Katie Commits to Nothing in 2019, Part 13

(Photo by me)

The view from the terrace of the bar at my hotel in Paris.

__________________________________

Hello Old Friends and Welcome New Ones!

I'm Katie, and I've been with the 75ers since 2011. I live just outside New York City with my husband, "The" Wayne, and our cat, Leonard. I work from home for a global engineering association, which allows me to scratch my travel itch a few times a year. In addition to reading and traveling, I enjoy taking advantage of all that my current location has to offer, from bars and restaurants to theater and museums to seasides and mountainsides. I lived 12 years in "exile" in Texas and am glad to be back in the northeast :)

My only "goal" for this reading year is to not have any goals. I am hoping to read more of the 3500 books I currently own rather than shiny new ones, but I'll just be happy with a year of excellent reads, regardless of where they come from.

(Audio)

2019 BOOKS COMPLETED
Off my shelf (pre-2019): 15
Off my Kindle (pre-2019): 10

66. A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole (3 stars)
65. A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie (3 stars)
64. Good Luck with That by Kristan Higgins (3.5 stars)
63. Norwegian by Night by Derek B. Miller (4 stars)
62. The Big Burn by Timothy Egan (audio) (4 stars)
61. Tin Man by Sarah Winman (4.5 stars)

60. Bleachers by John Grisham (audio) (3.5 stars)
59. Whistling in the Dark by Lesley Kagen (4 stars)
58. The Total Package by Stephanie Evanovich (audio) (3 stars)
57. The Stone Circle by Elly Griffiths (3.5 stars)
56. Star of the North by D.B. John (3.5 stars)
55. Life on the Leash by Victoria Schade (3 stars)
54. My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite (audio) (3.5 stars)
53. The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant (audio) (4 stars)
52. A Hero's Guide to Deadly Dragons by Cressida Cowell (audio) (3.5 stars)
51. Above the Waterfall by Ron Rash (audio) (3 stars)
50. Just One of the Guys by Kristan Higgins (3 stars)
49. Alice Adams by Booth Tarkington (audio) (3 stars)
48. The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh (3 stars)
47. I Can't Complain by Elinor Lipman (audio) (3.5 stars)
46. How To Find Love in a Bookshop by Veronica Henry (audio) (4 stars)

DID NOT FINISH (Year to date)
1. Eucalyptus by Murray Bail
2. Go, Went, Gone by Jenny Erpenbeck
3. The Secret History by Donna Tartt
4. Census by Jesse Ball
5. Nickel Mountain by John Gardner
6. In the Language of Miracles by Rajia Hassib
7. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
8. Founding Brothers by Joseph Ellis

2019 BOOKS COMPLETED

45. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Burrows (4.5 stars)
44. Water Like a Stone by Deborah Crombie (4 stars)
43. Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams (audio) (3.5 stars)
42. The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms (3.5 stars)
41. Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson (audio) (3.5 stars)
40. Imagined London by Anna Quindlen (3 stars)
39. These Truths by Jill Lepore (4.5 stars)
38. The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye (4 stars)
37. Nine Women, One Dress by Jane Rosen (audio) (3 stars)
36. Black Out by Lisa Unger (2 stars)
35. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (audio) (4 stars)
34. Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward (4.5 stars)
33. The Wet Nurse's Tale by Erica Eisdorfer (3.5 stars)
32. Unbelievable by Katy Tur (audio) (3 stars)
31. Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler (audio) (3.5 stars)

30. Drop Shot by Harlan Coben (3 stars)
29. All the Ways to Ruin a Rogue by Sophie Jordan (audio)
28. A Good Debutante's Guide to Ruin by Sophie Jordan (audio) (4 stars)
27. American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson (2.5 stars)
26. The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley (audio) (3 stars)
25. Inheritance by Dani Shapiro (4.5 stars)
24. Kings of the Earth by Jon Clinch (4.5 stars)
23. The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit (audio) (4 stars)
22. My Name is Venus Black by Heather Lloyd (4 stars)
21. My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan (audio) (3 stars)
20. Anything for You by Kristan Higgins (3.5 stars)
19. Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss (4 stars)
18. Who Thought This Was a Good Idea? by Alyssa Mastromonaco (audio) (4 stars)
17. Dream When You're Feeling Blue by Elizabeth Berg (3 stars)
16. Lucky Suit by Lauren Blakely (audio) (3.5 stars)

15. Enlightening Delilah by M.C. Beaton (audio) (3 stars)
14. The Captives by Debra Jo Immergut (4 stars)
13. The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie (4 stars)
12. Murder in an English Village by Jessica Ellicott (audio) (2.5 stars)
11. The Garden Party by Grace Dane Mazur (4 stars)
10. In the Sea There Are Crocodiles by Fabio Geda (audio) (3 stars)
9. The Child Finder by Rene Denfeld (4 stars)
8. The Governess Game by Tessa Dare (4 stars)
7. Blood on the Forge by William Attaway (4.5 stars)
6. Boo by Neil Smith (audio) (3 stars)
5. The Incendiaries by R.O. Kwan (3.5 stars)
4. Good Neighbors by Ryan David Jahn (4 stars)
3. A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh (audio) (3.5 stars)
2. By the Book by Julia Sonneborn (3 stars)
1. Going Back by Penelope Lively (3.5 stars)

My Ratings (revised, once again, as I continue the fruitless search for the perfect scale...)

2 stars = below average
3 stars = average
4 stars = above average
5 stars = perfect *for me*

(Anything below 2 stars is unlikely to be finished)

Trip Report - Paris & London - June 2019

After the travel snafus (delayed flight, missed connection, delayed luggage), things settled down and the meetings got started with no problems. We had beautiful meeting rooms on the 10th floor, with views of the Eiffel Tower and across the Seine. It did make it hard to concentrate on the business at hand sometimes :)



The Wayne arrived on Sunday morning, discombobulated from lack of sleep and jet lag. He slept much of the day, before I dragged him to the Board dinner cruise. He had a good time, helped by the wine, and my colleagues and Board members treated him like a rock star, which was adorable.



I had meetings the next two days, but after the last one on Tuesday, we went and took a long walk past the Eiffel Tower, over the river, through the Trocadero, away from the main touristy area, and found a lovely brasserie for dinner where we were the only non-French speakers (not counting my little bits of French that seemed to engender some good will for at least making an effort). After dinner, we took a leisurely return walk back to the hotel with a stop or two along the way for a drink. This was at the start of the terrible heat wave in France, and it was HOT, especially for lots of walking, but I’m glad we did it. We also stumbled upon a little bookshop where I bought a French edition of one of my favorite books, Heart of Darkness, as a souvenir.



