite places. Hopefully, Bree will be joining us. I am going to try and bookhorn in some reading, before we leave.

Morning, Mark! Hoping that you have a day full of fabulous with your sister - the Field Museum is so fun. And so sorry to hear that you didn't get to see the new Blade Runner movie yesterday - be sure to track it down. Totally worth seeing in the theatre. And you will be happy that you re-watched the original movie first.

^I am going to start Her Body and Other Parties, which has been getting rave reviews. My reading time will be limited this week, due to my sister's visit but I thought a story collection would be perfect to dip in and out of.

I plan on posting a couple of mini-reviews this week too. I don't want to fall to far behind.

>30 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! It is always nice to revisit the original Blade Runner. I always spot something, I had not seen before. We hope to see the film sometime this week.

>24 karenmarie: >25 lauralkeet: >26 jnwelch: >27 msf59:

Maybe "Song of the Barefoot Mailman?"

>32 msf59: Hi Marc, the new Blade Runner is on our list to go see as well. And it's a good idea to do a rewatch of the old one first. We love it. But I can't wait to see what the new one will bring!

Hi, Mark! Happy new thread; I like the thread topper. I'm sorry to hear about Reese.

>33 m.belljackson: You just put a lump in my throat, Marianne. Sniffs...

>34 EllaTim: Hi, Ella. We hope to see the new Blade Runner tomorrow night. Seeing, the original again, is a good idea.

>35 harrygbutler: Thanks, Harry. My daughter hung out with us all day. It was great to see her out of the house.

Happy new thread, Mark. I see the weather is about to turn...Stay warm.

>37 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. The temps are all ready dropping here. There is a distinct chill in the air. In the 40s at the end of the week. Ugh.

We're expected snow showers on Friday, Mark. Time to get out the boots and mittens.

^This is "Sue", the resident Tyrannosaurus Rex, at the Field Museum. Always a highlight. We had a good time, rubber-necking at the museum, plus Bree joined us, so it was good to see her out of the house, smiling and laughing again.

Glad to hear you enjoyed the Field Museum? Never one of my favorites. I don't think I've been there since grade school. I love the Art Institute, the Chicago History Museum, and the Adler Planetarium though.

>40 msf59: I LOVE the Field Museum! Well, I love all of the other places, too, like >41 lindapanzo:. And the Shedd Aquarium.

The sheer size of the Field Museum freaks me out a little; it seems impossibly large from the outside. It was designed by one of the The Devil in the White City architects, if I remember correctly.

This past week, The Daily Show was in Chicago, and it was uplifting because they concentrated on some good things being done in Chicago to heal its wounds.

Sorry about the Cubs, though!

Karen O.

>40 msf59: I want to see Sue! *envy*

>4 msf59: aw, a gorgeous dog.
Sorry to hear it, Mark.

Happy new thread though, and already with the books and the warbling! Ellen's take on Bel Canto want mine, but I have just finished Ann Patchett's collection of essays, which I loved (as did you, if I remember correctly). Now I push on with The Master and Margarita which is weirdly compelling, even if it is just weird.

Morning, Mark! We want to get Charlie to the Field Museum soon; we tried this summer when we were there, but didn't realize that we were in the middle of the air and water show (I think that's what it's called?) until, well, we were in the middle of it. So, next time, hopefully.

>41 lindapanzo: Hi, Linda. I prefer the other museums, as well. I sort of got burned out on the Field, when my kids were growing up. We spent a lot of time there. We are big fans of the Shedd too. Sadly, I do not think I have ever been to the Chicago History Museum. Bad Mark?

>42 klobrien2: Hi, Karen. Thanks for chiming in on our museums. They are pretty impressive and it is nice, that a few are in walking distances from each other, all along the magnificent lakefront. I heard that the Daily Show was being filmed here, but I haven't watched it, in a few years.

>43 richardderus: "Sue" is awesome, RD. We are fortunate that we were able to find a home for her here. Always a highlight.

>44 LovingLit: "already with the books and the warbling." That is like asking me to stop breathing...not gonna happen! Grins...

I am so glad you loved the Patchett essay collection. I was crazy about it too. I also loved Commonwealth, which I also highly recommend.

And yes, Reese was a good dog. He will be missed for a long time.

>45 scaifea: Morning, Amber! If Charlie likes dinosaurs, they are currently running a Jurassic World exhibit, that is geared toward the younger folk. We went to it and it was entertaining and it must have been quite expensive to put together, with all the animatronics. Not sure, how long it will be there. You might want to check.

Good morning, Mark! I'm glad you had a good time at the Field and that Bree was able to enjoy herself.

Have a wonderful Tuesday.

I have a book called Tyrannosaurus Sue! I bet it's about her! I will admit (with embarrassment) that I have not read it yet. I used to do dinosaur units with my classes years ago, when I was still teaching and I became quite interested in dinos. We'd do bulletin board displays and call it Jurassic Hall. :-)

We have some big dino (can't remember which) in one of our museums here too. They really are rather impressive and really put us humans into humble perspective, don't they?

Hope your visit with your sister is going well

Sounds like a nice outing! Sorry about the weather today - that is if yours is like ours - wet, cool, and windy.

>49 jessibud2: The history of "Sue" is quite interesting, Shelley and I think the book could be quite good. I think she is the best preserved T-Rex ever found, discovered in 1990, by Sue Hendrickson.

>50 alphaorder: Morning, Nancy. We are laying low today but plan on hiking the Arboretum tomorrow. It will remain cool but at least it will be dry.

127) Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan 4.7 stars

The story begins in Brooklyn, during the Great Depression. We are introduced to eleven year old, Anna Kerrigan.
She is particularly close with her father and joins him, on some of his “shady” outings, working for some NY gangsters. A few years later, her father mysteriously disappears, leaving a painful, hole in her life. We skip ahead a few years and WWII has started. Anna gets a job at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and here she discovers the diving trade, where divers in full gear, are sent underwater to repair ships. Women are not allowed to dive but Anna persists and becomes one of the first female divers.
This is an excellent historical drama, impeccably researched, following Anna through her young adulthood, as she fights a male dominated system and also tries to investigate the disappearance of her beloved father.
Egan's novel A Visit From the Goon Squad won the Pulitzer, but do not expect a similar book. She takes this one into fresh territory, but her craftsmanship remains steadfast.

Good day to lay low - get lots of reading done!

Shawn and I are heading to Eau Claire for a long weekend on Friday. Trying to decide what book(s) to bring. Manhattan Beach is on my shortlist.

I will be stopping to Boswell tonight to pick up Oliver Sacks' last book The River of Consciousness and John Hodgeman's Vacationland (touchstones not working). So many great books, I can't keep up!

We'll be stopping in Wausau on our way to EC to see this annual Birds in Art exhibit. THis is my first time there and I am really excited: https://www.lywam.org/birds-in-art-2017/

>53 alphaorder: My sister reads too, so maybe the reading plan will work out. What are you currently reading? I am about to start Her Body and Other Parties, which looks fantastic.

Have a nice trip to Eau Claire. The Birds in Art exhibit, sounds wonderful. Let me know.

>53 alphaorder: - Oh, I had not heard of this one, by Sacks. I have read many by him and his books hold several spots on my shelves.

That art exhibit looks great.

>55 jessibud2: I know! I was thrilled when his partner tweeted earlier this year that there was one more Sacks book to come. What an unexpected treat!

>54 msf59: Reading A Working Woman. It is ok - I don't think I will be raving about it,

>56 alphaorder: - I recently acquired his memoir, On The Move but it is a bit of a chunkster and I have not yet opened it (except to look through all the photos). I may take it with me on the 5-hour train ride to Montreal when I go in a few weeks.

>57 jessibud2: Highly recommend On The Move! He had quite the life. I also recommend the love letter his partner, Bill Hayes, wrote to both Sacks and New York City: Insomniac City.

>58 alphaorder: - Thanks for that. I have heard of this one but have not yet read it. Have you read Oliver Sacks The Last Interview. Part of The Last Interview series of books. I enjoyed that one, a quick read

Happy Tuesday, Mark!
Glad to see you enjoyed Manhattan Beach! I look forward to that one ... someday

Morning, Mark!

Hope you and your sis have a good one, even with the crummy weather.

Nice review of Manhattan Beach! Thumb from me. I'll doublecheck and make sure I added that to the WL.

That Jurassic World exhibit sounds good. Debbi and I have talked about wanting to get back to the Field Museum - we're members, but haven't been in way too long. Glad you both had a good time there.

>57 jessibud2: >58 alphaorder: Can you believe I have not read Sacks? And I call myself a serious reader? Harumph...

>60 ChelleBearss: Morning, Chelle! I hope my warbling about Manhattan Beach leads to more LT attention.

>61 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! A perfect day to stay indoors, eh? I am managing to find some reading time too. I appreciate the Thumb for Manhattan Beach. Teamed up with Rules of Civility, this made a terrific duo of historical novels, set in NY.

