Mark's Reading Place: Chapter Thirteen

-DC Meetup, at Busboys and Poets. Clockwise, starting with Mark (msf59), Nora (norabelle414) Hannah, Tim (timspalding) Suzanne (chatterbox) Alice, Nancy (nimay) Tina, Benita (benitastnad), Harlan, Jim (drneutron) my non-LT friend, Carl, Marianne (michigantrumpet) and Mary (bell7).



-Northern Mockingbird- Gettysburg PA

Audiobook:



Graphic/Comic:



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) Code Girls by Liza Mundy 4 stars (audio)
59) The Big Year by Mark Obmascik 4.6 stars
60) Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea 3.2 stars (audio)
61) Good Talk by Mira Jacob 4.7 stars GN
62) Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe 5 stars (audio)
63) Huck Out West by Robert Coover 3.7 stars (audio)
64) The Darwin Affair by Tim Mason 4 stars ALA
65) Dear Darkness: Poems by Kevin Young 4 stars (Poetry)
66) Pachinko by Min Jin Lee 3.7 stars (audio)
67) Sea Prayer by Khaled Hosseini 4.5 stars
68) Rogue Protocol: The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells 4 stars (audio)
69) One Matchless Time: A Life of William Faulkner by Jay Parini 5 stars AAC
70) Rough Magic: Riding the World's Loneliest Horse Race by Lara Prior-Palmer 4 stars (audio)
71) My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite 3.8 stars (audio)
72) How to Love a Country: Poems by Richard Blanco 4.5 stars (Poetry)

June:

73) The Unfinished World: And Other Stories by Amber Sparks 4.2 stars
74) Furious Hours: The Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep 4.7 stars (audio)
75) My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix 3 stars (audio)
76) Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli 4.5 stars (audio)
77) Emma by Jane Austen 3.6 stars (E)
78) The Monopolists: Obsession, Fury, and the Scandal by Mary Pilon 3.8 stars (audio)
79) The Unvanquished by William Faulkner 4 stars
80) Milkman by Anna Burns 4.3 stars (audio)
81) West: A Novel by Carys Davies 4.2 stars
82) Frida Kahlo: An Illustrated Life by María Hesse 4.5 stars GN
83) Flowers of Mold & Other Stories by Seong-Nan Ha 4 stars
84) The Long Take: A noir narrative by Robin Robertson 4.3 stars (poetry)

July:

85) The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead 4.7 stars ALA
86) Bernie by Ted Rall 4.2 stars GN
87) Kingdom Cons by Yuri Herrera 3.8 stars
88) Nathan Bedford Forrest: A Biography by Jack Hurst 3.3 stars (audio)
89) Voices in the Ocean by Susan Casey 4.4 stars (audio)
90) The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai 5 stars
91) Drinking at the Movies by Julia Wertz 4.2 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
22) Hermit Thrush 5/7 (F)
23) Gray Catbird 5/16 (F)
24) Baltimore Oriole 5/20 (F)
25) Blue Jay 6/7

(F)- First time seen at the feeders.

Grace

I think of Wind and her wild ways the year we had nothing to lose and lost it anyway in the cursed country of the fox. We still talk about that winter, how the cold froze imaginary buffalo on the stuffed horizon of snowbanks. The haunting voices of the starved and mutilated broke fences, crashed our thermostat dreams, and we couldn’t stand it one more time. So once again we lost a winter in stubborn memory, walked through cheap apartment walls, skated through fields of ghosts into a town that never wanted us, in the epic search for grace.

like Coyote, like Rabbit, we could not contain our terror and clowned our way through a season of false midnights. We had to swallow that town with laughter, so it would go down easy as honey. And one morning as the sun struggled to break ice, and our dreams had found us with coffee and pancakes in a truck stop along Highway 80, we found grace.

I could say grace was a woman with time on her hands, or a white buffalo escaped from memory. But in that dingy light it was a promise of balance. We once again understood the talk of animals, and spring was lean and hungry with the hope of children and corn.

I would like to say, with grace, we picked ourselves up and walked into the spring thaw. We didn’t; the next season was worse. You went home to Leech Lake to work with the tribe and I went south. And, Wind, I am still crazy. I know there is something larger than the memory of a dispossessed people. We have seen it.

-Joy Harjo

Harjo recently became the United States Poet Laureate. The first Native American to hold this honor. If you have not read any of her poetry or her excellent memoir, Crazy Brave, seek her out.

"Colson Whitehead brilliantly dramatizes another strand of American history through the story of two boys sentenced to a hellish reform school in Jim Crow-era Florida."

Benita and Marianne snagged me a copy of The Nickel Boys months ago and since it will be published this month, (July 16) I decided to finally get to it. Whitehead has been on a nice roll and this one has been getting strong reviews. I start it today.

As I reported before, I have been put my current audiobook, Nathan Bedford Forrest on hold, while on vacation. I will get back to it tomorrow.

-Cemetery Ridge. Gettysburg PA.

Happy New Thread, my friend!!

Great Meet Up photo. Hannah is one of the Litsy crowd. Great gal. I ended up behind her the next day in the Erin Morgenstern line.

Still haven’t gotten all of my haul unpacked. When I do, I’ll let you know the damage.

Great fun , as always, to see you. Can’t wait until the next time!

>5 msf59: Looks like you got a German edition of Nickel Boys! Whitehead read an excerpt from that when he spoke here in April. I'm itching to get my hands on a copy.

Happy new thread, Mark. I read that Bernie GN last year. There are also a few others in that series of GNs, by that author/illustrator, I believe. I remember seeing a few at the bookstore

>7 michigantrumpet: Thanks, Marianne. Great to see you, my friend. I really enjoyed chatting with Hannah, along with Mary. Did you happen to get an extra copy of the new Morgenstern? Yes, I am shameless. I had a nice time hanging out with you, Friday and Saturday. I also loved that old-fashioned.

>8 laytonwoman3rd: I was wondering if anyone would catch that. LOL. I just liked that image of the cover & author.

>9 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley. I have had this copy of Bernie forever. I think Benita picked me up a copy, probably 2 years ago. It looks like this author also did one on Trump.

Great thread toppers!!

Halfway through the year. You're on thread 13. I'm still on my first one. I need to talk more.

>10 msf59: - Yeah, I wasn't going to mention his name but that other GN you mentioned was the one I remember seeing (and deliberately NOT picking up). Hehe

Happy new thread!

New thread orisons, Mark, and a joyous day out of the stickiness of summer.

Happy New Thread, Mark!

I enjoyed all the photos of the meetups and your travels.

I also thought Benita's summary of why advanced copies are getting fewer was very interesting. I wonder how that will affect the LT Early Reviewers program. Most of my LTER requests are from global publishers, which perhaps aren't as affected by the Trumpster.

jBB with Bernie. I am going to Just ignore the fact that I have 10 books checked out already from the library, with another two to pick up. Or that my currently reading collection says I have 34 books in progress. (Surely not!)

I have been watching a lot of mindless TV. Now that the knee pain is getting better, I hope I can focus on reading.

Great meet-up photo Mark.

Lucky you to get an advance copy of Nickel Boys. I'll watch for your comments.

Have a great week. Do you have a long weekend?

Hi Mark, I am kicking back and celebrating Canada's birthday today - 152 years old. I am loving the pictures you are posting from your trip - Gettysberg is definitely on my bucket list.

>11 lindapanzo: Thanks, Linda. They don't call me the chatty Warbler, for nothing. I will have to stop by your thread. Maybe, I could spark some new life over there. Grins...

>12 jessibud2: Honestly, I don't like typing that dreaded name, either. What was I thinking of?

>13 drneutron: >14 richardderus: Thanks, Jim and Richard!

>15 streamsong: Thanks, Janet. It was a great trip. I hope you are recovering on schedule. You must be getting plenty of quality reading time in, right?

I highly recommend the Bernie GN. It gives a solid and scathing history of our Democrats, post-Nixon. It explains a lot. This party has lost it's way.

>16 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. Just a few pages into, The Nickel Boys but I can tell this will be a special book. Today is my regular day off, for the week, so I will get the day off for the holiday and then back on Fri & Sat.

>17 DeltaQueen50: Happy Birthday, Canada! Thanks for reminding me about that, Judy. I hope you can make it to Gettysburg, one of these days. It will be worth it.

Happy new thread, O Master Warbler! My feeders are under attack by juvenile House Finches - I'm counting 3 on one feeder and 2 on another, with several waiting in the Crepe Myrtle to take their turn. The male Cardinals are occasional scaring them off, but they return quickly.

>20 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen. Hooray for the juvie house finches. My resident couple, visits constantly. Other than that, it is house sparrows and the occasional robin. I did just see my first hummer of the day.

Happy new thread Mark. There was a story from The Nickel Boys published in the NYer mag and it was stunning, captivating, riveting. I immediately put the book on reserve at the library. I think you will really enjoy it. ("The Match" March 26th, 2019)

Have you seen this series of videos? I watched them all in one sitting...

https://www.topic.com/birds-of-north-america

You liked Milkman better than I did. Perhaps I should have done the audio instead of the print book.

A great meet up picture, Mark! Happy New Thread!

