Joe's Book Cafe Door 15

Illustrations by Ryo Takemasa

Welcome back to the cafe!

My reading so far.

January, 2018

1. Artemis by Andy Weir
2. Bella Poldark by Winston Graham
3. Loose Woman by Sandra Cisneros
4. God Stalk by P.C. Hodgell
5. Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens
6. The Tuesday Club Murders by Agatha Christie
7. The Austen Escape by Katherine Reay
8. Bizarre Space A Kid's Guide by Jenn Dlugos and Charlie Hatton
9. Lessons on Expulsion by Erika L. Sanchez
10. Binti The Night Masquerade by Nnedi Okorafor
11. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
12. Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
13. Warcross by Marie Lu
14. Hardcore Twenty-Four by Janet Evanovich
15. The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

February 2018

16. The Odyssey translated by Emily Wilson
17. Neogenesis by Sharon Lee
18. The Pyramid of Mud by Andrea Camilleri
19. Girl in a Plain Brown Wrapper by John D. MacDonald
20. A Tan and Sandy Silence by John D. MacDonald
21. Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney
22. Shock by Shock by Dean Young
23. A Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths
24. Lightning Blade by D.N. Erikson
25. Absolutely on Music by Haruki Murakami
26. Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie
27. The Power by Naomi Alderman
28. Light Boxes by Shane Jones

March

29. Down the River Unto the Sea by Walter Mosley
30. In Pursuit of Memory by Joseph Jebelli
31. A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire
32. For We Are Many by Dennis Taylor
33. All These Worlds by Dennis Taylor
34. One Goal: A Coach by Amy Bass
35. We Are Okay by Nina Lacour
36. Artificial Night by Seanan Macguire
37. On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder
38. Where Now New and Selected Poems by Laura Kasischke
39. Wires and Nerve* by Marissa Meyer
40. Wires and Nerve Volume 2* by Marissa Meyer
41. A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf
42. And the earth did not devour him by Tomas Rivera
43. The Glass Universe by Dava Sobel
44. Camp Austen by Ted Scheinman
45. The Beauty: Poems by Jane Hirschfield
46. Dark Forest by Cixin Liu

April

47. Hellbent by Gregg Horwitz
48. The Disappeared by C.J. Box
49. The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
50. The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman
51. Prairie Fires by Caroline Fraser
52. Selected Poems of Langston Hughes by Langston Hughes
53. All Systems Red by Martha Wells
54. Go, Went, Gone by Jenny Espenbeck
55. Quesadillas by Juan Pablo Villalobos
56. The Burning Page by Genevieve Cogman
57. Sandman Omnibus Vol. 2* by Neil Gaiman
58. Book of Dust by Phillip Pullman
59. Less: A Novel by Andrew Sean Greer
60. Brazen Rebel Ladies* by Penelope Bagieu
61. The Lost Plot by Genevieve Cogman

May

62. Wade in the Water by Tracy K. Smith
63. It Happens in the Dark by Carroll O'Connell
64. Late Eclipses by Seanan McGuire
65. Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
66. One Salt Sea by Seanan McGuire
67. Texts from Jane Eyre by Mallory Ortberg
68. One Robe, One Bowl by Ryokan
69. Chimes at Midnight by Seanan McGuire
70. Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
71. Worth Dying For by Lee Child (re-read)
72. Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
73. Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
74. The Book of Endings by Leslie Harrison
75. A Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths
76. Winter Long by Seanan McGuire
77. Flowers of Vashnoi by Lois McMaster Bujold
78. Tea Master and the Detective by Aliette de Bodard
79. Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine
80. The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths

June

81. Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel
82. The Woman in Blue by Elly Griffiths
83. After the Funeral by Agatha Christie (re-read)
84. The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths
85. A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie (re-read)
86. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
87. Red Rose Chain by Seanan McGuire
88. Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie (re-read)
89. Mrs. McGinty's Dead by Agatha Christie (re-read)
90. The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths
91. Burn Bright by Patricia Briggs
92. What Would Jane Do from Potter Style
93. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
94. Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman
95. Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames

July

96. Once Broken Faith by Seanan McGuire
97. Zen and Gone by Emily France
98. Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson
99. What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw by Agatha Christie (re-read)
100. Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie (re-read)
101. Case of the Missing Men* by Kris Bertin
102. Lord Peter Views the Body by Dorothy L. Sayers
103. Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman
104. Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley
105. Brief Cases by Jim Butcher

August

106. Brown by Kevin Young
107. Shine, Shine, Shine by Lydia Netzer
108. Selected Poems of Gwendolyn Brooks
109. House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea
110. Circe by Madeline Miller
111. 4:50 From Paddington by Agatha Christie
112. The Rat Catcher's Olympics by Colin Cotterill

Illustrated Books 2018

1. Saga Volume 8 by Fiona Staples
2. Black Panther Avengers of the New World by Ta-Nehisi Coates
3. Black Panther Book Two by Ta-Nehisi Coates
4. Moon Knight by Jeff Lemire
5. Henchgirl by Rita Stradling
6. The Adventures of Dieter Lumpen by Jorge Zentner
7. Death The Deluxe Edition by Neil Gaiman
8. Going into Town by Roz Chast
9. Black Panther Book Three by Ta-Nehisi Coates
10. Black Panther World of Wakanda by Roxanne Gay
11. After the Rain by Andre Julliard
12. Silent Days, Silent Dreams by Allen Say
13. Leave it to Chance by James Robinson
14. Thornhill by Pam Smy
15. Lumberjanes Vol. 4 by Noelle Stevenson
16. The Green Hand and Other Stories by Nicole Claveloux
17. Orphan Black Helsinki by Graeme Manson
18. Nemi by Lise Myrhe
19. Jane by Aline McKenna
20. Eye of the World Volume 5 by Robert Jordan
21. Andre the Giant by Box Brown
22. Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña
23. The Discworld Graphic Novels by Terry Pratchett
24. Starseeds by Charles Glaubitz
25. Why I Hate Saturn by Kyle Baker
26. Josephine The Dazzling Life by Patricia Hruby Powell
27. Ada Twist Scientist by Andrea Beaty
28. Paper Girls Vol. 4 by Brian K. Vaughan
29. Serenity No Power in the 'Verse by Chris Roberson
30. Hawkeye Kate Bishop Anchor Points by Kelly Thompson
31. Alpha Abidjan to Paris by Bessora
32. Drawing from Memory by Allen Say
33. Orphan Black Deviations by Heli Kennedy
34. Lazarus X+66 by Greg Rucka
35. How to Be Happy by Eleanor Davis
36. Flight Volume 6 edited by Kazu Kabuishi
37. Feathers by Jorge Corona
38. Lady Killer Vol. 2 by Joelle Jones
39. Kill or Be Killed by Ed Brubaker
40. Kill or Be Killed Vol. 2 by Ed Brubaker
41. Royal City by Jeff Lemire
42. Runaways Find Your Way Home by Rainbow Rowell
43. Wonder Woman Love and Murder by Jodi Picoult
44. American Gods Volume 1: Shadows by Neil Gaiman
45. Catwoman Final Jeopardy by Will Pfeifer
46. Batgirl Vol. 2: Son of Penguin by Hope Larson
47. Black Panther: Long Live the King by Nnedi Okorafor
48. Royal City Vol. 2 by Jeff Lemire
49. Orbital Vol. 1 by Sylvain Runberg
50. A History of Violence by John Wagner
51. All Summer Long by Hope Larson
52. Dr. Strange: The Way of the Weird by Jason Aaron
53. Dr. Strange: The Last Days of Magic by Jason Aaron
54. Strong Female Protagonist by Brennan Lee Mulligan

2018 Favorites So Far

Fiction

The Odyssey translated by Emily Wilson

A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf

Less: A Novel by Andrew Sean Greer

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

Go, Went, Gone by Jenny Erpenbeck

Shine, Shine, Shine by Lydia Netzer

Circe by Madeline Miller

House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea

Poetry

Where Now by Laura Kasischke

Selected Poems of Langston Hughes

Wade in the Water by Tracy K. Smith

Nonfiction

One Goal: A Coach, A Team by Amy Bass

Prairie Fires by Carolyn Fraser

Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley

Young Adult

We Are Okay by Nina Lacour

Vincent and Theo by Deborah Helligman

Science Fiction and Fantasy

The Power by Naomi Alderman

Binti The Night Masquerade by Nnedi Okorafor

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames

Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson

Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman

Brief Cases by Jim Butcher

Mystery

Down the River Unto the Sea by Walter Mosley

The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths

The Rat Catcher's Olympics by Colin Cotterill

Illustrated Books

Silent Days, Silent Dreams by Allen Say

Sandman Omnibus Volume 2 by Neil Gaiman

Brazen Ladies by Penelope Baglieu

Alpha Abidjan to Paris by Bessora

Royal City by Jeff Lemire

American Gods Volume 1 by Neil Gaiman

Black Panther Long Live the King by Nnedi Okorafor

A History of Violence by John Wagner

Portland Meetup Photos



At Deschutes Brewery in Portland. Clockwise from left, Walt (Kim's hubby), Joe, Kim (Berly), Debbi (Walklover), Juli (SuziOregon), Zoe (_Zoe_), and Mark (Zoe's hubby)



Where we had drinks and appetizers before Deschutes (I can't remember the name - maybe Kim or Juli can help)

Mark, Zoe, Kim, Juli

Here's the obituary for my recently late father Lyndon:



http://obits.mlive.com/obituaries/annarbor/obituary.aspx?n=lyndon-welch&pid=...

He's missed.

Happy daughter Becca with the sweet new addition to the family, Ms. Indy:

Another by Ryo Takemasa

All you need is a RAFA update and you'll have A Full House - thanks again for the inspiration!

Thank you everyone for the kind words about Indy-she is already so loved! She's currently asleep on that dog bed she picked out, getting ready to meet my best friend and my niece in a few minutes, and then walk over to my parents'-she really seems to thrive off longer walks. :)

>8 m.belljackson: Hi, Marianne. Good point re Rafa! Here's our boy (his beard, anyway) with his boy. You're welcome re the inspiration!

>9 seasonsoflove: Methinks the cafe crowd likes your new pal, Becca. See you soon!

Happy new one, Joe. Great family and meet-up photos.

Happy new thread, Joe! Great pictures!

>7 jnwelch: I like that one.

Jane Austen at home is near the top of one of the tbr mountains.

Glad the family have transitioned Through the new door of the café Joe.

Happy new thread, Joe, you found lovely toppers again. I like he last one best, with the tree growing from the books :-)

I love that the new thread has some of the highlights from the last one, it was too soon to lose out on Rafa's tummy time and Indy, the new terrier. :) And, of course, lovely art to top it off!

Happy new thread, Joe. Great topper pics and family pics!

Love the new thread, Joe. Oh, a new granddog! Indy looks like a real sweetheart. And Rafa, the other sweetie, is changing and growing so fast. Babies only stay little for a blink of the eye...unless you’re the one getting up with them in the middle of the night!

Happy new thread, Joe. Such happy pictures here, everywhere.

I also need to start a new thread but I think I'll wait till I get home.

Happy New Thread, Joe. Love the toppers and all the Meet up photos. Hope you had a good Saturday.

Good start here, Joe.

I think I could like da pooch.

Nomenclature question. Is there a GNF—Graphic NonFiction? I was forced...forced, I say...to attend a library book sale today. One of the small number of books I purchased is Climate Changed: A Personal Journey Through the Science by Philippe Squarzoni. It is graphic book (with lots of pages), but it isn't fiction.

ETA: I just heard Sean Connery saying, "We named the dog Indiana."

Harrison Ford: "I have a lot of fond memories of that dog."