Hope you make it back over to the Field. Always something there to enjoy.

>52 msf59: Glad you liked Manhattan Beach, Mark. Still hoping to get to that one soon.

>52 msf59: *does imitation of elderly arthritic Neo to dodge book bullet*

>63 lindapanzo: I think this is one you would really like, Linda.

>64 richardderus: An "elderly arthritic Neo"? Now, that I would like to see. LOL.

Hi Mark, I just finished The Blonde by Duane Swierczynski, an author I believe I first heard about from you. His hard-boiled and quirky style was fantastic and there was so much action in the story that I was able to completly overlook the outlandish plot. A fun read and an author I will be looking for again.

We are having a beautiful sunny day after a number of rainy ones, so I fully intend to get out and take a stroll somewhere. Have a great day.

Great to read about your enthusiasm for Manhattan Beach. Such a good read.

>66 DeltaQueen50: Hi, Judy. Yes, The Blonde was my first Swierczynski and I became an instant fan. I hope it was I, who led you with my warbling. Most of his books, do have outlandish plots but they are such crazy fun, that it matters not.

>67 charl08: I hope I can influence a few of my LT pals to pick up the new Egan. Glad you felt the same way about it, Charlotte.

"god should have made girls lethal
when he made monsters of men."

-the epigraph to Her Body and Other Parties. I dedicate it to Harvey Weinstein and Drumpf.

"I believe in a world where impossible things happen. Where love can outstrip brutality, can neutralize it, as though it never was,
or transform it into something new and more beautiful. Where love can outdo nature."

-Her Body and Other Parties

^3 stories in and I am loving it.

I just finished a nonfiction that you might like, Mark. Al Capone and the 1933 World's Fair. Interweaves the story of trying to build the fair with no money at the height of the Great Depression, while fear of what, if anything, Al Capone might do, lurked nearby.

The author manages to get Sally Rand into the story often, too. I never knew that she'd been in the movies but, when the "talkies" came along, due to her lisp, she didn't get roles.

>69 msf59: *ow* Dammit anyway, Mark! Stop laying down indiscriminate book bullet fire!! *ow* My budget, my poor, poor budget!

Hi, Mark! I hope you've had a good Tuesday despite the uncooperative weather.

I can't wait to read Manhattan Beach, I'm glad to see it was such a winner for you, Mark!

>70 lindapanzo: The Al Capone book sounds good, Linda. I had not heard of that title. Thanks.

>71 richardderus: I see you are doing another Neo "slow-mo" ballet move, RD. Sorry, old chap.

>72 harrygbutler: Hi, Harry. Chilly and rainy the whole day but we made the best of it and I got in a nice chunk of reading. Yahoo!

>73 lauralkeet: I am hoping the warbling pays off on the new Egan, Laura. Now, I need to go back and read her earlier work.

>74 msf59: Oh, no problem at all, really. "sorry" he says "sorry" but I see that smug, snarky smile "sorry" my lily-white one

^This one is for all my visitors, but especially Kimmers, when she stops by later. B.A.G.

>40 msf59: I have seen Sue before. So big!! I loved her just as much as my kids did. Glad Bree is out and about with you and cracked a smile. That's good.

>76 msf59: LOL. Give me a big hug!!!

Glad your reading has been going so well. I am pulling a >65 msf59:. LOL

>76 msf59: That is useful but I don't much fancy the clown.

Just to let you know that you slid past 8,000 posts this year while I was catching up on my sleep, Mark.

Well done and second year in a row. I will be interested to see if you can manage 9,000 for the first time. Only three people have achieved that feat to date (myself twice, Amber in 2014 and Stasia in 2010).

Morning, Mark!

Morning Mark - I quietly passed the 50 book mark recently. Somehow I have fallen off reading audio to and from work, so my pace has slowed. But if you are curious to see all that I have read, you can do so here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/246076

My thread is very quiet! I really just use it to track my reading and do most of my book chatter over here on your thread. Hope you don't mind.

Think I will put down A Working Woman for my long weekend away and start fresh. Of course I will need to take five books for four days, just to be sure I have the right one. :)

>59 jessibud2: I haven't read Oliver Sacks: The Last Interview because I didn't know it existed! Will be getting it right away, thank you!

If you want to listen to an interview with him, I loved this one with Tom Ashbrook of On Point: http://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2015/09/01/listening-back-to-our-conversation-with-o...

>81 alphaorder: - That interview with Ashbrook was one of the 6 included in this book!

>82 jessibud2: I didn't manage to stop by the bookstore on my way home from work yesterday, so I looked to see if my local independent (where I worked under another name for 20 years!) has the interviews. Says they have one so I hope to get it today!

I think I will pick up the MLK Last Interview too. You may get me hooked on a new series.

Good morning, Mark!

Have fun today at the Arboretum.

>76 msf59: *shudder* I Do Not Like Clowns.

>75 richardderus: Note to self: I need to get better at sayin' sorry...

>77 Berly: Soooo Big!! Yah, for "Sue" and Bree laughing and smiling. Big non-clownish Hug to my pal, Kimmers.

>78 PaulCranswick: Not too many clown defenders around here, that is for sure. 8,000, eh? Wow! I should get a life, huh? Well, what the hell, might as well go for the 9,000 club and join the royalty.

>79 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

>83 alphaorder: - Ooo, the MLK sounds good! I also want the ones with Malcolm X, Jane Jacobs, among others. The first I discovered was the ones with Nora Ephron.

>80 alphaorder: Morning, Nancy! Thanks for sharing the link to your thread and your reading list. If you step it up a bit, you could make 75. You could start with reading 3 or 4 of the 5 books you bring, for your long getaway weekend. Grins...

Did you like The Dinner Party? I have been meaning to read that collection for most of the year.

>83 alphaorder: (where I worked under another name for 20 years!) Sounds, nefarious...

>82 jessibud2: Big, morning waves to Shelley!

>84 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. It is supposed to be dry today, after a very rainy 2 days and still chilly but it should be nice enough for a stroll in the woods.

>87 msf59: You are so right! The bookstore had another name, not me!

The Dinner Party was good, but I don't think I liked it as much as others did.

>89 alphaorder: I thought this might be the dark-side of Nancy, I was not aware of...

I will give the Ferris collection a try for myself and see where I land. BTW- I dropped a hello over on your monastic thread. Smiles...

>85 msf59: Note to self: I need to get better at sayin' sorry...

Heh, maybe *meaning* it would help! :D

A lovely fall day here, rained last night and even some rumbles of thunder! I love thunderstorms. This morning it's got that rain-washed smell outside, plus the ever-present ocean smell. Intoxicating.

>88 msf59: - Big waves back!! Hey, let's do *the wave*... ;-)

Good morning, Mark!

I read Giving Godhead, and - wow. Very dark and angry. So you'll probably want to take a look at it. :-) She lays out her manifesto (my word) at the end, titled "Sacreligion". You get the idea.

>91 richardderus: LOL! Great point, RD. Glad you are having a nice fall day there. I just saw a glimpse of sunshine out there. the first in a few days.

>92 jessibud2: Yah, for the WAVE!!

>93 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. I heard about Giving Godhead somewhere on a book podcast. Poetry, right? I will have to request it.

^We saw Blade Runner 2049 last night. Glad we reviewed the original on Sunday, just to keep things fresh. It is perfect to see on the big screen. The cinematography and set-pieces are truly dazzling. The story gets a bit confusing, especially the last 30-plus minutes, and it takes awhile to figure everything out, but it is a pretty clever screenplay. My only issue, is the length. It could have been tighter. The original was deliberately paced too, but it was 2 hours, not nearly 3. I think this is the reason, why the box office has suffered a bit. Great to see Harrison Ford back and not just a glorified cameo either. He gets in some tussles too.

Thoughts from anyone else?

>87 msf59: The Dinner Party is another of the books I started and put aside and never finished. That and Swing Time are two that spring to mind.

Morning, Mark! Glad you got to see the new Blade Runner. I actually didn't mind the length at all, and I would not have wanted them to cut anything or tighten it up. For me, it was perfect except for that one minor quibble that I mentioned on my thread.

Hoping your Wednesday is full of fabulous, my friend!

>96 lindapanzo: Morning, Linda. Hooray for sunshine! I forgot you had started The Dinner Party. I will still have to give that one a try. I thought Swing Time was okay, but far from exceptional.

>97 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie. I agree, that it might be tricky to cut out any particular thing in Blade Runner but, maybe, just pick up the pace in a few spots? I will have to stop by and review your comments.

Great comments on Manhattan Beach, Mark. I agree that people who didn't like Goon Squad might like this one, much less experimental.

I'm skipping over all pictures of scary clowns.

You're probably right about the 3 hour length affecting the box office for the new Blade Runner movie, Mark. We had to figure out a time where that length would be okay. The first Blade Runner movie didn't do all that well at the box office, but became beloved over time.