>22 mdoris: Thanks, Mary. Glad you were able to read that New Yorker article on The Nickel Boys. I am 75 pages in and I am liking it a lot. He may be one of the best American writers working today.

>23 alphaorder: Thanks, Nancy. I did see a few of these videos all ready, including the warbler one. I will have to watch a couple more.

>24 thornton37814: Hi, Lori. I liked Milkman on audio but you really had to pay attention, because that narrative flows quickly.

>25 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deb. Good to see you.

>1 msf59: That's quite the meet-up Mark.

Happy new thread, buddy.

Morning, Mark! Happy new thread!

'Morning, Mark! Happy Tuesday to you.

>28 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. It was quite a Meet Up! You would have loved it.

>29 scaifea: >30 karenmarie: Morning, Amber & Karen and thanks.

^Yep, back to the grind, after a nice, lengthy vacation and it will be a hot & sweaty grind, as well. We are full-bore summer at the moment. At least, it will be a shortened week, with the holiday on Thursday. The Nickel Boys is off to a stellar start and I am looking forward to getting back into my audio, Nathan Bedford Forrest, after long hiatus.

>1 msf59: Happy new thread, Marc. And nice meet-up picture!

>32 msf59: Good to have a day off in view. Hot and sweaty takes some getting used to again.

>33 EllaTim: Thanks, Ella. I am packing plenty of water and the books, of course.

Happy 13th thread, Mark! Hope your bag is a light one today!

>10 msf59: Yum! That Old Fashioned was a thing of beauty!

Sorry about the Morgenstern - I was lucky to get the copy I have! You missed that whole drama! The signing was at 3 pm. Unbeknownst to those of us forming an Unofficial Line at 1:30ish, they had actually given numbered tickets to some folks that started lining up as early as noon (!). They came by and talked to us a few times, but never mentioned the numbered tickets. All of a sudden, everyone started rushing around - a first line for those with numbered tickets, a second line for those to get a numbered ticket to get into the first line. Some on the second line did not get a ticket, as there was not enough galleys for everyone. Suzanne and I felt lucky to get the one copy each that we did! It felt like when I was in school and lining up way in advance to get tickets to a rock concert!

Suzanne says Morgenstern is coming to Providence in the Fall for a reading. We can try to get a copy for you then, although at that point they will have been released already.

>32 msf59: Have a wonderful weird week, Mark, and don't melt.

My WiFi hotspot is not cooperating, so I have to keep this short. The mail is light but it is a furnace out here. Ugh. I miss the a/c in the Man Cave...

Sorry about the nasty furnace weather and the lack of Wifi. I'm glad that at least the mail is light.

Happy new thread, Mark!

Yo, Mark. Got laid low since last week with the effects and after-effects of an abscessed tooth. It's frustrating to have free time and just not feel up to reading. Trying to get cranked up to do something...anything. Another day or so will probably get me straightened out.

>41 weird_O: Sorry to hear about your tooth. I hope it's all cleaned out and you are healing well and quickly.

>35 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda. Yep, the mail was light but the heat was a killer. Glad to be home.

>36 michigantrumpet: Hi, Marianne. No worries about the Morgenstern. I was just joshin' ya. I am glad you got a signed copy. I hope her popularity is well-earned and she pulls out another winner, for her fans.

Yep, I love my old-fashioneds.

>37 richardderus: Thanks, Richard. It was a brutal one but I did not melt.

>39 streamsong: Hi, Janet. I know we were wishing for summer to arrive and it definitely has, but I wish it could have eased in. I know, we are never happy.

>40 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie.

>41 weird_O: Hey, Bill. Sorry about the tooth. It is extra bad, when it keep you from the books. Hopefully, tomorrow you are feeling more comfortable.

>44 msf59: I don't get to have seasons over here so I am jealous when winter comes into spring and summer into autumn. When springs hits high summer or when autumn sulks into winter I am less so.

Happy new thread, Mark. Hope you survived today's heat and that it cools off some tomorrow.

>45 PaulCranswick: Well, fingers crossed, Paul, that you get to experience those 4 seasons again soon. I complain about it, but I would miss it too.

>46 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. HOT here, until the weekend. I will persevere.

I enjoyed catching up on your ALA reports and battlefield visits, Mark. I'm home now myself and finally catching up on threads a little (though I'm remiss in not posting the ARCs I received...will have to get to that!). Hope you're enjoying your birding outings and surviving the heat!

'Morning, Mark, and happy Wednesday to you. Looks like you've got rain in today's forecast. I hope the wifi cooperates today.

Happy new thread, Mark!

You had a nice the trip, I enjoyed your pictures here and on FB.

>48 bell7: Hi, Mary. Great to see you. I hope you are getting back in the groove, being back at home. Looking forward to seeing some of your ALA swag.

>49 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. It rained heavily over night, and may return later, but for right now, it is sunny and hot.

>50 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita. Glad you like the photos and the vacation updates.

>44 msf59: Finally lurched out of my stall at about 3 a.m., starting a Petey Wimsey and getting within three pages of the first chapter's conclusion when I caught myself rereading the same paragraph for about the fifth time. Time for beddy-bye...

So now the sun's up (though behind some cloud cover) and I believe I've got a fingerhold on July's reading program. *bit of a smile* *more to come*

Apparently Bill's abscessed tooth did for him what nothing obvious did for me and got him wakeful at Fairywings-thirty. Yuck.

Have a happy Hump Day free of tomfoolery and shenanigans you don't personally enjoy.

You will love this Mark...tooowit tooowooo...

https://dovegreyreader.typepad.com/dovegreyreader_scribbles/2019/07/the-owlets.h...

>52 weird_O: Hi, Bill. I hope you are doing a lot better today and can focus on those books.

>53 richardderus: Hi, RD. I am comfortable in the Man-Cave after another sweltering one. It supposed to cool off nicely, over the weekend. Yah!!

>54 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks for the owlets article, Caroline. Very heart-warming. Barn Owls used to be common, in this part of the Midwest, but have abandoned us, due to various factors. They are slowly trying to re-introduce them back here. It will take awhile.

-Harry Bliss

>57 msf59: You tell 'em, Mark!

Happy 4th!

>56 msf59: Oh Mark, I'm such huge fan of those Great Blue Herons! I see them often when I am out with the dog. I guess we all have our bad days, even the elegant and much admired Blue Heron. That's a comfort. :-)

Happy 4th of July!

>58 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy!

>59 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deb. We are fortunate to have GBHs, as spring and summer residents. You probably have them all year round, right?

Happy Fourth of July, Mark! You don't have to work today, do you?

>57 msf59: The idiot in chief knows no bounds. Everything he touches turns to dross.

>61 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Definitely not working today and nothing planned. Sue is heading into the city for an event but it looks like I will be laying low, with the books.

Enjoy the books and AC!

>64 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen. That is the plan.

76) Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli 4.5 stars

“Stories are a way of subtracting the future from the past, the only way of finding clarity in hindsight.”

"Conversations, in a family, become linguistic archaeology."

We do not get many road trip novels, and this one arrives, at an ideal time, in America, as it deals with the many facets of immigration. It follows a family of four, as they leave NYC and cross country to Arizona, with many lingering and memorable stops along the way. The story unfolds, told mostly through the mother and ten-year old son, who recently purchased an old Polaroid camera, to document the trip.
The author has a strong, unique voice, taking bold chances with the narrative, that are both, refreshing and insightful. A terrific summer read, with real substance.

**This worked perfectly on audio, with multiple narrators.

>57 msf59: :)

>66 msf59: I also loved this one, Mark, very thought provoking.

Happy 4th. Enjoy the day.

>67 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. I hope my little warble on Lost Children Archive will inspire someone to pick it up. It seems to be under-appreciated around here.

Happy 4th July, buddy

>66 msf59: That sounds like a terrific kick-off read for Q3, Mark.

Here's my take on this 4th:

Happy Fourth, Mark. Stay cool.

I've started The Monopolists and am liking it.

>69 mdoris: >70 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Mary & Paul.

>71 richardderus: LOL. Love that image. Happy 4th, RD! Just having a lazy day with the books.

>72 lindapanzo: Happy 4th, Linda. I had a feeling you would enjoy The Monopolists. It bogs down, a bit, in the courtroom proceedings, but the first half is really interesting.

I'm still waiting for my library to get Lost Children Archive in . I'm not sure if they are going to do so. Happy Fourth of July!

>74 vancouverdeb: Hi, Deb. Lost Children Archive is a good novel. A nice slice of America. I hope your library gets it. Do you do ebooks?

I am still recovering from the ALA trip so I got up late this morning and took a nap this afternoon. No much reading done today.

Thanks for the warble about Lost Children Archive. It has had good reviews and I didn't notice anybody reading it. I have it on my wish list and didn't tell find an ARC at ALA so I guess this one will be one that I will have to get from the public library.

I am reading a travel/reading book that has intrigued me. Riding with Rilke is by Ted Bishop a professor who is a motorcycle owner and rider and he rode his Ducati motorcycle from Calgary to Austen Texas to do researchin the archives at UT on Viginia Wolf. So far it has been an unexpected pleasure to read this book.

>76 benitastrnad: Hi, Benita. I just finished the excellent, The Nickel Boys, which you picked up for me last time and I am starting The Great Believers tomorrow. Did you ever snag a copy of that one? The Bishop memoir sounds interesting.

