Berly's Bookin' It! #3

I am hoping to read more of my TBR piles this year. They are everywhere. Some are under the window in my bedroom, some are stacked by my night table, in the study, downstairs in the bookcases, and then there is the Kindle....I know you all understand. So, I am posting photos of interesting bookshelves!! A girl can dream...

Reading Now
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike (A) (400pages) by Phil Knight
Arthur & George by Julian Barnes
Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood RL Bookclub #2 (to page 225 this month)
Evicted by Matthew Desmond - RL Bookclub #1

Literary Arts DELVE Seminar, Octavia Butler
Jan 30: Parable of the Talents (408 pages total) Ch 1-7 ✔ ✔
Feb 6: 8-16
Feb 13: 17-end

February Plans
We Were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Involuntary Witness by Gianrico Carofiglio - 2 Guidos
Barkskins by Annie Proulx - ColourCAT
Something by Jesmyn Ward for AlphabetCAT P & J
A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson - RandomCAT

Others??
The Best of McSweeney (625 pages) edited by Dave Eggers
The Dead House, Fiona Griffiths Book 5 by Harry Bingham
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
Start Without Me (LTER) by Joshua Max Feldman
Nicholas Nickelby by Dickens

Read in January
7. Black Swan Green (OTS) (294) by David Mitchell, ColourCAT Challenge 4.0
6. Parable of the Sower (345) by Octavia Butler 4.0
5. Vittorio, The Vampire (OTS) (288 pages) by Anne Rice 2.5
4. The Power (387 pages) by Naomi Alderman 3.75
3. God Stalk (271 pages) (K) by P.C. Hodgell, GR led by Roni 3.75
2. Talking As Fast As I Can (OTS) (209 pages) by Lauren Graham 3.0
1. Death at La Fenice (356 pages) (K) by Donna Leon, Two Guidos GR 3.75




Rating System
You probably won't see many below three because I am less afraid to use the Pearl rule now, but "Anathema" tickled me. So many books, so little time!

Masterpiece 5.0
Stunning 4.5
Excellent 4.0
Very Good 3.5
Good 3.0
Average 2.5
Eh 2.0
Don't Bother 1.5
Bad 1.0
Anathema 0.5

A=Audio
L=Library
OTS=Off the shelf
N=New/Gift
GN=Graphic Novel
IR=Indiespensable Readers
K=Kindle
LT=LibraryThing Early Reviewer

Longer Plans for Reading


RL Book Club #1
February - Evicted by Matthew Desmond
April - The Oregon Trail by Rinker Buck
June - A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
August - Loving Frank by Nancy Horan
October - Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
December - Choose books!!

RL Book Club #2
January - The Power by Naomi Alderman ✔ ✔
February & March - Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
April - I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron
May -
June -
July -
August -
September -
October -
November -



The Two Guidos Murder Mystery Thread
January - Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon ✔ ✔
February - Involuntary Witness by Gianrico Carofiglio
March - Death in a Strange Country by Donna Leon
April - A Walk In the Dark by Gianrico Carofiglio
May - Dressed for Death by Donna Leon (originally published as Anonymous Venetian in 1994)
June - Reasonable Doubts by Gianrico Carofiglio
July - Death and Judgement by Donna Leon (originally published A Venetian Reckoning in 1995)
August - Temporary Perfections by Gianrico Carofiglio
September - Acqua Alta by Donna Leon (also published as Death in High Water)
October - A Fine Line by Gianrico Carofiglio
November - Quietly in Their Sleep by Donna Leon (also published as Death of Faith)
December - Silence of the Wave by Gianrico Carogiglio (this is not part of the Guerrieri series, but is classed as a thriller. We can decide later if we want to read it or not as part of this challenge.)

I am hoping these challenges will help me choose books I already own.



ColorCAT Challenge
January:Black - Black Swan Green by David Mitchell ✔ ✔
February:Brown - Barkskins Annie Proulx with Fameulstee, Ireadtherforeiam, Arubabookwoman &/or Raisin in the Sun Lorraine Hansberry
March: Green - The Grass Dancer by Susan Power
April:Yellow - Sunnyside by Glen David Gold
May:Blue - so many choices!
June:Purple - We are the Ones We have Been Waiting For by Alice Walker (The jacket cover is purple and, of course, Walker wrote The Color Purple, which I also have) or The Lady and the Peacock about Augn San Suu Kyi of Burma, by Peter Popham
July:Pink - Fever at Dawn by Peter Gardos
August:Grey - The Disappearing Spoon Sam Kean or Consider the Fork Wilson
September: Metallic -The Silver Star by Jeanette Walls
October:Orange -The Burning Girl Claire Messud or My Life in Orange Tim Guest
November:Red - Scarlet Marissa Meyer or Consider the Lobster DF Wallace
December:White - The Plague of Doves Erdrich or Moonglow Michael Chabon

And for color backup, Travic McGee by John D. MacDonald (thanks Joe!)



AlphaCAT Challenge

Jan: V, M - Vittorio the Vampire by Anne Rice (love a double V!) ✔ ✔
Feb : P, J - Something by Jesmyn Ward
Mar: F, I -
Apr: Y, U -
May: Q, K -
June: G, R - ?? Go, Went, Gone by Jenny Erpenbeck
July: S, A -
Aug: O, D -
Sep: B, E -
Oct: N, L -
Nov: T, H -
Dec: C, W -
Yearlong: X, Z -

RandomCAT Challenge
January - Read a Book Bullet: Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls ✔ ✔
February - Unusual Holidays (Portland Rose Festival): A God In Ruins (rose-colored cover)

And Totally Random
LTER - Start Without Me by Joshua Max Feldman
Feb - Arthur & George by Julian Barnes with Megan and Mark
Feb - We Were Eight Years in Power with Ellen (# in Title for BINGO Dog)
March - Foucault's Pendulum (Karen) (1001 BINGO Dog)
April - The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro Paul's IAC
April - Far from the Madding Crowd with Ellen (Yellow)
June?? - Go, Went, Gone with Ellen (translated for BINGO Dog)



1. Talking As Fast As I Can by Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls)
4. God Stalk by P.C. Hodgell
23. Vittorio the Vampire by Anne Rice
24. Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

3. ?? Originally in a diff language Go, Went, Gone by Jenny Erpenbeck
23. ?? Over 100 years old Nickolas Nickelby -- reading
12. ?? 1001 book Foucault's Pendulum
14. ?? Number in the Title We Were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates
15. ?? Humorous Book Magical Thinking

12. 1001 Books ??

I have read 170 of the first 200 listed in 1001 Books You Should Read Before you Die with LT as the source. That's 85% and I'm feeling pretty proud!

Still TBR ** likely candidates

Heart of Darkness
Rebecca by Daphne DeMaurier
Foundation Isaac Asimov
Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe
Atonement Ian McEwan
Murder of Roger Ackroyd Agatha Christie ??
Sidhartha Herman Hesse ??
Stanger in a Strange Land Heinlein
Woman in White Wilkie Collins
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep PK Dick
Spy Who Came In From the Cold LeCarre
God of Small Things Arundhati Roy
Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
The Big Sleep
Watchmen Alan Moore
The Reader Bernhard Schlink
**Faucault’s Pendulum Umberto Eco
The Thirty-Nine Steps John Buchan
Neuromancer William Gibson
Midnight’s Children Salman Rushdie
Possession AS Byatt
Brideshead Revisited
**Alias Grace Margaret Atwood
Day of the Triffids John Wyndham
Cold Comfort Farm Stella Gibbons
**Far From the Madding Crowd Thomas Hardy
Dick Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency Douglas Adam
Bleak House Charles Dickens
Jude the Obscure Thomas Hardy

Last year I read 47 out of the 85 new books I acquired. This year I am trying to read more off my shelves. We'll see how I do!!

New Books in 2018
✔ ✔ = read

1) Princess Diarist (A) by Carrie Fisher
2) Not Perfect (K - Amazon First) by Elizabeth LaBan
3) We Were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates
4) A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
5) Magical Thinking by Augusten Burroughs
6) Go, Went, Gone by Jeremy Erpenbeck (Beth's Fault!!)
7) The Soul of the Octopus by Sy Montgomery
8) Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
9) Alias Grace (K) by Margaret Atwood

A=Audio
N=New Gift
GN=Graphic Novel
IR=INDIEspensable Readers
K=Kindle
LT=LibraryThing Early Reviewer

Favorites from this year:

Favorites from 2017:
Fiction
Kafka on the Shore by Murakami
The Girl with all the Gifts by M.R. Carey
This Thing of Darkness by Harry Bingham
The Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) (Bobiverse#1) by Dennis E. Taylor
Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie
LaRose by Louise Erdrich
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

Non-Fiction
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert
Radium Girls by Katie Moore
Entwined: Sisters and Secrets in the Silent World of Artist Judith Scott Joyce Wallace Scott
Bad Feminist by Roxanne Gay
Dr. Mütter's Marvels by Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz

Happy new thread!