I thought they did a great job of recreating that mood from the first one, which I've never seen in any other movie. Like Mamie, I was okay with the length, but Debbi had your reaction - she wished it had been tightened up some. Otherwise, she loved it.

>99 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. I hope my warbling about the new Egan, leads a few folks to picking it up.

>100 jnwelch: Good point about the first Blade Runner doing poorly at the box office, even with it's two hour running time. I think the general movie going public does not care for deliberate pacing. No patience. I have never had a problem with it, that's why I am such a fan of foreign film.

Do you think you had most of the plot points of the new film, figured out?

Hi Mark! I have been looking at Her Body and Other Parties on the bookshop shelves lately. I'm glad to hear that it's working well for you so far.

>76 msf59: Okay, I don't have a thing about clowns, they do not scare me. But that is just downright creepy. Perfect for this time of year.

>101 msf59: I'm probably kidding myself, but I did think I had the plot points worked out in the new Blade Runner. I figgered that was Deckard's daughter, for example, and that he got the memory of the toy horse from her, as did a whole lot of other replicants. Remember the older woman replicant saying something like "We all thought we were the one", meaning Deckard's human child? And that's why she was crying when she saw his memory - it was hers.

One of my favorite references was the Ryan Gosling replicant at the end, lying back to die as the snowflakes came down. Remember Rutger Hauer dying as the snowflakes came down in the first one? Somebody, or somebodies, really studied up on the first movie in making the second.

>102 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen. Yep, Her Body and Other Parties is living up to all the hype. I love discovering new voices.

Boo, to clown hugs, eh?

>103 jnwelch: It looks like you had a better grasp on some of the story revelations, than I did. I did not guess the daughter right away or the memory implant but found both very inventive. I did realize the comparison of the endings- one rain, one snow.

I've got the DVD for the original Blade Runner to watch tonight as we have tickets to watch the new movie on Friday with some friends. I didn't realize it was 3 hours long ... so thanks Mark and Joe for the heads up. I'll be sure to hit the bathroom before the movie.

Great review of Manhattan Beach, Mark. That's one I have in my TBR Tower and I think I'm putting it in my pile of travel books for my upcoming trip next week.

Twenty minutes now...go Dodgers! Justin Turner's being praised to the skies right now and he really earned the praise.

Mark - Just saw that Dan Egan appear's in this Daily Show segment. Thought you might enjoy. (I think he did well as the straight man!)

http://www.cc.com/video-clips/rk2v48/the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah-how-to-make...

>40 msf59:

Is Bushman still in the basement of the Field Museum?

He was always the main feature at the Lincoln Park Zoo (where he was unfortunately imprisoned)

and then at the Museum.

>105 cameling: Hi, Caro! I hope you have finished up the original Blade Runner tonight. Fantastic idea, in preparation for Blade Runner 2049, Friday night. That knowledge, will really come in handy. Enjoy, my friend and I hope you can snag a copy of Manhattan Beach.

>106 richardderus: It looks like the score is tied in the World Series, RD. Turner may look like a redneck mountain man but the guy is a major Stud. Not sure, I'll be able to watch the end of the game, but it would be interesting if the Dodgers can tie up the series.

>107 alphaorder: Ooh, this should be a treat, Nancy. Thanks for thinking of me. If I don't get a chance to see the clip tonight, I will check it out it out in the AM.

>108 m.belljackson: It does look like Bushman is still on display, on the ground floor of the Field Museum but I did not see him, on my recent visit, Marianne.

^I know Dark Eyed Juncos are harbingers of winter, but I like these little guys and I saw my first few of the season today, at our feeders.

Dodgers up 3-2 in the 8th, be nice if they took the 2-0 lead now.

Morning, Mark! There's not much of a chance that I'll get to the theater to see the new Blade Runner movie, but I did like the first one when I saw it ages ago. I need to read the book soon.

Thanks for stopping by my thread Mark! The nuthatch is beautiful.

>112 richardderus: Well, it looks like I missed a helluva game, RD. Must have ran pretty late. This is a fine match up, tied 1-1.

>113 scaifea: Morning, Amber! It sounds like you don't get to the show much, but the new Blade Runner is great on the big screen. I am sure it will look fantastic on DVD too.

>114 alphaorder: Morning, Nancy! My feeders were going crazy yesterday and we saw a few different things at the Arboretum too. Lots of industrious woodpeckers.

Good morning, Mark and happy Thursday to you! I hope you're enjoying your time with your sister.

>104 msf59: (you might want to 'spoilerize' the bits about the new Blade Runner - some of us haven't seen it yet.) Just sayin'.

Good morning, Mark!

I'm heading into work for a bit today. I've got to get better at this retirement stuff.

A wee bit nippy out there right now, but going up to 60 and clear, apparently. That sounds pretty darn good.

I'm book-juggling with nothing to report at the moment. Except I did like that Gene Luen Yang GN, Level Up. I'm going to try his Secret Coders GN at some point.

Have a good one, buddy.

>116 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. I did put the spoiler in, up there. I was hoping I was vague enough, but you are quite correct.

It looks to be a kick back day today!

>117 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. Off to the salt mines, eh? Poor guy. I hope you somehow muddle through. Grins...

Thanks, for the book update. I will have to request the Yang GN.

130) Commonwealth by Ann Patchett 4.8 stars

“Did you ever want to be a writer?” “No,” she said, and she would have told him. “I only wanted to be a reader.”

“Half the things in this life I wish I could remember and the other half I wish I could forget.”

A christening party, one Sunday afternoon, in southern California. Copious amounts of gin are consumed, leading to an illicit kiss. This brief encounter, in the kitchen, sets off a chain-reaction, breaking apart two families, and bringing them together again, with pieces missing or askew.
Loosely, based on Patchett's own tumultous childhood, the novel spans five deacades, looking closely at the lives of all six children and the parents. Yes, some are dysfunctional, groping their way to an uncertain future and others are more sure-footed. Unlikely friendships evolve among the siblings and some end up, hopelessly out of reach.
This book caught me by surprise, with it's depth, sense of humor and uncanny insight, into the human condition. And of course, the prose is delicious.
Patchett's work seems to be divisive, among readers, including this one but that leaves me somewhat baffled, because I think she is one of the best American writers working today.

**I read this for the AAC.

I have been here, Mark. Nice.

Morning, Mark! Sweet Thursday! Very nice review of Commonwealth - I'm off to add my thumb to it.

You're making me want to pick up Commonwealth *right now,* Mark! I'll get to it... I'm currently immersed in Sing, Unburied, SIng which is terrific. I have a copy of the Patchett out from the library, though...

>120 weird_O: Great to see you, Bill. Sweet Thursday.

>121 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! Love those Thumbs! Thanks. It's a great read.

>122 katiekrug: I LOVE it, when my warbling pays off, Katie. I also really enjoyed Sing, Unburied, SIng. Glad you are feeling the same. Ward is such a terrific writer.

>119 msf59: I'm so glad you loved Commonwealth! When I kept seeing mixed reviews/comments after I read and loved it, I really started to doubt myself and my taste in books. :) I think reading This is the Story of a Happy Marriage first made me really appreciate the biographical elements of the story.

>111 msf59: Our Juncos are here in force now. I love them but their constant bopping about on the ground makes my cat crazy and she's always trying to dash out the door. They really do keep her entertained. We get White Crowned Sparrows in the winter, too, but I haven't seen them yet.

It was 84f here yesterday, maybe snow later today. *sigh*

I'm loving Every Man Dies Alone.

We have Juncos all year round and they are among my favorites.

I'm glad you liked Commonwealth. As I read your review, it brought it back to me and, while it simply landed flat for me, I wonder if that was almost exclusively due to some curmudgeonly impulse on my part.

Happy Thursday, Mark. I very much enjoyed last night's baseball game. I'm pulling for the Dodgers only slightly, mostly I'm rooting for an exciting 7-game series!

I gave Commonwealth 5 stars Mark, but I barely remember it. I fear that says more about my memory than the book though. Love the quotes you've chosen. Maybe I should reread?

>124 Copperskye: Hi, Joanne. Hooray for Juncos. We also get white-crowned sparrows, wintering here, but I have not seen any yet.

I know not everyone has loved Commonwealth, but it is nice to see so many of my pals give it 5 stars. Now, I need go back and read all of her earlier stuff.

"It was 84f here yesterday, maybe snow later today." Sounds like the Colorado, I know and love. Only in the 40s here, over the weekend. Brrr...

>125 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen. It is interesting that you get juncos all year round. Fun, little guys to have around.

You are not alone in your dislike, for Commonwealth, so I do not think it is you. Kim did not care for it either and combing the reviews on Good Reads, there are plenty of non-fans. You can't force your enjoyment, that is for sure. I am just glad you like some of her other work.

I do not have a favorite in the World Series, so I'll be pleased, with a win from either team. Both, deserving, that is for sure.