"A dazzling new novel of friendship and redemption in the face of tragedy and loss set in 1980s Chicago and contemporary Paris."

^The Great Believers doesn't need a lot of introduction, since it caught all kind of award buzz and seems to be a favorite on LT. I grabbed a library copy and will start it tomorrow. I know Joe snagged a copy too and will be getting to it soon.

I never got a copy of Great Believers. I can get one at the public library and think that perhaps this would be a good one to listen to. This one has generated lots of buzz in the last few weeks. Of course, it had buzz when it came out, but it has had a resurgence of late.

Right now I am listening to Crack in the Edge of the World by Simon Winchester.

I found that copy of Orange World and Other Stories and will get that to you soon.

>79 benitastrnad: Orangland?

Happy new thread, Mark, and Happy Independence Day!

>81 tymfos: Thanks, Terri! Good to see you.

>78 msf59: I hope you like The Great Believers as much as I did, Mark.

>83 lauralkeet: I am really looking forward to it, Laura. Have you read any of her earlier books? I have her story collection tagged from a few years ago.

'Morning, Mark! I hope your work day goes well.

>78 msf59: I read it in February - it was a stunner. I'm extremely stingy with stars but gave it 5.

>78 msf59: >85 karenmarie:

I read it in February too. In a cabin up in Door County during a storm. A perfect way to spend the weekend - read it start to finish and loved it. You are in for a treat.

>85 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. It will be a good work day, despite the heavy humidity. Looking forward to starting The Great Believers, in just a short time, from now.

>86 alphaorder: Morning, Nancy. I remember you really enjoying The Great Believers and that was one of the reasons, I knew I had to get to it soon.

Lanny is on its way to you...

Hi Mark! I want to read Great Believers. And the Lost Children sound good, too...

>84 msf59: No Mark, I haven't read anything else by Rebecca Makkai. I'm glad to have discovered a new author.

>85 karenmarie: I gave The Great Believers 5 stars, too. I only do that if the book elicits strong emotions, usually tears. I had a lump in my throat at the very beginning! And that wasn't the end of it. I agree, it was a stunner.

>88 alphaorder: Thank you, my friend. I am looking forward to it.

>89 banjo123: Hi, Rhonda. Not far into The Great Believers, but I am sure it will be a book you will love.

>90 lauralkeet: Less, than 50 pages into Believers, but I can tell it will be something special, Laura.

I've read The Borrower by Rebecca Makkai but I've yet to get to Great Believers. I'm glad you are enjoying it, Mark!

>92 vancouverdeb: Hi, Deb. I have The Borrowers on shelf too. Now, I want to snag her story collection too. The Great Believers is off to an excellent start.

"...a breathtaking journey through the extraordinary world of dolphins.

Since the dawn of recorded history, humans have felt a kinship with the sleek and beautiful dolphin, an animal whose playfulness, sociability, and intelligence seem like an aquatic mirror of mankind."

I read and loved Casey's last book, The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks, and Giants of the Ocean back in 2011 and have had Voices in the Ocean: A Journey into the Wild and Haunting World of Dolphins on my audio shelf for a few years. I thought it was time to finally dig this one out.

I am nearly done with, Nathan Bedford Forrest, (it became a bit of a slog, I sadly attest) and I will then start this audio, later today.

"Our Army manned the air, it rammed the ramparts, it took over the airports, it did everything it had to do, and at Fort McHenry, under the rocket's red glare it had nothing but victory," said Trump."



^"I do the speech very well, so I was able to do it without a teleprompter,” Trump said."

>95 msf59: - He didn't really say that, did he?

>96 jessibud2: He certainly did, Shelley. You can't be surprised, right? Grins.. .

>94 msf59: I listened to Voices in the Ocean a few years back, and I thought it was well done, but really hard to take. So much exploitation and abuse...

>97 msf59: - I shouldn't be, I know, Mark. But yikes. Just yikes. And doesn't that mean that there are at least that many Americans who not only believe him but revere him? And are as ignorant. That's probably the scariest thought of all.

>98 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks for chiming in on Voices in the Ocean, Linda. I will start it shortly.

>99 jessibud2: And he blamed it on a faulty TelePrompTer. Come on!!

>100 msf59: But he didn't need the teleprompter...whut?

>99 jessibud2: Actual quote from someone I know on Facebook, in response to the July 4th appearance of YouKnowWho: "I've never been so proud to be an American as I am tonight." This from a devout Christian who sees God's hand in everything. The cognitive dissonance is overwhelming.

>101 laytonwoman3rd: - Doesn't that qualify for certifiably *delusional*?

So much about the (choke) *real* world I will just never understand.....

>95 msf59: Seriously.

Sweaty Saturday, Mark! I hope the end of hostilities with the Weather Goddess can be reached before this becomes our permanent state.

Oh 45! Such a nutcase! What can one say? Yesterday I stopped in to visit my sister and had a look at her bird feeder. She feeds just sunflower seeds without the shells ( as well as suet in the winter ) and she also has a hummingbird feeder. What a lot of goldfinches and black capped chickadees she gets at a her feeder. I never seem to see the goldfinches while out walking, but in at my sister's bird feeder, she has a lot of them.

>101 laytonwoman3rd: >102 jessibud2: The evangelicals, in this country, have really been showing their true colors, in their devoted support of this repellent individual. They are deep into the pocket of the GOP. Absolutely shameful.

>103 BLBera: You can say that again, Beth.

>104 richardderus: It was humid here today, Richard but the winds have switched around to the north, so we have been getting comfortable breezes. It should be a lovely night and a beauty tomorrow.

>105 vancouverdeb: Hi, Deb. I am so glad to hear that your sister has bird feeders. Despite, their colorful plumage, goldfinch are tough to spot, away from the feeders. Once in a blue moon, I will see them on the route. I don't see as many chickadees in the summer here, just now and then. Thanks for the report.

What can you say Mark? The man's nuts. Unfortunately so is a certain percentage of the population. I have no confidence whatsoever that he won't be re-elected. None.

>108 brenzi: I sure hope that doesn't happen, Bonnie. The Dems and the American people have to step up and make sure, this man does not win. Otherwise, I am moving to Canada.

^Shakespeare and Company. This Paris bookstore is mentioned in The Great Believers and it sounds like a big, scruffy, gem. It is across from Notre Dame.

87) Kingdom Cons by Yuri Herrera 3.8 stars

“In the court of the King, everyone knows their place. But as the Artist wins hearts and egos with his ballads, uncomfortable truths emerge that shake the Kingdom to its core.”

^This is an entertaining and offbeat novella, part fable, part crime drama and part social commentary. Nicely translated. Herrera is considered one of Mexico's finest novelists and yes, I also enjoyed, Signs Preceding the End of the World but I have to admit, he hasn't quite blown me away yet. Next time, perhaps?

**I snagged this at an ALA event, a couple years ago.

84) The Long Take: A noir narrative by Robin Robertson 4.3 stars

“This is our fear of 'the other'
-Indians, blacks, Mexicans, Communists, Muslims, whatever-
America has to have its monsters,
so we can zone them, segregate them,
if possible, shoot them.”

“The papers say
'Keep dogs and cats inside on the Fourth of July'
but nothing about ex-serviceman.”

“In his room, he worked out where he's been
from the match-books in his pocket,
the drinks, by the gap in his dollars,
the hole is his life by his eyes in the broken mirror. “

In this endlessly quotable, sequence of hard-boiled, poems, we follow Walker, a young Canadian soldier, returning from WWII and trying to make a life in America. The war continues to haunt him, at every turn, especially after seeing many other veterans, broken on the streets. An incredibly, beautiful book. I docked it a half star, for falling off a bit, in the last third. A minor quibble.

>110 msf59: That looks wonderful! I love secondhand book stores, overflowing with books. Wouldn't mind a visit to this one:-)

Have a nice Sunday, Marc!

>113 EllaTim: Hi, Ella. Glad you like the bookstore. One of these days, I will get back to Paris. My wife has never been.

Romance #1

"like some 14 year old girl waiting for her crush to glance back i

Keep waiting for capitalism to end

but it won’t end

my adult life lover states

on what will end:

Libraries
Birds
Retirement
Recess
Sprinting during recess
Hispid Hares
Starfish shaped like stars
Inconvenience
Wrinkles
Sunken cheeks
Living corals
Protests
Anti-Nuclear Proliferation
Non-Aggression Pacts
Dragonflies
Mangosteen
DMZs
Trade Embargos
Leopards, all kinds
Sawfins
Rewilding
Infiltration Plot/Dreams
Oak, Trees.
Partulina Variabilis
Partulina Splendida
(-------) Violence Prevention Programs
News. News:

Might a few jellyfish survive—

counting till revelations becomes part of—"

-Eunsong Kim

A sad one, indeed. A mangosteen is a Asian fruit tree. Both Partulinas are tree snails. From Poem-A-Day

Hi Mark! Happy Sunday to you.

>110 msf59: Lovely book store.

78) The Monopolists: Obsession, Fury, and the Scandal by Mary Pilon 3.8 stars

This is the bumpy and quirky history of the popular game Monopoly. I found most of it very interesting, with many colorful characters. It only bogs down, during the long, court proceedings, in the last third.

