Katie Commits to Nothing in 2019, Part 9
This is a continuation of the topic Katie Commits to Nothing in 2019, Part 8.
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Talk 75 Books Challenge for 2019
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1katiekrug
Art by fizdi
__________________________________
Hello Old Friends and Welcome New Ones!
I'm Katie, and I've been with the 75ers since 2011. I live just outside New York City with my husband, "The" Wayne, and our cat, Leonard. I work from home for a global engineering association, which allows me to scratch my travel itch a few times a year. In addition to reading and traveling, I enjoy taking advantage of all that my current location has to offer, from bars and restaurants to theater and museums to seasides and mountainsides. I lived 12 years in "exile" in Texas and am glad to be back in the northeast :)
My only "goal" for this reading year is to not have any goals. I am hoping to read more of the 3500 books I currently own rather than shiny new ones, but I'll just be happy with a year of excellent reads, regardless of where they come from.
2katiekrug
(Print) 
(Kindle) 
(Audio) 2019 BOOKS COMPLETED
Off my shelf (pre-2019): 10
Off my Kindle (pre-2019): 6
41. Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson (audio) (3.5 stars)
40. Imagined London by Anna Quindlen (3 stars)
39. These Truths by Jill Lepore (4.5 stars)
38. The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye (4 stars)
37. Nine Women, One Dress by Jane Rosen (audio) (3 stars)
36. Black Out by Lisa Unger (2 stars)
35. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (audio) (4 stars)
34. Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward (4.5 stars)
33. The Wet Nurse's Tale by Erica Eisdorfer (3.5 stars)
32. Unbelievable by Katy Tur (audio) (3 stars)
31. Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler (audio) (3.5 stars)
30. Drop Shot by Harlan Coben (3 stars)
29. All the Ways to Ruin a Rogue by Sophie Jordan (audio)
28. A Good Debutante's Guide to Ruin by Sophie Jordan (audio) (4 stars)
27. American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson (2.5 stars)
26. The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley (audio) (3 stars)
25. Inheritance by Dani Shapiro (4.5 stars)
24. Kings of the Earth by Jon Clinch (4.5 stars)
23. The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit (audio) (4 stars)
22. My Name is Venus Black by Heather Lloyd (4 stars)
21. My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan (audio) (3 stars)
20. Anything for You by Kristan Higgins (3.5 stars)
19. Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss (4 stars)
18. Who Thought This Was a Good Idea? by Alyssa Mastromonaco (audio) (4 stars)
17. Dream When You're Feeling Blue by Elizabeth Berg (3 stars)
16. Lucky Suit by Lauren Blakely (audio) (3.5 stars)
DID NOT FINISH
1. Eucalyptus by Murray Bail
2. Go, Went, Gone by Jenny Erpenbeck
3. The Secret History by Donna Tartt
3katiekrug
2019 BOOKS COMPLETED
15. Enlightening Delilah by M.C. Beaton (audio) (3 stars)
14. The Captives by Debra Jo Immergut (4 stars)
13. The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie (4 stars)
12. Murder in an English Village by Jessica Ellicott (audio) (2.5 stars)
11. The Garden Party by Grace Dane Mazur (4 stars)
10. In the Sea There Are Crocodiles by Fabio Geda (audio) (3 stars)
9. The Child Finder by Rene Denfeld (4 stars)
8. The Governess Game by Tessa Dare (4 stars)
7. Blood on the Forge by William Attaway (4.5 stars)
6. Boo by Neil Smith (audio) (3 stars)
5. The Incendiaries by R.O. Kwan (3.5 stars)
4. Good Neighbors by Ryan David Jahn (4 stars)
3. A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh (audio) (3.5 stars)
2. By the Book by Julia Sonneborn (3 stars)
1. Going Back by Penelope Lively (3.5 stars)
15. Enlightening Delilah by M.C. Beaton (audio) (3 stars)
14. The Captives by Debra Jo Immergut (4 stars)
13. The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie (4 stars)
12. Murder in an English Village by Jessica Ellicott (audio) (2.5 stars)
11. The Garden Party by Grace Dane Mazur (4 stars)
10. In the Sea There Are Crocodiles by Fabio Geda (audio) (3 stars)
9. The Child Finder by Rene Denfeld (4 stars)
8. The Governess Game by Tessa Dare (4 stars)
7. Blood on the Forge by William Attaway (4.5 stars)
6. Boo by Neil Smith (audio) (3 stars)
5. The Incendiaries by R.O. Kwan (3.5 stars)
4. Good Neighbors by Ryan David Jahn (4 stars)
3. A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh (audio) (3.5 stars)
2. By the Book by Julia Sonneborn (3 stars)
1. Going Back by Penelope Lively (3.5 stars)
4katiekrug
My Ratings (revised, once again, as I continue the fruitless search for the perfect scale...)
2 stars = below average
3 stars = average
4 stars = above average
5 stars = perfect *for me*
(Anything below 2 stars is unlikely to be finished)
5katiekrug
A Book You Should Read
(A new, regular feature on my threads...)
Ruby by Cynthia Bond
My review from 2014:
"Monday morning broke through, rubbing Sunday out of its eyes. All across town, coffee had been brewed and cups emptied. The crusts of toast and hardened grits had already been scraped into slop jars. And by 9:00 a.m. Ephram Jennings's sin had already been stirred, baked and left to cool, its scent filling the air of Liberty." (page 209)
Ephram Jennings' sin was to show kindness and love to Ruby Bell, commonly believed to be a whore, and crazy to boot. He had loved Ruby since first encountering her when they were children. What he couldn't know was how Ruby had been beaten down and abused and made to feel less than whole since she was six years old. Through a narrative that moves back and forth in time, we learn the brutal details of life in Liberty, Texas - details of pain and murder, incest and rape, religious faith and supernatural belief. Ruby can't escape what everyone believes to be her fate, not even by fleeing to New York City. Her past calls her back to Liberty, and her past informs her present and her future. No room is left for hope or expectation, until Ephram braves the ridicule of the town to help Ruby find her worth.
"Like a blast of heat burning through her, it was suddenly too much, this constant, unrelenting kindness, the gentle in the center of his eyes that never slipped and fell. His attention had long since filled the shallow bowl she'd set aside for joy. In that moment it cracked." (page 214)
As this one damaged soul calls out to another, and tries to overcome the distrust and anger, the tension builds, and the reader knows that yet more tragedy and horror is in store.
Cynthia Bond is a fine writer. The first 50 or so pages were perhaps a bit over done, but she eventually settled into a rhythm with language that evoked both the supernatural and the prosaic, ghosts and haints along side the very real piney woods of East Texas. In a place where not so long ago, James Byrd, a black man, was tied to the back of a truck by two white men and dragged along the road until he died, the evils of which she writes are not hard to imagine as real. And while some elements of her story require a strong suspension of disbelief, the passion that limns each sentence and every element of this story shines through and makes for an indelible read. Not a perfect one, but certainly a powerful one. I am still picking up the pieces of my broken heart, only partly mollified by the faint glimmer of hope at the end of the book, almost undone by the darkness.
(A new, regular feature on my threads...)
Ruby by Cynthia Bond
My review from 2014:
"Monday morning broke through, rubbing Sunday out of its eyes. All across town, coffee had been brewed and cups emptied. The crusts of toast and hardened grits had already been scraped into slop jars. And by 9:00 a.m. Ephram Jennings's sin had already been stirred, baked and left to cool, its scent filling the air of Liberty." (page 209)
Ephram Jennings' sin was to show kindness and love to Ruby Bell, commonly believed to be a whore, and crazy to boot. He had loved Ruby since first encountering her when they were children. What he couldn't know was how Ruby had been beaten down and abused and made to feel less than whole since she was six years old. Through a narrative that moves back and forth in time, we learn the brutal details of life in Liberty, Texas - details of pain and murder, incest and rape, religious faith and supernatural belief. Ruby can't escape what everyone believes to be her fate, not even by fleeing to New York City. Her past calls her back to Liberty, and her past informs her present and her future. No room is left for hope or expectation, until Ephram braves the ridicule of the town to help Ruby find her worth.
"Like a blast of heat burning through her, it was suddenly too much, this constant, unrelenting kindness, the gentle in the center of his eyes that never slipped and fell. His attention had long since filled the shallow bowl she'd set aside for joy. In that moment it cracked." (page 214)
As this one damaged soul calls out to another, and tries to overcome the distrust and anger, the tension builds, and the reader knows that yet more tragedy and horror is in store.
Cynthia Bond is a fine writer. The first 50 or so pages were perhaps a bit over done, but she eventually settled into a rhythm with language that evoked both the supernatural and the prosaic, ghosts and haints along side the very real piney woods of East Texas. In a place where not so long ago, James Byrd, a black man, was tied to the back of a truck by two white men and dragged along the road until he died, the evils of which she writes are not hard to imagine as real. And while some elements of her story require a strong suspension of disbelief, the passion that limns each sentence and every element of this story shines through and makes for an indelible read. Not a perfect one, but certainly a powerful one. I am still picking up the pieces of my broken heart, only partly mollified by the faint glimmer of hope at the end of the book, almost undone by the darkness.
7katiekrug
Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward
Jesmyn Ward is firmly on my list of favorite contemporary writers. She made it there after I read Salvage the Bones and her place was reaffirmed with Sing, Unburied, Sing. And Men We Reaped is just extra gravy at this point – brutal, honest, and heartbreaking gravy. I don’t think she’s capable of writing a bad book. In this one, she chronicles the too-brief lives of 5 men she knew, all of whom died within four years of each other. Interweaving her own memories of growing up with these stories, she gives the reader an unrelenting and unflinching portrait of life for her community in the Deep South – a place she resents and despises but one which is so much of a part of her that she can’t help returning to it. I can’t write like she can, so I’ll just provide some quotes from the book.
“From 2000 to 2004, five Black young men I grew up with died, all violently, in seemingly unrelated deaths. The first was my brother, Joshua, in October 2000. The second was Ronald in December 2002. The third was C.J. in January 2004. The fourth was Demond in February 2004. The last was Roger in June 2004. That’s a brutal list, in its immediacy and its relentlessness, and it’s a list that silences people. It silenced me for a long time. To say this is difficult is understatement; telling this story is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But my ghosts were once people, and I cannot forget that.” (page 7)
“Maybe he looked at those who still lived and those who’d died, and didn’t see much difference between the two; pinioned beneath poverty and history and racism, we were all dying inside.” (page 121)
“It seemed I had been able to keep nothing of my father. His leaving felt like a repudiation of the child I was and the young woman I was growing into. I looked at myself and saw a walking embodiment of everything the world around me seemed to despise: an unattractive, poor, Black woman. Undervalued by her family, a perpetual workhorse. Undervalued by society regarding her labor and her beauty. This seed buried itself in my stomach and bore fruit. I hated myself… I was something to be left.” (page 135)
“My entire community suffered from a lack of trust: we didn’t trust society to provide the basics of a good education, safety, access to good jobs, fairness in the justice system. And even as we distrusted the society around us, the culture that cornered us and told us {we} were perpetually less, we distrusted each other. We did not trust our fathers to raise us, to provide for us. Because we trusted nothing, we endeavored to protect ourselves, boys becoming misogynistic and violent, girls turning duplicitous, all of us hopeless.” (page 169)
“… I felt all of the weight of the South pressing down on me, and it was then that I resolved to leave the region for college, but to do it in a way that respected the sacrifices my mother made for me. I studied harder. I read more. How could I know then that this would be my life: yearning to leave the South and doing so again and again, but perpetually called back to home by a love so thick it choked me?” (page 195)
4.5 stars
9ELiz_M
Ooh, this may be the only time I can post in your thread when it is in the single digits! Happy, um, one day of Spring?