We slept in the next morning, then packed up and checked out, and had a leisurely lunch before taking an Uber to Gare du Nord to get the Eurostar to London. We’d been warned about long lines and that the station was confusing, but we had zero problems (obviously, people had never experienced the joys of NY’s Penn Station when commenting on Gare du Nord). We had booked Standard Premier class, which was great, and had a “table for two” with drinks and food service. Very civilized and the train departed and arrived on time.

We walked from St, Pancras to our hotel in Bloomsbury (if I’d been on my own, I probably would have taken a taxi or Uber, but The Wayne was willing to carry the two big suitcases, so….). Along the way, we scoped out a pub that would be showing the Yankees-Red Sox games and a couple of bookstores. Our hotel was okay but I probably wouldn’t stay there again, but then again, I’m a bit high maintenance when it comes to hotels! We only slept there, and it was fine. After depositing our stuff, we got a drink at a pub around the corner (which became our regular watering hole) - The Queen’s Larder - and then went to dinner at another pub (The Wayne likes pubs…). I got fish and chips and The Wayne got bangers and mash.



Thursday, we slept in, got coffee, and then spent several hours at the British Museum, which I had been to before, but it was years ago and I had been jet-lagged so didn’t remember much.



You really need a couple of days to do it justice, but we did okay with our five (!) hours. Then we got a late lunch and went to the London Review Bookshop, where I managed to buy about five books in five minutes :) Then we went to the Queen’s Larder for a drink, I went to the Persephone Bookshop where I picked up three Persephones (with matching bookmarks, of course), and then we went to dinner at Punjab, a wonderful Indian restaurant about a 15 minute walk from the hotel. After dinner, we watched the England-Norway match at a pub, but it wasn’t much of a game as England completely dominated Norway and won 3-0.

Friday was a visit to the Imperial War Museum which was excellent, and which The Wayne could have stayed at for several more hours.



After the museum, we headed to Marylebone so I could go to Daunt Books (where I purchased nothing!) and then took a rest stop for cappuccino and scones. For dinner, we met two friends of mine from college, along with their wives, who were in London for the Yankees-Red Sox series. We had a great meal, with bad service, at The Queen’s Head and Artichoke near Regent’s Park, and it was nice to catch up. We probably stopped in for a nightcap at The Queen’s Larder, but all the visits there kind of run together in my head at this point :)

Saturday was a mini-heatwave - the high was over 90F but thankfully, it was just the one day. We met Susan for a coffee in the morning (hi Susan!) and chatted for a bit. Then we took the train to Greenwich to see the Cutty Sark, one of the last tea clippers. Before heading there, we checked out the Greenwich Market, which was fun. I bought a funky skirt, a couple of books, we got a cool map print of London as our “official” memento of the trip, The Wayne bought some scotch bonnet hot sauce and prints of various military aircraft. There was also a Pimm’s stand, which was very welcome given the heat.



We had a pub lunch (I know, I know…) and then went to The Cutty Sark where I learned a lot despite sweating like a pig.



We skipped the afternoon tea we had reservations for because it was hot and we were tired, and took the ferry up the Thames and then walked from Embankment to Leicester Square, where we got the tube back to the hotel. After a quick shower, we headed to the Seven Dials area to meet friends for a drink before seeing ‘The Mousetrap,’ which was okay but I wish we’d seen something else. We got a late dinner afterwards at an excellent Peruvian restaurant and then walked back to the hotel. I am very proud that I logged the most steps of the trip - over 14000 - on the hottest day of it :)

We planned for a quiet Sunday and after a bit of lie-in, we organized our packing, and then The Wayne announced it was time for a pint, so off to The Queen’s Larder we went. From there, we visited the two used bookshops in the neighborhood we had seen on our walk from the train station, and I picked up a few more additions for my library. And then it was time to go watch the Yankees-Red Sox game. The Yankees had won the first game the night before and ended up winning this second game as well. It was a lot of fun to watch in a different kind of environment. The place we were at had the TVs divided between the baseball game and a cricket match… It also made excellent Pimm’s, so overall, a perfect afternoon. We had Italian for dinner and then collapsed into bed.

Up at six to finish packing and shower and check-out, Uber to Paddington Station to catch the Heathrow Express (why had I never taken this before?!?!), free coffee and breakfast in the BA lounge, some duty-free whisky purchases, and then we boarded our flight home, which was drama-free. We spent a ridiculous amount of time going through US immigration and customs, and I couldn’t help but comment - somewhat loudly - that the lines might move faster if they weren’t so busy CAGING BABIES at the southern border. I told The Wayne that if I got detained, to call the ACLU immediately :) But seriously, it was ridiculous - all this nonsense which does very little of practical use. When I landed in Paris, it took 15 minutes to get off the plane, go through passport control, and get to baggage claim. And even less to pass through UK border security at Gare du Nord. The difference was striking, and annoyed The Wayne no end, so much so that he now wants to arrange a medium-term transfer to the Twitter office in London. If only…

So we finally made it home, where all was well, though Leonard was none too happy with us, and where I discovered one of The Wayne’s bottles of hot sauce had broken in the suitcase :-P

The End

Believe it or not...when you said The Wayne bought hot sauce, I thought---"I hope it doesn't spill in the suitcase!". Sounds like a delightful trip, Katie. And I love it when we find the perfect "pub" to drop into at will while we're traveling somewhere. A home away, as it were.

>5 katiekrug: What a lovely dream, to relocate to the Yook. Even temporarily!

New thread yadda-yadda-yadda

Happy new thread, Katie. That was quite the quick trip! I was in London for about 2 weeks in total and even that wasn't enough so I can imagine how rushed you felt. Good planning to have The Wayne along to carry the books you picked up. Isn't the Heathrow Express the best? I always end up taking it.

Thanks for the NY info. I'll PM you with more details.

Happy new thread, Katie! I loved your travelogue :-) It was great to see you both, and that is an impressive step total for the hottest day of the year (so far). I know it wasn't hot by US standards, but we were proud of it :-)

I giggled about The Mousetrap - it's one of those Famous (But Lame) London Things. Years ago a friend of my mother's came to London and wanted to go, so I got tickets, and we also saw what I think was the first staged version of The Lady in the Van (long before the movie). It had Maggie Smith in it and the tickets were pricey and hard to get. We had great seats and I was very pleased that it had all come together. At the end she said she'd enjoyed it, but had *really enjoyed* The Mousetrap.

I'm glad the TSA didn't arrest you. Were you at JFK? I always wonder why people hate Heathrow so much when JFK exists. There ought at least to be a fast lane for US citizens. And yay for the Heathrow Express! I've only taken it a couple of time as I'm mostly too cheap to pay for it, but it is fast and efficient. One day in the (perhaps distant) future, Crossrail will do the same trip without the need to change at Paddington, but I've given up hoping for that.

Great travelogue Katie, thank you for taking the time to write it for your adoring public! Do you have Global Entry? Our last trip was our first with Global Entry, and we zipped through EWR on our return.