83) Flowers of Mold & Other Stories by Seong-Nan Ha 4 stars

As many of you know, I like my tales, with a slightly menacing tone, especially, lurking just below the surface, and this unsettling collection of ten stories, fits that bill. These are all based in Korea and mostly deal with ordinary lives, being disrupted by disturbing or unusual events.

88) Nathan Bedford Forrest: A Biography by Jack Hurst 3.3 stars

As a Confederate general, I find Nathan Bedford Forrest fascinating and quite intimidating. I have been interested in reading a bio on him for quite some time. This book captures much of that menacing mystique, of this fiery Calvary officer and his post war life, of becoming the first Grand Wizard of the KKK. The introduction of this bio is excellent. Where this bio fails is in the methodical details, which bombard the reader and drag down the narrative, even in many of the famous battle sequences. I am glad I read it but I can only grudgingly recommend it.

>116 karenmarie: Happy Sunday, to you too, Karen. Much cooler here today. Yah!!

>117 msf59: I admit to feeling a weentsy tidge unnerved that the Lightning Round had three entries: #78, #83, #88. My mild form of OCD immediately stirred and demanded, "79? Where? Also 80, 81, 82?!"

I shut it off by reminding it counting by fives is as much a series as it is to count by ones.

>112 msf59: This sounds like one I would like, Mark. What a lot of great reading you've done recently! Happy Sunday.

>119 richardderus: Sorry, I unnerved you, RD. It was completely unintentional. I do skip around, on the Lightning Round, but some of those omissions, were all ready reviewed or in some rarer cases, I decided not to comment on the book. Maybe, I shouldn't even number them.

>120 BLBera: Back at you, Beth. I highly recommend The Long Take to all my LT friends.

>115 msf59: I like this (although as you say, a sad sentiment).

Not numbering the books? I think I'd give up trying to remember titles altogether if I didn't list them in order here.(but I don't have a goodreads account, so maybe that makes a difference?)

'A big scruffy gem..' is a perfect discription of Shakespeare and Co Mark. I've been there almost every visit to Paris.

What a great opening image of the Washington, DC meetup! It is so rewarding to know that this group, began in 2008, and continues in strength and numbers.

Thinking of you in thanks for the fine person you are!

>122 charl08: I keep a running numbered list, at the top, Charlotte. That will not change. I was only referring to adding a number to my reviews, which can get confusing.

>123 Caroline_McElwee: That was how the bookstore was described in the novel, Caroline. Glad to hear that the author was accurate and it is one of your favorite stops.

>124 Whisper1: Hi, Linda. Great to see you. It was an epic Meet Up, in DC. One day, our time will come. I did get to meet Bill, on this trip too.

Happy Sunday, Mark. You boggled my mind with >95 msf59: but I loved the images in >110 msf59:. I’m off to the library to see what I can find because not enough books at home? Hmm, I guess that doesn’t fly.

>127 Familyhistorian: Sorry, for boggling your mind, Meg but, that is our Commander in Chief. I am glad you like the bookstore images. Looks like a cool place.

>129 msf59: Lol.

>129 msf59: - ROFLMAO!

>129 msf59: HA!!

Oh my, was it sticky today. I want what y'all're having now, please. I got relief from the onshore breeze, it's true, but it was too intermittent for my taste. It *is* summer, and it's *not* record territory-hot, but I do so hate to sweat through my clothes.

>129 msf59: I love this!

>129 msf59: 👍

Yay for The Long Take! Good review, Mark. That ending,in which Walker essentially takes the place of Billy Idaho, was powerful, wasn’t it.

I agree, Charlotte, Shelley, Laura and Bonnie. That Airport 1775, is pretty damn funny.

>132 richardderus: Sorry, you had to deal with such a hot & sticky day, Richard. We are getting a short reprieve but the heat returns mid-week.

>135 jnwelch: Welcome back, Joe. The Long Take was excellent and I agree with you, on that clever and surprising ending.

>129 msf59: Adding a HAH. Technology allows humour to turn on a pin these days. Someone should collect it in a book at the end of his term.

>137 Caroline_McElwee: Good idea, Caroline. We can flip through that album of memories, with grimaces and grins. Hope we can start in 2020.

Hey Mark! Look the Fourth of July weekend provided some reading time for you! Hope you're enjoying the cooler temps!

Happy 'friday' to you, Mark, what with having tomorrow off and all.

>95 msf59: and >129 msf59: I've had just enough coffee to get it. *smile*

Happy Pre-Tuesday, Mark. I'm glad we've got some decent weather out there.

I'm finishing my vacation reads, The Sentence is Death, by the Magpie Murders author Anthony Horowitz, and A Study in Honour (wrong touchstone) by Claire O'Dell, featuring a team of Jane Watson and Sara Holmes.

That's an amazing meetup photo up there, isn't it. Is that the biggest LT meetup ever?

>139 Carmenere: Hi, Lynda. I did get some reading time in. Thanks and I am enjoying this short-lived cool down.

>140 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. It took me a moment to catch on to the "Friday" reference but I got it now, plus the work day is buzzing right along.

>141 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. It looks like another nice summer day. I really enjoyed Magpie Murders, so I will watch for your thoughts on the new one.

Not sure, if that was the biggest Meet Up ever, in DC, but it should rank with the top guns. Great time.

Thanks for shipping the lower temps to the east. Have a merry Baja Tuesday.

Mark & Friends - today's online BIRDS AND BLOOMS has a "Bucket List for Hummingbird Lovers" that is pretty cool.

Mumble mumble Monday, Mark. Gloomy here today, but the humidity has dropped and it is comfortable.

>95 msf59: >129 msf59: Most excellent. Sure does fit with the "founding fathers and mother" them of this month's AAC.

>110 msf59: I'd like to visit that bookstore, or one like it.

>117 msf59: I told you Nathan Bedford Forrest was a scumbag. It's interesting to me that Shelby Foote pegged Forrest, despite his inhumanity, as the Civil War figure that most engaged him. To think that just in the last 2 or 3 years, the state of Mississippi entertained the notion of making a license plate commemorating him. Talk about racist.

>146 weird_O:
I am just sick and tired of all the "Lost Cause" glorification that goes on down here in the South. Retirement away from here will be a blessed relief in so many ways.

>132 richardderus:
You wanna talk about hot and sticky? Yeah - let's rumble!
Hot and sticky is the only way it is in the summer's down here. Thank God for FDR and the TVA. Without him and it - no AC. The place would be unlivable.

>147 benitastrnad: ...but Benita...I can't *bear* this heat...it's almost 80°!!!

>144 richardderus: It was a nice summer day here, RD, with a sweet cool down over night. Heats back up on Wednesday.

>145 m.belljackson: Thanks, Marianne. I will buzz over there and check it out.

>146 weird_O: I did not think of matching up 45's airport utterances, to this month's AAC theme, but you are right. It is perfect. NBF, had some despicable traits, that is for sure but most of this book, paints him in a favorable light. He was quite a daring commander. Like you, I am surprised Shelby Foote felt so highly of him. I did not know that.

>147 benitastrnad: I do not like heat and humidity, Benita. I will never move to the deep south and that would include Florida. Hooray for FDR!

Hi Mark, I'm just cruising through to see how you're doing. I am currently enjoying a re-read of The Way West by A. B. Guthrie, one of my all time favorites and a big reason why I love books about western expansion.

>137 Caroline_McElwee: While I know we best remember DT, what I really want is to forget he ever happened.

>115 msf59: A minor and useless personal fact, Mark is that I drink mangosteen juice every day and very nice it is too.

>150 DeltaQueen50: Hi, Judy. I have still not read Guthrie. I will have to get to The Big Sky one of these days.

>151 quondame: Amen, Susan.

>152 PaulCranswick: Thanks for chiming in on the "mangosteen", Paul. When you read, you are always learning something. Cheers!

'Morning, Mark! I hope you have a wonderful day off.

>153 msf59:
Big Sky is actually part of a series of 6 books that A. B. Guthrie wrote about the settlement of Montana. I think that Big Sky is the first book in the series. Many people think that this series is the definitive Western epic. They were written before anything by Larry McMurtrey and some readers consider the series to be better than the McMurtrey series.

I don't know because I haven't read either series, but hope to get to Big Sky and the other five books in the series sometime soon.

>155 benitastrnad: Benita is right that Big Sky is the first in A.B. Guthrie's series about the American West. The first book is about the mountain men that came west for the furs and the adventure. I am reading the second book which follows a wagon train along the Oregon Trail. These are excellent books that were originally published in the 1940's and 1950's and the author well deserved his Pulitzer Prize.

Hi Mark. Enjoying the day of leisure, or busying yourself about the homestead?

I just saw the attendance figures for ALA in Washington, D. C. 21,468 people were there. That is up from New Orleans last year. There were 17,599 at that conference.

>154 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen. It has been a great day off, so far. now, time for the books.

>155 benitastrnad: >158 benitastrnad: Saying the Gunthrie series is better than the McMurty series, is a pretty tall order, ma'am. If we are referring to the Lonesome Dove books, of course. Hooray for those ALA numbers! How does the DC numbers compare, to some of the past ones, other than New Orleans?