I was wondering if you were open for business. Happy new one, Kim! I cannot see your topper image.

Hey there Twin, happy new thread. Did you have your book discussion of The Power yet? I want to hear about it. It looks like you finished. What did you think?

Happy New One!

Happy new thread, Kim. No pic is showing in >1 Berly:, just saying....

Happy New Thread! Wondering if we'll be going to work in the morning or not. Don't know how much snow we'll get, but if we get the amount they say, we may be out -- at least on a delay.

Happy New Thread, Kim!

Like Mamie, I can't see your topper image.

Happy new thread, Kim!

"I am hoping to read more of my TBR piles this year." That is my mission too!

Happy New Thread, Kim. I am enjoying Black Swan Green.

**I also can't see your topper.

>9 drneutron: Hello and thanks for being #1!!



>10 Crazymamie: The image was fine and then it was gone. I've switched it. ; )

>11 BLBera: My RL bookclub meets tomorrow, Wednesday, so more on The Power afterwards....

>12 SuziQoregon: Thanks! Glad you are here.

Thanks for fixing that topper! Worth waiting for! I could live there!!!

>13 jessibud2: Fixed!! (I think...course I thought the first one was okay, too. LOL)

>14 thornton37814: So you do you want me to wish for snow for you or not? : )

>15 jnwelch: Thanks. The Topper is all better. I think...

>16 FAMeulstee: Welcome!

>17 msf59: Now you've encouraged me! I picked it up again and I am almost halfway through Black Swan Green.

>19 jessibud2: Yay! Success! Isn't that a nice place? : )

Happy new thread!

HAPPY #3 Kimmers!

>1 Berly: I would be comfortable there too but I would probably reduce the headroom to make way for more books!

From #222 last thread If everyone (with relatively good grades) has access to the college of their choice, how do the schools plan for enrollment? I could see random years where the numbers exceed capacity.
All our universities are in need of enrolments. :)

>6 Berly: oooh, three spots on the bingo card already!!! Gearing up for Arthur and George yet??? (I am at the starting gate....)

>22 nittnut: Thanks, Jen!! January is flying by.

>23 PaulCranswick: A few more shelves on the back wall perhaps, but I don't want the roof too low. Not like a claustrophobic submarine bunk!

>24 LovingLit: Well, then it sounds like a perfect way to increase enrollment.

I was just fixing up >2 Berly: to reflect my February reads. Ha! So much for reading spontaneously! But I do so enjoy reading with my friends. It's a balancing act. I found my copy of Arthur & George today and move it to my night table stack --that's the immediate TBR pile! : )

The more I look at >1 Berly:, the more I want it. Hmmm.....thinking, thinking, could I get this to work....

>26 jessibud2: LOL. I hope you find a place for it! If you do, I want to come try it out. : )

>25 Berly: so long as there is a bottle of wine at the end of the tightrope!
I have Arthur & George ready to launch on the bedside table too, and may have sneaked a tiny peek ;)

Also, >1 Berly: my dream house involves this, plus a window with a nice view, and a table (maybe on an arm so that it can be immediately in front of me with a drink on it). Plus silence. A whole heap of heavy silence. :)

Happy Newthread, Kim. On pace for 48, seemingly. How many last year?

The topper is definitely all better. Nice!

>20 Berly: We got snow. Now you just need to wish it's enough to close our university tomorrow. ;-)

ETA: Good timing. Just got the message we're closed tomorrow.

Happy new thread!

>1 Berly: I love, love, love this! It gives me ideas - and my husband doesn't always like it when I get ideas! Of course, we have no place for it, so I guess it will be just that, an idea.

Here's one of my favorites:

If I had this, I would get nothing done except going up and down the stairs all day (which might be a good thing.)

>24 LovingLit: ...so let's get Murrikin kids into Kiwi universities!! Make sure each homeschooled right-wing religious nut family is required to send their kids BY THEMSELVES to Auckland and let the little robots experience a normal(ish) (bad record on gay rights, tsk) country's ethos!

>28 LovingLit: Well, why else would you attempt walking across a tight rope? Of course, there is a bottle of wine at the other end!

>29 LovingLit: I like your dream house! We could be neighbors. : )

>30 majleavy: 48! Ha! 21 threads last year. The year before that 10. 6 before that, 5, 6, 3.... I'd be shocked if I come close to last year's number.

>31 jnwelch: : )

>32 thornton37814: Anytime you need help with the snow wishes, just let me know!! Enjoy your day off.

>33 rretzler: Sounds like you need to build another floor so you can install those stairs! Don't tell your husband I said so. Unless he likes to do stairs for his fitness. Then you can tell him it was me. : )

>34 richardderus: Um...you get right to work on that. Good luck!

Thursday night is Literary Art's talk with Jesmyn Ward. I have three of her books waiting for me on the shelves? Why haven't I made time to read her? Look what she has all done! Can't wait to hear her talk.

"MacArthur Genius and two-time National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward has been hailed as the standout writer of her generation, proving her “fearless and toughly lyrical” voice in novels, memoir, and nonfiction. Betsy Burton of the American Booksellers Association has called her “the new Toni Morrison.” In November 2017, she became the first woman and the first person of color to win two National Book Awards for Fiction—joining the ranks of William Faulkner, Saul Bellow, John Cheever, Philip Roth, and John Updike.

Ward’s stories are largely set on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, where she grew up and still lives. Shortly after Ward received her MFA, Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast, and she was forced to evacuate her rapidly flooding home. Ward’s writing is deeply informed by the trauma of Katrina, not to mention its unimaginable social and economic repercussions. Her novel Salvage the Bones, winner of the 2011 National Book Award, is a troubling but ultimately empowering tale of familial bonds set amid the chaos of Katrina. Likewise, Ward’s debut novel, Where the Line Bleeds, depicts what Publishers Weekly calls “a world full of despair but not devoid of hope” in the aftermath of natural disaster.

Ward’s 2013 memoir, Men We Reaped, delves into the five years of Ward’s life in which she lost five young men—to drugs, accidents, suicide, and the bad luck that follows poor people and people of color. Lauded by Kirkus Reviews as a “modern rejoinder to Black Like Me and Beloved,” Men We Reaped is a beautiful and painful homage to Ward’s ghosts and the haunted yet hopeful place she calls home. Men We Reaped won the Heartland Prize and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award.

Ward is the also the editor of the critically acclaimed anthology The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks about Race, which NPR named one of the Best Books of 2016. Taking James Baldwin’s 1963 examination of race in America, The Fire Next Time, as a jumping-off point, this groundbreaking collection features essays and poems about race from the most important voices of our time—from Edwidge Danticat, Natasha Trethewey, and Isabel Wilkerson to Mitchell S. Jackson, Kiese Laymon, and Claudia Rankine.

With Sing, Unburied, Sing, which earned her a second National Book Award in November 2017, Ward gives us a road novel through Mississippi’s past and present that explores the bonds of a family tested by racism and poverty. Sing, Unburied, Sing is a singular Southern odyssey that strikes at the heart of life in the rural South. Margaret Atwood called it a “wrenching new novel…that digs deep into the not-buried heart of the American nightmare. A must!” Sing was named one of the 10 Best Books of 2017 by The New York Times and Time. The Washington Post and Publisher’s Weekly also called Sing one of the year’s best books.

“Ward’s Sing, Unburied, Sing is a true triple threat, expert in prose, human observation, and social commentary.”

—Time

In her talks, Ward shares her writing process and how her experiences growing up poor and Black in the South continue to influence her work. As she said in her acceptance speech at the 2011 National Book Awards, “I understood that I wanted to write about the experiences of the poor, and the Black and the rural people of the South, so that the culture that marginalized us for so long would see that our stories were as universal, our lives as fraught and lovely and important, as theirs.”

Jesmyn Ward teaches creative writing at Tulane University in New Orleans. In 2016, she won the Strauss Living award, given every five years by the American Academy of Arts & Letters for literary excellence. In 2017, she was recognized with a MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant for her work “exploring the enduring bonds of community and familial love among poor African-Americans of the rural South against a landscape of circumscribed possibilities and lost potential.”

Ward received her MFA in creative writing from the University of Michigan, where she won five Hopwood Awards for her fiction, essays, and drama. She held a Stegner Fellowship at Stanford University from 2008-2010 and served as the Grisham Writer in Residence at the University of Mississippi the following year. "



I have these three and better get cracking! Hmmmm...

"J" is one of the alphabet letters for February. Which one to read?