It sounds like a lovely trip, Katie. The Imperial War Museum was one of my son's favorite places. It sounds like you both had a lovely time. Love all the bookstores.

Oh, and happy new thread.

>7 laytonwoman3rd: - I had suggested to him a better way of packing it, but he said it would be fine... Luckily, it didn't cause too much damage to everyhting else in the bag!

>8 richardderus: - Thank you, sir!

>9 Familyhistorian: - Since I have been several times, it was more about what The Wayne wanted to do. I think he underestimated the amount of stuff that would interest him, but that's what return trips are for :)

Great about NY!

>10 susanj67: - It was certainly hot by MY standards, Susan! I tend to start whimpering as soon as it goes over 80F :)

Yeah, the friends we went to the play with thought it was an esential London thing to do, but I just thought it was kind of lame. But the dinner afterwards was lovely :)

We flew home to Newark, rather than Just F*cking Kill Me. I'd never seen the lines so terrible there. They do have dedicated lanes for US citizens, but it didn't seem to be improving anything...

>11 lauralkeet: - Hi Laura - I never got around to getting GE because the process at DFW was always super efficient, and while less so at EWR, not too bad. But I think I've learned my lesson now. Work will pay for me to get it, and our credit card will pay $100 of the fee for The Wayne, so it would be silly not to take advantage of it.

>12 BLBera: and >13 BLBera: - Thanks, Beth! I wimped out at the IWM after the WWI exhibit, and had a glass (or two?) of wine at the cafe while The Wayne did WWII :)

Happy New Thread, Katie. Love all the Paris & London photos and commentary. Sounds like a lovely trip.

I am loving The Great Believers. Is this one on your radar?

Happy new thread!

Great vacation pics. Seems like you had fun despite the unbearable heat!

Happy new thread Katie.

Wonderful pictures from your trip.

>16 msf59: - Hiya, Mark! Glad you liked the photos. And yes, TGB is definitely on my radar.

>17 figsfromthistle: - Well, luckily most of our time in London the weather was lovely! Unalleviated heat would have ruined it.

>18 fairywings: - Thanks!

Fabulous trip report. Shame about the bottle breaking.
Happy new thread.

Happy new one, Katie.

Hi Katie! Happy new thread, thank you for the Trip Report With Photos.

>20 Helenliz: - Thanks, Helen! Luckily, it was a fairly small bottle, but it was rather disconcerting to open the suitcase to the sharp smell of peppers and vinegar!

>21 PaulCranswick: - Thanks, Paul!

>22 karenmarie: - Thank you, Karen, and you are most welcome :)

" I had suggested to him a better way of packing it, but he said it would be fine" *nods knowingly*

Happy new thread, Katie, and glad you had such a lovely trip to Paris and London despite the early travel woes. I had the opposite experience the last time I went through customs, where it was absolute torture getting in to Mexico and getting through customs in the U.S. was super easy. But, to be fair, it was a late night flight that came in at Logan. I can't imagine trying to deal with JFK or Newark. Anyway, welcome back!

Happy new thread! *drools over fish and chips*

Happy new thread and thanks for the trip report. It sounds like you had a great time. Bummer about the hot sauce and do get the GE permit. It's wonderful and helps both departing and arriving.

>24 laytonwoman3rd: - *grin*

>25 bell7: - Thanks, Mary!

>26 drneutron: - Thanks, Jim! *hands over a napkin*

>27 RebaRelishesReading: - GE is definitely on my To-Do list, Reba!

Ugh. Back to work.

I'm almost done with The Stone Circle which has been a nice, diverting read. Hopefully, my reading mojo is back!

Misty Monday missives.

>30 richardderus: - Thank you, sir.

The Stone Circle by Elly Griffiths

I thought this was a pretty good entry in the series. To be honest, though, all the books tend to run together in my head. I really enjoy them while I'm reading them, but can never remember details from previous books. Not sure if that says more about me or the books... Still, I'll keep reading them!

3.5 stars

Hi, Katie. Welcome back! I'm glad The Wayne enjoyed the trip enough to want to keep traveling. And thanks for the travelogue - it makes me want to get to London immediately! But I think I'll wait until the weather is definitely cooler.

Regarding the Elly Griffiths mysteries, I know what you mean by all the books running together. But they are fun to read.

Happy new thread, Katie. Loved the travelogue. :)

Glad you had a swell holiday. I'm envious.

Loved hearing about your Paris/London adventures, both here and on FB! Great that you've turned TW into an intrepid traveler. We had a fabulous week in Paris (but also pretty hot for the first couple of days) and did a lot of walking and eating. Then a disastrous day getting home (flight cancelled) and now just trying to stay awake through the day! Welcome home!

>33 ffortsa: - Hi Judy! From watching Wimbledon, the weather doesn't seem too hot now, but probably safer to wait a bit :) The Wayne is already sending me flight deals and ideas for another trip, but I think I'll need to take a breather for a bit. I still have three trips between now and September...

>34 MickyFine: - Thanks, Micky!

>35 weird_O: - Thank you, Bill. I seem to recall you had a pretty recent swell holiday in Ireland.... :)

>36 vivians: - Welcome back, Vivian! I was thinking about you with the heat in Paris. I'm glad it didn't ruin your trip. Sorry about the cancelled flight - I know about travel curses...

Hi Katie and thanks for sharing your trip with us. I noticed that you are reading Whistling in the Dark which was a book that I remember really liking at the time that I read it so I hope it is striking the right note with you.

Happy new thread, Katie! I enjoyed seeing your Paris and London posts on Facebook, and I'm glad that you and Wayne had a lovely time, despite the heat wave.

After the museum, we headed to Marylebone so I could go to Daunt Books (where I purchased nothing!)

That is absolutely astonishing. I never leave there with less than four books. I have a collection of 8-10+ lovely Daunt book bags in at least half a dozen different colors. I probably purchase more books there than in any other bookshop, now that I rarely go to San Francisco and hardly ever go to City Lights.

>38 DeltaQueen50: - I like it so far, Judy. At first, I found the narrative voice a bit annoying, but I've adjusted.

>39 kidzdoc: - Thanks, Darryl. My lack of purchases at Daunt was more a practical matter than not see anything I was interested in. We already had a lot of luggage, I'd already bought several books, and we're moving houses soon, so....

Needless to say, I'll do better next time :)

Second day back at work :(

18 days until I go to St. Lucia :)

Priorities....

Daunt's eh? I'll be in London in September. Sounds like I should seek them out.

Reba, they have a few outlets, but the main one is on the Marylebone High Street.

https://www.dauntbooks.co.uk/

>42 RebaRelishesReading: You'll have to let us know when you visit London in September, Reba, as Debbi & Joe Welch and I will be there again that month. Ishtar (http://ishtarrestaurant.com/), my favorite Turkish restaurant in London, is a short walk from Daunt Books, along with my favorite cheese shop in the capital, La Fromagerie (https://www.lafromagerie.co.uk/).

