Mark's Reading Place: Chapter Eight

^Bree, Duke and the newest member of the family, Cooper.



-Eastern Bluebird, (one of my favorite photos)

Audiobook:



Graphic/Comic:



January:

1) Small Fry by Lisa Brennan-Jobs 4 stars (audio)
2) Thunderstruck & Other Stories by Elizabeth McCracken 4.3 stars
3) Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver by Mary Oliver 5 stars Poetry OTS
4) Becoming by Michelle Obama 5 stars (audio)
5) My Name Is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok 5 stars AAC
6) Asymmetry: A Novel by Lisa Halliday 4 stars (audio)
7) The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo 4.5 stars (audio/print)
8) Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver 3.7 stars
9) Artificial Condition: The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells 4 stars (audio)
10) Sooner or Later Everything Falls Into the Sea: Stories by Sarah Pinsker 4.2 stars ER
11) Winter by Ali Smith 4.5 stars
12) Golden Child by Claire Adam 4 stars
13) Upgrade Soul by Ezra Claytan Daniels 4.4 stars GN
14) Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson 3.8 stars (audio)

February:

15) The End of the End of the Earth: Essays by Jonathan Franzen 4 stars (audio)
16) Mouthful of Birds: Stories by Samanta Schweblin 3.2 stars
17) The Calculating Stars: A Lady Astronaut Novel by Mary Robinette Kowal 3.8 stars (audio)
18) Number 9 Dream by David Mitchell 3.7 stars
19) These Truths: A History of the United States by Jill Lepore 5 stars (audio)
20) Red Clocks by Leni Zumas 3.6 stars (audio)
21) Last Friends (Old Filth Trilogy) by Jane Gardam 4.4 stars G.R.
22) Neither Snow nor Rain: A History of the USPS by Devin Leonard 4.2 stars (audio)
23) Great Dream of Heaven: Stories by Sam Shepard 4.3 stars
24) Little Women by Louisa May Alcott 3.7 stars (audio) AAC
25) Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love by Dani Shapiro 4.3 stars (audio)
26) Lord of the Butterflies by Andrea Gibson 5 stars (Poetry)
27) The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker 4 stars ALA
28) The Refugees by Viet Thanh Nguyen 4.4 stars ALA
29) The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist by Radley Balko 4.5 stars (audio)

March:

30) Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds 4.5 stars (audio)
31) The Fall of Wisconsin by Dan Kaufman 4.6 stars (audio)
32) The Dry by Jane Harper 4 stars (audio)
33) Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James 3.7 stars
34) The Blue Hour by Laura Pritchett 5 stars
35) The Invention of Nature by Andrea Wulf 5 stars (audio)
36) The Thief of Auschwitz by Jon Clinch 4.5 stars (audio) AAC
37) Waiting for the Albino Dunnock by Rosamond Richardson 4 stars
38) The Master by Colm Tóibín 4.2 stars (audio)
39) Your Duck Is My Duck: Stories by Deborah Eisenberg 4 stars
40) Daisy Miller by Henry James 4.2 stars
41) The Answer to the Riddle Is Me: Memoir of Amnesia by David Stuart MacLean 3.8 stars (audio)
42) Bowlaway by Elizabeth McCracken 4 stars

April:

43) Aerialists: Stories by Mark Mayer 4 stars
44) The Witch Elm by Tana French 3.5 stars (audio)
45) American Prison by Shane Bauer 4.8 stars (audio)
46) Bibliophile: An Illustrated Miscellany by Jane Mount 4 stars
47) Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid 4 stars (audio)
48) The Goose Fritz by Sergei Lebedev 4.2 stars (E)
49) The Fire This Time:Essays by Jesmyn Ward 4 stars (audio) AAC
50) The River by Peter Heller 4 stars

^Someone, mentioned starting a "Birding" thread. Honestly, I was not up for hosting another thread but I thought it would be cool, if a few of us started a birdfeeder watch and kept it updated on the participant's own thread. I know there are several of my pals over here, that have feeders. I hope I can get you to join. I am only going to log in each species I see, for the year, along with the dates. The only species changes, I expect to find, are during the various seasons. Hopefully, this will inspire me to keep a better watch on my own feeders. As of now, the Feeder report will be in post # 6. Here is what I have so far:



1) Northern Cardinal 1/1/19
2) American Goldfinch 1/1/19
3) Downy Woodpecker 1/1/19
4) Black-Capped Chickadee 1/1/19
5) White-Breasted Nuthatch 1/1/19
6) Mourning Dove 1/1/19
7) Dark-Eyed Junco 1/1/19
8) House Sparrow 1/1/19
9) Pine Siskins 1/4/19 (F)
10) Red-Tailed Hawk
11) House Finch
12) Red-Bellied Woodpecker 3/12
13) American Robin 3/13
14) Starling 3/19
15) Northern Flicker
16) Mallards

(F)- First time seen at the feeders.

Behind the Eyes, & Shining

"If I could say it once, clearly. If I could get it right.
If I could hold it all together in my mind: the pollen shook loose

like dander and the sapsucker punching holes
in the siding. The chainlink grown through birch and wind

where the ranch used to be. If I could pass my body
through the seam between shingle and ridge-beam, linoleum

and plank. Return as termite, ditch-weed. If I could go back
to that July in Northampton, blowing fiber-glass

into rich folks’ attics. To when me and Ant
let the blower run and smoked blunts all day in the trailer.

To when it was a scam and we knew it. If I could admit
it was a scam: my father’s voice soft on the machine. Sober.

Asking me to call back. If I had to admit why I won’t. If I had to reckon
with what the past asks of the present. If I am here

in his van. Stale cigarillo smoke and the heavy redolence
of the body. Windows fogged over. Blankets damp with rain.

If I squat against the wheelwell, and look at his quiet hands,
and do not turn away. If they tremble. If they’re still."

-Edgar Kunz

^This is from an excellent collection called Tap Out: Poems. Seek it out.

^I am continuing to have a good time with Bibliophile: An Illustrated Miscellany. I am enjoying these illustrations of bookshelves too.

Happy new one, Mark. Great toppers and yay, Bibliophile" An Illustrated Miscellany!

Happy new thread, Mark.

You are the first to pass 2,000 posts this year by the way in what has been the slowest posting year since my stats began.

At the end of March the top 140 threads had 38,468 posts.
Last year (also not really a bumper year) at the same time it was 51,961

Happy new thread, Mark. ^ Looks like we haven't been chatty enough this year. Why then can't I keep up with your thread?

Happy new thread!

Happy new one!

Happy new thread, Mark!

>6 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley. I am having a good time with Bibliophile.

>7 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. Several of our big hitters, from previous years, like yourself, have been pretty low-key. Plus, we are 11-plus years into this and we are sure to get burn-out and drop-off. I am always amazed that we keep chugging along.

>8 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. I try to keep a steady presence over here. I have noticed, a bit of a slowdown, but I am glad that we are still keeping it alive.

>9 drneutron: >10 figsfromthistle: >11 katiekrug: Thanks, Jim, Figs & Katie.

>13 msf59: No worries about your posting pace...7 threads polished off already, and No. 8 all fired up...

>13 msf59: I'm still alive.

Ha. Makes me recall the surprise rippling through George Saunders's crowd as they realize they are DEAD. A good read it was.

Great thread topper Mark of Bree and her gorgeous pups! Happy new thread.

Happy new thread, Mark. Great topper.

>14 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks, Linda. Yep, I just keep chugging along.

>15 weird_O: This is great news, Bill. Glad you are still with us and I am glad you enjoyed Bardo. Lot of fun, right?

>16 mdoris: Thanks, Mary. I will have to pay Cooper a visit. I haven't seen them since that photo.

>17 BLBera: Thanks, Beth.

Morning, Mark! Happy new thread!

>19 scaifea: Thanks, Amber!

Happy New Thread, Marx! Bree and her canines loox lixe a happy trio, maxing it a nice topper!

Hi Mark - Happy New Thread! Looking forward to the big game tonight! And the weekend...
I should finish up When You Read This and Working by tomorrow. Savoring The Invention of Nature. Glad you are enjoying Aerialists and Bibliophile!

Hey, buddy. Happy New Thread, and Happy Friday!

I texted and emailed you about Jim's visit. Glad it's working out!

I second your endorsement of Edgar Kunz's Tap Out poetry collection. Thanks for recommending it to me. I've gotten behind on mini-reviews.

My Sister, the Serial Killer is aces. I'm about halfway through.

Love the toppers with Bree, Duke and Cooper and the Eastern Bluebird.

The photo didn't come through for your current graphic novel. Which one are you reading?

'Morning, Mark, happy Friday to you!

Happy new thread, too.

>3 msf59: Dratted squirrel! I see him up there on the roof, just waiting to pounce. And is that a woodpecker on the suet feeder?

>21 Carmenere: Good morning, Lynda and thanks. You know, I had to use that photo for my next topper.

>22 alphaorder: Thanks, Nancy. I will finish my story collection today. It is a good one. Might spend a day or with Bibliophile, after that.

>23 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. Hooray for an upcoming Meet Up with Jim and I am so glad you felt the same way about Tap Out. A poet to keep an eye on. I have requested My Sister, on audio.

My current GN, is Livestock, which I am just about wrapping up. Another good rec from you.

>24 karenmarie: Happy Friday, Karen and thanks. I am sure the squirrel was eye-balling the suet feeder, since he can't access the main feeder. I just used my last pepper suet, so I will have to pick up more. Sadly, it is more expensive.

Yes, that is a Downy at the suet feeder. Good eye.

I think that one of the reasons why some of the threads keep chugging along is because can you burn out totally on books? I haven't and I have been reading for almost 60 years. I still love to talk about books and discuss them with other people.

There may be burn out when it comes to social media. I tell my students that they are going to spend less and less time on social media as they age. Especially after they get that first yearly evaluation at work that tells them in a nice way that they aren't working hard enough while at work. When they question what their supervisor means, that supervisor is going to say, you are on your cell phone too much. Or they will find that they can't have a cell phone at work, and so will not be able to communicate except on their spare hours. As they get families they are going to have less spare time. That means less time on Facebook. And less time on social media.