Happy new thread, Kim!

How did I not realize that Ward wrote all three of those?! Of course, I've not read any of them, but they're titles are all over the place round these parts. I feel like a dingaling.

>38 scaifea: Hi, Amber! I didn't even realize I had those three in my collection already! Who is the real dingaling? Me!! I thought I should check before I go to the lecture, so that I don't buy a book I already own. Ha. I could still get one of these two...



They all sound great! I think I will try to restrain myself, but I have such a hard time not getting signed copies. ; )

Hi Kim! Happy Wednesday to you. My husband and I got our daughter some tall, small footprint bookcases for her apartment for Christmas. Any chance something like that would work to contain the TBRs?

We're in a snow storm today - so far about 4" and it's supposed to snow all day. It's gorgeous and treacherous out. It's sticky snow, too, so the trees are amazingly beautiful but getting weighted down. Sigh. Not that I want one, but it seems like there might be a power outage in our future as tree limbs come down on power lines.

>40 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. I am actually very happy with my TBR piles under my bedroom windows and I don't have room/wall space for an actual bookcase. If I can just read a few more and keep the stack by my night table reasonable, then all will be good. ; )

Enjoy the beautiful snow, stay warm, and I hope you keep your power!!

Hi Kim! My new thread is https://www.librarything.com/topic/281186 And you are already on thread 3! Wow! I totally want the room at the top of your thread. Ward hasn't been on my radar. She sounds interesting, especially the memoir.

I already had Sing, Unburied Sing on my radar, but with a Mississippi Gulf Coast setting, I'll probably be adding the rest of her books too. I'll wait until I've read the the one to do so though.

Hi Kim, Happy new thread my dear, third one already, wow. I am loving the book storage photos and like a number of them but haven't the room or the funds to do anything.

Hope all is well with you and the family and the weather is good with you, sending love and hugs from both of us dear friend.

>1 Berly: I want! I want!

>42 cammykitty: There you are! I will come over right away and say Hi. : )

>43 thornton37814: I look forward to reading one of her books in February and I have 3 to choose from!

>44 johnsimpson: The family is good. Jack got accepted to another school, so now he has a choice for college! He finished up an application last night and he has one more to do. Then it is a waiting game to see where else he gets in. Final decision sometime in April. Hugs to you and Karen! Oh, and I don't have the funds to do any of the fun storage shots like >1 Berly:, but as I said, a girl can dream!

>45 ChelleBearss: Me, too! Me, too!

Thread three already, Kim? Happy new one and congrats to Jack. It is always good to have choice.

Here's a favorite. Not fancy, but a comfy seat, a floor lamp, and lots of books at hand.

>37 Berly: Get reading there, Twinnie. Lucky you to hear Ward. Also waiting for a report from your book club. No pressure.

>33 rretzler: That is super cool.

I love the opening image. Wouldn't it be great to have an interesting book storage space in every room of the house?

Kim, I love the topper and the other bookshelf images. Congrats on Thread #3. You rock! I liked your comment somewhere up there about how you balance reading with the various groups and doing your own thing. I have found the group reading is not for me, but I am interested in making the attempt for our Two G Reads. I only plan to read the Donna Leon books so maybe I will succeed at joining in every-other-month. I will miss the Hillerman/Longmire books. All good things must end, right?

You are so lucky that many good authors come to Portland. I haven't read anything by Jesmyn Ward…yet. I have Sing, Unburied, Sing out from the library but will take it back unread as my book group will be reading it later this spring and I would like it to be fresh in mind so I'll hold off until then. Enjoy meeting a new author tomorrow night!

>47 Familyhistorian: He is ecstatic to have a choice! Thanks.

>48 weird_O: Oh, I want that in my house!! So bad. : )

>49 BLBera: Jesmyn Ward tonight!!! Yay!!

However, my bookclub let me down last night. Only one other person finished The Power and she is not a fan of Sci Fi. She hated it. We did have an interesting discussion of gender and roles and that led to sexuality, orientation, attraction, and gender neutrality and the use of the pronoun "they" for individuals. That was a great talk. I will write my review of Power later...

>50 Whisper1: I am sad that the Longmire GR has ended. I didn't finish all the books, so I have a few left to read and that makes me happy.

I loved our first Guido book, and I am going to give the other series a try, too.

I feel very fortunate to live in such a literary town. Go Portland! My book club isn't reading Sign, Unburied, Sing until later it the year as well. October I think.

So majleavy has volunteered (I twisted his arm a little, but not too much!) to lead us on a group discussion of And the Earth Did Not Devour Him by Thomas Rivera.



These short stories and vignettes give brief glimpses into the lives of Texan Mexican migrant farm workers and their families, during the 1950s.

We are thinking March and here is his basic plan:

"Kim, I thought about this more in the interstices of the day, and I can be more precise on how I'd like to lead it, if it strikes you and others as suitable:

I always tell my students that the creator(s) of any extended work gives us guidelines at the beginning of the work on how to understand it as we go. Typically, we forget the beginning very quickly and don't benefit from the creator's advice. So, with Rivera, I'd like to work from that premise, not least because I think he gives us unusually clear guidance.

Accordingly, I'd suggest that we read the first chapter and (ideally) post immediately and discuss quickly. That's probably not feasible, but at least consider what to post before moving on, and discuss the chapter fully before moving on to further discussion. The fact that the first chapter is 3 paragraphs followed by 1 1/2 blank pages seems to suggest that Rivera wants us to give serious weight and consideration to that chapter.

Then, the same with the second chapter - which is a couple of sentences on an otherwise blank page. Discuss it on its own and in light of the first chapter. From there, discussion after every other chapter, based on the fact that the book alternates multi-paged chapters with titles and untitled chapters of half a page or less, meaning that the biggest white spaces typically occur after every other chapter.

Beyond that, I would want to start with only one suggestion: stay alert to the book's ellipses, particularly punctuationally - after all, the first word of the title is "...".

Along the way, I'll probably make other suggestions, but I'd rather see what emerges conversationally. Even in the classroom I try to do that, for all that I have specific endpoints in mind; all the more so, then, when reading with my peers.

I am even more intrigued now and I hope some of you are, too! : )

Bummer about your book group. I think The Power would be such a great discussion book; there is so much there. I'm not a huge SF fan/reader either, but the novel is so much more than that.

Enjoy Ward.

Right? I very much enjoyed The Power. It has some upsetting scenes and it isn't a light read, but so thought provoking. And the ending was totally unexpected! I recommend it for sure.

Happy new thread, Kim! Sorry about your book group bummer. I am anxious to read The Power; but I went over the weekend to Powell's to look for it, and it was apparently backordered for all Powell's stores. Also, it's not in paperback, so I can't recommend for our bookgroup.

>56 banjo123: Well, you could recommend it to your bookclub for much later in the year...! ; )

On Sunday night, the girls and I went to a Paint Night Event. Sarah is finally old enough to go (must be 21). So much fun! And they all turned out a little differently. Flowers in a rain boot is very Portland appropriate. LOL

>1 Berly: Oh, how I love that reading nook, Kim!

>37 Berly: Do you know that the PBS NewsHour has teamed up with The New York Times to bring us a new book club called Now Read This. It will allow readers to participate in discussions in real time and ask questions of the authors. The first month's selection is Jesmyn Ward's new novel “Sing, Unburied, Sing.”

>53 Berly: This is probably not something I would normally read, but I've been so intrigued by Michael's description of his teaching and his classes that I might well participate just to get the benefit of his insights.

You are kicking butt on the BingoDOG challenge, Kim!

>57 Berly: Awesome! So, you drink and paint? Both? Was there a model?

>57 Berly: Mrsdrneutron and I are doing one next week!

>53 Berly: I'd suggest that we read the first chapter and (ideally) post immediately and discuss quickly.
Definitely makes for the best shared reading experience, getting that synchronicity is sometimes difficult though. Is this a well known book? i haven't heard of it.

>57 Berly: Very cool! I love how differently they turned out, and all of them so good! I would love to try one of those painting nights, but I'm convinced that mine would look like a 4-year-old did it and I'm not sure I could take that kind of humiliation at this point in my life. *sigh*

>57 Berly: Lovely paintings. Are you going to hang them side by side? I did one once, and it was fun. I should take a picture of my picture to post.

I found The Power very intense, especially toward the end. But I thought she was very deliberate with the violence, making a clear point with it. Also, the ending was amazing - I wasn't paying that much attention to the frame. All of the drawings and chapter titles make sense. LOVED it. Our group discusses it next month. I hope we have a better discussion experience.

>57 Berly: - love the paintings, Prior commitments will keep me from meeting you and Ellen at Powell's today. Have fun.