John Rhys-Davies: "You're named after the dog?!! Ah ha ha ha."

>22 weird_O: - I would think that there is such a genre, Bill. Think of John Lewis' 3-book series March. That is definitely non-fiction and is done n graphic novel format. I hear he has a new series coming out soon that picks up where March left off.

>22 weird_O: Graphic non-fiction is a genre, Bill. At the library where I work, we even have spine labels to mark such titles. They look like this:

Hi Joe! Happy new thread to you. LOVE to artwork up top, and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the meet-up photos!

There was a program about the '50s on the Smithsonian channel tonight and I got to see Joseph Welch giving his "have you no decency speech" again. We need something like that to happen now, I think.

Happy new one Joe - a lovely one of Rafa and his dad. >7 jnwelch: Is my favourite I think - seems to catch a very peaceful moment.

>24 MickyFine: I wish your library would talk to my library! Nicely done.

Happy new thread, Joe! Happy new puppy! Ms. Indy is a looker as is Rafa, of course!

>22 weird_O: I have a dear friend named Sheba. She and I worked together for something like 20 years. She was always being asked if she was named after a horse/cat/etc. (It is a bit of an odd name for an Italian girl whose sisters have ordinary names like Janet and Joan.)

Happy new thread!

Bargains of the Day: Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George (classic YA) at $1.99 on Kindle and, although I was wish it were even cheaper, The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman, a very enjoyable prequel to Practical Magic at $4.99. The latter was just released in paperback, so that's still a pretty good deal. David McCullough's The Wright Brothers is $3.99.

>12 Ameise1: Hi, Barbara. Thanks! It's been a time full of sadness and joy. We're just riding with it. Indy's a sweetheart.

>13 banjo123: Thanks, Rhonda!

>14 RBeffa: Me, too, Ron. Here's another one of his:

>15 Caroline_McElwee: Ha! Yes, I think everyone in the Chicago family made it over from the old cafe, Caroline, along with a lot of cafe patrons.

Jane Austen at Home is very good and illuminating about the difficult context in which she managed to write so beautifully.

I'm terrible right now about even writing mini-reviews, but I hope to at least post some quotes from the book. It's filled with memorable ones.

>16 FAMeulstee: Hi, Anita, thanks. I like that last one, too. I almost made it the first one - the book element is fun, isn't it.

>17 LovingLit: Hi, IreadthereforeIam Megan! You're right; I almost let the last thread go even longer for that reason. So much great stuff, including Rafa's tummy time and the debut of sweet Indy. I'm glad you like having them here, and the art.

>18 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg!

>19 Donna828: Thanks, Donna. Indy is a sweetheart for sure. She visited early today and leapt up on our very high bed - impressive! She's already realizing, as far as I can tell, how lucky she is to have Becca as her human Mom.

I know, the poor kids are so tired from taking care of Rafa! And happy. Even though Madame MBH and I have been through this, we're still amazed at how fast he's changing. If he's like his dad, which he seems to be, they'll have their hands full. We've always said that Jesse began walking, running and jumping all at the same time.

>20 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley. I know, I was just saying, what a time of sadness and joy for us. Lots of happiness abounding right now.

It's so hard to start a new thread while away from home. I'd wait, too, if I were you.

>21 msf59: Thanks, Mark. Same to you - I'm sure you enjoyed yesterday, and will enjoy today. :-)

>22 weird_O: Thanks, Bill.

Da pooch is quite likeable, she is.

Good question about GNF. As far as I know, all flavors are currently called graphic novels, even though that's a misnomer for ones like you picked up. You know, it used to simply be "comics", and then that didn't really fit for these full length works. The nomenclature may get more sophisticated as we go along. I still remember the disbelief I would get from book readers when I said I enjoyed reading graphic novels. It wasn't that long ago!

Ha! Good one from that Indiana Jones movie. Becca thinks of both Indiana Jones and "Independent" with the Indy name. It's the one Indy already had at the rescue shelter, and Becca liked it - as do we.

>23 jessibud2: Yeah, I thought of the March trilogy, too, Shelley. There are so many nonfiction graphic works now - e.g., Guy Deslisle has a bunch of good ones, and Charlotte found Brazen Rebel Ladies for us. It has become a very popular form for NF - I love it.

>24 MickyFine: Oh, good for you, Micky. I haven't seen that yet. Our neighborhood library just has a Graphic Novels section. I hope the greater accuracy spreads.

>25 AMQS: Hi Anne! Oh, I'm glad you're loving the decor, including the meetup photos. We had such a good time visiting with Kim, Juli and Zoe and the hubbies in Portland!

>26 Familyhistorian: That Joseph Welch was a special guy, wasn't he, Meg. That exchange with McCarthy blows my mind every time I see it. As I mentioned to Bill, I think, if you can get your hands on the documentary "Point of Order", the whole Senate hearing is fascinating. And what that JNW does as a lawyer in it is so dexetrous.

I agree, we need someone like that right now. Brave, eloquent, persuasive. But we have so many cowards in Congress right now that we need to change its composition more than anything, and then get this President and VP and drumpf's appointees out of there asap.

>27 charl08: Hi, Charlotte. Thanks. I love >7 jnwelch:, too. That is a peaceful moment, isn't it. Takemasa has a bunch of good ones. I'll probably post some more as we go along.

Ha! I feel the same way about Micky's library - I wish hers would talk to ours.

>28 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda. Ha! Yes, we're also quite taken with the cuteness of Indy and Rafa. :-)

>29 laytonwoman3rd: Jeez, I'd think the natural thing to ask Sheba would be whether she's a Queen, Linda. She (the Queen) tested King Solomon, and they really hit it off, giving each other gifts galore. That's a cool name to have, IMO.

I'm sure Becca will be asked a lot about the name Indy in days to come, although so far, when I've been around, people have just accepted it.

>30 drneutron: Thanks, Jim!

Oh, I meant to post this Ryo Takemasa illustration for our friend Mark and other birders, and bird appreciators, in the 75ers.

>29 laytonwoman3rd: >38 jnwelch: My wife Judi mentions from time to time that her mother had a dog she named Judy.

>7 jnwelch:

Studying the guy's shadow leaves a question for the top of his head...

>37 jnwelch: Looks like "Point of Order" is readily available on the interwebs, Joe. Now I just need the time to watch it. This retirement gig is not for the fainthearted!

Happy new thread Joe, hope you are having a really good weekend mate. The weather here is hot (by our standards) and has to get hotter still as the week progresses. Sending love and hugs to you and Debbi from both of us dear friend.

>33 jnwelch: Glad you’re enjoying Jane Austen at Home Joe. It was my first Austen biography and I found it so revealing about one of my favorite authors. There are several YouTube videos by its author Lucy Worsley discussing all sorts of historical figures. Only in Britain could a historian be a TV star!

>40 weird_O: My parents kept photos of their pugs in their wallets, Bill, but not their children. :-)

>41 m.belljackson: Ha! Good eye, Marianne! What is the meaning of that shadow steeple on top of his head in >7 jnwelch:?

>42 Familyhistorian: Oh good, Meg. Can't wait to hear what you think of Point of Order. This retirement gig is not for the fainthearted! LOL! Right? Retirement can be very demanding, can't it. :-)

>43 johnsimpson: Hey there, John. Thanks re the new thread. We are having a really good weekend. Lots of walking, lots of reading, and our daughter's new dog to have fun with. We're going to watch the animated movie Coco soon, which all sorts of folks have recommended. I hope you and Karen have had a really good weekend despite the heat. I'm glad you're dental adventures are behind you! Love and hugs to you both from us, mate.

>44 NarratorLady: What a good bio to start with for Austen, Anne! It probably is the best one I've read. If you haven't read them yet, you'd probably also like The Real Jane Austen by Paula Byrne, and A Truth Universally Acknowledged: 33 Great Writers on Why We Read Jane Austen.

Thanks for the tip about Lucy Worsley on Youtube. I'd read that she was a TV star across the pond. I'll have to check her out. I wonder whether she has a Jane Austen one on Youtube?

Hiya Joe!

>4 jnwelch: So sad I had to miss that one!!!

>6 jnwelch: Yay! An adorable new member of the family! Indy is a cutie. And the images on the wall behind Becca...??? They look like animals...

>10 jnwelch: SO cute. I know you are loving being grandparents.

I LOVE the art work of Ryo Takemasa!!! I wonder if a calendar might be produced with his images.... Hmm. Must investigate.

"This retirement gig is not for the fainthearted!" I say humph to you and Meg, both. But only followed by xo.

I think my favourite images so far here are >7 jnwelch: and >32 jnwelch:. I love how he uses light. Very effective.

>36 jnwelch: - I just picked up Brazen Rebel Ladies from the library the other day (as I mentioned in my thread) along with a few other little distractions. I am hoping to finish up a couple of books I brought with me to Montreal so that I can start it when I get home.

>39 jnwelch: is cute! Reminds me, in a smaller way, of Charley Harper's birds.

>46 jnwelch: I did read A Truth Universally Acknowledged and I seem to remember it was a bit hit or miss with Virginia Woolf's essay the most moving.

>49 NarratorLady: Agreed, including re Virginia Woolf. The hits were worth it, right?

>48 jessibud2: You're going to love Brazen Rebel Ladies, Shelley.

I like Takemara's animals, including birds. I'm glad you liked that one, and >7 jnwelch: and >32 jnwelch:. I love how he uses light, too. His use of space, and his colors, also stand out for me.

>47 EBT1002: Hiya, Ellen!

You were greatly missed at the Portland meetup, that's for sure. You would've loved it.

The photos on the wall behind Becca and Indy: the photo was taken in Felines and Canines, the rescue shelter where Becca got her. Debbi took it of them in the hallway when it became final.

That Rafa - we find him endlessly cute and entertaining. Shocker, right?

I'd love to find a calendar or other collection of Ryo Takemasa's work, or one of his illustrated books. No touchstone here, apparently, so I'm not sure . . . I found his work online.

Hmm. I see Amazon has this one available next month: https://smile.amazon.com/Little-Book-Japanese-Contentments-Wabi-sabi/dp/14521741...

I know, I feel really lucky to be (mostly) retired, and I'm sure Meg does, too. I've loved a lot of different parts of my life, but this may be at the top. We're having such a good time. I know - humph. Plus xo. :-)

>39 jnwelch: I love the Ryo Takemasa illustrations, Joe. Reminds me of Charley Harper, who I am a big fan of.

My evening is winding down, but I had a good day and got some reading in. Good Cubs game too!

>52 msf59:. Hiya, Mark.

Nice Cubs win over a big time rival.

I’m glad you like Roy Takemara’s art. I don’t know Charley Harper, so I’ll look for his/hers tomorrow.

It was a good day at Casa Welch, too. I’m heading up to read some more Harry Dresden after this.

Bargain of the Day, the Sequel: I just saw that Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash is available on Kindle for $1.99. I thought this one was really good, and he wrote it before he started doing the doorstoppers.

Happy new thread Joe!

Maybe an ice coffee?... I’ll tell you what, surprise me with something I wouldn’t normally try.

Happy new thread, Joe!

>55 humouress: Thanks, Nina!

Here you go, Tiramisu Coffee:



>56 scaifea: Thanks, Amber!

Ryo Takemara

I do love all the yellow that Takemara uses. So vivid!

>57 jnwelch: Ooh ya. That’ll do it, thanks. I’ll just take it and relax >58 jnwelch: over here.

>45 jnwelch: >47 EBT1002: No rest for the retired. I am just putting in some LT time before heading off to the museum to work on an exhibit proposal.