HI, Katie.

I had a good time with the nice, diverting Stone Circle, too. At least we found out who was the father of Michelle's baby! If it wasn't Nelson's, I think he would have split with her and gone to Ruth.

I missed the hot sauce breakage part of the travelogue. No wonder there was so much laundry to do when you got home! Hopefully The Wayne's packing abilities will improve the more he travels.

Oooo. The hot sauce didn't get in anyone's knickers, did it?

Hi Katie, I thought I'd commented on the "new" thread but seemingly - not. I am very impressed by the willpower shown in Daunt's. Your meeting room in Paris looks amazing: I don't think I'd have got much done with that view!

Glad you found some Pimms: M &S have a deal on that I keep passing each time I go in to buy bread. Maybe it's time to stop and pick up some to enjoy with the tennis.

>45 jnwelch: - Hi Joe! I think you are right about what could have happened with the new Ruth Galloway. Of course, I sort of wish it had....

>46 Familyhistorian: - Meg, the hot sauce didn't get on any clothes, as it was in the bag with mostly just other stuff we bought. The only thing lost was my neck pillow.

>47 weird_O: - Er, no, Bill :)

>48 charl08: - Hi Charlotte! I found lots of Pimms, so overall a successful trip!

Busy day at work today, but I got lots done yesterday, so I'm hoping to continue the momentum.

I am still reading Whistling in the Dark, and have started Founding Brothers for the AAC.

Tonight, I'm meeting my friend Rebecca for dinner, so have that to look forward to.

And in tempting news, I put a Google fare alert on flights to London over our anniversary in October, and the price just dropped 26%... Sooooo tempting...... But I guess we should be responsible and at least wait until we are no longer paying both rent and a mortgage!

>50 katiekrug: Being responsible is no fun. I have that same problem all the time.

>51 MickyFine: - It's really cramping my style, Micky ;-)

>52 katiekrug: I had a similar problem today with cheap flights to Glasgow in the fall. Sigh. Saving for a house is really cramping my jet-setting desires. ;)

*fist bump*

I hear ya, sister. Stay strong.

Hi Katie! >50 katiekrug: responsible? why?

>50 katiekrug: Is this a "big" anniversary, like a zero year? Because that might justify being irresponsible.

Speaking as someone who has been married nearly 14 years and still not had a honeymoon*, I'd say go for it. But I have my moments when it comes to being irresponsible, so I may not be the best source of advice.

* It was too close to Christmas and we had just paid for a wedding... we stayed at home and cleared the garage.

>55 RebaRelishesReading: - Because, as the old saying goes, money doesn't grow on trees!

>56 lauralkeet: - 10th - but Paris and London was our anniversary trip :) Or at least that's what we thought... Heh.

>57 Helenliz: - We had a small honeymoon - just drove several hours to a wine-growing area and stayed 5 days eating and drinking our way through the small town :) It was lovely...

>57 Helenliz: lol. My husband and I got married just before the start of our last year at university (OMG, so young, what were we thinking?!). Our "honeymoon" was to move into a fairly crappy apartment and, a few days later, start attending classes. Woo hoo.

>59 katiekrug: you could to re-create that experience for your anniversary. But in France. Just sayin'.

>60 lauralkeet: - But you've more than made up for it now, Laura!

>61 lauralkeet: - We might recreate it, but in the Finger Lakes region in New York :)

I should add it's a bit of a reversal of roles in that I'm usually much more irresponsible and less concerned about money (can't be buried with it!) than The Wayne, but he's taking the two house thing much more in stride than I am. I'm convinced something's going to happen to make us lose his income (the loss of mine wouldn't impact us as much...) and then we'll be screwed. Well, not really screwed but made uncomfortable. I grew up with parents who lived paycheck to paycheck and developed a lot of neuroses about finances from that experience. I maintain that at any given time, one of us needs to be responsible and he's ceded the position to me for now :)

Of course, he could put together a nice spreadsheet for me and convince me otherwise. I am more than willing to be convinced and to book another trip!

>60 lauralkeet: It's memorable, at least! And you can look back on it and smile. When people ask what we did on our honeymoon I reply that he took me out a few times - we went to the tip 3 times. It was perfectly logical at the time and having done all the work for the wedding, tbh, a week at home doing not a lot was probably just what we both needed.

>61 lauralkeet: now that's a very good point, very well made.

I know there are a few loers of the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn out there.

Some casting news for the Netflix series....

https://ew.com/tv/2019/07/10/shondaland-netflix-bridgerton-cast/?utm_source=face...

>62 katiekrug: the Finger Lakes would be pretty nice, I have to say.

>65 Helenliz: you're right, it's memorable! And I love that you went to the tip 3 times during your "honeymoon".

>67 lauralkeet: - We'll see what we actually end up doing!

I finished the audio of The Total Package which was a pretty mediocre sports-themed romance. I've now started Bleachers by John Grisham - guess I'm in a sports kind of mood...

I loved visiting Watkins Glen. The 1950s road-racing days were still legendary when I was a car-mad lad. Seneca Falls is sooooooo pretty that I've always nursed a desire to live there. Sadly, it does not have an ocean beside it so, well, no.

>70 richardderus: - We've never been to the area, and it's an easy enough drive for a long weekend. We'll have to see how it goes.

The giant price drop on the tickets to London has gone away, so I can more easily resist the impulse to go :)

My friend flaked out on me last night, so no fun dinner for me. Instead, I made a caprese-style chicken sausage and grilled red peppers, because I'm so virtuous. Ha.

I read a chunk of Whistling in the Dark last night and could have stayed up even later to read more. It's finally hooked me, despite the child narrator.

I might take my laptop upstairs to "work" during the second Wimbledon semifinal today, to see Serena play. I'm bummed she and Andy Murray lost in the mixed doubles - I saw some of one of their matches, and they were a lot of fun to watch.

I'll be watching along with you, Katie, but with no laptop to work with. :)

LOL, Beth. My best friend is taunting me on Facebook about watching Wimbledon on her screen porch on this beautiful morning while I'm in my basement bunker office. She's a high school teacher :)

When I got up this morning, I was making coffee, thinking I should be more productive, when I suddenly realized that I need to embrace the leisurely days of summer; they will be over all too soon. And I will get my class prep done.

Eileen said she was enjoying her morning "watching other people be productive." Sounds pretty good!

Perfect! Go Serena. She started slow but ended strong. Still, Halep will be a challenge for her.

Should be a good final for sure.

Now, if only Rafa can win tomorrow...:)

Gak. I'll take the consummate gentleman over the wedgie-picker any day ;-)

>80 katiekrug: I'm with you on that one. I like watching Rafa play, but only if he's not playing Roger. I adore Roger.