My 2 cents. I think there might be something to the social media burnout. I wish we could tell how many posts on a thread are just those of the person who created the thread. It be interesting to see how active each one of us are on our own threads. But I know that's virtually impossible to determine

Not that there's anything wrong, but I think the top posting threads tend to stay that way. Its a self-fulfilling prophecy. If your thread is very active, then it stays at the top of the list and more people visit. Whereas, the less active threads (like mine), get the less frequent, but no less dedicated visitors, and don't get the visibility on the thread list.

I also wish there was a "like" button on thread posts.

I lurk a lot with a lot of threads and find if I don't really have anything meaningful to contribute, I just move on without saying anything. If there was a "like" button, you would at least knew I stopped by without me cluttering things up with a "I'm here!" post.

Here's to a great weekend! Hope you find some tasty fermented adult beverages to quaff

Happy new thread, Mark!
Lovely picture of Bree, Duke and Cooper at the top, they look happy together.

>7 PaulCranswick: Less posts this year?? For me it feels like it is harder to keep up with everyone than it was last year... Still it is a daunting number of posts we generate in this group.

>28 benitastrnad: Hi, Benita. Yep, most of us hardcore readers will not give up the books but they may get burned out on the social side of things. This will be my eleventh year and I do not anticipate slowing down at all.

>29 mahsdad: Hi, Jeff. Thanks for sharing your 2 cents. I know everyone everyone has different approaches on how they maintain their own threads and visit others. I try to keep a consistent profile on my own thread, (responding to visitors is always a high priority). I try to limit my time visiting others, because of the usual time suck, but I do the best I can, relying on my starred Talk page, to remind me who to visit. I usually try to leave a comment, when ever possible, but as you know that is not always possible. And yep, I am working on a fermented beverage as I type.

>30 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita. Hooray for the happy trio topper!

"A groundbreaking and brave inside reckoning with the nexus of prison and profit in America in one Louisiana prison and over the course of our country's history."

"A blistering indictment of the private prison system and the powerful forces that drive it, American Prison is a necessary human document about the true face of justice in America."

^After finishing the exhausting audio of The Witch Elm, (I liked it well enough but COME ON, TANA!! No one holds 4 hour conversations.) I decided to switch to NF and begin the audio of American Prison: A Reporter's Undercover Journey into the Business of Punishment. I have heard very good things about this book, so stay tuned.

I also finished the Aerialists: Stories, a solid debut collection, by an author I will be keeping an eye on. I am going to spend a little time with Bibliophile, before beginning my next print book.

Game On, Mark! (TV that is...)

>33 alphaorder: Well, I just checked the score and the Brew Crew is up 6-0. The Cubs woes continue...sighs.

Hi Mark, I admit to spending a little less time on LT these days, I have been filling my time with listening to The Fellowship of the Ring , the first book in the Lord of the Rings saga. My first read of this classic and I am enjoying it a lot.

>35 DeltaQueen50: Completely understandable, Judy. I am so glad to hear you are finally getting to the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It is never to late, right?

>36 msf59: My reading from the 1,001 Books to Read Before You Die List has introduced me to so many great books, I am glad that my brother and I started this crazy bet of who's read more from the list.

>37 DeltaQueen50: That is one thing, I never run out of- ideas of what to read next. The list goes on and on and on...

Does your brother read as much as you?

>38 msf59: He does, Mark. My mom instilled a love of reading in all three of her children. My brother is ahead of me on the 1,001 List but I am creeping up on him. He was reading the classics while I was off reading mystery series and best sellers.

>5 msf59: That is definitely on my wish list. I may buy it when I'm in Seattle the week after next.

Happy New thread, Mark. Regarding the Witch Elm, I'll think I'll try the the first in the Dublin Murder Squad. It's seem like the Witch Elm has mixed reviews.

>5 msf59: love these colourful images :)

>35 DeltaQueen50: I reckon LotR would be great on audio! I have yet to read the series....another for the bucket list

>39 DeltaQueen50: Hooray for a perfect mother and a power reading brother! My sister reads, but mostly light, comfort books.

>40 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen. Great to see you. Bibliophile: An Illustrated Miscellany is a fun, TBR dangerous read. You'll like it.

>41 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deb. Definitely start with In the Woods first. These books aren't for everyone, so you should get a feel if they are for you or not.

>42 LovingLit: Hi, Megan. The author does her own illustrations here too. When I revisit LOTR, someday, I will give it a go on audio.

I Feel Most Colored When I Am Thrown Against A Sharp White Background

Or, I feel sharp White. Or,
Colored Against. Or, I am
thrown. Or, I am
Opposed. Or, When White.
Or, I Sharp. Or, I Color.
Make it quiet. Wash
me away. Forgetting.
I feel most colored when
I swear to god. I feel most
colored when it is too late.
My tongue is elegy.
When I am captive. I am
the color green because
green is the color of power.
I am a tree growing two fruits.
I feel most colored when I am
thrown against the sidewalk.
It is the last time I feel colored.
Stone is the name of the fruit.
I am a man I am a man I am
a woman I am a man I am a woman
I am protected and served.
I pay taxes and I am a child and
I grow into a bright fleshy fruit.
White bites: I stain the uniform.
I am thrown black type-
face in a headline with no name.
Or, no one hears me. Or, I am thrown
a language bone: unarmed.
I feel most colored when my weapon
is I feel most colored. When I get
what I deserve. When I can’t breathe.
When on television I shuffle
and widen my eyes. I feel most colored
when I am thrown against a mattress,
my tits my waist my ankles buried
in veiny White. Everyone claps.
I feel most colored when I am
the punch line. When I am the trigger.
In the dawn yellow, I know
what I am being told. I feel most
colored when I am collecting dust.
When I am impatient and sick.
When they use us to distract us.
My ears leak violet petals.
I sharpen them. I sharpen them again.

-Morgan Parker

^This is a tribute Zora Neale Hurston and it is from Parker's latest collection, Magical Negro.

>44 msf59: Thanks for sharing that poem with us, Mark. On Sunday I'll visit a newly opened bookstore close to me that focuses on classic and contemporary works by African American authors, so I'll look for Magical Negro while I'm there.

What's up with the Cubs' pitching staff?!

>45 kidzdoc: Morning, Darryl. I hope you like the poem. Strong stuff. Yep, the Cubs pitching has been horrible. The offense scored 10 runs and still couldn't win it. I hope they can turn it around soon. Terrible start.

'Morning, Mark! Happy Saturday to you.

Re posting: I try to respond to my visitors within hours, but the occasional book sale and book club at my house interferes - the position I'm in right now. I'm behind on quite a few LT friends' threads and hope to catch up early next week.

However, I'm happy to report that I had a huge flock of Cowbirds gobbling down wild bird seed yesterday. Friend Louise dislikes them because they gobble down seed, but I don't mind feeding them at all. I put out my hummingbird feeders yesterday but haven't seen a visitor yet.

Mark - have you seen the Pelican and other photos on RBeffa's thread?!

And...you could always adopt The Bulls and The Bucks...

And, hope you and Joe had time for the YouTube Roscoe Mitchell and Moor Mother =
yes, reading the poems here is great, but her dramatic delivery - with music! - is quite worth the trip.

Only just over an hour into the audio of American Prison and I am happy to report it has been excellent. More incredible injustices. They just keep piling on...

>47 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Yep, RL has a tendency to intrude into our LT time. How rude. I have not seen a Brown-headed Cowbird at my feeders yet. I know folks don't like them, because of their parasitical, (sp?) nature.

Hooray for putting out the hummingbird feeder. I think I will wait until next weekend.

>48 m.belljackson: Hi, Marianne. I do not visit Ron's thread, so I have not seen the photos. I do love Pelicans. Thanks for the reminder about the Roscoe Mitchell. I completely forgot about it.

Morning, Mark! Happy new one! I'm glad you brought the photo of Bree and the boys over - it's full of happy.

>51 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie and thanks. You know I had to use that photo for my next topper. I have not seen the "boys" since. I hope to see them soon.

Happy Saturday, Mark! Hope you enjoy your weekend

Good morning, Mark. I’m enjoying Confederate in the Attic. Thanks for the enthusiastic nudge. I also need to get started on An Elegant Defense, the immune system book.

Strong Morgan Parker poem up there. Truth is the only way to get to change. I’ll look forward to hearing what you think of the American Prisons book. That was a good reminder for me, too, about Roscoe Mitchell and Moor Mother. I suppose if we had twice as much time as we do, we’d just find twice as many things we want to do . . .

>54 jnwelch:

Yep, I know you guys are pressed for time...on the other hand, today's (Saturday) online POPULAR MECHANICS
features "The Most Important Car in The Year You Were Born" = !!!

Happy new thread Marc. I had to skip the previous one, can't keep up.

I'm not contributing to the postin numbers at the moment, but will get back!

Just a quick note - got the book yesterday!

Happy new thread, Mark! Love the photo of the bluebird - I've been seeing one on my walks the last couple of days, and it brings a smile to my face :D

>54 jnwelch: I've had Confederates in the Attic on my shelf for about 5 years. I guess I should try to book-horn it in sometime.

>44 msf59: Fine poem Mark, thanks for sharing.

>53 ChelleBearss: Hi, Chelle. I am finished with work, just cracked open a cold one and I am looking forward to having the next 2 days off. Yah!

>54 jnwelch: Happy Saturday, Joe. I hope you have as much fun with Confederates in the Attic, as I did. American Prison is off to an excellent start but it is another disturbing read. Our prison system is horrific. Glad you liked the Parker poem. She can pack a punch.

>55 m.belljackson: Thanks, Marianne. I will have to check that out. I am sure '59 produced a cool car.

>56 EllaTim: Thanks, Ella. Always good to see you. Stop by, when you can.

>57 drneutron: Thanks for letting me know, Jim. Enjoy!

>58 bell7: Thanks, Mary. Hooray for the bluebirds. I was hoping to see a western bluebird, when I visited Colorado last summer, but struck out.

>59 mahsdad: I definitely recommend that you haul Confederates in the Attic down off the shelf, Jeff and add it to current pile. It is a lot of fun and very informative. I NEED to read another Horwitz.