ETA: I made it!
ETA: I made it!
11msf59
Sweet Thursday, Katie! Happy New Thread! Wow, number 9! You go girl. I also really like that topper. Good review of Men We Reaped. I liked that one a lot too. I will be starting her essay collection soon.
BTW- Sadly, I have still not read Ruby. Bad Mark.
BTW- Sadly, I have still not read Ruby. Bad Mark.
12richardderus
>1 katiekrug: LOVE that fizdi art.
>7 katiekrug: Such an extremely sad story...more than tragic because it's so common.
>7 katiekrug: Such an extremely sad story...more than tragic because it's so common.
13lauralkeet
>5 katiekrug: I loved Ruby. Such a great book.
14DeltaQueen50
Happy new thread, Katie. I have loved the two Jesmyn Ward books that I have read so Men We Reaped must now be added to my list.
15PaulCranswick
Happy new thread, Katie.
>5 katiekrug: That is a great idea. I have that one on the shelves somewhere and will go and look it up soon.
>5 katiekrug: That is a great idea. I have that one on the shelves somewhere and will go and look it up soon.
16nittnut
Happy new thread!! Super excited to make the top 20 for once. Lol
I hate Twitter, but I might have to explore Sparknotes.
I hate Twitter, but I might have to explore Sparknotes.
17Copperskye
Happy new thread, Katie!
I just picked up a copy of Sing, Unburied, Sing a couple of weeks ago but, of course, I haven’t read it yet. Or anything else by Ward. Yet.
From your previous thread, I read The Wet Nurse’s Tale the first year I was on LT (which was 2009). I don’t remember much about it other than when I saw your post thinking, “oh, I loved that book!”.
My favorite things on Twitter are ‘m_crouton’ and ‘thoughts of dog’. I think I’d like sparknotes, too.
I just picked up a copy of Sing, Unburied, Sing a couple of weeks ago but, of course, I haven’t read it yet. Or anything else by Ward. Yet.
From your previous thread, I read The Wet Nurse’s Tale the first year I was on LT (which was 2009). I don’t remember much about it other than when I saw your post thinking, “oh, I loved that book!”.
My favorite things on Twitter are ‘m_crouton’ and ‘thoughts of dog’. I think I’d like sparknotes, too.
19fairywings
Happy new thread Katie.
21jnwelch
Happy New Thread, Katie!
How are you liking Mansfield Park? It's my least favorite of the JAs, but that's like saying it's my least favorite delicious dessert.
How are you liking Mansfield Park? It's my least favorite of the JAs, but that's like saying it's my least favorite delicious dessert.
23katiekrug
>11 msf59: - Hiya, Mark! I just bought a collection of The Fire This Time - is that the essay collection you mean? And you should read Ruby - I won it as an ER book way back when.
>12 richardderus: - Exactly right, Richard, about MWR.
>13 lauralkeet: - Agreed, Laura!
>14 DeltaQueen50: - It's just as good, Judy, if different since it's non-fiction. I have her first novel - Where the Line Bleeds - still to read. Plus the essay collection she edited, as mentioned in my comment to Mark.
>12 richardderus: - Exactly right, Richard, about MWR.
>13 lauralkeet: - Agreed, Laura!
>14 DeltaQueen50: - It's just as good, Judy, if different since it's non-fiction. I have her first novel - Where the Line Bleeds - still to read. Plus the essay collection she edited, as mentioned in my comment to Mark.
24katiekrug
>15 PaulCranswick: - Thanks, Paul. It's been fun this year to go back through lists of books read trying to find something that I think deserves more attention. Ruby definitely fits the bill.
>16 nittnut: - Hi Jenn! SparkNotes also has an IG account, if that's more your thing. I'm not an avid user of Twitter but try to get on there once a day - I can say they treat their employees very well :)
>17 Copperskye: - Hi Joanne - I'll have to look up 'm_crouton.' 'thoughts_of_dog' is another good one - and started by the same guy as We Rate Dogs :)
I think you'll like Ward when you give her a go - her work is dark and brutal so may be best to be in the right frame of mind for that...
>18 Helenliz: - Thank you, Helen!
>16 nittnut: - Hi Jenn! SparkNotes also has an IG account, if that's more your thing. I'm not an avid user of Twitter but try to get on there once a day - I can say they treat their employees very well :)
>17 Copperskye: - Hi Joanne - I'll have to look up 'm_crouton.' 'thoughts_of_dog' is another good one - and started by the same guy as We Rate Dogs :)
I think you'll like Ward when you give her a go - her work is dark and brutal so may be best to be in the right frame of mind for that...
>18 Helenliz: - Thank you, Helen!
25katiekrug
>19 fairywings: - Thanks, Adrienne!
>20 susanj67: - Thank you, Susan. Excited about this potential meet-up at Kew in June :)
>21 jnwelch: - Hi Joe! I like MP. It's a re-read for me - I've always rated it higher than a lot of people do. Fanny's priggishness can grate, but some of the other characters make me laugh enough to make up for it. My least favorite (and yes, it's like choosing one's least favorite delicious sweet) is probably either Emma or Sense and Sensibility.
>22 BLBera: - Thanks, Beth. I love stumbling onto random images. The subject appealed, of course, but I also love that red.
>20 susanj67: - Thank you, Susan. Excited about this potential meet-up at Kew in June :)
>21 jnwelch: - Hi Joe! I like MP. It's a re-read for me - I've always rated it higher than a lot of people do. Fanny's priggishness can grate, but some of the other characters make me laugh enough to make up for it. My least favorite (and yes, it's like choosing one's least favorite delicious sweet) is probably either Emma or Sense and Sensibility.
>22 BLBera: - Thanks, Beth. I love stumbling onto random images. The subject appealed, of course, but I also love that red.
26katiekrug
Happy Friday, all! This sure has seemed like a loooong week.
I need to finalize the last set of minutes for work (from the Board meeting I wasn't at - that's been an interesting process!) and do a couple of other minor things but nothing too terrible. I have PT at noon, and then might treat myself to lunch. I think I saw somewhere that it's National Grilled Cheese Day, so needs must :)
No big plans for the weekend, so we'll see what develops.
I should finish the thriller I'm reading and my audio today. I love Book Turnover Day!
I need to finalize the last set of minutes for work (from the Board meeting I wasn't at - that's been an interesting process!) and do a couple of other minor things but nothing too terrible. I have PT at noon, and then might treat myself to lunch. I think I saw somewhere that it's National Grilled Cheese Day, so needs must :)
No big plans for the weekend, so we'll see what develops.
I should finish the thriller I'm reading and my audio today. I love Book Turnover Day!
27RebaRelishesReading
Happy new thread, Katie. Nice job with the review!
28richardderus
National Grilled Cheese Day! Most belovèd of sammys. I made my tribute today with American, Swiss, and Pepper Jack on butter-laden white bread.
29katiekrug
>27 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba!
>28 richardderus: - I did go to the diner after PT - I like mine with American cheese (I know, I know... it's the only thing I ever have with American) and bacon on white bread. Classic.
That is the actual sandwich I consumed in about 1.5 minutes. Delish!!
>28 richardderus: - I did go to the diner after PT - I like mine with American cheese (I know, I know... it's the only thing I ever have with American) and bacon on white bread. Classic.
That is the actual sandwich I consumed in about 1.5 minutes. Delish!!
30richardderus
American plus bacon is a worthy sammy, never apologize. It might not be cool to like American, but nothing on Earth does a cheeseburger better than American cheese. (Bacon also helps.)
31Helenliz
>28 richardderus: there's a grilled cheese day? How have I not known that before now!! I officially change my brthday cake to cheese on toast! >:-D
>29 katiekrug: There's nothing quite like fake cheese melted in a burger. I mean it's not cheese by any other definition of the word, but it sure does cheesy melting really well.
>29 katiekrug: There's nothing quite like fake cheese melted in a burger. I mean it's not cheese by any other definition of the word, but it sure does cheesy melting really well.
32drneutron
Happy new thread! I concur with the American-cheese-on-burger/grilled cheese discussion. Nothing else works nearly so well. 😀
33katiekrug
>30 richardderus: and >32 drneutron: - Oh, I feel so much better now, gentlemen! I forgot that I also like AMerican on cheeseburgers, so yeah.
>31 Helenliz: - Well, it's a national day so not celebrated where you are, I assume. I also assume you are not interested in honorary citizenship given the current state of said nation :) But your proper appreciation of grilled cheese (even if you give it a weird name) is noted! We can discuss further during our meet-up in June!
>31 Helenliz: - Well, it's a national day so not celebrated where you are, I assume. I also assume you are not interested in honorary citizenship given the current state of said nation :) But your proper appreciation of grilled cheese (even if you give it a weird name) is noted! We can discuss further during our meet-up in June!
34jessibud2
My grilled cheese sandwich is best when the bread is not sliced too thin and it has a slice of tomato under the melted cheese. And MUST be served with a glass of cold chocolate milk. It would, of course, be best if it came out of the sandwich griller my mum had when I was growing up because she used to let me hold down the lid and press as much as I wanted to (on the condition that I had to eat it even if I pressed too hard and *smushed* it), but since that is not doable any more, I go with the flow, as it were. :-) Comfort food extraordinaire!
And yes, we used American cheese
And yes, we used American cheese
35katiekrug
>34 jessibud2: - Nothing like a little comfort food, right, Shelley?
36magicians_nephew
Yes grilled cheese
(1) Rye Bread
(2) American Cheese
(3) bacon
(4) thinly sliced tomato
(1) Rye Bread
(2) American Cheese
(3) bacon
(4) thinly sliced tomato
37katiekrug
>36 magicians_nephew: - Rye bread?!?! That's just crazy talk, Jim ;-)
38Familyhistorian
>36 magicians_nephew: Ooh, grilled rye bread, so good. Dark or light?
Happy new thread, Katie. You are making me hungry!
Happy new thread, Katie. You are making me hungry!
39PaulCranswick
Malaysia isn't great for good quality bread.
Great toast and >29 katiekrug: looks pretty good helps most sarnies.
I don't eat pork but Malaysia does have excellent turkey or beef bacon (I hear "sacrilege" bouncing across the ether) and that with melted mature cheddar makes for a great accompaniment to coffee in the mid morning.
Great toast and >29 katiekrug: looks pretty good helps most sarnies.
I don't eat pork but Malaysia does have excellent turkey or beef bacon (I hear "sacrilege" bouncing across the ether) and that with melted mature cheddar makes for a great accompaniment to coffee in the mid morning.
40Helenliz
>33 katiekrug: we've been known to adopt other traditions, you know. My grilled cheese ideal would be brown toast, smallest coating of butter, marmite and cheese, then toasted to melt the cheese. mmm. In fact, that might very well be lunch now I've thought of it.
41scaifea
Yes to American Cheese! Your sandwich looks amazing.
My favorite grilled cheese, though, is a mix of cheddar, white cheddar, parmesan, and asiago, on sourdough bread.
My favorite grilled cheese, though, is a mix of cheddar, white cheddar, parmesan, and asiago, on sourdough bread.
42katiekrug
>38 Familyhistorian: - Hi Meg!
I like grilled rye, too, just not for a grilled cheese :D
>39 PaulCranswick: - Hi Paul - I remember the beef bacon in Malaysia and some places I've traveled in the Middle East - I'm not a big fan but turkey bacon is ok if an alternative must be had.
We may be having a Board meeting in KL next year, so I'll have to investigate the bread issue while there.
>40 Helenliz: - Sorry - just teasing a bit :) My father used to put a thin coating of mustard on his grilled cheese, which wasn't bad. I've never had marmite but would be willing to give it a whirl.