The women's final should be great.

>80 katiekrug: LOL. Love that description — and am fully on Team Fed with you.

I'll take the consummate gentleman over the wedgie-picker any day. Words to live by! I know my bride would agree.

Hi Katie!

I'll take the consummate gentleman over the wedgie-picker any day ;-) Count me in, too. Heh. Go Roger!

I'm not watching but am following Djokovic-Bautista Agut on the Wimbledon app. I am not a Djoko fan and am glad to see that Bautista Agut took the 2nd set, but looks like it's going to be 2-1 Djoko very soon.

I'll start watching as soon as Roger starts playing.

Roger fans unite!

"wedgie-picker" is a Heyeresque level of amusing insults. Brava.

*takes a bow*

And the consummate gentleman prevailed!

May the consummate gentleman win the final! ;)

>89 bell7: Indeed!

>88 rosalita: - Hurrah!

>89 bell7: and >90 rosalita: - For sure!

Hope you’re having a great weekend, Katie.

I am another one rooting for Federer today, Katie.

St. Lucia coming up so soon after Europe - you lucky lady!

>92 Familyhistorian: - It was a good one, thanks, Meg!

>93 PaulCranswick: - An unusually busy summer for me, Paul...

I had a good weekend - lots of tennis and lots of book packing. My best friend came over on Saturday and kept me company while I packed up some stuff. She spent the night and we watched the epic Wimbledon men's final Sunday morning/afternoon. I'm sorry Federer lost, but what a match!

We were able to take two car loads (it's a big SUV) of stuff over to the new house, including about 10 boxes of books. Still lots more to go :)

And I finished a book!



Whistling in the Dark by Lesley Kagen

After getting over my mild aversion to child narrators, this was a good read set in the summer of 1959 in Milwaukee. It's narrated by 10-year old Sally who takes her responsibilities as older sister to Troo very seriously. The girls have been through a lot over the past year, and amid the charms of summer, there is some darkness lurking. Kagen evokes childhood and summer and all the good and the bad really well, and if she occasionally goes a bit over the top, it's easy to forgive.

4 stars

(I've had this book on my shelves since 2007 - yowza!)

>95 katiekrug: - Delurking to say hi! Also, this cover pic can be another to add to my observation on my thread the other day about this recent theme or craze about book covers showing people from behind. So weird. I was at the book store the other day and counted more than 10, displayed on one table! And now, here's another. What's up with that?

>96 jessibud2: - Hi Shelley! That book is from 2007, so it's not even a recent phenomenon, but there always seem to be some trends in book covers, don't there? Headless people was one a while back that I recall... Was the display that you saw purposeful, i.e. was the store having a bit of fun with the trend or was it coincidental?

Now that Wimbledon is over (sad face), it's time to look forward to the US Open! Got my tickets, and I've just booked a hotel in Midtown so I don't have to schlep back and forth from home in one day. I'm also thinking of going for two days instead of the usual just one. My best friend, Eileen, The Wayne, and I "always" (ok, this is only our 3rd year going, but it's now a permanent part of summer for all of us) go on the Thursday of the first week, but Eileen (bf) and I are thinking of also going on Friday....

Oops, I meant to note that while packing books, I managed to purge 68 (!!!) - a combination of ones I'd already read and ones I knew I never would. It was hard, but I did it, and I already feel mentally lighter for it :)

Congrats on purge! Where are you sending them? Our town library has placed a moratorium on book donations so I'm looking for other potential recipients!

I will probably take them to Goodwill, since we have stuff to drop off there anyway. My town library only accepts donations at certain times of the year...

>97 katiekrug: - I actually meant to ask the guy at the cash whether the display was deliberate but by the time my turn came, I forgot! But I took photos with my phone and listed the titles on my thread. Only 3 of the 14 or so showed different covers (in the touchstones) from the ones I actually saw at the store but who the heck knows. It just seemed rather odd to me.

SIXTY-EIGHT BOOKS PURGED

I'm sure you talked about other things but that's the only one I "heard"

>102 jessibud2: - That is so weird for sure.

>103 richardderus: - Heh. Did a few more during lunch :)

I had a delicious lunch today. Is watermelon and feta salad a normal thing everywhere? I love the sweet-saltiness of it... Sometimes I add sliced cucumber and/or red onion but I was feeling lazy today so just had the melon and cheese.

It's meatless Monday, so for dinner, I'm making Greek chickpea salad with cucumber, red onion, and feta. We had Greek food Saturday AND Sunday nights. We may be in a rut, but it's a tasty one :)

I can't wait to get into our new house with its larger kitchen that has more than my current 3.5' of usable counter space broken up over 3 sides of the boxy kitchen!

>105 katiekrug: - I made that salad last summer for the first time and it was great! So perfect for these stinkin' hot days! Cool yet different from a regular old salad. YUM!

>105 katiekrug: I'm glossing over >104 katiekrug: as I'm still woozy from...you know.

Watermelon and feta sounds divine! Ruts are comfy for a reason.

Just wanted to add that the salad I made also called for arugula, watercress and prosciutto. I basically used spinach instead as that was what I had on hand at the time and what I prefer over arugula. Was still delish!

>106 jessibud2: / >108 jessibud2: - It is a nice change of pace, isn't it? I've also had it with greens, and that's nice for helping to fill one up. The restaurant I had that at used a lemon vinaigrette and that tartness complemented the sweet melon and salty cheese nicely. I love salads because you can do so much (or so little) to them!

>107 richardderus: - I figure if I can cull my books, it will set a good example for The Wayne and his various categories of crap (NB: I am not equating books with crap).

I am perfectly happy in my rut - at least for now!

Jim and I were up in Williamstown with Caro (Cameling) and Edd, Marianne (MichiganTrumpet) and John, and two non-LT friends for a theater weekend, but by Sunday lunch we were all in a cafe watching the Wimbledon men's final on our various electronic equipment. You would have fit right in rooting for Roger.

Per your comment about kitchen counter space, I am totally terrified of measuring mine now. I'm sure it's less than yours. What a treat a big kitchen would be!

As for the 68 books, I wish I could do that. I have so many that would entertain others so nicely. I keep looking at all the drama books I have accumulated, reckoning that my enthusiasm for theatrical work has dimmed and I should really pass them along. (I did give a lot of actual scripts away last year.) Taint easy. I have better luck with sending mystery stories on their way, not because I know the ending, but because they are so accessible from the library as e-books. My favorite popcorn.

Enjoy the Open!

Well now I'm jealous of your regular forays to the US Open Katie. Such fun!