>60 Caroline_McElwee: I was hoping you would like it, Caroline. Have you been reading any poetry?

Happy new thread, Mark and happy Sunday.

>63 Ameise1: Thanks, Barb. I hope you are having a great weekend.

Happy Sunday, Mark! I'm loving this shot of spring were enjoying!

Even though we have slowed down a bit collectively we still out perform all the other groups on LT. In fact several of the next most popular groups together don't generate our number of posts.

Have a great Sunday, Mark.

>65 Carmenere: Hi, Lynda. Hooray for the warmer temps. 70 here tomorrow and I am off. Yippee!! Have a great day.

>66 PaulCranswick: Hi, Paul. I still love following my pals around here. I can't imagine life with out it. Jim is in town next week and we are planning a Meet Up, with Joe. Yah!!

^Great-Horned Owl (NMP)

I went on an organized bird walk this morning and despite a light rain, it was plenty birdy, with a major highlight, being a GHO sighting. First time at this location. Several first of the year birds too, including yellow-rumped warblers, ruby & golden crowned kinglets, tree swallows, an eastern towee and yellow-bellied sapsuckers. Perfect day. Now, for the books, the Cubs game and a bit later, a beer or two.

"The Goose Fritz illuminates both personal and political history in a passion-filled family saga about an often confounding country that has long fascinated the world."

I read very little contemporary Russian literature. I am not even sure if I could name a current author. So, when I had a chance to snag an advanced ebook copy of The Goose Fritz, I thought this would be a good time, to try one. I am about 20 pages in and I like it so far, plus you know I like that cover.

Has anyone else read any modern Russian writers?

>69 msf59: I just finished The Sacred Book of the Werewolf by Victor Pelevin which was a BB from @pilgrim in the Green Dragon group, so some Russian reading is going on.

Stopping by with the bird report. Yesterday , for the second time I ran across a new to me bird and it's either a a house finch or a purple finch. I've seen it and it's female partner in the very same group of shrubs, but despite looking at the bird twice and checking through my bird books, I'm just not sure. Birding as a part of a dog walk does not lend itself to great results.

>70 quondame: Hi, Susan. Good to see you. Thanks for chiming in on the Russian authors. Sorry, to hear the Werewolf book didn't ring your bells. I hope I have more success with my Russian novel.

>71 vancouverdeb: Happy Sunday, Deb. Always good to hear your bird reports. Check out mine, from this morning^. It was a booming success. I do not see purple finches very often but they are quite distinctive. I have heard them described as a "sparrow dipped in raspberry juice.” Here is a male. Females can be trickier:

Happy new week, Mark! And The Big Green Tent was an awesome modern Russian novel by Ludmila Ulitskaya .

>73 banjo123: Thanks, Rhonda. Good to see you. Thanks for chiming in on the Russian authors. I will add The Big Green Tent to the list.

"Dickens had a pet raven named Grip. That alone might be interesting. Imagine growing up in a household with a nice, big, super intelligent bird. But the curiosity surrounding Grip doesn’t stop there.

He was a beloved family pet. He was featured in family portraits that Dickens and his wife commissioned when they went on long trips. He learned to speak, his last words were lovingly recorded, and after his death Dickens had Grip stuffed and mounted. And thus, Grip took his first step to being immortal. The next step toward immortality occurred when Dickens gave the town idiot and title character of his 1841 serial Barnaby Rudge a pet raven with a very familiar name.

His immortal pet raven inspired the famous Nevermore-speaker of Poe."

^I vaguely remember all of this from reading an excellent bio of Dickens, but I was given a fresh reminder of this fact, while reading Bibliophile and wanted to share it here, 'cause I kind of like birds. Grip, the stuffed version is in a Philadelphia library. Anyone ever see it?

42) Bowlaway by Elizabeth McCracken 4 stars

“Our subject is love because our subject is bowling. Candlepin bowling. This is New England, and even the violence is cunning subtle. It still could kill you.”

“He was born in a bowling alley, and he planned to die in one.”

“...grief looks like nothing from the outside, it looks like surrender, but in fact it is the most terrible struggle. It is friction. It is a spiritual grinding, and who's to say it cannot produce a spark and heat that, given fuel could burn a good man to the ground.”

Bertha Truitt, is a stranger to the town of Salford, Massachusetts. She is found unconscious in a cemetery, with no idea, where she came from. She becomes an unforgettable force in this small New England town, as she starts the area's first bowling alley. She is smart, scrappy and far ahead of her time. She is the foundation of this novel, which begins around the turn of the century and follows this family and the other bowling alley participants, as they move through the following decades.

McCracken's writing is stellar throughout and she has populated her novel with many memorable characters, that you will have a hard time shaking off. Her storytelling style may not appeal to all readers but for those that relish this approach, will have spend a fine time in Salford.

Hullo! Just got around to visiting "properly", instead of lurking.
I was very glad to run across Quiet Girl in a Noisy World: An Introvert's Story on your thread. This GN topic falls a bit into the 'sensitive personality' character, which seems to strongly run in our family.

I looked at some preview pages and this one perfectly conveys the theme:

>75 msf59: Interesting. According to Atlas Obscura, “Perched on a log in the Rare Books department of the Philadelphia Free Library stands a strange piece of history. Dead since 1841, but preserved with arsenic, and frozen inside a shadow box, this bird’s legacy is longer than most people’s. His name is Grip. Grip the Clever, Grip the Wicked, Grip the Knowing.” I’ve been to the Free Library of Philadelphia’s main branch plenty of times, though not recently, but I’m certain that I’ve never visited the Rare Books section. I wonder if Laura has seen Grip?

>77 SandyAMcPherson: Hi, Sandy. Great to see you. I am glad you decided to "delurk". I hope Quiet Girl works for you. It has been a favorite around the 75. And I like that image you shared.

Hi Mark - I'm another big fan of Tony Horwitz and his wife, Geraldine Brooks. I keep hoping for new titles from both. I've never read McCracken but I've just started her husband's new novel, Little, which is on the Walter Scott longlist.

>77 SandyAMcPherson:, delurk ;D
I like that word!

>78 kidzdoc: Hi, Darryl. You may have to check out the Gripper, next time you are in Philadelphia. I have been meaning to visit that fair city for many years.

>80 vivians: Hi, Vivian. Great to see you. I hope you can try McCracken at some point. Start with her short fiction, where she really excels. I have to get back to Horwitz. I have not read him in years.

>81 SandyAMcPherson: Glad I could be of service, Sandy. Grins...

I finished listening to Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan over the weekend. It is a fine book. I gave it 4 stars. I know you read/listened to this book several years ago, and somehow it stayed with me. I was surprised to find that my public library had the recorded version on CD, so it went home with me over Spring Break. I was impressed with this book. It is an autobiography/memoir and is full of scientific and medial terms, but the author explains them and they are never boring.

I am not a big fan of the medical mystery genre, but this one is an exception. Take Mark's advice and read this one. It is a very well done book.

>78 kidzdoc: hmm that's a new one on me, but I haven't been to the rare books section yet!

My drive into work today came complete with fog on the river. Usually we don't see steaming rivers until summer and then only in the early mornings. But, we have had daytime temperatures close to 80 in the last week, so I guess steaming rivers it will be - early this year.

Hi Mark! Happy Monday to you.

Bill and I saw an exciting sight on Saturday: On the way home from running our errands in town we were driving by what we call Kingfisher Pond and saw TWO bald eagles sitting in a tree, a branch apart. We hope it's a nesting couple.

>83 benitastrnad: >85 benitastrnad: Hi, Benita. Glad you enjoyed Brain on Fire and I am glad my warbling paid off. It is good book.

We had a very foggy day here, on Saturday. That time of year, my friend.

>84 lauralkeet: Let me know if you ever stop over there, to see Grip, Laura. I think that is pretty cool.

>86 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. Hooray for the bald eagle sighting. Always a joy to see.

>72 msf59: Despite looking at all sorts of pictures , I'm not entirely sure whether I saw a purple finch or a house finch. Either way, it was a cute. Apparently here on the coast, our purple finches can be duller in colour that those that you might find in your area. Both are apparently common here. I did not see it again on my last walk , though there is male / female pair that seem to hang around in the same area.

Bowlaway sounds like fun!

Hope your week is going well, Mark!

Happy Tuesday, Mark.

Morning, Mark!

I love the story about Grip - I can't believe I didn't know about him! Very cool.

>89 vancouverdeb: I am not sure how the purple finch act, but the house finch, I see, are nearly always seen, in mated pairs. We get a couple that regularly visit our feeder.

>90 banjo123: Hi, Rhonda. Since I was off yesterday, my week is off to a very good start. The beautiful weather sure helps too. If you have not read McCracken, I suggest giving her a try.

>91 Ameise1: Thanks, Barb. Good to see you.

>91 Ameise1: Morning, Amber. I had forgotten the Grip story, so I am glad Bibliophile reminded me of it, and so I could share it here.

^When I am not strolling through the woods, I am riding. It was gorgeous yesterday, sunny low-70s, probably the nicest day in 6-plus months. A good day to go riding with Bree and her friend. I am astride of Chance, the horse Bree is co-owner of. She is a sweet soul and goes easy on me. We did have a few, cold beverages along, (SOP, for Bree and her riding pal) but we took it slow.

Since, I was gone a big chunk of the day, not a whole lot of reading was done. I am really enjoying The Goose Fritz though and I am glad I took a chance with it.

'Morning, Mark! Great pic of you, the horse, and the cold beverage.

I hope your Tuesday is a good 'un.

>94 msf59: What?! You mean you weren't listening to an audiobook while riding that horse and sipping that beverage? *grin*

>94 msf59: >96 Crazymamie: LOL Yeah, Mamie! Mark definitely needs more hands to accommodate all his interests!
Have a good one, Mark!

Mark - I have about 2 hours left in Invention of Nature. I can't stop talking about it, especially with my co-workers... My current paper read is I Miss You When I Blink.

>95 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Glad you like the action shot. It was a good day.

>96 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie. No audiobook going on the ride, but I did listen to one on the way there and back. I am wearing binoculars, if you look closely, although I never used them. LOL.

Cowboy Mark!

