Mark's Reading Place: Chapter Nine

^The Warbler riding the range, in search of poetic justice and another cold brew.



-Great Horned Owlets

Audiobook:



Graphic/Comic:



February:

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

March:

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

April:

43) Aerialists: Stories by Mark Mayer 4 stars
44) The Witch Elm by Tana French 3.5 stars (audio)
45) American Prison by Shane Bauer 4.8 stars (audio)
46) Bibliophile: An Illustrated Miscellany by Jane Mount 4 stars
47) Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid 4 stars (audio)
48) The Goose Fritz by Sergei Lebedev 4.2 stars (E)
49) The Fire This Time: Essays by Jesmyn Ward 4 stars (audio) AAC
50) The River by Peter Heller 4 stars
51) The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne 4.5 stars (audio)
52) Lulu Anew by Étienne Davodeau 4.3 stars GN
53) Heart of a Lion: A Lone Cat’s Walk Across America by William Stolzenburg 4.2 stars (audio)
54) Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev 4.4 stars
55) The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler 4.5 stars (audio)
56) Heart Berries: A Memoir by Terese Marie Mailhot 4.2 stars
57) Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It by Maile Meloy 4.2 stars

May:

58) The Big Year by Mark Obmascik 4.6 stars
59) Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea 3.2 stars (audio)
60) Good Talk by Mira Jacob 4.7 stars GN

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



1) Northern Cardinal 1/1/19
2) American Goldfinch 1/1/19
3) Downy Woodpecker 1/1/19
4) Black-Capped Chickadee 1/1/19
5) White-Breasted Nuthatch 1/1/19
6) Mourning Dove 1/1/19
7) Dark-Eyed Junco 1/1/19
8) House Sparrow 1/1/19
9) Pine Siskins 1/4/19 (F)
10) Red-Tailed Hawk
11) House Finch
12) Red-Bellied Woodpecker 3/12
13) American Robin 3/13
14) Starling 3/19
15) Northern Flicker
16) Mallards
17) Brown-Headed Cowbird 4/22
18) Chipping Sparrow 5/1
19) White-Crowned Sparrow 5/2
20) Red-Winged Blackbird 5/5
21) Ruby-Throated Hummingbird 5/5

(F)- First time seen at the feeders.

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

"Fathers and Sons enraged the old and the young, reactionaries, romantics, and radicals alike when it was first published (in 1862). At the same time, Turgenev won the acclaim of Flaubert, Maupassant, and Henry James for his craftsmanship as a writer and his psychological insight. Fathers and Sons is now considered one of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century."

^I have been wanting to read Fathers & Sons for many years, but it continued to languish on shelf. After recently reading and enjoying The Goose Fritz, it inspired me to try more Russian literature, so bingo, here we go. I start it in print tomorrow. I will be doing a shared read with Lynda.

Anyone one else interested? Come on, down!!

Happy new thread, Mark. Love the Cowboy topper!

Oh, I hope I'm not too early.

>5 msf59: A delicious read, so dark and sweet and intense. Like the very, very best chocolate you can imagine.

Happy new thread!

Hi ho, my friend. This is off to a good start.

Happy new one, Mark.

>1 msf59: Love the topper. Ride on dear fellow.

>6 BLBera: Thanks, Beth and your timing was perfect.

>7 richardderus: Ooh, that is a great endorsement of Fathers & Sons, RD. Looking forward to starting it.

>8 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Figs.

>9 weird_O: Hey, Bill. Good to see you. Looking forward to more bookish fun.

>10 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. The Warbler rides on. This is his mission.

Happy new thread!

>5 msf59: Hmmmm. I haven’t read any Russian lit in awhile. Hmmm.

Happy new thread, Mark!

>12 quondame: Thanks, Susan.

>13 lindapanzo: Come join us, Linda. I am starting Fathers & Sons today.

>14 tymfos: Thanks, Terri! Good to see you, stranger.

Happy new thread, Mark!

>5 msf59: I had thought of Dostoevsky's The idiot this month, but I could replace it for Fathers & sons.
Tempting, not sure yet, will let you know.

>16 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita. I hope you join us on Fathers & Sons. I have not read The Idiot. I am long overdue on reading Dostoevsky.

Morning Mark! Hope to finish The Tradition today. It is so powerful! Glad you have a copy...

Happy new thread, Mark, and happy Friday to you!

Do dream birds count? I dreamt that I saw two male Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks. I don't remember anything else about the dream, just that there were two of them. *smile*

Back to bundled up. Blustery and chilly out here. WTH??

>18 alphaorder: Morning, Nancy. Looking forward to The Tradition. I should start it, in a few days.

>19 karenmarie: Good morning, Karen and thanks. I don't think dream birds count but that is very, very cool. I can't recall if I ever dreamed about birds. I love those grosbeaks though. Looking forward to seeing my first rose-breasted of the year.

Happy new one, Mark! Sorry the weather remains less than ideal...

I thought you'd enjoy lucky dovegreyreader's latest update Mark.

https://dovegreyreader.typepad.com/dovegreyreader_scribbles/2019/04/easter-reces...

>21 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie. April can be a tricky month.

>22 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks for the dove link, Caroline. I swing back and check it out later.

Happy new thread!

Don't shiver your birder-bits off today, Mark.

Happy new thread, Mark!

>22 Caroline_McElwee: I loved the Barn Owl story, Caroline. Thanks for sharing. I wish I could put up nesting boxes like this person did. Barn Owls were once abundant in this area, but due to habitat loss, their numbers are way down. Hopefully, they can rebound.

>24 drneutron: >26 kidzdoc: Thanks, Jim & Darryl.

>25 richardderus: The sun eventually came out, RD and that helped but the wind was relentless. I dressed warm. Better tomorrow...

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

>5 msf59: I tried Fathers and Sons a few years back, on the recommendation of another LT friend (who does not post in this group). I couldn't get engaged with it at all, but I always suspect the translation has something to do with it when that happens to me with world lit. I generally do enjoy Russian authors, so I wonder if I ought to try another version.

>28 brodiew2: Thanks, Brodie. All good here in the Midwest.

>29 laytonwoman3rd: I am sorry that Fathers & Sons didn't work for you, Linda. I did not know what to expect, but it really caught me by surprise, how accessible the narrative is. I am not far into but it is really clicking for me.

Happy new thread, Mark. Hope your weather warms up soon and that you have a relaxing weekend. That's a great meet up shot.

Hi Mark! Happy Saturday to you. We survived the storms yesterday and are looking forward to a less stressful non-tornado-warning day today.

>31 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. Happy Saturday. We are still having a bit of a roller-coaster ride with the weather, but it looks to be a nice weekend.

>32 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Glad to hear the storms have passed. Whew.

"Late one June night in 2011, a large animal collided with an SUV cruising down a Connecticut parkway. The creature appeared as something out of New England's forgotten past. Beside the road lay a 140-pound mountain lion."

^I am sure many of us, including myself remember this story, about the lone mountain lion, that trekked from the Black Hills to New England, in search of a mate. Well, this tells that story. I started the audio of, Heart of a Lion: A Lone Cat’s Walk Across America yesterday and it is very good. The author has pieced this together wonderfully. Once again, I am reminded that Americans sure love killing things. It is in our blood.

I also started Fathers & Sons and was immediately engaged and also impressed how smooth the narrative is. Remember, this was published, while we were just kicking off our Civil War. It is not too late, if anyone wants to join Lynda and I. Just sayin'...

Well...how can we get "killing things" out of "our blood" ...?

Unless they are attacking us or we are starving, there seems to be no decent reason to still keep killing our fellow creatures.

And, scientists have shown that they can produce meat substitutes that have the same texture and often taste better than animal flesh.

What translation of the Turgenev are your reading, Mark?

>35 m.belljackson: Morning, Marianne. Killing for food, is something I can somewhat understand, but slaughtering animals for fun, spite or other despicable reasons, is just mind-boggling to me.

Of course, people have continuously been killed, for the same reasons.

>36 laytonwoman3rd: It is the Contance Garnett translation, revised by Ralph Matlaw. I think it is working very well.

Happy New Thread, Mark! I’m glad Lulu Anew was such a hit with you. Enjoy Fathers and Sons.

Happy New Thread, Mark! Heart of a Lion looks so good -- and so heartbreaking.

Happy new thread Mark. Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

Happy new thread and Happy Easter, Mark.

Heart of a Lion sounds like one of those books I want to read and then end up making me feel bad about being human. I'm not quite up for that just now, so I'll take your appreciation of it as endorsement.

>39 jnwelch: Hi, Joe. Yep, loved Lulu Anew and look forward to reading more by this author.

>40 EBT1002: Thanks, Ellen. Heart of a Lion has been very good. I love the way they were able to track this lion as it made it's way across the country, all based on sightings and footprints.

>41 mdoris: Thanks, Mary. I wish you the same.

>42 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy. Happy Easter to you too.

>43 richardderus: Hey, RD. Once, I got past the lion slaughtering parts, it has become quite fascinating, as they were able to track this incredible beast as it made it's trek from the Black Hills to New England. Yep, we love demonizing things and then killing them. The same thing happened to the coyote and the wolf.

This is shameless, though well-meaning. Stop by my thread for a review of The Mueller Report. (See! It already has a touchstone.) No, it isn't my review; haven't read the whole thing yet.

>46 weird_O: Thanks, Shameless Bill. I will stop by and check it out.

Happy Easter, Mark.

>48 Ameise1: Happy Easter, Barb. Love the chicken.