When the local American Association Of University Women had their annual book sale (by far the biggest sale in our area)last year they said they weren't worried about getting enough books to sell. They knew they would. They were worried about buyers because so many people use e readers now. I had to wait in line to get in but that was probably because I went when they were just opening so I don't know how they did. And I missed the sale this year because I was out of town. I think we forget sometimes that not everyone is as book crazy as we are here on LT.

Congrats on the book purge, Katie. It sounds like packing is moving along.

Congratulations on purging 68 books. I'm sure it was painful but glad you're feeling mentally lighter as a result. Does it make the move seem more real to have a nice stash of books there already?

>99 katiekrug: Oh...The Horror...the horror.

But whatever makes you happy.

>110 ffortsa: - Hi Judy! Whatever you do, DO NOT measure your counter space. If there's nothing to be done about it, it's not worth the mental angst :)

Looks like you all had a great time up in W'town. I will be looking for that production of A Raisin in the Sun to come to New York!

>111 brenzi: - I just booked my Friday ticket for the US Open, Bonnie. And got a good deal on a hotel, so yay! We have a AAUW book sale close to here - I've only been once because it was quite The Scene. And I don't need more books (I know, I'll probably be kicked off LT now...)

>112 BLBera: - It's going okay, Beth. Baby steps....

>113 RebaRelishesReading: - Reba, it makes it more real having anything over at the new place. We actually have moved a few bits of (small) furniture, too.

>114 weird_O: - Bill, I spent several years buying books that seemed only mildly interesting or that I thought I *should* read or that everyone was reading - what a waste that turned out to be, so I am happy to release them back into the world where they can find someone who will actually read them. I'm over acquiring for acquiring sake which is basically what I was doing.

Bleachers by John Grisham

This short novel explores the influence of small town high school football in the south, and its power to both bring people together and to harm a community. People who hate sports will find a lot to like in this book, but there is something to be said for the power of shared experience to build community. I guess the question is, At what cost?

A diverting enough audio, and a story that resonates with questions still being wrestled over today.

3.5 stars

Is "meatless Monday" a thing at your house, Katie? For health reasons,. I assume.

Good on ya!

I'm not a super tennis fan but it was fun sitting in a coffee shop with Marianne and Caroline and other watching that final match on their iPad's and MacBooks.

Caroline for some reason had a feed that was five second later than the one that Marianne had up so we got our own instant replay of that very very long match.

Fun to watch

When I remember, I try to do meatless Monday, Jim. Yes, it's more healthy, but it's also a small thing one can do for the environment.

I ended up having a chicken sausage with the salad last night because it needed to be used, so that was a fail.

>118 katiekrug: Maybe today can be meatless mtuesday

>119 norabelle414: Meatless Moosday?

>120 richardderus: That's when you eat lentils while making direct eye contact with a cow

>119 norabelle414:, >120 richardderus:, and >121 norabelle414: - It probably will be, as I have leftover salad and some black bean burgers in the freezer....

Moovelous! Sounds just moonderful.

I've created a moonster.

Mooby so.

Moost likely.

Kudos on the book purge, Katie. That's one good thing about moving.

From Founding Brothers, discussing the Burr-Hamilton conflict:

"Honor mattered because character mattered. And character mattered because the fate of the American experiment with republican government still required virtuous leaders to survive. Eventually, the United States might develop into a nation of laws and established institutions capable of surviving corrupt or incompetent public officials. But it was not there yet."

Timely, no?

>127 Familyhistorian: - Thanks, Meg! It continues to go well.

>128 katiekrug: All too timely. *sigh*

>128 katiekrug: - Someone needs to send this to trump. But then, he doesn't read, does he?

>128 katiekrug: timely? definitely! (and scary too given the lack of character and virtue currently in power)

>130 richardderus: / >131 jessibud2: / >132 RebaRelishesReading: - I figured that would resonate with most people around here :)

>32 katiekrug: I am working my way through the Elly Griffiths series as well. I am on book 8 now and was a little peeved to find book 7 & 8 were not available on audio in Canada. Thankfully my library had print copies

>134 ChelleBearss: - Hi Chelle! It's a good series, isn't it? I listened to the first one, but then just got the print or Kindle versions because they were more easily accessible from the library. Apparently, it was only supposed to be a 10-book series, but #11 was just published, so...... ?

>66 katiekrug: Way back there, Katie, you gave a link to the casting of The Bridgertons, and I thank you for that. I am looking forward to curling up in my comfy chair and letting this romance carry me away!

Not a big fan of watermelon, so I'm surprised to find myself salivating over the idea of watermelon and feta salad. Is there anything else in it? I mean, I suppose one could put those things on top of any green stuff, and add whatever else sounds good, but did YOU put anything else in it?

Hi Katie!

>98 katiekrug: I’m sad about the men’s final at Wimbledon, too, but we watched the whole thing. I’ve taken the Wimbledon app off my cell phone and already have the US Open app installed and opened. Yay for more than one day of the US Open – I envy you your tradition.

>99 katiekrug: Way cool. Congrats on the purge.

And Bill and I each had a nice bowl of watermelon after dinner tonight. Feta-free but sweet and cold.

>136 DeltaQueen50: - Judy, I'm so excited for the series! I am planning to start a re-read of the books this month :)

>137 laytonwoman3rd: - Linda, when I posted about it, it was just the melon and feta. But I've had it with sliced cucumber before, and with red onion. That was over greens. Good, but I like the simplicity and ease of just throwing the melon in a bowl and sprinkling cheese over it. #lazy

>138 karenmarie: - Karen, we watched the whole thing, too, and so enjoyed it, except for the outcome... We're supposed to be close to 100F this weekend, so I need to hit the store and buy some stuff like melon that I can just eat directly from the fridge. No way am I turning a stove or oven on!

We are having crazy rain here, and then the temperature is supposed to climb and be around 100F this weekend. Gross! This was, of course, normal for summer when we lived in Texas, and thank goodness we have a/c up here (lots of homes don't) - but it's going to be hard to motivate myself to get much done this weekend. We want to move more stuff over to the new house, and I need to go shopping for a few odds and ends for St. Lucia :)

In book news, I'm having trouble focusing on Founding Brothers. I think it's because I'm reading it because I feel like I should know more about the era and the people, and as soon as "should" enters the picture, my brain starts to rebel. So I may just let it go. It's sort of interesting while I'm reading it, but I have to force myself to pick it up....

I know this science tidbit will make you happy, then unhappy: While you're still alive (approx. 2040), Boston's climate will resemble 1999's Brownsville climate.

Well, aren't you just a bringer of sunshine? *grin*

I hope I'm alive in 2040! I sort of expect to die young like my mother - if true, I only have about 12 years left...

>143 katiekrug: I'm expecting to Go in about 15 years, and it'll still be too friggin' hot by then! *sigh*

>143 katiekrug: it's odd how that changes your expectations. Parental median age at death, 60. Years to go, 13 I really ought to do something with them, if that is the case.
I like the heat, I think I should have been born a few degrees south. Although I'm far too pale and interesting to actually survive any more degrees south...