>126 charl08: Another 5 stars, for Commonwealth. Yippee!! I could see myself, rereading this one, at some point. 10-15 years, perhaps? Grins...

I could spend an entire two-week trip to Chicago visiting museums! I have to say, nowhere I've lived since leaving Chicago had as many wonderful museums.

>69 msf59: Love the epigraph.

Amber got me thinking about fall food treats. My favorite:


Does Chicagoland have persimmons in the fall like New York does? Ever had this persimmon pudding?

>129 Storeetllr: No question that the city's crammed with great museums! And Frank Lloyd Wright's many wonderful houses. And Polish food.

>129 Storeetllr: Hi, Mary. Good to see you. I think we have awesome museums. I just need to get my butt over to the Chicago Historical Museum. Unfortunately, I have not been to very many museums in other cities, so I can not compare.

>130 richardderus: I am not sure if I have had persimmon pudding, RD. Bad Mark? It looks fantastic. My wife's aunt is full-bore Polish, so I have had Polish food over the years. A bit bland at times, but definitely hearty.

^My sister and I, watched A Walk in the Woods this afternoon. I was not expecting much, despite loving the book. I expected it to be pretty silly, but it ended up being pretty watchable. The elderly charm of the leads and the gorgeous scenery, sure helped matters. I have always been a fan of Emma Thompson, so it was good to see her here, as Bryson's wife, although more of her would have been better.

Has anyone else seen it?

>131 msf59:

Today's SPEED BUMP cartoon recalls your recent visit with Sue at the Field Museum.

>132 msf59: - I did not see the film, Mark, though I had considered it. I actually really like both Redford and Thompson but I had loved the book and decided to let that stay that way. I can think of very few adaptations that lived up to their books. Maybe one day... Good that you enjoyed it, though!

Oh I'm going to dig out Commonwealth from the shelves. I bought it about a year ago and never got to it but your glowing review will jump it to the top of the pile. Thanks Mark!

I am interested in all the attention "Sue" is getting. She is such a star. She has books and holds the stage in a huge building with an audience of millions. And of course, even the great Walt Longmire has to worry about her and her fans from time-to-time.

I was downtown at the opera this afternoon. Rigoletto, one of my favorites. I had a book with me but didn't end up reading at all.

Blackhawk game on Friday and conference swim meet on Sat.

Hi Mark, I am so out of the loop that I didn't even know there was a movie of A Walk in the Woods, I would definitely want to watch it so I will have to watch for it. I have Commonweath on my list but I can see that perhaps I need to give it a little nudge!

>133 m.belljackson: I will have to track down the Speed Bump cartoon.

>134 jessibud2: If my sister had not brought the DVD along, of A Walk in the Woods, I probably would have not got around to it. I think there are some fine adaptations, out there, but many are bad. I liked Wild, based on the Strayed book.

>135 mdoris: I think that would be a fine idea, Mary. Excellent novel.

>136 benitastrnad: I thought you were talking about my Sue, there for a minute, but the audience of millions, snapped me back on track. Grins...

I have not got around to that Longmire yet, but I have a signed copy on shelf.

>137 lindapanzo: Sounds like you had a lovely day at the opera, Linda. I hope you can squeeze some book reading in, during your busy schedule.

>138 DeltaQueen50: Hi, Judy. I think you would get a kick out of A Walk in the Woods. The leads are a lot of fun. I also hope I gave you the right nudge on Commonwealth. It is a terrific novel.

It's okay, Mark. I still like you, even if you are a fan of Commonwealth. I'll just go hang out with Ellen for a while. : )

Morning, Mark! I need to get round to Commonwealth at some point...

>141 Berly: One day, Kimmers, I will sit down with you and Ellen, over a couple of beers, of course and we will discuss Commonwealth, front to back. Sound good? Grins...

>142 scaifea: Morning, Smber! I would love to hear your thoughts on Ms. Patchett.

>132 msf59: Based on the picture in your post it's one I would like to see. Is it a new movie?

>144 EllaTim: Hi, Ella. The film, A Walk in the Woods came out in 2015. Have you read the book or any other Bryson?

Good morning, Mark, and happy Friday to you!

>132 msf59: Husband and I watched it. The movie was only adequate, IMO, skipping most of the interesting interactions with other hikers. It just confirmed to me that very few movie adaptions are even close to the book they are based on. And, I thought Redford wildly miscast as Bryson. I thought Nick Nolte should have been Bryson.

>146 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. There are plenty of changes in that adaptation and Redford is far too old. I think Bryson was only in his mid-40s, when he made the hike. I didn't mind the movie, but the book blows it away.

I am planning on seeing the adaptation of Our Souls at Night soon. Also, with Redford and, this time, Jane Fonda.

Morning, Mark. Happy Friday!

Your Polish aunt's food made me think of this. There used to be a Polish diner called the Busy Bee near the intersection of North Ave, Milwaukee, and Damen, on Damen. Great food at low cost - always full of cops. Bill Clinton made a point of going there. We loved the blintzes and rice pudding. "Sophie", the mom, presided over all. Unfortunately, the younger generation didn't want to continue in the restaurant business, so it's part of Chicago history now.

Have a good one today with your sis, buddy.

129) Lightning Men (The Darktown Series) by Thomas Mullen 4.3 stars

Mullen's last novel, Darktown, was set in Atlanta, in 1948 and dealt with the first black police force, in that racially-charged city. An introduction to Lucius Boggs and Tommy Smith, a pair of “negro officers”. This story, takes place two years later. Boggs and Smith are back, dealing with their own, thorny family issues and also tackling a conspiracy plot, dealing with blacks moving into white neighborhoods, with all, those ugly, powderkeg, consequences. The partners also have to face down the KKK, (the Lightning Men). This can never end well.
Mullen has crafted another solid historical tale. Well-researched and deftly written. Part police procedural and part social commentary. A timely read, for our current American environment, simmering with racial tensions.
I hope both of these books, find a wider audience.

>111 msf59: Hi, Mark. I like the juncos, too. None here yet, though.

Down at the Jersey Shore there's a rare accidental visitor: a common greenshank. I don't know that we'll try for it, but it is adding some excitement to the fall birding season at the Forsythe NWR.

>148 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. It looks like I would have enjoyed Busy Bee, back in the day. Funny, that is the name of our bakery in Downers Grove.

Looks to be a kick back day, with sis, although we have a busy night, attending the Hofbrauhaus, (I have been to the original in Munich) in Rosemont and then a comedy club after. Should be fun.

Happy Friday at the Hofbrau! I think Redford as Bryson was such a travesty that I forwent the film out of conviction it would be dumbed down to stupidity.

I had such a good time when last I was here, I came back. Thanks for leaving the door open, man.

Speaking of muddled movie adaptions, I suspect that Spielberg's version of Ready Player One, due out in March, will disappoint. Even though Ernest Cline co-wrote the screenplay. I looked at the cast list at IMDB and was a bit disconcerted. Then I watched the trailer; awful lot of cars, a surprise in a world that's consumed all the Earth's fossil fuels.

I'm having fun reading The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul.

>152 richardderus: Morning, RD. I had little interest in watching the Redford film, but my sister brought it along and wanted to watch it. The leads are actually decent in it but the film is definitely a "lite" version of the book.

>153 weird_O: I hope I can encourage many visits from you Mr. Bill. Always good to see you. Trailers can be misleading. They are marketing tools, so I still have faith in Spielberg, that he can deliver a satisfactory version of RPO.

>145 msf59: No I haven't. But I have heard about the Appalachian mountains, in such a way that I thought walking there would be nice. And that I would like to see it. But reading, even if the book is better than the movie, how much of the beauty of the landscape will come across?

>155 EllaTim: There are plenty of shots of gorgeous scenery, in the Smoky Mountains and Appalachia, so no worries there. Of course, I would have included more landscape shots but that is because I love those vistas. See the film, but definitely try to read the book too.

I'd forgotten that I'd seen that movie at the theater until you mentioned Robert Redford. I liked the book and I like Redford, but just not in that movie.

I'm looking forward to seeing Murder on the Orient Express, which I think is due out in a week or two.

Enjoy your evening in Rosemont. We're leaving soon for the UC. We can never tell how long it'll take to get there.

>157 lindapanzo: The A Walk in the Woods film was that memorable, huh? Grins...

Murder on the Orient Express does look promising.

Have a good time at the game. Go Hawks!

>156 msf59: Good advice! I don't travel a lot, books and movies like this are my way of travelling.

"You never know exactly how many kinds of birds you will see on the Tuesday morning bird walk of the East African Ornithological Society but you can be sure to see a kite."

^I remember A Guide to the Birds of East Africa being read and enjoyed, by a few of my LT pals, back in 2009-10, shortly after I joined LT, but I never found time to read it, despite having it moldering on shelf for many years. Sad, I know, but something sparked me finally and I pulled it off shelf and cracked that colorful cover. Off to a promising start too...