>61 LovingLit: The Rivera is widely taught in Chicanx or Mexican-American Lit courses (college, mostly), and highly regarded in those circles.

ETA: And my 11th graders love it, too, even though they find it very challenging.

Paint night. Interesting concept and it does sound fun. I love your results.

>57 Berly: SO full of fabulous! How fun that both girls got to go with you.

Happy Friday, Kim!

>58 ronincats: Dang it! I wish my bookclub was reading Sing, Unburied, Sing now instead of October. I may have to read it early...I saw Jesmyn Ward last night at Literary Arts (with Ellen who is in town!) and she was simply amazing. I actually cried twice during her talk, which was beautiful, poignant, and vulnerable. Thanks for mention Now Read This. I will check it out!

Edited to add I joined Now Read This on Facebook. : )

I hope you decide to join Michael on the March read of And the Earth Did Not Devour Him. I am going to try to find a copy today at Powell's. : )

>59 EBT1002: The Bingo Card is not that hard at the beginning of the year...it's toward the end that the last square or two is hard to check off!

>60 drneutron: Ah! You guys will have lots fo fun with the painting. This was the third one I have done. Post a picture!!

>61 LovingLit: I had not heard of this book either, but it sounds interesting and it is an area I could stand to read a bit more about. Also, I think it would be fun to read with Michael's guidance--he is currently teaching this one to his high school class. Join us!

>62 scaifea: The painting with friends is so much fun! You should try it if you get the chance. And if the painting doesn't meed your standards when you finish, toss it away! No harm, no foul. ; )

>63 BLBera: Hanging them side by side might be fun! I will have to see if there is a location in the house. I only have two since Jess took hers to her apartment. Although I was also thinking of taking mine to the office. Hmmm...

I think The Power would make a great discussion book, despite my group's abysmal participation. Gender equity, power and corruption, religion, news reporting, abuse. There is so much to talk about and the ending was awesome!

>64 SuziQoregon: Sorry we won't get to see you today. We'll have to give you more of a heads up when Beth comes this summer.

>65 majleavy: Hoping to find a copy today at Powell's!! Otherwise I'll go on-line and search. : )

>66 RebaRelishesReading: The class is very fun, cocktails help. The instructor has a finished version at the front of the class and then proceeds to explain how to get there, step by step, on a new blank canvas. The class I have attended is called PaintNite and they have tons of locations and different paintings to choose from.

>67 Crazymamie: I love a chance to do things with both my girls! And Sarah was happy to finally be able to go. I have done three now, and have liked them all.

Happy Friday!!

Today, Ellen is visiting from Seattle. She has a few work commitments, but we are trying to sneak in a Powell's visit and who knows what else. In anticipation, I have culled 14 books for trade-in. : )

Hi Kim! Jesmyn Ward was pretty amazing, wasn't she? I am afraid that I won't be able to meet you and Ellen this afternoon either. Have a great time and hopefully next time I can make it.

>72 banjo123: Rats! Were you there last night? We should have gotten together then. Let's do a better job of planning next time. Beth is coming this summer....

Happy newish thread and Happy Friday, Kimberly!! I love the topper. I've been looking for book nooks for my thread and came across many inspirational ideas. AND since we're redecorating Will's baby room I showed Bill some ways we can decorate the closet. I'm not sure if it went over well since I do have the Christmas present fireplace in our bedroom but, you know, I've got to try ;0)

I was very much impressed by Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyne Ward. hint hint

So I'm assuming wine is served to the artists, correct? Well, with or without, you and your daughters created lovely paintings.

>75 Berly: Dream big girlfriend! Otherwise things just don't happen. ; )

I am definitely reading SUS, the only question is when this year. I also have Salvage the Bones, so I might read that first and read SUS when my bookclub does, so it is fresh in my mind to discuss. Not sure I can hold out that long...!

Thanks! I think they all turned out decently. And, yes, my kind of painting usually requires a little liquid refreshment to loosen up the artistic talent, which is mostly latent as far as brushwork goes. They hold the classes in a back room of a bar, so drinks are available. Wine or cocktails. I actually did not partake this last time and I am not sure whether that was better or worse for the finished outcome. ; ) It is also interesting that the artwork has such a different look to it when I step back away from the easel and the brush lines are not as distinct. I think I like my flowers better up close, but the walls and boot better from a distance.

>73 Berly: Yes, we have tickets in the nosebleed section. But honestly we were both kind of ragged last night -- so not sure we'd have been good company. And listening to Jessmyn Ward felt kind of like being stabbed in the heart.

>70 Berly: Yeah - I need a little more lead time. I know Ellen will be back in June so maybe then. Have fun today!

>57 Berly: Love the paintings! I love paint nights. I've only been to one and a pottery and pour night, but I had so much fun!
The Paintnite company sent me an email about plantnite where you get to make a terrarium with succulents. I thought that was a cute idea too

(eta I just realized I used the wrong reference number)

Finally getting over to your new(ish) thread!

I would love to see Jesmyn Ward speak. I saw a TV segment about her, and it was really interesting.

>76 banjo123: Maybe next time. Hope the weekend refreshes you both. I cried twice during Jasmyn Ward's talk. Sadly lacking the beautiful poetry of her talk, but in essence when she kept repeating, "I hope. I hope. I hope." as in she hoped that her daughter and son would bury her, hoped that her son would actually get the chance to grow up and outlive her and not die young like the many memorable examples she shared of young black men/boys dying for no good reason. So sad. So true.



>77 SuziQoregon: We did have fun today! Got to visit Powell's and share dinner together afterwards. Photo of the purchase below...

>78 ChelleBearss: I saw that notice about PlantNite!! Not quite as much my thing, but someday maybe...lots of fun. : )

>79 katiekrug: Her writing is eloquent, honest, disquieting and beautiful. She read from a piece she had written for the evening and it was searing and poetic. She is such a nice person -- Ellen and I got to talk to her for just a little bit afterwards at the Literary Arts reception and she was holding her adorable one-year-old son. So cute!

Okay, here is the Powell's damage. Mind you I culled 14 books today and got trade-in money. I only came home with 6, so not bad!! They are mostly Ellen's fault anyhow. : )



We Were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates (February Black History Month) and BINGO Dog # in the title
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (June RL Bookclub)
Magical Thinking by Augusten Burroughs (January M in title)
Go, Went, Gone by Jeremy Erpenbeck (Beth's Fault!!) (Bingo language translation)
The Soul of the Octopus by Sy Montgomery (Richard, Octopus Man--do you want this after I read it?!)
Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy (Because!)

Ooh, good haul! I loved A Gentleman in Moscow and I need to read me some Coates. I think I sent Richard that octopus book a couple of years ago, though.

>83 ronincats: Well, then I won't send the Octopus to him again! LOL. I have heard good things about AGiM and look forward to reading it later this year. I am going to start the Coates in February, but might spread the essays out over the year.

It's January 19 and you're already screwed for February, aren't you? ;-)

>85 EBT1002: I believe I just said that to you!! So much for spontaneous reading. Way overbooked already. LOL



(above) In our PJs happy about our Powell's purchases.

(below) And Kim telling Hubby to quit taking pictures! ; )

>82 Berly: Good book haul, Kim, and you can feel so virtuous with taking in those 14 books WIN/WIN. >86 Berly: Great pic!

Wow! Lots happening over here. Hooray for the Ward author event, Powells, the book haul and a lovely Meet Up with Ellen! It all sounds wonderful. I am so glad you snagged a copy of A Gentleman. You will love it.

Have you watched Portlandia? I have wanted to watch it forever and finally started it last night. Sure, it is strange and wacky, but it can also be explosively funny. At the bare minimum you would enjoy the locales. I am a big fan of Carrie Brownstein.

What lovely Meetup photos, Kim. You and Ellen look so cozy and happy.

I loved the paintings you and your girls did. They're all 3 of them really wonderful ... hey, at least you ladies painted well enough so I could see immediately what the subject of the painting was. If I had been there .... well, there would have been 3 lovely boots with flowers in them and a striped background and then there would have been 1blue melting Gumby with some colored amoebas on spikes. It would have been the stuff of nightmares.

>82 Berly: Oh, excellent haul! I loved Far from the Madding Crowd!

We're going to be in Portland in April (to meet our new grandson who is due this week) and I would love it if I could meet some of you who live up there. Any chance of a meet-up?

>82 Berly:, >83 ronincats:, >84 Berly: Yep. Got that one securely fastened to my blog.

Saturday *smooches*

>87 Familyhistorian: Thanks! I am a winner! ; )

>88 msf59: I have watched many episodes of Portlandia. The are definitely off the beaten track, but worth the laughs. I love Carrie Brownstein! Read her book and briefly met her in person two years ago at Wordstock. I was in charge of the celebrity break room (a mighty fine volunteer position I might add!).