I hope lunch was good!
>41 scaifea: - Your fancy grilled cheese sounds good, Amber! I love sourdough for anything, really.
I like grilled rye, too, just not for a grilled cheese :D
>39 PaulCranswick: - Hi Paul - I remember the beef bacon in Malaysia and some places I've traveled in the Middle East - I'm not a big fan but turkey bacon is ok if an alternative must be had.
We may be having a Board meeting in KL next year, so I'll have to investigate the bread issue while there.
>40 Helenliz: - Sorry - just teasing a bit :) My father used to put a thin coating of mustard on his grilled cheese, which wasn't bad. I've never had marmite but would be willing to give it a whirl.
I hope lunch was good!
>41 scaifea: - Your fancy grilled cheese sounds good, Amber! I love sourdough for anything, really.
43fairywings
>40 Helenliz: My grilled cheese favourite is similar to yours, only I use vegemite rather than marmite. It's my go to for those nights when you had a late lunch and dinner just isn't an option.
44kidzdoc
Happy new thread, Katie! Great reviews of Ruby and Men We Reaped.
45ffortsa
>41 scaifea: Oh yes!
46katiekrug
>43 fairywings: - My go-to "not a dinner" is cold cereal with milk. Or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Sad, I know.
>44 kidzdoc: - Thanks, Darryl!
>45 ffortsa: - Hi Judy :)
>44 kidzdoc: - Thanks, Darryl!
>45 ffortsa: - Hi Judy :)
47katiekrug
Today was gorgeous - 75 and sunny. We decided to take advantage of it, so took the train to Jersey City, sat outside for lunch, then walked to Liberty State Park on the NY harbor waterfront. It was lovely and breezy, and bonus - lots of people were out with their dogs, so we got to pet and shmoozle them :)
All in all, my FitBit says we walked over 7 miles today, so yay. I'm feeling it, which is sad, so I definitely need to get back to my regular exercise routine!
Here are some pics, including the handsomest dude I saw out there.
Blurry spring flowers and blooming tree:
Backside of Ellis Island:
Profile of Lady Liberty:
Manhattan skyline with 1 World Trade Center dominating:
Handsome devil:
All in all, my FitBit says we walked over 7 miles today, so yay. I'm feeling it, which is sad, so I definitely need to get back to my regular exercise routine!
Here are some pics, including the handsomest dude I saw out there.
Blurry spring flowers and blooming tree:
Backside of Ellis Island:
Profile of Lady Liberty:
Manhattan skyline with 1 World Trade Center dominating:
Handsome devil:
48Donna828
Hi Katie, I thought I'd post on your newest thread instead of just smiling to myself and lurking. I look forward to seeing more new house pictures soon when you get moved in and make it your own. I got hit with a book bullet for the Jesmyn Ward book. The only one of hers that I've read was Sing Unburied Sing, which made me want to read more.
That Wayne-Guy is a handsome dude. Thanks for sharing the NYC pictures. I think you are in your element there.
That Wayne-Guy is a handsome dude. Thanks for sharing the NYC pictures. I think you are in your element there.
49kidzdoc
As I mentioned on Facebook I'm glad to see you exploring my home town! It was fantastic to live that close to Manhattan, which was less than 15 minutes away by car, subway or ferry, and, as your next to last photo showed, often times Manhattan's skyscrapers felt as if they were our own, especially if you were downtown. JC had very little in the way of culture compared to its massive neighbor across the river, but it is the second most diverse city in the country, and living there exposed me to people from a wide variety of backgrounds, many of whom had parents, grandparents or great-grandparents from the old country, especially Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, India and the Philippines. Many of the authentic shops and restaurants, including Mrs Schultz's bakery (I don't know its real name, I just remember the older German woman who ran it) and a fantastic turn of the 20th century Italian bakery on Newark Avenue that baked heavenly pepperoni bread, sausage bread and other delicacies that my grandfather and father both loved from their childhood. When I stayed at the apartment at the girlfriend I had who graduated from Rutgers, which was right behind the bakery, we were treated to the intoxicating aroma of bread being baked from early evening until the following morning. It may have reopened under new management, so I'll have to look for the name of it using Google Maps.
ETA: Yes! Its old name was Pecoraro's, and it's now called Pecoraro Antique Bakery, as it was purchased by the owners of Antique Bakery in Hoboken:
http://jerseycityeats.blogspot.com/2016/05/pecoraro-bakery-now-antique-bakery.ht...
ETA: Yes! Its old name was Pecoraro's, and it's now called Pecoraro Antique Bakery, as it was purchased by the owners of Antique Bakery in Hoboken:
http://jerseycityeats.blogspot.com/2016/05/pecoraro-bakery-now-antique-bakery.ht...
50katiekrug
>48 Donna828: - Thanks for stopping by, Donna! I do plenty of lurking myself and should make an effort to at least say hello once in a while! I hope you come to love Jesmyn Ward's works as much as I do. She is so talented.
And thanks re: my pictures. We love living here :)
>49 kidzdoc: - I'll have to look for that bakery the next time we are there, Darryl. We had lunch (and also after-the-park drinks) at places on Newark Avenue, just off Grove Street. I want to go back to the place we had drinks - South House - as it does Southern cuisine, including legit-looking Texas favorites.
And thanks re: my pictures. We love living here :)
>49 kidzdoc: - I'll have to look for that bakery the next time we are there, Darryl. We had lunch (and also after-the-park drinks) at places on Newark Avenue, just off Grove Street. I want to go back to the place we had drinks - South House - as it does Southern cuisine, including legit-looking Texas favorites.
51katiekrug
Plans for the day: grocery shopping, a bit of meal prep, Chapter 15 in These Truths, and maybe some laundry. Super exciting.
I stayed up last night to finish Black Out - tbh, I doubt I would have finished it if it hadn't fit a prompt for the reading challenge I'm doing. It was just ridiculous.
I stayed up last night to finish Black Out - tbh, I doubt I would have finished it if it hadn't fit a prompt for the reading challenge I'm doing. It was just ridiculous.
52charl08
You do make New York sound very tempting Katie. I love the way you are discovering all these places. Trying to avoid thoughts of the baked goods though!
53richardderus
Oh, Ellis Island! One of my most treasured memories lives there. Liberty State Park is a great place to view Manhattan's aesthetic glories from, by my own personal favorite view has always been approaching the city from the Pulaski Skyway. All the years I lived in Battery Park City and on Maiden Lane, I flew in and out of Newark and bussed or trained into the WTC. That view meant Home.
54Helenliz
Lovely day out!
I've been to Ellis Island. We were somewhat surprised to see another tourist videoing one of the boards of information and reading the text. After looking at him a bit sideways, he stopped and explained that one of the women in the picture was his grandmother, and that she'd passed through Ellis Island on her way into the US. At which point it all seemed a lot less odd.
I've been to Ellis Island. We were somewhat surprised to see another tourist videoing one of the boards of information and reading the text. After looking at him a bit sideways, he stopped and explained that one of the women in the picture was his grandmother, and that she'd passed through Ellis Island on her way into the US. At which point it all seemed a lot less odd.
55katiekrug
>52 charl08: - We'd love to show you around, Charlotte :) Baked goods optional.
>53 richardderus: and >54 Helenliz: - Sad to say, I have never been to Ellis Island. I've been to Liberty Island on a school trip, though. My niece is coming for a visit in June, so I am thinking of taking her to EI to see where some of her ancestors came through. Then I was going to take her to the Tenement Museum to see how they lived once they got here. Mean Kiki plans to include a little education along with the fun during her visit :)
>53 richardderus: and >54 Helenliz: - Sad to say, I have never been to Ellis Island. I've been to Liberty Island on a school trip, though. My niece is coming for a visit in June, so I am thinking of taking her to EI to see where some of her ancestors came through. Then I was going to take her to the Tenement Museum to see how they lived once they got here. Mean Kiki plans to include a little education along with the fun during her visit :)
56ELiz_M
>55 katiekrug: Ellis Island and the tenement museum were two of my mum's favorite sight-seeing adventures. The EI audio-tour was very good (but that was ummmmm 15? years ago?). Somewhere on the internet, there was a do-it-yourself Lower East Side walking food tour. I suspect many of the places we visited have subsequently closed down, but you should still be able to find some yummy pickles and knish places near the TM.
57ffortsa
Funny, all these years in NYC and I haven't been to either EI or the Tenement Museum. Considering my grandmother grew up on Hester Street, and all my grandparents came through EI, I am most remiss.
58kidzdoc
>50 katiekrug: I haven’t been to Pecoraro’s in years. The online photos of it look like the old fashioned bakery I remember, with sawdust on top of the wooden floor, and, IIRC, a friendly cat that would usually sun himself in the windowsill or rub up against your legs. We went there often when we lived in Jersey City, and after we moved to Pennsylvania we would almost always pick up bread to take back home after we visited family who still lived there.
I’d love to find places that bake and sell sausage and pepperoni bread, in NYC, NJ and Philadelphia. I’ll bet dimes to dollars that there would be at least one bakery in the Italian Market that still makes it.
>53 richardderus: Yes! I also loved seeing the Manhattan skyline from the Pulaski Skyway, which we took whenever we picked up or dropped off my paternal grandfather from Newark Airport after he moved from JC to LA.
>55 katiekrug:, >56 ELiz_M: I haven’t been to the Tenement Museum since it was renovated, so I’m due for a return visit. As Liz said there is a wealth of great places to eat and shop within close proximity; I would go to lunch at Russ and Daughters Café, have a dessert crepe at Creperie NYC, pick up bagels and bialys from Kossar’s, and get pastrami salmon and smoked sturgeon and sable from Russ and Daughters if it was up to me.
I’d love to find places that bake and sell sausage and pepperoni bread, in NYC, NJ and Philadelphia. I’ll bet dimes to dollars that there would be at least one bakery in the Italian Market that still makes it.
>53 richardderus: Yes! I also loved seeing the Manhattan skyline from the Pulaski Skyway, which we took whenever we picked up or dropped off my paternal grandfather from Newark Airport after he moved from JC to LA.
>55 katiekrug:, >56 ELiz_M: I haven’t been to the Tenement Museum since it was renovated, so I’m due for a return visit. As Liz said there is a wealth of great places to eat and shop within close proximity; I would go to lunch at Russ and Daughters Café, have a dessert crepe at Creperie NYC, pick up bagels and bialys from Kossar’s, and get pastrami salmon and smoked sturgeon and sable from Russ and Daughters if it was up to me.
59ELiz_M
>58 kidzdoc: There is a bakery on Arthur Ave. that makes bread with prosciutto wrapped inside. My co-workers love it, but I go for the cannoli.
60kidzdoc
>59 ELiz_M: Thanks, Liz! I assumed that I could find a suitable Italian bakery on Arthur Avenue or in Little Italy.
61katiekrug
>56 ELiz_M: and >57 ffortsa: - I went to the Tenement Museum a couple of years ago - it's so well done. I'm looking forward to a return visit.
>58 kidzdoc: - After Richard mentioned it, I had to look up the Pulaski Skyway, as I had never heard of it!
>59 ELiz_M: - My mother grew up in the Bronx and used to talk about the delights of the shops on Arthur Avenue :)
>58 kidzdoc: - After Richard mentioned it, I had to look up the Pulaski Skyway, as I had never heard of it!
>59 ELiz_M: - My mother grew up in the Bronx and used to talk about the delights of the shops on Arthur Avenue :)
62kidzdoc
>61 katiekrug: My mother also grew up in the Bronx, lastly on East 222nd Street close to White Plains Road, where her parents lived from the late 1950s until they died in the early 1970s, before we moved from Jersey City. I don’t remember us going to Arthur Avenue, though.