>157 richardderus: Hey, Richard. I was out of the house early, and got back after lunch. Now, I am hoping for some quiet time, indoors, with the books.

>159 msf59:
The largest one was in Washington, D. C. in 2007. It had 28,499 attendees.

2. Chicago - 2005 - 27,962
3. Washington, D. C. - 2010 - 26,201
3. San Francisco - 2001 - 26,820
4. Chicago - 2013 - 26,362
5. Chicago - 2001 - 24,913
6. Washington, D. C. - 1998 - 24,844

Attendance dropped off from 2007 through 2013 and started rising again.

The biggest Mid-Winter Conference was in 2001 in Washington D. C. with 14,739 attendees.

Washington, San Francisco, and Chicago are all good places to attend a conference and librarians know it. However, Boston and Philadelphia haven't done bad either.

The lowest attendance for a Annual Conference was in 1994 at Miami Beach with 12,627. Second lowest was Orlando in 2016 with 16,597. I guess librarians don't like Florida.

Lowest attendance for a Mid-Winter Conference were in 2017 and 2018. 2018 was in Denver with 8,036 attending and in 2017 it was in Atlanta and there were 8,995.

Rumor has it that the Mid-Winter Conference this coming January in Philadelphia will be the last Mid-Winter, as ALA is losing money on the conferences and only having one conference per year will save money for the organization.

>159 msf59:
As I said, I haven't read either series. I thought the big epic novel series was dead. Just sayin'.

I hope you're getting that quiet time with the books, Mark. I'm starting to get back in the groove. Without Rafa and all the family capers, time to read has returned.

It's supposed to be HOT tomorrow. Maybe they'll be wrong again. One can hope.

>160 benitastrnad: Thanks, for supplying those numbers, Benita. Like to see ALA start booming again, despite phasing out the winter one. If I can get a cheap flight, maybe I will fly in to Philly, for the January event.

>162 jnwelch: Hi, Joe. I didn't get home until nearly one from my solo bird outing but I have had a lazy afternoon, with the books and a nap.

-Dickcissel, (NMP)

^"Dickcissel, an American bird usually placed in the family Cardinalidae. These birds are erratic wanderers—common across the middle of the continent, and a pleasant surprise whenever they turn up in pastures and fields elsewhere in the central and eastern United States."

I visited Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie this morning. It is a highly praised habitat, about 35 miles away, southwest of where I live. It is a huge place. 9,000 acres and I wandered just a small sliver of it. I was there about 3 1/2 hours and really enjoyed it, despite the rising heat. Since it was mostly prairie, there was not much shade. I was hoping to add, at least 3 lifers but only managed to add the lovely Dickcissel, which I got many good looks at. I did see about 20 species, included the Eastern Meadowlark, which is always a joy to see:

Dickcissels are lovely creatures, and there's nothing not pretty about meadowlarks. Great day!

>165 msf59: WoW, such colourful birds. Especially the meadowlark. Doesn't it need a bit of camouflage? That bright yellow?

Looks like you had a great day off, Mark. It is warm and sunny here today but gearing up for November type rain tomorrow. (Weather office description, not mine).

>166 richardderus: It was a good bird day, Richard. Not much LT time, but at least I got some reading in.

>167 EllaTim: It amazes how colorful birds can still keep under cover. I have no idea how they do it.

>168 Familyhistorian: Hi, Meg. It was a good day off and the heat returns tomorrow. Good luck with the rain tomorrow.

'Morning, Mark, and happy Wednesday to you.

20 species and one lifer isn't bad at all. Glad you had a good day off yesterday.

Morning, Mark.

That does sound like a good day off yesterday. Hope today isn't too bad.

I'm re-reading the Brubaker- Sean Phillips GN Lawless. Man, do they have a knack for noir. I need to track down more by them.

I'll be returning later today to Natasha Trethewey's Monument: Poems today. She's really good, isn't she. I'm glad The Great Believers is holding up for you.

>171 jnwelch: Is Monument Natasha Trethewey's latest poetry collection, Joe? I own most of her work but not that book, so I'll look for it later this month.

Back to hot & muggy out here. Ugh...

>170 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Enjoy your day.

>171 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. It is going to be a scorcher out there, today. No fun at all.

Hooray for the excellent Brubaker series. I don't think I have read Threthewey? It is not ringing any bells. I will have to request it.

Morning, Mark. Regarding your PM on the NBF bio: Sure, why not? I've read about more than a few scumbags, so why not one more? :-) If you need my address, let me know. Thanks for thinking of The Old Book Collector (me).

ALA in Phil'delphia in January could work.

Ooo lawsy me, Chicagoland looks unpleasantly summery this Humpday. Hope you don't sweat *all* the liquids out of your body.

>174 weird_O: Hi, Bill. How is Old Book Collector doing? If I don't get the book out this week, I will get it out early next week. Philly ALA might happen...

>175 richardderus: Hey, RD. They are saying this may be the hottest day of the year so far, here in Chicagoland. I am glad I am home, comfortably ensconced in the Man-Cave.

^It was a scorcher here in Chicagoland and I always try to park in the shadiest spot I can find. No, A/C in these tin cans, just a little fan mounted to the dash. I survived...

>174 weird_O: ALA is coming to Philadelphia? Oooh, Philadelphia is beautiful in January. 😀 But seriously, we could have a great meetup!

>178 lauralkeet: - I"m not really interested in ALA but I'd totally come down for a meet-up!

>178 lauralkeet: >179 katiekrug: Well, it looks like I may try to make this happen. I am sure I can drag my wife along this time too. She likes ALA and my LT buddies.

^After finishing the excellent, but gut-wrenching Voices in the Ocean, I am moving on to the audio of Benjamin Franklin: An American Life. I will be reading it for this month's Founding Fathers AAC. This has been languishing on my shelves, for nearly 15 years, so I am glad I can finally pull it down. This is also my first time reading Isaacson. Very surprised by that.

I am also on the homestretch of The Great Believers, which has been terrific but also heart-breaking.

>179 katiekrug: I think I'm in the same camp, Katie. I'm not sure I'd spend much time at the convention but I'd love to see all my LT peeps!

I see on your profile that you are reading Drinking at the Movies.
"https://www.librarything.com/work/22010809/workdetails/170505761" is the page where this book is listed. I wondered where there might be a review for this book?

When I click the book details or the "reviews" number (url = "https://www.librarything.com/work/22010809/reviews"), I end up at "Whiskey & New York" ~ which is either a LT glitch or some other coding error, no?

The alternative touchstones for "Drinking at the Movies" lead to zero works, no members and no information. The "others" clicky under touchstones leads to your Talk thread!

Anyway, I don't know if this is the LT coding or what, but reviews at Whiskey & New York make this sound like a BB for me. Do you know this novel?

They are walking out with me today. Noooooooo!
Nearly halfway done.

>183 SandyAMcPherson: I will get back with you, Sandy.

>180 msf59:

Just read that a place around the corner from Quirk Books in Philadelphia has really great macaroons.

Quirk publishes my newest fun light couch reading: HOPE NEVER DIES -
featuring LT's favorite President and his bumbling sidekick VP as Detectives for a cold case murder!

Not perfectly tuned, but fun, with a sequel coming out this month.

>172 kidzdoc: Hi, Darryl. Yes, Monument: Poems is Trethewey's newest, and it contains New and Selected Poems. There's a word for it that I'm forgetting, but many of the early ones are based on photos.

Hiya, Mark. If you haven't read Trethewey yet, you'll want to, and this one, with New and Selected Poems, would be a good place to start.

Much better weather today! I've been outside for most of it, including a walk to the library. I ordered a bunch more of the Brubaker-Sean Phillips noir collaborations, the ones I haven't read yet.

That Drinking at the Movies author, Julia Wertz, is the one who wrote the very funny graphic collection, Museum of Mistakes. That GN fell off for me in the very last part, where they needlessly collected dribs and drabs from her past. But otherwise it's a hoot.

>178 lauralkeet:, >179 katiekrug:, >180 msf59: Count me in for a Philly meet-up!

>183 SandyAMcPherson: Hi, Sandy. That touchstone is very strange, on Drinking at the Movies. The version I am currently reading comes up as Whiskey & New York, which of course, is also a perfect title. It sounds like an LT glitch. It comes up fine on Good Reads. Here is the link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8489053-drinking-at-the-movies?ac=1&from...

Funny, it looks like I read this memoir before, back in 2013, but I do not remember it. I am enjoying it, the second time around, though.

>185 m.belljackson: Hi, Marianne. Thanks for chiming in on Quirk Books, and the Obama/Biden mysteries. Probably a bit light for me, but I am glad they are a comfort read for you. I wonder if anyone will tackle a mystery series, with 45 and his stoic VP sidekick? Grins...

>186 jnwelch: Hi, Joe. Sue just picked up Monument: Poems from the library for me. I will have to get to Museum of Mistakes. I will recommend Drinking at the Movies. It looks like I read this first back in 2013, but I don't remember much about it. It is working better this time. Grins...

>187 vivians: This could be another Mega-Meet Up, Vivian. I hope I can swing it.

>189 msf59:

Quirk is also the publisher for every dog's #1 Favorite Book: FIND MOMO!