-Black Kite

>132 msf59: Regrettably, we saw that in the theater. Some good moments but it didn't seem to know what it wanted to be.

I hope Murder on the Orient Express is reviewed well.

>149 msf59: I'm going to have to remember to try that Mullen series. I have a copy of The Last Town on Earth here somewhere.

>160 msf59: I also have a copy of A Guide to the Birds of East Africa somewhere. Hopefully not moldering! :) Thanks for the reminder!

A Walk in the Woods was a very funny book. Of course you are not going to see the mountains but it is the story that is important.

I agree that the two leads were to old. I like both Redford and Nolte but this wasn’t a story about 80 year-olds. Somebody didn’t read the book before they cast the movie, so they didn’t realize that it is a book about a mid-life experience.

First charges filed by Mueller: Possibly Paul Manafort!

>147 msf59: Our Souls at Night was on Netflicks when I was visiting. I didn't read the book so I don't know how faithful it was to it but I have a suspicion that things were altered for the movie and that the ending was probably different from the LT reviews that readers posted.

>160 msf59: Love the cover of this one, but it's also sat on my shelf unread! Poor book...

>161 Copperskye: Hi, Joanne. Thanks for chiming in on the Walk in the Woods film. I think you might like the Darktown series. He is a good writer. I have also read a couple of his other ones, including The Many Deaths of the Firefly Brothers. I also have The Last Town on Earth sitting on shelf.

And maybe I will give you the nudge you need to finally pull down A Guide to the Birds of East Africa, off the shelf.

>162 benitastrnad: Hi, Benita. Have you read more of Bryson's work? I have been meaning to get back to him.

>163 richardderus: WOW! That is big news, RD. Glad to see we are finally moving forward on this Russian investigation. I wonder who it will be?

>164 Familyhistorian: Hi, Meg. I hope to see the Our Souls at Night adaptation soon. I have not read any reviews on it, so at least I haven't heard anything bad.

>165 charl08: I think we all have plenty of books like A Guide to the Birds of East Africa sitting on the TBR shelves. We were so excited to acquire them and then they get quietly get lost in the shuffle.

Hope I can spark new interest in this one, anyway.

>166 msf59: - Good morning, Mark. I have read quite a bit of Bryson (a favourite of mine!) and I have to say, I love him on audio as, except for the very last newest one, he reads them. The titles I've loved best include At Home, One Summer: America 1927, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid and Shakespeare: The World as Stage. I have loved almost everything by him that I have read, but I will say the newest one, The Road to Little Dribbling was disappointing, mainly because it was grumpier (and at times, even nasty) and I did not like the reader (it wasn't him!)

I have glanced at that book A Guide to the Birds of East Africa in the store but never did buy it. I'll be interested in your impressions.

Good morning, Mark! I hope you have a wonderful Saturday. I hope Bree's coming up for air a bit in her grief.

>152 richardderus: such a travesty that I forwent the film out of conviction it would be dumbed down to stupidity. That's what I said about Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher. 6'5" vs 5'7" and Reacher does not have dimples. What was Lee Child thinking of besides money?

>162 benitastrnad: and >168 jessibud2:. I love Bryson too, mostly his stuff starting with A Walk in the Woods and including In a Sunburned Country, Shakespeare: The World as Stage, A Brief History of Everything, At Home, and America: 1927. I was disappointed with The Road to Little Dribbling, too. Too derivative of his own work.

>163 richardderus: I'll be interested in seeing who gets indicted, too.

>149 msf59: I'm with you, buddy. I've got Lightning Men teed up, and I hope Darktown gets more readers, too.

>160 msf59: Great! I'm one of those LT pals who loved A Guide to the Birds of East Africa. Perfect for you with your current interests, too.

>168 jessibud2: Hi, Shelley. Thanks for chiming in on Bryson. I have read At Home, which I really liked. I have to get to more of his work and the audio option sounds perfect for me. I would like to Thunderbolt Kid.

>169 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Glad to hear your thoughts on Bryson. Hopefully, I will read a couple of his, in the coming months.

"I'll be interested in seeing who gets indicted, too." I am with you!

>170 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. Hooray for Lightning Men. I am sure you will enjoy it. A Guide to the Birds of East Africa is off to a promising start. I plan on spending a little time with it today too.

^The Russell Banks thread is up. Stop by and let us know what you will be reading: http://www.librarything.com/topic/272608#

Happy Saturday, Mark!! Some snow here this morning. Hope it stops by the time I have to leave for the swim meet.

Looks out window...looks like the sun is trying to come out now.

Hawks played ok but 44 shots and only one goal says that either the opposing goalie was hot or the shots were easy ones from the perimeter.

Morning, Mark! We are being treated to a gorgeous Saturday here. I have not read any Russell Banks, and I probably won't get to him this year, but what do you recommend?

>160 msf59: I'm so glad you're getting A GUide to the Birds of East Africa off the shelf, Mark, and if your weekend is half as sun-washed as today is here it's perfect weather to do some real reading.

>174 lindapanzo: Hi, Linda. No snow here but cool and damp. I have been running errands but hope to spend some time with the books this afternoon.

>175 Crazymamie: Hi, Mamie! I have only read 2 of Banks' work, but I would highly recommend The Sweet Hereafter. It is a stunning novel.

>176 richardderus: Happy Saturday, RD. Birds of East Africa is off to a splendid start. Hope to spend plenty of time with it, later. Glad you are enjoying some nice weather here. It is cool and damp. It might reach the mid-40s.

-Paradise Flycatcher



-Hadada Ibis

^I am 60 pages into A Guide to the Birds of East Africa and I am enjoying it quite a bit. A fun book to keep me company, on a lazy afternoon. Each chapter, features a bird in it's title.

>178 msf59: Love the tail on the Flycatcher. Off to check out the Banks thread....

Happy Saturday!

131) Her Body and Other Parties: Stories by Carmen Maria Machado 4.4 stars

The story collections just keep rolling out and this one is a stunner. Most of these stories, take a provocative look at women's lives and their bodies. There is intimacy, horror, humor and a dash of magical realism. She is being compared to Karen Russell and Kelly Link, and I see some of that here, but I think her "voice" is a true original. Here are just a couple excerpts that I found quite impressive, among many:

“On this street, though, I might as well have been on another planet...when the streets are dark and a liquid chill roils through the gaps and alleys. Silence and sound bumped up against each other but never intermingled; the jolly chaos of warm summer nights was as far away as it could be. It was hard to stop moving between doorways in this weather, but if you did you could hear life pricking the stillness: a rumble of voices from a local tavern, wind livening the buildings, sometimes even a muffled animal encounter in an alley: pleasure or fear, it was all the same noise.”

“I can tell you with perfect honesty that the night in the forest was a gift. Many people live and die without ever confronting themselves in the darkness. Pray, that one day, you will spin around at the water's edge, lean over, and be able to count yourself among the lucky.”

>180 msf59: I'm keeping that one on my wish list, Mark. Nice comments.

A Guide to the Birds of East Africa sounds intriguing. It sounds like it's a novel in which birdwatching plays some role, yes?

I've starred the Russell Banks thread. I'm just two months away from my first "purist" medal in the AAC!

It's a lovely fall day here and I went for a nice long run this morning. Now we're watching our UW Huskies. We're up 20-9 over UCLA at halftime.

>163 richardderus: I love that they aren't going to serve the warrants until Monday, giving that whole bunch of criminals a weekend to wonder & worry.

Hi, Mark! Good review of Her Body and Other Parties. I've put it on my TBR list for 2018.

Happy weekend, Mark!

So sorry about Reese. Hugs for Bree (and all of you.)

>182 Storeetllr: Ain't that the livin' end, Mary? I am so full, nay replete, with schadenfreude! I'm chuckling even as we speak.

Hey Mark!

>179 Berly: Hi, Kimmers! Most of these African birds are new to me. Hope you find a Banks to try.

>181 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen. I would LOVE to hear your comments on Her Body and Other Parties. I will send you my copy of A Guide to the Birds of East Africa, when I am through it.

Hooray for being a Purist! The God Level. Grins...

>182 Storeetllr: Hi, Mary. The suspense builds for the weekend. I wish there were several doled out.

Glad my warbling paid off on, Her Body and Other Parties. It is an amazing collection.

>183 banjo123: Thanks, Rhonda. Hugs happily accepted.

>184 richardderus: Love the cartoon, RD.

Good to see the hadeda on the thread! They turn up in my aunt's garden, and make the most awful racket. Even the cats are intimidated by them, quite funny.


>180 msf59: Tempting!

>178 msf59: Wonderful birds. I've heard good things about A guide to the birds of East Africa before, but now I'll definitely start reading it.

>187 charl08: Thanks for sharing another ibis. I did not know they made such noise. They are similar to our Green Herons, in appearance.