63magicians_nephew
I can never get tired of Lady Liberty rising up from the middle of the harbor.
When i was a kid you could still walk all the way up to the torch which was amazing. i think now you can only got to look out the windows at her crown.
When i was a kid you could still walk all the way up to the torch which was amazing. i think now you can only got to look out the windows at her crown.
64katiekrug
>62 kidzdoc: - Bronx girls make the best moms :)
>63 magicians_nephew: - I still get a thrill when I see her, Jim.
>63 magicians_nephew: - I still get a thrill when I see her, Jim.
65katiekrug
The Pulitzers were announced today:
Fiction
The Overstory by Richard Powers (W.W. Norton)
An ingeniously structured narrative that branches and canopies like the trees at the core of the story whose wonder and connectivity echo those of the humans living amongst them.
Finalists:
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai (Viking)
There There by Tommy Orange (Alfred A. Knopf)
Drama
Fairview by Jackie Sibblies Drury
A hard-hitting drama that examines race in a highly conceptual, layered structure, ultimately bringing audiences into the actors’ community to face deep-seated prejudices.
Finalists:
Dance Nation by Clare Barron
What the Constitution Means to Me by Heidi Schreck
History
Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by David W. Blight (Simon & Schuster)
A breathtaking history that demonstrates the scope of Frederick Douglass’ influence through deep research on his writings, his intellectual evolution and his relationships.
Finalists:
American Eden: David Hosack, Botany, and Medicine in the Garden of the Early Republic by Victoria Johnson (Liveright/W.W. Norton)
Civilizing Torture: An American Tradition by W. Fitzhugh Brundage (Belknap Press of Harvard University Press)
Biography
The New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke by Jeffrey C. Stewart (Oxford University Press)
A panoramic view of the personal trials and artistic triumphs of the father of the Harlem Renaissance and the movement he inspired.
Finalists:
Proust's Duchess: How Three Celebrated Women Captured the Imagination of Fin-de-Siècle Paris by Caroline Weber (Alfred A. Knopf)
The Road Not Taken: Edward Lansdale and the American Tragedy in Vietnam by Max Boot (Liveright/W.W. Norton)
Poetry
Be With by Forrest Gander (New Directions)
A collection of elegies that grapple with sudden loss, and the difficulties of expressing grief and yearning for the departed.
Finalists:
feeld by Jos Charles (Milkweed Editions)
Like by A. E. Stallings (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
General Nonfiction
Amity and Prosperity: One Family and the Fracturing of America by Eliza Griswold (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
A classic American story, grippingly told, of an Appalachian family struggling to retain its middle class status in the shadow of destruction wreaked by corporate oil fracking.
Finalists:
In a Day’s Work: The Fight to End Sexual Violence Against America’s Most Vulnerable Workers by Bernice Yeung (The New Press)
Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore by Elizabeth Rush (Milkweed Editions)
Fiction
The Overstory by Richard Powers (W.W. Norton)
An ingeniously structured narrative that branches and canopies like the trees at the core of the story whose wonder and connectivity echo those of the humans living amongst them.
Finalists:
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai (Viking)
There There by Tommy Orange (Alfred A. Knopf)
Drama
Fairview by Jackie Sibblies Drury
A hard-hitting drama that examines race in a highly conceptual, layered structure, ultimately bringing audiences into the actors’ community to face deep-seated prejudices.
Finalists:
Dance Nation by Clare Barron
What the Constitution Means to Me by Heidi Schreck
History
Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by David W. Blight (Simon & Schuster)
A breathtaking history that demonstrates the scope of Frederick Douglass’ influence through deep research on his writings, his intellectual evolution and his relationships.
Finalists:
American Eden: David Hosack, Botany, and Medicine in the Garden of the Early Republic by Victoria Johnson (Liveright/W.W. Norton)
Civilizing Torture: An American Tradition by W. Fitzhugh Brundage (Belknap Press of Harvard University Press)
Biography
The New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke by Jeffrey C. Stewart (Oxford University Press)
A panoramic view of the personal trials and artistic triumphs of the father of the Harlem Renaissance and the movement he inspired.
Finalists:
Proust's Duchess: How Three Celebrated Women Captured the Imagination of Fin-de-Siècle Paris by Caroline Weber (Alfred A. Knopf)
The Road Not Taken: Edward Lansdale and the American Tragedy in Vietnam by Max Boot (Liveright/W.W. Norton)
Poetry
Be With by Forrest Gander (New Directions)
A collection of elegies that grapple with sudden loss, and the difficulties of expressing grief and yearning for the departed.
Finalists:
feeld by Jos Charles (Milkweed Editions)
Like by A. E. Stallings (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
General Nonfiction
Amity and Prosperity: One Family and the Fracturing of America by Eliza Griswold (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
A classic American story, grippingly told, of an Appalachian family struggling to retain its middle class status in the shadow of destruction wreaked by corporate oil fracking.
Finalists:
In a Day’s Work: The Fight to End Sexual Violence Against America’s Most Vulnerable Workers by Bernice Yeung (The New Press)
Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore by Elizabeth Rush (Milkweed Editions)
66katiekrug
On a sadder note, today's news from Paris caused me to dig up some of the photos I took of Notre Dame when I was there in June 2008.
The stonework detail was just incredible. I think I had an even greater appreciation for the building itself from having read Pillars of the Earth...
The stonework detail was just incredible. I think I had an even greater appreciation for the building itself from having read Pillars of the Earth...
67kidzdoc
>66 katiekrug: Horrible news. Did you enter Notre-Dame when you went to Paris?
68katiekrug
>67 kidzdoc: - I did. Photography either wasn't allowed, or my phone was dying, as I have no pictures of it. But it was, unsurprisingly, amazing.
69MickyFine
>65 katiekrug: Thanks for that prompt, Katie. Just went and checked which titles I needed to order for work. :)
>66 katiekrug: So heartbreaking. I'm going to have to break out my photos from my trip to Paris when I was in high school.
>66 katiekrug: So heartbreaking. I'm going to have to break out my photos from my trip to Paris when I was in high school.
70fairywings
>66 katiekrug: So devastating when so much history is lost.
71katiekrug
>69 MickyFine: and >70 fairywings: - I just read somewhere (of course I can't find it now), that they appear to have saved the two iconic towers on the front facade, and that some of the treasures inside were rescued. Because of the renovation work being done, a lot of items had already been removed. So that's good.
But still....
But still....
73katiekrug
>72 SandDune: - I've only been once, but was hoping to see it again in June when I'm in Paris. And The Wayne had never been and was looking forward to it...
74fairywings
>71 katiekrug: Yes the news here is reporting that the bell towers and the outside structure of the building have been saved but the roof and the spire collapsed, heartbreaking watching the footage. I find it sadder to think that the building has survived through hundreds of years of conflict.
I've never been to Paris, but it is a dream of mine to go.
I've never been to Paris, but it is a dream of mine to go.
75japaul22
So sad about Notre Dame. I've been there twice, but when I was a teenager. I would have liked to see it again but feel lucky that I have the experience of being there to remember.
I have Pillars of the Earth on my shelf and it's been there a long time. Maybe it's time to read it . . .
I have Pillars of the Earth on my shelf and it's been there a long time. Maybe it's time to read it . . .
76jessibud2
Re Notre Dame. If anything good can be said of such a tragedy, at least it wasn't a terror attack and at least no lives were lost. But still, devastating...
77RebaRelishesReading
I've been busy all day and just heard right before I sat down at my computer. According to news I found on-line the building is seriously damaged but not a total loss. The roof is gone and the spire is gone but the stone work looks fairly intact. Still very, very hard to see.
78msf59
Morning, Katie. Love your Notre Dame photos. I was fortunate to see it, in the early 80s. How devastating. Thanks for supplying the Pulitzer list. I LOVED The Overstory, so I have no problem with that gem winning. I still NEED to get to The Great Believers.
Jim is in town for a conference, so Joe, Linda and I are meeting him at a German Beer Hall, this afternoon. Of course, we are. Grins...
Jim is in town for a conference, so Joe, Linda and I are meeting him at a German Beer Hall, this afternoon. Of course, we are. Grins...
79katiekrug
>74 fairywings: - It was heartening to hear it's not a total loss, Adrienne. And I hope you get to Paris one day!
>75 japaul22: - Jennifer, I avoided Pillars of the Earth for a long time, but oh my. It's quite absorbing, and the stuff about building the cathedral is fascinating. The Wayne also really liked it, and he's not a big reader of novels.
>76 jessibud2: - True, Shelley.
>77 RebaRelishesReading: - And apparently the huge pipe organ is intact, and most of the religious treasures were either not on-site or were rescued.
>78 msf59: - Hiya, Mark! Hooray for a meet-up. Photo, please :)
I am more interested in reading The Great Believers than The Overstory, to be honest...
>75 japaul22: - Jennifer, I avoided Pillars of the Earth for a long time, but oh my. It's quite absorbing, and the stuff about building the cathedral is fascinating. The Wayne also really liked it, and he's not a big reader of novels.
>76 jessibud2: - True, Shelley.
>77 RebaRelishesReading: - And apparently the huge pipe organ is intact, and most of the religious treasures were either not on-site or were rescued.
>78 msf59: - Hiya, Mark! Hooray for a meet-up. Photo, please :)
I am more interested in reading The Great Believers than The Overstory, to be honest...
80katiekrug
The Wayne is working from home today, as this afternoon, we have more house-buying stuff to attend to (chimney inspections, for one thing. Sigh). I had a really productive day yesterday and am not as behind with work as I was, so that's good.
In book news, I am listening to the frothy Nine Women, One Dress and yesterday I started The Paragon Hotel, which is good so far.
And I only have one chapter and the epilogue left in These Truths!
In book news, I am listening to the frothy Nine Women, One Dress and yesterday I started The Paragon Hotel, which is good so far.
And I only have one chapter and the epilogue left in These Truths!
81karenmarie
(very late to the grilled cheese show: whole grain wheat or light seeded rye bread with mozzarella and very thinly sliced German Johnson tomatoes)
Congrats on almost being done with These Truths!
Congrats on almost being done with These Truths!
82PaulCranswick
>42 katiekrug: If by chance I am still here at that stage Katie, I am sure that I could help you find some decent bread.
84katiekrug
>81 karenmarie: - A very specific grilled cheese, indeed, Karen!
Thanks re: TT - I've been enjoying it, but I'm also ready to be finished with it :)
>82 PaulCranswick: - Sounds good, Paul.
>83 kidzdoc: - Hi Darryl - the shoulder is much better. I started PT last week, and it's going well. I still just have a bit of pain in my arm when I do certain movements. Thanks for asking!
Thanks re: TT - I've been enjoying it, but I'm also ready to be finished with it :)
>82 PaulCranswick: - Sounds good, Paul.
>83 kidzdoc: - Hi Darryl - the shoulder is much better. I started PT last week, and it's going well. I still just have a bit of pain in my arm when I do certain movements. Thanks for asking!
85katiekrug
I had an uber-productive day of work yesterday and hoping for more of the same today. Tonight I have a hair appointment to get partial hi-lo lights (whatever that is - Amy my stylist assures me it will be great) and after that I'll probably grab dinner somewhere. The Wayne has a work social thing tonight.
The chimney inspection yesterday was not great - one of the fireplace chimneys needs a lot of (expensive) work, so we'll probably ask the seller for a concession. I just want this to be over with! There are some other issues I won't bore you all with - none of them are totally surprising given the age of the house, but it's a hassle. Still, I know it will be worth it in the end!