Before I toddle off, Joe, I wanted to share something I read last night in Dangerous Books for Girls: The Bad Reputation of Romance Novels Explained. It is about Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb.

What does a girl have to do to get her books reviewed around here?

Nora Roberts (and her alter ego J.D. Robb) has written more than 214 books and more than 191 of them have been "New York Times" bestsellers. Nora's books have spent a combined 198 weeks at the number one spot on the bestseller list (which adds up to 3.5 years) and 58 books debuted at #1. These numbers are the latest available as of this writing and the numbers are going higher by the minute.
She has only two "New York Times" book reviews of her work.

This is quoted from p43 and the book was published in 2015.

>59 ffortsa: His yellow ones really pop, don't they, Judy. I love them, too.

>60 humouress: :-) Glad that hit the spot, Nina.

>61 Familyhistorian: Awesome numbers, Meg, thanks. J.D. Robb/Nora ROberts must have someone hired just to count her money as it rolls in. It is kinda wacky that the NY Times hasn't written more about her work, actually. But she probably just smiles about it, as her successes continue.

>62 jnwelch: Not just wacky but more indicative of the lack of respect given to the genre, according to the author, Joe. Aren't those numbers amazing and they are from at least 3 years ago!

Judging by a piece I remember seeing on CBS Sunday Morning a few years back (And here's a link to it) Nora Roberts doesn't have too many complaints about her life. She don't need no stinkin' New York Times book reviews!

I am a fan of the In Death books, too. Given how formulaic they are, though, it wouldn't surprise me if she employs a process similar to what James Patterson supposedly uses - creates ideas, maps things out, and then has other writers actually put the novel together.

I don't think it takes much away from her to say so - they are still her ideas, her characters, her world.

^
I think you will like Charley Harper, Joe! I hope you had a good Monday. Mine, was a usual heavy volume day but it is always nice to put that one behind you.

I am enjoying my Dr. Siri book and should wrap it up tomorrow. I may finish the series here. It is not calling to me, as loudly, as say, Longmire.

>63 Familyhistorian: Ah, thanks, Meg. So she has taken issue with the lack of NY Times coverage. Good for her.

I wonder how many new books J.D. Robb/Nora Roberts publishes in a year? She's going to set some kind of record, if she hasn't already. Remarkable.

>64 laytonwoman3rd: Oh, thanks for the link to the Nora Roberts piece, Linda. I'll watch it later on. I'm glad to hear that actually - the gods certainly have favored her! Maybe she found an old lamp with a genie in it? And actually made a well-thought-out wish?

>65 katiekrug: The in Death series is such a good one, isn't it, Katie. They are formulaic, I guess, particularly in having the obligatory sex scenes. But I also find them inventive and high quality each time. I personally don't sense the possibility of other writers when I read them, but I can't rule out that they're (or one person is) doing such a good job that I miss it.

>66 msf59: Thanks, Mark. Those Charly Harpers do look good! It makes for an interesting comparison with >39 jnwelch:.

You know I'm a Dr. Siri fan! That one is another solid entry in the series, isn't it. I've still got the latest one, The Rat Catchers Olympics, on tap, and I see a new one comes out next month, Don't Eat Me - what a title!

Ryo Takemasa

Hi Joe! Happy new thread, and I hope you're having a great week. Neat pics of Rafa/his dad/furry friends, and Becca and Ms. Indy.

From your last thread: I completely agree that the Dems should stick to the policies and programs and problems they want to affect, and leave the ad hominem attacks out. The blue collar types that support drumpf and the Repub agenda feel they're defending cherished beliefs, and attacks just cause them to dig in deeper. Trying to understand them and address their concerns is a lot better way to go about this - especially since drumpf and the Repubs are only taking care of the extremely rich.

I agree that the only way to appeal to drumpf-sters is to understand them. I truly believe that if the Democratic Party would expand how it tries to appeal to people, it could recapture some of the people drumpf and the GOP have caught in their snare. I read a book last year, The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt that helped me in that understanding.

>39 jnwelch: Yay! I’m appreciative, for sure.

>67 jnwelch: I love the J.D. Robb Eve Dallas books, not so much the fiction published under Nora Roberts.

>70 karenmarie:

How do you "understand" people who refuse to believe the facts which form the beginning foundation for rational discourse?

For me, Denial = Ignorance = how did humans devolve to pure and hateful idiocy?

>71 m.belljackson: Thanks for weighing in, Marianne. I sure understand your frustration. But I have to respectfully disagree.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

I think we'd be making a mistake making assumptions on an individual and group basis without trying to understand the underpinnings. It can be as simple as racism based on how people grow up, no real contact with minorities, and being surrounded with people who foster racism. Or it can be as complicated as frustration with out-of-touch politicians making promises never kept, and a feeling of being left behind with no one caring. From what I've read, many of those who voted for Drumpf voted for Obama last time, looking for "change". Drumfp's appeal to many has been that he's not business as usual, i.e., not a politician. So they love it when he defies liberals and established politicians with his bizarre conduct. Rationally, of course, we know he's a complete disaster, domestically and abroad, and there's a good possibility, in my mind, that he's effectively a Russian agent.

There are those who will never change their racist, sexist, you-name-it, minds, and those who will stick by drumpf no matter what. But, IMO, we have to try to understand what's happening. I thought Charles M. Blow made a great analysis of drumpf's supporters in the NY Times a week or so ago:

"Trump's base of loyal supporters have an undying loyalty to him because he has the same for them. He still has high approval among Republican voters because he has executed an unprecedented policy of defending only their concerns, which at their root are about racial insecurity and hostility, no matter how they dress it up . . . Trump's supporters love this. Finally, someone is unapologetically fighting for white supremacy, white culture and white identity, for protectionism, xenophobia, and Christian supremacy. No matter how much he lies, no matter how much he fumbles, no matter how much he betrays the greater America, Trump will remain the hero of white, Republican, racist America."

How to address that? I know we can outnumber it, if voters turn out. I was dismayed to see a report that only 28% of the 18-21 group currently plans to vote in the November midterms. I hope that 28% lights a fire under the butts of the rest, and maybe we older folk can help with that. Changing minds? Some just won't be, but I do think there's a large group that votes either way depending, and they need to understand that they should vote Democrat, or moderate Republican with integrity (if such a person still exists).

I'm heartened by prominent conservatives like George Will and James Comey urging voters to vote Democrat, as well as so many former and current members of the military doing the same. We can turn this into a watershed moment of a positive kind in this country, but only if the voters turn out.

>70 karenmarie: Hi, Karen!

Thanks - I'm glad that resonated with you. I agree that there's a pivotal group that the Democrats have a chance to successfully reach out to. Obama knew how to do it; we need candidates who understand what his appeal was. Bill Clinton, whatever his faults, knew how to do that, too, and both generated prosperous economies.

Ha! I'm a bird appreciator, too. I'm glad you like >39 jnwelch:.

Yeah, I love the J.D. Robb books, and unfortunately have no inclination to read the Nora Roberts ones. The latter just aren't my flavor.

Here are some more Ryo Takemasa birds:

>72 jnwelch: Great comments, Joe. There is a lot of intolerance in this country for others who don't hold our beliefs or food choices, which isn't limited to the far right by any means.

(>75 kidzdoc: - I see what you did there, Darryl ;-) )

Hi Joe!

Take heart, Karen, Marianne, Joe and everyone else. Today drumph's polling amongst Republicans is as high as it has ever been. At the same time, his standing with the American public is as LOW as it has ever been. There're good reasons to believe Republican numbers are declining.

Vis a vis "understanding" drumpf supporters. Good luck with that. I have a friend who fairly regularly posts memes and links to reportage, and he gets replies by about a half-dozen of his "friends" who disparage or deny whatever. A couple seem to believe they are economic wizards. Another regularly asserts that "taxation is theft." They don't seem to be able (or maybe just not willing) to collect the whole of drumph's misdeeds. They certainly act ill-informed, uninterested in looking for other points of view. They just seem stupid.

There's that quip attributed to Mark Twain: "Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience."

>75 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl. Hmm, intolerance for . . . food choices. I feel like there's a story there. :-)

>76 katiekrug: And it sounds like you know the food choices story, Katie? Hi!

>77 weird_O: Yes, thanks, Bill. I've been reading that Republican numbers are declining. I grew up with two moderate Republican parents (who often supported Democrats). Toward the ends of their lives they felt alienated from a Republican party which no longer had room (or support) for moderates.

Yeah, at this point we have what seems to be a pretty hard core, unmovable group of drumpf supporters - if what he's done so far hasn't turned them off, surely nothing's likely to. We do get the occasional story of the supporter who now renounces him - his Helsinki debacle caused some of that.

It does seem stupid sometimes (I love that Mark Twain quip), but I feel warning flags (is that something a person can feel?) It's so easy to write folks off as stupid, and for many of them, that's what they resent - the "elite" (which I guess is those with an education) look down on them and consider them stupid and "deplorable." Nobody likes being called "you people", I know that much. Ross Perot famously did that when addressing African-Americans. I try to catch myself every time I start thinking "you people." IMO, it's the wrong way to think, and the source of a lot of what's wrong in the world today.

When you have a guy like the one behind the counter that Benita experienced, you're not going to get anywhere with a sitdown or attempt at rational discussion. But it's almost always a spectrum, and trying to understand their non-racist, non-sexist concerns, and address them, can really benefit a candidate and our country as a whole. As I mentioned, Obama knew how to do it, and so did Bill Clinton. "I feel your pain" is cringeworthy, but the idea is right.

It can be as simple as "I can't feed my family", or "Pretty soon I'm not going to be able to feed my family." "My job's is/is becoming obsolete". "I can't afford to get more educated, even if I could take time off from bringing home a paycheck."

Drumpf appeals to them by saying immigrants are taking their jobs, which is demonstrably false. Robots yes, immigrants no. Repubs lie that affordable health care takes money from them. And so on.

In the minds of many, the 1950s were white, and life was good then. People with more knowledge than me can address that in many ways. For non-white Americans, not so swell a time, right? And the income tax rates were so much higher:

"During the eight years of the Eisenhower presidency, from 1953 to 1961, the top marginal rate was 91 percent. (It was 92 percent the year he came into office.)

What does it mean, though? For the duration of Eisenhower’s presidency, that rate affected individuals making $200,000 or more per year or couples making $400,000 and above per year.

In 2015 dollars, that's roughly $1.7 million for an individual and $3.4 million for a couple."

(Politifact, which won the Pulitzer)

>72 jnwelch:

Okay, once you understand them

(which, unfortunately, I do, having grown up in a deeply pro-business, racist Republican family and community;
one example of many: my first real boyfriend, a high school love, became a proud NSA operative),

it does not change their choice to be sexist, racist, and hate-filled deniers of fact.

They don't care that he is lying. They don't care what we think.
They don't care that fascists and nazis and the kkk now feel entitled.

How exactly can we support the 28% that plans to vote to inspire others to vote?

Or should we?!? Maybe the 28% planning to vote are counting on re-electing trump?!!!!!!!!!!?

As I open the morning Yahoo (mildly sensational version of news), then Washington Post, New York Times,
Daily Kos, and Darryl Cagle's cartoons, too many times dread turns to horror.
I welcome the simple weekends when Megan Markle gets top billing.

I welcome the simple weekends when Megan Markle gets top billing.. Me, too, Marianne!

As for the 28% inspiring the rest, just look at what the Parkland survivor kids have done in Florida. They’ve had a huge success in getting their age group to register to vote. Will the 28% do it? Will we do it? Time will tell. We’ve got the numbers if we register and vote. Hard to be simpler than that.

P.S. This is the reason the Republicans keep trying to gerrymander and restrict voting access. This also is the real reason Republican politicians are anti-immigrant. Immigrants mainly vote for Democrats.