>89 cameling: Ellen and I had a wonderful meet-up and spent hours talking books, buying books, talking books and eating.

LOL! Your fantasized horrendous painting description: "1 blue melting Gumby with some colored amoebas on spikes." I am sure it would not be that bad. Come visit and let's see! ; )

>90 scaifea: I am so excited for The Madding Crowd! It is not on any list I have (although I am sure I can fit it into some CAT challenge somewhere), but I have heard the name so many times and now I am glad to hear you are a fan. The Amber Stamp of Approval carries weight!

>91 RebaRelishesReading: Absolutely! I am sure a few of us here would love to get together with you. Send me the dates and lets start planning. And congrats on the reason for the visit--a new grandson on the way--how exciting! :)

>92 richardderus: At least you know I was thinking of you! Smooch.

Hey! RebaRelishesReading is headed to Portland in April and BLBera and Ellen are coming in June! I have set up a thread so we can talk about visits and who can come and what we want to do. : )



Visitors!!

https://www.librarything.com/topic/285123

Nice haul, Twin. Love the pics as well. You both look --- relaxed. :) Thanks for setting up the thread.

>86 Berly: Great pics!

>95 Berly: Enjoy your meet-ups! I wish I could go to some this year but I don't see that happening :(

>96 BLBera: Thanks, Twin. We look relaxed, ha! It was hard work deciding what books to purchase. Definitely needed that glass of wine. : ) You will have to let us know what days work best for you in June as we get closer. I think Ellen has a business trip down here again around the 20-22 of June I think. Might there be an overlap?

>97 banjo123: : ) Need some new ones with you in them!

>98 ChelleBearss: This year might be a tad hard to pull off, but meet-ups will keep happening and soon you will be part of them. : ) I, for one, would love to meet you!

Gah, I can't keep up with this thread!

But gorgeous book nook in the header. Thanks for posting it.

It reminds me of this Rock, Paper, Cynic comic.

>86 Berly: Such fun photos!! Looks like the two of you had so much fun!

>100 libraryperilous: I am keeping up here, but way behind everywhere else if that makes you feel any better. : )

Love that comic!! Thanks for sharing.

>101 ronincats: A fun, fun time! Ellen just cracks me up. And, of course, wine and books help, too.

Oh wonderful picture of you and Ellen! And I think Beth and you have got me with Go, Went, Gone I already checked my library and no copies there! I really need a book nook such as is picture on top of your thread. My sister just came by for a visit and asked if there was any room for at the kitchen table , due to my stacks of TBR books .

Portland meetup! Portland meetup! Portland meetup!
(I can't come, but I don't want to miss out on the fun)

>86 Berly: - What fun!! Book shopping AND a sleepover! :-)

Hi Kim, I'm just back from vacation with no hope of catching up, but I did enjoy the photo of you and Ellen. Looks like a great meetup! Two lucky ladies.

Belatedly stopping by to say happy new thread Kim and congrats on a great book haul! From your last thread it's great to hear that your son got his first college acceptance and that you're enjoying your Octavia Butler class - I love her books and hope to read one of her other series this year (I read the Parable duology last year).

Happy Sunday, Kimmers! Glad you are a fan of Portlandia and Carrie Brownstein. I loved her memoir too. Hooray for meeting her.

Somehow, I still have 90 pages left in Black Swan Green. I hope to make a big dent in that today. I am liking it a lot.

So Ellen says you didn't rubbish me to her face.

Best I can hope for, I suppose. *smooch*

>103 vancouverdeb: That's funny about the kitchen table. My books hardly ever wind up there. Many other places, but not there! LOL.

>104 LovingLit: Yay! You are here in spirit. : )

>105 jessibud2: I highly recommend it.

>106 lauralkeet: I was just on your thread and the vacation sounded wonderful! Not as much fun as my sleepover, but close. LOL

>107 souloftherose: Said son has now gotten into three colleges, so he is very happy. Still waiting to hear from his top pick, but they won't respond for quite some time. And speaking of Octavia Butler, I need to finish Parable of the Sower before my class on Tuesday! Yikes.

>108 msf59: I have to finish ^^ first, and then it is back to Black Swan Green. Where does all my time go?

>109 richardderus: There was absolutely no "rubbish me to her face." I extolled your virtues endlessly!! : )

Son is on the mountain skiing. Daughter #2 is visiting friends in Corvallis returning by bus this afternoon. Daughter #1 is in Disneyland. My life is not as exciting. (Ellen I miss you!)

I have done laundry, the dishes, paid the bills, and now I am happily watching the Australian Open tennis. And the Vikings football. Not much reading. I have 100 pages to go on Parable of the Sower for my Tuesday class. Ummm....

: )

Hello Kim! I am slowly poking my head into some threads over here. I am taking a year off from having a thread in the 75er group. Congratulations on your son getting into his first college choice! Isn't it fun to "test drive" cars with rentals? ;-)

Paint Night Event sounds like a lot of fun! Love the images created by you and your girls.

>86 Berly: - Fabulous meetup photo!

Wishing you a fabulous week.

>4 Berly: I've read the first three of your RL book club books and enjoyed all of them. Very different but all good reads. Hope you enjoy them too. The Rinker Buck book about the Oregon Trail was educational and entertaining.

>112 Berly: Your day sounds a lot like mine although mine included putting Christmas decorations away! We are ready to settle in to the Vikings game.

>113 lkernagh: I am wishing you lots of luck with your ROOT and CAT challenges. Just don't be a total stranger over here! Loved my rental "test" drive for sure. And I am glad you enjoyed all my pictures. My favorite is me reaching for my hubby to get him to stop taking photos. He took like 20!! I deleted most of them, but he made us laugh.

>114 witchyrichy: Well, that's a good sign that you give a thumbs up to my planned reads for the bookclub.

Go Vikings!! The rest of my family are all living in MN. Gotta go for the Purple. : )

It's not looking good for the MN Vikings.

Luckily, I also lived in Massachusetts 5 times, so Go Patriots!!

* sticks neck out *

*** GO EAGLES !!! ***

Happy Monday, Kim!

>99 Berly: I would love to meet you too!
Hopefully as the girls get older we will do more travelling in the USA again. We use to do much more travelling than we do now and I miss it!
The only meet-up I've been to so far was to meet Claudia (Cee) and her hubby Ron when they came on vacation to Nova Scotia.

>112 Berly: Looks like you enjoyed your kid-less day!

Hiya, Kim. What caused you to live in Massachusetts 5 times? My dad and wife both grew up there (him near Boston, and her in the Berkshires).

Hi Kim and happy Monday to you.

Excellent book haul. I do love Thomas Hardy and that book about octopuses looks fascinating. They are fascinating creatures, for sure. I heard a Science Friday story about them on NPR a while back and was amazed at how intelligent they are.

Since my Panthers didn't make it, I'd like to see the Eagles win. ABtP. Anybody but the Patriots. They're good, they won fair and square, but still.

Morning, Kim! All caught up here - loved the photo of you and Ellen in jammies with wine. Now what could be better than that?!

What Mamie said! So many books I want to read with you all all at once. Well, that won't happen. Sigh.

When is the majleavy-led read happening? I'll make room for it.

>117 lauralkeet: I thought I heard something...nah, it must be my imagination. ; )

>118 ChelleBearss: Well, how fun that you got to meet Cee and Ron!! Someday, we'll meet. When we are both kid-less! (Mine will be out of the house soonish; you are going to have to find a babysitter. LOL)

>119 jnwelch: My Dad changed jobs (Sudbury and Wellesley), then I went to Amherst for college, and I forgot to count Harvard for a summer term doing Organic Chemistry, then stayed after graduation and lived off the green line in Boston proper and then in Weymouth. That makes 6. LOL

>120 karenmarie: I am excited to read both the Hardy and the octopuses!

We can still be friends even though you like the Eagles. : )

>121 Crazymamie: What could be better? YOU, me and Ellen in our jammies drinking wine. LOL

>122 ffortsa: I am trying to post my reading plans up above if you want to check it out.
>2 Berly: >4 Berly: >5 Berly:.

Would love to have you join the majleavy-led discussion of And the Earth Did Not Devour Him by Thomas Rivera! It is going to be in March. I just ordered a copy today because my library and Powell's did not have copies. Might be a little hard to find, so take a look.

>123 Berly: Ha! 17.5 more years (if I'm lucky!)

>125 ChelleBearss: Your kids either have to become good at traveling or you need to find a babysitter! You can't wait that long to travel and have all-important LT meet-ups. : )

>124 Berly: What Kim said.

Which edition did you order, the older hardcover or the newer paperback?