>188 EllaTim: Yes, there a birds in the novel but it is also a refreshing love story, in a unique sitting. I am quite enjoying it.

Good morning, Mark, and happy Sunday to you!

Morning, Karen. Last day of vacation and the last day with my sis. We are hosting an early birthday party for Sue today, so some of the family can see my sister before she leaves. Should be nice.

I was wondering what the Sis Schedule was. I hope you have a wonderful time, and happy early birthday to Sue!

Sue is a Halloween baby, so it will be a couple of days early. I will pass on the birthday wishes.

Have a great Sunday, Mark. Enjoy the party!

Hi, Mark! I hope you have a great Sunday and an enjoyable party with your sister.

>194 Familyhistorian: >195 harrygbutler: Thanks, Meg & Harry. It will be a nice time. It has been a good visit with sis.

Happy Sunday, buddy. Thanks for stopping by re Becca and Sherlock. We took her out to breakfast, and she's going to take it easy for the rest of the day.

Hope you have a good one.

Have a happy party today, Mark. Good on you for having a sister who sticks around when she visits. My sister spends one night at my brother's and one night at our place, then she gots to get home right away.

I'm just now back in my "what next?" stew. Finished with Dirk Gently last night, and now I'm rummaging the TBRs for a suitable 75th read of the year.

Happy Sis & Sue day!

Shawn caught a cold with a wicked sore throat, so we decided to come home from Eau Claire a day early. We didn't have big plans for today, and it is nice to be in your own house when you're feeling cruddy.

Finished Vacationland. It was funny in parts, but light on material. Not going out of my way to recommend. Looking forward to the new Oliver Sacks next!

>197 jnwelch: Happy Sunday, Joe. I am sure Becca has plenty of shoulders to lean on, if necessary. Sending her good wishes.

>198 weird_O: Hi, Bill. My sister lives in Oregon, so we do not get a chance to visit much, so we do take advantage when we can. Hope you find a satisfying "Next Read".

>199 alphaorder: Happy Sunday, Nancy. Our company will begin to arrive in about an hour. Sorry, to hear Sean is under the weather. Bummer. Hope he rebounds quick. I just snagged the new Sacks on audio.

-Red Bishop

"There is something about birds, their beauty and freedom, that is good for a man's soul."

-A Guide to the Birds of East Africa



-Pied Crow

Happy Sunday and enjoy your time with your sister! I was going to ask if it was a joint Halloween party, but I bet she is **so** over that. Unless of course, she's a big fan of dressing up.

I think you missed me way back in >10 streamsong: It's not often that I get to read and post on your thread twice before the train barrels on to the next thread.

I love the epigraph in >69 msf59:! That alone makes me want to read this one.

Happy Sunday, Mark! Hope you enjoy the time with family this afternoon.

>201 msf59: I love crows and didn't know there were black and white crows. Thanks for sharing this beautiful bird!

There is something about birds, their beauty and freedom, that is good for a man's soul.

So true, and one reason my heart breaks over all the caged birds there are - wanted and unwanted - throughout the world. I would not have my two girls if someone else hadn't taken them from the sky (or bred them in captivity), caged them, and then decided they didn't want them/could no longer care for them. They are left uncaged and allowed to fly inside the house when I am home - they're only in their cages at night to sleep - but they will never know the joy of free flight which is their birthright.

Happy Sunday, have a great last day's visit with your sis, and hope Sue's early birthday party is a fantastically fun time!

I hope the Sue/Sis party is still raging on, Mark, and please tell Sue I send my fondest birthday greetings to her. Some of my best friends were Halloween joiners.

Hi Mark, I saw your comment on GR about Unbelievable: My Front-Row Seat but I think I accidentally deleted it, along with my response, when I deleted a duplicate entry of the book.... Anyway, enjoy! I think you'll like it a lot!!

I will look forward to reading A Guide to the Birds of East Africa, Mark.

Not much to say; I'm reeling from Joe's sad news about Sherlock.....

Hugs to you ~~

Morning, Mark!

>202 streamsong: Hi, Janet. Sorry, I missed you up there. I remember reading it but somehow forgot to respond. I am waiting for my audio copy of The Hate U Give to come in from the library. We had a nice party for Sue but it wasn't a Halloween party. She does like the holiday though and will spend tomorrow with her niece attending parties and tick or treating.

>203 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie. It was a nice day with the family.

>204 FAMeulstee: I like the look of the Pied Crow too, Anita. Lots of cool books in Birds of East Africa.

>205 Storeetllr: Hi, Mary. It looks like your "girls" are perfectly cared for. I really like the idea of these rescue animals. My daughter just got another German Shepard from a rescue program. He is a beauty.

>206 richardderus: Thanks, RD! We had a nice final day with sis and the family. Another crazy WS game, eh? Astros pulled it out.

>207 Copperskye: Hi, Joanne. I am going to start Unbelievable: My Front-Row Seat this morning. Glad you liked it.

>208 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen. I am sure you would have a good time with Birds of East Africa. And yes, very sad news about the beloved Sherlock.

>209 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

>210 msf59: Happy Monday, Mark! I'm glad to see Bree has a new fur baby. What is his name? You know we all wanna see photos, right? :)

Good morning, Mark! I'm glad you had a nice day yesterday.

I would have said I don't have a preference in the World Series, but since my Mom was a dedicated Dodgers fan, I was a teensy bit unhappy to hear that the Astros won last night. Not enough to lose sleep over, mind you, just wanting the Dodgers to win in memory of all the times we listened to Vin Scully over the years.

>213 karenmarie: - I just listened to the news and heard about the ball game last night. Crazy. Our sports guy said something, though, that I agree with 100%. He said it was a pity that the baseball commissioner didn't have the backbone to address the racist issue in the moment. That guy Guriel should have been suspended immediately. Waiting for next season sends the message that the offense didn't matter. What he did say was that he didn't want to punish the rest of the team. Well, it's a team game and maybe if the player had seen that his actions affected the team in a crucial moment, maybe he'd think twice before doing that again next time. But no, racism is alive and well, from the top down, and in sports, too. Sigh

Sorry for the rant but it's really discouraging.

Here's a happier poem for your Mailman route -

Once more
they will dream,
They hear
winds wandering
through lofty
trees, And
see the sun
smiling between
the leaves.

--Amy Lowell
(from Arbor Day Tree Book)

Re: Barefoot Mailman > when I went back to check the early verses
for the correct words, for the first time I saw the sad last verses -

we never heard or sang these in the 50s!

>215 m.belljackson: "Like"

Good morning, Mark! Sounds like you had a good visit with your sister, and my sympathy on returning to work today. :-)

We appreciate all the love for Sherlock and Miss Becca. She somehow headed off to teach the kids today. Not going to be an easy one.

Mark--So it's back to work today. Sorry. : (

Glad you had fun with your sister and happy early birthday to Sue! I need the Trick-or-Treaters to come get their candy so there is less for me to eat. : )

Morning, Mark! You will be happy to know that I finally started Rules of Civility.

Morning waves from the cool, blustery trenches. Heavy workload, with limited free time, so I will have to check in with the gang tonight. Thanks for keeping the homefires burning.
😁

>212 lauralkeet: Hi, Laura. I think Bree finally settled on the name Duke after trying out a few others. It fits him well. They say he is 4 but we all think he is still too puppish. We think he appears closer to 2.
No worries, photos will be posted. He is a good looking boy, just a bit thin at the moment.

>210 msf59: Good for Bree! I hope her new GSD helps to fill the hole Reese left in her heart.

"It came to me that every time I lose a dog they take a piece of my heart with them. And every new dog who comes into my life gifts me with a piece of their heart. If I live long enought, all the components of my heart will be dog, and I will become as generous and loving as they are.” -author unknown

Good for Bree. Stay warm, Mark. At least the sun is out. Sort of.

I'm continuing with my read of a bio Blackhawks all-time great, Pierre Pilote. He was every bit as good as Hull and Mikita but didn't get the fame and notoriety that those two did. I recall seeing him play a few times but, for the most part, he was just before my time.

>211 msf59: The Astros were amazing last night. This is what the World Series SHOULD be like! Only I wish it was different teams. Spoiled old man, huh?

And I could not possibly agree more with >214 jessibud2:! Well said and a hearty +1 to it all.

Hi, Mark. Today I'm happy reading not only about the indictments of Paul Manafort and his protege Nick Gates. but also the guilty plea by Mr. Papadopoulos who lied to the FBI about the full nature and timing of contacts he had, as a campaign adviser, with Russians offering emails with "dirt" on Hillary Clinton. Papadopoulous' meetup was a precursor, apparently, to the meeting the Russian lawyer lady had with Donnie Jr., Kushner, Manafort, and some others in TT in NYC.

>213 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. Nice party yesterday. My sister is back home, safe and sound. Probably won't see her until next June. Sad face.

I do not have a preference in the World Series. I admire both teams. This is a helluva series, that is for sure.