>LIKE!

Hi, Joe. I did pick up my copy of Portugal from the library, along with a couple of bird guides, for the western U.S. Need to sharpen my skills, for my Colorado trip. Thanks, to Nancy, I started Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup today. I think you expressed interest in that one too. It is a heck of a story.

I may have asked you this, up there, somewhere, but I have been reading Sabrina, by Nick Drnaso. Have you heard of this GN author? Interesting stuff.

Mark, Sabrina was on the Booker long list announced today.

>82 msf59: I'm guessing you like >74 jnwelch:, Mark? We're bird crazy among the 75ers these days. I wonder how that happened? :-)

I look forward to hearing what you think of Portugal. I've found it more of a slow starter than I expected, but somewhere over halfway I'm liking it a lot.

Bad Blood did sound interesting. Nancy gives good recs, doesn't she.

l don't know Nick Drnaso or Sabrina, but I'll be looking for both now - especially after what Katie says in >83 katiekrug:.

P.S. Oops. I do know Nick Drnaso. I got a free copy of his Beverly at ALA. I thought it showed him to be really talented, but I didn't enjoy it.

>83 katiekrug: Good info, Katie, thanks.

>74 jnwelch: >66 msf59: love the stylised birds there. I have a cool colouring in book of Charley Harper (Vol 2.) mostly animals but some cool birds too. It was too good to give away so I might colour them in myself :)

Eta: here's one!

>85 LovingLit: I can imagine that's a cool colouring book, Megan. Here's another one from Mr. Harper:



Eta: I like your Eta. :-)

I am not a Trump fan. Never have been. Never will be. However, I am remarkably unperturbed with him. He is a creature of his own making and as such I can ignore him. I believe that people voted for him because for them he is charismatic. I don't understand that. When I listen to him he sounds stupid. Full of platitudes and sound bytes that don't say anything of substance. Just like this trade war on China and Canada. What did he do - get up one morning and decided he didn't like countries whose name starts with the letter C?

However, in the long term, the Republican party is dead. Young people aren't joining it. Simple fact. But that simple fact isn't going to prevent Trump from ruining their lives. That is why I keep telling the students I work with that they need to get out and vote. What they say next does surprise me. They don't know who to vote for, so they vote for names they recognize. Often that is the incumbent. When I ask they why they for names they recognize, it comes down to the fact that they are remarkably uninformed about issues that are of direct concern to them, and so they are unable to distinguish which congressmen hold the same belief system that they do. The bottom line is that they are not reading and or informing themselves and rely on social media that is often wrong or "fake news." I take this seriously as an educator and believe that it is my duty to try to get young people to read and become informed about the issues that they face.

the other part of this is that ballots are often confusing and lengthy. One of the lessons of the Doug Jones win here in Alabama last December was that the ballot had one thing on it. Vote for Doug Jones or for Roy Moore. Nothing else was on that ballot to confuse people or cause them to give up when they got half-way through the ballot. I blame state governments for this. In an attempt to save money, or to appear to be doing something about so-called "voter fraud" they hold fewer elections and cram more onto a ballot. This is deliberately done to keep people from voting properly so that their vote will count. I applaud the many church and civic organizations who held educational sessions here in Alabama showing people what to expect when they get a ballot and what some of those tricky legalize phrases in bills actually mean so that they are voting yes or no as their conscience dictates.

I also admit that I am a Luddite. I believe that we should vote on paper ballots. Who cares if it takes longer to count and certify? Paper ballots are something that people understand and there would be no hanging chads to worry about. Let's go back to the future and vote on paper and have real people sit there and count and certify the votes.

I'm not a Luddite, but I agree about paper ballots. Tough to hack into. We vote on paper here in my county, but the counting is done electronically (a machine "reads" all the little blacked in circles). I don't think anything is connected to the internet---someone takes the count from each individual machine and records it elsewhere, I believe. I applaud you for trying to raise your students' collective consciousness about the issues that will matter in their lives. They can probably fix this mess if they want to badly enough.

Good to have LT back! When I left this morning, it was still screwed up.

I agree with both of you about paper ballots (tough to hack into), and I think more and more people are reaching the same conclusion.

>87 benitastrnad: Thank you for so many interesting thoughts, Benita. I wish I had your equanimity about drumpf; I'd like to be unperturbed but he riles me up. I'm grateful for that weekly break that Debbi and I take from politics to ignore him and the dismal, spineless Republicans for a while.

Charisma sounds right for his supporters; it's lost on me, too - he comes across as an idiotic blowhard, but they see him as a "strong leader."

I hope you're right about the Republican party being dead. As presently constituted, it's horrible, mind-bogglingly hypocritical, and so bad for this country. What we'll do, in a two party system, if it becomes defunct, is an interesting question.

You're in a red state, so I can imagine it's a tough go with many of the students who come from that background. Good for you for trying to educate and inspire them to become informed in their voting. It's also encouraging to hear about the churches and civic organizations educating folks on what to expect on the ballot.

As I mentioned, I agree with you on paper ballots, and I'm even surprising myself. It does seem Luddite and retro, but hacking has become such a worrisome issue. As you say, paper ballots also are something everyone understands.

>88 laytonwoman3rd: I agree with you re paper ballots, Linda.

They can probably fix this mess if they want to badly enough. So true! I'm somewhat ashamed that oldsters have made such a mess of things; in my youth we aspired to create a better world, and never envisioned the Trump era and the NRA and our current myriad problems. (Among other things, I think we need government leadership with guts enough to tax the hell out of the wealthy - Buffett and Gates, among others, would agree- we do so well, as in the Eisenhower years, when we do that). Anyway, this is a golden opportunity for the young 'uns to take charge and really create some change.

By Guy Billout

>87 benitastrnad:, >89 jnwelch: - I think it's also important to remember that there are millions of people in this country who can't afford to remain unperturbed by him, given the various ways he has targeted or seemed to give cover to people targeting others. Many of us are in positions where he may not pose a direct threat to us, our livelihoods, or what we care about, but that's a privilege many others don't have.

>91 katiekrug: Ooo, very good point, Katie. Yup.

BTW, Darryl explained the food story to me.

Hello Joe. I am sorry to hear of your father's passing. My sympathies are with you and your family.

The Takemasa artwork is beautifully simplistic and the color juxtapositions are marvelous.

Be well, brother.

>93 brodiew2: Hey, Brodie! Good to see you, brother.

Thanks re my Dad. We're all still recovering. For me, having both parents now gone packs quite a wallop.

I'm glad you like the Takemasa artwork; like you, I enjoy the simplicity and the color juxtapositions.

I got a kick out of reading this new collection of short stories set in the world of urban wizard Harry Dresden. Butcher does a short intro for each story, and they're actually interesting, with some humor and insight into the process of his writing. I also liked that the central characters differed in the stories - Harry in some, his apprentice Molly in some, once minor character Wally Butters in one, and even ginormous Mouse the Temple Dog in one. Fun reading, and he lets you know where within the series timeline each falls. E.g., he felt Bigfoot should have been in the Dresden universe, and so has three stories involving Bigfoot (quite a smart fella, which is why we never get a good look at him) and his son, who lives like a regular (albeit big) kid and doesn't know who his father is. Other stories have Molly and Wally stepping up from sidekick status to leading roles, and Harry outwitting and out trash-talking villains of various stripes. Even crime boss Johnny Marcone has his own story, and we get an inside view of his rivalry with Harry.

>76 katiekrug:, >78 jnwelch:, >92 jnwelch: Baa. 🐑

>91 katiekrug: Yes!!!

Morning, Joe!

I don't have anything substantial to add to the discussion, but I will say that the one of the first things I did after we closed on the new house was fill out voter registration papers for Ohio...

>97 scaifea: Way to go, Amber! Morning!

>96 kidzdoc: LOL! Right re Katie's comment, Darryl. Have a good one today, buddy.

Morning, Joe. Sweet Thursday. It looks like we have a beauty going on out here. I am really enjoying Bad Blood. It is a helluva story and completely jaw-dropping.

The conceit of Kings of the Wyld is that a five man mercenary band named Saga has the fame of the Rolling Stones, with other bands aspiring to their success. They've been broken up for years when the band's front man Gabriel shows up at Clay Cooper's door needing help with an almost impossible situation involving a family member. Can the scattered band be gathered, and the at-odds members reconciled? This premise was handled lightly and well; going in I was worried it would be overdone.

One of the things I liked about the book was its continuing thread of humor.

“You should write a book," Matrick suggested.
Kit snorted. "Who wants to read the self-pitying lamentations of an old revenant?"
"There's your title right there," said Ganelon.”

“Who didn’t enjoy the glassy stare of a severed animal’s head gazing down at them as they ate supper?”

The story is a good one well told. The band is now old and crotchety, and far from unstoppable. A band of young women outwits and robs them more than once, but all remain cordial and friendly about it. When faced with daunting odds, the Saga members are daunted.

“Clay found himself wondering what the Council of Courts etiquette was regarding vomiting your breakfast onto your boots. He suddenly wished he were elsewhere, anywhere—or better yet, someone else entirely. A simple man doing simple things. A cobbler, maybe. Cobblers rarely, if ever, made enemies of vengeful immortals, or so he figured.”

Each has a distinctive weapon and persona, and a legendary status from previous exploits. You'll pull for Saga, and the pages fly by. A second one comes out soon, and I'll be reading it. I'd heard of this one, but it was even better than I expected.

>99 msf59: Sweet Thursday, Mark.

Oh, that sounds great. We've had chores going on, and I'm going to swing Debbi by the doctor, but we should get out into it soon.

>98 jnwelch: You too, Joe. My brother and I will go to a minor league baseball game tonight, as the Trenton Thunder, the Class AAA affiliate of the New York Yankees, host the Portland Sea Dogs. Trenton, the capital of New Jersey, is only 15 minutes away by car, as compared to a 35 minute drive (and likely much more in rush hour traffic) to Citizens Bank Park, the home of the Phillies. One of my parents' dearest neighbors will go to the game as well.

>102 kidzdoc: Ah, have fun at the game with your brother, Darryl. An NJ team 20 minutes closer than the Phillies? Go figure. Minor league games can be a lot of fun.

>100 jnwelch: That one sounds great!

A couple of Rafa photos:



Smiley Punim



Air Rafa

>105 jnwelch: Great photos, Joe! Newberry Library sale this weekend....just sayin'....already brought home a bagful this afternoon.

>105 jnwelch: Aw, what a beautiful and good-looking boy he is becoming!

Joe, Rafa is such a sweet looking boy - you got a real keeper of a grandson!

>104 drneutron:. ‘Tis, Jim. I think you’d have a great time with Kings of the Wyld.

>106 kac522:. Thanks, Kathy! Oh, darn it. Thank you for the reminder on the Newberry Library sale. Once again we’ve managed to overbook ourselves on the sale weekend. What did you pick up today?

>107 EllaTim:. Thanks, Ella! Isn’t he? Makes us smile, he does.

>108 DeltaQueen50:. Thanks, Judy! He’s a sweet one, all right, and we’re pretty sure his parents plan to keep him.

Love the Rafa photos, Joe. Any plans to see him in person soon?

Morning, Joe!

Aw, Rafa is such a cutie!

>111 Familyhistorian: Aren't those great photos, Meg? Yes, Rafa will be visiting in August, with those parents of his. Can't wait!

>112 scaifea: Morning, Amber! Ha! That's our guy.

Hi Joe! Cute pics of Rafa, for sure.