The chimney inspection yesterday was not great - one of the fireplace chimneys needs a lot of (expensive) work, so we'll probably ask the seller for a concession. I just want this to be over with! There are some other issues I won't bore you all with - none of them are totally surprising given the age of the house, but it's a hassle. Still, I know it will be worth it in the end!
86richardderus
>85 katiekrug: Chimney stuff, while expensive, is *urgent* and the sellers need to make that concession! If they don't the house becomes damned near unsellable. Y'all're in a great position because of that.
Houses are such a bloody hassle, aren't they?
Houses are such a bloody hassle, aren't they?
87katiekrug
>86 richardderus: - Total hassle. I am trying to stay focused on the positive - all that space, the deck, the (eventual) dream kitchen...
88lauralkeet
Boo-hiss about the chimney inspection. I think I mentioned this already, but in our recent sale we paid directly for a couple of inspection items that could be addressed quickly. We made price concessions on others that were more significant projects, the idea being that the buyers would want to be in control of the work. Hopefully everything will work out for you guys!
89katiekrug
>88 lauralkeet: - Yep, that's what the plan is (fingers crossed the sellers agree!). They already agreed to have the radon remediation done which, as you know, is a pretty easy thing to do. Aside from the chimney, there are potential asbestos tiles in the lower level - they are fine right now but when we want to re-do the flooring (which we will because it's a hideous teal carpet right now), it's going to be expensive to have them removed, so that will likely be a concession request. We are waiting on the lab results of the tile to confirm...
90katiekrug
Morning!
Not much to report on the book front - still enjoying both reads, especially The Paragon Hotel.
Tonight is book club, to discuss Mansfield Park - I hope we have a good discussion, as there is a lot to unpack in it. At the very least, I'll get some wine and yummy Greek food out of the evening :)
Not much to report on the book front - still enjoying both reads, especially The Paragon Hotel.
Tonight is book club, to discuss Mansfield Park - I hope we have a good discussion, as there is a lot to unpack in it. At the very least, I'll get some wine and yummy Greek food out of the evening :)
91richardderus
Have good Greek! Discussions of Austen tend to be spirited, IIRC.
93katiekrug
>91 richardderus: - Thanks, RD! I hope people don't just dismiss MP as "boring" because then I will get annoyed and seethe the entire time. I am thinking of taking a little break from book club, as I have found myself getting annoyed with it lately...
94katiekrug
>92 MickyFine: - Yay! indeed, Micky.
95richardderus
>93 katiekrug: Breaks are good. Honestly, they can save the entire experience from becoming sour.
96katiekrug
>95 richardderus: - That's what I'm thinking...
97vivians
>90 katiekrug: I hope Paragon Hotel continues in the same vein for you...it's on my list and I'm looking forward to it.
98katiekrug
>97 vivians: - I am pretty confident it will hold up, Vivian, given Faye's track record. But I will, of course, report back :)
99katiekrug
There were only 5 of us who showed up for book club last night, and it made for a much better discussion than usual. Part of the problem is that we meet at a restaurant, and can only get one long table, so when a lot of people come, the conversation gets broken up. Anyway, all 5 of us really enjoyed MP, and we had a good talk about it, especially on how Fanny is very much an "interior" character, the limited opportunities for women, the idea of belonging, etc.
The conversation reminded me why I wanted to be in a book group to begin with.
The conversation reminded me why I wanted to be in a book group to begin with.
100richardderus
>99 katiekrug: Excellent result! I'm glad it was so intimate, that's almost always a recipe for pleasant times.
101katiekrug
Happy Friday, friends! I'm looking forward to a quiet day of work, interrupted only by a PT session. I have the evening mostly to myself, and then no plans for the weekend except to go through my closet(s) and weed out clothes I no longer need/wear. The weather is supposed to be crummy, so it's a perfect time for it.
I didn't read any of The Paragon Hotel yesterday, but I did get some audio time, so I should finish up Nine Women, One Dress tonight. Not sure what I'll start after that.
The cherry blossoms in my area are in full bloom. This is from a local park:
(Not my picture)
I didn't read any of The Paragon Hotel yesterday, but I did get some audio time, so I should finish up Nine Women, One Dress tonight. Not sure what I'll start after that.
The cherry blossoms in my area are in full bloom. This is from a local park:
(Not my picture)
102katiekrug
>100 richardderus: - Very true. We talked toward the end about taking the group offline (it started as a MeetUp group) and just having the 8 of us or so who attend pretty consistently make-up the group.
103lauralkeet
>99 katiekrug: I'm so happy to see that your book club discussion was worthwhile, Katie. My two book groups have very different dynamics but are both "keepers". It's great when you can have substantive discussion about a book everyone liked, instead of faltering for lack of debate.
104richardderus
>102 katiekrug: One caveat to that sensible idea: Make sure to stay open to new members. People will inevitably drift or walk away. Some won't contribute much after a while. It's sensible to plan for change early.
105katiekrug
>103 lauralkeet: - Laura, I'm glad you've found two groups that work well!
>104 richardderus: - Yeah, I get that. But being perpetually "open" on MeetUp means we get a few new people most meetings and the group becomes unwieldy in the space we have. And then they never come back. There's a way to strike a balance, I think...
>104 richardderus: - Yeah, I get that. But being perpetually "open" on MeetUp means we get a few new people most meetings and the group becomes unwieldy in the space we have. And then they never come back. There's a way to strike a balance, I think...
106Helenliz
>101 katiekrug: That's such a lovely picture. My plum tree blossom is over already, so here's hoping for plums later in the year. So far today I've worked (on a bank holiday) had a domestic (because I'm working on a bank holiday) been to a DIY store (along with everyone else in the world, as it is a bank holiday) and weeded half the strawberry patch. That's the only piece of quiet I've had today, so more weeding will happen once I've finished my drink and nice sit down.
I used to run a book group, it was very hard work after a while. It folded when I was away a lot with work and no one would take it on for a little bit.
I used to run a book group, it was very hard work after a while. It folded when I was away a lot with work and no one would take it on for a little bit.
107RebaRelishesReading
>101 katiekrug: Sounds like the beginning of a nice weekend. Glad your bookclub went well and love those cherry blossoms!
108katiekrug
>106 Helenliz: - I hope the rest of your holiday weekend is a bit more quiet and restful, Helen!
I organized a book club when we lived in Dallas, and yes, it was a lot of work. I do not plan to do that again...
>107 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba!
I organized a book club when we lived in Dallas, and yes, it was a lot of work. I do not plan to do that again...
>107 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba!
109katiekrug
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
A re-read, via audio. I first read it in 2011 and rated it 4 stars. I'd give it the same now, and most of what I wrote about it then remains true, so here's my review from June 2011:
I approached Mansfield Park with a bit of trepidation, as most Austen fans I know consider this the worst of the lot. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the book. I think the key is to go in with an open mind and to not compare it too closely to Pride and Prejudice or any other work. The writing is excellent and Austen’s humor is very present, especially in the descriptions, dialogue and actions of the secondary characters.
Mansfield Park is different from the other Austens I’ve read (P&P, Sense and Sensibility and Emma)* in that it is more serious in its concerns and more of a commentary on morality. But far from boring or preachy, Austen strikes a nice balance between those concerns and the humor and social observation included in her other works.
While I did wish Fanny Price had more spunk in some situations, the circumstances of her childhood and her being brought to Mansfield are such that her rather timid and retreating nature were understandable. Since Mansfield Park is not, to my mind, intended as a romantic work, the lack of chemistry between Fanny and Edmund also makes sense. Austen is less concerned with them as lovers than as moral figures whose interior compasses bring them inexorably together.
This is definitely not my favorite of the Austen novels I’ve read, but it is still entertaining and perhaps more thought-provoking. 4 stars
* I have since read all 6 of her major works, plus Lady Susan.
110katiekrug
Black Out by Lisa Unger
This was just not very good. It's a psychological thriller that didn't make a lot of sense, with characters I cared nothing about. I probably wouldn't have finished it, except that it filled a space in the reading challenge I'm doing this year.
2 stars
111katiekrug
Nine Women, One Dress by Jane L. Rosen
Interconnecting stories of people in New York - the connection is a Little Black Dress what finds its way into all their lives, even if only briefly. There is no substance here, really, but it was fun on audio and a perfect choice when I wanted something mindless.
3 stars
112richardderus
>111 katiekrug: Pleasant time-wasting piffle is invaluable, isn't it.
113katiekrug
>112 richardderus: - Truth.
114msf59
Happy Friday, Katie. I am far behind on Jane Austen. I need to get back on track. I would like to knock out at least 2 this year.
115katiekrug
>114 msf59: - Hiya, Mark! Which Austens do you have left to read?
116BLBera
>101 katiekrug: It looks like spring! We haven't yet any blossoms here although I have seen random daffodils about.
I'm glad your book group had a great discussion. My last two have been rather blah and I'm wondering if our group needs to change something...
I'm glad your book group had a great discussion. My last two have been rather blah and I'm wondering if our group needs to change something...
117katiekrug
>116 BLBera: - Hi Beth! I always miss seeing the cherry blossoms in person, and I expect after the rain and potential storms today, most of the blossoms will be on the ground...
Do you think it's the books that are the problem or do you need "new blood" in the group?
Do you think it's the books that are the problem or do you need "new blood" in the group?
118katiekrug
Public Service Announcement
Georgia: A Novel of Georgia O'Keeffe, which I read and loved last year, is on sale for Kindle for US$1.99.
Georgia: A Novel of Georgia O'Keeffe, which I read and loved last year, is on sale for Kindle for US$1.99.
119japaul22
>118 katiekrug: Thanks! Just bought it. :-)
121katiekrug
>119 japaul22: and >120 richardderus: - Well done, you two! I don't think you'll regret the measly couple of bucks :)
123DeltaQueen50
Hope you are having a lovely Easter weekend, Katie.
124EBT1002
Hi Katie.
I have also been a fan of Jesmyn Ward after reading Salvage the Bones and Sing, Unburied, Sing. I have Men We Reaped on the TBR shelf and am pleased to see that it lives up to her usual level of writing.
>118 katiekrug: Thanks - I will swing by and pick that one up before the day is over.
As I skim through your thread, it appears that you and Wayne are (a) having a wonderful time exploring the area, and (b) in the process of buying a home. Do I have that second part right? The buying and selling of houses is a total pain but worth it in the end. I hope the sellers are willing to meet you in the middle (the sellers of our current house, which we do love, were poop-heads when it came to concessions about the roof, the assessed value, etc.).
I have also been a fan of Jesmyn Ward after reading Salvage the Bones and Sing, Unburied, Sing. I have Men We Reaped on the TBR shelf and am pleased to see that it lives up to her usual level of writing.
>118 katiekrug: Thanks - I will swing by and pick that one up before the day is over.
As I skim through your thread, it appears that you and Wayne are (a) having a wonderful time exploring the area, and (b) in the process of buying a home. Do I have that second part right? The buying and selling of houses is a total pain but worth it in the end. I hope the sellers are willing to meet you in the middle (the sellers of our current house, which we do love, were poop-heads when it came to concessions about the roof, the assessed value, etc.).
125katiekrug
>122 weird_O:- Skulking always welcome, Bill :)
>123 DeltaQueen50: - Thanks, Judy. A nice, quiet weekend so far. Hope you have a good one, too!
>124 EBT1002: - Hi Ellen - yes, we are in the middle of buying a house. Such fun :-/ I guess I was spoiled when our purchase and eventual sale of our house in Dallas had zero snags...
>123 DeltaQueen50: - Thanks, Judy. A nice, quiet weekend so far. Hope you have a good one, too!