Yes, HOPE NEVER DIES is definitely not for the darker side lovers, yet the good chimes of Obama ring true.

>178 lauralkeet: >179 katiekrug: >180 msf59: I would seriously consider a Philadelphia LT meet up in January.

>188 msf59: FWIW, Drinking at the Movies is not listed on the author's page. But if you type the book title into a message, as I just did, the Touchstone that comes up is, as you said, Whiskey & New York. Click on (others) and four titles come up, three of which are Drinking at the Movies.

ETA: Clicking on the book title in this post takes you to a book page with correct title and author, but with no other info. If 2015-11-10 is the pub date, the book's been out there more than three years. And so you know nothing more after reading this post than you did before reading it. Hahaha; made you look.

It's a work in progress.

>188 msf59: The whole thing is strange: the author's page doesn't list Drinking at the Movies and the lack of any other genuine book details are lacking.

Thanks, for confirming it wasn't just my browser (Firefox) being difficult.

>190 m.belljackson: Hooray for Finding Momo! (I have not read or heard of that one, either. I better start getting my act together.

>191 brenzi: Meeting one of my longtime LT buddies, would certainly sweeten the deal, Bonnie. B.A.G.

>192 weird_O: >193 SandyAMcPherson: We have logged scores of books, over the years, and this is one of those strange incidents. I should PM, the LT Gods.

>192 weird_O:, >193 SandyAMcPherson:, >194 msf59: Not an LT god(dess) but ...

It looks like Drinking at the Movies is an alternative title for Whiskey and New York. If you search LT for Whiskey and New York, and then click on "Editions," you'll see books with both titles listed. If these are two different books they can be separated; however, the author's webpage actually shows Drinking at the Movies as the primary title (I didn't see mention of Whiskey and New York).

But still: the book that comes up from the touchstone (Drinking at the Movies by Julia Wertz (2015-11-10)) looks like some sort of stray book entry. It's not one of the editions mentioned above, there's no data about it as you say, and only two LT conversations referring to it (one of which is this one). Ideally it should be combined with the entry that shows all of the editions, but I can't figure out how to do that.

"Four exceptional women mount grassroots campaigns against powerful incumbents in Knock Down the House, an inspiring look at the 2018 midterm elections that tipped the balance of power."

^I highly recommend this documentary, currently running on Netflix. This is what we NEED, to take this country back. Smart, fiery and determined individuals.
The right has been painting, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as a "dingbat" but she is a Rock Star in my book. I am crazy about AOC. Please, check it out!! And if you do, bring a few tissues.

>195 lauralkeet: Thanks, for this, Laura. I am still currently reading this and it is definitely titled Drinking at the Movies.

>197 msf59: interestingly, Mark, if you Google "Whiskey and New York" as you might imagine you get a lot of results, but none of them pertaining to a book. So if that's not a legitimate title, it seems like some work needs to be done to get the correct title showing on the author's LT page, and eliminate references to a nonexistent title. I'm intrigued by this puzzle. I think we can fix it ourselves but need to think about how to do it. Maybe someone else here has ideas?

'Morning, Mark! Happy Friday to you. Stay cool of you can.

I was busy visiting @LizzieD yesterday and had so much fun. I'm going to try to finish up Good Omens today.

Happy Friday, Mark!

I'm with you on AOC. What a smart woman, and brave. That sounds like a good documentary.

I've been having fun reading another Georgette Heyer (False Colours), and I realized how much I enjoy all the great period phrases and words she uses - like "bang up to the mark" and "draw someone's cork." I'm tempted to go back to the beginning of this one and start writing down all the ones I come across. One of my favorites of her books is The Unknown Ajax, where the protagonist is mistakenly viewed by some upper crusters as a bumpkin, and he starts exaggerating his Yorkshire background to play into their misconception. Toad-eaters, gudgeons, "tallow-faced twiddle-poops" . . . "mounted on cat-sticks" - all the insults she works into the books are hilarious.

I hope you can get most of your day done before it gets too hot, buddy.

>194 msf59:

Yikes!- run out (well, walk slow in our recent burst of humidity and promise of 90s)

and find MOMO, BRAZEN, and toss in HOPE NEVER DIES

(the latter worth ten bucks for family and friends who are horrified
enough by murderous "gruesome" ((word of today's headlines)) recent news...that they want calm release in a novel) -

you'll have a whole new fun and happy day!

>198 lauralkeet: Yep, a definite oddity, Laura. I will try to PM the LT crew and let them know.

>199 karenmarie: Happy Friday, Karen. Hooray for a Meet Up! Always a joyous event.

>200 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. Yep, try to see that AOC doc. It is a keeper. I will have to get back to Heyer. I have only read one of hers.

Warm out here, but not as humid.

>201 m.belljackson: Not as bad out here at the moment, Marianne, but next week looks like a mailman's nightmare. Ugh!!

>198 lauralkeet: yeah Mark, I think this is one for the LT crew. I'm stymied. Searching LT for "Drinking at the Movies" turns up the work, "Whiskey and New York" and three more named "Drinking at the Movies," but with few details and either no author or incorrect author. Since work combinations are done from the author page, I can't figure out how to consolidate them all. And then, as has been noted, "Drinking at the Movies" is actually the primary title so the "Whiskey and New York" work should be named that instead. I cry uncle!

ETA: the "Combiners" group might be the best place to report this issue and get help fixing it: https://www.librarything.com/groups/combiners

>203 lauralkeet:, >202 msf59:, I agree → this is one is for the LT crew.
Maybe one of the more experienced members (Laura? Mark?) could report accordingly.

I am not familiar with the accepted method of contacting the Devs or the Webmaster (and got my head bit off once, posting a link to a problem/coding glitch in the wrong thread).

Here's an overview of the topic on Mark's thread, if you want a summary ~ I listed the places in Mark's Talk thred where we discussed issues ~
Starting: post number #183
and continues: #188, #192, #193, #195, #198

Happy Friday, Mark, and a wonderful read of Isaacson's magisterial life of Ben Franklin.

It's just so damned sunshiney outside that I, unwilling to court a headache, refuse to tread a toe out the doors. Hotter than I'd like, so much blasting, battering sunshine as to make my goth's heart quail...yep, it's summer.

Please make it stop.

>203 lauralkeet: Thanks, for your attention to Drinking at the Movies, Laura. Do you think you might read it? Grins...

>204 SandyAMcPherson: I will try to contact LT, Sandy. I hope after all this, you finally get to read and enjoy the GN.

>205 richardderus: Hi, Richard. I am really enjoying the Franklin bio. He is my favorite of the Founding Fathers and not a slave owner, which is a big bonus.

Sorry, about your heat. It was warm today but low humidity, which made it bearable. We are bracing for another extended heat wave, right through next week, though. UGH!!

-(NMP)

^Things have been pretty quiet at my Birding Break Spot, (BBS), these past few weeks, so there has been nothing to report. But, I am happy to report I finally saw a Great Blue Heron. My first of the year, (FOY) at this location. With all the rain, the past few months, the creek that runs through here, has been to high. This is the 25th species of the year, at the BBS. Tied with my Bird Feeder Count.

>207 msf59: Nice!

>208 alphaorder: Hi, Nancy. I LOVED The Great Believers. I see that you are starting The Dutch House? If so, I can't wait to hear your thoughts. As you know, I have a copy but I will probably hold off for awhile.

>207 msf59: Such beautiful creatures. I see why milliners wanted those spiffy feathers for ladies' hats. I wonder if, now that we've got such amazing 3D printing capabilities, we could 3D print feathers and go back to adorning ourselves with them...?

"From the author of the beloved Hum if You Don't Know the Words comes a rich, unforgettable story of three unique women in post-Apartheid South Africa who are brought together in their darkest time, and discover the ways that love can transcend the strictest of boundaries."

^I received an advanced copy of If You Want to Make God Laugh. It will be released next week and the author will be at a Chicago bookstore on the 18th and I plan on attending, with a few of my old Booktopia friends. Marais was at an earlier Booktopia event, in Vermont, after the publication of Hum if You Don't Know the Words, which I have not read. Has anyone here read Hum? I do not remember seeing much activity on it.

Bianca Marais was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa. She currently lives in Toronto, Canada.

I am starting the book tomorrow.

>209 msf59: Of course you loved The Great Believers, Mark. I never had any doubt.

>211 msf59: -I own *Hum* but haven't read it yet. And I had no idea she lives here in my city!

>210 richardderus: They very nearly wiped out many different birds, for those stupid hats, RD! We sure loving killing stuff, don't we?

>212 brenzi: You were spot on, with that one, Bonnie.

>213 jessibud2: Maybe you will be able to catch, Marais at an author event near you, Shelley. I am sure I will be picking up a copy of Hum if You Don't Know the Words next week.

>211 msf59: Hum if You Don't Know the Words is a good one, Mark. I read it back in June for book club.

>215 Familyhistorian: Great to know, Meg. I have heard good things. I hope to pick up a copy next week.

>214 msf59: - Hehe, Mark. It's visible in the pile on the floor. That's as close as it gets, for the moment. I am working my way through 4 library books right now then have to finish the other 3 of my own books I am in the middle of. After that, I will get to it! ;-) I will look out for this author. I think the fall is when the author events come to the city. I'll be watching for her, especially if she has this new book out.