Thank you for your thoughtful response to my >70 karenmarie: and everybody's discussion points: I won't continue the discussion, per se, but want to say that the book I mentioned above, The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt identifies 6 pillars of a person's ethics and morals. People use them in varying ratios, unconsciously for the most part, in regulating their lives. This includes their political beliefs and party affiliations. My review is detailed, but the important parts of the book to someone who hasn't read it are the three graphs I pulled from the book, which show how the pillars are prioritized for a Liberal, a Conservative, and a Libertarian. Most people won't fit exactly onto one of the three graphs, but just seeing how differently people prioritize the pillars and internalize that into their political beliefs and party affiliations is fascinating and informative. Here's my review from last year in case anybody's interested: karenmarie's RTM review

By Meo974

>114 karenmarie: Hi, Karen! Thanks re Rafa.

You're welcome. The Righteous Mind sounds quite intriguing; thanks for the link to your review, which I'll read later on.

Is it possible to have no pillars of ethics and morals? Asking for a President. :-)

>105 jnwelch: LOVE the Rafa photos! Good looking kid.

Morning, Joe. Gorgeous start to the day. I can deal with this. Good luck at the club.

I'll finish Bad Blood today. WOW. I am glad Nancy put this on my radar.

>116 jnwelch: You're welcome. Well, I actually laughed out loud over your question about NO pillars. No, no, no: he is motivated by them all:

Caring/Harm - Care for yourself, harm anybody who disagrees with you
Fairness/Cheating - Fairness only applies to him and cheat anybody you can get away with cheating
Loyalty/Betrayal - Demand loyalty and betray the American people
Authority/Subversion - Get off on your Presidential authority and subvert the Constitution and US government
Sanctity/Degradation - Have no sanctity in your marriage and degrade as many people as you can get away with
Liberty/Oppression - Be free to do what you want when you want with whoever you want regardless of marriage vows or Presidential oaths and oppress anybody who disagrees with you

Happy new-ish thread, Joe!

>105 jnwelch: Love the Rafa pics! Such a cutie

>117 msf59:. Hey, buddy. Gorgeous day is right. Thanks re Mr. Rafa.

Good to hear re Bad Blood. Circe earned its stripes once Odysseus showed up. Lots of interesting twists at the end.

>118 karenmarie:. Ha! That fits, Karen. Thanks for laying it out like that.

>119 ChelleBearss:. Thanks, Chelle. That Rafa -cutie patootie, that guy.

>118 karenmarie:

A simple message is that Words Can Hurt, from the right or from the left.

A verbal bully continues to bait.

Picasso

Good morning!

Morning, Joe. Happy Saturday. Another perfect summer day. Keep 'em coming.

I am really enjoying November Road. Keep this one in mind, if you are in the mood for a solid crime thriller.

Hi Joe and happy Saturday to you!

Yum. Donuts. I'm so glad the closest donut shop is 8 miles away and has restricted hours. And the closest Dunkin' Donuts and Krispy Kreme Donuts are both about 30 miles away. Otherwise, I'd be in serious trouble! Thank goodness pictures don't have calories, fat, or sugar, right?

>123 jnwelch:

Does Amazon have a drone for this?!?

My daughter's 43rd (just like in the latest Brigette Jones) Birthday is tomorrow
and I'd love to bring her all this, gluten and lactose free for her to really celebrate.

>124 msf59: Morning, Mark. Beautiful day. Keep 'em coming, I agree. We took two long walks, one to return a bunch of library books, and I'm tuckered. I'll be heading for the front porch soon.

I don't know Lou Berney. I'll keep November Road in mind.

>125 karenmarie: Happy Saturday, Karen!

Yeah, if we had a donut shop nearby I'd be sorely tempted. One of the treats of our Portland trip was going to Voodoo Donuts and Blue Star Donuts, both exceptional.

We pride ourselves here on being delicious to look at and completely calorie-free. :-)

>126 m.belljackson: Oh, my, I wish Amazon had a donut and coffee drone, Marianne, for those days when we're just too lazy. We were just talking last night about how convenient they've made it for Prime members with that fast delivery system. I can remember when Bezos was losing money, but his vision proved out.

I haven't read or watched Bridget Jones, so I'm ignorant about your daughter's 43rd being akin, but my wife and daughter will probably know. I hope your daughter has a fun one tomorrow, with treats she can enjoy. She's welcome to visit here and enjoy what the cafe has to offer, but she probably will want the real thing when it comes to treats.

I'd like to sample these.

>122 jnwelch: I’m just watching ‘Victoria’ on BBC Player with Jenna Coleman and she looks quite similar.

Sudden craving for sweet treats, not sure why...?!

>131 charl08: Feeling blue myself for some reason. ;0)

Your thread has become very sweet lately, Joe. Hope you are having a great Sunday.

>130 humouress: I hadn't thought of that comparison, Nina. She's really good in 'Victoria', isn't she.



>131 charl08: Go figure, Charlotte. :-) Somehow they're coming to mind for me, too.

>132 humouress: Hope this helps you feel not so blue, Nina.



>133 Familyhistorian: Ha! Even sweeter this morning, Meg. It was a good Sunday, although my growing-up family managed to get into an unnecessary brouhaha last night. Still, it was a beautiful day here, and we enjoyed it.

>129 jnwelch: Those look amazing!

Hope you are having a wonderful birthday!

Happy Birthday, young man!

Happy Birthday, Joe.

Happy Birthday, Joe!

And another Happy Birthday from me, too!

Happy birthday Joe.

>135 jnwelch: Oh Joe! *wails* My waistline! mmmfhwmn.... (What? No, there were only half a dozen to start with.)

Happiest of birthdays to you! I'll just nab a doughnut in honour of the occasion, thanks.

Ooo, a birthday celebration... Happy Day Joe. May the journey to the next one be full of wonderful joys and adventures. No need to ask if there will be cake... books...

Happy birthday toooo youuuu! Have you received books from the birthday gods?

Happy birthday Joe, I'm not too late for the party I hope?

^I hope you had a great birthday with the family, Joe. It was sure a beautiful day in Chicagoland.

I really liked November Road and I am continuing to enjoy The Baker's Secret. The books are treating me fine.

Happy birthday dear Joe!🎂🎉🍾

Happy birthday, Joe! I hope it was the best one yet!

>136 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle. Right? It was a wonderful birthday, particularly thanks to Madame MBH and daughter Becca.

>137 kidzdoc: Ha! Thanks, Darryl. 103 years old never looked so good, right?

>138 Ameise1:, >139 katiekrug:, >140 jessibud2:, >141 johnsimpson: Thanks, Barbara, Katie, Shelley, and John!

>142 humouress: Ha! Your waistline should be unaffected by our amazing calorie-free fare, Nina. Enjoy that doughnut!

>143 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks, Caroline. There was tres leches cake and some very cool books. I'll post a photo in a bit.

>144 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda. I did get books! Notes from a Small Island, Ordinary, Extraordinary Jane Austen, Macbeth by Jo Nesbo, Broken Places by Tracy Clark, and one our daughter made, "Hulk Love Italy", the photoadventures of a small angry green figurine in the romantic country of pasta and gelato.

I also got the BBC radio play of Neverwhere with Benedict Cumberbatch and Natalie Dormer; Love and Friendship, the movie adaptation of Jane Austen's Lady Susa;, and The Poems of T.S. Eliot read by Jeremy Irons. Plus a Funkopop figurine of my favorite Sandman character, Death. So it was quite the wondrous literary birthday.

>145 EllaTim: You're not late, Ella - in our house we like to keep birthdays going as long as possible. :-) I should share some of the tres leches cake, shouldn't I?



>146 msf59: Thanks, Mark. We had a most excellent day. I'm glad the books are treating you well. I loved the unusual
Shine, Shine, Shine. I've got to remember which LTer tipped me off to it!

>147 NarratorLady: Thank you, my lovely friend. I think you might like the charming Ordinary, Extraordinary Jane Austen.

Bargains of the Day: For $1.99 on Kindle, Foundation by Isaac Asimov, the start of his exceptional sci-fi "pschyohistory" series (warning: some readers can't get into it at all), and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, the book the movie Blade Runner was based on (good intro to Phillip K. Dick).

This unusual novel, Shine, Shine, Shine, features a Nobel-winning scientist, his wife who is torn between her exquisite eccentricity and her desire for normalcy, their brilliant, autistic son, and a baby on the way. The husband Maxon is clearly but cheerfully on the spectrum himself, and is the key to colonizing the moon. Somewhere around 29 years old, he is an artist when it comes to robots, making them able to cry, laugh and dream - and make more robots.

"There are three things robots cannot do: . . . Show preference without reason (LOVE) . . . Doubt rational decisions (REGRET) . . . Trust data from a previously unreliable source (FORGIVE)".

Maxon has preference without reason for childhood friend Sunny, and she reciprocates. There are some concise mathematical formulae for human behavior in the book (created by the author's coder husband and a mathematician friend of the author), as Sunny and her brave mother Emma educate neglected Maxon on how to interface with the world. Maxon is tall, geeky and (to Sunny at least), sexy, and her congenital baldness (reminiscent of movie robots) is part of his overwhelming attraction to her.

Maxon is heading to the moon, with his robots who will build other robots and the foundation for an Earth colony. But something goes awry, and his genius will be needed if he and the crew are even to survive. Meanwhile, Sunny's mother is dying and Sunny is pregnant. Circumstances drive Sunny to rethink the life of normalcy she has created in the hope their son (and impending baby) won't experience the difficulties growing up that she and Maxon did.

In an afterword interview, the author explains, "{A}s a weirdo who is married to a weirdo and parenting two weirdos, I am saddened by our modern need to make sure everyone fits in, and functions smoothly, and checks all the necessary boxes. Some amazing and brilliant people do not, and never will, fit in."

The novel celebrates the beauty and challenges of not fitting in, and reflects on the desire to be normal, and the bravery needed to be just who you are. I loved it. Not quite 5 stars - the structure was a little jumpy for me in places - but close.

My thanks to karenmarie, whose review inspired me to read Shine, Shine, Shine.

I think I'm late, but I hope you had a great birthday!

My daughter's 43rd was July 29th - Happy Birthday to You, another fun Leo!

(Hi - saw your note on Mark's thread - a mediator, therapists, bi-polar meds, and AODA meetings have helped our family at trying times...)

>156 drneutron:. Thanks, Jim. We did!

I’m sure you know by now, but your solar probe project was the subject of a big front page article in our Chicago Tribune. Parker seems remarkable.

>157 m.belljackson:. Thanks, Marianne! Glad to hear your daughter is another fun Leo.:-) A lifelong pal has his birthday today, and he’s a fun guy, too.

The obstreperous one has settled down, and it looks like we’ll have some peace for a while. I appreciate the thought.

>152 jnwelch: You know me too well Joe. From your fabulous birthday haul, the one that stood out for me was Ordinary, Extraordinary Jane Austen. It wasn't long ago that you recommended the delightful Jane Austen at Home which I adored.

>151 jnwelch: Nice birthday haul, Joe!

>154 jnwelch: Great review of Shine, Shine, Shine.

I like the author's quote about being a weirdo. However, aren't we all weird to someone or some group of people, and aren't their situations where we all feel out of place or don't fit in well?

>158 jnwelch: I'm glad that the family drama has come to an end.

>158 jnwelch:

Your friend shares his day with Harry Potter!

How's Indy settling in with Becca, Joe?

Morning, Joe! Love the looks of that birthday haul!

Morning, Joe. Happy Wednesday. Good review of Shine, Shine, Shine. Thumb! I liked the book quite a bit too.

On the poetry front, I was impressed with Leaving Tulsa and now I am well into Bullets into Bells, which you will really appreciate. This was another solid recommendation from Nancy.