A word of warning to folk: if you look at the first half of the book, you'll think it's Spanish ('cuz it is) - the volume contains both the Spanish-language original and the English translation. It's a short book, by the way - maybe 80 pages with lots of white space.

>57 Berly: Our office manager periodically goes to wine and art. The images she paints are very good.
>86 Berly: How wonderful! What a great image.

>82 Berly: Hooray for Powell's and meetups! Great book haul! I loved Soul of the Octopus. Have you seen the recent (2015?) film of Far From the Madding Crowd? I think it's beautiful. I just watched it again with daughter and husband. They were both completely frustrated by it. I told them that was the point...

>123 Berly: Wow, 6 times!

I went to Harvard undergrad and lived in Brookline one summer, and then son #1 went to Tufts, plus we've done a lot of visits to Boston, and Pittsfield where Madame MBH grew up. But I'd have a hard time getting it to add up to much beyond once.

Let’s see I think I’m caught up. Painting, meet up, Powell’s, author reading, Harvard, (I despise the Patriots) and Powell’s. There. Carry on Kim.

Hi Kim! Happy newish thread.

I like the paintings; when my parents were here last, the kids and I took them to a café where you can paint after your meal. There was no subject to paint - we just had to use our imagination - but it was fun painting together (no alcohol involved, though). Even my dad got into it, somewhat.

>112 Berly: Aww. And I love that I can picture all this! I hope Jack had a blast on the slopes, Sarah had fun in Corvallis, and Jess' trip to Disneyland is as fun as she was hoping (and maybe as special as you were thinking).

Real life is way busier than having two days to hang out with you, talk books, and play on LT. I liked that better!!!

>127 majleavy: Paperback. I did notice that it included both Spanish and (thank goodness) English.

>128 Whisper1: The art nights are very fun and if the final product is not quite what I want, it doesn't have to hang on the wall. ; )

>129 nittnut: Good to know that the movie is frustrating! But you loved it. I will bear that in mind as I read the book and I'd love to see the movie after I finish.

>130 jnwelch: I worked on a nerve regeneration research project on a grant from Harvard while I was downtown Boston and then when I completely changed careers and worked for an advertising company, I lived in Weymouth. I know, I know. Kinda split personality. LOL. Have I mentioned my other jobs after that? Ha!

>131 brenzi: That about sums it up. Why did it take me so much longer to explain all that? ; ) Nice to see you!!

>132 humouress: That sounds like fun! I used to take the kids to paint pottery, right next door to this restaurant we love. We still have some of the pieces.

>133 EBT1002: All the kids had a great time, although Jess got stung by a bee.

>118 ChelleBearss: that is so cool- I remember that (Chelle meeting Cee....)

My meet up wish list is extensive, and far flung. :)

'Morning, Kim!

>124 Berly: Whew! What a relief! *smile*

I think it would be dangerous to live in Portland when so many LTers come and all want to meet up at Powell's. ;-)

>126 Berly: Chloe has been a pretty good traveler so far. She's been to Cape Breton, Albert, British Columbia and up north on our summer trip last year. We shall see how Ellie does. I'd love to go south next winter and perhaps some short trips in the USA.
I think my MIL will watch the girls this summer so Nate and I can take a small weekend trip. Hopefully, anyway

>136 LovingLit: Come to Canada, Megan!

Morning Kim! The Vikings DID do terribly, didn't they? Luckily, I don't follow football much, so I wasn't watching the game. I was busy spending time with my family. Though I WILL be watching the Superbowl. Safely from my living room. I will NOT be tailgating in downtown Minneapolis. No, no, no. Lol.

Hi Kim.

Nice pile of books from your Powell's visit.
>86 Berly: Great photos too.

>117 lauralkeet: I'll be rooting for the Eagles too. I never watch NFL until the college football season is over.

>138 thornton37814: more fun than dangerous ;-)

>141 SuziQoregon: I was thinking dangerous to the pocketbook.

Happy Tuesday, Kimmers.

Hi Kim!! Thanks for occasionally dropping by my profile page and saying HI! :D

Sorry buddy, but I'm with Laura and Juli and just about anyone with sense: Go Eagles!

(I hate the Patriots almost as much as I hate the Ducks!)

>145 EBT1002: Well at least we can agree on one of those ;-)

>136 LovingLit: That is the best kind of meet-up list to have! "Extensive, and far flung!" : )

>137 karenmarie: Evening, Karen! Always. : )

>138 thornton37814: I am willing to live with the danger. I am just that kind of person.

>139 ChelleBearss: Sounds like your girls will be up for the adventure and you will not be home forever. Besides, I kinda enjoyed the kids when they were that small -- I didn't feel "stuck" -- it was a wonderful period in my life and one that I truly appreciated. Have fun with it!

>136 LovingLit: And fly thru Portland on your way!

>140 The_Hibernator: I watched the first half and then kinda checked in every once in a while, but it was already a lost cause. I think you are a very wise woman to watch from the comfort of home!! How was the snow dump for you? My sister said she got about a foot and was out shoveling in the wee hours.

>141 SuziQoregon: Hi!

>142 thornton37814: I am trying not to go to Powell's unless I have some trade-ins. I have less guilt that way. : )

>143 richardderus: I am ready for Tuesday to be over!! Is it too early to say Happy Wednesday?

Canada? Love to!
Portland? Love to!
I guess its settled then. As soon as I hit the jackpot, I'll be winging my way ;)

Here is the GR thread for Arthur & George!
http://www.librarything.com/topic/285288

>144 jolerie: My pleasure. Is that the best place to come and bug you? ; )

>145 EBT1002: Are you saying I am senseless? The nerve!! I am not actually a big football fan in general, but I used to watch the Patriots with my Dad when we lived in MA, so I have fond memories. I have no connection to the Eagles. So....fly away little birdie!!

>146 SuziQoregon: : P

I have never felt so unloved on my own thread. {Sob} Go Patriots!! {Sobs some more}

>149 LovingLit: Somebody loves me!! : )

You are quick! And get points. I finished one book last night, but I have 100 pages left on Black Swan Green before I can open Arthur & George.

Re you post to jolerie (My pleasure. Is that the best place to come and bug you?)
It's just what I was saying to her!
There is a thread :) I found it :) You can too :)

I found her!!! Yay!

Hi Val. : )

>145 EBT1002: All this is a foreign language to me. If, on the other hand, you mention Manchester City, Chelsea, Barcelona, PSG, Ajax, Dortmund and so on ... these are words I'm forced to learn the meaning of by osmosis, they get thrown around here so frequently by my boys.

I have heard of half of those teams! LOL

>146 SuziQoregon: :-)

>155 Berly: Me too.

*trundles off to look for Valerie's thread*

AlphaCAT challenge--read something with a V (This gets double points!)
Vittorio the Vampire by Anne Rice 2.75

This is the start of a vampire new series, with the young Vittorio, set in the Italian Age of Gold. I was not impressed. It felt whiny and I was disappointed because I have loved her other works. Oh well. I would still try others of hers. For now, the good news -- it is now off my shelves. Hurrary!

I totally binged on Anne Rice books when I was in high school? That was ages ago, but I do have a stack of her books in my library. For nostalgic sake, I will probably one day reread all of them again.

I haven't read any of the books written by Anne Rice. I have a feeling that I should do so.

Happy day to you Kim! It is grey, then sunny, grey, then sunny. Ah, Ha...I see a snow flake.

>82 Berly: Outstanding book haul from Powell's! What fun!
>86 Berly: Terrific pajama party pics! Who says readers don't know how to party.

>82 Berly:, >86 Berly: That's what we're talking about! Great book haul, great photos. I'm aiming for June - thanks for the card! It just arrived.

>159 Whisper1: Linda, I would strongly recommend Interview with the Vampire and I would not recommend much else by Anne Rice. I enjoyed a few of her other works. Lasher is memorable. But that first one was her most outstanding work. She evokes ghostly New Orleans as well as anyone.

Hi Kim!

Hey Kim. Just wanted to say how much I will miss that topper when you start a new thread. Just sayin'... ;-)

>57 Berly: >62 scaifea: Amber, I share your feelings. I am just not creatively wired when it comes to painting. Kim, all of them turned out wonderfully.

>123 Berly: I also took organic chem over the summer term - unfortunately, I did mine while I was at home at the University of Steubenville, which I think might still have been the College of Steubenville at that time, certainly nothing like Harvard. But the prof was very good, and the labs were excellent.

>86 Berly: Great photos! Sounds like a great time.

>158 jolerie: I really liked her other Vampire series, but this one...not so sure.

>159 Whisper1: They are fun reads, Linda. You should read one. I recommend Interview with the Vampire.