But, Mark, your hands were already full. How would you use those binoculars? You are going to need to invent a binocular stand - you know, like the harmonica stands that musicians wear so they can play while still holding their guitar?

>97 Carmenere: Morning, Lynda. I definitely need a solid lanyard for my drink bottle. I am also glad I have a gentle horse.

>98 alphaorder: Hi, Nancy. I am so glad you are loving the Humboldt bio. It is quite something, right? Zoe knows her stuff.

>100 BLBera: Yee-Haw, Beth!

>101 Crazymamie: LOL. I can always use a good chuckle while at work. Thanks, Mamie. I am glad Chance is a good girl.

Mark, apparently the purple finches also hang out in mated pairs, but I'm going to go with House Finch . Thanks for the pictures. Great picture of you on the horse, sipping your beverage.

Good for you, Mr. Horseman. Will this be added to your select list of passions?

Still limping along here. Weather today is great, though not as steadily sunny as it should be. I may have to mow to knock down all the wild garlic and such.

On our birdwatching: we watched a half-dozen turkeys stride up our hill, as far as the fences set up by our two neighbors to the north. Rather than moving along the fences to find a passage, they turned around and ambled back down the hill. Sorry I didn't get any pix.

Reading Jessmyn Ward and P. G. Wodehouse. Don't know which is the palette cleanser.

I think that warbling pays off. I like it when you talk about the books you are reading and why you like them. I think that is why Brain on Fire stayed with me long enough for me to get the book and pick it up.

I was also impressed with your talking about Invention of Nature and how you didn't recognize the name of Alexander Von Humboldt. Or that of Andrea Wulf. Wulf is, or was, an academic author. She is a fine writer and has that ability to make a complex subject very interesting for many levels of readers. Add to that the fact that the work of the Humboldt brothers was so very important and you should have a fine book. I have had a couple of her books on my TBR list for years, and perhaps it is time to get to them.

Keep on warbling.

Hey Mark, Regarding contemporary Russian authors... My son and I were just talking about this the other day. Here are some he recommended:

Svetlana Alexievich
Lyudmila Ulitskaya
Victor Pelevin
Marina Stepnova

I've not read them myself although I do have Ulitskaya's The Big Green Tent on order.

Not so contemporary is Turgenev but I've heard good things about his Fathers and Sons which I've also ordered.

Afternoon, Mark!

"Buzzards Don't Serenade"? I think we've got a hit on our hands. :-)

Mamie's idea up in >101 Crazymamie: is kinda cool, although usefully positioning the binoculars would be a challenge.

What a day you had for the horseback-riding you had! We're loving today's weather, and are about to set off on a journey to (where else?) the library.

I'm about halfway through Confederates in the Attic, and loving it. What a writer he is, and it's amazing how he manages to have friendly exchanges with so many different types of people. (Although not at the biker bar, if you remember that one - he barely gets out in one piece). An Elegant Defense is really good, too. It's rare that I read two NFs at the same time, but both these writers have such an engaging writing style that it's easy to do.

Is there any way you can deliver the rest of the week's mail today, in the great weather? What a pipe dream. It's supposed to drop about 25 degrees tomorrow. Oh well, we'll enjoy it while we've got it.

>94 msf59: Nice!! That's a fun way to go birding. Also, I thought of you often on National Beer Day. : )

>94 msf59: Fabulous picture of you Mark while riding. Glad the good weather has hit.

>104 vancouverdeb: Nothing wrong with the house finch, Deb, although I definitely like the coloring on the purple finch. I hope to see some this year.

>105 weird_O: Hi, Bill. I like horseback riding but if my daughter didn't have a strong passion for it, I would probably very rarely do it. I find most regular trail rides pretty boring.

I wish I had your property, to enjoy the birds. Turkeys may venture into the urban areas here, but it doesn't happen often. I am sure you are happy about the warmer temps, but bummed about all that mowing.

>106 benitastrnad: Well, thank you, Benita. My writing skills are not that strong but I hope I make up for it, with my unbridled enthusiasm. I hope you can find a copy of The Invention of Nature and keep in mind, that the audio works fine too. i will seek out more of Wulf's work.

I HIGHLY recommend American Prison, despite the horrifying revelations, and the audio is excellent too.

>107 Carmenere: Thanks, for circling back on the Russian authors, Lynda. I appreciate it. I think that is great that your son is deep into literature too. Sweet. I have read Secondhand Time and want to read more of her work. A friend also recommended The Big Green Tent so that is on my radar. Not familiar with the last 2 authors, but i have wanted to read Fathers & Sons forever. How about joining me on a share read?

>108 jnwelch: ^^ Words of wisdom from Morticia, Joe. Grins...Yep, had a great afternoon with Bree yesterday, but I should have both hands free while riding. I am not an experienced rider, despite being on a cooperative horse. And the weather was gorgeous, and just about as nice today.

I am so glad you are enjoying Confederates in the Attic. You never know when the right nudge will come along, and I am glad I supplied it. An Elegant Defense sounds good too. My current NF audio, American Prison has also been excellent.

>109 Berly: It was fun, Kim, but it is difficult to bird while riding a horse. I always want to be prepared, in case I see something big and unexpected. I found the same issues, while riding a bike.

>110 mdoris: Hi, Mary. I had a nice time on the ride yesterday and I amreally enjoying the weather, which extended into today too. Back to cold and damp tomorrow though, Boo!!

Hello Mark! I hope all is well with you Happy new one!

Still enjoying Presidents of War. Navigating Lincoln's actions at the beginning of the Civil War at the moment.

>112 msf59: >107 Carmenere: Fathers and Sons? Shared read? I'd love to! Let me know when it's good for you :0)

>115 brodiew2: Hi, Brodie! Good to see you. Everything is going well here. Thanks. Glad you are enjoying your Civil War book. I had not heard of that one.

>116 Carmenere: That is great, Lynda. What would be a good time for you? We could start it in a week or two, or kick off May with it. I am totally flexible.

>113 msf59:. Glad you are enjoying Confederates in the Attic Joe. We hosted both Tony and his wife, Geraldine Brooks, a number of times at the bookstore. I have a story to share with you next time we get together.

Well, sadly, only about 15 minutes left in The Invention of Nature. I am thinking my next audio will be Notes from a Young Black Chef.

This post went live on our blog today, Mark, and I wondered if I ever shared it with you. It is a piece Zoe wrote for Panorama about her first year being a birder. https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/2019/04/09/a-birders-first-year/

>94 msf59: Wow Mark on a horse! Sweet! And yes we had a beautiful weekend too. I rode my bike since I don't (and never have had) access to a horse. I don't think I've ever ridden one except at the county fair as a child with someone leading him. Certainly not as much fun as you appear to be having. No drink in hand at any rate. B.A.G.

I've had Confederates in the Attic sitting on my shelf for years. I think I'll try to get to it this year....year of the psychos.

>118 alphaorder: Hi, Nancy. I remember you talking about Horwitz and Brooks. How cool is that? Sorry to hear you are wrapping up the Humboldt bio, but I am so glad that you loved it as much as I did.

I will check out the Zoe piece. Thanks for sharing.

>119 brenzi: Hi, Bonnie. It looks like you had a great birthday, with the family. Honestly, I haven't rode horses a whole lot, but since my daughter has a horse and connections, at the stables, I have gone with her a few times. I like being in the woods and on the trails, no matter how I am traveling.

I hope we have inspired you to move Confederates in the Attic, into the current pile.

>118 alphaorder: I loved Zoe's piece on her early birding experiences. She has come a long way in a short time. Tell her, I have the same binoculars as she does but not in the same ballpark, in the camera department. LOL.

I''ll take the house finch, Mark, but I'll hope to see a purple finch. You are brave soul, horseback riding. I've got very little experience with that and honestly, horses seem like big uncontrollable beasts to me. Yikes.

>122 vancouverdeb: No question, horses can be intimidating, Tonto. As long as you keep their power in mind, and in my case, have an older easy-going horse to ride, it makes things easier.

Howdy, Mark!
>117 msf59: You decide on Fathers and Sons. I'm ready when you are.

'Morning, Mark! Happy Wednesday to you. Bird report by proxy: Louise saw a dozen Cedar Waxwings two days ago. Only the usual suspects at my feeders.

>94 msf59: That looks like a great way to spend an afternoon!

Hi Mark, I'll figure it all out.

All is well, just busy. Picked up my new glasses yesterday and so reading should be easier. My distance vision stayed the same but my reading vision had declined quite a bit.

I've been reading a lot of Net Galley freebies. Lots of mysteries, of course, as well as the occasional baseball book or disaster book. Yesterday, I finished a book about the August 1959 earthquake at Yellowstone Park. You know I like disaster books about lesser known disasters like that. I picked this up because I wanted to read something about 1959 (with the Mom and Dad 60th anniversary connection coming up fast).

My current read is the new book about the 1969 Cubs by none other than Cub great Fergie Jenkins.

Well, back to bundled up. Currently upper-30s, breezy, with rain on the way. I will be pulling on all the gear. Ugh...

>124 Carmenere: Morning, Lynda. Let's try to get it in the next 2 weeks or so. We can remind each other. Deal?

>125 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Hooray for the waxwings. With our crappy weather today, I do not think I will be seeing much, in the bird department.

>126 ChelleBearss: Morning, Chelle. We had a great afternoon on Monday. Thanks .

>127 lindapanzo: Morning, Linda. Good to see you and thanks for the book update. Looks like all your comfort reads. Smiles...

I hope to see you next week. It should be a nice Meet Up.

>119 brenzi:
Careful! - Reading Confederates in the Attic may turn you into a "bloater."

>128 msf59:

Only rain?!? Up here near Madison, everyone's running around covering up all the beautiful plants they just so carefully uncovered.

Forget stockpiling food = garden centers are running out of hay!

An inch of snow already on the car and more rapidly falling...

...and the nearly 50 mph winds expected may close schools in Middleton (far west side of town where my brother works) tomorrow.

Kids will be making up Snow Days till the 4th of July!

>128 msf59: Within the next two weeks? Sure! Deal!

>131 m.belljackson: I went to a mid-day library lecture in Chicago's northern suburbs. Only a cold rain. We went out to lunch afterwards and it was snowing to beat the band but, since it had been so warm earlier, it was melting. By the time we left, probably an inch of snow on the car. Ugh!!