I hope the current family drama is working itself out. Fingers crossed.

>151 jnwelch: That's a great birthday haul!

>159 NarratorLady: Ha! I'm glad you loved Jane Austen at Home (me, too), and The Ordinary, Extraordinary Jane Austen will bring you some smiles. As you can see from the photo, TOEJA is a bit shorter. :-)

>160 kidzdoc: Hiya, Darryl. Thanks re that sweet birthday haul. Debbi's way too nice to me (thank goodness).

I'm glad you liked that Shine, Shine, Shine review, and the weirdo quote. I think you're right, that we all feel like weirdos in one context or another. That probably is a big reason why the book affected me like it did. Plus we all know people who struggle to be "normal" in the course of life. The autistic behaviors in the book are not what we're used to thinking of as "normal", and Netzer does a memorable job of seeing both sides - including the beauties of an atypical viewpoint and the costs of trying to be normal. Maybe we could all benefit by allowing our inner weirdo to roam more.

Thanks re the easing of the family drama. You and me both, brother. Debbi and I are avidly looking forward to a day of peace.

>161 m.belljackson: Ha! My friend's pretty magical, Marianne. I'll have to let him know he shares a birthday with HP.

>162 Caroline_McElwee: Oh, thanks for asking about Indy, Caroline. She's settling in well with Becca. She's such a calm dog! She can handle just fine other dogs who are kooky, overly enthusiastic young kids, anything. In the city, a lot gets thrown at you, and she's just fine with all of it, baring her teeth if she needs whatever to back off. She's a rescue dog from Alabama (the agency here goes and gets dogs from Alabama just about every month - we're told that in that more rural state, dogs are more casually discarded). So this is a big change for her, and she's endlessly curious. She also is a fast hunter, and is giving the squirrels and rabbits here a good scare. She's still working through her timing on going to the bathroom, but that's coming around.

She's a sweet dog, and she's already strongly bonded to her alpha Becca.

Hi Joe, and a two-day late Happy Birthday! My daughter's a Leo and will be 25 on Friday.

Looks like you got some great books and had a great time. (I'm so glad you liked Shine Shine Shine). Our book club will be discussing it at my house on Sunday. Our last 3 books of the year all look like winners - The Storied Life of A. J. Fickry, Reservoir 13, and one I have already read and loved Lincoln in the Bardo. I'll be listening to it this time.

>163 scaifea: Morning, Amber! You don't really sound much different posting from Ohio. :-) I'm glad you've settled in enough to swing by on LT. I love that getting library cards was one of the first things you and Charlie did.

Thanks re the birthday haul. That Madame MBH is awfully generous, and responsible for a lot of what you see there. She also gave me a cool acrylic fiber sweater (wool makes me itch) that's really comfortable.

>164 msf59: Morning, Mark. Thanks re the Shine, Shine, Shine review and the thumb! As Darryl says, we're all weirdos in one way or another. Makes me think of our LT "weirdo", Bill.

Thanks for mentioning Leaving Tulsa and Bullets into Bells - I didn't know either of those poetry collections. I'm reading Gwendolyn Brooks' Selected Poems right now - unfortunately her early stuff doesn't grab me that much, but I have some favorites ahead of me. I did get a hold of that new Tony Hoagland collection you liked, and that'll be my next one. I hope you can find time to go back and read some of his earlier stuff - he's consistently great.

The current family drama seems to have crested and fallen back. Thanks for the crossed fingers; I'll join you!

>165 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle! So far Becca's Hulk in Italy book is the standout. :-) Nerd that I am, I'm very happy to have that Death Funkopop; they did a really good job with it.

>168 karenmarie: Hi, Karen, and thanks. We'll just keep the birthday going - why not? Congratulations to your Leonine daughter for turning 25 on Friday. I remember those days; jeesh was I thrashing around in life back then.

Thanks again for pointing the way to Shine, Shine, Shine. It's a standout this year for me, and it's given me a lot I'm still thinking about. I just wanted to give Sunny a hug! She was trying so hard. I liked that flash forward toward the end.

We loved A.J. Fikry, and I was impressed by Lincoln in the Bardo. I don't know Reservoir 13, but I'll check it out.

>158 jnwelch: Yup, we know all about it. Nicky Fox, our project scientist was there, and now she's sitting next to me in our cubical farm at the processing facility down in Florida. 😀

By Itzchak Tarkay

>171 drneutron: So cool, Jim. He seems like quite a guy. Enough years have passed that we just take "solar wind" for granted; I enjoyed reading how he figured it out, and how initially the concept was rejected because it was too divergent from conventional thinking. I'm sure you, Nicky Fox, and everyone else, are excited about what will be learned from this probe!

>168 karenmarie: - I loved AJ Fikry, Karen! I also have another book by her on my shelf, Elsewhere but I haven't read it yet.

>172 jnwelch: the lady on the right has a look of Cher!

Glad Indy is doing well. Yes, that sounds like some leap from rural to the urban world.

>167 jnwelch:

Dogland: a Journey to the Heart of America's Dog Problem by Jacki Skole
gives detailed insights into why so many dogs come from Alabama.

Glad that August is bringing calm again.

I noticed that you said you were impressed with Lincoln in the Bardo. I am about half done with that book (reading it for my real life book discussion group) and I am not so impressed with it. In fact I am finding it hard to read and boring. There must be something that happens later on in the book to make it so impressive that it won all those awards, but right now I can't see it. But I am not giving up on it.

>177 benitastrnad: - For what it's worth, I am probably in a small minority of those who did give up. I started it on audio and found it absolutely impossible to make heads or tails of. Couldn't be bothered with the hard copy, though I did give it a look. Win some, lose some. There is always *the next one* waiting in line to be read, right?

I can see that you had a very good birthday...May an excellent year follow on its heels.

>174 jessibud2: We loved A.J. Fikry, too, Shelley, and I thought Elsewhere was excellent. My memory is the latter was pitched to a somewhat younger audience, but it was thought-provoking and good.

>175 Caroline_McElwee: Ha! You're right about the Cher lookalike, Caroline. Indy is such a sweet one. We were just talking about the calmness with which she's adjusted to that rural-urban leap. I can tell you, she is sniffing everywhere. :-)

>176 m.belljackson: Thanks, Marianne. I'll mention the insightful Dogland book to our daughter. The calm feels so good, although it's weird - now we can get back to grieving. But that's way better.

>177 benitastrnad: Hi, Benita. There are plenty of readers who had your kind of reaction to Lincoln in the Bardo. I liked the boldness of the idea, the unusual writing approach, the inventiveness, and that core relationship between Lincoln and his son. Overall, to me it's an impressive piece of writing. I'm glad you're sticking with it, and events toward the end may improve it for you - but I'm not going to be surprised if they don't!

>178 jessibud2: Ha! Right, Shelley. I know you and Benita have plenty of company for Lincoln in the Bardo. Probably my enjoyment of poetry and unusual reading fare helped get me into it.

>179 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks, Linda. It was a very good birthday, and I'm looking forward to the year ahead. So far, so good. :-)

August 1st brings yet another Great, Fun (?), Leo - a Happy Birthday to Herman Melville!

>182 jnwelch: I think you have something there Joe about poetry lovers being able to appreciate Lincoln in the Bardo. I've never been able to enjoy poetry and all the time I was reading LITB I was aware of very clever writing which brought me right out of the story. Our book discussion group was interesting, giving me insight into many things I missed - which is often my experience when trying to "get" poetry!

>183 m.belljackson: Ha! What a fun guy, that Herman Melville. :-) Some day I'll track down my Moby Dick review for you, Marianne - there was so much whale lore that I kept looking for a whale merchandise gift shop somewhere in the pages. He wrote a whale of a book, that's for sure (did I hear groans?)

>184 NarratorLady: Ah, I'll tell you what I told brother Mark, Anne - I think of poems as little (sometimes not so little!) short stories. You're going to like some, you're going to not connect with some, and so on. Sometimes you'll love every one in a collection. It's a different kind of surrender - you're going to go with the form the poet has chosen. Sometimes it's complicated, and just like with a complicated short story, if you like it or love it enough, you'll take the time to sort it out. If you don't, why bother. It's not medicine you have to take.

It's great your book club gave you insight into many things you missed in Lincoln in the Bardo - that sounds like a good book club! Sometimes it's, let's drink wine and I didn't have time to read it, right? Yours sounds much better.

Some poets are so obscure - for me, reading John Ashbery is like viewing an enjoyable abstract painting (yes, IMO, there are some!) - the words usually are awfully difficult to assemble in my mind, but my goodness, they do hang together beautifully. Someone like Billy Collins or Mary Oliver is much more accessible - but some turn up their noses at them for that very reason. Go figure.

I'm trying to become more and more accessible with my own stuff. That's just my preference. I like the idea of helping people get into the world I'm trying to create. It makes sense to me that poets are thought of as listening to the muses - for me it is a listening and seeing experience. In fact, most of mine are visuals that I can see and I try to convey in words. I'll see if I can find one I just finished and post it.

Anyway, to me, poetry isn't something "other" that you need to "get"; it's just people trying to convey what they hear and see and feel, and some will connect with you, and some won't, just like short stories, just like paintings.

Yeah, here it is. I bet some cafe patrons will know the inspiration.

Ordering Food

Bulging white man behind the
Alabama counter says loudly
Democrats don't read the
Constitution, playing to the
Diner crowd.

I have, she says.

You probably voted for
Obama, he sneers.
What did that
N-word ever do for us.
She thinks, only a
List longer than both
Your arms. She thinks,
Why is it people like
You have no memory,
Just a mind made up.

She takes her order from
Him, regretting it some.
Wishes she could risk
Handing it back.

Everyone in the joint
Looks at her with
Pity. What kind
She can't tell.
Whether she'll
Make it to the door.

Here's one by Kevin Young that I like, from his new book Brown.

Hive

Kevin Young

The honey bees’ exile
is almost complete.
You can carry

them from hive
to hive, the child thought
& that is what

he tried, walking
with them thronging
between his pressed palms.

Let him be right.
Let the gods look away
as always. Let this boy

who carries the entire
actual, whirring
world in his calm

unwashed hands,
barely walking, bear
us all there

buzzing, unstung.

>186 jnwelch: I like this one, Joe. Very timely!

>187 jnwelch: I like this Young poem too, Looking forward to reading this collection.

Let's keep breathing life into that poetry thread. If we don't keep up, it will shrivel up and die.

I am glad you are having a good time with The House of Broken Angels. Urrea is a treasure. Once again, request Bullets into Bells when you get a chance. This is another very timely anthology, with many talented voices.

I am also having a real good time with The Man Who Climbs Trees. I like a good nature/adventure tale and this one is taking me places, I never thought of going. I have no desire to follow his lead, (me and heights don't get along) but I sure love reading about it.

>188 msf59: Thanks, buddy. Mine was inspired by Benita's story of a few weeks ago. I'm glad you like the Kevin Young one. I was going to do a different one of his, but I couldn't find it online, and I just wasn't up for all the typing!

Right, my intentions are good re the poetry thread, but my execution is lousy. I'll try to get going over there tomorrow. I know, "mañana". "I'll gladly give you a poem Tuesday for a hamburger today." A brief Wimpy/Popeye reference for your reading enjoyment.

>189 msf59: I am indeed having a good time with House of Broken Angels. I'm going to want to read more of him after this. Tips are welcome.

I'll check out (hmm, kind of a pun there) Bullets into Bells. Sounds good.

Huh. You've got me curious with The Man Who Climbs Trees. I'll follow your progress with interest. Son Jesse was an avid tree climber, and pretty darn good at it. I actually fell from the top of one near my house as a lad, and was very lucky - so many leafy branches broke beneath me that I landed on a pretty soft pile of them. I used to love to get way up there and gaze about my environs.