>214 jessibud2: "But no, racism is alive and well, from the top down, and in sports, too." I am with you, Shelley, although I should have followed this incident closer, than I did.

>215 m.belljackson: I like the poem, Marianne. Thanks for sharing. We had a howling wind today, and just a glimpse or two of the sun.

>217 jnwelch: Hi, Joe. I survived the Monday workload and I was bundled up too. I hope Becca got through her day, without too much trouble.

>218 Berly: Hi, Kimmers. My sister is back in Oregon. We had a very nice visit together. Sue is taking the day off tomorrow, to enjoy her B'day and take her niece trick or treating. I am sure, once I get home from work, I'll be doling out the goodies.

>219 Crazymamie: Hi, Mamie. Hooray, for starting Rules of Civility. Hope you are enjoying it.

>222 Copperskye: Hi, Joanne. I love the quote. I will have to share that with Bree. Duke has been fitting in very well, so far. He has such a good disposition and he is not a barker. Hooray!!

>223 lindapanzo: Hi, Linda. It was a chilly one out there and right after finishing lunch, the wind really began to gust, so I threw on another layer. Brrrr...

I am not familiar with Pierre Pilote. Bad Mark?

-Black-Backed Puffback



-Spotted Wood Owl

^Only 40 pages left in Birds of East Africa. What a delight. The birding contest is a joy to read.

>224 richardderus: I thought last year's WS was amazing, (of course, my Cubs were in the thick of it) but this one is right up there. 2 great teams battling it out. This one will probably come down to game 7. I wish I could have watched more of it.

>225 weird_O: Thanks for your thoughts on the indictments, Bill. Of course, the Trump team is bragging that the president has been cleared of any wrong-doing. I wonder what Mueller thinks of that?

>227 msf59: Pierre Pilote was a defenseman who played with Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita. Late 50s to late 60s, I'd say. One of the top players in the league. Died earlier this year so I wanted to finally read his bio.

Of course, I remember Hull & Mikita. I didn't watch much hockey, while growing up, so I missed Pilote's contributions. I guess, I was all about the Cubs in those days.

>226 msf59: - Yeah, it's kind of like punishing a kid for something he did weeks ago. Kind of meaningless. But I guess that's what we have come to expect. I just hope those guys keep kneeling until someone, anyone, gets the message. The commissioner missed what we (in teaching) call a *teachable moment*. Suspending Guriel immediately might have made the light bulb go on that his actions, both on and off the field, can affect his team in different ways and it's up to him to choose how he, himself, behaves. Oh well. I'm sure he learned something, just probably the wrong thing.

I have no vested interest in either team, at this point so whoever wins, wins. Maybe next year my Jays will have a better year. ;-)

Morning, Mark! Do you get many trick or treaters in your neighborhood?

Morning, Amber! Happy Halloween. Yes, we have plenty of young families in the neighborhood, so I expect to be a little busy after I get home from work. Sue will be taking her niece out, so she'll be gone.

Happy Halloween everyone! I will be wrapping up Birds of East Africa today and then moving on to Cloudsplitter, joining Frankie ^^ up there with the big books!

And a Happy Birthday Shout-Out to Sue, who continues to put up with me and all my books. B.A.G.

^I don't have a lot of time to think about this one but I will go with The Exorcist, followed by Pet Semetary. If I would go back only a few years, I would have to go with Bird Box. Shudders...

What is your scariest read?

The scariest book I've ever read is And Then There Were None!

>236 msf59: - Good morning, Mark. Full disclosure: I don't do *scary* very well. At all, really. So honestly, I don't read scary books, not deliberately. I find some of my non-fiction that deals with war or traumatic experiences can affect me, though, in similar ways, in that they might keep me up at night or stay in my head for a long time.

I do remember, though, when I was a little kid, I had a book of Pinocchio and there was one picture in it of Stromboli, the evil puppetmaster, that scared the daylights out of me. I turned the page by only touching the very tip of the page edge and when my mom or dad would read it to me, I would cover my eyes at that page. I still have the book to this day and I just went to have a look and wow, it still looks creepy! :-)

Boo!

Do you dress up when you answer the door on Halloween?

Please wish Sue a Happy Birthday for me! And so happy for Bree and Duke!

Thinking of you today - I am not ready for winter. Feels more like Thanksgiving than Halloween.

Happy birthday to Sue and happy halloween, Mark. Hope the work load is lighter today. Very strange to be staying in Salt Lake City where the hotel only has Fox news.

Happy Halloween, Mark!

>235 msf59: LOVE! And a very Happy Birthday to Sue!

>236 msf59: The Shining

Morning, Mark! Happy Halloween to you!

Happy Halloween, Mark!

I'm glad Bree has found another fur baby. Some people need to wait a while, but it sounds like this was the right thing for her.

>214 jessibud2: I totally agree, Shelley. I wish they'd banned Yuli Gurriel for the rest of the series AND into next year. Without pay. And fine him an amount that gets his attention.

It reminds me of the time I was 12 - August 22, 1965 - and Juan Marichal of the Giants clubbed Johnny Roseboro of the Dodgers with a bat. Here's a great article about it: Marichal-Roseboro Brawl As it says in the article, Marichal was immediately suspended for 8 game days, which was 10 games because of double headers, and fined $1,750 - the equivalent of $15,000 today.

We don't get any trick-or-treaters here in the wilds of central NC and haven't even bought any Halloween candy.

Have fun tonight handing candy out.

Happy Halloween, buddy!

I'm happy you've been having such a good time with A Guide to the Birds of East Africa. Such a cool book.

Scariest book for me would be Silence of the Lambs. Wow, was that creepy. His Red Dragon would probably come in second.

Another bustling, blustery day, I am bundled up, against the wind, so no time for replies, until later. Thanks for dropping by and I will see you later this afternoon.

Hi Mark! Blustery, blowy and cold here too with snow predicted starting on Wednesday. I am not ready for this!

I have not read much horror. The few that are in my library are pretty tame and did not really scare me. Living alone in a house surrounded by trees without near neighbors and having an over-active imagination - well you get the idea.

Hey, hey, hey, pal. It's Halloween, so Thanksgiving is coming. And you know what that means:

>247 weird_O: Good one.

Happy birthday to Sue!

Scariest book? Without a doubt, Peter Straub's Ghost Story.

Scariest book *of*my*life* was Red Dragon. Read the ARC back in the 1980s and did not sleep for three days! Terrifying.

>250 jnwelch: 'Twas! I still get creeped out thinking about it.

My scariest book was Snowman by Jo Nesbo. There have been others like Salem's Lot but the latest one was Snowman. I finished it, but vowed never to read another Nesbo book. It just isn't worth feeling like that for days. And nights.

>237 seasonsoflove: Becca stopped by! Becca stopped by! Hooray. Is that a Agatha Christie title?

>238 jessibud2: Hi, Shelley. Thanks for chiming in on the scary books question. I never read the Pinocchio classic, only the film, but I could see it being dark and creepy.

>239 alphaorder: Thanks for all the good wishes, Nancy. I will pass them on. It was chilly one today but at least it was not raining.

>240 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. I will pass it on to Sue. Only Fox News on the TV? Noooooooooo...!

>241 harrygbutler: Happy Halloween, Harry.

>242 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie. Happy Halloween, my friend. I think The Shining is a fine choice.

>243 karenmarie: Happy Halloween, Karen. We get a few bursts of neighborhood kids but not a ton. Only one little girl so far. I am the only one home, so I have candy duty.

>244 jnwelch: Happy Halloween, Joe. Another chilly one in Chicagoland, eh?

I think Silence and Red Dragon are excellent choices. I loved them both.

I'm a bit creeped out just reading about other people's scariest books, so no thanks, not for me... (backs out quietly...).

>246 streamsong: Hi, Janet. Boo to snow! I hope we have awhile yet, for that nonsense.

Thanks, for chiming in on the scary books question. I know it is not everyone's cuppa. I read very little of it myself.

>247 weird_O: Very creepy. I love it. Happy Halloween, Bill.

>248 Copperskye: Thanks, Joanne. I also loved Ghost Story. Perfect choice. Too bad Straub only had one really good book in him.

>249 richardderus: Red Dragon is a very good choice, RD. I remember seeing the film Man Hunter first, based on the book. It had a nice creepy vibe. Too bad, Harris didn't produce any more books, after Hannibal, which was decent but not as good as the first 2.

>255 msf59: Too bad, Harris didn't produce any more books, after Hannibal
Too bad?! TOO BAD! The "too bad" is that he wrote Red Dragon at all!! *convulsive shudder* Oh naynaynay, nix nyet nein no nuh-uh no more.

Hi Mark, once I got past my trick or treating days, Halloween hasn't been that big a deal for me. I get home after trick or treating has ended and I'm not fond of scary books or movies.

Happy Birthday to Sue!!

>256 richardderus: You are so right, RD, plus he followed it up with Silence of the Lambs, which I think is even better. Any author would die for that duo.