>160 Carmenere: Readers know how to spend their money wisely (on books) and how to party!! LOL

>161 jnwelch: See you in June!! ; )

Everyone's reading Nickleby! (Well, at least two people) - and you're also reading Black Swan Green which is one of those books I've nearly started reading a handful of times, but just haven't quite gotten around to it.

>162 EBT1002: I like more of Ann Rice's works than you do. I liked the Vampire Chronicles. : )

>163 jessibud2: You could steal that topper and put it on your next one. And I will try my best to find another equally good one. Promise!

>164 rretzler: Hi Robin! A fellow Orgo sufferer! (Okay, maybe you enjoyed it. Me, not so much. LOL)

Book buying and hanging out with Ellen was a blast. And it looks like there are other LTers visiting Portland this years, so I am psyched. : )

>166 evilmoose: No, I WAS reading Nickleby. And I have stalled out. I really need to get back to it, but I have overcommitted all the way around. I was enjoying it though and hope I get back to it sometime soon.

Black Swan Green was a rough start. The accent and vocabulary took a while to get into, but I am very glad I stuck with it. So worth it! You should pull it off your shelves and open it up. ; )

I read all of Rice's (at the time current) books the summer between high school and college and loved them, but I think now I wouldn't so much... I'm sorry that Vittorio didn't work for you (I can't even remember what that one's about!).

>157 Berly: Yay for a book of the shelf!
That reminds me that I purchased a bunch of her stuff and never read it. I should do that ... sometime ;-p

>148 Berly: Our snow dump was about 12 inches, and Aaron did the shoveling since my lungs are still tired out from the flu. I didn't want to exacerbate my cough. He's been exhausted ever since. Our snowblower died, and he hasn't had a chance to replace it yet!

>150 Berly: Deflategate. 'Nuff said.

*snerk*

>169 scaifea: I read a lot of Ann Rice when I was younger, too. It may be that's just the right time to read her, or it may be that Vittorio just isn't her best. IDK!

>170 ChelleBearss: I enjoyed a lot of her work, and I hope you do, too.

>171 The_Hibernator: If you live in MN, a snowblower is definitely a good thing! I hope you get a new one soon. Rest up you guys!

>172 richardderus: Ha!

>173 drneutron: Double *snerk*

Hi Kim!

I read and loved Interview with a Vampire and The Vampire Lestat but got bogged down in The Queen of the Damned.

North Carolina version of a snowblower = leaf blower and powder snow. It definitely worked for the 3-4" we got in early January.

Howdy, Kimmers! How are you coming on Black Swan Green? I NEED to draw up my Marky-Mark Mini-Review.

I received your postcard, along with Ellens. This put the biggest smile on my face. I love them and so did Sue. Thank you.

Wow, Portland is the hot spot of 2018! Wish I could join you on the April visit but I'll be in Australia and then LA for the last 3 weeks of April. Needless to say, Meetup photos are a must! :-)

>175 karenmarie: Hey there! I made it through The Queen fo the Damned, in fact, I just counted and I have read 9 of Rice's books. Vittorio is my lowest rating.

A leaf blower would probably work pretty well here in Portland, too, as long as the snow wasn't too wet.

>176 msf59: I finished Black Swan Green last night and hope to get out a review this weekend. Also completed Parable of the Sower. I better get busy!

Glad you got the postcard and a smile. : )

>177 cameling: I think a lot of people have relatives here in Portland. That and Powell's. : ) Whatever the reason, I am glad we are "hot spot" right now. LOL I am sure we will take photos. Sorry you are booked for April. There's always June....!

SO sad to hear about the passing of Ursula K. LeGuin. I will absolutely read a new-to-me book this year in her memory. I have 5 of hers marked as read here on LT, but I am pretty sure I am really at about 7 or 8. I will have to research more. This is such a loss. Swamped for February. Thinking March or April. She lived in Portland.

>174 Berly: I read a few in high school and then stalled (after buying more, of course). I enjoyed Interview with a Vampire.

>172 richardderus: I'm amazed they restrained themselves from going with "I don't touch my balls" or something similar. It must have been one of the ones on the drawing table.

Happy Saturday, Kimmers. 48 hours...Just sayin...

Good morning, Kim! Happy Saturday to you.

All caught up with you, Kim! Hoping that you weekend is full of fabulous!

Have a great weekend, Twin. I didn't know that LeGuin lived in Portland.

Good morning everyone! I am feeling very productive today. I have already done two loads of laundry, watered the plants, did a load of dishes and went for an hour walk. Yay! I still have a few things, but I've earned a break. : )

My Dad sent me some more words of wisdom, which made me laugh, so here goes:

THE FOUR STAGES OF LIFE:
1) You believe in Santa Claus.
2) You don't believe in Santa Claus.
3) You are Santa Claus.
4) You look like Santa Claus.

GREAT TRUTHS THAT LITTLE CHILDREN HAVE LEARNED:
1) No matter how hard you try, you can't baptize cats..
2) When your Mom is mad at your Dad, don't let her brush your hair.
3) If your sister hits you, don't hit her back. They always Catch the second person.
4) Never ask your 3-year old brother to hold a tomato.
5) You can't trust dogs to watch your food..
6) Don't sneeze when someone is cutting your hair..
7) Never hold a Dust-Buster and a cat at the same time.
8) You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
9) Don't wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts.
10) The best place to be when you're sad is Grandma's lap.

GREAT TRUTHS THAT ADULTS HAVE LEARNED:
1) Raising teenagers is like nailing Jello to a tree.
2) Wrinkles don't hurt.
3) Families are like fudge...mostly sweet, with a few nuts.
4) Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.
5) Laughing is good exercise. It's like jogging on the inside.
6) Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy.

GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT GROWING OLD
1) Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.
2) Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.
3) When you fall down, you wonder what else you can do while you're down there.
4) You're getting old when you get the same sensation from a rocking chair that you once got from a roller coaster.
5) It's frustrating when you know all the answers but nobody bothers to ask you the questions.
6) Time may be a great healer, but it's a lousy beautician.
7) Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone.

I hope you get a laugh out of these!! Happy Saturday. : )

>179 Berly: *Sob* It's good we have a good collection of her stories to read and re-read.

>186 Berly: My kids got a giggle from the Santa Claus part. They aren't quite old enough to appreciate the rest. Lol

I hope your weekend is wonderful!

Happy Saturday, Kim! My, how productive you've been - now knock it off, you're making me look bad. LOVED the words of wisdom. These are my two favorites:

Raising teenagers is like nailing Jello to a tree.

Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone.

>187 nittnut: I think I read somewhere that the CAT challenge might be doing a June read of any of LeGuin's works--I have to check that out some more. I am in for that!

The Santa ones were actually my favorites! I also like don't hide your broccoli in your milk. Ha!

Have a great weekend. : )

>188 Crazymamie: Sorry about making you feel bad. I promise it won't happen again. ; )

I am almost done being productive. I read another chapter to my daughter for her class. (I kinda forgot about those reading commitments when I planned for February. Poor Nicholas Nickleby didn't stand a chance. I will have to get back to him later.)

Lastly, I have to pick up my oldest from her apartment and take her over to the car dealership to get a loaner while they do some work on her car.

THEN!...I am meeting up with some girlfriends for Happy Hour. : ) And tonight I plan on watching the Australian Women's Open Final tonight. (I have it recorded--don't tell me who won!)

I liked the jello one, too. And "Families are like fudge...mostly sweet, with a few nuts."

Happy Saturday, Crazy!!!

>190 Berly: No, I said look bad. I feel fine.

I think my family is probably more like peanut brittle - mostly nuts.

Have fun tonight!

LOL!!! And thanks. : )

>186 Berly: 6) Time may be a great healer, but it's a lousy beautician.

I just want to know whose luggage order I got...I *know* I didn't ask for these bags under my eyes.

I am the very vision of the Santa Claus one, since I used to play Santa at a department store.

>186 Berly: *snort*
I got a laugh from Chloe with the "don't sneeze when someone is cutting your hair" as she just got her hair cut!

today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground

I love that! Words to live by

>186 Berly: Love the wisdom and the laughs that are in your post from your dad. My dad passed away 11 years ago at the youngish age of 66, and I miss him quite a bit. His nuggets of wisdom lay more along the lines of don't believe everything people tell you, buyer beware and he had a cracking good sense of humour .

I can attest to this and many others Time may be a great healer, but it's a lousy beautician.

>186 Berly: Hi, Kim.
5) It's frustrating when you know all the answers but nobody bothers to ask you the questions

That's why I love being a teacher: I have all the questions in the world to answer (although the ones about oral sex always catch me off-balance).

Happy weekend, Kim! Your dad's wisdom is so cute.

>193 richardderus: That was another favorite one that rang true. Got any pictures of you as Santa? : )

>194 ChelleBearss: That is truly a dangerous time to sneeze!! Glad she didn't.