>190 jnwelch: I am not sure if Jesse reads much NF, but I would highly recommend that he reads The Man Who Climbs Trees, especially if he was a tree climber himself. This is extreme climbing. Some of these trees are 250ft high. A whole different world up there. I am finding it fascinating.

>191 msf59:. All rightee, then. I will let the young arboreal ascender know about The Man Who Climbs Trees, Mark.

P.S. Yeah, he reads a ton of NF. We used to call him “Mr. Factoid”. He was one of those kids who had to have the new edition of The Guinness Book of World Records every year.

>191 msf59: EEEEK!!

>192 jnwelch: Eek!

Love the poetry Joe. (and happy belated birthday)
I walk past a lavender bush full of bees every day at the moment, and wonder where the honey is that will have a tinge of that lovely scent. I heard the author of A Honeybee Heart has Five Openings on the radio this week and the book slipped onto my wishlist.

>193 humouress: Ha! Shield your eyes, Nina.



>194 charl08: Thank you, Charlotte. Good to hear. And thanks re the birthday.

That sounds like a beautiful walk and a beautiful book. Mmm, a lavender bush. I'll watch for more about the book on your thread.

>185 jnwelch:

My daughter found "A WHALE OF A BOOK" bookmarks to download online - I'll use one in one of my Moby books and send one
to an NYC friend who now owns Sam Ita's POP-UP MOBY-DICK - talk about fun for Melville...

A bit of a distance from your Austen book, but I won an ER copy of MARY WHO WROTE FRANKENSTEIN - can't wait!

And, added the start of an Emerson poem on this month's Non-Fiction Essay Challenge...

And, up in the air = I used to watch a husband (former Vietnam Vet Sergeant) skydive
while seated peacefully reading on a blanket under a tree.

>154 jnwelch: I like this: "In an afterword interview, the author explains, "{A}s a weirdo who is married to a weirdo and parenting two weirdos, I am saddened by our modern need to make sure everyone fits in, and functions smoothly, and checks all the necessary boxes. Some amazing and brilliant people do not, and never will, fit in.""

>197 RBeffa: We frequently have conversations in our house along the lines of “Am I weird, mum?” “Absolutely, sweetheart”.

I shall refrain from any comments on this "weirdo" meme.

But if tall trees is your thing, I'd recommend The Wild Trees by Richard Preston. NF. People who ascend redwood and sequoias in California. Even has a little hot and very dangerous sex in a net hammock several hundred feet up.

My wife and I are heading out tomorrow to visit my sister outside Lexington, VA. We're hoping to have a nosh at the know famous Red Hen restaurant, where a Huckabee-Sanders party was declined service.

Also hoping to get an autographed copy of Sally Mann's memoir, Hold Still. Then I can return the copy I borrowed to read at least a year ago. I doubt there'll be an overdue fine.

Oh, by the way, Joe:

>200 weird_O: tee hee. I used to be a coffee addict, but now it's a rare treat.

Maybe it should be tea hee, as that's my beverage of choice now.

>195 jnwelch: LIKE!

Sweet Thursday, Joe. Just stopped on the way home for a quick beer, after a warm afternoon. It is a Dogfish Head IPA and it is tasty and summery.

Really enjoying The Man Who Climbs Trees. There is plenty of Monkey God in this one too.

>195 jnwelch: Interesting picture. You wouldn't get me up there as I have a fear of heights. Looks like you got quite a haul for your birthday, Joe. Fun to celebrate for more than one day!

>192 jnwelch: My kid was the one who needed the new World Almanac and Book of Facts each year. He could spend hours creating lists of countries, cities, populations, etc., etc., etc. He called it his "work." ;)

Thanks for the poem. It was one of the “weirder” moments in my tenure in Alabama. I still don’t understand that man’s venom. But I don’t have to. I feared for President Obama the whole time he was in office that some hateful person would do him in and I think we are darn lucky that he survived 8 years.

Morning, Joe!

>196 m.belljackson: Ha! I've seen the pop-up Moby Dick, Marianne. You're right, there's some fun to be had there. I'm glad my "whale of a book" pun resonated enough to generate bookmarks so quickly. :-)

Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein looks fun, too. I'll look forward to hearing what you think of it.

I'll look for the Emerson poem. I'm going to try to post some Gwendolyn Brooks on the Poetry Thread today.

Watching your husband skydive while peacefully reading under a tree - you've obviously had your LT-ish priorities straight for quite a while. :-)

>197 RBeffa: Isn't that a good quote about those who don't fit in, Ron? As Darryl said, we can probably all relate, from one context or another.

>198 humouress: Our kids used to say to me, "You're weird, Dad", Nina. I'd always say, "Thank you."

>199 weird_O: You've already freed your inner weirdo, Bill, so there's probably no need to discuss it.

The Wild Trees sounds intriguing. Some sex always peps up a narrative. I know there are Richard Preston fans out there.

Have fun in Lexington, VA. I'm glad the Red Hen restaurant is hanging in there. I know they got barraged by right-wingers after turning away Sanders.

I haven't read Hold Still, but I know Sally Mann is quite the photographer. I hope you successfully snag the autograph.

>200 weird_O: That's complex, Bill, but reading between the lines I'm thinking: Coffee.

You'll be heartened to hear I'm having my first cup of the day while (not) typing this.

>201 Caroline_McElwee: Ha! I like that "tea hee", Caroline. I'm still on the coffee train; no matter how easy or difficult the day, coffee makes it better.

>202 msf59: Right, Mark? I like that >195 jnwelch: photo, too.

Sweet Thursday, and Happy Friday. I haven't had a Dogfish in a while; you sure make that one sound good.

I haven't read Douglas Preston yet, and probably should some day.

>203 Familyhistorian: Hi, Meg. You have to get me higher than a treetop for vertigo to hit me. I'm fine in the high skyscrapers here as long as there's a window between me and the air. But one time I was looking at potential new office space in the under-construction AT&T building, and we were 50 floors up in the open air, looking out. My legs got wobbly!

>204 kac522: I'm sure your kid who regularly read the World Almanac and Book of Facts would hit it off with our Jesse, Kathy. It's a great quality to have - Jesse can come up with all sorts of unexpected factoids that make us think.

>205 benitastrnad: Hi, Benita. I'm glad you saw the poem! I can imagine that man's venom was scary bizarre to experience. Totally with you on Obama; Debbi and I were worried there'd be an assassination attempt the whole eight years.

>206 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

Morning, Joe! Hope you have a great weekend!

Morning, Chelle! Thanks - I hope you do, too!

We've got a couple of plays lined up, so it should be fun.

Morning, Joe. Happy Friday. Nice start to the day, out here's and the mail is reasonably light, so it should be a good one.

Wow, how did it get to be Friday, alredy! It's downright scary how quickly the time seems to pass by these days. Sorry I missed your birthday, Joe, but it sure sounds like your family ensured that you had a good one. Hope the good times continue right on into the weekend. :)

I was listening to BBC World Service (I have it on when I drive; one reason I don’t do audio books) and apparently beer is in decline in the States. The big name beers used to be a lot cheaper than wine and other ‘hard liquors’ but not so much anymore. Craft beers are to tasty and too expensive to guzzle. And drinking demographics are changing; it’s just as likely to be a group of ladies going out for cocktails after work now. I thought of you, Joe, and Mark for some reason as I was listening.

So >202 msf59: enjoy it while you can :0)

>208 jnwelch: I know I’m weird too. I just haven’t let the kids in on that little secret. Think they’ll have noticed yet?

Happy Saturday, Joe! Hope you have a great weekend!

>215 msf59: Hiya, Mark. I hope Friday was a good one, and you beat the heat today. We were going to assemble a hammock today for the lovely Ms. Debbi, and decided to wait until the temp drops later in the week.

>216 DeltaQueen50: Right, Judy? Madame MBH has been wondering where July went so fast. I did have a good birthday, thanks. Because of unexpected events, we didn't get to the restaurant I like (Glen's Diner on Montrose), but we're doing it today after we see a play adaptation of Gaiman's Neverwhere. Neverwhere is my favorite Gaiman over a number of high level contenders.

>217 humouress: Oh, the horror, Nina!

There was a time when I thought the craft brewery movement wasn't going to survive the big players, so I'm actually pretty happy about the way things have gone re the beer of our dreams. We have good craft breweries now all over Chicago and Chicagoland, and I know the same is true in other parts of the country. I guzzled when I was a youngster, but now complex flavors are more fun, and I enjoy supporting small local businesses. More ladies after work is more fun, too. :-)

>218 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle! We've been enjoying the weekend so far, with a Gaiman play on tap later today, and Shakespeare in the Park tomorrow (if it's not too hot). Hope you and the Chelle-ians have a great one, too.

Here's a Gwendolyn Brooks' poem I liked in her selected poems collection.

The Bean Eaters

They eat beans mostly, this old yellow pair.
Dinner is a casual affair.
Plain chipware on a plain and creaking wood,
Tin flatware.

Two who are Mostly Good.
Two who have lived their day,
But keep on putting on their clothes
And putting things away.

And remembering ...
Remembering, with twinklings and twinges,
As they lean over the beans in their rented back room that is full of beads and receipts and dolls and cloths, tobacco crumbs, vases and fringes.

Here's to a peaceful weekend

Happy Saturday, Joe. Finally home and relaxin'! It looks like we are going to lay low the rest of the weekend, which is perfectly fine with me. Not walks for me tomorrow either, because of the heat, but I am not that bummed.

I hope you had a good day. Another tight Cubs win, but we will take it. Now, let's go for the series win tomorrow.

Morning, Joe! Happy Sunday!

Hi Joe, and I hope you have a great Sunday.

>I>turning 25 on Friday. I remember those days; jeesh was I thrashing around in life back then. Ditto. I was waitressing in Connecticut, knowing I'd eventually return to California, but having fun. No long term plans, not using my degree....

>221 jnwelch: I really like that poem, not the least because there's some actual rhyme in it. Very nice.

>219 jnwelch: I hope no unexpected events this time, Joe, so you could enjoy dinner and play.

Hi Joe! Hope that you had a relaxing weekend.

Morning, Joe. I hope you had a good weekend. It looks like you were busy doing fun things. Another hot one today but it looks much better tomorrow for our get-together. We will be in touch on the details. Off to work...

>223 msf59:, >228 msf59: Hiya, Mark. Sorry the Cubs didn't take it yesterday.

It was a good weekend, and a low key one for us, too. The Neverwhere play wasn't quite as good as the first time we saw it at Lifeline (the three leads were Jim Dandy, but there were three understudies on stage for other parts, and they weren't in the flow enough, particularly one). I thought The House of Broken Angels was aces, and will be looking for more by Urrea.

Right, we'll figure out timing for tomorrow and be in touch.

>224 scaifea: Morning, Amber! I'm a little slow getting to this, but I hope your week starts off well.

>225 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. Sunday was good, thanks. Very hot here though!

No long term plans, no using my degree. Yeah, that was me at 25. I went around the country, and that was probably my NYC time. I did work in one vegetarian restaurant, which I ended up managing after things got cuckoo in a rush one day. Mostly it was bookstores, for me.

I'm glad you like the GB poem. She did a lot of rhyming. I want to experiment more with that meself. It's been a while.

>226 FAMeulstee: No unexpected events, thanks, Anita. The play was good (although a cut below the last time we saw it), and dinner was most excellent. I had swordfish, a fave.

>227 banjo123: We did have a relaxing weekend, thanks, Rhonda. I hope you did, too.

It's different these days, starting off the week - retirement makes it lots more pleasant!