Happy new thread, Mark!

Happy Easter, Mark! Happy new thread! I hope you have time for some reading today!

I would be so saddened by Heart of a Lion. Not sure I could read it. At least not right now - it takes a certain mood to be able to read that kind of stuff for me.

Happy Sunday to you, Mark!

>50 scaifea: Thanks, Amber!

>51 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda. Ooh, the beer looks refreshing. I will be getting to a few of those later. I am hoping to spend some time with Fathers & Sons later this morning.

>52 The_Hibernator: Yep, there are sad parts to this story, Rachel, especially the history of the mountain lion, but this becomes an exciting adventure tale too, as we follow this lone lion, as ventures across the country.

>53 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen.

51) The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne 4.5 stars

“The people I see from my window. In the huts, in the distance. They're all dressed the same.' 'Ah, those people,' said Father, nodding his head and smiling slightly. 'Those people...well, they're not people at all, Bruno.' Bruno frowned. 'They're not?' he asked.”

“You’re my best friend, Shmuel,’ he said. ‘My best friend for life.”

It has taken me forever to get to this book, although I did see the film several years ago. It was well worth the wait. There are scores of reviews on this one and I am sure most people know the premise, so I won't go in depth. The story takes place in a concentration camp, in 1942 and focuses on the son of the commandant, who is nine years old and he befriends a prisoner, a Jewish boy his own age.
Yes, this may stretch the reader's credibility, but it is wonderfully written and truly heart-breaking. If, like me, you have put off reading this one, give it a try. It is a quick read and packs quite a punch. The audiobook is excellent too.

**The only other Boyne I have read is, The Heart's Invisible Furies, which I loved. Can anyone else recommend a favorite of his, so I can put it in the stacks?

> 55 Those are the two I have read.

I have his latest Ladder to the Sky, which my co-worker read and enjoyed. I can send it your way after I read it. (It is on my stack, but not sure when I will get to it if that is ok with you.)

>56 alphaorder: Morning, Nancy. That would be great. I have had Ladder to the Sky on my list, since it came out. Thanks.

50) The River: A Novel by Peter Heller 4 stars

“What he loved about poetry: it could do in a few seconds what a novel did in days. A painting could be like that, too, and a sculpture. But sometimes you wanted something to take days and days.”

“And it was books he took solace in.”

Jack and Wynn are best friends. They decide to take a semester of college off, so they can head to northern Canada, to canoe the mighty Maskwa River. It is a challenging venture but both have had a lot of experience, on the water and in the outdoors. What they did not expect, was running into murderous trouble, of the human variety.
Yes, this is a rugged adventure tale, with echoes of Deliverance, but like my shared quotes show, the prose is strong and the story has more depth than most books of this nature. A solid summer read.

49) The Fire This Time by Jesmyn Ward 4 stars

“Though the white liberal imagination likes to feel temporarily bad about black suffering, there really is no mode of empathy that can replicate the daily strain of knowing that as a black person you can be killed for simply being black.”

Using James Baldwin's landmark, The Fire Next Time, his examination of race in America, as a starting point, Jesmyn Ward has compiled a group of essays and poems from prominent writers, to show how little has changed since Baldwin wrote that piece in the early 60s and may have even accelerated, in regards to senseless police shootings of African Americans.

Some of the essays are stronger than others, but they all bring their message across.

I read this for the AAC.

I have read Ladder to the sky (pubishng world) and A History of Loneliness (Catholic Church) as well as The Heart's Invisible Furies. I really liked them all. For me he is such a good story teller and I will read more of his and keep a high alert to anything he writes in the future.

>60 mdoris: Thanks, for chiming in on Boyne, Mary. I appreciate it. I had not heard of A History of Loneliness.

Hello Mark! I have to get to Boyne, I haven't read anything by him.

The barn owl box Caroline posted a link to solved a mystery for me: we passed one of these on a walk on Friday, and had no idea what it was!

I've not read any Boyne, so taking note and look forward to more recommendations.

>62 banjo123: >63 charl08: Hi, Rhonda & Charlotte. Since, these are the only Boyne titles I have read- I would start with The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and then go onto The Heart's Invisible Furies.

>63 charl08: So, you saw a Barn Owl? If so, how cool is that? They are very uncommon in this area.

I've read a couple of Boyne's non-kids' books and all of the children's books. I'd highly recommend any of them. He's not a hit-or-miss kind of author - they're all fabulous.

Hi Mark, and happy Monday to you. I hope your shorts-and-mild-weather work day goes well.

>59 msf59: I've almost finished These Truths by Jill Lepore and it is a 500-year indictment of racism in what became the United States. You're right, not much has changed, and the empathy we have does not represent the experience.

>64 msf59: Nope, just the box. Haven't seen one in the wild, but in a couple of small nature reserves (where they've been rescued injured).

Good Monday to you, Mark! Mmm mmm mmm, Fathers and Sons is really good. I'm at Chapter 10 but I expect to read much today while I let the washing machine and dryer do all the work. Have a good one!

Saw my first of the year, (FOY) Yellow Warbler and Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, on the route, at my BBS. All it took is some gorgeous weather and budding plants. Hooray!

>65 scaifea: Thanks, Amber. It looks like I will have to make my way through all of Boyne's early work.

>66 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. I am loving my shorts and mild work day and the birds are out in force too.

>67 charl08: Do you have a site somewhere, that you can follow local bird sightings? If so, you can find out if Barn Owls are being seen in your area.

Hi Mark - I'm a real John Boyne fan, and I think I can credit you for putting him on my radar with The Heart's Invisible Furies. I had real issues with The Boy in the Striped Pajamas but since then have loved A History of Loneliness and A Ladder to the Sky. He has a new YA book out called My Brother's Name is Jessica. I follow him on Twitter and have really enjoyed many of his book recommendations.

I'm listening to The Silent Patient after hearing an interview of the author on a podcast. So far good not great.

>68 Carmenere: Morning, Lynda. I am also really enjoying Fathers & Sons. I am on chapter 20, so a bit further along. My copy has just under 170 pages,so I could be done with it tomorrow. I am so glad we decided to get to it.

>71 vivians: Thank you so much for chiming in on Boyne, Vivian. It looks like I will have to track down The History of Loneliness. I have heard mixed things about The Silent Patient, so I will be skipping that one.

Morning, Mark! Happy new one - I am late to the party, but better late then never, right?

FOY=First Of Year, right?

Hi Mark, sounds like you are enjoying a glorious day even if at work. I hope the weather remains nice for you for a long time! We, on the other hand, are back into rain.

Mark, question for you. Do you ever see juncos at this time of year or later, or only in winter? This was an odd winter for my feeder, as I hardly had ANY visitors but normally, I see tons of juncos in winter before they head north for their summer breeding grounds. But today, I watched one cute junco hop around on the lawn, once this morning and again, just now. In checking the Audubon site, it does show that they could be year-round visitors around here but I've only ever seen them in winter. What about you?

Hi Marc, I just finished A History of Loneliness and thought it very good.

Hope you had a nice Easter Weekend!

-Yellow Warbler, (FOY) (NMP). Yep, spotted on the route today and the dude was singing too. Bring on the warblers!

>74 richardderus: You are getting the birder lingo down-pat, RD. Good job. B.A.G.

>73 Crazymamie: Good to see you, Mamie. I always like your visits, whenever they are.

>75 Familyhistorian: We had two beautiful days here, Meg, climbing up to near 80F both days. Cools off tomorrow but back to nicer weather on Wed. Sorry, about your rain. We have been getting our share of that too.

I am ashamed to say that I have not read any books by John Boyne even though I have a couple of his - Next of Kin and Mutiny on the Bounty on my shelves. Best give them a little nudge!

Hi Mark, I haven't read anything by Boyne yet either but I have The Heart's Invisible Furies on my Overdrive list. I hope to get to it soon.

>76 jessibud2: Hi, Shelley. I am not an expert on juncos, but I have been observing them, for the past couple of years. They do not spend the summer months here. Their breeding grounds are much further north. They have mostly moved on here but I did see a stray one at my feeders yesterday, so they can easily winter here, for 5-6 months. I hope you start to get more action at your feeders, as things are warming up.

>77 EllaTim: Hi, Ella. I did have a nice Easter weekend. I hope you did the same. I will be adding A History of Loneliness to my list. Thanks.

>80 DeltaQueen50: When it comes to books, Judy, ther eis nothing to be ashamed about. It is virtually impossible to keep up with everything. Until I read, The Heart's Invisible Furies, I had not read a single Boyne. You will get there. I had not even heard of the two titles you mentioned. LOL.

>81 brenzi: Hi, Bonnie. I would love to hear your thoughts on The Heart's Invisible Furies. It is quite a novel.

Hiya, Mark. I remembered the other Turgenev I read and loved: Sketches from a Hunter’s Album. I think it would appeal to a Steinbeck fan like you. Lots of sketches and observations about people he meets along the way.

Hope your week is starting out well. We’ve got our last day here tomorrow, and then we head back to Chi-town.

>84 jnwelch: Hi, Joe. Enjoy your last day with Rafa & Co. I am sure you had a great visit. Thanks for giving me another Turgenev rec. I will add Sketches from a Hunter’s Album to the list. I should finish Fathers & Sons today.

-Brown-headed Cowbird (NMP)

FOY, BHC at my feeders yesterday. There were a male and female. This is my 17th species of the year here, tied with my BBS, (Birding Break Spot) for the total. I know Karen gets a lot of these guys, but we only get an occasional visit.

>82 msf59: - Thanks, Mark. I will be curious to see if and how long they stick around. Happily, the goldfinches are back in full force, in the splendid yellow plumage. And the rest of the regulars are back, too. I still have no idea what the heck happened this winter but glad it's behind us.

>86 msf59: - I see these too from time to time. And ok, I know NMP, I know FOY. but what's BHC? You make me LOL! ;-)

Love the bird updates, Mark!

Morning, Mark! We have those cowbirds at our feeder every day. Also cardinals and mourning doves (usually on the ground below the feeders). We had a lovely insurgence of tufted titmice a week or so ago, and they were delightful.

Hi Mark, and happy Tuesday to you.

I do get a lot of Cowbirds for some reason. In fact, I had a female just now grabbing seeds, looking around to see if she needed to fly away, then turning back for more. She did it 3 times and it was fun to watch. I've got a male Cardinal going back and forth between the wild bird seed and the sunflower seed feeders.

Finished up Black Leopard, Red Wolf. Holy crap, what a ride!

>87 jessibud2: LOL. It took me a moment to remember too. BHC is Brown Headed Cowbird. Just being lazy on that one.

Do juncos stay year round in your area, or do they also move farther north?

>88 alphaorder: You know I enjoy supplying them, Nancy.

>89 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie. Ooh, a tufted titmouse. I have only seen one and heard some. They are not as common here. Thanks for the bird report.

>90 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. I know cowbirds are not popular with birders, being a parasite bird, but I sure like the looks of them.
Cardinals are usually the first and last of the day visitors to my feeders. It is uncanny.

>91 drneutron: Hooray for BLRW, Jim. It sounds like you enjoyed the ride. Is it all ready a week since the Meet Up? Wow.

>92 msf59: - I have never known juncos to be here other than in winter. At least, I have not seen them, even at this date. Which is not to say they aren't, just not at my house! And I saw 2 yesterday. So, who knows.

Goldfinches and scarlet tanagers are happiness on wings. Such gorgeous colors.

>94 jessibud2: I am sure most of the juncos have moved on, Shelley. There may be a straggler or two. I wonder how long they will stay on, in your neck of the woods?

>95 richardderus: I am completely with you RD. We are fortunate to have the goldfinch here, year round and now that the males have their summer plumage, they are a sight to behold. I also adore scarlet tanagers. They do summer here, but are quite reclusive and despite their gorgeous coloring are very hard to spot.

Morning, Mark!

There's a bush right outside my office window and a feathered couple have set up housekeeping in it. I watch them off and on all day as I'm sitting at my desk. No idea what kind they are, since I'm the opposite of an expert in the field, but I'm sure it's something common. I'm growing pretty fond of them, though.

>97 scaifea: Morning, Amber! Hooray for the feathered couple! Do they have any color to them or just brownish?

>98 msf59: They're fairly brownish, yeah.

>99 scaifea: I would have to guess they are some kind of sparrow. The housefinch have some reddish coloring on their chest or at least the males do.

>100 msf59: I suspect they're something really common, yeah. I'll try to get a photo. I love that I can see their nest from my desk and can follow their day while I'm working.

“Neither of the two people in the room paid any attention to the way I came in, although only one of them was dead.”

"To hell with the rich! They make me sick."

-Philip Marlowe

^It has been decades, (possibly 3?) since I read The Big Sleep. It was time for a revisit, so I started it yesterday on audio and I really like it. I completely forgot that this was the first of the Philip Marlowe series.

>102 msf59: I really must get back to Chandler, like you, it was decades since I last read one or two, Mark.

>101 scaifea: Well, we know you are excellent photographer. Smiles...

>103 Caroline_McElwee: I am going to try and slowly read through the rest of the series, Caroline. They do pack a punch and then I should revisit Dashiell Hammett. LOL.

'Morning, Mark! Happy day off, happy birding.

>102 msf59: Loves me some Chandler!

Re: Tanagers, when I lived in Austin they were countryside staples. They winter there.

Hi Mark, what a nice string of days around here, though there might be a bit of that four letter word in the forecast on Saturday. Won't last long, or at least, it can't last long since Sunday is the big 60th anniversary party we've been planning.

So you finished Fathers and Sons? Hmmm, I probably won't start it til next week. Just finished another disaster book and now need to make a dent in the pile of Net Galleys I've accumulated

>102 msf59: Okay you've inspired me. Libby (and my library) didn't have a copy of The Big Sleep available (I placed a hold), but I did grab a copy of Farewell My Lovely for my next audio selection.

Thanks!

>106 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen. I had a terrific morning. Bird report to follow...

>107 richardderus: Yep, having a good time with Mr. Chandler. In regards to tanagers. I really want to see a summer tanager. These guys are also gorgeous.

>108 lindapanzo: Hi, Linda. We are enjoying bit of a roller-coaster ride with our weather. Cool today. Better tomorrow. Cool weekend though. That kind of stinks. I really enjoyed Fathers & Sons. I think you might too. And Go Cubbies! Another nice win last night.

>109 mahsdad: Hey, Jeff. Have you read Chandler before? If not, you are in for a treat and you can not go wrong with Farewell My Lovely.

"Heart Berries is a powerful, poetic memoir of a woman's coming of age on the Seabird Island Indian Reservation in the Pacific Northwest."

Heart Berries stirred up a lot of buzz when it came out early last year. It had been on my radar but had fallen off, like books do, until I heard a podcast recently, where they discussed and gushed about this powerful memoir. I promptly requested it from the library, picked it up and I am starting it today.

I know Nancy has read it but has anyone else here, read it? If so, thoughts?

>110 msf59: Nope, while Chandler and LA Noir seems pretty much ubiquitous in my mind, I've never read any of his stuff. Looking forward to this.

>111 msf59: I think it achieves it's goal of not giving any Native American fuzzies. It presents a difficult person living a life with difficulties, and how necessary it is to find ways of dealing with real flaws in ourselves and others.

>112 mahsdad: I think you are in for a treat, Jeff. Enjoy. Have you read Dashiell Hammett? If not, I also suggest trying him out. He predates Chandler.

>113 quondame: Thanks, for chiming in on Heart Berries, Susan. Her style is clearly not for everyone, but I have locked into her staccato prose. Much beauty, among the darkness.

-Brown Thrasher (NMP) Look at those gorgeous yellow eyes.

I enjoyed my organized bird walk this morning. Small bunch and relatively quiet on the bird front, but we did see enough, including the Brown Thrasher, (a lifer!) which was singing from a tree top, a distance away. Sadly, I was not able to observe those cool, yellow eyes. I was also able to see a Pine Warbler, another lifer, but I did not see it as cleanly as the thrasher. We also saw White-Throated, White-Crowned, Field and Song sparrows, along with a towee, blue jays and bluebirds.

I then went on a couple of errands and then went over to Bree's house for lunch and to visit the dogs. Most of the afternoon was reserved for the books.



-Pine Warbler (NMP)

I saw a brown thrasher in my back yard once, a few years ago. He was rustling around through a pile of leaves and I was so excited to be able to observe him closely enough through my binoculars and then search my books to ID him properly. I have never seen another but it was exciting to see that one.

>116 jessibud2: Good for you, Shelley. I see Hermit Thrush now and then, on my walks and sometimes on my route. They look similar and forage on the ground, but the thrasher is really special.

Morning, Mark!

>104 msf59: Ha! Well, yes, I do have a few years experience photographing fast-moving objects...

>118 scaifea: And you do an excellent job with that challenging task. LOL. Morning, Amber!

The Wound Before the Tomb of Walt Whitman

You who saw the vast oceans
and the peaks of the mountains,
who communed with all the sailors of the world
and you who saw Christ eat the bread of his last supper among the

young
and the elders,
you who saw the executioner of Europe
with his ax soaked with blood,
You stepped on the scaffold
and the fields in which mothers cried to their dead children.

Tell me if it is still
possible to announce triumphant justice
and deliver the lessons of the new world.

I’m going to kiss your lips,
they are cold and taste like the word America.

Fernando Valverde (Translated by Carolyn Forché)

*Notes on the poem:

“Great Again. How to recover the greatness. Adjectives are circumstantial, but the nouns are chests that keep safe the essence of things, their moral dimension. What is America? This is the big question. What is the America that we want? Does a unique America like the one Whitman imagined exist? What is the great America that the slogans refer to? Is it the America of Walt Whitman or Charles Whitman? Is it the America of the person who shot a rifle from the sixth floor of the Book Depository in Dallas or the America of the one who received the bullet?”
—Fernando Valverde

**This could be a companion poem to These Truths.

YES to this... https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/4/24/18512589/independent-bookstore-day-book-...

>121 alphaorder: "Is the bookstore crawl the new pub crawl?" Yes, to this, if we can string enough bookstores together. I will check out the rest of the article later.

Happy Travels today, Nancy. Looking forward to hearing about your Seattle adventures.

>121 alphaorder:, >122 msf59: When was a bookstore crawl ever *not* the equivalent of a pub crawl?

>123 richardderus: It is especially good if you add a pub or two in, right Mark?

>124 alphaorder: Oh, well, there's no need to be exclusionary...

Mark - thought you might enjoy Zoe's latest birding report from the Center: https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/2019/04/24/the-magic-of-spring-migration/

Hi Mark! Way cool, two lifers.

I’ve seen Thrashers out here a few times. They are beautiful. I just heard an owl but can’t identify it even using the audio clips on the Cornell website. It was just one ‘hoot’, but definitely an owl.

>120 msf59: I like the ‘companion’ poem. Thanks for sharing. I like the comment in the Notes about which America – that of the shooter or the victim on 11-22-63.

Whoops, I missed most of this thread :( Hope all is well and hope the spring temps have arrived in Chicago!

Man!! I wish I had a more experienced birder walking the route with me. I had several warblers dancing around in a tree top, at my BBS. Due to foliage, distance and constant mobility, I could not pinpoint them down. I did see some flashes of yellow, but that's it.

>123 richardderus: >124 alphaorder: I think having a pub stop included in this, is quite necessary. Book hunting and buying, is thirsty work.

>126 alphaorder: Ooh, nice. I will swing back by and check this out. Love to hear from Zoe.

While on the topic of noir, don't overlook James M. Cain. Double Indemnity. The Postman Always Rings Twice. Mildred Pierce.

>127 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Always like to add a lifer or two. Hooray for the mysterious hooter and I am glad you like the poem.

>128 ChelleBearss: You are a busy working Mom, Chelle. I completely understand. Always good to see you, when you can stop by.

>130 weird_O: Hi, Bill. I have read all of those Cain titles and saw and loved all the films too. I will definitely reread them at some point.

Beautiful day today, Mark. Alas, perhaps 3 to 7 inches of snow on Saturday. Apparently, Mother Nature does not realize that it's almost May.

I tracked down my copy of Fathers and Sons, btw.

Oh man, a re-read of The Big Sleep sounds so tempting! But I'd better stick to my knitting and read the ones lined up in front of me. I'm envious, though.

Sweet Thursday, Mark. We're back in town after a mighty fine visit with Rafa and his folks.

I'm currently catching up on Jackson Brodie, in anticipation of the new one coming out, and reading some Carlo Rovelli, the guy who did that excellent Seven Brief Lessons on Physics. I'm also in the last stretch of An Elegant Defense, after taking a break from the acronyms and dense, unfamiliar information. Oh - and I reviewed the graphic Good Talk over on my thread. I loved it!

>132 lindapanzo: Hi, Linda. I wouldn't panic about the snow, Linda. It is still supposed to be in the upper 40s on Saturday. I can't imagine it adding up to much. Hooray for tracking down Fathers & Sons. A good book.

>133 jnwelch: Hi, Joe. Great to see you. It has been so long since I read The Big Sleep, that it is like reading it for the first time. Gritty, wise-cracking crime fiction, at its very best.

I will have to stop by and see what Jackson Brodie you are reading. Did you see the poem up there in #120? I thought that would be one you would appreciate.

Hi Mark, so happy that you are enjoying your re-read of The Big Sleep, I am a big fan of Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, James M. Cain etc. I am going to treat myself to a Cornell Woolrich book in May, he's another excellent noir writer.

>120 msf59: Love this poem!

>135 DeltaQueen50: Hi, Judy. Thanks for chiming in on the classic crime guys. I loved all of this stuff too, but it has been awhile. I want to revisit Hammett, later on this year.

>136 banjo123: I am glad you liked it, Rhonda. It does pack a punch.

'Morning, Mark! Happy Friday to you.

Another mystery sound this morning - a woodpecker's drum - can't identify which woodpecker. It's fun to just listen to the bird calls although I can't identify calls or drums except for a very few.

>133 jnwelch: Joe - I am so happy you had the same response to Good Talk that I did. "I want everyone to read this." Let's make it happen!

Happy Friday, Mark! May the Weather Goddess decide to open the pouch of "comfy pleasant spring days" this afternoon.

Friday Scryday: The pricking in my thumbs warns me that you'll be seeing lifers in the vulture family along your route after The Great Die-Off begins.

>55 msf59: That boy looks very healthy. I suppose they don't do method acting at that age.

>120 msf59: Hi Mark, I loved the poem as I’m a big fan of Walt Whitman. I would read more poetry if they all came with explanatory notes. ;- Also, thanks for the reminder to pick up the hefty These Truths and read Part 4. I’m looking forward to it.

>138 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. I have not learned woodpecker drumming sounds yet either. That is a tough one. We have had a woodpecker drilling on our vinyl siding lately. Last time it was at 6 am. They can't do any damage but it sure is loud.

>139 alphaorder: I hope to start Good Talk soon, Nancy and you can expect some warbling.

>140 richardderus: Morning, RD. A brisk NW wind is ruining, an otherwise sunny, mild day. As usual I will deal with it. Not sure, I will see any lifers today but there has been bird activity.

>141 The_Hibernator: LOL. Not sure if that is a still from the film adaptation or not.

>142 Donna828: Hi, Donna. Glad you like the poem. I am glad I have included a poetry collection, in my regular rotation. Not everything works for me, of course, but plenty of it does.

Enjoy the last part of These Truths. It is quite excellent.

Weather has been perfect up here & I have been merrily hauling my annual Free Wood Chips delivery to the new paths -

THEN -

an email just arrived from Schoenheit, a local nursery, stating that they will be Closed Tomorrow for a SNOW DAY!

Checking with the Weather Channel, the temperature is dropping to 26 Saturday night. Hope you will fare better.

Geez.

>145 m.belljackson: Hi, Marianne. It was very breezy today, but all the sunshine felt nice. Much nastier tomorrow. We are supposed to get a little snow in the afternoon. WTH?
I hope it doesn't hit your area to bad!

-Harry Bliss

^"In the tradition of Hidden Figures and The Girls of Atomic City, Code Girls is the astonishing, untold story of the young American women who cracked key Axis codes, helping to secure Allied victory and revolutionizing the field of cryptanalysis."

I have had Code Girls in the audio stacks forever, (It came out in 10/17) so after finishing the devilishly delightful, The Big Sleep I decided to start this next. I am a couple of hours in and I am enjoying it. Like the quote states, fans of Hidden Figures, should really like this one too.

It doesn't seem like many 75ers have read it. Maybe, I can spark something.

>147 msf59: HA!!

>148 msf59: Heh...how perfect after that cartoon...describes how I feel about audiobooks!

You are making me want to read The Big Sleep, Mark. I never read it but saw the movie which I don't recall. There has been a woodpecker at work around here for about a month. Thankfully he is off in the distance a bit, maybe off in the woods if my neighbours are lucky.

>149 richardderus: I don't think we'll ever bring you around on the audios, RD but you seem perfectly content with your print books, which is completely fine with me.

>150 Familyhistorian: Especially if you have never read, The Big Sleep, Meg. Give it a try. A definite class of it's type. I hope the woodpecker continues to stay at a respectful distance. Grins...

^I loved Meloy's debut story collection, Half in Love: Stories, (If you haven't tracked it down, do so) and I wanted to return to her work, so I started Both Ways is the Only Way I Want It yesterday and she grabbed me right away. I love the Montana settings. Fans of Annie Proulx, Larry Watson & Laura Pritchett will enjoy this.

'Morning, Mark! Nasty day ahead for you with rain then snow. Stay safe and warm!

>152 msf59: Maile Meloy! I forgot about Both Ways is the Only Way I Want It and it's around here somewhere. Huh. That happens a lot, me forgetting ebooks and tree books I've acquired until someone says "I really liked Book X" and there I sit with my teeth in my mouth.

I wish my weather could be yours. It's sunshiney and pleasantly breezy, perfect for a walking job.

I'm at the 61% mark in Jodi Taylor's latest St Mary's novel Hope for the Best, which I've been rationing to myself since I must wait until 2020 for another.

>153 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Rough road ahead. The rain should be starting any minute and then dropping temps, followed by snow. Hopefully, I'll be done before the worst of it, but that is looking doubtful.

>154 richardderus: Morning, RD. With being bombarded with books, on a constant basis, no wonder, we forget titles and authors. I highly recommend Meloy and it is a relative shorty.

I read the first 5 or so of the Taylor books and decided that was enough. I did enjoy them, though. My wife still dabbles in them.

>147 msf59: Love it.

'Morning, Mark, and happy Sunday to you.

>156 Caroline_McElwee: I hope I made you smile, Caroline. Happy Weekend.

>157 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. I am skipping the bird walk this A.M. 31F, with snow on the ground. I am staying in.

^April 28th. Feeders in the snow. We didn't get as much as predicted, but yesterday was a wintry mess. It started raining about 9:30 am, changed to sleet, awhile later and then snow. It did not stop. Can we now move on to spring? Please?

BTW-This did not slow the birds down much, especially the regulars.

Not going out on an early and cold bird walk sounds like the perfect opportunity for some reading and coffee...

Thanks for the pic.

>160 karenmarie: I was just over at your place, Karen, looking at a perfect spring day. Working on my 2nd cup of coffee and visiting a few threads.

The photo isn't the best, but hopefully conveys what it needs to.

Snow. Yeccchhh. It's April, snow belongs in February.

Have a slow, satisfying Sunday of coffee and reading.

>162 richardderus: Morning, Richard. Lots of sunshine today, so the snow should not last. I just finished up my last cup of coffee and working on a couple of mini-reviews. It should be a good day. Thanks.

45) American Prison by Shane Bauer 4.8 stars

“The United States imprisons a higher portion of its population than any country in the world. In 2017 we had 2.2 million people in prisons and jails, a 500 percent increase over the last forty years. We now have almost 5 percent of the world’s population and nearly a quarter of its prisoners.”

“We have about eighty thousand people in solitary confinement in this country, more than anywhere in the world.”

The author, a journalist, worked as a prison guard for four months, at a private prison, in Louisana. His horrifying discoveries, are the basis of this hard-hitting expose. He weaves his experiences, in with the history of the American prison system and both are equally disturbing. I think this a must read. No matter what administration or party is in power, this American tragedy is always over-looked and under-reported.
This needs to be reformed, immediately.

**This was also excellent on audio.

Firing Squad

On balconies, sunlight. On poplars, sunlight on our lips.
Today no one is shooting.
A girl cuts her hair with imaginary scissors—
the scissors in sunlight, her hair in sunlight.
Another girl steals a pair of shoes from a sleeping soldier, skewered with light.
As soldier wakes and looks at us looking at them
what do they see?
Tonight they shot fifty women at Lerna St.,
I sit down to write and tell you what I know:
a child learns the world by putting it in her mouth,
a girl becomes a woman and a woman, earth.
Body, they blame you for all things and they
seek in the body what does not live in the body.

-Ilya Kaminsky



^This is from an excellent poetry collection called, Deaf Republic: Poems. I highly recommend it. I love poems, that link together and this is a perfect example.

>139 alphaorder: Thanks again for tip on Good Talk, Nancy. I loved it! Yes, let's keep spreading the word until everyone has read it. :-)

Happy Sunday, Mark!

>120 msf59: "Like!" In these awful times for America, it's good to be reminded of the America Walt Whitman found so much joy in.

This is kind of a TCB day for us. Grocery shopping, getting a kitchen table over to Becca's new place, that kind of thing. I do hope to get some good reading time in. I'm near the end of both Started Early, Took My Dog and An Elegant Defense. I'm also trying a new (for me) GN, Museum of Mistakes: The Fart Party Collection, that is funny so far.

>165 msf59: I have this collection Mark, I'll nudge it up the pile.

>164 msf59: Long ago, I used to correspond with prisoners. As the years went by, more and more wrote to me about the abuse they suffered, and when I met a few in person they said plainly that those weren't made-up stories. I'm disgusted with what my country has become since the effing right wingnuts got a really firm hold of it in 1980.

>166 jnwelch: Hi, Joe. Good luck today, catching up with things. It is still cool out but all the sunshine helps. I got a lot done this morning, so I think I am reserving a big chunk of the afternoon for the books. I am sure you are enjoying the Jackson Brodie.

>167 Caroline_McElwee: Looking forward to your thoughts on that one, Caroline.

>168 richardderus: Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the prison system, RD. This is so shameful and the privatization angle is a complete joke. Inmates are treated worse and it ends up costing more, than if we paid for it on our own. All a big friggin' scam.

Mark - I posted an update on my trip to Seattle and Independent Bookstore Day on my thread.

Hi Mark! I think you have me convinced on American Prison. Hope you are getting some good reading this afternoon.

>170 alphaorder: I stopped by, Nancy. Looks like you had a fantastic time in Seattle. Hooray for books & bookstores.

>171 banjo123: Hi, Rhonda. American Prison is an excellent book. You will not be disappointed. I am having a fine afternoon with the books and now, baseball and beer. Grins...

^When I am not delivering in the rain/snow, I am just walking in the plain rain. Looks to be a wet one all day here and rain is pretty much in the forecast, for the next few days. Can you say Spring weather? I sure can't...

I will finish my story collection today, start a new poetry collection, and I should end up well into the second half of Code Girls, my current audio. I am enjoying both. Silver linings, folks.

Morning, Mark!

I'm sure sorry about all this rain. April will be over soon and then it's all May flowers, right?

'Morning, Mark! Your forecast doesn't look wonderful 'til Friday, I'm afraid. Sorry, since you'll have to be out in it so much. :(

I haven't seen them, but Louise has reported two male and one female Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks. The usual suspects on my feeders so far this morning - Cardinals, Titmice, Carolina Chickadees, squirrels...

"Happy" Monday Mud, Mark. The weather is so much more meaningful to you than it is to me, who can just plop in a window and watch it happen.

Steady rain falling. I will be sodden, by the end of this work day...

>174 scaifea: Morning, Amber. Everything was just beginning to bloom and brighten. Now, we will have to wait a bit, to enjoy it.

>175 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. I appreciate the bird report. I love your regular visitors. I won't be seeing much bird activity today.

>176 richardderus: Morning, Richard. This would have been a perfect, stay inside and read, type of day, but I will persevere, and I am having a good time with Code Girls.

>178 msf59: This is the last spring you'll have to worry about this, though, so that's got to be worth something.

Greatly dislike the early spring snows and the day-long deluges. Sorry you have to deal with it. So I won't tell you it is sunny and warming up here. Quite often the weather you have slides across Ohio to entertain us a day later. No thank you, please.

Damn. I'm reading Shakespeare. Yeah, that Shakespeare. The Taming of the Shrew. To complement Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler, it the first Hogarth Shakespeare for me.

And I do have to tackle part four of These Truths.

Glad to hear you like Code Girls, Mark. That's been on my TBR pile for quite some time. I absolutely loved Hidden Figures and Girls of Atomic City.

Besides Fathers and Sons, which I'm about to start, and my current cozy, I'm also starting American Moonshot. the new book about JFK and the space race, but I'll have to move Code Girls up the pile.

The party my sister and I threw for Mom and Dad's 60th wedding anniversary yesterday was quite a success. It's nice to return to normal. I am not one for public speaking but, as the older sister, I always seem to be the one who has to say a few words at these things.

Hi Mark, you've certainly sparked my interest in Code Girls! The June theme for my Reading Through Time group is Cryptography and Code Breaking so this book sounds perfect for that.

>179 richardderus: Actually, I will have one more spring, RD. I fly the coop in the fall of 2020. Looking forward to it.

>180 weird_O: Hi, Bill. Good to see you. I hope you don't get this weather. Chilly and damp is no fun. Sadly, I have not read The Taming of the Shrew or the Tyler tribute. This would make an awesome pairing. I may have to try it. I hope you are enjoying both.

>181 lindapanzo: I predict you will love Code Girls, Linda. It is right up your alley. I never did get to Girls of Atomic City. I NEED to remedy that. I hope you enjoy Fathers & Sons. I thought it was very accessible.

I am sure you and your sister did a fantastic job, on the anniversary party. 60 years is a big deal.

>182 DeltaQueen50: Hi, Judy. Well, it looks like Code Girls will work out perfectly for you, plus it is a good read. Lots of interesting WWII history to boot. I hope you get to it.

Hey there Lone Ranger! Just popping by to say hi. I'm currently reading Henry, Himself by Stewart O'Nan. It was you who introduced me to Stewart O'Nan with Emily Alone. Thanks for that. The book is very good, but lets just say it's making me feel rather old.

American Prison looks too good to miss Mark.. adding it to my list.

We've had a lot of rain too. Not that I'm forced to be outside in it everyday like you.

Hope you'll be fitting in a Parini novel or bio or volume of poetry in May, Mark. His thread is up and running.

>185 vancouverdeb: Hi, Tonto! Good to see you, Deb. I have missed you. I did not realize O'Nan had a new book out. I will add Henry, Himself to the list immediately. Have you read any other O' Nan?

>186 brenzi: Hi, Bonnie. I am sure you will really get into American Prison, although it is another tough, uncompromising read.

>187 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks, Linda. I know nothing of Parini, so I am looking forward to this. Glad to see he dabbles in it all. I will be stopping by.

Hi Mark! Hope all is well!

America Prison looks fantastic.

"Every January 1, a quirky crowd storms out across North America for a spectacularly competitive event called a Big Year -- a grand, expensive, and occasionally vicious 365-day marathon of birdwatching."

^Well, migration season is beginning to heat up, (still waiting for those southerly winds to really kick in) so I thought it would be a perfect time to FINALLY pull The Big Year off the shelf. I have had it, about a year or so. It is a beloved book in the birder world and I am really looking forward to it. I think I saw the film version, with Steve Martin and Jack Black, but I don't remember much about it. I am sure I will feel much different about it, this time around.

Did anyone see the film? Thoughts?

>189 The_Hibernator: Hi, Rachel. You snuck in on me up there. And yep, I highly recommend American Prison, (the book that is).

>190 msf59: Mark, I enjoyed the movie version of The Big Year, it's not great cinema but it's the kind of thing bird nerds would enjoy. And it does have a great cast. Silly me, I didn't realize it was based on a book. Happy reading!

Morning Mark!

I am glowing from my weekend of books! Too bad I have to go back to work.

Reading update:
Finished Normal People on the plane. I think this NYT review captures my thoughts well: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/08/books/review-normal-people-sally-rooney.html

Need to sit with that novel for a little while before I read another novel, so I picked up one of the collections of poetry I got on my trip, Richard Blanco's How to Love a Country. I haven't read him before, have you? The first few poems are amazing.

And I started a new commute book on my dog walk: Losing Earth. The intro alone lays out how stark our situation is and what we could have done about it. It's got me riled up at 6:00am in the morning.

I also think you would like the poetry collection Self-Storage that I read on my trip. (no touchstones)

Can't wait to hear what you think of Good Talk.

'Morning, Mark, and a happy Tuesday to you.

>190 msf59: I love this book and predict you will too. I've read it twice and seen the movie once.

Good morning, Mark!

I'm glad you're getting around to reading the birder book, The Big Year. I'm in the middle of a Georgette Heyer called Faro's Daughter. Another fun one from her.

Have you been watching the American Gods tv series? Debbi got bored and dropped out, and I can't really blame her. It's a slow progression, but I'm hanging in there. It's a good cast. I also got my hands on the second American Gods graphic novel, so I'm Gods Surroundsound right now.

Crummy weather again, darn it. I hope the day goes okay for you.

>193 lauralkeet: Hi, Laura. Thanks for chiming in on The Big Year film. I will let you know my thoughts on both the book and the film.

>194 alphaorder: Hi, Nancy. Welcome back. I will swing back and check out the Rooney review. That one has been on my radar.

Funny, I just requested the Blanco collection, after Beth warbled about it. I will have to also request Self-Storage. Looking forward to starting Good Talk.

>195 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Great to hear that you liked The Big Year enough to read it twice. Hooray! I hope to start it, a little later on.

>196 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. Yep, pretty crappy out here again. Light drizzle, at the moment.

I jumped ship, in the first season of American Gods. It wasn't clicking for me. Glad to hear you are hanging with it.

>192 msf59: Yep. *frowns mightily*

Don't let the bastards get you down today, Mark.

Morning Mark,

I'll jump in on the O'Nan warbling, from above. I think you put me on to him originally. I've read 3 (recommend them all), plus one on the shelf...

Last Night at the Lobster
In the Walled City: Stories
The Odds

A Prayer for the Dying - on the shelf.

Adding the two that Deb referenced immediately. :)

>192 msf59: Yes!

>199 richardderus: Hey, RD! It was another tough one out there today. It was actually pouring the last 45 minutes, while a thunderstorm passed through, but I did not let let the "bastards" get me down. I am warm & cozy at home, finishing up dinner with a Guinness at my elbow.

>200 mahsdad: Thanks for chiming on on O'Nan, Jeff. Glad I was of some service. I definitely recommend his story collection and the Lobster. I also highly recommend The Circus Fire. Harrowing nonfiction. I wish he would return to NF.

>201 BLBera: That really says it all, right, Beth?

>200 mahsdad: When we were last in Sarasota (a year ago I think. My Mom Snowbirds there from Pittsburgh), we went to the Ringling Circus Museum and they had a whole exhibit on the fire, and had The Circus Fire in the gift store. I should have purchased it then, but its at least on the WL.

>203 mahsdad: I can not recommend it high enough, Jeff. A haunting read. What a talented author.

cough, cough, Mark ;-)

>185 vancouverdeb: I credited you with introducing me to Stewart O'Nan. I really loved Emily , Alone. I'm not sure how I discovered he had a new one out , but I am very pleased.

>205 vancouverdeb: I hope this latest, will inspire you to try more O' Nan, Deb. Did you finish it?

"No longer is it accurate to call me a birdwatcher, a term the pros use to dismiss the spinsters and retired British army colonels who wait passively for birds to come to them. I have become an enthusiast, a chaser, a birder."

"Birding is hunting without killing, preying without punishing and collecting without clogging up your home. Take a field guide into the woods and you are more than a hiker. You're a detective on a backcountry beat..."

-The Big Year



-Rosy Finch, (I would love to see one of these guys, one of these days)

Morning Mark! I saw this book review this am and thought of you immediately.
The Hidden Meaning of Birds: http://www.wellreadnaturalist.com/2019/04/the-hidden-meaning-of-birds/

Good morning, Birder! I hope your day isn't as bad as yesterday.

Glad that you're loving The Big Year.

The rains have stopped and the sun is peeking through. Hallelujah, brothers & sisters!!

>208 alphaorder: Morning, Nancy. The Hidden Meaning of Birds sounds great. It is now firmly on the list. Thanks.

>209 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. The rain has stopped. It is still overcast but mild. I can't wait to dive back into The Big Year.

Just checking in, Mark. I’m hooked on the third Rosie book by Graeme Simsion, with the unique and very funny Don Tillman - now trying to teach his son on how to get by despite being different. I’m also going to try to finish Notes from a Small Island, a Bill Bryson that I took a break from when it got slow.

At least the rain held off today. I hope the work day went okay.

>207 msf59: That is one spiffy bird! Looks like Art Deco come to life.

Thaw out soon. The drying, sadly, looks to be a few soaky days off.

>212 jnwelch: Hi, Joe. Thanks for popping in. The work day went well. Thanks. I did not realize there was a third Rosie book out. I really enjoyed the first two, so I will have to check it out. I never did read that Bryson title.

>213 richardderus: Hey, RD. I also love the look of the rosy finch. Definitely spiffy. Decent work day. More rain coming tomorrow, (WTF?). I am off, so at least I don't have to trudge around in it, but it will most likely keep me from venturing out and doing any bird strolls. Bummer!

"Filled with unforgettable characters and prose as radiant as the Sinaloan sun, Into the Beautiful North is the story of an irresistible young woman's quest to find herself on both sides of the fence."

As many of my pals know, I am a big fan of Mr. Urrea. Starting with The Hummingbird's Daughter, I knew this was an author for me. He upped the ante, with the ability to excel at nonfiction and short fiction, as well. I have had Into the Beautiful North saved on audio for a long time. I finally decided it was time and started it today. In the early going, it reminds me of House of Broken Angels, although I am sure the story will go in much different directions. Has anyone here read this?

Have you added O’Nan’s Henry, Himself to your tbr list yet?? I’m not telling you what to do but you need to! :)

>164 msf59: Nice review of American Prison, Mark. I didn't know that 1/4 of the world's prisoners are incarcerated in this sad excuse for a country.

>192 msf59: Sigh. I think that the current situation in the United States is worse than it has been at any point in my life. Unfortunately I don't think things will change anytime soon, and I'm looking forward to my own Amerexit in the next five to seven years, after I retire and move abroad.

>216 Copperskye: Hi, Joanne. Glad to know Henry, Himself is a hit. Deb dropped by the other day and also warbled about it. Good enough for me. I enjoy a new O' Nan.

>217 kidzdoc: Hi, Darryl. You are up and about early. Good to see you. American Prison is an important book and should be teamed up with Just Mercy.

Our country is in a sad state of affairs. We really NEED the Dems to step up to the plate and start being a party of the people. Hope we can turn this damaged ship around. This gun control issue needs to be a priority.

-Chipping Sparrow (NMP)

^I saw one of these guys at my finch feeder yesterday. FOY. This makes #18 at my feeders. I love the rufous head. Things have been very slow, here and on the route, with the inclement weather and uncooperative winds. It is really stunting the migration patterns. I hope this changes soon.

I am off today, so I plan on freshening up all the feeders and bird bath today, even though we are expecting more rain, through the day. Sighs...

'Morning, Mark! I hope you enjoy your day off, even if there's supposed to be rain.

Yay for Chipping Sparrows.

>220 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Unfortunately, the rain will keep me off the trails today. A bit bummed about that, but more time for the books, right? Loving, The Big Year.

48) The Goose Fritz by Sergei Lebedev 4.2 stars

“Grandmother gave him more than unexpected ancestors. The world of another culture appeared before him, a silent but living world to which he belonged by inheritance, by the right of wild, inexhaustible blood in which all eras and the starry sky flowed.”

I have wondered over the years, why I have not heard of many contemporary Russian authors, so discovering this sprawling, family saga, was a joy. This novel focuses on a young Russian man, with German origins, looking back at his family history, inspired by his late grandmother's passing. It goes back generations, (into the 19th century) so the reader gets an informative overview of Russian history, right through the modern age. It appears that plenty of deep research went into this story and the prose is strong and fluid. It also is a solid translation. I will have to seek out this author's earlier work.

Sweet Thursday, buddy.

You really enjoyed the first two Rosie books?! Hurrah! I just reviewed the third one over on my thread (no spoilers). You're gonna love it!

Someone has not gotten the message that we've had enough rain. Do you have a portable fireplace you can take around with you? I guess that wouldn't work very well. Maybe a St. Bernard with brandy as a companion dog?

P.S. I'm moving too fast today. Good mini-review of The Goose Fritz - what a title!

P.P.S. I'm looking forward to hearing about your ongoing adventures with Into the Beautiful North. I need to read The Hummingbird's Daughter.

>215 msf59: A new writer to me Mark. Adding to the ever increasing list. I'm lying, I bought a copy of The Hummingbird's Daughter in 2012, after reading a quote somewhere. No idea where the book is though.

>223 jnwelch: Hi, Joe. I am enjoying the day off and it looks like most of it will be spent indoors. At least I will be tending to the books. Glad you liked the mini-review of The Goose Fritz. It is a good read.

Not far enough into Into the Beautiful North, to give a solid opinion but I definitely recommend The Hummingbird's Daughter.

>224 Caroline_McElwee: I can not recommend Urrea high enough, Caroline and I think The Hummingbird's Daughter is a good place to start.

>215 msf59: Nope. I *hated* The Hummingbird's Daughter with a nuclear-fusion-strength passion.

>222 msf59: Yep. I am so intensely grateful for the presses like New Vessel and Open Book and Deep Vellum. They translate great stuff.

>218 msf59:

Mixed metaphors, but, when the Democrats are holding ALL the pieces for a Checkmate, why won't they step up to the plate?

I keep writing to both Mark Pocan and Tammy Baldwin with more intelligently phrased questions, but get only the lukewarm, lamest of responses.

At least, young Beto looks like he MIGHT have the ((guts)) to deliver.

Our Socialist appears to have trashed his rich self, while one can only wish that the parents of the South Bend Mayor had changed his last name ages ago.
If he wasn't gay, he could have married (this is true) Madison's optometrist, Dr. Dawn Butts, for a real political and social whirlwind.

Biden can't be trusted after Anita Hill - President and Michelle Obama KNOW.

Meantime, Wisconsin's Russ Feingold would have made a great president, as would Ms. Cortez...?

As for finding an alternative to our country, Costa Rica seems to offer the most welcoming environmental plan,
while Canada has no history of supporting dictators or slave ships.
(Treatment of original people still being updated after disasters.)

New Zealand used to be low crime, yet is split in half geologically.
Other countries are terrifying for low or no birth control or safe water or
domination by even richer, nuttier men.

Looks like we keep working on our own bankrupted backyard...

>226 richardderus: Not a Urrea fan, eh? I wonder what it was that got your goat on The Hummingbird's Daughter. It has been quite a few years since I read it, so details are fuzzy. I would like to get into more translated work.

>227 m.belljackson: Thanks, for chiming in on the gloomy state of our country, Marianne. Not a lot of hopeful signs, unfortunately. I do like this new wave of progressives, but I don't know if we can reply on them changing anything, this early on.

I vote for Costa Rica!! I heard it is an amazing birding locale! Grins...

Morning Mark! Hopefully the rain is gone for you! It is for us. I can see a nice blue sky out there already. It'll be up to 60 today.

'Morning, Mark! I hope your day is a good one.

Hi Mark.

>192 msf59: - Sad to say but this makes me grateful that I am not raising kids these days.

>207 msf59: - This is a terrific quote: "Birding is hunting without killing, preying without punishing and collecting without clogging up your home. Take a field guide into the woods and you are more than a hiker. You're a detective on a backcountry beat..."

Happy Friday, Mark.

Is that the sun out there?! I forgot what that looked like. Supposed to be a beautiful day on Sunday for your birding in Morton Arboretum. We had a Lyft driver last night who was into both birding and geocaching. What are the odds? He said what got him started birding was that he loved a photo he saw of a scarlet tanager and thought, jeez, wouldn't that be something to see one in person. The next day in Morton Arboretum he did.

We're currently planning to go to that Montrose Harbor bird sanctuary on Sunday. We need to all do that together some time!

>229 The_Hibernator: Morning, Rachel. Beautiful start to the day here too and no rain in the forecast until early next week. Yahoo!!

>230 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Looks to be a lovely day and I expect it to be especially birdy. B.A.G.

>228 msf59: That poor little mentally-ill girl being treated as though she was some sort of holy person got my goat, roasted it, and made curry from the bones. Exalting autism-spectrum disorder into Sacred Visitation isn't my idea of an entertaining read, more like a case study in the pathology that religion represents.

>231 jessibud2: Morning, Shelley. I highly recommend The Big Year. Very easy to read and chock full of interesting bird info and some birding suspense, as well.

>232 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. Beautiful start to the day. I just wish it were just a few degrees warmer, but the sunshine feels great and hardly a cloud in the sky.

I love the Lyft driver story. How cool. And I hope you get to see a scarlet tanager one of these days. Gorgeous birds.

I hope to make it out to Montrose, sometime this month.

>234 richardderus: Thanks for the comments on Hummingbird, Richard. My memory is a bit fuzzy on it. I do remember reading that some of this is based on Urrea's ancestory.

>228 msf59:

We have a family of friends who travel every year to their friends who live permanently in Costa Rica and rave about THE BIRDS above all else!!!

Too bad Audubon didn't subscribe to "Birding is hunting without killing..." It would make his paintings and prints more inviting.
And, yes, I know about different times and sentiments, but fellow artists made different choices.

>237 m.belljackson: Costa Rica is very high on my bucket list, Marianne. Birding has become a big part of their economy. Yes, it was incredibly sad that Audubon had to kill all those birds, but that was the tradition then. He did eventually come around and what he did for the birding world, is unprecedented. Those paintings of his, are still quite amazing.

Flower

Yellow bird.
Yellow house.
Little yellow
Song

Light in my
Jaundiced mouth.
These yellow
Teeth need

Brushing, but
You admire
My yellow
Smile. This

Black boy
Keep singing.
Tiny life.
Yellow bile.

-Jericho Brown

This is from his award-winning collection, The Tradition. I liked a few of the poems, but the rest were a bit under-whelming, IMHO.

47) Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid 4 stars

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

This novel is written as an oral history, using mock interviews and letters from all the people involved in this Fleetwood Mac-type band, reaching their peak in the late '70s. This of course will not work for everyone, but I had a good time with it. Pleasantly diverting and I really enjoyed the audio production, that used a full cast of narrators. Fans of the excellent film, Almost Famous should have a good time it.

54) Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev 4.4 stars

I am so glad I finally got to this classic Russian novel. It was first published in 1862 and focuses on Arkady Kirsanov and his family, along with Bazarov, a school friend, a rebellious, spark plug that drives the story. I was surprised and pleased how easy the narrative flowed. I will have to try something else by Turgenev, somewhere down the road.

53) Heart of a Lion: A Lone Cat’s Walk Across America by William Stolzenburg 4.2 stars

On a summer night in 2011, on a highway in Connecticut, a mountain lion was struck and killed. Once DNA testing was done on the wayward animal, it was discovered, that it came from the Black Hills of South Dakota. This excellent book traces the extraordinary path of this lion, along with the history of mountain lions in America. Hint: We LOVE killing all animals but we especially like killing predators. I highly recommend this very well-written book.

56) Heart Berries: A Memoir by Terese Marie Mailhot 4.2 stars

“I packed my baby and left my reservation. I came from the mountains to an infinite and flat brown to bury my grief.”

“How could misfortune follow me so well, and why did I choose it every time.”

“I woke up as the bones of my ancestors locked in government storage.”

“I avoid the mysticism of my culture. My people know there is a true mechanism that runs through us. Stars were people in our continuum. Mountains were stories before they were mountains. Things were created by story. The words were conjurers, and ideas were our mothers.”

This is a poetic memoir, but it is also a raw, open-wound as we look at this young woman's life, as she deals with mental disorders, poverty, sexual abuse and the cruel removal of one of her children. The author is Native American but she steers around the usual tropes, you find in these kind of memoirs.
I hope the quotes, I shared above, will give you an idea, what to expect. This style will not appeal to everyone, but it will sing for those it connects with.

**Whew! I think I am done for tonight.

>240 msf59: Mark you hooked me on that one. I do love reading about cougars and have requested it on Inter Library Loan with thanks.
Heart of a Lion. Have a wonderful weekend! Hope that you get some good spring temperatures.

>242 mdoris: Glad I hooked you with Heart of a Lion, Mary. If you like learning about lions, you will love this.

I hope you have a good weekend too.

>241 msf59: Avoided the usual tropes is about the best recommendation of this book I can get. Onto the library holds it goes.

Mark where we live mountain lions or puma are called cougars and here on Vancouver Island is the highest numbers of them anywhere in North American. I loved the book Ghost Walker by R.D. Lawrence. It's an old book now (1983) and probably hard to find but he spent the 10 months observing a family group in the B.C. mountains (Selkirk). I found it a wonderful read.

Happy Weekend, Mark. Nice day- we’re on the front porch.

Good mini-reviews! I did like the movie Almost Famous, but I’ve just never had a good time with a band-based book like Daisy and the Six. So I’ll probably pass on that one.

Bill Bryson has caught my interest again, and I’m back to enjoying Notes from a Small Island, after not being sure I’d finish it. Mason Buttle, recommended by Amber, is very good. I think of it as YA. It features middle-graders, but it’s not written in a middle-grade style, IMO.

I am still in the Florida mood!

>240 msf59: now you really make me want to read Fathers and Sons, Mark!
Maybe I can squeeze it in the suitcase tomorrow, or else read later this month.

Hi there, Mr. Mark. After a morning spent at the dealership getting my car serviced, home now to read and watch the Cubs. A friend is there and texting often.

Surely you're too far away but, last night, I felt the house shake and heard a boom, at 9:45 pm. Texted friends and scoured FB and we discovered that we'd felt the big Gurnee/Waukegan explosion. Now it wasn't that close but it was huge so not too surprising. Sadly, I think 3 employees died.

>247 Berly: Loved the pics on FB, Kim. Have a great time!!

I wish I was in the Florida mood.

Have a great weekend, Mark.

>244 richardderus: Her style will not be for everyone, Richard, but I hope you find the memoir rewarding.

>245 mdoris: Thanks, for supplying more info on your local lions, Mary. I am sure they rarely ever bother people or pets, right? Ghost Walker sounds interesting. I will keep that one in mind.

>246 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. I don't think Daisy Jones would be your cuppa, so smart move. Glad you returned to the Bryson and found more to enjoy. I am way over due for a Bryson, myself. It has been several years.

>247 Berly: Ooh, I am so jealous, Kimmers! I am sure you are having a wonderful time, soaking up the sun.

>248 FAMeulstee: Looking forward to your thoughts on Fathers & Sons, Anita. I am sure you will enjoy it.

>249 lindapanzo: Hi, Linda. I did not hear much about that explosion in Waukegan. I will have to check into it. Another great cubs win, right?

>250 PaulCranswick: I worked yesterday, Paul but I am looking forward to an R & R Sunday, that will include a Meet Up. Yah!!

'Morning, Mark! I hope your R&R + Meet Up Sunday is a good'un.

Have a great Sunday and meetup, Mark!

Heart of a Lion sounds quite intriguing, as does Mary's suggestion of Ghost Walker. Like Mary, I live in mountain lion country. I've seen them along my place twice in the 25 years that I have lived here and both times it was a thrill, an honor, and also somewhat scary. I think I need to read something about them, so onto the WL both books go.

Looking forward to a day of birds, a beer, and book talk with you Mark!

>253 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Nancy is coming down from Milwaukee today and we will all go on a nature/birding stroll and then do lunch. Gorgeous day, so it should be fun.

>254 streamsong: Happy Sunday, Janet. Good to see you. I think that is so cool, that you got a couple of glimpses of your local mountain lions. I understand the fear, (it is instinctive) but the more you read about them, the more you learn, that it is very unlikely that they would attack you.

>255 alphaorder: Morning, Nancy. I am not sure we could have picked a better day. A real beauty. Looking forward to seeing you very soon.

^Not only did I see one Baltimore Oriole yesterday, I saw 3. The first time ever on my route, at my BBS and then a pair of orioles at a favorite birding spot, on my way home from work. Right off the parking lot. I did try to get a photo, but it was too difficult. True beauties.

Sunday Blessèd Sunday, O Oriole-sighter! I lived in their nesting grounds as a kid. I had one of their amazing nests for decades...the gardener got it out of the pecan tree for me after they flew north...and tacked it to my bathroom walls everywhere I lived.

The birds are a joy for the eyes, the ears, and the heart.

Whatever you are doing, Mark. Do it!

I plugged my way through Educated and Tara Westover's catastrophically dysfunctional family. I plugged my way through Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew with its 16th century, misogynistic view of wooing and winning a wife. And now I've waded into Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer. Back amongst the most insane, most dangerous of the Mormons.

Well, when I finish it, I'll be able to relax and enjoy our nation's willing and full embrace of universal civil rights, as revealed in part four of Jill Lepore's These Truths.

Maybe I need counselling.

>258 msf59: I want to see one. What a beauty, and you saw three.... lucky lucky you Mark.

>258 msf59: Looks good !What a lovely bird. I saw an Anna's Humming bird a few days ago. Poppy and I have been walking a different route the past few days and it does not lend itself to seeing as many birds. However, as Poppy is somewhat of a reactive dog, I'm enjoying the peace from her barking at people and dogs. Instead I am looking across the river at the metal birds taking off and landing - as in the Vancouver International Airport. Instead I can try to identify what type of plane and what airline is flying across my field of view ;-) There are actually quite a few birds and certainly water fowl and the Great Blue Herons, but these birds stay at more of a distance.

>259 richardderus: "The birds are a joy for the eyes, the ears, and the heart." Beautifully said, Sir Richard! Love those orioles. I think I saw one fly over my feeders this afternoon, but not a positive sighting.

>260 weird_O: Hi, Bill. I had a great day. A Meet Up. Birding. Book chat. Beer. Book chat. More birding. Perfect. Thanks for the book update. I loved Educated & Under the Banner of Heaven & These Truths. You have fine taste.

>261 Caroline_McElwee: The orioles are beautiful, Caroline.The only local birds that might match them, are the stunning Scarlet Tanagers. I have not seen one this year, but I should, in the coming weeks.

>262 vancouverdeb: Hi, Deb. Always enjoy those bird reports. I WANT to see a Anna's Hummingbird. Wah!! We only get Ruby-Throated here and I saw my first today. Yah!! Boo to metal birds, they consistently distract me, as I scan the skies for birds.

^Nancy ventured down from Milwaukee and we took advantage of a gorgeous day, to hike around the Arboretum. Her first time there and my wife, Sue, joined us too. She snapped the photo. Not a ton of birds, but we did see wood ducks, bluebirds, tree swallows, red-tailed hawks and an Eastern Kingbird, along with a Great Egret, with were FOY, for me.

We then went to a nearby brewery, for brews, lunch and plenty of book & current events chatter. Great day!

>265 msf59: A perfect day

>265 msf59:. Love the picture!

Just finished How to Love a Country. So glad you have it to read. He has author's notes for some of the poems in the back - I read them as I read the correlating poem. It is an amazing and important collection.

>267 banjo123:. Thanks! We had a great time.

I see you appreciated How to Love a Country too. Have you read Bullets into Bells?

Morning, Mark!

Yay for meet-ups! That one looks and sounds like a great one. I'm glad you all had a fun day!

>265 msf59: great photo :) Love that sun, the trees and you two too!!!

>267 banjo123: Thanks, Rhonda. It was a nice visit and a nice stroll.

>268 alphaorder: Thanks again for making it down to my neck of the woods, Nancy. It was a fine time. I am so glad you enjoyed How to Love a Country. I hope to get to it soon.

BTW- My audio copy of Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland came in last night. I know I mentioned this title yesterday. Yah!!
I plan on starting it after the Urrea.

>270 scaifea: Morning, Amber. Yep, fine Meet Up with Nancy. We lucked out with a perfect day.

>271 LovingLit: Thanks, Megan. The smiles are genuine.

^I saw my first Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, (NMP) at my feeder yesterday. It only stopped for a moment but it is good to see these guys back. A red-winged blackbird also made an appearance (they stop at the feeders very infrequently), bringing my yearly total to #21.

>265 msf59: Lovely picture, and lovely day Marc!

>274 msf59: Nice! No hummingbirds in Europe, unfortunately:-(
Off to look the red-winged blackbird up.

'Morning, Mark! Congrats on the great meet up with Nancy and your first Ruby-Throated Hummingbird of the season. They're so much fun to watch.

Morning Mark -

This sounds like a graphic memoir you, Joe and I need to add to our list:
https://www.npr.org/2019/05/06/720570645/nprs-malaka-gharibs-graphical-memoir-i-...

Also, did you know that Kenn Kaufman has a new book about spring migration?
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/kenn-kaufman/a-season-on-the-wind/

>275 EllaTim: >276 EllaTim: Hi, Ella. I hope you liked the red-winged blackbird, once you saw it. They breed here, and are quite common. I just don't see them much in our neighborhood.

>277 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Always nice to see the hummingbirds back. They are a bit late arriving, with all the cruddy weather, we have had. I need to freshen up the nectar today.

>278 alphaorder: >279 alphaorder: Ooh, the graphic memoir sounds good. Thanks, Nancy. I did hear about the new Kaufmann book. He was recently on a birding podcast, I listen to. The book sounds interesting. I have added it.

>274 msf59: We had our first hummer of the season at the feeder on Friday! One has stopped by every morning since. Also a couple of chipping sparrows stopped by.

Enjoy your week, Mark!

>258 msf59:. Beautiful!

>265 msf59:. Hooray! I’m glad you and Nancy had a good time. What a lovely day for it!

We got a big kick out of our visit to the Montrose Harbor bird sanctuary on Sunday. Gorgeous day, and I hadn’t thought of the obvious - it’s a lot easier to see the birds before the trees leaf out. They were everywhere! We saw yellow warblers (lots), red-winged blackbirds (I had my binoculars on one and got a spectacular view of it taking off to fly - all that red heading right at me!), a something-something gnat catcher, a yellow something-something, and more. Wish we had you there! The birders there were all so friendly - some unbelievable cameras on hand, too.

>265 msf59: how lovely to have an LT get-together.

>282 Copperskye: Hooray for also seeing the first hummer, Joanne. Believe it or not, I have had a regular chipping sparrow dropping by. Stays for awhile to, mainly foraging on the ground.

>283 jnwelch: Hi, Joe. I wish you guys could have joined us yesterday, but I am so impressed that you went to Montrose and actually birded. Since there are so many unfamiliar birds down there, it is a good idea to ask all the serious birders that congregate down there, for a little guidance. The majority are very helpful. Warblers are particularly difficult and so are many of the others. Hooray for seeing the yellow warblers, they are stand-outs. I am sure you saw a Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher. It is such a cool little bird.

We will have to get down there together, hopefully this month, while migration is in full swing.

>284 Caroline_McElwee: It was a terrific Meet Up, Caroline. I am very fortunate to have met up with Nancy several different times and this was our second birding adventure and I am sure it will not be our last.

^I have been on a bit of a roll lately, and I spotted a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak on the route today. Not at my BBS, but at a suet feeder in someone's yard. They live on a corner house, so I am able to watch closely. I thought it was a Hairy Woodpecker at first, since they have the same coloring on their backsides, but as soon as I saw that rosy chest, I knew what it was. First time ever on my route.

And the other cool thing is, is that Nancy spotted one today at work too. Double Yah!!

>288 msf59: Now Mark, it's not nice to comment unfavorably upon a fellow creature's appearance. And really, its beak isn't gross. Just a bit...high-contrast.

>289 richardderus: I will try to control myself, next time, Richard. Grins...I have now seen 4 different grosbeaks: blue, pine, evening and rose, and I love every one of them. I love that robust beak!!

Mark -

This piece, written by Zoe for our Panorama, is from last year I think. She also took the photos. Enjoy!
https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/2019/05/06/wonder-of-warblers/

You too, Joe!

Hello Mark! I hope all is well with you. Excellent pictures on the thread.

I've been warbling about Bird Box since I finished it this week. It is the taut post apocalyptic thriller which inspired the Netflix film.

>291 alphaorder: Go Zoe! Go Zoe! Excellent article and I cant' believe she got such great photos. Warblers are so tough to get a bead on. Is the top photo a Blackburnian? It isn't marked. It is one of my faves.

>292 brodiew2: Hi, Brodie. Good to see you. All is well here. Glad to hear you enjoyed Birdbox. I did too. I did not care for the Netflix movie though.

>288 msf59: I saw one of those at the feeder this morning. Calmly noshing on black-oil sunflower seeds, ignoring the rowdy, bulling bluejays all around him.

>294 weird_O: That is great, Bill. Thanks for sharing. Karen sees them at her feeders, as well. I have not, but I am keeping an eye out.