>124 EBT1002: - Hi Ellen - yes, we are in the middle of buying a house. Such fun :-/ I guess I was spoiled when our purchase and eventual sale of our house in Dallas had zero snags...
126weird_O
This is shameless, though well-meaning. Stop by my thread for a review of The Mueller Report. (See! It already has a touchstone.) No, it isn't my review; haven't read the whole thing yet.
127BLBera
>117 katiekrug: I think maybe we need new blood.
128katiekrug
>126 weird_O: - Will do, Bill! I saw a funny "review" in The Washington Post - I'll try to remember to link to it here.
>127 BLBera: - That makes sense, Beth. Maybe a couple of other faculty members would be interested.
>127 BLBera: - That makes sense, Beth. Maybe a couple of other faculty members would be interested.
129katiekrug
Happy Sunday, folks. Apparently, it's some kind of holiday? Heh.
Nothing much planned for today - reading, some laundry, some meal prep probably. Yesterday, we had a nice early dinner at a new-to-us pub, where I got some decent falafel and a nice sauvignon blanc. We were back home by 6:30. I watched the film version of The Jane Austen Book Club on Mamie's recommendation, and it was cute and fun.
I'm about halfway through The Paragon Hotel now, and it continues to entertain. On audio, I started Furiously Happy which is fine - the author reads it and her voice is a bit grating, and sometimes I feel like she is trying too hard to be funny, but I will persevere at least a bit longer.
Nothing much planned for today - reading, some laundry, some meal prep probably. Yesterday, we had a nice early dinner at a new-to-us pub, where I got some decent falafel and a nice sauvignon blanc. We were back home by 6:30. I watched the film version of The Jane Austen Book Club on Mamie's recommendation, and it was cute and fun.
I'm about halfway through The Paragon Hotel now, and it continues to entertain. On audio, I started Furiously Happy which is fine - the author reads it and her voice is a bit grating, and sometimes I feel like she is trying too hard to be funny, but I will persevere at least a bit longer.
130richardderus
Happy oviparous rabbit day, Katie.
131katiekrug
>130 richardderus: - And to you, sir!
132Crazymamie
I am very late to your newest thread, Katie. My apologies. I love the topper you chose. I had added Men We Reaped to your Dirty Dozen (Ruby was already in the 2016 Dirty Dozen from when you originally posted about it). And thanks for the tips about Georgia: A Novel of Georgia O'Keeffe and the audio of Circe - I snagged both!
I loved all the photos, so thanks so much for sharing. And I WANT that grilled cheese. I need it.
I loved all the photos, so thanks so much for sharing. And I WANT that grilled cheese. I need it.
133katiekrug
>132 Crazymamie: - Hi Mamie! Good to have you stop by. And I'm glad you liked the photos and the BBs.
I've got another one for you - The Paragon Hotel is one I think you'd really like. I just finished it...
I've got another one for you - The Paragon Hotel is one I think you'd really like. I just finished it...
134lkernagh
Hi Katie. I am taking advantage of a rainy Easter Monday to try and get caught up with some threads. Congratulations on the house purchase and glad to see that your shoulder is healing nicely.
>47 katiekrug: - Wonderful pictures!
>47 katiekrug: - Wonderful pictures!
135katiekrug
The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye
"We're all of us fractured jigsaws, but we're also the entire picture no matter how far away we walk from what's hidden."
I don't even want to summarize this wonderful historical novel because it will sound silly and ungainly and unworkable. In fact, it's lovely and touching and fun and maddening - and above all, incredibly well-written. It's set in Portland, Oregon in the early 1920s, with flashbacks to New York City. The mafia, the KKK, Prohibition, counterfeiting, prostitution, addiction, murder, mayhem - lots of elements go into what is essentially a simple story of identity and belonging, and all of it is told in the unforgettable voice of Alice James, aka Nobody, a character worth spending time with, and one that I think will stay with me.
4 stars
136katiekrug
>134 lkernagh: - Cross-posted with you, Lori! Thanks on all counts :)
137katiekrug
Next up in books:
Finishing These Truths (I have just the last chapter and the epilogue left - no, I won't read all the end notes...) and starting Imagined London for the NF challenge.
Speaking of London, my trip in June is filling up, and I'm already regretting not having more time. Ah, well. Talk about a hard problem to have... I am secretly hoping,though, because I am a Bad Wife, that The Wayne decides against a side trip to Portsmouth :-P
Finishing These Truths (I have just the last chapter and the epilogue left - no, I won't read all the end notes...) and starting Imagined London for the NF challenge.
Speaking of London, my trip in June is filling up, and I'm already regretting not having more time. Ah, well. Talk about a hard problem to have... I am secretly hoping,though, because I am a Bad Wife, that The Wayne decides against a side trip to Portsmouth :-P
138vivians
I have to get to The Paragon Hotel - I love Faye. You saw and liked The Ferryman, right? I just got tickets for next week and am really looking forward. I'm thinking of getting tickets for Tootsie (I once met Dave Yazbek, the composer, and was star-struck) before any reviews come out.
139katiekrug
>138 vivians: - Hi Vivian - I think you'd like the Faye!
Yes, I loved The Ferryman! It's long but really good. I didn't know there was a Tootsie in the works... I think I want to see Hadestown, which I just learned about.
My niece is coming to visit in early June, and I'm taking her to see Dear Evan Hanson (Jo's favorite, right?), but I'm also thinking of adding Come From Away and doing a read of the book (The Day the World Came to Town) in advance along with her. So much I want to see...
Yes, I loved The Ferryman! It's long but really good. I didn't know there was a Tootsie in the works... I think I want to see Hadestown, which I just learned about.
My niece is coming to visit in early June, and I'm taking her to see Dear Evan Hanson (Jo's favorite, right?), but I'm also thinking of adding Come From Away and doing a read of the book (The Day the World Came to Town) in advance along with her. So much I want to see...
140jessibud2
>139 katiekrug: - I have tickets to Dear Evan Hanson on Wed of this week! It's part of my theatre subscription. Looking forward to it. Come From Away was beyond excellent and there is a recent movie of the making of it, called You Are Here. It was also excellent and I watched it on tv the other night (for the second time). It was basically the story told in the book you mention, with several of the people from Gander, as well as several of the passengers on the planes who spent 6 days there. As well as the follow-up a few years later. And the beginning of the making of the stage show, too. Well worth it, if you can find it.
Edited to add this: https://canadianfilmday.ca/film/you-are-here-a-come-from-away-story/
Edited to add this: https://canadianfilmday.ca/film/you-are-here-a-come-from-away-story/
141katiekrug
>140 jessibud2: - Great, Shelley! And thanks for the link. It's such a great story.
142vivians
>139 katiekrug: favorite's not the right word...she's seen it 7 or 8 times (twice winning the lottery, many times standing for hours on the cancellation line, using her own earnings for tickets, etc.). How old is your niece? She might already know the music but if not she should listen to it. It's really good.
Shelley, I agree about Come From Away. Terrific, uplifting, short (90 minutes, no intermission), great music. It might not resonate with a teenager who has no visceral connection to 9/11.
Shelley, I agree about Come From Away. Terrific, uplifting, short (90 minutes, no intermission), great music. It might not resonate with a teenager who has no visceral connection to 9/11.
143katiekrug
>142 vivians: - She's an old 14. She read the novel of Evan Hanson, and I think knows the music.
I wanted to take her to Come From Away because (a) I want to see it :) and (b) I thought it would be a "teachable moment." She's never been to NYC, and I'm not the kind of super-fun-"aunt" (we are actually cousins) to just take her to a bunch of shows and spoil her rotten without trying to have something educational or informative included. So I thought about going to the 9/11 memorial, seeing CFA, talking about the book, etc.
I'm also planning to drag her to Ellis Island and then the Tenement Museum because I'm mean like that.
I wanted to take her to Come From Away because (a) I want to see it :) and (b) I thought it would be a "teachable moment." She's never been to NYC, and I'm not the kind of super-fun-"aunt" (we are actually cousins) to just take her to a bunch of shows and spoil her rotten without trying to have something educational or informative included. So I thought about going to the 9/11 memorial, seeing CFA, talking about the book, etc.
I'm also planning to drag her to Ellis Island and then the Tenement Museum because I'm mean like that.
144jessibud2
>143 katiekrug: - LOL! You can be my *aunt* any day. ;-)
145katiekrug
>144 jessibud2: - *grin*
146katiekrug
G'morning, folks! I am battling a headache that started last night as I was cooking dinner, and which kept me from sleeping well, so I'm a bit cranky. I took some Excedrin this morning, and it's taken the edge off (i.e. I no longer feel like someone is stabbing me in the right eye) but a dull ache remains. Good times.
Nothing new to report on the reading front.
On the house front, it seems like the seller is fixing all the issues with the chimneys and flues without being asked, so that's nice. If true. I need to get clarification from our lawyer. This whole process is just bizarre to me. Next on the to-do list is get some quotes for homeowners insurance, AND flood insurance. The house is in a 100-year flood zone - there's a "river" (more like a stream, but it's called Third River) at the far end of the property. Not really an issue - apparently in the occasional hurricane that finds its way here, there has been some minor flooding, but obviously the mortgage company requires the insurance.
I'm also getting back to being more mindful of my diet and exercise - I'll be in Saint Lucia in three months, and yikes. Just yikes... So I'm tracking meals and snacks again, and trying to figure out the best time to get some walking in now that The Wayne has changed his commute time (again). Grrr...
Sorry to bore you all - I'm avoiding doing actual work :)
Nothing new to report on the reading front.
On the house front, it seems like the seller is fixing all the issues with the chimneys and flues without being asked, so that's nice. If true. I need to get clarification from our lawyer. This whole process is just bizarre to me. Next on the to-do list is get some quotes for homeowners insurance, AND flood insurance. The house is in a 100-year flood zone - there's a "river" (more like a stream, but it's called Third River) at the far end of the property. Not really an issue - apparently in the occasional hurricane that finds its way here, there has been some minor flooding, but obviously the mortgage company requires the insurance.
I'm also getting back to being more mindful of my diet and exercise - I'll be in Saint Lucia in three months, and yikes. Just yikes... So I'm tracking meals and snacks again, and trying to figure out the best time to get some walking in now that The Wayne has changed his commute time (again). Grrr...
Sorry to bore you all - I'm avoiding doing actual work :)
147susanj67
Hi Katie! Sorry about the headache - I woke up with one too, but it's due to lifting heavy stuff on Sunday and I'm hoping that it doesn't get worse. Stupid neck.
I'm about to watch our Information Commissioner give evidence to the new Parliamentary Sub-Committee on Disinformation (which sounds Orwellian to me) so if you can make that work-related somehow I could send you the link :-)
We woke up to the appalling news this morning that your president has been invited for a state visit in June. True, we all wanted a break from non-stop Brexit news, but this proves that we should be careful what we wish for. Theresa May should invite the new Ukraine president here at the same time, and call it a clown convention.
I'm about to watch our Information Commissioner give evidence to the new Parliamentary Sub-Committee on Disinformation (which sounds Orwellian to me) so if you can make that work-related somehow I could send you the link :-)
We woke up to the appalling news this morning that your president has been invited for a state visit in June. True, we all wanted a break from non-stop Brexit news, but this proves that we should be careful what we wish for. Theresa May should invite the new Ukraine president here at the same time, and call it a clown convention.
148vivians
Thank you for helping me avoid actual work for a few moments as I catch up on your thread! It finally looks beautiful out and I'm stuck at my desk. Jo was invited on the perfect senior year spring break trip: to accompany her best fried to visit her conservative, church-going grandparents in Palm Springs! So I'm jealous of her photos of poolside lounging but am worry-free (at least for this week) about poor 17-year old decision making.
149katiekrug
>147 susanj67: - Oof, work sounds slightly more interesting than that government hearing, Susan ;-)
I don't understand why Cheeto Benito is getting a state visit... He's insulted May, exhibited appalling protocol with the Queen, etc. Just ridiculous. I like your idea of the clown convention, though!
>148 vivians: - Vivian, are you sure it's not all an elaborate front, and she's actually at Coachella? :-D I'd love to go to Palm Springs - I have vague plans to go to the Indian Wells tennis tournament some year.
I don't understand why Cheeto Benito is getting a state visit... He's insulted May, exhibited appalling protocol with the Queen, etc. Just ridiculous. I like your idea of the clown convention, though!
>148 vivians: - Vivian, are you sure it's not all an elaborate front, and she's actually at Coachella? :-D I'd love to go to Palm Springs - I have vague plans to go to the Indian Wells tennis tournament some year.
150RebaRelishesReading
>147 susanj67: Oh Dear God!!! Last time the Cheeto visited he insulted her and now she invites him for a state visit?!? She's really a piece of work too, isn't she? One can only wish he was funny and did not harm like a clown though. 'fraid not!
151richardderus
>146 katiekrug: A full day of avoiding work can lead to amazing breakthroughs in World Peace and Applied Chemistry, so waste on!
Cheeto Benito getting a state visit is...well...one wonders if Her Maj isn't being held at gunpoint. See if she blinks "SOS" as she does the photo op.
Cheeto Benito getting a state visit is...well...one wonders if Her Maj isn't being held at gunpoint. See if she blinks "SOS" as she does the photo op.
152katiekrug
>150 RebaRelishesReading: and >151 richardderus: - It boggles the mind. I have heard that he was pressing for it; I wonder if the uncertainty about Brexit, and a desire on the part of the UK to perhaps not alienate *all* their allies had something to do with it? Dunno, but it's the only thing I can think of that makes even a modicum of sense.
153susanj67
>152 katiekrug: Or it could be Theresa (who is under pressure to resign (again)) reminding Britain that there are worse leaders :-) Apparently the giant Trump baby balloon is being readied for take-off again. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/apr/23/trump-baby-blimp-bigger-protest-...
154katiekrug
>153 susanj67: - I like your explanation better, Susan! And I love the baby balloon. There have been similar ones flown here, including over his golf club just down the road a bit from where I am :)
155susanj67
>154 katiekrug: Katie, somewhere a balloon-maker is making a lot of money! I can't imagine how disruptive the visit will be. Last time the whole country was in an uproar and he didn't even come to London. Political enemies found themselves on the same side. The Guardian actually defended the reporting in The Sun, which is the sort of thing you imagine would only happen at the *end of the world*, if then. I have never seen anything like it.
156scaifea
Well, dang, I'm sorry that you've suffering with a headache. I hope it leaves soon.
And that sounds like good news on the house front! Yay!
And that sounds like good news on the house front! Yay!
157katiekrug
>155 susanj67: - So The Apricot Menace is something of a uniter then, eh?
>156 scaifea: - Thanks, Amber! The headache is gone, thank goodness. And fingers remain crossed about the house...
>156 scaifea: - Thanks, Amber! The headache is gone, thank goodness. And fingers remain crossed about the house...
158katiekrug
And more embarrassing Tangerine Terror news: the White House statement announcing the state visit to the UK incorrectly referred to the Queen as Her Royal Majesty. These are not difficult things to get right.
As an aside: when I worked in the Gifts Office at the WH, I was responsible for gifts received from Heads of State, and the lengths I went to to ensure that the titles and names were recorded correctly was a big part of it. I shudder to think what happens now.
As an aside: when I worked in the Gifts Office at the WH, I was responsible for gifts received from Heads of State, and the lengths I went to to ensure that the titles and names were recorded correctly was a big part of it. I shudder to think what happens now.
159richardderus
>158 katiekrug: ...Her Royal Majesty...
"Her Royal Majesty, the Monarch of the Glen, has invited Cheeto Benito the poster child for late-term abortions to have supper at her crib."
"Her Royal Majesty, the Monarch of the Glen, has invited Cheeto Benito the poster child for late-term abortions to have supper at her crib."
160katiekrug
>159 richardderus: - Snerk.
161katiekrug
I have been annoyed twice today by dumb errors in books.
(1) In These Truths (which I finished this evening!), Lepore refers to the mass shooting at a gay night club in San Bernadino. The Pulse shooting was in Orlando. San Bernadino was a different incident.
(2) In Imagined London, Quindlen refers to Forever Amber as a Regency novel. It's not; it was set during the Restoration period.
So there.
(1) In These Truths (which I finished this evening!), Lepore refers to the mass shooting at a gay night club in San Bernadino. The Pulse shooting was in Orlando. San Bernadino was a different incident.
(2) In Imagined London, Quindlen refers to Forever Amber as a Regency novel. It's not; it was set during the Restoration period.
So there.
162ffortsa
>161 katiekrug: jim keeps finding little errors in the Lepore text. He is just as precise as you are. I tend more toward grammatical issues.
eta: and typos.
eta: and typos.
164susanj67
>158 katiekrug: Katie, oh dear! The Mail has picked it up in this article. Some of the tweets are funny :-) https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6951151/Donald-Trumps-officials-announc... An MP is getting up a petition (against the visit, not the press release). And it seems the Trumps will not be staying at Buckingham Palace because the east wing, which is where guests sleep, is, um, being renovated. Well, it is now :-)
Her Royal Majesty 1
Theresa 0
There were rumours last time that the Queen had to meet him on her own because the rest of the family refused to go, but if there's a state dinner then some of them will have to show up. That could be interesting.
Her Royal Majesty 1
Theresa 0
There were rumours last time that the Queen had to meet him on her own because the rest of the family refused to go, but if there's a state dinner then some of them will have to show up. That could be interesting.
165Helenliz
I feel very sorry for Her maj. She doesn't get a say in who comes to tea in this instance, she just has to turn up and be nice to them. And I'd not want to do that. I find myself hoping that Prince Phillip talks to him and tries out some of his "quips" on Trump. Not that the orange one would notice if he'd been insulted, but national pride would be maintained.
166katiekrug
>162 ffortsa: - Jim is probably noticing more than I am. I think there were three things I noticed, but now I can only remember two of them...
>163 Helenliz: - Might not be a bad idea! When I heard the visit was in June, I was worried it would overlap with our time in London, but then I saw it was early June. Phew!
>164 susanj67: - Liz is no dummy :)
>165 Helenliz: - Do you think Philip will even make an appearance? Maybe they could fake his death, so there would be a mourning period and the visit could be canceled...
>163 Helenliz: - Might not be a bad idea! When I heard the visit was in June, I was worried it would overlap with our time in London, but then I saw it was early June. Phew!
>164 susanj67: - Liz is no dummy :)
>165 Helenliz: - Do you think Philip will even make an appearance? Maybe they could fake his death, so there would be a mourning period and the visit could be canceled...
167katiekrug
Today is work, physical therapy, and more work. My PT is going well, but the therapist is slightly frustrated with the restrictions my doctor put on it, because I can do everything I'm meant to within the restrictions and she wants to move onto the parts that still give me trouble (mostly when I bend my elbow and try to rotate my arm outward). She was going to call his office and see if she can get it changed.
It's a beautiful day here, so I think I'll walk down to the PT place and enjoy the sunshine.
It's a beautiful day here, so I think I'll walk down to the PT place and enjoy the sunshine.
168richardderus
>167 katiekrug: Isn't this a glorious spring day? It's already 67° and the sunshine is almost tangible. The ocean looks like nothing you've ever seen. The cargo ships are even pretty in this light.
169katiekrug
>168 richardderus: - You're making me want to play hooky and head to the shore, you bad man!
170richardderus
#sorrynotsorry
See Facebook for riposte.
See Facebook for riposte.
172magicians_nephew
>139 katiekrug:
Just a note to say Judy and I saw "Hadestown" last year in a tiny little theatre Off Broadway and loved every minute. Patrick Page's deep rolling Broadway baritone voice is as they say worth the price of admission
We're curious to know what changes if any were made as it passed through London and back to Broadway but we highly recommend it.
and we LOVED "Come from Away"
The things I pick up in "These Truths" are more matters of interpretation than actually "getting things wrong" But i do have that kind of mind and that kind of knowledge of history - sometimes it annoyed to those around me as Judy will attest
Just a note to say Judy and I saw "Hadestown" last year in a tiny little theatre Off Broadway and loved every minute. Patrick Page's deep rolling Broadway baritone voice is as they say worth the price of admission
We're curious to know what changes if any were made as it passed through London and back to Broadway but we highly recommend it.
and we LOVED "Come from Away"
The things I pick up in "These Truths" are more matters of interpretation than actually "getting things wrong" But i do have that kind of mind and that kind of knowledge of history - sometimes it annoyed to those around me as Judy will attest
173katiekrug
>172 magicians_nephew: - I might be able to get The Wayne to see Hadestown with me, Jim. It really looks wonderful.
I think 'Come From Away' will be the second show for my niece's visit -assuming I can work the timing out right.
I can't watch military-themed films with The Wayne because he feels the need to constantly lean over and tell me when a gun or a ship or a uniform is wrong... :)
I think 'Come From Away' will be the second show for my niece's visit -assuming I can work the timing out right.
I can't watch military-themed films with The Wayne because he feels the need to constantly lean over and tell me when a gun or a ship or a uniform is wrong... :)
175katiekrug
>174 vivians: - Let me know how it is. 'Pretty Woman' turned me off movies made into musicals for a while... :-P
176msf59
Happy Wednesday, Katie. Sorry, I never did answer your Jane Austen question. I still have to read Emma, Northanger Abbey and Mansfield Park. I hope to get to two of those this year.
Good review of The Paragon Hotel. I am also a big fan of Faye and I want to get to that one.
Good review of The Paragon Hotel. I am also a big fan of Faye and I want to get to that one.
177katiekrug
Hiya, Mark! You'll have a good time with The Paragon Hotel!
Can't go wrong with Austen, though Emma is at the bottom of my list :)
Can't go wrong with Austen, though Emma is at the bottom of my list :)
178scaifea
Morning, Katie!
I saw a clip of Nathan Lane on Jimmy Fallon, and he was promoting a new play called 'Gary' and honestly it sounds amazing. It's a sequel to Titus Andronicus, in which a few of the very minor characters in the original are tasked with cleaning up the mess left (read: bodies) at the end of the Shakespeare play. So, here's what I need from you: go see it and tell me how fantastic it is. Deal?
(ETA: You've probably already heard of it and if so, I apologize for the summary.)
I saw a clip of Nathan Lane on Jimmy Fallon, and he was promoting a new play called 'Gary' and honestly it sounds amazing. It's a sequel to Titus Andronicus, in which a few of the very minor characters in the original are tasked with cleaning up the mess left (read: bodies) at the end of the Shakespeare play. So, here's what I need from you: go see it and tell me how fantastic it is. Deal?
(ETA: You've probably already heard of it and if so, I apologize for the summary.)
179richardderus
Happy Should-Be-Saturday, Katie. Another beaut of a day!
180katiekrug
>178 scaifea: - Morning, Amber! I've seen ads for 'Gary,' but I had no idea what it was about. I will put it on The List :)
>179 richardderus: - Waaah! I don't wanna work! Waaah! So pretty out. We were up and out earlier than normal so The Wayne could go to the gym before work (who *is* this person?!?!), so I took advantage and stopped at my favorite park on the way home for a walk.
>179 richardderus: - Waaah! I don't wanna work! Waaah! So pretty out. We were up and out earlier than normal so The Wayne could go to the gym before work (who *is* this person?!?!), so I took advantage and stopped at my favorite park on the way home for a walk.