>231 jnwelch: Love that!!

Morning, Joe! Hope you had a great weekend

>231 jnwelch: - Very cool!

Happy Monday Joe! Not having to go anywhere really starts the week off right, doesn't it?

>232 ChelleBearss: Morning/Afternoon, Chelle! Isn't >231 jnwelch: great?

We did have a great weekend, thanks, and I hope you did, too.

>233 jessibud2: Isn't that cool, Shelley? I wouldn't mind having a framed copy on our RL wall.

>234 Familyhistorian: Ha! Ain't that the truth, Meg? It makes all the difference. After a fun weekend, I used to dread Monday. Now I just look forward (most of the time!) to a fun week. :-)

An exhausted Indy and Becca on our kitchen floor

Bargains of the Day: For $1.99 on Kindle, Hidden Figures (terrific book); for $2.99, Flowers for Algernon (classic) and Island of the Blue Dolphins (middle grade classic that I enjoyed as an adult).

Hi Joe. I hope all is well with you.

as impulsive as ever, I have started reading Carrying Albert Home by Homer Hickam, Jr It looks to be a fun, light drama ride with a dash of romance and good humor.

Hiya, Brodie. All is well with us, thanks.

Have fun with Carrying Albert Home; it sounds like just the ticket for a summer read.

Happy Anniversary to you & Debbi, Joe!

House of Broken Angels was my first book by Luis Alberto Urrea, and it won't be my last. What an easy, confident writing style he has. This one is about the de la Cruz family gathering, with a funeral for the clan mother and a birthday party for the patriarch Big Angel, who may be in his last innings. There is sadness, but there's also a fierce undercurrent of joy. Even those who have made missteps are welcomed back and folded into the family embrace.

“Big Angel could not reconcile himself to this dirty deal they had all been dealt. Death. What a ridiculous practical joke. Every old person gets the punch line that the kids are too blind to see. All the striving, lusting, dreaming, suffering, working, hoping, yearning, mourning, suddenly revealed itself to be an accelerating countdown to nightfall.
....This is the prize: to realize, at the end, that every minute was worth fighting for with every ounce of blood and fire.”

Big Angel overflows with life, imperfect, declining, but still treasuring sensuality with his beloved Perla, and filling notebooks with memories of what he's loved. Most notebook entries are one word, like "family" and "oysters".

“And everyone loved sunsets. The light lost its sanity as it fell over the hills and into the Pacific--it went red and deeper red, orange, and even green. The skies seemed to melt, like lava eating black rock into great bite marks of burning. Sometimes all the town stopped and stared west. Shopkeepers came from their rooms to stand in the street. Families brought out their invalids on pallets and in wheelbarrows to wave their bent wrists at the madness consuming their sky. Swirls of gulls and pelicans like God's own confetti snowed across those sky riots.”

The book invites the reader into an irresistible family party. And what a family! Half-brother Little Angel comes from Seattle, envied by all for his assumed American wealth. Is Little Angel overshadowed, or able to walk in his own light? La Gloriosa, up in years now but still yearned for by all the men; as she explains, her beauty is "aided but not diminished by artifice". Ookie, seemingly mentally slow, but of hidden genius. Perla, who risked all to come to northern Mexico with Big Angel, and was rewarded with an adoring love and a larger than life partner. Son Yndio, a bruising physical specimen with a love for cabaret performing as a woman. And on and on.

Like many family gatherings, some exchanges are hilariously lowbrow, and some are poignantly highbrow.

“There is a minute in the day, a minute for everyone, though most everyone is too distracted to notice its arrival. A minute of gifts coming from the world like birthday presents. A minute given to every day that seems to create a golden bubble available to everyone.”

I loved this novel. Bear with it in the beginning, as you start to sort out who's who. Five stars.

>241 jnwelch: - BB there, Joe. Sounds good!

I just read (listened to) a book, a novella, actually, by Fredrik Backman that had this feel to it, as well. Love and family and old age. All on one disc! Hit me in the gut. And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer. A quick read but it stayed with me. Sounds like this one you read might do the same.

>240 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl. 35 big ones! Can you believe she's let me live this long?

>242 jessibud2: Oh good, Shelley. What a read!

I liked A Man Called Ove, so I'll take a look for this one, thanks.

BTW, many thanks to our pal Mark for the nudge to read The House of Broken Angels.

>238 brodiew2: ooh...I bought that one at a book sale not too long ago. Hope you enjoy it.

>231 jnwelch: I love that image, Joe. Makes me wonder if all our heads would look like that on the inside.

>245 laytonwoman3rd: Hi, Linda. I'll look forward to hearing more about the Homer Hickham book.

>246 DeltaQueen50: Isn't that a great image, Judy? Ha! Yeah, the insides of all our heads probably look like that. Mine might squeeze in a table with chairs and some lattes, too.

Hey Joe, I think I'm caught up here. That's some birthday haul! You are plenty loved, my friend.
Hidden Figures was yesterday's Bargain of the Day!? Dang! I saw The Girls of Atomic City which I did purchase and had I seen HF, well that would have been 1-clicked too. I'm sure it will come around again.
Have a great evening!

Happy anniversary Joe and Debbi.

Hi, Joe! Happy anniversary to you and Debbie!

Happy Anniversary!

>248 Carmenere: Ah, too bad re Hidden Figures, Lynda. I doublechecked in hopes it was still $1.99, but it has popped back up to $11.99. So good - it may have calmed down enough that you could get it at the library fairly quickly.

I'll have to take a look at The Girls of Atomic City. Thanks re the book haul - I'm already digging into it.:-) We did have a great evening, thanks. Our daughter's dog Indy had a health scare, and got the all-clear. They visited last night, and we also got caught up on "So You Think You Can Dance", a favorite of ours.

>249 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks, Caroline. 35 years. Can you believe she's let me live that long?

Hey, Mark and I were just saying we're missing you over on the Poetry thread. https://www.librarything.com/topic/278992# Wanna come over and poeticize?

Happy Anniversary!!

>250 Storeetllr: Thanks, Mary. Debbi is a remarkably patient woman, don't you think? It's been quite a 35 years. Nice to have both kids doing fine, and us still enjoying each other's company.

>251 humouress: Thanks, Nina! We ate Italian to celebrate - after having a most excellent morning with Monsieur Mark at our local (huge!) Arboretum.

>253 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle! We're a happy couple of old married folks, we are (well, old grumpy husband and eternally youthful wife).

Belated happy anniversary. 35 years is quite an accomplishment. That number is a dead giveaway that you are not in show business! ;-)

White Chocolate with Baileys Coffee Custards on Cookie Cups

>255 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley.

Ha! I know, so many show business marriages are short-lived, aren't they. My wife used to love (still does, actually) Paul Newman, and he and Joanne Woodward were an exception, being married 50 years.

Happy Belated 35th Anniversary, Joe! Having kids who are doing well and you and Debbi still enjoying each other's company are fine testaments to the institution.

I hope you have a good day today.

>231 jnwelch: I like that a lot.

>236 jnwelch: Funny - I could see it when I lurked yesterday but it doesn't even show a little boxed x this morning. Becca and Indy looked pretty 'dorable.

Morning, Joe. Excellent review of Broken Angels. Big Thumb! Another nice one out here. Of course, I would rather be the Arb, but this will do.

>241 jnwelch: Great review of The House of Broken Angels, Joe. Onto the wish list it goes.

>243 jnwelch: I'm surprised, too. I think you've aged long enough to be safely consumed by Debbi.

>256 jnwelch: Oh, my! The cafe's standards are in no danger of falling off, I see...

Also, on the subject of show business marriages, I offer Tom Selleck and Tom Hanks, each having been married to their current spouse for at least 30 years. It is an accomplishment, and harder in that business than some others, but still it can be done when the marriage itself isn't part of the image, as it so often seems to be in Hollywood.

Hi Joe - we share an anniversary year -35 years for us too (although it was a June date). So I'm echoing all the congrats above! Hard to believe it's been this long, but grateful (as you are) that the kids are happy and healthy and we still get along!

I haven't heard much LT talk about The Great Believers, which takes place in Chicago (among other places) in the 1980s and present. I can't put it down!

>252 jnwelch: haha, I reckon you might have had one or two close shaves Joe! Hmmm, that sounds a bit Sweeney Todd!

You are right, the poetry thread has slipped off of my radar, crazy year is my excuse. Kicking my butt over there soon.

>258 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen. We've been through a lot together, Madame MBH and I - as she says, there was a time when we didn't have the money to rent a pot to p-ss in. :-)

Isn't >231 jnwelch: cool? Well, book-nerdy cool.

Indy and Becca are totes adorbs. We had a bit of a health scare with Indy, and are glad she's just fine.

>259 msf59: The Arb would be better, no question, Mark. Thanks again for inviting us.

And thanks re The Broken Angels review - your nudge got me one I love.

It is nice out there. I may need to find an excuse to get back out in it.

>260 kidzdoc: Oh yeah, I think you'll love The House of Angels, Darryl. What a party the author throws.

I think you've aged long enough to be safely consumed by Debbi. Ha! Please don't ever say that to her. It's amusing but very dangerous.

She was just talking about how, the first time she met you in London, she was buying a book about how to cook and eat your husband. Lucky for me, she says the book was terribly written (as much as she liked the idea).

>261 laytonwoman3rd: Right, Linda? I like the idea of finishing up >256 jnwelch: by eating your cookie cup.

Kudos to the Toms, Messrs. Hanks and Selleck, for their lengthy marriages. Since we all feel like we know celebrities to some extent (even if we don't really), it's refreshing to hear about celebrity marriages that make it. it can be done when the marriage itself isn't part of the image, as it so often seems to be in Hollywood. I like that idea. Try to keep it out of the media.

>262 vivians: Congratulations back atcha, Vivian! 35 years married is quite a mile post. I see a wedding photo as your profile photo - is that a son or daughter?

I'm another LTer unaware of Great Believers. Thanks for being a trailblazer. I'm glad you like it so much - being totally unbiased, I love it when a good book is set in Chicago.

>263 Caroline_McElwee: Ha! I have had a close shave or two over the years, and the Sweeney Todd reference is not amiss. Apparently, I have a knack for saying annoying things - can you imagine? As Debbi says, in my own mind I'm the funniest guy ever. Our kids like to warn me - "Dad, you're getting into trouble again." It makes reaching 35 years together that much sweeter.

It has been a crazy year, for sure, but I'm glad you're getting your butt over to the Poetry thread soon. We need the help!

Bargains of the Day: For $1.99 on Kindle, Garden Spells ( I love this book, and Sarah Addison Allen)), and Mountains Beyond Mountains (I love this book, too, - my favorite by Tracy Kidder). For $2.99, The Mists of Avalon is also awfully good, and on a lot of "must read before you die" lists.

Oops, Garden Spells just received a click, secondhand hard copy.

>268 Caroline_McElwee: I hope you have a good time with Garden Spells, Caroline. I'm a pushover for a bit of magical realism - she has a deft hand with it.

Scrolling through and catching up . . .

A very belated Happy Birthday to you!

And a less belated Happy Anniversary to you and Debbi!

also - Rafa is adorable.

>270 SuziQoregon: I'm glad you found your way to the new thread, Juli.

Everyone else - the new cafe is open. See you there!

>265 jnwelch: Yep. Debbi was way too excited about that book. If she or Becca find one with good recipes you're in the soup, brother.

You're in the soup, brother. Why am I taking that literally? Help!

>273 jnwelch: Don't look to me for help. If I keep teasing your wife and daughter I'll probably be in the same pot as you.

>274 kidzdoc: Hard to resist, isn't it? Good luck to us both. :-)