>130 benitastrnad: It has been over 10 years since I read Confederates, so I don't recall the "bloaters".

>131 m.belljackson: I will definitely will not complain then, Marianne. It sounds like you have it much worse. That's crazy.

>132 Carmenere: It's a date, Lynda.

>133 lindapanzo: We had light rain, some of it, a frozen mix but it wasn't bad and it did not last long. I was expecting worse. Sorry, to hear you got hit harder up north.

>134 msf59: Wasn't too bad and mostly melted by the time I got home. Tomorrow, close to 70 down your way.

>135 lindapanzo: Well, that is good, Linda. Looking forward to warmer temps tomorrow.

"Everyone knows Daisy Jones & The Six, but nobody knows the reason behind their split at the absolute height of their popularity . . . until now."

^I am sure most of you have heard of this new novel, which has been buzzing all over the place. I found Daisy Jones & The Six on audio, (and this seems like the perfect way to go, since it has a full cast of narrators) and started it today. I am a child of the '70s, so I grew up with and loved classic rock. This one is a oral history of a fictional band, peaking in the mid-70s, that echoes Fleetwood Mac. I am also reminded of the latest remake of A Star is Born. I see many similarities.

>133 lindapanzo: >134 msf59:

Beautiful Snow was gradually melting, but temperature now dropping to 32 or lower.

MORE Ice is definitely not welcome, notably if those scary 40-50 mph winds actually fly in.

70 degrees down there and 32 up here - that will be a new one!

A Fleetwood Mac novel! At flippin' last...just the McVies' umm marriage-like thing would be great, or le menage Buckingham Nicks. Material for days!

>134 msf59:
The "Bloaters" we're the reenacters who were hired to pay dead men after a battle. They had contests to see who could puff themselves up, not breath, or otherwise act like dead bodies. For awhile, when my sister and I were making the rounds of the Tennessee battlefields we made lots of inside jokes about "bloaters." Plus we thought that perhaps we had warped my niece forever because she began to think that any person she saw in a long skirt, or men dressed in an old fashioned way (make that Mennonites, Amish, etc.) were reeanactors. She was six at the time and we thought, and still think, that perhaps that early exposure to reeanactors and reenactments was not healthy.

>140 benitastrnad: Makes me wonder about all those SCA babies and toddlers I see at events. But then no, my daughter was dragged to innumerable Regency dances and she's having a great old time LARPing, so see, no bad influence.

>138 m.belljackson: Milder today, Marianne, but will remain windy, throughout the day. It looks to be dry too.

>139 richardderus: Hey, Richard. So far, it is very loosely based on Fleetwood Mac. See how it plays out, but there are 2 women in the band.

>140 benitastrnad: That is funny. I forgot about the "Bloaters". Your poor niece. Grins...

>141 quondame: I did not know what SCA babies were. I had to look it up. See you learn something new, all the time around here.

Mark - I saw this sale of nature books at Powell's and thought of you. You might find something new here... https://www.powells.com/nature-sale

'Morning, Mark! Weird weather Chicagoland way today - don't get blown away.

>141 quondame: I had to look up SCA babies and and LARPing...

>143 alphaorder: Thanks, Nancy. I will have to swing back later and check it out.

>144 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Glad I wasn't the only one who had to look up those terms. Grins...

Yep, quite breezy out here and the temps will rise so slowly, I'll probably be done with the route by the time it hits 50.

>69 msf59: re: modern Russian writers, Svetlana Alexievich is a good one, she writes non-fiction, anthropological accounts of real Russian lives. And I recently read Riot Days another NF, by one of the Pussy Riot punk/protest group members, Maria Alyokhina.
I like Russian literature, and intend to read all those big meaty tomes one day :)

Glad the weather is improving for you these days! Here's to some more warm days and cool beverages for you.

>146 LovingLit: Hi, Megan. Thanks for chiming in on the Russian authors. I have read Alexievich and look forward to reading more of her work. I completely forgot about Riot Days, so I appreciate the reminder. It would be a good fit for me.

It is new fiction, but I would highly recommend, The Goose Fritz, which I am currently reading. A lot of amazing Russian history to savor in this one, plus he is a fine writer.

-Harry Bliss

^Outside of City of Asylum Bookstore, in Pittsburgh, PA.

A Piece of the Storm

From the shadow of domes in the city of domes,
A snowflake, a blizzard of one, weightless, entered your room
And made its way to the arm of the chair where you, looking up
From your book, saw it the moment it landed. That’s all
There was to it. No more than a solemn waking
To brevity, to the lifting and falling away of attention, swiftly,
A time between times, a flowerless funeral. No more than that
Except for the feeling that this piece of the storm,
Which turned into nothing before your eyes, would come back,
That someone years hence, sitting as you are now, might say:
“It’s time. The air is ready. The sky has an opening.

^"A classic Mark Strand poem—enigmatic, yet somehow inevitable, as though etched on the sky before it was written down—from his Pulitzer Prize–winning volume, Blizzard of One."

^Has anyone read the late Mr. Strand? New to me.

>142 msf59: >144 karenmarie: Whew! I'm glad a search for SCA babies did turn up what I was talking about instead of, well who knows what, because blind searches can go into gnarly territory. Well, there are lots of different sorts of book nerds hanging about....

>151 quondame: Hooray for the book nerds, Susan. We stand proud!

>148 msf59: love it Mark.

>113 msf59: LOL!

>150 msf59: Lovely.

Happy Friday, Mark!

Jeez, I worked 6 hours yesterday. That's about 6 hours too many.

I finished a GN (I guess it's a GN - hard to categorize): Frida Kahlo: An Illustrated Life. A great way to get to know more about FK. Now I've got to track down more of her art.

I'm watching the Billboard charts for "Buzzards Don't Serenade", but I guess someone would have to record it first.

'Morning, Mark! Happy Friday to you.

>151 quondame: I should have remembered SCA - I know it's the Society for Creative Anachronism. But LARP was completely new.

>153 Caroline_McElwee: Glad you got a smile out of it, Caroline.

>154 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. Six hours?? You poor, poor man. Ooh, I would love to read the Frida Kahlo GN. I have always wanted to learn a little more about. I liked the film bio, with Salma Hayek. Hubba, hubba. Give Buzzards a chance. It will soar up the charts.

>155 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. This gusty wind is ruining all my sunshine. Boo!!

Is a gusty, windy day better or worse for birders?

Happy Friday, Mark. Is there birding weather predicted for the weekend??

>149 msf59: I like it!

Also Seconding Megan's endorsement of the Pussy riot book: plus it's a shortie, so won't take you long.

>155 karenmarie: I have mixed feelings about LARP - I would have loved it and all the costume opportunities now available when I was in my 20s, but as a 20s friendly alternative to SCA it drains a pool of limited depth. Where I live there seem to be multiple costumed events weekly with several big ones like Labyrinth of Jareth each year. It was pretty much build your own other than Renaissance Faire 50 years ago, and even that was a largely volunteer effort. I know there have been reenactors for even longer, but we seem to be going through a very target rich time nowadays.

>157 richardderus: Hi, RD! From my limited knowledge, it does seem that strong winds are not productive for birding. I do know, that raptors like strong winds, since it makes soaring much easier, but I have seen very little of that, the past couple of days.

>158 Familyhistorian: Hi, Meg. I am plan on going on an organized bird walk tomorrow, since the weather will be decent but Sunday is supposed to be cold and unpleasant, so no birding that day.

>159 charl08: Hi, Charlotte. It looks like I will be tracking down the Pussy Riot book. Sounds great. Thanks.

>160 quondame: I had no idea what LARPING is, but thanks to you, I am now educated. I do not think I will be participating. LOL.

^ I just saw that the new Jackson Brodie mystery, "Big Sky" will drop June 25th. Yippee! The last one, Started Early came out in 2010! We have been patient.

'Morning, Mark! Happy Saturday. Happy day off, happy birding. I hope you see some stunners.

Yesterday I was visiting Louise for a while and we saw a White-Crowned Sparrow. We are on the very eastern edge of their non-breeding range, so it was rather exciting AND a lifer for me. I missed the Pileated Woodpecker who spent about 20 minutes or so foraging on an old stump about 8:30 in the morning. There was no way I could get over there without disturbing him, so Louise didn't bother to call me.

>160 quondame: I went to one Renaissance Faire in CA in my very early 20s. I liked it but not enough to start participating. I think SCA's active here in central NC. A friend of my husband's had weaponry made at one point, as well as a reasonably authentic costume. I can't remember his 'name', but he was very into it for a very long time.

>163 msf59: ooh! I knew there was a new Jackson Brodie coming out but didn't know when. And even better, my library already has it listed so I'm only #8 on the holds list. Thanks Mark! *fist bump*

>164 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. We had a great bird walk today. A big crowd too, despite a very chilly wind. GHO babies were seen. Always a joy to behold. Hooray for the White-Crowned but sorry, you missed the Pileated. One of my faves.

>165 lauralkeet: We aim to please around here, Laura. Glad you are all ready on the list. Hope it is a strong return for Mr. Brodie. I was not crazy about Transcription.

>163 msf59: Now that's awesome news! Yay for another Jackson Brodie.

Library update--I am #44 on 1 copy. Seriously? : (

Hi, Mark. Have you heard on the news this week about the results of the twin study done on the Kelly brothers (Mark and Scott), the astronauts? I remember hearing a bit about that in Scott Kelly's memoir and now the results are in. It's really such a one-of-a-kind- opportunity to be able to study such a thing and so interesting. Not sure how applicable to the rest of us humans it really is, but still...!

>167 Berly: Hopefully your library acquires more copies of "Big Sky", Kim. I like the Brodie books on audio, so I will wait for that format.

>168 jessibud2: Hi, Shelley. I remember hearing about the Kelly study but did not see the latest report. I will have to seek it out. Thanks.

^My first of the season, Northern Flicker, spotted at my feeders today. NMP. This makes 15 species total. They normally feed off the ground. Always a pretty sight.

>169 msf59: - Here you go, mark: https://www.livescience.com/65214-nasa-twin-study-mark-scott-kelly.html

Yay for the flicker!