>195 brenzi: I think many people who think outside the box and have innovative new ideas are considered nuts. Long may they hold their ground and grow!!

>196 vancouverdeb: I am sorry your dad is not around anymore. Glad these sayings made you think of him with fondness.

Sadly true. I can attest. ; )

>197 majleavy: The man with the answers AND the questions! Lucky guy. Pass on the oral sex questions. LOL

>198 banjo123: Happy weekend!! What's left of it. Glad you enjoyed the words of wisdom. I certainly did!

The Australian Open--what I spent my weekend watching. I was bummed Halep lost, but she just was not feeling 100%. Totally psyched that Federer won his 20th Grand Slam Title. He went like four years without winning. And now--what a comeback!

>201 Berly:, Hi Kim, i watched the highlights this afternoon and was pleased for Roger and at the end i have never seen him as emotional as he was after the presentation. He is a top guy and still has the will to win at 36, the others need to look at Roger and think about what he does if they want to be winners. It will be a very sad day when he decides to hang his racquet up.

I have finished what I can in January and I am off to February!

>202 johnsimpson: It will be a sad day indeed when Federer retires. But lets not go there yet--he just won a Grand Slam!! It was nice to see how emotional he got after winning. You could tell it meant so much to him and that he was humbled by his own success.

If I had more time in the day, I would seriously contemplate picking up a racquet again. I haven't played much since high school, so I am sure it would be very humbling, but it is so much fun to play. My mom was an excellent player and kept at it until just the last two years. She is 77. : )

>186 Berly: LOVE IT!! My serious favorite is "Today's might oak..." but I laughed hardest at the ones about children. I liked it so much that I stole it and posted it on Facebook.

>205 RebaRelishesReading: Yay! So glad you enjoyed them. Spreading smiles is fun. : )

>199 Berly: Prior to the advent of phone cameras, I think I have one or two photos of myself, and NONE of them as Santa!

Federer did himself and the entire game of tennis proud. His grateful graciousness in victory was inspiring.

>207 richardderus: Dang it! I so wanted to see you going Ho! Ho! Ho! ; ) Why so few photos of yourownself? I think you are pretty photogenic.

Exactly.

>208 Berly: I don't keep photos. I never have, for some reason. They vanish, I don't miss them, I don't think of taking more.

??

I've always been that way and it's driven others nuts! They send me photos of themselves and their kids and grandkids and get zip in return. "Do you still have hair? Teeth?" one old friend asked. "Some," I responded..."of which one?!" "Both."

But a photo? Whyever?

LOL. Well, in your honor, this is one from about 6 years ago. : )

Thanks for the giggles Kim! That list helped ease the Sunday..dreading the Mondays blues. :D

Nice reading haul for January. Here's to February being a smash hit as well!

Hi Kim!

>201 Berly: Yay Roger! GOAT. Be off, pretenders, Roger's the one!!

That is an impressive amount of meet-ups you have planned, Kim. Portland sounds like a fun place to visit. Love your Dad's words of wisdom.

Hurrah for Roger! Are you wet up there? Looked like systems coming into the Northwest while we were dry and 79 degrees here today at the house.

>203 Berly: Ohh, Alias Grace! One of my all time faves!

>210 Berly: Oh my! Yes, that was a good while ago, I could still walk then. I mean walk as in a good distance. I'm still ambulatory, though not terribly.

*smooch*

Hi Kim, hope you and the family had a good weekend my dear and that you have a good week ahead. Sending love and hugs to you and the family dear friend from both of us.

>210 Berly: aw, you guuuuys :)

>203 Berly: looks like you have a great Feb lined up!! I fear aside from Arthur & George, I will have little reading that isn't my interview transcripts, over and over and over again. There is the little matter of Barkskins as well though....

>211 jolerie: The Monday Blues are over! Now, will it be Tuesday Tantrums or Terrific Tuesday? Glad you got a giggle over the words of wisdom list. : )

>212 karenmarie: Exactly!!! : )

>213 Familyhistorian: Portland is indeed a fun place to visit! Shall I book you a room? : ) Seriously, though, all these wonderful people are coming out here for other reasons and are nice enough to spare some time to visit and we Portland LTers just want to give a warm welcome.

>214 ronincats: Oh, sure. Rub it in. It was actually on the dry side until this afternoon and we just had a wicked drenching. Glad I was inside!! Enjoy your dry and nice warm weather. : P

>215 ChelleBearss: I have read it before, but it was ages ago. So a re-read for me. We are spreading it over two months, because this particular RL bookclub is notoriously bad at finishing and at 450+ pages, I knew they wouldn't get to the end. The crowd seemed excited about splitting the read into two parts, so we shall see how they do. : )

>216 richardderus: Good times, right? : ) Smooch.

>217 johnsimpson: So glad to hear your son already has a job offer. Now I hope Karen is feeling up to snuff again.

>218 LovingLit: It was so fun to meet Richard in person. I can't believe it was that long ago!

About Barkskins...I know I wanted to read it in February, but it is a tome and I am overbooked. Can we push it out a wee bit? What do you think?

>186 Berly: All too true! Thanks for the giggles!

>220 Berly: I just created a thread for the group read of Barkskins. But you can always jump in later.

I think I may take the drenching over yet more snow which I woke up to this morning. Grrr... I'm so over winter already ...

Edited because I missed >221 rretzler: Hi there, Robin!! Glad to share some smiles. : )

>222 FAMeulstee: Awesome! I am going to get there, as quick as I can! I am just slowed down by all the school reading with my daughter, which I kinda spaced when I was making my plans. : /

>223 cameling: On my hilly drive, I will take rain over snow most of the time. Stay warm!!!

Hi Kim and happy Tuesday to you.

>186 Berly: I sent these to my sister just now - she's going in for kidney stone surgery tomorrow and needs a laugh.

>203 Berly: Ooh - excellent choices for February

Kim, new info on the God Stalk thread you might have an interest in!

>165 Berly: Interview With a Vampire is now on the tbr pile. Thanks for recommending this one.

>186 Berly: Love them, but of course my favorite is: 10) The best place to be when you're sad is Grandma's lap.

Good Feb. reading plans, Twinnie.

I hope to get to the first Butler next week.

>186 Berly: Kim, I love those words of wisdom from your dad. I paid particular attention to the ones on aging. I need all the humor I can get on that topic. 😉

Swamped at work. Pulled a 12-hour day. Thanks for saying Hi! everyone and I'll answer you tomorrow. : )

>178 Berly: I loved Black Swan Green. Great book by an excellent writer.

Boo to long work days! Hope you have a rest day coming soon :)

Hey Kimmers. Your dad's wisdom is pretty cute and the photo of you and Richard is darn cute!

Wow 12 hours! Hopefully you had some breaks in between to rest your hard working feet.

12 hour workdays. Hahahahahaha

I don't work anymore! *nyaaaaaaaaaaaaaah*

Hang in there, Kim!

12 hour work days, I remember them well when I worked in the mining industry. I enjoyed them at the time but wouldn't want to do them now. Rest up my dear and recharge your batteries dear friend.

>225 karenmarie: Hope the surgery went well for your sister. Don't show them to her again now, because laughing might hurt. ; )

>226 SuziQoregon: Why thank you! I am truly looking forward to my February reads.

>227 ronincats: Oooh! Goody. I will head over there ASAP.

>228 Whisper1: Interview with a Vampire is a fun one! Hope you enjoy.

>229 BLBera: And, of course, you would like that one--you're a grandma!! LOL

>230 Donna828: Aging. Nothing you can do but make fun of it, accept and move on. Sigh. ; )

>232 sirfurboy: Hey there! Nice to see you. I have also read Cloud Atlas and loved that one. I have Bone Clocks waiting for me...

>233 ChelleBearss: Rest day won't come 'till Saturday, but I'm hanging in there.

>234 EBT1002: Thanks!! Glad you enjoyed them both. I try.

>235 jolerie: Actually, it was my buns that needed a rest. Spent most of my day in a chair staring at numbers on a screen. Blech. But I made a SERIOUS dent in the paperwork pile and today it is almost gone. Of course, what is left are all the things that were hard to match or need more info on and they will take a while.

>236 richardderus: Me no likey you. : P

>237 katiekrug: I am hanging for dear life!! (Having fingers instead of hooves helps.)



>238 johnsimpson: Ugh. 12-hour days are the worst. Especially when uplanned for. Ah well. Today I am actually taking a break for lunch (I am here!) and it should be a regular day. Can't complain too much. Just the occasional whine. ; ) What did you do in mining? I didn't know you worked there.

Kim, I get the feeling that Richard didn't like you posting his photo >236 richardderus: >210 Berly: