Joe's Book Cafe 8

Art by Ivey Hayes

Welcome back to the cafe!

Books Read in 2019

January

1. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (re-read on audio)
2. Sooner or Later Everything Falls Into the Sea by Sarah Pinsker
3. An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon
4. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
5. One Hundred Poems from the Japanese by Kenneth Rexroth
6. Happiness by Aminatta Forna
7. Milkman by Anna Burns
8. Revenant Gun by Yoon Ha Lee
9. The Mortal Word by Genevieve Cogman
10. Nerve by Dick Francis
11. Killer Collective by Barry Eisler
12. Little Oceans by Tony Hoagland
13. Tales from the Inner City by Shaun Tan
14. The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
15. The Promise by Chaim Potok
16. Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions by Mario Giordano

February

17. Lord of the Butterflies by Andrea Gibson
18. Out of the Dark by Gregg Hurwitz
19. Forfeit by Dick Francis
20. One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson
21. Last Friends by Jane Gardam
22. Educated by Tara Westover
23. The Madness Vase by Andrea Gibson
24. The Overnight Kidnapper by Andrea Camilleri
22. Amelia Cole Omnibus by D.J. Kirkbride*
23. American Sonnets for My Past and Future Assassin by Terrance Hayes
24. Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
25. The Book of Boy by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

March

26. Battle Angel Alita by Yukiko Kishiro*
27. Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson
28. Decider by Dick Francis (re-read)
29. Bryant & May Hall of Mirrors by Christopher Fowler
30. Darker Than Amber by John D. MacDonald
31. One Fearful Yellow Eye by John D. MacDonald
32. Slow Horses by Mick Herron
33. A Gentlewoman’s Guide To Murder by Victoria Hamilton
34. Recent Changes in the Vernacular by Tony Hoagland
35. Alice Payne Arrives by Kate Heartfield
36. Wolf Pack A Joe Pickett Novel by C.J. Box
37. Murder in Just Cause by Anne Cleeland
38. On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
39. Trial Run by Dick Francis
40. When My Brother Was An Aztec by Natalie Diaz
41. Connections in Death by J.D. Robb
42. How Long Til Black Future Month by N.K. Jemisin

April

43. Tap Out by Edward Kunz
44. The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
45. Passing for Human by Jody Scott*
46. The Fated Sky by Mary Robinette Kowal
47. My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
48. Indecency by Justin Phillip Reed
49. Frida Kahlo: An Illustrated Life by Maria Hesse*
50. The Initiates by Etienne Davodeau
51. Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horwitz
52. Number9Dream by David Mitchell
53. When Will There Be Good News by Kate Atkinson
54. An Elegant Defense by Matt Richdel
55. Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson
56. Faro's Daughter by Georgette Heyer

May

57. The Rosie Result by Graeme Simision

Illustrated Books

1. Jane Austen's Emma by Nancy Butler
2. Snotgirl by Bryan Lee O'Malley
3. Girl Town by Carolyn Nowak
4. On a Sunbeam by Ti llie Walden
5. Livestock by Hannah Berry
6. Tom's Midnight Garden by Phillipa Pearce and Edith
7. Anne of Green Gables A Graphic Novel by Mariah Marsden
8. Quiet Girl in a Noisy World by Debbie Tung
9. The Girl from the Other Side Vol. 4 by Nagabe
10. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Reckoning by Joss Whedon
11. Space Boy Vol. 1 by Stephen Macranie
12. The Girl from the Other Side Vol. 5 by Nagabe
13. New Lone Wolf and Cub Volume 2 by Kazuo Koike
14. Book Love by Debbie Tung
15. Royal City Vol. 3 by Jeff Lemire
16. The Snooty Bookshop by Tom Gauld
17. The Day the Buddha Woke Up by Andrea Miller
18. A Bride's Story Vol. 10 by Kaoru Mori
19. Jane Austen Her Heart Did Whisper by Manuela Santoni
20. Legacy: House of Night by Daniel Krall
21. The Love Bunglers by Jaime Hernandez
22. Stumptown by Greg Rucka (re-read)
23. Becoming Unbecoming by Una
24. Velvet Volume 1 by Ed Brubaker (re-read)
25. Mina vs. the Monsoon by Rukhsanna Guidroz
26. Woman World by Aminder Dahliwal
27. Samaris by Benoit Peeters
28. Velvet Volume 2 by Ed Brubaker (re-read)
29. Stumptown Volume 2 by Greg Rucka (re-read)
30. Lulu Anew by Etienne Davodeau
31. Heavy Vinyl by Carly Usdin
32. Captain Marvel Alien Nation by Margaret Stohl
33. Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol
34. Trish Trash Roller Girl of Mars by Jessica Abel
35. Weatherman by Jody LeHeup
36. Death or Glory Volume 1 by Rick Remender
37. Berlin by Jason Lutes
38. The Initiates by Etienne Davodeau
39. Is This How You See Me by Jaime Hernandez
40. Good Talk by Mira Jacob
41. Brody's Ghost by Mark Krilley
42. Out of This World: Leonora Carrington by Amanda Hall

*Also an illustrated book

Best Illustrated Books So Far in 2019

The Initiates by Etienne Davodeau
Lulu Anew by Etienne Davodeau
Berlin by Jason Lutes
Quiet Girl in a Noisy World by Debbie Tung
The Snooty Bookshop by Tom Gauld
Good Talk by Mira Jacob

Birthday Boy Rafa, One Year Old on April 16

Had to bring this one over from the last thread

Chicagoland LT Meetup from a different angle than the last thread - Joe, Linda, Mark, Jim

Too soon? Well, anyway, happy new thread wishes!

>6 jnwelch: No worries, Mr. D. Thanks!

This one's for you:

Happy New Thread, Joe! I like those Ivey Hayes toppers! And Rafa always puts a smile on my face. Just kicking back tonight with the Cubs game and hopefully make a big dent in Lulu Anew. I forgot to mention to you, I also have Good Talk, waiting in the wings. You read it, didn't you?

Happy new broccoli free thread, Joe, and thanks for those great paintings by Ivey Hayes, an artist who I'm unfamiliar with. I do think you've neglected your wife and daughter, though, and for that you'll be sorry. If you need a place to stay I have an extra key.

Happy new one Joe!

>1 jnwelch: lovely toppers!

A little help if you would. I am pulling out what little hair I have left trying to locate the name of a cover artis for new novel called Inspection. I have looked high and low on book pages for the novel but cannot locate the name of the cover artist. Any secret methods you care to share?

Happy new thread, Joe. Those toppers are so bright and cheerful, perfect for spring! And, of course, the Gauld is perfect.

And happy birthday to the Big Boy! He sure looks like he's ready for a celebration! Bring it on!

Great meetup pic.

>9 msf59: Hiya, Mark. Thanks! Isn't Ivey Hayes great?

Oh, I'm glad you mentioned Good Talk. Who recommended it to us? Was it Charlotte?

I'm reading it right now, and really liking it. I'm only a short ways in, and will have to pick it back up when we return next week.

>10 kidzdoc: Broccoli-free? Heavens, we'll have to fix that, won't we, Darryl.

Aren't those great paintings by Ivey Hayes? She's got many more cool ones. What a dramatic, colorful style.

Ha! I don't have a recent Indy pic to post, so Becca's going to get me for sure. Debbi's more philosophical about it all, but I'm bound to get in trouble with her one way or another. Yes, that extra key will no doubt come in handy. You don't have any beets in your place, right?

>13 jnwelch: Hmph. I'm sure that, if Patrick Stewart was an LTer, he would feature at least one photo of his lovely wife and daughter at the beginning of each of his threads.

Beets?! No, sir, no beets here. *hides remaining containers of beef borscht and left over beets*

>11 brodiew2: Thanks, Brodie!

That's the Bird Box author, right? I took a quick look for who did the cover art for Inspection, and didn't find an answer. It looks like Josh Malerman is on Facebook and Twitter, so maybe he'd respond if you ask him. Or pose it to the publisher?

>12 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelly. I know, I'm so in the mood for bright and cheerful, and I figure many of our northern hemisphere folks must be feeling that way, too. Thank goodness for Tom Gauld. He and Andy Borowitz help keep me going when drumpfish America starts looking bleak.

Ha! Rafa does look ready for a celebration, doesn't he? We see him tomorrow - I just want to make sure I don't get run over when Madame MBH races to grab him.

Thanks re the meetup pic - fun time!

>14 kidzdoc: Don't rub it in, man. I'll find photos with those two in them, okay? Jeesh, what a suckup.

I'm not sure I can trust you on this beets thing. You've been known to harbor them in the past. What's that you're holding behind you?

>13 jnwelch: I think it might have been Nancy, who recommended it. When do you leave?

>15 jnwelch: I thought of that, and will do it, but it is frustrating having the internet fail to provide the information readily. Book covers are important and one would think it would be part of the book profile.

>17 msf59: Thank you, Nancy! Good Talk is really good (talk), and not what I expected, Mark.

We have an early flight tomorrow, and return next Wednesday, unless we (well, I) get kicked out sooner.

>18 brodiew2: I totally agree, Brodie. I was surprised it wasn't easy to find. On hard copies they usually tell you somewhere, too.

>1 jnwelch: Happy new thread. You have managed to come up with an even brighter pallet to welcome us. And talk about dressing right!

Happy new thread, Joe!
Hi, Rafa! Happy, happy first birthday, you little charmer, you!
Nice meet up pic! LT smiles all around!!
Safe travels.

Happy new thread.

>15 jnwelch: - Yes, Andy Borowitz is a good one, too, isn't he? I have a friend, as well as my brother, who always send me links to his latest *insights*.

Have a great trip and visit.

Happy New Thread, Joe! Love your opening illustrations, as usual. These are lovely bright and luminous.

>20 quondame: Ha! Thanks, Susan. That's one bright palette, isn't it? I'm really for spring! And those are some snappy dressers, aren't they.

>21 Carmenere: Hi, Lynda. Thanks!

Rafa says thanks, I'm sure, for the birthday wishes. His presents today are all four grandparents. Lucky guy!

We were smiling a lot at that meetup. Fun time it was.

We leave soon, and safe travels sounds good.

>22 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita. Good to see you.

>23 jessibud2: Andy Borowitz's insights and insider "news" have lightened my day so many times, Shelley. I'm glad you enjoy him, too.

Given the attendees, it should be a great trip and visit. We're heading out soon.

>24 ronincats: Thanks, Roni! I'm glad you love those toppers. Lovely bright and luminous sure feels good, doesn't it. Ivey Hayes - a tip of the hat to her.

Enjoy the cafe while we're gone! I'll be checking in, but not as much.

Morning, Joe! Sweet Thursday. Have a safe trip and enjoy your time with Rafa & Co.

Safe travels, Joe!

Loving >1 jnwelch: And >27 jnwelch: I think I should start every morning looking at that vibrancy Joe.

And 51 books too (not including GN/illustrated ones). Impressive.

Aha, you're off to share Easter eggs with young Rafa. Have fun.

Happy new thread, Joe!

I can see that your new career is all laid out for you. From your last thread re Rafa: What with wardrobe issues (he's such a spiffy dresser), paparazzi, getting him to appointments, and so on,...

Happy new thread, and have a fun visit!

Happy new thread, Joe!

>27 jnwelch: Magnificent!

Have a great time being gramps, and let Rafa know his internet fan club wishes him well.

The recent Rafa pix ... that little guy is a happy and handsome fellow. Hope you have a great visit.

Ooh! A meetup! My friend and I were thinking of coming to Chicago for one of your book festivals coming up, but those plans fell through because she has a zine conference to go to - she's a zine librarian. But hopefully we'll be able to visit at some time!

>1 jnwelch: The color! The drama! I love those. Enjoy Rafa ... he's just too adorable for words in photos, can't imagine what a delight it must be to be in his living presence.

Hi Joe, happy new thread mate, love the thread topper paintings and the pictures and photos so far are excellent. Hope you and Debbi are well mate and have a good time with darling Rafa.

I loved the Chicagoland meet-up photos and hope you all had a good time mate, sending love and hugs to both of you from both of us dear friend.

Ha - finally checking in to find that you're on your way out! Safe travels, my friend.

I can scan back through your last thread but I'm wondering how you liked Slow Horses (on my reading stack) and My Sister, the Serial Killer (on my wish list).

I'll be keeping the spinner rack spinning in your absence Joe

And I can't believe Rafa is already a year old!!!!!!!!!

Happy new thread, Joe!

I love the bright colors of the Ivey Hayes at the top.
Safe travels, enjoy your grandson :-)

>39 EBT1002:. Hiya, Ellen! We’re safely ensconced in Pittsburgh with our son and the fabulous Rafa.

Loved My Sister, the Serial Killer - a fun and fast serial killer book - go figure. Slow Horses was solid and good. I’ll probably try the next one at some point to see how it goes.

>40 magicians_nephew:. You’re a swell guy, Jim, thanks. If you find yourself spinning with it, don’t let go. We’ve had folks go flying through the window and into the shrubbery.

>41 EBT1002:. Right, Ellen? He’s a mobile unit now, with lots to say in some unfathomable language. Right now he’s torn between a farm sounds toy and trying to grab the computer from our daughter.

>42 FAMeulstee:. Thanks, Anita! Aren’t those bright colors from Ivey Hayes great? So rich and vibrant.

We’ve safely arrived, and are already enjoying the heck out of our grandson.

>28 msf59:. Sweet Thursday, buddy. We’re already having a blast with Mr. Rafa. He’s an enthusiastic and busy boy.

>29 kidzdoc:. Thanks. Darryl!

>30 Caroline_McElwee:. Isn’t that vibrancy great from Ms. Hayes, Caroline?
I’ll be starting my day with them, and you’re welcome to join me.😄

I’m reading a wild David Mitchell book right now, called Number9Dream.

I don’t know what Rafa’s folks have in mind for Easter. We’ll see.

>31 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen. The only Rafa job they’re not giving me is hair stylist. Why?

He’s a nice employer to have - willing to share toys, food whatever.

>32 foggidawn:. Thanks, foggi! The fun visit has begun. It’s great to have our original gang together (Debbi, me, the kids), then we have the wondrous Mr. Rafa and his wondrous mom. More grandparents show up tonight.

>33 drneutron:. Thanks, Jim!

>34 richardderus:. I’m glad you like our tentacled friend, Richard. I’m having a great time as granddad and dad, thanks. When Rafa slows down for a breather, I’ll pass on the well wishes from his Internet fan club.

>35 RBeffa:. Thanks, Ron. He’s having a happy and handsome time being fed by his Bubbe Right now.

>36 The_Hibernator:. Sounds mighty good to me, Rachel. I hope the timing with your friend works out - we’d love to have you here.

>37 laytonwoman3rd:. Ha! Hi, Linda. I’m glad you’re enjoying all the color and drama!

I just got to put the sweet boy to bed. After a very busy day, he was ready for a bottle and his grandpa reading him Harold and the Purple Crayon. He conked out right after I finished. Perfect.😀

>38 johnsimpson:. Thanks, buddy. I’m glad you’re enjoying all the visuals. Debbi and I are having a grand (and grandparent) time with darling Rafa.

We had a ton o’ fun at the meetup, thanks. Not quite as scenic as Yorkshire, but great company. Thanks for the love and hugs; Debbi and I send the same to you and your dear Karen.

>47 jnwelch:
I love Harold and the Purple Crayon. talk about classics. Great book!
If he likes that one try reading Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag. It will give him a math problem to chew on and make him laugh and laugh. It will also leave all the adults in the room wondering?

>4 jnwelch: Rafa is one cutie little fellow.

Happy new one, Joe.

>48 benitastrnad:. Isn’t Harold and the Purple Crayon a great book, Benita. Jeez, I hadn’t read that one in many a year. Thanks for the tip on Millions of Cats. I’ll look for it.

>49 PaulCranswick:. Thanks, Paul. I’m with that cutie little fellow as we speak. So far we’ve been playing for 2 1/2 hours, with a break for a sustaining bottle of milk. (Rafa had one, too 😀). Banging toys together - especially some plastic cups - is a particular favorite right now.

Hey, Joe. Another book that you and Rafa could have a ton of fun with is Caps for Sale, by Esphyr Slobodkina. It's an oldie (published 1940) but just the kind of thing kids love. It was a favourite in my class and I was often requested to *read it again*. That could be partly because I had all the kids in the class get their hats so they could *participate* at appropriate times, in the story. Just saying... ;-)

Hats and monkeys = a whole lot of fun!

Caps For Sale is lots of fun. You will have fun reading it to him and he will have fun listening.

Feliz Cumpleaños to Rafa! and Happy Pesach, Happy Easter and It's Finally Looking Spring to the rest of the Welch Clan!

And Millions of Cats is a great book....hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats....with great illustrations.

Hello Joe!

As long as excellent picture book recommendations are being tossed about for Rafa, I vigorously suggest Niccolini's Song by Chuck Wilcoxen. It is a wonderful bedtime story featuring restless trains and babies who need the song of the railyard watchman to usher them into peaceful sleep.

Happy new thread, Joe. Have a great visit, but how could you help that with Rafa being such a generous host?

>51 jessibud2: I love Caps for Sale too. We loved reading it to our daughters and it made it into the box of children's books that we kept for posterity and potential grandchildren.

>51 jessibud2:. Hey, Shelley. Thanks for the tip on Caps for Sale. Sounds like a good ‘un. Last night he got restless with Miss Chatterbox, so I rocked him and made up a story - Chip n Dale Rescue Rangers, which I used to do for our kids.

>52 benitastrnad:. Thanks for the additional support for Caps for Sale, Benita. I won’t be around long enough to do more than what’s on hand (a lot!) this time, but it’s good to know about this one going forward.

>53 kac522:. Gracias, Kathy! We celebrate his birthday at the Children’s museum this afternoon. Jesse and Adri are going to have a Seder Monday night. Millions of Cats sounds like a fun one (I sense that there are a lot of cats involved?), and you know I’m a pushover for great illustrations.

>54 brodiew2:. Thanks, Brodie. Nicollini’s Song sounds like a lovely one to ease him to sleep with.

>55 Familyhistorian:. Ha! Thanks, Meg. Rafa is quite the generous host. We told him he didn’t need to wear his black tie gear for us. Last night he took us all to our favorite Mexican restaurant here, and we got to find out how much he enjoys guacamole - it turns out it’s good for moisturizing your face and adding luster to your hair, even while being delicious.

>56 lauralkeet:. Thanks, Laura. That says a lot about Caps for Sale. We love children’s books in our house (and our kids’ places), so we’ll track it down.

Morning, Joe. Happy Saturday. I am sure you are having a wonderful time with the family.

I loved Lulu Anew. Thanks for the rec. I am currently reading Fathers & Sons, which has been a long time coming. It begins very well. Have you read it?

Hi, Mark. You know, I read Fathers and Sons last century, when I was a callow youth. Respect, but not much memory of it. I should try it again in this century.

I’m so glad you loved Lulu Anew! Thanks for the pm. My pleasure. I pumped for his The Initiatives in my response - our library had it, so yours might. I also bought it, so I can lend it if your library doesn’t. I’m going to try to do a mini- review when we get back.

Happy Easter, Joe. I bet you are having a blast with Rafa and the rest of your family!

I have a copy of Number9Dream on my TBR shelves, along with a few other David Mitchell works. He's an author I have wanted to read more of but he just doesn't seem to rise to the top of my list very often.

Enjoy Pittsburgh! Enjoy Rafa!

I have been wanting to find another graphic novel to read. The Initiates has intrigued me and I've added it to my amazon shopping cart.

>62 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy. Happy Easter to you. We are indeed having a blast with the entertaining Mr. Rafa. He had his party this afternoon at the Children's Museum. Good cupcakes, in particular, thought his grandpa, and the water park on the third floor is aces. Now we're regrouped back at home, playing with his toys. (Yes, we're letting him play with them, too). He seemed most interested in the crepe paper that came with some of the presents.

>63 EBT1002:, >64 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen! Thanks! - we're enjoying Pittsburgh and the adorable Rafa. He's a keeper.

Number9Dream was my kind of read; sort of falling down the Murakami hole, and it's even set in Tokyo. Our hero Eiji Miyake sure goes through a lot, but he's resourceful. My favorite Mitchells so far are Cloud Atlas (of course), Bone Clocks and Slade House. I suspect I'm going to read all of his - they're the kind of mindstretchers I enjoy.

I'm glad you may give The Initiates a go; it's really well done and charming, and I learned a lot about wine-making, too.

This is shameless, though well-meaning. Stop by my thread for a review of The Mueller Report. (See! It already has a touchstone.)

>66 weird_O: Cool, Bill. Will do.

Happy Easter (Rafa's birthday) weekend, Joe.

>68 Ameise1: Ha! Thanks, Barbara. Happy Easter weekend.

Can't get photos to post yet.

>65 jnwelch: Glad to read Rafa entertaining is going so well.

Way up there you mentioned Good Talk: adding that to the wishlist.

Morning, Joe! Grabbing a seat and smoothie while awaiting the birthday photos :0)

Hi Joe!

>45 jnwelch: As to Grandpa the Hair Stylist - I would imagine they're waiting until he has more hair to style...

>65 jnwelch: Wow, letting him play with his new toys. Totally excellent, by the way. His interested in crepe paper is similar to my nephew at his first birthday party - I wrapped a ball in Sunday comics for his present and he ended up playing with the comics and the ball pretty much the whole time. It doesn't take much, does it?

The lovely family on Rafa's birthday



Toda Rafa's familia plus guest star Dez second from right

>74 jnwelch: Beautiful!! Rafa looks eager to escape his dad's arms and explore.

>71 charl08:. Thanks, Charlotte. Rafa’s play stamina is impressive. There are 4 flights of stairs to the converted attic. He climbed them all, and played in every room on every floor except the one where someone was sleeping.

Yes, I thought it might’ve been you who recommended Good Talk! Mark reminded me it was Nancy (alphaorder). I’m loving it. Quite different from what I expected. I think you’ll enjoy it. It’s in Chicago, so I’ll finish it when we get back (the library let me renew).

>72 Carmenere:. Hi, Lynda. Well done! I got a couple of photos posted. It’s very busy here, starting with that young man!

>73 karenmarie:. Yeah, I thought my lack of recent hair styling practice might be the problem, Karen.😄

It doesn’t take much, does it.. A life filled with everything being a potential toy - I like his perspective. And Rafa’s parents have him responding well to “No”, when he goes after things like scissors. He’s quizzical as to “why”, but he backs off.

>75 Carmenere:. Yeah, Lynda, Rafa had many important things to do at the party and in the museum, so it was tough to catch him in a still position for photos. This is another time when I think it’s too bad we can’t post videos here.

Excellent family together, Joe. Visuals good too.

Did you see your granddad's appearance in a book review that Mamie posted?

After posting the review of The Mueller Report that ran in the WaPo, I see that the NYT also ran a book review of it. Also, I applaud Prof. Sen. Mrs. Warren's call for impeachment.

>74 jnwelch: What a great photo! The whole happy family. Such a warming and cheering sight.

Gorgeous toppers, Joe, and great family photos just above. Enjoy tonight's Seder, although I think Rafa is a little too young to ask the four questions.

>80 ffortsa: Ha! Thanks, Judy. I'm glad you like the toppers and family photos. I'm not going to be surprised if Rafa does ask the four questions at the Seder - it'll just be in that language of his that we haven't figured out yet. Happy Passover to you and Jim.

>79 richardderus: Thanks, RD! It was a happy event. I hope to post a photo or two more from it, including the water floor at the museum, where much playing occurred.

>78 weird_O: Thanks, Bill. We really get along with our DIL's parents (thank the gods), so we all always have a good time together. And that little boy . . . oh my goodness.

I haven't gotten to many threads recently. I'll have to see how me grandpappy came up in Mamie's book review. Thanks for letting me know.

You remind me that my Dad got to meet the very newly arrived Rafa while in hospice, before he died. It was special - Dad rallied, and really understood who Rafa was, and what was going on. His father would have been over the moon, too, about this little guy.

The Children's Museum's third floor was filled with water running through all sorts of troughs and pipes and so on, with lots of different ways to play with it, from simple to sophisticated. The kids, including Rafa, just loved it.

Hi Joe. I am taking advantage of a rainy Easter Monday to catch up on some threads. Three cafes later, I have finally caught up. Geocaching sounds like a lot of fun.

>6 jnwelch: - Fabulous meet up pic!

>74 jnwelch: - Great pictures of the family!

>82 jnwelch: - I would be in there with Rafa. Always fun to play with water!

Hi, Lori. Good idea! Wow, three cafes later - I applaud you for your persistence!

We've had a blast with our geocaching. Our daughter LOVED it, and after much success here in Pittsburgh, went home (back to work tomorrow for her) and immediately found two more, with her dog Indy. I have some photos somewhere of what we did here. Pittsburgh has a beautiful Allegheny Cemetery that many people walk (it's huge), and we went all over it, finding 6 which had clues to the very cool hiding spot for the 7th.

Fabulous meetup it was!

Thanks re the family pics!

It was a very cool place to play with water!

Oh, wonderful photos! Happy Birthday to sweet little Rafa!!

>77 jnwelch: Yay for him responding well to the 'no's, too. Charlie has always been a fan of rules in the extreme, it seems, and you've reminded me that when he was tiny and we'd be out somewhere on a playdate or something, if he wasn't certain whether he was allowed to do something in particular, he'd look over at me and shake his head to see if I'd confirm it with my own "no" headshake or a "go ahead" nod. Such a funny thing he was (and is!).

>74 jnwelch: Love the family photos up there. Good looking bunch!

Morning, Joe. Happy Tuesday. Enjoy your last day with Rafa & Co. I am sure you are all ready looking forward to your next visit. I should be wrapping up both Fathers & Sons & Heart of a Lion today. Loving both.

I also want to highly recommend Deaf Republic: Poems. It is linked poems about an occupied town. Brutal at times but also beautiful.

Morning, Joe! Sorry to be so late to your newest thread. That Rafa is a cutie - wishing him another year of happy!

Hi Joe!

Great pics of Rafa and family. I'm glad y'all had such a good time.

>82 jnwelch: Water is endlessly fascinating...do they let the big people play too? I just love watching those eager little minds work stuff out.

Finished up Black Leopard, Red Wolf. If you don't have it queued up, you should. What a ride!

>90 drneutron: I got mine when the Kindle sale happened a few weeks ago. I think my brain can handle it now, so into the breach I go.

Happy homecoming, Joe!

>85 scaifea:. Thanks, Amber. That Rafa, like Charlie, is a good little fellow. He looks quizzical at “No”, and sometimes push at doing whatever it is, but he will eventually back off and just turn his attention elsewhere. He wouldn’t get anywhere by crying, but I’m glad he doesn’t go into dramatics over having his will thwarted.

We just took him to the park, and now he’s asleep, recharging.

>86 msf59:. Thanks, buddy. Yeah, we get the whole gang together in TN at the end of June. He changes so fast, but we’d have to move in here to keep up with him.

Heart of a Lion is new to me, and thanks for the tip on Deaf Republic, also new to me. I’ve fallen a bit behind on my poetry reading.

>87 Crazymamie:. Morning, Mamie! Thanks re Rafa - he’s a happy guy, so this next year should be a good one. They got him into the Spanish immersion pre-school they wanted, so he’ll be learning even more than he already is.

>88 karenmarie:. Thanks, Karen. It’s been a really good visit. I’m glad we stayed an extra couple of days to spend some quieter, relaxed time with Rafa and his parents - and Maleta and Bolita, who are snoozing next to me on the couch.

>89 laytonwoman3rd:. Hi, Linda. It’s wide open on the water floor, so big people can play, too. Water is endlessly fascinating, as you say, and like you, I love watching those eager little minds work stuff out. Building dams, rearranging pipe connections, figuring outhow to get water from here to there and how to reverse its direction, and so on. The kids just love it.

>90 drneutron:. Wasn’t Black Leopard, Red Wolf an amazing ride, Jim? I’m glad you enjoyed it.

>91 richardderus: Thanks re the homecoming, RD. We have a morning plane tomorrow, but at a reasonable hour.

I hope you enjoy Black Leopard, Red Wolf. I suspect you will.

More LT pic posting problems. Arggh.

Happy newish thread!
Love the family photos! Looks like Rafa had a great party!

Morning, Joe!

The water play areas are the rage these days, I think; both the Terre Haute Children's Museum and the Mississippi River Museum have them, and I bet many other kiddo museums do, too. The MRM has fixings for building your own boat, which you can then test in a 'river' and you can customize with walls and pressure changes, too. Charlie had a blast with that part a few years ago.

Glad Rafa enjoyed all his birthday celebrations Joe. Lovely family photos >74 jnwelch:.

Morning, Joe! Happy Wednesday. Safe travels back to Chicagoland today. I am sure you are both sad, leaving Rafa behind.

Picture-posting problem *unwhammy*

Let's see how it goes now.

Traveling back today - I plan to check in here later in the day. Hope everyone has a good one.😀

In my 4th grade classroom, I set up a Stream Table.

It worked with a small submersible pump and a long hose.
Kids created whatever fun they wanted, then moved into making all the glacial landforms:
drumlin, kettle, esker, kame, and moraine, with a couple of erratics.

Adults often joined the fun and brought us visitors like the rubber "Turtles" popular in those times.

Hope your travels back went well, Joe.

Morning, Joe! I hope you had smooth travels yesterday!

*pssst* You awake? I've got a craving for some gingerbread pancakes.

Ask, and you shall receive ;)

Here is springtime Indy, Indy getting to check out the living room of the new apartment we are moving to on Saturday, and Indy on her first successful geocaching expedition :)

>106 seasonsoflove:

Great photos - Indy's clearly anticipating that the container holds a treat!

>106 seasonsoflove: Thanks, Becca! Such a stylish warrior princess. :-)

Go geocaching!

>96 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle! It was a wonderful visit, and party. Rafa seemed a bit overwhelmed by the unusualness of kidpals gathered that way, and the what-the-heck-is-this birthday cake, but he got his bearings and particularly loved the water play area.

>97 scaifea: A belated good morning, Amber!

It's easy to see why water play areas are the rage in children's museums now. Very interactive and fun for the kids, and the parents can appreciate the educational benefits mixed in.

I can see Rafa loving that build your own boat concept when he gets nearer Charlie's age. He's really good at shapes and assembling at a one year old level, and his attention span and persistent energy boggles my mind - as did his dad's when he was young (and older). I'd love it if he also had your BFF's natural talent for reading (we read to her but didn't teach her - she just called us in one day when she was four and read to us). We'll see.

>98 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks, Caroline. As a friend of Jesse and Adrr's said (she has a 5 year old), the first birthday is as much for the parents as it is for the child - "we made it through all the first year challenges, and this is a healthy, happy kid!"

>99 msf59: Thanks, Mark. It was tough to leave Rafa, for Debbi in particular. She loves that little guy to bits. Not easy for me either, actually. He's a hoot, and brightens the day with that smile and his other expressions (including what I think of as Marlon Brando in On The Waterfront - arms outstretched, intense face, "Grandpa, I could've been a contender!") One of our favorites is his holding up above his head a block or other toy in each hand (he's a two-fisted player) in what seems to be an offering to the sun god.

>100 richardderus: Thanks, RD. We've got some Indy pics now, and after we catch up I'll try some from the trip.

>102 m.belljackson: Your stream table sounds great, Marianne. You had some lucky 4th grade students - and their parents were lucky, too. Way to mix learning and fun.

>103 Familyhistorian: The trip back went fine, Meg, thanks. The flight is only a little more than an hour long - we were saying the trips to and from the airport were as long or longer than the flight! Supposedly the hilliness of Pittsburgh led to the airport being situated quite a ways away, but I'm skeptical.

>104 scaifea: Morning/Afternoon, Amber! It's good to be back - our own bed (much more comfortable!), we know where everything is, all that stuff. Plus the weather is - gasp! dare I say it? - quite pleasant. *knock on wood* If we'd been able to smuggle Rafa out with us, we'd be all set.

>105 richardderus: Gingerbread pancakes? Let's give it a go, Richard.

>107 m.belljackson: Right, Marianne? Indy is quite the photogenic pup. I gotta say, she seems to think that, not only that cache container, but almost anything that holds something - purse, bag, box, envelope, backpack, whatever - may have a delicious treat in it. She lives in intensely focused hope whenever anything like that shows up.

All right, let's try again with the pics. Here's Rafa after, during our geocaching adventures, he found The One Stick That Answers All Questions:

Yay! This was a tough one to get posted. This is Becca triumphant after finding the most difficult cache of all - we had to find 6 others first, each of which had a clue. This final one was tucked away in a cool cave up a hillside in Pittsburgh's lovely Allegheny Cemetary.

>111 jnwelch: Oh my yes please! I've been immersed in Jodi Taylor's latest St Mary's book, Hope for the Best, and forgot to eat lunch.

>114 jnwelch: That's as happy a face and smile as Indy's cuteness brings to me!

>115 richardderus: Woo, glad it worked, Richard. Tough day in the kitchen!

Ha! I'm a sucker for Indy's and Becca's cuteness. Becca is so thrilled about geocaching. It's her cuppa, for sure. After getting back to Chicago, she immediately went out and geocached some more. I think she found three before going back to work. But that one in >114 jnwelch: was the creme de la creme.

>116 magicians_nephew: this response to your message was deleted by its author, Jim

When I finished reading the graphic memoir Good Talk by Mira Jacob, my first thought was, "I want everyone to read this." Growing up in the USA, romance, racism, trying to find your way when there are wrong-doers among the trustworthy, it's honest, insightful, thought-provoking and page-turning.

Mira is a dark-skinned East Indian woman, and her family feels sorry for her because, of course, Indian men prefer their Indian women light-skinned like her sister. She marries a good guy Jewish man who has trouble understanding this concept, and that it isn't about him.



The book addresses racism in many forms, some subtle, some not. E.g. when she's at her in-laws for a party, two men assume she's the help, and keep asking her to get them drinks. She is raising a son in this difficult environment, and has to explain both the joy of hope in the Obama era and the dread and danger in the Trump era. Even worse, her in-laws, whom she loves and who love her, are Trump supporters. They think she and her husband are overreacting. There's an amazing section in which her white friend explains that they, and others like them, are like sleepwalkers. They don't see the racial problems because they don't personally experience them and, like sleepwalkers, if you wake them up by showing them, they don't like it - they get mad.

As you can tell, the presentation is in stripped-down dialogue that works really well. I've never seen anything quite like it. She has just about every type of romance possible before marrying, while her skeptical-of-American-love parents keep trying to get her hooked up with a nice Indian boy.



Her exchanges with her ever-curious and enthusiastic son are both funny and poignant.



I hope our readers give this a try. It's an honest and inventive portrait of a woman working her way through many of our time's important issues on an intimate basis. Many thanks to Nancy (alphaorder) for suggesting it.

>118 jnwelch: - It does look good! Unfortunately, my library system seems to have only an ebook version. I don't think that will work for me. I will ask them and maybe they can get a hard copy version in the system.

>106 seasonsoflove: Hooray for Becca & Indy and their new apartment. Indy looks quite content. It is this in the same general area, of your last apartment?

>113 jnwelch: Congrats to Rafa, for finding the One Stick! The kid is a natural.

Sweet Thursday, Joe. Welcome home. Great review of the Good Talk! Jacob is not bad to look at either. Wolfish grin... I am fortunate to have this one waiting in the wings and I will start it in a few days. Looking forward to it. Which Jackson Brodie book are you reading?

>118 jnwelch: Coolness. Not in my county's system, but it's too bad it's not.

>113 jnwelch:

That concentrated attention - he's obviously figuring out how to use One Stick to create a shadow to measure the height of his Redwood...

>119 jessibud2: I agree, Shelley. I never read graphic works in ebook form. Not the same. I'm glad Good Talk looks good to you. I hope your library can get you a hard copy.

>120 msf59: Thanks, Mark. That Rafa kid is a natural, isn't he. He is now Master of the One Stick. :-)

In case Becca doesn't see your question (it's hectic for her right now), her new place is northwest, about 20 minutes from our place rather than the five to the southeast. It's closer to her school and Indy's daycare, and Horner Park. It's going to be quite a step up for her - bigger and nicer, for not much more money. First floor of a home, with the landlords above her - I liked her landlady a lot (a reader!), and Debbi says the husband's a keeper, too.

>121 msf59: Sweet Thursday, buddy. Thanks re the review! You're going to love Good Talk!

The author is very attractive. When her looks get put down because of her color in the book, you'll be thinking, are you kidding me?

I just finished When Will There Be Good News, and I'm a ways into One Good Turn now. I want more Reggie!

>122 richardderus: That is too bad, Richard. I hope it gets well enough known that your county system picks it up.

>123 m.belljackson: Ha! That may well be it, Marianne. The circumference of the Earth probably is next for our little Eratosthenes.

>2 jnwelch: I just saw that you have read Lulu Anew, a GN, up above. I have that out from the library at the moment. I was drawn to it because of its subject matter, the dissatisfied wife and mother. It is such an under-examined and under-written-about area. I am only 1/4 of the way through but like it a lot already.

>118 jnwelch: This looks really good Joe, although I have a weird feeling I read some of this as a standard essay a while back. Or maybe I just came across this Buzzfeed article? https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/mirajacob/questions-from-my-mixed-race-son#...
No idea.
I'll look out for a copy.

>126 LovingLit: Hi, Megan. I loved Lulu Anew, and Mark liked it, too. I think you're going to be very happy with it. I'm going to try to review his The Initiates this weekend, which is very different, and very good.

>127 charl08: I'll check the link, Charlotte, thanks. I hope you find Good Talk; can you tell I liked it? :-)

Tom Gauld

'Morning, Joe! Happy Friday to you.

Congats to Becca on her new apartment.

The pic of Rafa holding The One Stick That Answers All Questions is priceless.

>129 jnwelch: "an enchanted tureen" would've worked fine.

Friday Scryday: I foresee the unstoppable rise of pistachio-bergamot creme patissiere in the $5 donut world.

Hi Joe, so glad you and walklover had an excellent time helping Rafa celebrate his first birthday. Such a fun age and so much energy. If only there was a way to bottle it! Thanks for sharing the pictures.

ETA: Good Talk looks, well, ‘good’. I have already read my graphic novel for the year, but I am tempted to read this one as well. Maybe there’s hope for conversion yet. ;-)

Tomorrow is the big moving day, as Dad said the place is about 4 times the size of where Indy and I have been living, 2 bedrooms instead of one, big kitchen, and there's even a nice-sized middle room that will become my library, something I've always dreamed of!

Thanks so much for all the kind words about Indy everyone! Here are some Indy pictures (I post a picture of her a day at her Instagram account, @msindybindyterrier).

Indy is a model for a dog bandanna and bow tie company, here she is modeling some of their products:







Here's Indy "helping" me read:





And here's a picture I just love of her:

Indy is a perfect spokesdog for bandannas. No question.

Many congratulations on getting your own library! YAY!!

>133 seasonsoflove: I hope you and Indy will be very happy n your new home Becca.

I love her style.

>130 karenmarie: Happy Friday, Karen.

We're all excited about getting Becca and Indy into her lovely new apartment. It's quite a step up. Thanks for the congrats.

Ha! Rafa loves to hold things up, like the One Stick, with great intensity and meaning. I'm glad I was able to catch him on this one, and that you enjoyed it.

>131 richardderus: *chuckle* I loved the enchanted tureen idea, Richard. That would've been my choice. I enjoy thinking of the story proceeding along similar lines, but with that as its central macguffin. I imagine Lizzie going to Pemberley, and being awestruck by the other enchanted objects kept there.

I trust your prescience on the pistachio-bergamot creme patissiere. Here's what we came up with:

>136 jnwelch: Well, there is that enchanted Chocolate Pot disrupting Regency England.

>132 Donna828: Hi, Donna. Thanks - walklover and I did have an excellent time helping Rafa celebrate his first birthday. His energy boggles my mind; his father was like that. I'm not sure a bottle exists that could contain it!

Graphic books take on so many different forms now; I was surprised by the format Mira Jacob used in Good Talk, and I ended up loving it. You could read it and just call it "a memoir"; the fact that it's graphic can be our secret.

>133 seasonsoflove: I recognize that delightful warrior princess, Becca, I mean, that delightful bandanna fashion model. I'll always treasure how she was "helping" you read in the 5th one.

>134 richardderus: Doesn't Indy make for a great bandanna spokesdog, RD?

Becca has been longing for her own library room for so long; the room she mentions will be perfect for it. I know that Dame Agatha and Sherlock Holmes and true crime will be well-represented, but she has wide-ranging tastes (she's the one who got me to read Bulgakov and Gogol, for example). I'm looking forward to browsing.

>135 Caroline_McElwee: That Indy's got quite the style, doesn't she, Caroline. She and Becca confer on every outfit. Indy's quite the good sport about it all.

Becca already loves her new apartment, and Indy will - there's much more room and length for Indy to do her "zoomies", as she gallops from one end to the other and back. At 2 /12 years old, she has almost as much energy as Rafa, and a lot more speed.

>137 quondame: Hi, Susan. Are we talking about Patricia Wrede's Enchanted Chocolate Pot? I haven't read it, but I see it described as having a tip of the hat to Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer. That would fit our Tom Gauld-inspired imaginings.

Bargain The creepy Shirley Jackson classic We Have Always Lived in the Castle is available as an e-book today for $1.99.

The Initiates, graphic nonfiction, is by the author of Lulu Anew. Although very different, it's as good as that one or better. Graphic book writer Davodeau and artisanal wine maker Richard Leroy agree to teach one another their respective vocations. Davodeau assigns Leroy many seminal graphic novels to read, and together they attend conventions, and meet publishers and printers. Meanwhile, Leroy has Davodeau working by his side in his vineyard, and meeting barrelmakers, wine-selling restauranteurs and other winemakers. While the reader, through their exchanges, learns a lot about both vocations (for me, particularly winemaking!), these are two interesting and inquiring individuals who have gentle humor and much to say about life in general. I found this charming and unflaggingly interesting, with beautiful drawings by Davodeau.

I loved their times in the vineyard, shaping it and helping it reach fruition.



The meetings with other winemakers and restauranteurs seemed so fun.



Richard was frank in his reactions to graphic artists, even dissing one of my favorites, Moebius.

Huh! Well, that's an interesting idea indeed. Sounds like all us Richards have good taste. *preen*

>141 jnwelch: Richards of the World Unite! Yes, all you Richards do seem to be an elite group. You'd get a kick out of curmudgeonly but full of integrity Richard Leroy.

In Confederates in the Attic, journalist Tony Horwitz tours many historic southern Civil War battle sites and towns, struck by how alive and important the Civil War remains for so many Southerners. I can't believe it took this long for me to read this one; I loved his Blue Latitudes, about the voyages of Captain Cook, and I'd thought about this one many times. It took my LT brother Mark singing its praises on the phone to get me in gear.

Among other things, Horwitz becomes involved in Civil War enactments, where "hardcore" participants will go to great lengths for authenticity:

“Look at these buttons,” one soldier said, fingering his gray wool jacket. “I soaked them overnight in a saucer filled with urine.” Chemicals in the urine oxidized the brass, giving it the patina of buttons from the 1860s. “My wife woke up this morning, sniffed the air and said, ‘Tim, you’ve been peeing on your buttons again.”

No surprise, issues of race remain important. "Vicksburg confirmed the dispiriting pattern I'd seen elsewhere in the South . . . Everywhere, it seemed, I had to explore two pasts and two presents, one white, one black, separate and unreconcilable. The past had poisoned the present and the present, in turn, now poisoned remembrance of things past." Horwitz's sense of humor helps make the sometimes difficult journey companionable, and there are insights galore:

“You asked how I'd define prejudice. That's it. Making assumptions about people you've never met.” (I love this one!)

“The way I see it," King said, "your great-grandfather fought and died because he believed my great-grandfather should stay a slave. I'm supposed to feel all warm inside about that?”

“For Robert Lee Hodge, {participating in Civil War reenactments} was also a way of life. As the Marlon Brando of battlefield bloating, he was often hired for Civil War movies.” (This specialist in battlefield bloating becomes an important traveling companion; I think that's a photo of him on the cover).

Anyway, I can't think of a reason not to give this five stars. It was written in 1998, but feels like he wrote it yesterday. It gave me more insights into how Trump supporters view the world than any other book I've read, including Hillbilly Elegy. A favored few can create page-turning nonfiction, and this guy is one of them. I want to read more of his; probably his A Voyage Long and Strange next.

As it says on the cover, David Mitchell's Number9dream was a Man Booker finalist, so you know the quality is there. It is a bizarre tale he tells; I felt like I fell down a Murakami hole into Tokyo Dreamland. Our narrator Eiji Miyake is a 20-year-old Japanese student, newly arrived in Tokyo in search of his never-met father. His persistence in his quest is heroic, as no one, including his father, wants Eiji to find him. We find ourselves in some kind of cyberpunk detective story strewn with Yakuza, while a charming romance slowly and unexpectedly develops. Armchair travelers will love the sensation of being right there in Tokyo's streets with Eiji.

Be prepared to feel unmoored, though; sometimes what is happening is only in Eiji's imagination, and connections between scenes can be dreamlike. This is an early Mitchell book (his second, I think), and some sections feel amateurish. The main one for me was the "Goatwriter" material in the latter part of the book, fables that didn't aid the plot and seemed self-indulgent.

But Mitchell is so talented, this is still a fun read. Eiji gets to meet John Lennon, who wrote the song "#9dream", and there's even a hint that he has read Murakami. Those who enjoy Mitchell will get a kick out of this forerunner of such great books as Cloud Atlas, Bone Clocks and Slade House.

>144 jnwelch: Interesting observance about the timeliness of Confederates in the Attic, Joe. I read it in 2012, when we were celebrating President Obama's second term, and in my review I wondered if 9/11, the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, and the election of an African American President might have changed things from the way Horwitz found them in 1998. I'm guessing we know the answer now.

>144 jnwelch: Excellent, Joe! I read CitA last July and was also shocked that it was written in 1998. Sadly, not much has changed, and what has changed has become even more polarized.

I've been meaning to read Confederates in the Attic for awhile now, Joe, and I really should move it up the list.

Glad you've had some fun times with Rafa and the rest of the family and some good reads! Happy weekend!

Wow, I love the flurry of reviews! Great job. I also loved Confederates and enjoyed Number9dream. I also agree with your comments. 2nd tier Mitchell, but worth reading. It looks like I need to request The Initiates. I loved Lulu Anew.

Morning, Joe. Happy Sunday. Snow on the ground? Really? Glad Becca's move went so smoothly yesterday. Love the photos that were posted.

Happy Sunday, Joe, and many more.

...wait...that's birthdays...oh well, works for days of the week as well.

>146 laytonwoman3rd: Yeah, seems that way to me, Linda. What has happened since 1998 doesn't feel like it's significantly changed the views we get in Confederates in the Attic. Except delight among many of them that a white supremacist is president.

>147 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen! It shocked me to find out that Confederates in the Attic was written in 1998. It felt much more recent, like just a few years ago. As you say, not much has changed, and what has changed has become even more polarized.

>148 bell7: What I can promise you, Mary, is that you'll have a really good read when you get to Confederates in the Attic. Mark was surprised I hadn't read it yet, with good reason. Horwitz is a talented author and . . . investigative journalist, I guess, is the best way to put it, taking on a fascinating subject.

Happy Weekend! We did have a great visit with Rafa and those big people he hangs out with. This weekend we got our beloved daughter moved into her new, much better apartment - actually, we didn't have to do much at all. Her movers were super-efficient, getting it all done by 10 am, and before the lousy, snowy(!) weather dumped on us. Today we're picking up a kitchen table for her from a virtual garage sale - a nice blonde wood one.

>149 msf59: Hi, buddy. Yeah, I was determined to get those reviews done. I promised a pal I'd keep up with mini-reviews - oh yeah, that was you!

2d tier Mitchell but (well) worth reading, yup. I'm really glad I did - Number9Dream is my type of book, and I loved seeing that Eiji had read Murakami. Ha! Perfect.

Yes, do request The Initiates; you'll really like it, methinks. Our library had it, so I'm hopeful that yours will. I'm thinking about buying a copy of Mira Jacob's Good Talk; I loved that one. I did buy my own copy of The Initiates.

Happy Sunday, man. Enjoy the day off. It did go surprisingly smoothly with Becca's move, mainly thanks to those on-top-of-their-game movers. Aren't those FB pics of her place cool to see? She said she got teary-eyed after getting all the books up in her library room - she's wanted a library forever, and now she has one. She deserves it, and more.

I know, that weather yesterday was so crappy. I hope it wasn't too nasty while you were out working. It looks way better today. We're about to head over to Trader Joe's to re-supply.

>150 richardderus: Ha! Happy Sunday, and many more to you, too, Richard. I like that. Madame MBH plans to live for at least a few more decades, and expects me to keep up with her, so many more Sundays fits that.

Bargains: Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman on e-readers for $1.99. Another good one by Mr. G.

Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card for $1.99. After Ender's Game, I liked this one and Speaker for the Dead, and found the rest of the Ender books meh.

The Western Star by Craig Johnson - a Longmire mystery for $1.99?! They're all good, IMO, and this one certainly was.

Tonight I do my semester duty for our mindfulness mind break and read a children's book. This time around I am going to read Star Stuff: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos and then recite the Corretta Scott King Illustrator award poem/book Stuff of Stars. This all takes about 20 minutes and all the students who stay in the CMC (Curriculum Materials Center) get free hot chocolate to drink. This lesson plan is a bit more elaborate than what I have done in past semesters - but Hole Story of the Doughnut was checked out.

All of this means that I have to practice this afternoon in order to get the drama right for Stuff of Stars.

You had a different reaction to Confederates in the Attic than I did. I read it recently, and found it was awfully disturbing to have the joking and jovial description of white supremacists and confederate sympathizer. I suspect that in 1998, I would've enjoyed it, but today all of that seemed too real for joking.

>154 benitastrnad:. Good for you, Benita. I hope all went well with Star Stuff and Stuff of Stars. Nice pairing!

>155 banjo123:. I can see that kind of reaction, Rhonda, although I find humor helpful in dealing with dark topics. As I’ve mentioned, Andy Borowitz’s humor has really helped me endure the darkest political time I’ve known, and I’m old enough to have seen a lot of dark.

I also would rather know and understand than not, and Horwitz does a graceful job of making that possible.

True to form, later today I’ll try to find something to make us laugh!

I think the original Ender's Game trilogy is so good as to break your heart. True that some of the later visits to the Ender well came up dry for me.

Some people nowadays snicker about the "The Civil War was about States Rights" meme but I think Horowitz makes a case for "States Rights" as something to listen respectfully to.

>158 jnwelch: I'm pleased that Rachel Ingalls is experiencing this. And sad it's posthumous. But Gauld, as always, delivers the hee hee hees.

As Dad mentioned above, I now have a room that is entirely devoted to being a library!



A place to read in the morning:



And Indy living her best life (she now has two beds of course, one for the living room and a new one for the library):

>160 seasonsoflove: Becca! How lovely your new home is! So happy you're settling in to grow that library. Schmoozle Indy's ears from me.

>160 seasonsoflove: Aww, beautiful library and beautiful Indy!

Thanks for the heads up re: the Craig Johnson book, Joe. I have fallen a little behind in that series and need to pull one down from the shelves soon!

>160 seasonsoflove: Love the new apartment, so nice for both you and Indy to have an outside area. It was the built in book shelves hat sold our apartment to me so I understand the thrill of having your own library. :)

>160 seasonsoflove: That's looking really inviting!

I actually dropped by the cafe specifically to invite everyone to come on over to The Jay Parini thread for the May 2019 American Authors Challenge. There'll be pierogi and kielbasa and all the pizza you can eat!

>159 richardderus:. Hi, Richard.

I didn’t know about Rachel Ingalls. Is Mrs. Caliban the place to start?

>160 seasonsoflove:. Jeez, this place looks familiar, Becca. Love the photos. We’re so happy you have your own library now, and such a nice apartment. Well-deserved! It’s easy to tell that Indy loves the new digs.

>161 richardderus:. :-)

>162 foggidawn:. Right, foggi? Beautiful Indy is very happy to be in the beautiful new apartment.

>163 DeltaQueen50:. You’re welcome re the Craig Johnson, Judy. I’m connected to Book Bub now, and they list bargains across all e-readers, so it’s not just Kindle, which I appreciate. I love that Longmire series.

It’s a very cozy library at Becca’s new place, perfect for reading. She SO deserves a nice place; the one before was fine for her stage in life, but much smaller. And here she has the very nice landlords above her in a house; the prior one was in a big corporate apartment building.

>164 laytonwoman3rd:. Ha! I love the Jay Parini Thread invite, Linda. That sounds delicious and fun. I’m mainly steering clear of challenges this year, but I’ll enjoy seeing folks’ comments on it.

>165 jnwelch: Oh yes, Joe, the best place to start reading Ingalls is Mrs. Caliban. IMO it's the very, very pinnacle of her ouevre and that's always the best place to start. Then Three Masquerades, which has On Ice in it...as close to perfect as I can imagine a Gothic novelette being.

But, and I am hesitant to mention this, if you want to read the novella that made Easter make sense to me...how weird it feels to type that...go for Theft and The Man Who Was Left Behind. Two novellas in one volume, available at that link for $12.50...only one copy offered!...and what a joyous thing it is! Ingalls offered me instruction and enlightenment! I wasn't looking for or expecting it, but permaybehaps the only way to be instructed when one is resistant is to be surprised.

>160 seasonsoflove: Nice Becca, but far too tidy!

The Yorkie is a star - such an expressive little face.

>188 jnwelch:. Thanks, RD. I’ll give Mrs. Caliban a go, and then follow up on the others if it fits my eccentric outlook. She sure sounds like a standout author. Easter . . . Making sense to you . . . I feel somehow I fell into the underbrush and can’t see my way out. What planet is this again?

>189 benitastrnad:. :-)

Happy Wednesday, Joe. That looks like one mighty spiffy apartment.

Thanks so much everyone! Indy and I are very, very happy in our new place!

>145 jnwelch: That looks fantastic! I will keep an eye out for it. As for My Sister the Serial Killer, which you mentioned higher up in the thread, I wanted to read it for our bookclub meeting next month; but, alas, it was not chosen. I will still make an effort to get to it. :)

>171 Familyhistorian:. Is it me, or is it still Tuesday, Meg? The retired life can jumble our calendar sense; I know from experience!

Anyway, thanks. Happy whatever day it may be.

That is one spiffy apartment. We’re so happy for Ms. Becca and her furry pal.

>172 seasonsoflove:. Well done, young lady!

>157 magicians_nephew:. I missed you up there, Jim. It looks like close-in-time posting is the culprit again.

I’ve read it, but I can never remember the title of the third Ender’s Game book. It’s way beyond a trilogy now, isn’t it. Speaker for the Dead grabbed me, and has stayed with me, but the one after, not as much.

I have to admit, I’m one of those who has trouble with the “States’ Rights” idea for the Civil War, as continuing slavery was the “right” that drove it all. I understand, to some extent, the frustration and resentment about being told they (the slave states) could not continue doing that, when so many wanted self-determination, but it I can’t feel any sympathy for something so obviously wrong. “They were happy being taken care of on the plantation” - give me a break. How would any of us feel as work prisoners?

I do feel I have a much better understanding of the views of many Southerners thanks to Horwitz, and that’s a step in the right direction. We can’t lump everyone together, and we can’t dismiss a whole group of people as “deplorables”, even if that wasn’t what was intended. We (politically) need to understand them and address them with that understanding in mind. There’s a solid third of the country who apparently is willing to put up with whatever Trump says and does, as long as he champions them and irritates liberals.

>173 The_Hibernator:. Number9Dream is one heck of a read, Rachel, even with its flaws. Some have been under-impressed with My Sister, The Serial Killer, but I’m not one of them. I thought it was exceptionally good, and you’ll find it a surprisingly fast read.

>160 seasonsoflove: I love the library, Becca and I like that little deck, that Indy can enjoy.

Hi, Joe. Another super-cruddy day out there. There were very few breaks in the rain and it literally down-poured the last hour. I was glad to get home and get out of my damp clothes.

Did you read The Tradition? It is an award-winning poetry collection that Nancy recommended. Not all of it works for me, especially in the 2nd-half, but there are some definite gems. Have you read Mark Strand? I am currently reading his Pulitzer winning volume Blizzard of One. He has an interesting style, although I am not sure I am completely bowled over.

I just finished a fun and entertaining GN called Check Please, about a college hockey team. A bit overlong, but I think you would like it. Now, I can FINALLY move onto Good Talk.

Hello Joe! I hope all is well with you.

Did you get to Avengers: Endgame this weekend?

I have to share this quote from Louise Erdrich from her book Books and Islands in Ojibwa Country in which she tells about the northern most part of Minnesota that is home to her ancestors, and about her life in Minneapolis as an author and a bookstore owner. I thought that you and Seasonoflove would like it now that Becca has her own library space.

We have lots of books in our house. They are our primary decorative motif - books in piles on the coffee table, framed book covers, books sorted into stacks on every available surface, and of course books on shelves along most walls. Besides the visible books, there are the boxes waiting in the wings, the basement books, the garage books, the storage locker books. They are a sort of insulation, soundproofing some walls. They function as furniture, they prop up sagging fixtures and disguised by quilts function as tables. The quantities and types of books are fluid, arriving like hysterical cousins in overnight shipping envelopes only to languish near the overflowing mail bench. Advance Reading Copies collect at bedside, to be dutifully examined, ... I can't imagine home without an overflow of books. The point of books is to have way too many but to always feel you never have enough, or the right one at the right moment,..." page 6 - 7.

>175 jnwelch:

States' Rights was always the Confederate pretension that The Civil War was not about slavery - was it States' Rights picking the cotton and tobacco that drove the Southern economy?
States' Rights ended the efforts of Reconstruction, supported the horrors of lynching, Jim Crow, and everything else racist from 1619 right up to what we are still tolerating from trump.

Maybe that one third will slightly wake up when the Democrats (finally) prove that trump and company effectively pay no taxes.
Maybe - but more likely they will just decide that paying no taxes is what ALL white people are entitled to.

>178 msf59:. Hi, Mark.

Arggh. It’s raining, and supposedly will keep doing it today and tomorrow. What the hey? Not particularly warm either. I hope all this brings . . . June flowers.

This must be a treat to work in (not). You may be delivering in an ark if this keeps up.

I have read a lot of Mark Strand, but not his Blizzard of One. I haven’t read The Tradition either. Thank you to you and Nancy for the tips. I’ve got a Carol Ann Duffy lined up next.

Check Please is new to me, too. I’ll take a look. I’m still enjoying Museum of Mistakes and American Gods Volume 2.

>179 brodiew2:. Hi, Brodie. We haven’t yet gotten to the new Avengers movie. Did you? Good?

>180 benitastrnad:. Ha! That’s a lovely Louise Ehrdrich quote. We can all relate. I got a kick out of her throwing a quilt over a properly-shaped pile of books and - Voila! A table!

>181 m.belljackson:. Agreed, Marianne. And the electoral college, apparently, which has become obsolete if it ever wasn’t.

Can’t wait to see Trump’s tax returns. I don’t think his stonewall is going to hold up. Yes, your cynical remark made me laugh - I imagine that Trump and others do believe that (rich) white people should pay no taxes. It’ll trickle down to ... their heirs, and stimulate the economy, right?

Morning, Joe. I just started Good Talk last night and I love it all ready. Do you have a Strand favorite you can recommend?

>183 jnwelch:

Joe - "understanding" for Confederates is impossible when you read online "The Limestone Cove Tragedy" or "The Limestone Cove Massacre!"

>184 msf59:. Yay for Good Talk! Isn’t it great, Mark? Kudos to Nancy for blazing the trail.

I’m an Edward Hopper fan, so I particularly liked Mark Strand’s Hopper. He has a Collected Poems volume, but I’d recommend his New Selected Poems (can’t get the touchstone to work). You can move on to the Collected if you get hooked.

>185 m.belljackson:. Those are new to me, Marianne. I don’t think most of the recalcitrant Confederates care whether we understand them, but I think we need to, as part of having 2020 go better politically than 2016 did.

I invite your attention to a *shudder* poetry collection over here.

>187 richardderus: Very fine, thanks, Richard. Shudder-free, as far as I can tell. :-)

Tony Horowitz has a new book out about the South. Spying on the South: An Odyssey Across the American Divide I think it is going to be released in sometime in May. Since you just finished his previous book about the South I thought you might be interested. Here is the Publishers Weekly review of it.

Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Horwitz (Confederates in the Attic) follows the trail of Frederick Law Olmsted, 19th-century reporter and legendary landscape architect, across the American South in this expansive and generously conceived travelogue. His pursuit of Olmsted, “a Connecticut Yankee exploring the Cotton Kingdom on the eve of secession and civil war” for the New York Daily Times, takes Horwitz by train, boat, car, and mule through West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, as he documents the “diversity and capaciousness of America.” Horwitz observes general challenges throughout the region—a “heartland hollowed out by economic and social decay,” disappearing rural towns, toxic industries, jobs moving from manufacture to tourism, obesity, and drugs—and allegiances, especially to evangelical Christianity and guns, but also discerns a unique character in each region, among them the Cajun identity of south Louisiana and the history of German radicals in Texas. Horwitz delights in the absurd and easily interlaces history with his many adventures—among them cruises on a coal tow and a steamboat, mudding in Louisiana, a re-enactment at the Alamo—where he encounters generous hospitality, warm intelligence, and, occasionally, bald bigotry. Throughout, Horwitz brings humor, curiosity, and care to capturing the voices of the larger-than-life characters he encounters. A huge canvas of intricate details, this thoughtful and observant work delicately navigates the long shadow of America’s history.

>189 benitastrnad: Thanks, Benita. I did see that in PW. I'm torn between going back to an old Horwitz I haven't read and trying this new one. Familiar problem, right?

Of *course* it's a Gahan Wilson cartoon. My favorite cartoonist, even darker than Charles Addams.

>193 jnwelch: Hee-hee. Mr. Wilson is the master of creepy, isn't he.

For some reason it made me think of this one, which Madame MBH and I reenact every time we fly:

Joe never saying I agree with the "States Right" false face that the Confederacy hung over the right to keep slaves - but I do think understanding "States Rights" helps to understand some of our fellow citizens.

End of beating that dead horse

>193 jnwelch: HA!!

Now go peek at the one I sent you on FB.

>190 jnwelch:

Sure would be welcome if the States Rights states would mandate the teaching - at all elementary, middle, and high schools -
of the Origin of European Ancestry.

There would be maps showing EVERYONE meandering outta the African Savannas after little Lucy, where it could suddenly all make sense!

No dead horse to those with ancestors who were murdered, unarmed, in cold blood by Confederates at Limestone Cove.

Loving all the cartoons Joe, I'm with you and MBH on >193 jnwelch: Ha.

>160 seasonsoflove: such a lovely library and reading chair (one of my favourite colours Becca), and I'm glad Indy has her new reading bed too.

>194 magicians_nephew:. Gotcha, Jim, thanks. Poor horse. :-)

>195 richardderus:. Oh man, I’ll try to get to Facebook tonight, brother. I have trouble keeping up with LT! I’m glad you got a kick out of >193 jnwelch:.

>196 m.belljackson:. Yeah, we all go back to a common origin, don’t we, Marianne. Someone with a cosmic eye taking in all of it would be amazed at how good we are at screwing up on this gift of a planet.

>197 Caroline_McElwee:. Right, Caroline? What a revelation! Who knew that’s how seatbelts work.

Becca and Indy are mighty happy in their new abode. And their folks/human grandparents are mighty happy for them.

One of my favorite comfort reads is on sale today! Find it here:
https://www.amazon.com/Thread-Binds-Chapel-Hollow-Novels-ebook/dp/B01L0Y8P2O/ref...

I'm thinking if you liked Liad, you'll like this, although it's fantasy rather than science fiction (and Richard won't care for it).

>199 ronincats: I shall raise my shields and set phasers to "roast beast, anyone?" settings.

>193 jnwelch: 😂

I think that you can count on me joining you and Debbi in London in September, Joe.

>141 jnwelch: I know someone who is into wine and art (actively employed in both areas) who would love that GN! I am into both areas as well, as an enthusiast amateur :)

I love all your cartoons. I am an avid Gary Larson fan, and his cartoons feature regularly on my Facebook feed, a fantastic way to cheer up a feed that can get clogged with bad/political/environmental news of a not so cheery nature.

Love the seatbelt on the plane one above!!

Hi Joe! Happy Thursday to you.

>189 benitastrnad: Hadn’t heard about it, Benita. Another BB. My sister and I are going to Biltmore next Tuesday as part of a 3-day road trip while she visits, and there will be lots of good info about Frederick Law Olmsted there – George Vanderbilt employed him to landscape the grounds in the 1890s.

>193 jnwelch: Appropriate, as my sister is flying from CA to NC today. I’ll have to ask her if she learned how to buckle that pesky seatbelt.

Thursday macaroons, Joe:

Spend it wisely. Eat of them, and sip from the Mug of Mastery in Pomona's name. Ra-men.

>204 richardderus: *absconds plate of macaroons before Joe wakes up*

*shares half with Debbi*

>205 kidzdoc: HELP HELP
DESSERT THIEF CATCH HIM CATCH HIM!!

*sigh* Moves fast for an old guy.

All's I have left is some weird cheeseburger macarons, sorry Joe:

If you’ll forgive me, I want to do a review first. I just finished The Rosie Result, and loved it big time.



This is the third in a trilogy that starts with The Rosie Project, continues with The Rosie Effect, and finishes with this one. It features brilliant but socially inept Don Tillman, his attempts to learn how to be “normal”, and his love for the level-headed Rosie. The books are very funny, with the humor often subtly coming from Don’s misunderstanding, or failure to understand, his interactions with “normal” people.

He’s such an appealing character, unfailingly honest, with intentions we can all envy. I think of Rosie as rough and tumble; she knows how to take on the world and make it pay attention. She sees him as he really is, and is willing to take that on, too.

Giving almost any plot details about this one would be a spoiler if you haven’t read the first two. Issues of what autism is and our prejudices and misconceptions are skillfully handled. There’s an autistic activist who challenges “neurotypicals” (us), and our assumptions in a way that fits with the most recent developments I’m aware of.

It’s all improbable, but it’s also touching and filled with truth. The importance of love, of “muddling through”, of being open to help from friends and family, of the importance of individuality and fighting for it, all play big roles in this one.

It’s a rare book that is so . . . Positive in it outlook, while being willing to take on big issues. And funny. It’s charmingly funny. I wish Don and Rosie and the others were real. I wish they were here in our house right now. Five stars.

>206 richardderus: Fine. Joe can have that. Debbi and I will eat the good stuff (and share it with Becca, of course).

>207 jnwelch: Wow. Great review of The Rosie Project, Joe. That looks like one for the wish list. Would you recommend reading the previous two books in this trilogy first?

>207 jnwelch: Oh, I loved the first two books, so I'll have to bump that one up on my list. (I knew it was coming out, but your review makes me want to read it sooner rather than later.)

>199 ronincats:. Thanks, Roni! I snapped up The Thread That Binds the Bones at $1.99. Thanks for the recommendation!

>200 richardderus:. Who knew that shields and phasers had such a setting, Richard. Are you sure that isn’t some kind of fantasy? (Hee-hee)

>201 kidzdoc:. Hurrah! That’s great news re September in London, Darryl. On hearing the news, Debbi said, “Oh, thank God”. Ha!

>202 LovingLit:. Hi, Megan. Oh good, The Initiates should be perfect for you and your friend. I’m never going to look at a glass of wine the same way again - my appreciation of the journey to my glass has become much deeper.

I love Gary Larson’s cartoons, too. I’m glad you’re enjoying the cartoons here. I love that seatbelt one.

>203 karenmarie:. Sweet Thursday, Karen.

Ha! I’m glad you’ll be checking with your sister on her seatbelt knowledge after flying. Sweet Mother of God!

>204 richardderus:. Ha! Ra-men, RD. Thanks for the macaroons, and I see you came up with a (large and unusual) macaron, too, in another post. What a guy! Anything you want, on the house today.

>205 kidzdoc: Hey, wait. What happened? Is that Darryl? Plate? What?

>206 richardderus:. He does move fast for an old guy, doesn’t he, RD. Sigh. Thanks for trying. You’d think he’d find enough cookies at the nurses’ station. Jeesh.

Thanks for the weird cheeseburger macaron. We all have appearance issues, right? I’m happy to enjoy its inner beauty.

>208 kidzdoc: Absconder. *tsk* And to think you're allowed contact with impressionable children! A scandal, I tell you.

>210 jnwelch: Yes, I had a word with Scotty about the phaser settings.

>212 jnwelch: Ooo! Okay...I want *real* key lime pie. The off-gamboge kind, not the scary green chemistry experiment.

>208 kidzdoc: You know, I’m starting to worry about this Debbi, Darryl, Becca triumvirate, Darryl. (Thank goodness you haven’t met Jesse yet!). You know Debbi stood over me with a big knife, smiling, right? There’s photographic evidence. And remember that book about killing husbands that she chuckled over in the bookstore while you were there? Be a pal. Tell her often what a great guy I am, despite my perhaps questionable behavior sometimes.

Yes, read the first two Rosie books first. Fingers crossed the first one (The Rosie Project) tickles your funny bone like it did mine.

>209 foggidawn:. Oh, if you loved the first two Rosie books, foggi, you’re going to be really happy with this one. I forget who tipped me off to it, darn it. I hope she stops by. I have too many marbles racing around in my head right now.

>214 richardderus:. Becca has Darryl wrapped around her little finger, Richard, so no worries there.

Scotty always reminded me of an obstreperous elf wandering in a Norse forest, don’t you think? (Woo, I’m working hard to get the fantasy element in here).

Hold that thought on the key lime pie! I must get my pc operating decently again. Fie on whatever is gumming up the works.

Here you go, Richard. (Fingers crossed!)

Sadness alert: Many of you probably have already seen this commercial with the little girl. Madame MBH just showed it to me. Don't view if you're not ready to have your heart broken. Can we really do nothing about this? https://www.thedrum.com/news/2019/04/29/young-girl-teaches-active-shooter-drill-...

That is heartbreaking Joe. I can't imagine growing up under those circumstances. Bullying at school was the worst we had to deal with, which is bad enough.

I wish there was a way that all those pro-gun folk would go to bed one night, and magically be reprogrammed to understand gun controls are right and necessary. That they are NOT an infringement of rights, but an empowerment. Every child deserves to feel safe in a learning environment, or any other environment for that matter.

>217 jnwelch: Ooo, perfection, thanks Joe!

>218 jnwelch: Ignoring! Not having my wizened, shriveled "heart-like thing" damaged! No!

>217 jnwelch: licking my lips... OUCH, did you throw something Richard?

Sweet Thursday, Joe. Good review of The Rosie Result. Thumb! Like I mentioned, I really enjoyed the first 2 books, so I am looking forward to this one. Blizzard of One is not really clicking for me, (I will finish it though) so I may have to try another Strand at some point. Also, on the poetry front, I have Dear Darkness waiting in the wings. On the GN front, I am loving Good Talk.

I am off today. Sue's Dad had a pacemaker installed yesterday, so I plan on scooping him up from the hospital, taking him to his place in Brookfield and then back here for a day or two. He is doing fine.

>221 Caroline_McElwee: Back! Back, monster!! Unpaw my pie!!

>219 Caroline_McElwee: Well said, Caroline. As you can imagine, I agree in every particular. There was an article about Columbine survivors apologizing to Parkland survivors for not having any success against it. We're all going to have to band together here and outnumber and outmaneuver the NRA and the pro-gun folks you mention.

I wish we could move with dispatch like New Zealand did. But there are too many people and too many complications here. Democracy is a messy process, and we've made a horrible mess with this one.

>220 richardderus: Ha! You're welcome, my friend. We had some problems in the kitchen, but got them solved.

I don't blame you for the ignoring. I'm still affected, and I don't think I ever won't be.

>218 jnwelch: Wow. That is a powerful video, Joe. I hadn't seen it before. I'd love it if she, and other children like her, spoke at the NRA convention, all MAGA rallies, and any gatherings of gun rights advocates and white supremacists. Thanks for sharing it with us.

I'll post that on my Facebook thread shortly.

>213 jnwelch: There are never any whole cookies or sweets at nurses' stations, only barely visible crumbs. I can't think of any action that would lead to my immediate death other than stealing cookies from the nurses.

>214 richardderus: I think this impressionable pediatrician needs to be shielded from scandalous children. I was innocent, once...

>215 jnwelch: I'm still amazed that you haven't ended up as dinner for Becca's new four legged friend, Joe.

Thanks for the recommendation about The Rosie Project. I should use this break to rejoin my local library, as it's within walking distance from where I live.

>216 jnwelch: Damn straight that Becca, and Madame MBH, have me wrapped around their little fingers. I've seen that withering and devastating eye roll that Becca has given you, and I remember that recipe book on how to cook your husband that Debbi bought at Daunt Books several years ago. If I say the wrong thing to Becca that look will incinerate me within seconds, and if there are any parts left over Debbi will slice them into pieces that an ant can consume in one bite.

>221 Caroline_McElwee: Ha! There's more where that came from, Caroline. Richard's a pussycat (oops, bad choice of words for our ailurophobic, or at least, cat-disliking friend); Richard's a puppy dog at heart, so don't worry too much.

>223 richardderus: I was going to talk to you about learning to share, RD, but then I remembered . . . it's pie. Never mind.

>226 jnwelch: "to share" is meaning what? Is not in my Englishes.

>225 kidzdoc: Agreed, Darryl. That little girl is awe-inspiring, and heart-breaking. I'd love to see her speak at all the gatherings you mention, and more. You're welcome re the post. Good idea to put it out there on FB.

I can't think of any action that would lead to my immediate death other than stealing cookies from the nurses. Ha! I love it. Point taken.

Knowing what I do about how the children at the hospital love you and respect you, I beg to differ about your changing anything.

Yes, rejoin your local library, you dolt poor, misguided young man. Did you notice this site is called "Librarything"? I would've spent us into the gutter if I didn't get most of my graphic novels at the library.

I don't think you needed to explain in such graphic detail what Becca and Debbi can do with their powers. I've survived withering eye-rolling and how to cook your husband cookbooks and any number of close scrapes, but I unreservedly assert my right to continue to do stupid and annoying things. As if I have a choice! This will come as no surprise to those two you mention; I just hope I've made them curious enough about "what the heck next?!!" to let me hang in there for a few more decades.

>227 richardderus: There is a course in "how to play well with others" as a second language, Richard, but . . . oh, never mind.

>222 msf59: Sweet Thursday, buddy. Sorry, I got caught up in the back and forth.

I'm glad you have today off. It's better now, but the rain was pounding hard in our part of the woods.

Thanks for the thumb for the review of The Rosie Result! I couldn't wait once I finished it. Debbi came up to find out why the heck I hadn't come down for breakfast. You know how sometimes the last in a trilogy is a little disappointing, even though it's okay. Not here! Very exciting.

I gotta tell you, as you may have sensed, I'm not big on Mark Strand's poetry. Worthy of respect, but not grabbing me, I guess is one way to put it. If you try another, give a peruse to his Hopper volume; the intersection with a wonderful painter helped, for me.

Debbi's brother has had a pacemaker for a few years now, and her uncle did before that. They seem miraculous to me. I hope it goes well for Sue's father. It should be a ticket eventually to more comfort and longevity. Please give our best to Sue.

Given your high tolerance for darkness, you may want to take a look at the video linked in >218 jnwelch:.

I just finished An Elegant Defense by Matt Richtel, about our immune system. I wish I could be more enthusiastic. He wore me out! It's a fascinating subject, and he's good at making it understandable, but I wish he had simplified it even more. The interaction of all the acronyms that are hard to remember, along with the complexity of the immune system, make this a tough go for the neophyte. Those with some knowledge may have a much easier time of it. What doctors and researchers are finding out, particularly (for me) about autoimmune diseases, is amazing.

*This is cribbed from a post I made on Darryl's thread.

>231 jnwelch: interesting Joe, I have Daniel M Davis's The Beautiful Cure near the top of a tbr mountain, about the same subject. Will report when I get to it.

>232 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks, Caroline. I'll be curious to hear, and I'd love to read a simpler one. Richtel was trying so hard that I feel guilty even saying that, but . . . whew.

I imagine An Elegant Defense may be a hit among pre-meds. But probably not among retired geezers.

>231 jnwelch:

Joe - any mention of Rheumatoid Arthritis in An Elegant Defense?

Both Paul's Mother and my Daughter would welcome help.

>234 m.belljackson:. Yes, actually, Marianne. Quite a lot. This review from Kirkus will give you an idea: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/matt-richtel/an-elegant-defense/

There’s much hope. I had an ER copy without an index, but you may want to grab a copy and look for the RA discussions. I tried searching it on Google books for you, but I’m not ept enough.

P.S. This from the Mayo Clinic may give you some ideas, too:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/rheumatoid-arthritis/diagnosis-tr...

>218 jnwelch: - I won't be clicking on that one but thanks for the warning. I wish every gun owner and their guns could be airlifted and dropped onto some remote island in the middle of a far-away ocean to live their lives out with their toys and each other, and leave the rest of a peace-loving society to live our lives without the fear.

The only reason to own a gun (unless you absolutely must kill in order to eat) is to use it. And the only reason I can see to use it is to kill or maim. No room for such people in a sane society. Ok, off my soapbox.

>235 jnwelch:

Thank you, Joe, we'll definitely followup.
My daughter is moving back in for awhile after housesitting for her Father for the past 9 years.
Her disease has taken 2 careers from her.

>237 m.belljackson: I'm blessed to not suffer with RA and I'm sorry to hear that your daughter has suffered so much. I have a close friend with RA and she takes methotrexate, occasional steroids and also advil and that has really helped her. She has been teaching high school since her twenties and still is. I know my MIL developed RA quite suddenly in her 60's and even the methotrexate and steroids weren't enough. My MIL had a really tough time she ended up finally on codeine and then morphine. It hits each person so differently and people respond differently to the medications.

>228 jnwelch: Ha! You're right; I am a dolt. Would you believe that the apartment complex I lived in during residency and for several years afterward was located next to a branch of the Atlanta-Fulton County Public Library, but I never set foot in there, and I haven't had a library card in the nearly 22 years I've livd here. (For that matter, I never had a library card during the four years I was in medical school at Pitt.) I also need to get an Emory Alumni Association card so that I can borrow books from the university libraries, if I can. I think that the last library card I owned came from the New York Public Library system, when I worked in the city as a research biologist at NYU Medical Center over 25 years ago.

As you said: dolt.

>231 jnwelch: Sounds like a complex read, Joe, even if it was a hopeful one.

I visited the LRB bookshop on Wednesday and had a lovely time checking out their GN shelves. Got caught up in The three Escapes of Hannah Arendt. I know little or nothing about her life but found this gripping: she lives and socialised with a fascinating community of scholars. But I also liked how the GN credited her mum with influencing her pride in her identity.

>236 jessibud2: You're welcome, Jesse. Yeah, sometimes we just need to take a pass.

You know, I grew up in a state of hunters (lot of deer, in particular), with a hunter as a close friend. (I never hunted - not in me). So I get that. But the rest, please.

>237 m.belljackson: Oh my, I'm sorry to hear the RA is so bad for your daughter, Marianne. Oof. How frustrating - and painful - for her. I hope some relief comes her way.

>238 vancouverdeb: It hits each person so differently and people respond differently to the medications. Right, Deb. You've really seen a range of how people live with RA.

>239 kidzdoc: Jeez, sorry, Darryl, I could have sworn I highlighted erased that "dolt" comment. But are you crazy? Is there something about "free books" you don't get? How about wandering through a building (often a lovely one) stuffed full of books? With ones on display that you've never heard of, but look great, and you can just take them off the shelf and take them home for - did I mention this - free?!

>240 charl08: An Elegant Defense was complex for me, Charlotte. It was an odd feeling - he (Richtel) went out of his way to simplify ideas and make them accessible to the layperson. He even had a couple of sections where he said, you don't need to read this - only read it if you want to know more about this (of course, I read them - who could resist?) So, it was weird to come away wishing it all had been simplified even further. The guy won a Pulitzer as a journalist, for goodness' sake. What a dilemma, trying to figure out much to put in and how much to leave out - and how to get it across even to cafe owners.

Someone else mentioned how good The Three Escapes of Hannah Arendt was, and I do have it on the WL. Thanks for letting me know about your positive experience with it. I have to admit, when I think of Hannah Arendt's writing, I think "dry". Probably unfair. But that's influenced me on this one. I'll give it a go - I bet our library has it.

The joys of book-owning

>243 jnwelch: - Love it!

>243 jnwelch: Why's he look so dour? This is vital stuff she's asking him!

Happy Friday-is-it-oh-ah.

>243 jnwelch: ha, funny.

>242 jnwelch: 😂 True, very true. In my (weak) defense I would say (or, at least, surmise) that the vast majority of the books I'm most interested in reading wouldn't be found in the average library, and the libraries closest to me, including the main branch of the Atlanta-Fulton County Public Library, are nowhere near as inspiring as the ones in NYC, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The last time I was in the main library branch here there were seemingly more homeless men taking up seats than legitimate library patrons, and I decided to leave shortly after I entered.

>245 richardderus: Yes, what is wrong with the husband in >243 jnwelch:?!

>244 jessibud2:, >245 richardderus:, >246 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks, Shelley, RD, and Caroline. You're right, RD - the guy's probably always like that. Happy Friday!

>247 kidzdoc: I can believe it, Darryl. I feel lucky that Chicago has a big library system from which to get books I want to read, and I'm surprised whenever they don't have a copy somewhere, no matter how obscure the book.

Ha! As I said to RD, I'm guessing that guy in >243 jnwelch: is like that all the time.

Bargain: The most excellent The Housekeeper and the Professor is available for e-readers at $2.99 today.

>247 kidzdoc: Just fresh as I am from reading The Library Book I'd like to mention that libraries now see the homeless as a particular segment of the population to whom their services are vital, and make efforts to regulate that population within library premises so that us privileged folk aren't overwhelmed. Libraries offer access to co-ordinated services to help find treatment, work and even homes for the homeless. I've never been personally approached by any of the many homeless who spend their time at the Santa Monica library, nor at any other of the libraries I visit at least 1-2 times a week.

>218 jnwelch: This is absolutely heart-rending. What has our country become? I had heard about this video but this is the first time I watched it. It is hard to keep from crying. This should be played on a loop, for all members of congress.

Happy Friday, Joe. I nice day in Chicagoland, although I would prefer a few degrees warmer. I will probably take a pass on An Elegant Defense, but I am interested in the subject matter.

Feeling a little lukewarm on Into the Beautiful North, so I don't think I will be recommending that one (a rare misfire for Mr. Urrea), although I am loving The Big Year & Good Talk.

>250 quondame:
I have been in one of the public libraries in Santa Monica. I had a cousin who lived on 4th street and just down the hill from his house was a public library. Wonderful little place.

>247 kidzdoc:
You might be surprised with the collection you would find in your public library system. Many of the public libraries have reciprocal agreements with college and university libraries in the area and can get materials to you in a short amount of time. In your case the collections at Clark-Atlanta and Moorehouse might be accessible.

One of the professors with whom I had a close relationship while he as here at UA, retired and moved back to Atlanta. He now volunteers and shelves books at one of the Fulton County Libraires. He lives not far from the Botanical Gardens and so it may be that the library in which he "works" would be close to you.

I do agree with many that the public libraries in the South are often not of the same architectural quality and don't have the amazing collections of those in other parts of the country. History accounts for most of that. Jim Crow made establishing and maintaining two separate libraries very expensive, so the libraries found in the South now don't have the same traditional backing of the public found in other parts of the country. That is slowly changing. But it is rare to find anything close to the awe inspiring institutions such as the Kuhlhaus in downtown Seattle. (The downtown branch of the King County Library System in Seattle Washington designed by Rem Kuhlhaus.), the Peabody Library in Baltimore, Or some of those unique small branch Libraires in Chicago and its suburbs. For all that- Jim Crow is at the root.

>253 benitastrnad: Santa Monica has good libraries, and the Main branch at 6th is very nice. I used to live not to far from the library I think you mentioned - back in the 70s I lived just north of Ocean Park and later moved a bit north and west to 5th St. The library on main is one of the original Carnegie buildings.

>248 jnwelch: That's great that the Chicago public library system has most of the books you want to read, Joe. I just completed an online application for a library card from the Atlanta-Fulton County Public Library (ACPL), and once I receive my temporary card in the mail I'll make my first visit to the Peachtree Library, the branch that is closest to where I live.

>250 quondame: I wholeheartedly support public libraries' efforts to help homeless individuals, and they certainly have as much right to use libraries as the rest of us do. However, the day I went to the ACPL Central Library there were at least a dozen homeless men who were sleeping or staring at people, and it felt more like a homeless shelter than a public place. The homeless in Atlanta tend to be very aggressive and, at times, hostile; I've been cursed out or verbally assaulted numerous times when I went to Centennial Olympic Park to read, and as a result I no longer go there. I'm more concerned about the safety of children, especially underprivileged ones who may not have books at home, who should be able to go to public libraries as I did reguarly as a child, without the fear of being around numerous mentally ill and substance abusing adults. If I was a parent and saw that population in the Central Library I would not allow my children to go there unsupervised. Yes, libraries should help the homeless, and they should be allowed to use public spaces, but they shouldn't be allowed to overrun these areas or threaten others.

>254 benitastrnad: Good point, Benita. Since I'm an Emory alumnus (as opposed to Clark Atlanta or Morehouse) I'd be much more likely to be able to use the rich Emory University Library system. Many of the books I read (including two of the ones I'm currently working on) are new releases that have been published in the UK but not here, and most of the authors I read are not from the US. I'll start to look for the books published in the US in the Atlanta public library system and, hopefully, the Emory libraries in the future, especially since I need to limit my book purchases in the coming 5-7 years in preparation for my probable retirement abroad.

>250 quondame:. Well said, Susan, thanks. I’ve never had a problem with a homeless person in the library either, and I wondered how the staff was trained to deal with it. Ours has one or more security people hanging around to bring additional authority if needed.

>251 msf59:. Isn’t >218 jnwelch: heartbreaking, Mark? It is such an indictment of what our country has become. That song is going to haunt me for the rest of my days. I couldn’t blame my teary eyes on a faulty ventilation system this time.

I agree - members of Congress should be forced to watch it on a loop.

>252 msf59:. Happy Friday/Saturday, Mark. Today should have better weather, and tomorrow sounds like a doozy.

I have such mixed feelings about An Elegant Defense. It’s one heck of a journalistic piece. But I think he and the editor needed to make a decision to go one way or another. I think they wanted a work capable of being widely understood and enjoyed, and failed because they got lost in the trees and couldn’t see the forest. I tabbed a bunch of pages, and looking back, it would not have been hard to simplify and subtract excessive detail.

Darryl had 4 years of immunology, and thinks (rightly, I’m sure) that it wouldn’t be a worthwhile read for him. I had zero years, and it was too complex for me to fully enjoy or recommend. You know I love this kind of science book, but he isn’t a Mukherjee or Ed Yong.

I do feel I owe it and us more than I’ve given so far, so I’m going to post some quotes from it later so everyone can see some of its upside.

Too bad on the Urrea book, but I’m glad The Big Year (sounds like fun!) and Good Talk are working well for you. I convinced Debbi that we should buy the latter; I really want to own a copy.

>253 benitastrnad:. :-)

>254 benitastrnad:. Thanks, Anita. I’d never considered the effect of Jim Crow on libraries in the south. I think the technical term is “so stupid.” Schools were affected in a similar way, I’m sure.

I love the Seattle library, too. I was surprised by how nice the LA one is; we went to a wedding there.

>255 quondame:. I’ve made it a mission to try to get to all the great bookstores in this country, Susan (I’m unlikely to succeed, but I sure like the project). Doing the same for libraries would be a lot of fun, wouldn’t it.

>256 kidzdoc:. Hurrah for your library card application, Darryl! I can’t call you a dolt person without a library card any more.

I’m sorry many of Atlanta’s homeless tend to be aggressive. I found that in NYC, too, way back when, although there were some sweet ones, too. I don’t understand the theory of being aggressive - seems like you diminish your chances of getting help and being able to hang out in places you’d like to. Maybe these are beyond that.

The homeless in Chicago seem pragmatic - almost always polite, even when unhappy you haven’t given them all they want. It seemed that way in Portland, too - but that was based on a short stay.

I’m not commenting on your probable retirement abroad. Chicago is still trying to woo you. I hope you can access the rich Emory system with your amazing new LIBRARY CARD!

OK, here are some quotes from An Elegant Defense, to give you an idea of what it has to offer. *limbers up the typing fingers*

(FYI, T and B cells are in the front line of our elegant defense).
“The thymus makes T cells. The bone marrow is the origin of B cells. They flow in the tunnels and vessels that make up the lymphatic system and congregate in lymph nodes and lymphatic tissue. These are like command centers, surveillance hubs where the firefighters are awaiting a call. The T cells, when alerted by dendritic cells, behave as soldiers and generals, spitting out cytokines; the B cells use antibodies to connect to antigens as if they are keys in search of a lock. Macrophages, neutrophils, and natural killer cells roam the body, tasting and exploring, killing. These networks get connected by signals, chemical transmissions, or processes; are spurred on by interferon and interleukin; and can induce powerful side effects, like fever.”

***

“At its core, what the immune system was doing wasn’t simply seeking and destroying. Instead, it was looking for a balance - between attacking and neutralizing real dangers and showing sufficient restraint that its potency didn’t destroy the body. . . . This is what makes our defense so elegant. It is a system precisely and delicately tailored to stay in balance, keep the peace, and do as little damage as possible to us and our surroundings.”

***

“{C}ancer cells, for all their evils, have an important scientific value: Cancer cells grow and grow. They are the body’s weeds. What Milstein did by fusing a B cell with blood cancer, called myeloma, was to create a lineage of B cells with cancer’s powerful reproductive cycle. Now Milstein had a Petri dish filled with antibodies, which allowed science to study and experiment with huge batches of these precious defenders.”

***

“With nivolumab or ipilimumab, as you’ll see, the idea is to use molecular tinkering to unleash the immune system to attack cancer - using the body’s natural defenses - rather than injecting bleach into the body and killing everything that moves.”

I hope that gives you an idea. Fascinating stuff. If a piece of writing is “elegant”, that means it is “simple, clear and clever” (Collins Dictionary). For me, that’s where An Elegant Defense came up short.

The defense is elegant indeed...the advocate for the defense not quite so much.

Happy Saturday readings!

>262 richardderus:. Thanks, buddy! I hope you have a great weekend.

Bargain: Welcome to the Monkey House: Special Edition by Kurt Vonnegut is available on e-readers for $2.99. Last I knew, this was our son’s favorite Vonnegut book, and I liked it, too.

Joe--Here to wish you a happy weekend!! Maybe a new thread....? >261 jnwelch: Nice thoughts on An Elegant Defense.

>256 kidzdoc: I can see that if there is not sufficient support for the librarians to manage really being open to the homeless - that is money for security to be sure that disruptive behavior isn't tolerated indoors - then I can see it getting out of hand. Strangely the library associated danger my parents would have thrown a fit over was my unidentified companion of many 9PM walks back to my house. He never scared me or made me feel in any way awkward, but I can easily imagine my parents throwing tantrums and making something that I found comfortable into a tantrum. Fortunately they were under the misapprehension that the fenced military base on which we lived was perfectly safe. We learned later that there were predators cloaked by the complacency, but that knowledge didn't come to us directly or in a timely manner.

>259 jnwelch: I'm currently getting a few pages here and there of Bibliophile: An Illustrated Miscellany and so far it is interspersed with favorite bookstore spreads. So few left. I did visit Powell's once in the long-ago. The local longest gone is Campbell's Bookstore with it's basement children's heaven in Westwood, the Pickwick's in the Hollywood of my 20's, the Change of Hobbit where I started buying lots of books for keeps and where later my sometime to be husband worked, though we never met there. Dangerous Visions out in the Valley was a frequent stop for us as were the big bookstores of the 1990s where we dawdled Friday nights with our own wee fry. All gone now.

>65 jnwelch: I'm a Mitchell fan, too. Only have three left to read - Black Swan Green, Ghostwritten, and Number9Dream.

>74 jnwelch: Rafa is adorable. And I love to hear such joy in your "voice" when you write about him.

>106 seasonsoflove: I can tell Indy is part Yorkie. What else is she? Some other terrier? Schnauzer?

>204 richardderus: O.M.G. Those look to die for.

>207 jnwelch: I'm #135 on 19 copies when the library gets it in. *starts tapping her foot*

>214 richardderus: >217 jnwelch: Yes! You are some fine people. You know what REAL key lime pie looks like. Ever have some fresh made with key limes still sun warm from the tree? DELISH!

>218 jnwelch: As important and interesting as it may be, I just can't force myself to watch it. It will hurt too much.

>248 jnwelch: The Hennepin County in Minnesota (Minneapolis and environs) has an exceptional library system as well. Chicago is #5, Hennepin is #10 in the country.

>247 kidzdoc: And the Atlanta system is nothing to sneeze at. It's in 25th place! While New York is #1 of course, neither Pittsburgh nor Philadelphia rank in the top 25. Unless you are speaking of specific buildings rather than the system/total collection?

>249 jnwelch: One of my favorites from last year.

>254 benitastrnad: Atlanta has a large collection. But perhaps their lending system/transit is poor?

>256 kidzdoc: Also see if they have an online request service. That's why I do. I can request any book in the Hennepin County circulation and they will send it to my local branch. It's not as fun as going to the library and browsing, but if you don't care for your local branch, it's an option.

***

Yay! I'm caught up on your entire thread! LOL.

>266 quondame: - I recently finished Bibliophile: An Illustrated Miscellany and loved it. Just yesterday, I picked up an earlier book illustrated by Jane Mount, My Ideal Bookshelf and dove right in. I know I will have to purchase that one at some point.

>267 Morphidae: re >217 jnwelch: I grew key limes in Texas so I'd never be without. Like meyer lemons, there's a before-and-after tasting them. Nothing else ever quite measures up.

If I was homeless, God forbid, I guess I would naturally gravitate to the Public Library.

Have a great weekend, Joe.

Hi Joe - I'm also looking forward to reading The Rosie Result. There aren't any copies in my library system yet, so darnitallanyway. I had hoped to read it for the Seriescat challenge in May but it doesn't look like it will happen anytime soon.

With my computer down for a couple weeks, I went to the local library to use the computers several times. It was the most significant time I have spent time there for quite a while. Usually I do online searches and requests.

Of course I always check out their rack of used books sponsored by the FOL which is oh so conveniently placed near the front door. :)

The video in >218 jnwelch:. Sigh. I live in a state with a huge gun culture which mostly revolves around hunting. I am not a hunter, but see the need for it, both in providing meat and in keeping deer and other wildlife populations in check. I see no reason for assault rifles, though, and those involved with any sort of guns insist on *ALL* sorts of guns. I just don't see their logic.

The RLBC recently read A Mother's Reckoning by Sue Klebold, the mother of one of the Columbine shooters. It was a really interesting and discussion provoking read. She and her husband seemed to be involved parents, but had NO idea what her son was up to - which is scary as h***,

'Morning, Joe!

Sigh. 49 messages in 3 days... I've done some skimming - lusting after Key Lime Pie, and wryly noting that although I'm Treasurer of our Friends of the Library, I have only started using it for books again after about 20 years.

>243 jnwelch: Like

Re: Hunting

Even Dunkin' Donuts is moving to BEYOND MEAT!

Science long ago perfected duplicating the taste and texture to create healthier alternatives to the flesh of fellow creatures.

The costs to arm hunters, their destruction of the environment, the need - less for meat, than for the joy of killing,
the impact of farmers setting aside more deer browsing areas to turn states, like Wisconsin, into deer farms,
the pathetic salt blocks to attract deer,
hunting dogs routinely killed and $ given to compensate owners,
the search for mothers and cubs in their dens - yeah, what a great "sport"...

The libraries discussion brought this to mind...

      

Whilst visiting Ireland, we toured the Fanad Head Lighthouse in County Donegal. The young fellow who took us through pointed out this cabinet. As many know, Andrew Carnegie was born in Scotland, emigrated with his family to the United States, accumulated enormous wealth in the iron and steel and railroad businesses, and retired to give that wealth away. Among other philanthropies, Carnegie built libraries–community libraries–in small towns and in cities throughout the world.

According to Wikipedia, “Carnegie libraries are to be found throughout Ireland. Libraries vary considerably in size, some of the rural ones being very small, but the smallest must be the cabinets used for the Carnegie Library Lighthouse Service.”

A forerunner, perhaps, of the “Little Free Libraries”.

      

>274 weird_O:

Thank you for this! Any chance of a list of the titles?

>265 Berly:. Hi, Kim. It was a good weekend, indeed - I hope yours was.

New thread: yeah, if I can find a non-lazy guy to do it, that’s a good idea. Still looking.🙂

Thanks re An Elegant Defense. Man, I’d been looking forward to that one.

>266 quondame:. On occasion I had to ask misbehaving folks to leave bookstores where I worked. Never a good feeling. I’m glad we have security in our local library branch; I’ve never seen any problems, but they crop up.

I’ve been hearing nothing but good things about Bibliophile: Illustrated. It’s definitely in my future.

Currently on my “want-to-get-to” list are Tattered Cover in Denver, Prairie Lights in Iowa City, and Parnassus in Nashville.

>267 Morphidae:. Thanks for the long and fun post, Morphy!

Good to have a fellow David Mitchell fan. I have Black Swan Green, Ghostwritten and one other (can’t remember the title) left.

Thanks re Rafa. He does bring us a lot of joy, that little bouncy boy.

I don’t know whether Becca will see your question about Indy. Indy’s a rescue, so beyond Yorkie we’re not sure. Her legs make us wonder whether there’s Corgi in there. Becca may do one of those DNA tests some day. Indy’s a beaut, isn’t she? Two years old and a sweetie. Although she’ll let other dogs know not to mess with her if she needs to.

Can’t wait to hear what you think of the new Rosie! I’m sorry to hear that the hard copy doesn’t come out until the end of the month.

I didn’t know there were library system ratings. I’m glad Chicago is up there, and that you have such a good one in Hennepin.

Darryl will be glad to hear about the Atlanta system. Yeah, I suppose there must be individual library ratings somewhere.

Yay for key lime pie! I’m glad The Housekeeper and the Professor was a top book for you.

>268 jessibud2:. *must get hands on Bibliophile: Illustrated*. Thanks, Shelley. I’ve seen My Ideal Bookshelf, and should give it a good peruse.

>269 richardderus:. Oh man, you grew your own key limes in Texas. How great, Richard. I’m going to dream of those pies now.

>270 PaulCranswick:. Yeah, I wasn’t homeless, Paul, but when I was “between jobs” in Santa Barbara, the public library was where I went.

It was a great weekend, highlighted by a trip to a lake shore bird sanctuary here on a beautiful Sunday. I hope you had a great one, too.

>271 streamsong:. Hi, Janet. Yeah, by some (not-) miracle of publishing, the hard copy of The Rosie Result isn’t out until the end of the month. I read the e-version, which is out already.

I know, I love the staff picks at our library; we don’t have FOL picks. I should look into whether there’s a FOL for ours. I’m at ours at least once a week; I love the walk there, which is long and through some pretty neighborhoods.

I know, there’s no justification possible for assault weapons, and we had them banned once. Arghh. This has got to change.

So far I haven’t been able to read about Columbine or the like. I can’t imagine being the parent of a shooter. And having no idea - wow.

>272 karenmarie:. Ha! It took becoming treasurer to get you to take books out of the library, Karen. That’s a good story. At least you can put a “zero” for them in your home accounts.

>273 m.belljackson:. We eat a lot of ‘beyond meat” products in our house, Marianne. Good for you. You seem to know a lot more about hunting than I do. I suspect that at our highest level, we couldn’t kill another living being. But I know really good people who hunt and fish and are deeply connected to nature in ways I admire.

>274 weird_O:. Oh, thanks for posting this, Bill. Beautiful.

In Pittsburgh, of course, there are Carnegie (“Car-NEG-ee”) buildings all over the place, including of course Carnegie Mellon U. I don’t know much about him, but what an impact.

>275 m.belljackson:. :-)

Hi Joe! Quite a project, visiting all good bookstores, but fun of course.

>261 jnwelch: Oops, interesting subject, but the first paragraph turned me off immediately. The more complex the subject the simpler the writing style needs to be, I think. I sometimes turn to books for children when I really want to know more about difficult stuff:-)

I started The Rosie Project thanks to your discussion here, and am loving it, so thanks!

>261 jnwelch:. Ha! I belatedly realized that first paragraph in >261 jnwelch: is an eye-crosser, Ella. Oh well, it does highlight the problem with the book. I agree with you about the simpler writing style. Some have the gift - I’ve become a Carlo Rovelli fan, for ex. As I mentioned to Mark, Siddhartha Mukherjee and Ed Yong are two others who are good at it.

I’m hoping someone with those kind of skills builds on what Matt Richtel has done, and writes a simple one about the immune system.

I also agree with you that books for children can be a great way to get a grounding in a difficult subject. I also like children’s biographies sometimes - that illustrated one on Frida Kahlo fit that bill well for me. (Can’t find the touchstone).

>280 jnwelch: "But I know really good people who hunt and fish and are deeply connected to nature in ways I admire." Thank you for that, Joe. I don't want to engage in this debate on LT, but I don't want my family dropped onto a desert island either. The only way to get sane gun control legislation passed is for the two extremes to stop being so extreme and try to find common ground. And that's all I'm going to say about the subject here.

>283 laytonwoman3rd:. Well said, Linda.

>280 jnwelch:, >283 laytonwoman3rd: What you and Linda said.



Just sayin'...

Hello Joe. I hope is well.

I finished Bird Box in a less than a week and have moved on to Foe Reid which was recommended by auntmarge64 over in club read.

BB Was original suspenseful and compelling reading. I started the movie but I think it's too soon after completing the book. It looks all wrong. :-P

>280 jnwelch: and >283 laytonwoman3rd: - +1.

>277 jnwelch: Not really ratings, just actual circulation numbers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_largest_libraries_in_the_United_States

>285 kidzdoc: Et tu, Brutus, Darryl? Broccoli's back on the menu, buddy!

>286 brodiew2: Hiya, Brodie. All is well.

Good for you with Bird Box. I've heard mixed reactions to that one, but obviously it caught your interest - suspenseful and compelling is what you want. I know what you mean about the movie looking wrong. Some I haven't been able to watch for that reason. The book is too vividly with me. Foe Reid is new to me; I'll look forward to your comments.

>287 katiekrug: :-)

Roasted parmesan broccoli for dinner! Oh, and a biiiig bowl of borscht with sour cream and dill to start. Yum!

>289 jnwelch: I think that you meant broccolini, right? Yes, I'll have a serving of that, please...

>290 richardderus: ...with a steaming bowl of beef borscht!!! (Hmm, I wonder if I still have some in my freezer?)

>280 jnwelch:

Andrew Carnegie was an incredible capitalist, monopolist, and, eventually, philanthropist.

Yet, the low wages he paid, his intolerance of unions, and, ultimately, his Pinkerton guards murdering his workers,
may make one wish for way less hubris and greed and more real early compassion.

>290 richardderus:. He who plays both sides of the fence ends up spiked on a picket, Richard.

Sorry, didn’t mean to get all Game of Thrones there.

>291 kidzdoc: Nice try, french fry. No broccolini for you. It’s all broccoli, all the time.

You can take that borscht and shove it. Wasn’t that a hit country song?

>292 m.belljackson:. Thanks for the info, Marianne. I figured there was a dark side to that particular moon. It’s so rare when there isn’t, particularly among the wealthy.

>280 jnwelch: >273 m.belljackson:

ps on Hunting: Meat Hunters have also been responsible for the extermination or near-extermination of Birds, Fish, Whales, and Wildlife.

>293 jnwelch: Dang it. I guess I'll have to get my main meals elsewhere, at least until the broccoli is gone.

I think you're right about the song. Didn't Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn win a Country Music Award for it in 1973?

>295 m.belljackson:. Thanks for the p.s., Marianne.

>296 kidzdoc:. LOL! What an anti-borscht anthem Conway and Loretta wrote back then. I still get chills when I hear it.😄

Try the broccoli ice cream. It’s . . . Different.

BTW, my pc is acting up again, so it may be a while for that new thread. It requires some tricks that need the pc.

Bargains: Lola by Melissa Scrivner Love, for $1.99 on Kindle. I thought this debut crime thriller was really good.

And it looks like Ruth Ozeki’s A Tale for the Time Being is still available on e-readers for $1.99. This wasn’t everyone’s cuppa, but once the story got to the grandmother, I thought it was excellent.

>285 kidzdoc: LOL!

Hi, Joe. Mondays are just a bit busier, so not much visiting through the work day. I am home now and relaxing. I am so glad to hear you had a good time at Montrose. I was not sure if you were going for an event or just to stroll around. I am glad it was the latter and that you saw some good birds. Warblers are amazing, during migration time, but also very difficult to identify. 3 years in, I still have a lot to learn. Glad you were able to get some guidance. Birders, like book & beer folk, are always willing to help and I am sure there are plenty down there. I hope to get to Montrose, some time this month. I will let you know.

I am just about done with Good Talk. What a terrific GN. Such a fresh voice and a unique approach.

>299 msf59:. Makes sense, Mark, I know you get a bigger volume after no-mail Sunday.

Montrose Harbor - what a beautiful day, and what a good time we had. You’re right - it was a blue-gray gnat catcher, as a friendly birder told us. It hung out right by us for a long time. The yellow warblers were identified for us by another birder who said she’d been birding for more than 20 years.

Yes, let us know when you’re heading to the harbor. It would be fun to meet there.

Yay for Good Talk! What a nice surprise that one was.

I sent you a message - I’m reading an earlier Ada Limon collection called Sharks in the Rivers and liking it very much.

Bargain: Death on the Nile, a good Hercule Poirot mystery by Agatha Christie, is available on Kindle for $1.99.

Phew! I got my pc working for long enough to start a new one. The new cafe is open. See you there!