And here is what I am currently reading, in case you are curious...
Paper: The Editor - '90s publishing. Loving it.
Audio: Notes from a Young Black Chef - also captivating

>164 karenmarie: I never went so far as to be staff at a RenFaire though I had season passes for a few years, and in fact only started with the SCA 7 years ago since that was where all the crafts that interested me at the time were being practiced. Some people do it for a few years, while for others it has been their main social life for decades.

I'm all caught up on your Books and Birds Thread, Mark. And horses! That's a different way to enjoy nature and made for a great picture. I prefer to have my feet on the ground, but I used to love riding the occasional horse when my dear departed father-in-law had a few he kept for the grandkids. We may wake up to a covering of snow in the morning. My goodness, that was a short spring!

>171 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley. I have added the link to my browser and will check it out a bit later.

>172 alphaorder: >173 alphaorder: Hooray for the flicker, Nancy and thanks for the book update. Both look interesting. Like I mentioned to you, on a text, I have moved up Save Me the Plums in the pile and I hope to get to it this month.

>174 quondame: I do not think I'll be doing anything like this, any time soon but I do find it interesting. Smiles...

>175 Donna828: Hooray for catching up with my birds and books, Donna and the occasional horse. I am not sure how much snow we will get today but it will definitely be cold and damp. Boo! Starting Tuesday, it looks like we will have a much better, weather-week.

^GHO owlets, (NMP, but a friend took this shot, so this is a "real" photo)

I attended an organized bird walk yesterday. It was probably the biggest group I ever walked with. Despite all the sunshine, there was still a very cold wind blowing. It did not stop the bird sightings. Of course, the highlight was the Great Horned Owl family. The Mama was also perched nearby and we got some good looks at her, as well. What also makes this interesting, is this is on a golf course, and the tree is right off the fairway. I wonder how many golfers, pass right by without ever noticing? Probably most of them. This is probably an old hawk's nest and it is high in a tree.

I also had plenty of FOY, (first of the year) birds that were seen, including Hermit Thrush, Belted Kingfisher, Swamp Sparrow, Red-headed Woodpecker, (one of my faves) and Purple Martins. The martin sightings were the first I have seen in Illinois. I have seen them in WI. Good day all around.

"The purple martin is the largest North American swallow. They are known for their speed and agility in flight, and when approaching their housing, will dive from the sky at great speeds with their wings tucked."

^There were Purple Martin houses set up on this course, and they recently arrived here, from their wintering grounds, somewhere in the south. These are always neat birds to see and hear.

Happy Sunday, Mark! I've just placed a hold on Frida Kahlo: An Illustrated Life. Have a wonderful day. We've got a rainy, rainy day and I'm loving it! Lots of reading time on my agenda today.

>180 Carmenere: Morning, Lynda. I am going to have to request the Kahlo GN too. Right now, I have 3 GNs stacked up, so I may have to wait a bit. Enjoy your quiet reading day.

"It is the story of two college friends on a wilderness canoe trip--a gripping tale of a friendship tested by fire, whitewater, starvation, and brutality."

^Like many of us over here, I am a big fan of Peter Heller, since his excellent debut, The Dog Stars. I was not a fan of his last book, Celine though, so I am hoping for a strong rebound and from the early reviews, here and elsewhere, it looks like this is so. Yah!

I know, I mentioned this before but I have met Mr. Heller at a couple of Booktopia events and he is a terrific guy. I want to give a shout-out to both Benita and Marianne for picking me up a copy of this, at ALA.

Leaving this great list of translated books here: https://bookriot.com/2019/04/14/best-translated-book-award-2019-longlists/

^Seems like a great list from Nancy, but the only one I've read is Convenience Store Woman. Really liked that one.

Happy Sunday, compadre. What a lovely day (not) - snow and sleet where we are. We're taking care of Becca's dog Indy while she's vacationing in New Buffalo, so we took her for a walk. The weather seemed fine from her POV, although she took a lot of drying off when we got back.

I thoroughly enjoyed Confederates in the Attic; five stars from me, too. Now I've started Number9Dream - what the hey?! I've dropped down a Murakami hole, only crazier? I'm nearing the end of An Elegant Defense - it's been really good, but all the information is starting to wear me out. He does all he can to make it palatable and entertaining, but man is it complex. We have so much more going on inside than we realize! He calls it "The Festival of Life".

Hope this is a decent day off for you. Good one for books, that's for sure. We're going to a memorial story-telling session for a guy named Tom Wolferman at the City Winery. Really good storyteller, probably my favorite in town after the lovely Debbi. He's missed.

>178 msf59: >179 msf59: Great sightings Mark. I bet you are right about the golfer's not noticing. The purple Martin is a stunner.

What is it about those ancient looking owlets though.

>184 jnwelch: I read today that the buying of translated fiction is up 20% Joe. Here's an interesting piece about writers and their translators from last week's Guardian Review:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/apr/06/its-a-silent-conversation-authors-...

>183 alphaorder: Thanks, Nancy. I will definitely be checking it out. I just read a solid translation. Not happy about my bird-report up there? Grins...

>184 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. Great to see you. I have had an active A.M. so far. Visited some threads, did my workout, started laundry and cooked breakfast. Whew. It is my turn to do the food-shopping and then I hope to get some reading in before a family get-together this afternoon. Double whew!

I am so glad you enjoyed Confederates and I hope you like the Mitchell. Not as smooth as his earlier work and more of a homage to Murakami but 2nd tier Mitchell is still worth reading.

>185 Caroline_McElwee: >186 Caroline_McElwee: "What is it about those ancient looking owlets though." Great question, Caroline. LOL. Maybe, if they look a bit more intimidating, other predators might leave them alone. They sure get big fast too. In just a couple more weeks, they will probably be venturing out of the nest. I doubt I'll make it back out to this location again, it is a private course, so I will miss them growing up and out.

I will check out the link. Thanks.

Oh geez, I missed the bird report! Always love them, especially since i haven't been getting out much...

Happy Sunday Mark! Congrats on an excellent, if cold, birding adventure yesterday.

^Yep, a mini-blizzard this morning. Springtime in the Midwest. It could be a couple of inches of heavy wet snow out there. Sure, it won't last long but it still blows!!

It has not slowed my bird feeders down, though. They are hopping!!

I hadn't realised the new Jackson Brodie was out soon: have ordered it (not available here until June). I really want the Kahlo GN too. Will have to be patient!

I read Codex 1962 from the lost of translated fiction, but haven't heard of many of them- will have a look, some sound good.

We're having a couple days of fog here, and suddenly I feel fortunate instead of blindsided like that little owl. After yesterday's self-inflicted foot injury, concentration on my book isn't happening.

Still snowing here. I wish we didn't have to venture out to my BIL's for a family get-together.

>189 alphaorder: No problem, Nancy. How much snow you guys getting? It is still coming down here. Ugh!

>190 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. I am glad I took the day off yesterday to bird. I sure couldn't have done it today. Not without snowshoes. Grins...

>192 charl08: The new Brodie doesn't come out until late June, here either, so we are all in the same boat. I received an advanced copy of Codex 1962. I should try to move it up the pile. It does sound good.

>193 richardderus: Hey, RD. Good to see you. I wish we had fog instead of snow. This is ridiculous. Foot injury? Oh no!

I just finished the River- bb from Donna. I enjoyed it but am happy to say that I have never met crazies in the woods. The first year DD was a wilderness ranger, his only government issued safety device was a signalling mirror. I do agree that I am more afraid of people than bears when by myself. I'm guessing a good shot of bear spray would work on a person unless there were several people.

>196 streamsong: Bear spray sounds like a good deterrent, can I have a can too?

>191 msf59: Hi Marc, sorry for having to go out in the snow. It's cold here as well, but we're just out of the snow! What a cute owl, love it.

Happy Sunday, Mark. I have bumped The River up a little as it sounds like my kind of book. Hope that snow doesn't stick around long.

>191 msf59: - LOL! That describes Toronto to a T, Mark! I spent 2 and a half hours outside cleaning up the yard and garden, without a jacket, yesterday. Sunny, gorgeous. Today, it's cold, damp, rainy, and freaking unpleasant!!

Mark - It is still snowing. Heavy wet stuff. We went to Alina's orchestra festival. Happy to be home now and will be finishing up The Editor.

Ohh, the owlets! So cute! snowing there? What? It was windy yesterday, but sunny. Today is a little more overcast, but no big deal . Our temps are in the 50 F area and higher. Not bad at all.

>179 msf59: I saw the first house swallow of the season on the 10th. They arrived early, as in previous years it was after the 20th of April.

>196 streamsong: Hi, Janet. Good to see you and I am glad to hear you enjoyed The River: A Novel. I am not far into it but I can tell this will be a winner. I like that lean prose. I think I may also be more afraid of people than bears. I carry dog spray, but bear spray would work on a range of targets. Grins...

>197 EllaTim: Hi, Ella. It is still snowing, but very lightly. It has snowed all day. Light accumulation but still bummed about it. Glad you like the owlets.

>198 DeltaQueen50: Hi, Judy. I am sure you will enjoy The River. It takes place in the deep wilds of Canada. Not far in, but I like it.

>199 jessibud2: Yep, it was also an unpleasant day here, Shelley. It is still snowing out there. It didn't amount to more than a 2-3 inches and will be gone soon, but it was still a bummer. Close to 70F here on Tuesday.

>200 alphaorder: It was crazy out there driving, Nancy, but much better on the roads when we were on our way home. It will depart quickly, but it was ridiculous for mid-April.

>201 vancouverdeb: Yep, Deb, it is still snowing lightly out there. A crazy day here. We should have been in the mid-50s here too. Glad you like the owlets. They are adorable.

>202 FAMeulstee: I will have to look up the house swallow, Anita. Not familiar with that one.

Started The Tradition tonight and all I can say is - wow.

Wow we haven't had anything like that weather you describe Mark.....yet. We usually get Chicago's weather the next day so..... just to think 🤔 I was riding my bike the other day.

I'm number six on the list for the new Atkinson. Not that there aren't any other books to read in the meantime.