>217 jessibud2: Expect a full report on Marais, Shelley. She is very friendly and accessible. We are all ready friends on FB and have chatted. It helps that she has befriended several of my Booktopia friends. We are even going to dinner beforehand, with her. It should be a nice gathering.

Harvest

“The American doctors come to see
what we are living through when we pick olives.
They stand as witnesses, in circles in the grove.
They help hold the ladders.

The doctors say they are shocked to see.
We don't know what it would feel like,
not having guns pointed at us. Guns
have been pointed at us all our lives.

America, don't act surprised, you bought them!
Just tell us how to be a farmer, with guns.
Or celebrate a birthday, with guns.
No guns invited!

The doctors say they will go home and tell
what they experienced. Their kindness is
a balm. Don't people know already?
Where is the news?

Some say Israel would be happiest
if we just disappeared. Like in a magic show?
Our magic is that we are
still here and were always here.”

-Naomi Shihab Nye

I just finished Tiny Journalist. It is a good collection. I have enjoyed reading Nye. Many gems here, including the one I posted above. Here is a snippet from another poem"

"Her voice a library of kindness.
I hear pages rustling, hungry fingers
moving through stories. If you very alone,
you would want this voice to find you."

Good morning Mark, and happy Saturday to you. Congrats on your day off. Have fun.

>221 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. I am all ready enjoying my day off. Thanks. B.A.G.

Scored fairly okay at a library book sale yesterday, Mark. I even got a copy of Tim Egan's The Worst Hard Time, as well as a bio of Ben Franklin by Edmund S. Morgan. It's much shorter and less detailed than Isaacson's, focused on the really important stuff.

>220 msf59: Lovely imagery, Mark. I like Nye. Have a great weekend.

Weekend! You're having a regular, Murrikin-style weekend! This must feel somewhat odd to you. In a good way, one hopes.

>223 weird_O: Howdy, Bill. Have you read The Worst Hard Time, yet? If not, you are in for a major treat. Fantastic book. My introduction to Egan. Glad you also got a bio on Franklin.

>224 BLBera: I have read a couple of Nye's poetry collections. She is a keeper.

>225 richardderus: Happy Saturday, Richard. I am enjoying the day off and getting ready to head into the city.

^I took the day off and my son and I are going to the north-side, to see a Cubs & Pirates game. It will be the first time, I have been down there, this year. It should be a great day. Leaving shortly...

Go Cubbies!!

>206 msf59: Thanks for looking into this issue and for originally posting about that GN, Drinking at the Movies.
Hilariously, the closest library with a copy is in Sandpoint, ID - a mere 673 km from me.

Morning, Mark.

Great Naomi Shahib Nye poem. She's a fave.

>107 msf59: Beautiful.

I've gotten Debbi's blessing to read The Great Believers after Jazz. You've got me stoked!

We're off to the ICE protest. Have a good day off, buddy.

>227 msf59: Yay! Happy Saturday indeed. Have a great time.

Happy Saturday Mark! I hope you have a wonderful time at Wrigley field!

Have a great time at the game, Mark. You sure know how to fill a day off!

Looks like you and Matt saw a great game, Mark. Lot of offense!

Have fun at the baseball game!

>188 msf59: I found this description of Drinking at the Movies over on Abe books, along with a description of her back catalogue.

"Representing Julia Wertz's critically acclaimed first graphic memoir in a new format, with a brand new sketchbook from Wertz, and an introduction by Janeane Garofalo. But don't worry; we haven't replaced any of the wrenching and ribald, whiskey-soaked coming-of-age tale. This is Wertz at her best, which is sometimes her worst.

Julia Wertz lives and works in Brooklyn. She is the author of the autobiographic comic books The Fart Party Vols. 1 and 2 (Atomic Books, 2007, 2009). Both volumes were collected as Museum of Mistakes in 2014, Drinking at the Movies (Random House, 2010) and The Infinite Wait and Other Stories (Koyama Press, 2012)".

I think Whiskey and New York looks like the title of a French edition.
http://lagrume.org/collections/litterature/whiskey-new-york/

>228 SandyAMcPherson: Sorry to hear, that the nearest copy of Drinking at the Movies is hundreds of miles away, Sandy. Bummer. If I had a personal copy, I would send it to you.

>229 jnwelch: >233 jnwelch: Hi, Joe. Glad to hear that you'll be reading The Great Believers soon. Good for you guys, making it to the ICE demonstration. We had a great time at the game and got to see a big win, to boot! Go Cubbies!

>230 richardderus: >231 Whisper1: >232 Familyhistorian: >234 vancouverdeb: Thanks, RD, Linda, Meg & Deb. My son and I had a great time at the game. The Cubs won 10-4, and then we met friends in the city afterwards for dinner and brews. A nice, long, fun day.

>235 charl08: Hi, Charlotte. Thanks for supplying this info on Drinking at the Movies. Intriguing issues going on with that title, over on LT. It is a good memoir and one I will be recommending.

85) The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead 4.7 stars

“Perhaps Nickel was the very afterlife that awaited him, with a White House down the hill and an eternity of oatmeal and an infinite brotherhood of broken boys.”

Set in the Jim Crow south, in the early 60s, this powerful and haunting novel, follows Elwood Curtis, a black teen, abandoned by his parents and raised by a strong, doting, grandmother. Just before he is about to enroll in college, he is inadvertently mixed up in a crime and sentenced to Nickel Academy, a Florida, a juvenile reformatory. Nickel, based on a real reform school, from that era, is hell on earth. Within days of arriving, Elwood is beaten savagely and this is just the beginning. There are sadistic guards, some that sexually prey on the boys. Corrupt officials that hire out the services of the boys and steal their food and supplies. And other boys just simply “disappear”.
Whitehead's last book, The Underground Railroad, was a strong, inventive read and he has delivered here, once again, becoming one of the best voices in fiction, shining a light on America's shadowy past. This one is not for the faint of heart but if you can stomach the horrors, I highly recommend it.

Happy Sunday, Mark.

Wow, I somehow missed that you were reading The Nickel Boys. That’s definitely on my to-read list.

I’m starting Jazz today, which I know you loved, and I’ve also got Pride, Prejudice and Other Flavors going, which I’m liking very much so far.

My copy of Nickel Boys should arrive Tuesday; I pre-ordered it. Whitehead was on CBS Sunday Morning today, talking about it. He said he simply could not bring himself to visit the site when he was writing. I know reading it is going to be a gut punch.

>239 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. You will love The Nickel Boys but it is a tough read. Those poor kids. If you end up really loving Jazz, I may reread it later this year. I really want to read all of her books and reread them, as well.

>240 laytonwoman3rd: Hi, Linda. Glad to hear you have a copy of The Nickel Boys on the way. It is definitely a gut punch but at about 200 pages, it is mercifully short.

Oh good! I don't seem likely to be disappointed by The Nickel Boys after all.

>242 richardderus: It is excellent, Richard. Whitehead is on a roll.

>238 msf59: oh boy I can't wait for that one. Great review Mark.

>244 brenzi: Coming from the Queen of Book Reviews, that is mighty high praise, Bonnie. Thanks. You will love the book!

>244 brenzi:, >245 msf59: HEY!! I am the Queen of Book Reviews!! No interloping allowed aloud.

>246 richardderus: LOL! Pardon me, your majesty. My bad...

>238 msf59: I have The Nickel Boys to look forward to, Mark. From your description what went on at that school sounds similar to what happened in residential schools in Canada.

>248 Familyhistorian: This same horrific stuff happened in your residential schools, Meg? Wow! That is terrible. Has there been any books on it?

...or today. It looks like a very hot and uncomfortable week ahead. Ugh!

'Morning, Mark! I hope your work day goes well. Happy Wednesday anticipation.

>238 msf59: Good review, but no.

>250 msf59: LOL!

Morning, Mark. Yeah, I think we have some tough days ahead of us heatwise.

I am enjoying Jazz very much; I'm about halfway through. I'm also reading a GN Phillip K. Dick bio which is better than I expected. Hmm. Philip K. Dick NBM Comics. There it is. My favorite right now is the Sonali Dev one, about a family of Indian immigrants.

Hope this pre-Tuesday goes all right for you.

>238 msf59: Sadly, yes

>250 msf59: So, Mark, what did Alexa say? :)

>251 karenmarie: Morning, Karen and thanks!

>252 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. That PKD GN bio, sounds interesting. I will have to keep that one in mind. And hooray for Jazz!

>253 SandyAMcPherson: Another, Whitehead winner, Sandy.

>254 BLBera: "No comprende", Beth. LOL.

>250 msf59: I so wish for you that the weatherguessers will be wrong and a sudden polar vortex will swirl a week of 60° dry days for you.

Make it so, Number One.

Stay in the shade Mark!
Just thumbed your excellent review of The Nickel Boys. For me it's in the pile.

>256 richardderus: Thanks for your positive thoughts, RD, but it looks like we will be trapped in this blast furnace for the rest of the week. They are predicting near a 100, on Friday.

>257 mdoris: I always zoom in on, any shade I can find, Mary, but it is a uphill battle. Thanks for the Thumb! I always appreciate those. Glad the Whitehead is on the pile.