I am sure you will be rootin' for the Dodgers tonight. It would be nice to see it go 7.

Somewhat recently, The Woman in Black creeped me out pretty well! Slowly building ghost stories an get to me.

>257 lindapanzo: Hi, Linda. I was off early today and the only one home, so I passed out candy. I didn't want to be a ghoulish grinch. I only had enough candy for just over an hour. I made some kids happy.

>259 drneutron: I liked The Woman in Black, Jim. Good pick.

"Cloudsplitter is the English translation of the Iroquois word for Mount Marcy, the tallest mountain of the Adirondacks."

^I started Cloudsplitter. Just a few pages in, but it begins well. The story is being told by Owen Brown, son of John Brown. Since, it is such a big book, at 750 pages, I decided to do both print and audio.



-John Brown, abolitionist.

>260 msf59: An hour of Halloween duty sounds good, Mark. When I am home door duty usually last for 3 hours and it takes two people to get dinner and answer the door all that time. I am not missing being away from that! Now if it lasted one hour ....

Trick or Treat!

Morning, Mark!

>262 Familyhistorian: Hi, Meg. No complaints about the hour, of handing out candy. It sure beats 3 hours, especially since our little dog barks his head off, every time the bell rings.

>263 Berly: Sorry, no candy left, Kimmers. You should have come by earlier. I could have gave you a beer. Smiles...

>264 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

^I saw a Yellow-Rumped Warbler on the route yesterday. Other than spring migration, it is rare to spot a warbler, while at work.

Good morning, Mark, and happy Wednesday to you. Happy November to you, too.

Congrats on the Yellow-Rumped Warbler. My friend Louise says she remembers them being called Myrtle Warblers and indeed, there they are as Myrtle Warblers in my 1946 Audubon Guide to Eastern Land Birds. No Yellow-Rumped Warblers in that book.

Have a great day, Mark. I hope your load is light.

>254 charl08: Did I say the wrong thing? Should I pretend to be brave?(!) :-)

>266 msf59: Beautiful bird. We get a lot of finches on the garden feeder, some of which look a bit similar colourwise - https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/bird-and-wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/g/g... (the female bird)

>261 msf59: Has me scratching my head - I'm sure I read a novel about John Brown and his sons recently, but not the smallest clue of the title.

Morning, Mark!

Is there such a thing as a candy hangover? I didn't have much, but I just feel liking lying around and maybe rolling over once in a while.

Lightning Men was good, and I get the sense that there'll be another with Lucious and Smith, don't you?

You liked Binti and Binti Home, right? I'm reading the second of her "Akata" books, Akata Warrior, and liking it so far. Set in Nigeria like the first one.

>267 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. There was a period, when they were trying consolidate all the various bird names, because each country had their own names. I will have to research this more but I think it happened in the 40s and the 50s.

>268 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. A decent amount of mail today and early winter temps. I do have my books to keep me company though.

Good morning, Mark! I hope you're getting a bit of warmer weather. Have a good Wednesday!

It's okay, Mark. I have plenty of candy. And you could have come to my house for a glass of wine! Last night's spooky beverage was some more BoneShaker!!

Happy November! I guess it's the fact I come from Texas, but it's tomorrow I look forward to the most: Day of the Dead. Love the sugar skulls and skeletons doing living-people stuff. Halloween never meant a darn thing to me, to my mother's disappointment. I hated the dress-up part, I didn't and don't care about chocolate, and crowds of kids have always given me the heebie-jeebies. Day of the Dead meant something other than fun with punkins, so I liked it.

>269 charl08: Sorry, I missed you up there, Charlotte. I blame the trick or treaters and my barking dog, for the distraction.

I read The Good Lord Bird, awhile back and that also focused on John Brown and his sons. Was that It? That one had some comic moments and I can tell this one will not have any.

>270 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. Still cool today but I should stay dry. Glad you had a good time with the Darktown books.

>272 harrygbutler: Morning, Harry. Not much warmer. Still stuck in the 40s but the wind seems to have died down. Whew.

Off, to pound the pavement...

Wow! There is a flurry of bird activity, at my lunch spot. A round of robins, a dozen or more, all male, scurrying about. I also spotted a blue jay, a junco, a red-bellied woodpecker and I heard a crow calling. This is the same general area I saw the warbler yesterday. B.A.G.

Happy November 1st, Mark!

Happy belated Birthday to Sue!!

Well I've added Darktown and Lightning Men to my 'Mark's Fault' tag. They sound wonderful.

I'm glad Bree has a new critter.

>275 msf59: Thanks Mark! You've solved the head scratcher, cheers.

Hope you have stayed dry today, Mark. It's crappy here, overcast, damp, misty rain at times. What a contrast to yesterday, when it was sunny and dry and not too chilly. As usual, we had a great time handing out the treats. Our boy bought regular size candy bars from Amazon, and quite a few visitor were gobsmacked. "Oh, WOW!" The pooch was well behaved and got lots of pets and scratches from admirers. I even boosted a few Snickers to enjoy today and tomorrow.

>273 Berly: I am not much of a wine drinker, Kimmers but I would have made an exception in this case. Any type of alcohol consumption, teamed up with book chatter, is okay with me.

>274 richardderus: I like the Day of the Dead too, RD. I do not mind Halloween, in regards to the kids but I am not much of a fan of grown-up dress up.

>278 ChelleBearss: I love that, Chelle! I no longer have kids that trick or treat, so I am SOL, LOL.

>279 SuziQoregon: Thanks, Juli. I will pass the wishes onto Sue. I think you would like the Darktown series.

Bree's new addition has been a hit around here!

>280 charl08: Glad we got that cleared up, Charlotte. LOL. Did you see my comment about The Good Lord Bird?

>281 weird_O: Hi, Bill. I did stay dry today but it did start raining on my way home and it continues. Glad you had a good time, handing out candy and i think it is very cool, that your pooch is involved. What kind of dog is it?

Cold and rainy tonight. A half hour before I was going to leave work, my upset neighboring co-worker came back in the building and said she was in an accident in the parking lot. She wasn't hurt but her car wasn't driveable so I hung around and kept her company til her husband, who also works at our place, came to pick her up (and check out the car).

>284 lindapanzo: Hi, Linda. Sorry, your work day had some drama at the tail-end.

I am kicking back and watching the World Series. I very rarely watch postseason baseball, unless it involves the Cubs, but this is an awesome series.

>285 msf59: I'll flip over as soon as the Blackhawks win.

Ethier singles, two men on, one out in the bottom of the sixth. The figleaf has been applied. I hope the Dodgers don't decide to phone the rest of the game in.

No getting around it, the Astros were the better team tonight and deserved the win they got. World Series champs 2017.

Morning, Mark!

Congrats to the Houston Astros! What a terrific World Series.

>288 richardderus: I didn't see the whole game, RD, but it appeared the Dodgers ran out of gas, especially in the pitching department. They played a hard-fought series and a fantastic postseason.

>289 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

Good morning, Mark!

Congrats on the robins, jays, etc. yesterday and having today off. Enjoy your bird walk!

>282 msf59: I'm with you there - great for the kiddies but I am not much of a fan of grown-up dress up.

>292 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. It is damp out there today. We had quite a bit of rain, last night, but I plan on still going for a stroll. Hope the birds are active.

>283 msf59: Yup, saw the comment about Lord Bird - that's what I meant by the headscratcher. I'd read that one as well - that's the one with the cross-dressing child?

>294 charl08: I wasn't sure if you meant me skipping over your post, was the "headscratcher", which is certainly was. LOL. And yes, the cross-dressing child was the focus in The Good Lord Bird.

I also want to mention that there is humor, to be found in Cloudsplitter, which is quite a relief, since the profound seriousness of the narrative could wear a reader out, especially over 700-plus pages. He is a helluva writer.

I also read Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid That Sparked the Civil War a few years back. This was NF and very well done.

Morning Mark - enjoy your stroll and I hope it's a good bird day.

Sweet Thursday, Mark!

A stroll for birding sounds great. We've got an uptick in the temp today.

I've got a GN rec for you: Shade The Changing Girl. A weird and good one that starts a series. I can't wait for the next one.

>296 SuziQoregon: Morning, Juli! Had a very nice stroll and saw a few birds. Thanks.

>297 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. Had a great walk and I was joined by a few friends. It is nice to have company. The weather held out too, perfect for strolling.

Thanks for the GN rec. I have been doing terrible on my GN reading. It has been 4 or 5 weeks, since I cracked one. Very Bad Mark!

*tries to pull down eyebrows raised in shock*

Yep, it was a shameful admission. Shuffles away to brood...

I have a copy of Lighter Than My Shadow, sitting nearby. It was released to much acclaim. I hope to finally crack the covers. Have you heard of this one?

>300 msf59: No, that's a new one to me. I'll look forward to hearing your reaction to it.