181katiekrug
As I mentioned to Richard, I had a nice walk this morning and am now sipping on my cinnamon coffee and gearing up for work. Today is cleaning lady day, and tonight we are going to an NFL Draft watch party at a new-to-us place in our soon-to-be-new town. I am tempted by this little item on the menu:
NASTY BISCUITS
fried tenders | collard greens | pepper gravy | biscuit | cheddar mac
But my heart would probably explode...
NASTY BISCUITS
fried tenders | collard greens | pepper gravy | biscuit | cheddar mac
But my heart would probably explode...
182katiekrug
Oh, and in book news, I am almost done with Imagined London, which I am actually finding kind of annoying. I like the concept and the writing, but Quindlen is coming off as a bit annoying. And she's gotten yet another thing demonstrably wrong, so maybe she's not quite the expert she thinks she is...
I also have about 90 minutes left in Furiously Happy which has grown on me a bit, like a friendly fungus. Heh.
I also have about 90 minutes left in Furiously Happy which has grown on me a bit, like a friendly fungus. Heh.
183richardderus
>181 katiekrug: NASTY BISCUITS
fried tenders | collard greens | pepper gravy | biscuit | cheddar mac
GIMMEGIMMEGIMME
and a cold Bock.
fried tenders | collard greens | pepper gravy | biscuit | cheddar mac
GIMMEGIMMEGIMME
and a cold Bock.
184katiekrug
>183 richardderus: - Yeah, I'm not much of a beer drinker, but I plan to have one tonight!
185richardderus
>184 katiekrug: I believe the God of the Arena would smite you if you had some girly winey thing with that meal at that moment. Beer! Dark bock beer!
187richardderus
*snort*
189ChelleBearss
>135 katiekrug: Glad to see you liked Paragon Hotel, as that is the last I have to read of Faye's works. I've really been enjoying her writing.
190katiekrug
>189 ChelleBearss: - Hi Chelle! It's a good one. I still have #2 and #3 in the Timothy Wilde series to get to...
191katiekrug
Imagined London: A Tour of the World's Greatest Fictional City by Anna Quindlen
Eh, this was fine. A solid three star read. There were some good parts, and I added a few books/authors to my List, but overall, Quindlen's tone just kind of irked me. She comes off as one of those self-conscious Americans who wants to pass as something else, and just ends up annoying both sides.
"Yet it is the glory of London that it is always ending and beginning anew, and that a visitor, with a good eye and indefatigable feet, will find in her travels all the Londons she has ever met in the pages of books, one atop the other, like the strata of the Earth."
3 stars
192charl08
>191 katiekrug: Oh, what a shame. I really like her fiction (well, all 2 that I have read) and thought this one might be good.
193katiekrug
>192 charl08: - It wasn't bad but I feel like there are probably better books out there along the same lines. Also, I think an actual Brit would find her more annoying than I did...
194Helenliz
>192 charl08: I'm not picking that up then. Last book about the Brits that I read by an American ended up being hurled across the room by page 50... It wasn't great.
195katiekrug
>194 Helenliz: - Ooh, I must know. What book was it?
196Helenliz
>195 katiekrug: I find myself unable to recomend you read A Field Guide to the English. An extract from my review:
This claims to be an amusing view of the English as seen by an American, casting her perceptive eye over the nation.
On the basis of the first 50 pages she is proving neither amusing nor perceptive.
This claims to be an amusing view of the English as seen by an American, casting her perceptive eye over the nation.
On the basis of the first 50 pages she is proving neither amusing nor perceptive.
198BLBera
>191 katiekrug: I'll pass on this as well. It sounds annoying from your description, Katie.
199lauralkeet
>191 katiekrug: Barf. Pass.
>196 Helenliz: oh god, that sounds awful.
I enjoyed Bill Bryson's take in Notes from a Small Island, but even that got to be a bit much by the end. The world doesn't need another one.
*waves*
Hi Katie!
>196 Helenliz: oh god, that sounds awful.
I enjoyed Bill Bryson's take in Notes from a Small Island, but even that got to be a bit much by the end. The world doesn't need another one.
*waves*
Hi Katie!
200richardderus
>191 katiekrug: My contrarian streak wants to go buy a full-price copy in a bricks-and-mortar store because, well, because; my inner self-preservationist murmurs "fewer than twenty years to go" and the urge passes like a kidney stone.
201katiekrug
>198 BLBera: - Smart move, Beth!
>199 lauralkeet: - Hi Laura! I haven't read any Bryson...
>200 richardderus: - If you want to give it a whirl, I'd be happy to send you my copy...
>199 lauralkeet: - Hi Laura! I haven't read any Bryson...
>200 richardderus: - If you want to give it a whirl, I'd be happy to send you my copy...
202richardderus
>201 katiekrug: *bwaaahaaahaaa* Ni. I mean No.
204jnwelch
I'm halfway through Notes on a Small Island, and I'm going to have to push to finish it. Too bad. I've liked others of his - particularly A Walk in the Woods - and I was looking forward to this one. But for me it's started dragging.
205lauralkeet
Facebook tells me it's your special day, Katie. Any plans? Happy happy birthday to you!
208Helenliz
Happy Birthday, Katie! Have a good day, whatever you do.
April birthdays are clearly the bestest. >;-)
April birthdays are clearly the bestest. >;-)
210norabelle414
Happy birthday Katie!!!!
212vivians
HB HB!!! Sorry the weather isn't cooperating, but I hope you have some fun plans and enjoy the day.
213karenmarie
Hi Katie and happy birthday!
>173 katiekrug: I can't watch military-themed films with The Wayne because he feels the need to constantly lean over and tell me when a gun or a ship or a uniform is wrong... :) Ha. My husband was in the Navy 1976-1982 and I always get uniform, weapon, protocol, and salute mistakes. In addition, I get uniform, weapon, protocol, and salute approvals when they get it right. It’s tiresome.
>191 katiekrug: blech. The sentence you quoted was just one big cliché and was smarmy enough to have raised my blood sugar 20 points.
>173 katiekrug: I can't watch military-themed films with The Wayne because he feels the need to constantly lean over and tell me when a gun or a ship or a uniform is wrong... :) Ha. My husband was in the Navy 1976-1982 and I always get uniform, weapon, protocol, and salute mistakes. In addition, I get uniform, weapon, protocol, and salute approvals when they get it right. It’s tiresome.
>191 katiekrug: blech. The sentence you quoted was just one big cliché and was smarmy enough to have raised my blood sugar 20 points.
214katiekrug
>204 jnwelch: - I have A Walkin the Woods on my shelf, Joe. I need to give it a whirl...
>205 lauralkeet: - Thanks, Laura! I took the day off, and after PT, I treated myself to brunch and a pedicure. Now I'm going to relax (even more) - maybe nap? - and then go into the city to meet The Wayne for a fancy steak dinner :)
>206 scaifea: - Thanks, Amber!
>207 susanj67: - Thank you, Susan!
>205 lauralkeet: - Thanks, Laura! I took the day off, and after PT, I treated myself to brunch and a pedicure. Now I'm going to relax (even more) - maybe nap? - and then go into the city to meet The Wayne for a fancy steak dinner :)
>206 scaifea: - Thanks, Amber!
>207 susanj67: - Thank you, Susan!
215katiekrug
>208 Helenliz: - As often happens, it is raining on my birthday, but I still love my April birthday :) Thanks, Helen!
>209 charl08: - Thanks, Charlotte. It's been a lovely day so far!
>210 norabelle414: - Thank you, Nora! Have fun in Wisconsin :)
>211 jessibud2: - Thanks, Shelley!
>212 vivians: - The weather is rather grim, Vivian, but you know what they say about April showers... :)
>213 karenmarie: - Thanks, Karen!
>209 charl08: - Thanks, Charlotte. It's been a lovely day so far!
>210 norabelle414: - Thank you, Nora! Have fun in Wisconsin :)
>211 jessibud2: - Thanks, Shelley!
>212 vivians: - The weather is rather grim, Vivian, but you know what they say about April showers... :)
>213 karenmarie: - Thanks, Karen!
216katiekrug
As I mentioned to Laura, I took today off from work, and after PT, I went to brunch and then got a pedicure. My afternoon is clear, so I might nap for a bit or read or do something equally relaxing. I'm meeting The Wayne in the city tonight for dinner at an old steakhouse. I don't eat a lot of red meat, but I've been hankering for steak au poivre, and it's my birthday, dammit!
217RebaRelishesReading
Hope you have a simply wonderful birthday, Katie!
218richardderus
>216 katiekrug: An excellent plan! Which one y'all goin' to?
219katiekrug
>217 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba!
>218 richardderus: - The Old Homestead? It's near his office - in Chelsea, I guess?
>218 richardderus: - The Old Homestead? It's near his office - in Chelsea, I guess?
221katiekrug
Thanks, Mark! See >216 katiekrug: for plans 😀 On the train now.
223richardderus
>219 katiekrug: How fun! The Old Homestead's been there since who-knows-when. The Meatpacking District's around the corner. Eat hearty!
224ChelleBearss
Hope you had a great birthday!!
225katiekrug
>222 bell7: - Thanks, Mary! I did enjoy dinner :)
>223 richardderus: - Oh, I ate plenty hearty!
>224 ChelleBearss: - Thanks, Chelle. It was pretty perfect.
>223 richardderus: - Oh, I ate plenty hearty!
>224 ChelleBearss: - Thanks, Chelle. It was pretty perfect.
227katiekrug
>226 BLBera: - Thanks, Beth! It was excellent!
228laytonwoman3rd
Sorry I'm a little late for the birthday celebration, but a steak dinner sounds pretty perfect to me. Is there left-over cake for brekkie? (I know you're training for Saint Lucia, but cake for breakfast either on or the day after a birthday is kinda important.)
229DeltaQueen50
Happy belated birthday, Katie. Sounds like you had an enjoyable day. :)
230katiekrug
>228 laytonwoman3rd: - No leftover cake, Linda. We did a number on the giant slice at the restaurant!
>229 DeltaQueen50: - Thanks, Judy! It was a lovely day.
>229 DeltaQueen50: - Thanks, Judy! It was a lovely day.
232Crazymamie
Morning, Katie! I'm so sorry that I missed your birthday, but I am wishing you happy anyway. I have been plagued by headache and wonky internet - the headache is finally gone, but the wonky internet continues. It's sort of crazy making.
You know what day it is - try not to look it directly in the eye.
You know what day it is - try not to look it directly in the eye.
234katiekrug
>231 lkernagh: - Thank you, Lori!
>232 Crazymamie: - No worries, Mamie. I accept happy wishes any time :) Sorry about your internet.
233 - Go away.
>232 Crazymamie: - No worries, Mamie. I accept happy wishes any time :) Sorry about your internet.
233 - Go away.
235katiekrug
We had a quiet rest of the weekend which was nice. I finished up Furiously Happy on audio and have started Queenie. I should finish my current Kindle read and then will focus on Water Like a Stone, #11 in one of my favorite mystery series.
236katiekrug
Furiously Happy: A Funny Book about Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson
What Lawson had to say about her mental illness - what it feels like, what real support looks like - was very useful. I have a close friend who battles anxiety and bi-polar disorder, and it can be difficult to really understand what she is going through, so I appreciated those aspects of the book. The helpful bits were sandwiched between a lot of silliness - some of which was laugh-out-loud funny and some of which was just dumb. So a bit of a mixed bag, but I would like to read Let's Pretend This Never Happened.
3.5 stars
This topic was continued by Katie Commits to Nothing in 2019, Part 10.