Just went to see our library numbers for Big Sky and I'm now #78 for one copy. But hoping they will order more copies. Yikes! Thanks for the tip about it.

I’d rather have a couple of inches of snow in April than tornadoes.

>205 alphaorder: Ooh, you will have to fill me in on The Tradition, Nancy. Not familiar with that one and there is very little info on the title page.

>206 brenzi: Hi, Bonnie. I know you get your share of late season snow. This area got 3-5 inches, but it will climb up to 50F today and mid-60s tomorrow, so it won't stick around. Whew! Glad you are on the new Atkinson list.

>207 mdoris: Hi, Mary. Lets hope your library gets more copies. I can't believe it is all ready up to 78 copies. Wow.

>208 kidzdoc: I completely agree with you Darryl. The south and portions of the east got hit hard yesterday. Dangerous spring weather. Everything okay in your area?

"Jesmyn Ward takes James Baldwin’s 1963 examination of race in America, The Fire Next Time, as a jumping off point for this groundbreaking collection of essays and poems about race from the most important voices of her generation and our time."

^I have been a fan of Jesmyn Ward after being equally blown away by Salvage the Bones and Men We Reaped. I love an author that can move seamlessly between fiction and NF. For this month's AAC, I am reading The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks about Race, her essay collection. I will start the audio today.

Here's a bit more about The Tradition: https://bookmarks.reviews/reviews/all/the-tradition/

And one of the poems from the collection: https://lithub.com/correspondence-a-poem-by-jericho-brown/

'Morning, Mark! Happy Monday to you. Sorry to hear about the 3.5 inches yesterday. I seem to have a regular male hummingbird here now - I've seen him this morning already.

>208 kidzdoc: Yep. I don’t think we had any tornadoes in Georgia, but Texas and Mississippi had deadly twisters on Saturday.

>213 kidzdoc: - Apparently, we were under a tornado watch for a while last night. I slept through everything :-P

>214 katiekrug: Yikes. Tornado watches in Atlanta are routine in the spring, especially in April, but not in the Northeast! About once every two or three years we have a tornado warning when I’m on hospital service, as a twister is in the vicinity of campus. The nurses have to move every patient and family from their rooms, all of which have large plate glass windows, to the central hallways and nurses’ stations, making for a surreal environment that looks like a M.A.S.H. unit or another medical facility in a war zone. One year a tornado was headed right for the hospital, but it just missed us, although it did strike and seriously damage the homes of several of my physician colleagues.

Tornadoes are yet another thing I don't miss about living in Dallas :)

>216 katiekrug: Yep. I could live without them, although only one tornado has struck Intown since I moved to Atlanta in 1997.

Well, there is still plenty of snow on the ground, mostly on unpaved surfaces, but with the sunshine and rising temps, it shouldn't last long.

>211 alphaorder: Thanks, Nancy. I didn't realize it was a poetry collection. I will have to request it.

>212 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Hooray for the hummingbird sighting. They have been spotted in the Chicagoland area, so I will put up my feeder soon.

>213 kidzdoc: >214 katiekrug: Hi, Darryl & Katie. Tornado season is never fun and they seem to pop up in unexpected places. Did I hear that one was seen near DC?

Lets hope it isn't to horrible this year.

>163 msf59: I am a few behind on that series. Can't remember why I got stalled...

Hope your weather has improved today. We had thunder storms with hail yesterday and snow today! Sunny and getting warmer now though

>220 ChelleBearss: - We didn't get the snow here in the city, Chelle, but we had the storms and lots of lightning! Today is Earth Day and it feels like freaking winter out there!

>186 Caroline_McElwee: What a fun article about book translators, Caroline. Thank you! You might enjoy it, Mark - I remember you and I talking a few years ago about the importance role translators play for foreign works.

Hiya, Mark! I am enjoying Number9Dream; I'm about 1/3 of the way through, and what the heck is going on is starting to sink in. His sister Anju has just (presumably) drowned trying to swim to that island, and his father's wife has written him to tell him to stay away.

I just finished a GN that Charlotte recommended that you might like: Berlin by Jason Lutes. The Guardian's description: "“Lutes covers the cabaret scene, the struggles of the press and riots as the Nazis rise".

The snow is melting, and spring seems to be returning. Looking forward to seeing you and Linda and Jim tomorrow at the Hofsbrauhaus!

>220 ChelleBearss: Hi, Chelle. I hope you get back on track with the Jackson Brodie series. It really is excellent.
Yes, our weather completely turned around, plenty of sunshine, mild temps and the snow is mostly gone. Hooray!

>221 jessibud2: It is supposed to be warm and sunny on Earth Day, Shelley. Didn't nature get the memo? Jeesh...

>222 jnwelch: Hi, Joe. Getting ready to meet Bree and her beau Sean, for a few brews and catch some of the Cubs game, so I'll be leaving shortly. I am glad you enjoying the Mitchell. Not surprisingly, there are some puzzles to work out here. Good read. The Berlin GN sounds good. Those are always welcome. Thanks.

It was a very nice day today and tomorrow is supposed to be even better. Great day for a Meet Up, right? Yah!!

>224 msf59: Looking forward to seeing you, Joe, and Jim tomorrow. I'll get there as early as I can. Aiming for 1:30...

>223 msf59: - My mistake, Mark. Earth Day is NEXT Monday. I was looking at the wrong Monday on my calendar this morning. Maybe by then it will be spring, ;-)

>225 lindapanzo: Looking forward to the Meet Up, Linda. Glad you are going to make it. I plan on getting there just before 130.

>226 jessibud2: Lets hope it is beautiful next Monday, Shelley. Most of our snow is all ready gone. Yah!!

Morning, Mark. Have a great meet-up! I need one of those...

>228 alphaorder: Morning, Nancy. Looking forward to the Meet Up with Joe, Jim & Linda this afternoon. I sure wish you could join us. I also really like the Jericho Brown poem you shared up there. Dense, but the beauty and sadness shine through. Thanks for sharing.

Hi Mark and happy Tuesday/day off! Have fun with Joe, Jim, and Linda.

Have a great meetup! I am sure pictures will follow, right? ;-)

Hey Mark! enjoy the meet-up and beer! Fathers and Sons has arrived. I'm ready when you are :0)

>230 karenmarie: >231 jessibud2: Thanks, Karen & Shelley. I am sure it will be a fine time and hopefully one of us, remembers a photo or two.

>232 Carmenere: Morning, Lynda. It will be a great day off. Glad you got your copy of Fathers & Sons. I should be ready, for the weekend.

I'm tickled that The Overstory won the Pulitzer!

The Overstory won the Pulitzer?!! I didn't know. How great!

Hey, Mark. I was thinking about going to the Hofbrauhaus this afternoon. Any interest? Dr. Jim and Linda will be there, if that makes it more enticing. :-)

Hi Mark - I just finished a terrific NF that you might like - Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland. Very well-written and a fascinating period.

Looking forward to seeing you again, Mark. Can’t remember whether I saw you last at the Darien Home Run Inn after my niece’s swim meet or at the last meet up at your house. Either way, it’s probably been what, two years?

>234 streamsong: Me too, Janet. One of my very favorite reads of last year.

>235 jnwelch: Hey, Joe. You know what? I just happen to be off today. Yippee! See you there! And hooray for The Overstory!

>236 vivians: Hi, Vivian. I am on the elibrary list for Say Nothing, for the audio. Hope it comes in soon. Glad you loved it.

>237 lindapanzo: However long it has been, Linda, it has been far too long. See you very soon.

^Congrats to Mr. Powers for winning the Pulitzer for his extraordinary novel, The Overstory. It made my top 5 of last year and was my favorite fictional work.

>235 jnwelch: And I just happen to have off this afternoon, too. Amazing coincidence, isn't it?

>239 msf59: I thought my cousin from Vermont got an award. This could be my cousin's twin.

>204 msf59: Sorry, Mark, I was mixing up Dutch and English. The Dutch name is huiszwaluw (house swallow LOL), English name is Common House Martin... Migrating bird on our side of the Atlantic, they spend the summer here and spend the winter in Africa.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_house_martin

Great time at the meet up today. Nice to see Mark and Joe again and finally to meet Jim.

I need to figure out how to post the picture.

>239 msf59: Good news because I bought it yesterday!

>242 lindapanzo: Great to see you had a great meet-up but it isn't in the least bit surprising.

>240 lindapanzo: >242 lindapanzo: Great Meet Up, Linda. We had a beer hall to ourselves. Funny, Powers is from the Chicagoland area.

>241 FAMeulstee: No problem, Anita. Honestly I am not familiar with the Common House Martin either, but I sure like the look of them.

>243 PaulCranswick: Look forward to your thoughts on The Overstory, Paul. Glad you have it in hand. Yep, great Meet Up. Someday, it will be our turn.

^Another grand Meet Up in Chicagoland. Jim was in town for a conference, so we met at the Hofbrauhaus, which is a German beer hall. On a weekday, we practically had the place to ourselves. Joe and Linda were also in attendance. The smiles are genuine and the chatter never ceased. I plan on seeing Jim again in DC, at the end of June.

^This is the cover of the upcoming novel The Starless Sea, by Erin Morgenstern , author of The Night Circus. Unfortunately, we have to wait until November. Sad face.

>245 msf59: Such a great group! It does look like you could squeeze a few more 75ers in there. I’ve met the right side of the table. Maybe one day I’ll get to meet Joe and Linda. (Not that I wouldn’t want to meet up with Jim and Mark again!) :)

Looks like you had a great meet up! Enjoy the rest of your week

Looks like another great meet-up!

>245 msf59: Nice meet up photo! It looks as though the four of you had a splendid time.

Since you're LT's beer aficionado and went to a German brauhaus, I wonder if you've run across Kölsch beer anywhere in the US. Bianca took me to a centuries old pub in the center of Cologne several years ago, during my first visit to Amsterdam, where we had the best sausage and probably the best beer I've ever tasted.

>247 Copperskye: There would have easily been room for a few more dozen 75ers, Joanne. The more the merrier...

I had forgot you had met Jim.

>248 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Figs. A perfect off day for me.

>249 alphaorder: I hope you can make it down for a Meet Up sometime, this year, Nancy. I miss my Wisconsin buddy.

>250 kidzdoc: Hi, Darryl. Hopefully we will get to meet, one of these days. I have heard of Kolsch and seen it around. I don't drink many lagers these days. I have become a bit of a beer snob. Glad to hear, you enjoyed it so much.

That is a lovely bunch of people to share a brew and some book talk with, Mark.

>250 kidzdoc: >252 msf59: Well, I’m no beer expert, and Mark, you’d probably not like this as I think I’ve heard you say you don’t like fruity beers, but Denver Beer Co. makes a lovely raspberry Kolsch called (oddly) Princess Yum Yum. It’s a perfect summer beer. Prost Brewing also makes a nice Kolsch. Although a centuries old pub in Cologne sounds pretty darn perfect...

>254 Copperskye: On my only trip to the USA, I really enjoyed the craft beers on sale in Jacksonville.

>245 msf59: Big thumbs up for the meetup. Looks like good fun all around

>253 DeltaQueen50: It sure was, Judy!

>254 Copperskye: Thanks for chiming in on the fruity and lager beers, Joanne. Those are not my forte. Smiles...

>255 PaulCranswick: Next trip stateside, Paul, we will give you the full craft beer experience.

>256 mahsdad: Thanks, Jeff. Any plans on traveling to Chicago, again?

>252 msf59:, >254 Copperskye: Thanks, Mark and Joanne. The Kölsch beer I had at the brauhaus in Cologne in 2015 was a cloudy brew that was served in a tall glass, in which was inserted a plastic stick with a round base, to allow the drinker to mix the beer thoroughly. It was unlike any beer I had ever had, and it tasted great.

>258 kidzdoc: That one actually sounds like something I would enjoy. I was stationed in Germany for 2 years but in the Nuremberg area, but don't recall this beverage.

>249 alphaorder: Sent you a PM.

I told you about my trip to Seattle next weekend, right? If not, I am going to meet a friend from my bookselling days for Independent Bookstore Day. Last year she visited 19 bookstores on the one day. I thought it looked fun (from afar), so she invited me to join her this year! https://www.seattlebookstoreday.com/

'Morning, Mark! Happy Wednesday to you.

Great Meet Up photo!

Fun times at the Hofbrauhaus yesterday, my friend, and at Park Tavern (did I get that right?) Books, sports, politics, rocket science and LT - and more. Let's do that again asap!

>260 alphaorder: I got it. I will reply back. Yes, I remember you mentioning the Seattle trip. Have a great time with your friend.

>261 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. As usual, a fine Meet Up.

>262 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. Yes, it was a good time. A fine crew. I didn't get home until almost 630, so I definitely made a day of it. You know, we will be doing it again. B.A.G.

Happy Humpday, o hungover one. At least I'm assuming you're hung over after the beerhall putsch of LTers.

>264 richardderus: Hey, Richard. I am feeling fine, other than some allergy issues. Yes, I had a few but it was long ride home for me, so I could not get crazy. We had a great visit.

>257 msf59: Trip to Chicago, always possible, but not probable right now. I'm no longer working for the company that was headquartered there. Most of my customers (I'm a software implementation consultant) for my current company are based on the west coast. But you never know. If/when I ever get back there, you'll be the first to know (okay, maybe not the FIRST, but right up there in the top 5).

>266 mahsdad: Hey, nothing wrong with being in the top 5, right, Jeff?

>267 msf59: Too right!

^Okay, I am stealing this idea from Jeff, (I am sure he won't mind) because I am beginning to fall behind on my mini-reviews and may have to do it from time to time:

37) Waiting for the Albino Dunnock by Rosamond Richardson 4 stars

I wasn't sure what to expect with this one, but it turned out to be a lovely surprise. Her love of birding and birds in general shines through on every page. I want to thank Joe & Debbi for picking this one up for me.

38) The Master by Colm Tóibín 4.2 stars (audio)

Yes, this is fiction but it is a fascinating and incredibly well written and well-researched look at the later life of the author Henry James. I loved it.

41) The Answer to the Riddle Is Me: Memoir of Amnesia by David Stuart MacLean 3.8 stars (audio)

"On October 17, 2002, David MacLean “woke up” on a train platform in India with no idea who he was or why he was there. No money. No passport. No identity."

I think everyone who likes NF, should give this one a try, just for it's mind-blowing premise. Not perfect, but plenty to enjoy.

43) Aerialists: Stories by Mark Mayer 4 stars

These story collections keep rolling out and I am so impressed how good so many of these are. I had to warm up to this one a bit, but once I locked in, I really liked it. A young author to watch.

44) The Witch Elm by Tana French 3.5 stars (audio)

Yes, I am a fan of Tana French, and I ended up giving her latest 3 stars, but dammit, she wears my behind out. Why did this stand-alone, have to be over 500 pages? I think knocking off 200 pages would have worked wonders. A bit frustrating because she is a talented author, in need of better editing. I may still give her another try, but I may be more hesitant next time.

46) Bibliophile: An Illustrated Miscellany by Jane Mount 4 stars

“The ultimate gift for book lovers, this volume brims with literary treasures, all delightfully illustrated by beloved artist and founder of Ideal Bookshelf, Jane Mount. “

I know a few other folks have been warbling about this booklover's dream, so I will add my own: Sure, you could request it from the library, but keep in mind, it would look wonderful on shelf. Visitors to your home will be thunderstruck. Also, make sure you have pen and paper handy. You will be adding books. Story of our lives, right?

Well done, like I said on my thread... Unless the Muse strikes you to write a full on review, there's no harm in just letting everyone know your quick thoughts about a book.

That's all it will take for some of us to receive some BB damage. :)

>46 msf59: Love your mini reviews. I would disagree about "request from the library" - LTers need to own this book!

>270 msf59: Yes, The Witch Elm would have made a good shorter book.

(46) Ouch! that BB stung!

Hey, Mark! Very nice LT meet-up pic. But where's the Hofbrau type food?
I'm getting a jump on Fathers & Sons tonight, simply because I read at the speed of a snail on tar.

>271 mahsdad: Thanks, Jeff. I felt like I accomplished something tonight. LOL.

>272 alphaorder: I did mention that, in my mini-review, Nancy, but I adjusted it a bit, for more emphasis. I still don't own it. LOL.

>273 quondame: Like minds...I am sure you will love Bibliophile.

>274 Carmenere: Hi, Lynda. The food is really good there and I completely forgot to mention it. I had the Jagerschnitzel. Yum!

Snail on tar? That is pretty damn slow. Smiles...

Hey, Mark. You will get a kick out of this story:

https://www.birdwatchingdaily.com/news/birdwatching/young-wood-duck-emerges-from...

I have never seen the Hofbrauhaus that empty! Of course, I have always been there when the town is full of librarians. I had a great time there during a snowstorm back in the early ott’s. Bet you guys had some great conversation. You would have been able to hear across the table with that huge crowd - so how did all of you book lovers get a word in edgewise?

I am looking forward to the meetup - might be meet ups - in D.C. in June. I will have two sisters and a cousin in town with me. And all those librarians!

>275 msf59: :)

>276 jessibud2: You know, I love this story, Shelley. Thanks. I did see the photo on FB:



-Eastern Screech Owl and Wood Duckling. (Real Photo)

**The duckling jumped out and made it safely to a nearby pond.

>277 benitastrnad: This was after lunch on a weekday, at the Hofbrauhaus, Benita. I am sure it is a much different place in the evenings and on weekends. We had it to ourselves. Yep, I talked to Jim about DC. I hope we can get a nice group together.

Hey Mark, I just replied to your post on my thread and then thought maybe I should have responded here. Thanks for letting me know about the DC meetup! I'm bummed that I won't be able to make it. The choir I sing with is part of a show on Saturday commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. I'll just have to be content with photos, I guess.

>281 lauralkeet: Sorry, to hear that, Laura. It is difficult to make the timing work for everyone, especially in the summer. I will get back out that way.

I was a bit worried about the duckling, but clearly I didn't need to be. We've had a beautiful heron on the lake on campus, but it's been pointed out it's probably not great for the ducklings' future...

Good morning, Mark! Sweet Thursday to you.

>270 msf59: I’ve seen some warbling about Bibliophile: An Illustrated Miscellany, but you finally tipped me over the edge – it’s now on my wish list. I will probably ask for it for my June birthday from either husband or daughter. I want it. I thought it was just a book of recommended books so wasn't interested, but I just looked it on Amazon and it's so much more.

>279 msf59: Whew! Glad the duckling made it out safely.

>284 karenmarie: - Bibliophile: An Illustrated Miscellany is truly so much more, Karen. You won't regret it! :-)

>279 msf59: That is precious! I bet whoever took that photo was quite pleased! :D

I just bought Black Leopard, Red Wolf! I haven't been reading much lately, but I'm hoping an impulse purchase will help me get back on track.

Hope you are well!

>283 charl08: Everything has to eat, Charlotte. The way of nature.

>284 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Glad my added warble nudged you in the right direction with Bibliophile and yes, it is much more than book recs.

>286 The_Hibernator: Morning, Rachel. Great to see you, stranger. I hope Black Leopard sparks you out of your book rut. Jim is reading and loving it at the moment.

>269 msf59: Glad you enjoyed The Master Mark. One if my favs.

>279 msf59: that's a great shot.

>288 Caroline_McElwee: Check out the link, in post #276 for the full story on the owl and duck. Cool story.

Reading any good poetry?

Hi Mark! I'm using my new keyboard/case for my iPad -- learning how it works. So far so good although it takes some getting used to (yet) another keyboard.

I didn't pick up a copy of Bibliophile, after all. I looked at it but decided to wait until June when we will be driving rather than flying. I already brought home too much heavy stuff!

>276 jessibud2: and >279 msf59: Oh my goodness!!!!

I did purchase How to Love a Country when I was in Seattle earlier this week. Beth warbled about it so it will be my next poetry collection to read.

Spring has sprung and we are enjoying the large influx of Goldfinches. Yay!

>290 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen. Always good to see you, my friend. Good luck with your new keyboard. I will have to check into that poetry collection. Always interested in trying something different.

And hooray for the goldfinch! Ours stick around year-round.