>245 msf59: >246 richardderus: You are certainly welcome to that title Richard lol.

>211 msf59: I am on the library hold list for the new book by Marais. They have it on order but we don't usually get them on the day of release. I sure enjoyed "Hum" when I read it a few years ago. What?!? You know the author…and are having dinner with her? Lucky you. I'll be looking for a full report.

>238 msf59: Excellent review of Nickel Boys, Mark. I hate to admit it, but I was not a fan of The Underground Railroad. I liked the writing but I do have a personal bias against Alternate History. There were people in my book group who thought Whitehead's Underground Railroad was a real thing. *Head Smack* I read in the Wall Street Journal that the new book has no gimmicks. I'm a little leery of the "horrors" but I'll try to be brave.

It's time to dust off your copy of Mohawk. I'm going to try and start it this weekend if my week goes as planned. I don't take anything for granted these days. ;-)

>259 brenzi: Grins...

>260 Donna828: Hi, Donna. Always good to see you. I am glad to hear you are a fan of Hum. I am really enjoying the new one and I think you will too. I do not know Marais personally, but a few of my Booktopia pals have met her. We have chatted on FB and I am looking forward to meeting her this week.

Other than the tough subject matter, you should love The Nickel Boys. Definitely no gimmicks.

Hey, I might just join you on Mohawk, as soon as I finish If You Want to Make God Laugh.

>259 brenzi:, >261 msf59: I should hope so!

>262 richardderus: You were quite the hunk in your day, Queenie! LOL.

^See? This is why Ben is my favorite Founding Father. It sounds like Ben didn't mess with alcohol much, but he sure understood it. I am enjoying Benjamin Franklin: An American Life.

'Morning, Mark! I like the quotes by Franklin. I have 2 bios of Franklin including the one you're reading, and his autobiography. I really need to learn more about Mr. Franklin, I think.

Stay cool and safe.

Morning, Mark!

I gave that excellent Nickel Boys review a thumb, too.

Debbi and I leave soon for our annual doctor checkups. I'm hoping to continue to steer clear of cholesterol medications! I had a statin prescribed once, but improved my bloodwork numbers and got rid of it. We'll see.

There were many good poetry performances at that Abortion Network fundraiser last night. We're becoming big Eve Ewing fans - she's brilliant and gracious.

Looks like we're getting a little heat relief today and tomorrow. Hope it goes okay for you today.

>263 msf59: Heh. I should only ever have been that handsome!

>265 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. You will learn plenty about Franklin, in this bio. Incredibly detailed, maybe even to a fault. A nice, easy narrative too.

>266 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. Thanks for the Thumb. I always appreciate those. Good luck with your check ups today. Hoping for good news, all around. I want to read more Ewing.

>267 richardderus: I am sure you were a dashing fellow, back in the day, RD.

^Recently acquired goodies. Lanny is from my pal, Nancy. I loved Grief is the Thing with Feathers and I am looking forward to his new one. The promising story collections are Instructions For a Funeral & Woman Hollering Creek. I want to try Cisneros' short fiction. I like her poetry and speaking of poetry, Monument: Poems is from the library and one, Joe recently warbled about. And the beer was mighty tasty.

Hi Mark, I have fallen behind but finally I am caught up here. Of course, Nickel Boys is being added to my list.

Thanks for the suggestion of If You Want to Make God Laugh. I just put a hold on it at my library, Mark.

>249 msf59: There are many books on the residential schools, Mark. I found lots with a Google search but you may find Secret Path of particular interest. Gord Downie's final concert was about the story of Chanie "Charlie" Wenjack and there is a GN about the story as well.

>270 DeltaQueen50: Hi, Judy. I highly recommend The Nickel Boys to all my LT pals and also The Underground Railroad if you haven't read it yet.

>271 vancouverdeb: Hi, Deb. I am glad you put If You Want to Make God Laugh on hold. I think you will really like it. I am going to pick up Hum If You Don’t Know the Words tomorrow. It is her first novel and I also heard it is excellent.

>272 Familyhistorian: Now, I remember the residential schools, when you reminded me of Wenjack. I read the very haunting GN and heard Downie talk/sing about it. Heart-breaking stuff.

Did you see a picked up a copy of Instructions For a Funeral? It was your warbling that did it.

'Morning, Mark! Happy Man-Cave Day to you. B, B, and B. *smile*

Good Morning, Mr. Mark.

Wow, that Philip K. Dick had a bizarre experience of this world, not to mention the ones in his imagination (and the two often overlapped!) I'd read stories about his life, but seeing it all pulled together in this GN, man oh man.

I'm glad you're going to give Monument: Poems a go. Trethewey is a favorite of Darryl's, too. I'm going to try For Every One by Jason Reynolds next; Mary warbled irresistibly about it.

I'll probably finish Jazz today or tomorrow. Beautifully written, but for me not a book at the level I experienced with Beloved. I need to get to her Bluest Eye, too.

Enjoy the day, buddy.

>274 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen. Looking forward to it.

>275 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. I am enjoying the day off. I will have to get to that PKD bio. Sounds great. I will watch for your thoughts on the Reynolds. I have been wanting to read more of his work. And hooray for Ms. Morrison. What a national treasure, she is.

I just finished listening to one of the oldest recorded books in my collection. I finally got around to listening to Crack in the Edge of the World: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906 by Simon Winchester. I don't think it was Winchester's best book as I enjoyed the one on Krakatoa and Map That Changed The World better, but this was good narrative non-fiction. I started listening to the latest in a YA novel series that I like. Bloodwitch and the narrator is using fake accents and I find that annoying. Sometimes the narrators do a good job with accents and sometimes they don't. This is one of those that doesn't work very well. However, I like the story so I will keep listening - just because I want to know what happens.

>269 msf59: How cool is that collection of books! The beer is what *made* it, though. Happy day in.

Well, I'm a little late to this party! I guess I'll wait about 5 minutes until you have to start a new thread and then come visit there lol

Hello Mark! I hope all is well with you.

It has been a looooong time since I picked up a Jefferey Deaver thriller, but his new one, The Never Game is a pretty good way to pass the time on audio. He introduces a new character who has fascinating background and a makes his living in a relatively original way. If you have the notion, check it out. I know you're not once for popular thrillers as a rule, but this is good.

>277 benitastrnad: Hi, Benita. Thanks for checking in, with a book update. I have been meaning to read Winchester and have a few of his on the list. My current audio,is a Ben Franklin bio, which I am enjoying.

>278 richardderus: Hey, RD. The beer was tasty and I am looking forward to all of these reads.

Hiya, Mark. I've been lurking with nothing much to say.

But I remembered (correctly, I hope) that my current audio is a favorite of yours - The Big Burn by Timothy Egan. I'm only about an hour into it, and the narrator is kind of annoying, but I am enjoying it :)

>279 ChelleBearss: Hi, Chelle. Good to see you. You are never late to this party. I will have to stop by and see what you have been reading.

>280 brodiew2: Hi, Brodie. Everything is going well here. Just dealing with an uncomfortable heat wave. I have never read Deaver but I will keep this one in mind. Thanks. Like you mentioned, I read very little thrillers, by popular authors. Book snob, I guess.

>282 katiekrug: Hi, Katie. Thanks for delurking. Always good to see you pop in. I did enjoy The Big Burn but do not remember the quality of the audio narration. Glad you are enjoying the book. My favorite of Egan remains The Worst Hard Time. You read that one, right?

Nope, haven't read it, but it's on shelf. Well, actually, all my nonfiction is boxed up right now... So it's in box :)

>285 katiekrug: At least you know where they are. Grins. Are you working on putting up more shelves?

Speaking of Egan, I also have The Immortal Irishman saved on audio. It also looks really good.

No, I'm working on moving :)

>287 katiekrug: Wow? Really?

Geez, where have you been?

*grin*

>289 katiekrug: Clearly, I should have been spending more time on your thread. LOL. Surprising news. I PMed you.

Hi Mark, just stopping by to say hi. I'm working on staying cool. LOL. It is hot out there and muggy too. Makes me glad I work indoors though it's really cold inside.

After hearing about the passing of Justice John Paul Stevens, I want to read his memoirs, which came out a few months ago. The Making of a Justice. Bet he's got a lot of great stories to tell. Some even from his pre-Court days in Chicago.

Glad you are still solid (as opposed to melted into a puddle). I've been hunkered down in my lower-level reading (and napping) room. The basement is always cooler than the house's main level, and I've got a fan keeping air moving. No a/c, but we're fine with that. Right now, a thunderstorm is gathering; isn't supposed to improve the temperature or humidity, though.

I am into Thomas Mallon's Watergate. It is fascinating, both for its uncommon perspective on the event, but also for its sharp characterizations of the familiar players. I don't think I ever heard of Mallon until the last month, but he's good. Some interesting titles—both fiction and NF—on his list of published works.

>291 lindapanzo: Hi, Linda. I am off today, so I am staying cool. Another nice Cubs win. 5-1, since the break. Not shabby. I do not know much about Justice Stevens. I should also look into one of his memoirs.

>292 weird_O: Staying cool on my off day, Bill. My Man-Cave is also the coolest place in the house. Unpleasantly hot here, the next few days. Ugh! Not familiar with Mallon. The Watergate book sounds interesting.