>144 richardderus: - It's already too hot now!

>145 Helenliz: - My husband gets mad when I say this but I"m just trying to set reasonable expectations :)

I am also very pale, which is why I avoid the sun as much as possible. It doesn't matter how much sun block I put on, eventually I will burn. So 5 days in the Caribbean should be interesting...

Not sure if I'm also interesting, or what that has to do with heat tolerance...? :)

I wonder where civilization will be in 15 years. I bet it'll be even hotter and stormier. Chaos. Dogs and cat living together.

>147 weird_O: I'm not optimistic...politics, climate, immigrants and old people warehoused and caged, plastic everywhere. But the dog and cat thing is OK with me.

This thread really just took a turn to the dark side, didn't it?

To counteract the bleakness:

>128 katiekrug: Timely, yes! Before current times, I hadn't fully appreciated how necessary decent human beings in government are to a properly functioning democracy. I took it for granted, I guess. Having venal, heartless, racist people in power who are looking out only for themselves and not the best interests of the country can take a democracy right into the gutter, it turns out. As Amy McGrath says, running against McConnell, he has helped turn our government into one we despise. Can we turn it around and install a democracy that represents the best interests of all Americans? We'll see.

I liked Founding Brothers a lot. He has a knack for concise historical storytelling - sometimes other authors' sprawling historical biographies, showing every inch of research, good as they are, make me yearn for his type of to-the-point writing.

ETA: Aww. Good one.

>149 katiekrug:

(Actually, your puppypost reminded me that all our sweet comensals are doomed along with us.)

Did not intend to cast a pall over your thread, Katie. Puppies are helpful. Dunno about that unicorn, though.

>150 jnwelch: - Hi Joe! I think I'll just read one section in FB at a time and read other stuff in between. Maybe. Not sure. How's that for decisive?

>151 richardderus: - Love the gif! Hate the doomed puppy realization :(

>152 laytonwoman3rd: - Oh, no, Linda - several of us started going dark, starting with me and my early death :)

>149 katiekrug: :)

>128 katiekrug: Yes, timely.

It is hot here as well. The dew point is in the 70s today, so it is miserable. I am planning to do as little as possible.

Will it be hot in St. Lucia?

Hi Beth! It'll be in the mid-80s, I think, with high humidity. It only cools down about 5 degrees or so at night, if my weather app can be believed. I'm hoping for some ocean breezes :)

Turning 70 has increased my awareness of my mortality greatly. But it is possible I'll be around in 2040. Maybe I should buy land in the north now, to survive the heat. Our gluttonous use of air conditioning won't be supportable.

>156 ffortsa: - Judy, I just saw that some town in Canada, the most northern permanent settlement, hit 70F for the first time since records have been kept. I'm not sure heading north will help much... Though I guess 70 is better than 100!

In book news, I am really loving Tin Man by Sarah Winman. It is also beautiful as an object in itself.



There are little glints of gold foil on the dust jacket - so pretty!

>157 katiekrug: I'm afraid you might be right. Maybe higher would be better than more northern. All that permafrost will be a really horrid problem.

Hi Katie! Excellent about the book moving, and the book resettling (OK, purging). I'm getting a bag together for a charity sale and it's exciting seeing some room in the hall cupboard. Mind you, it's always exciting discovering room here. Not like those countries where people discover accidental attics.

>158 katiekrug: Ooo, pretty package! I love those few title deemed worthy of that much attention from the publishers getting their due.

Founding Brothers was not a keeper for me. Lately Ellis' books seem more and more to be written by his grad students - and that's not a compliment

Might have a look at Gore Vidal's Burr though some of the history is specious.

Nancy Isenberg's Fallen Founder is readable. Her take on The Duel is the best I've ever seen

>158 katiekrug: That is a nice cover, Katie. I loved When God Was a Rabbit and will certainly read more by Winman.

>158 katiekrug: Hi Katie - I loved Tin Man too - glad you're enjoying it. I'm in a reading slump and am going to blame it on the heat. Hope St. Lucia is breezy and wonderful! We were there when the boys were little and I mostly remember the clear ocean and gorgeous sandy beaches.

>159 ffortsa: - We're all doomed....

>160 susanj67: - Did I tell you about the little doors on the top level of the house that open into storrage space under the eaves? Not quite as good as an extra attic, but storage is storage :)

>161 richardderus: - It's so pretty, Richard. I always take the dust jacket off when I'm reading hardcovers so I don't ruin them. I stood this one up on top of my bureau so I can see it every day.

>162 magicians_nephew: - I gave up on the Ellis, Jim. And don't find myself regretting it at all.

>163 BLBera: - She has a third novel I hadn't heard of, Beth, so I'll be seeking that out. I should finish Tin Man today.

>164 vivians: - Hi Vivian! I hardly read anything this weekend between the heat and trying to do some productive stuff. I have about 40 pages left in Tin Man and should finish it today. I just read a chunk this morning while waiting for our power to come back on. It was fine all through the weekend with the a/c and everything, and then just conked out this morning as I was settling down to work. It's like the universe wanted me to read instead :)

We had a good but busy - and HOT - weekend. Tomorrow I am headed to Baltimore for a conference for a couple of days. I get back Thursday night, and then Friday will be taken up with last minute stuff for St. Lucia. I will be glad when this busy part of the summer is over...

>166 katiekrug: Traveling south in this brutal heat wave? Sad for you. Still, St. Lucia beckons. Happy hope-you-find-reading-time week.

It should only be in the mid-80s, but I expect the humidity will make it a bit uncomfortable. And yes, having the beach on the horizon makes almost anything tolerable!

You're saying this to someone who's building's roof was used to take this photo:

What a view! And I can so picture you on one of those benches on the boardwalk...

That's where I was this morning. The sea breeze was wonderful, the humidity hadn't hit the 80% mark, and this evening's possible thunderboomers were a mere wisp on the horizon. I like watching the *immense* container ships jockeying ever so slowly for position in the ship channel just offshore.

Tin Man by Sarah Winman

Lovely, just lovely. And so sad, but also joy-filled. It's about friendship and love and grief and connection and has some of the most beautiful writing I've come across in a while. Definitely a keeper.

4.5 stars

>171 richardderus: - Just as I was reading your message, I heard (and felt) some thunderboomers. Bring it on, I say. Temps in the 70s tomorrow!

>172 katiekrug: I'm #88 on the hold list for one of eleven copies...I hope I remember why I asked for it by then!

>165 katiekrug: Good to see that you survived the heat wave! Your thread was so quiet Friday, I thought maybe you had pre-preemptively melted away.

>172 katiekrug: Well that settles it. Everybody seems to love this one so I'm going to have to read it. So. Many. Books

>169 richardderus: I had no idea you lived right on the beach Richard. Wow.

Today was much cooler than the last few days although we never got the oppressive heat other parts of the country got. Lake Erie cools us pretty well. Of course it does the same in the winter unfortunately heh.

>172 katiekrug: Well, I have to read this one now. Have a great week, Katie. Hope the conference is wonderful, and St. Lucia is not super hot and no hurricanes.

>174 richardderus: - It'll be worth the wait! But I am going to send you a PM because I don't want you to be caught unaware by some of the themes.

>175 ELiz_M: - I've been so slack in reading, I feel like I'm not allowed to comment too much over here until I get my act together ;-) How did you do in the heat? Does the new place have a/c?

>176 brenzi: - It's fabulous, Bonnie.

>177 BLBera: - I think you'll love it, Beth.

I told The Wayne the other day I'd be ok with a nice little Category 1 or something, just for the adventure of it ;-)

>176 brenzi: Back in the day, the seaside air was thought to be good for us crazy people. Many old hotels, as the area went out of fashion at the turn of the 19th century, turned into...umm...asylums, to be blunt. Now there are two homeless shelters on the west end of the beach, my assisted-living building in the middle, and a fancy-schmancy assisted living place on the east end of the beach.

>178 katiekrug: Yes, and thanks for that...I'm letting my hold ride and will take my emotional temperature when I get the notice it's in.

>179 richardderus: - That makes sense. Plenty of good books to discover regardless...

Off to Charm City this morning - it was so nice to pack for just a couple of days :)

Have fun in Ballmer!

Charm City was a clue in a recent NY Times crossword - didn't know it was Baltimore

Oh, Tin Man sounds good, Katie. Thanks for the heads-up.

Hi RIchard, Jim, and Joe!

Baltimore was fine - got back last night around 10pm. Today I'm doing laundry and packing and getting a pedicure.

I'll leave for the airport tomorrow at 4am. Yay?

Yay! You fiend.

No. Seriously. I'm not at ALL jealous of your trips to Paris and London (and their bookshops) and the Caribbean (and its nearly-naked mancandy). Pshaw. Perish forbid.

*whammys up a tropical depression*

Have a great time!

Bon vacation, Katie. Have a most excellent time.

>186 richardderus: - :-P

>187 weird_O: - Thanks, Bill.

The Big Burn by Timothy Egan

This was a fascinating story about a subject I knew nothing about. Over two days in August in the summer of 1910, a giant wildfire consumed over 3 million acres of forest in the western United States, mostly in Idaho. Egan's descriptions of the fire and the experience of being caught in it were incredibly well done, and I had to stop listening for a while, as fire is one of my greatest fears. We also learn about Teddy Roosevelt's efforts to preserve national forests, and his relationship with a like-minded man I'd never heard of named Gifford Pinchot, who was the first chief of the Forest Service. Egan also provides stories of the ordinary men and women affected by the fire, especially those who tried to fight it. Overall, a very good story, and made more affecting by the fact that it actually happened.

4 stars

Gifford Pinchot and the Making of Modern Environmentalism is a good read...but borrow it from the library, it's like $40!

>189 katiekrug: Clearly you did not grow up in Pennsylvania...where Gifford Pinchot is sort of a local hero. Former Governor, lots of state forest land named for him...and he was one handsome fella, besides.

>189 katiekrug: Hooray for The Big Burn. Good review. Egan Rules!

Hope the weather is better for you in St Lucia, Katie. Does your new house have AC too?

>190 richardderus: - Good to know!

>191 laytonwoman3rd: - It was mentioned toward the end that he became Governor of PA. But yeah, I had never heard of him, despite growing up in a neighboring state 🙂

>192 msf59: - I've got a few more of his in my collection, Mark.

>193 Familyhistorian: - The temps have been fine this week, Meg. And yup, new house has central air (thank goodness!).

Well, I'm on the plane, waiting to leave for Charlotte. I'll meet up with my friends there, as they are coming in from Dallas. Flight to St. Lucia leaves at 9:40am - yippee! See y'all when I get back!

>191 laytonwoman3rd: I've spent more years in the Mid-Atlantic region (DE/PA) than Ohio, where I grew up, but had not heard of Gifford Pinchot. Seeing as served as governor in the 1920s and 1930s, I'm guessing it's because I didn't go to school here, and therefore didn't have a course on Pennsylvania history.

>195 katiekrug: have a GREAT trip Katie!!

Have a great trip!

...as she wings her way to a tropical getaway with her galpals, Katie was blissfully unaware of the approaching earthquakes and hurricanes An Evil Wizard had scheduled for her comfort and convenience...

Have a great trip, Katie.

Have a lovely time, Katie, regardless of the tricks the evil wizard is trying to pull with the weather and geology.

Safe travels, Katie.

Safe travels, and have a great time with your pals, Katie!

Whew - rough travels coming back! My sympathies and hope it didn't erase the memories of a terrific vacation. The FB photos looked like a gorgeous place, and pretty empty too.

>196 lauralkeet:, >197 bell7:, >199 DeltaQueen50:, >200 Helenliz:, >201 BLBera:, >202 jnwelch: - Thanks for the good wishes!!!

>198 richardderus: - The Evil Wizard only struck on the way home, so nyah nyah!

>203 vivians: - I blame Richard's wizard....

Hi all - I'm back from a great vacation! It was a good balance of relaxing, hanging out with friends, and seeing and doing new things. we only had one day of questionable weather (really heavy rains in the morning and then a bit less in the afternoon) but we still had fun dodging the downpours. I got a massage and facial for the first time, and now massages must be budgeted for on a regular basis :) We spent one day on a land and sea tour with a sail up the west coast, snorkeling, lunch, visiting and walking through a beautiful mountain waterfall, and indulging in a hot sulphur mud bath. Stinky, but fun! We ate a lot and drank a lot and laughed a lot over 5 days, so all in all, an excellent time.

My trip home was a bit of a disaster with delays, a cancelled flight, airport chaos, and more delays. I was supposed to fly from Charlotte to Newark on Thursday night, arriving a little after midnight Friday. But the flight kept getting delayed and then they had to cancel it (bad storms in Charlotte earlier in the evening had screwed everything up), so I was scrambling to find a hotel, re-book the flight, and figure out where my checked bag was. I ended up getting about 2.5 hours of sleep in the hotel room I booked, and then (eventually - more delays!) flying to Baltimore yesterday afternoon and getting a train from there. My bag had been delivered to Newark on a flight that morning, despite the fact they told me it would follow my re-booking. Sigh. So I stopped at the airport to get it and then took an Uber home. It was a big hassle and a waste of time and a lot of money, but the vacation was worth it, so no biggie.

Here is a group shot from our last full day.

Welcome back Katie!

Glad you had a great time while you were there. And at least you are now home and can relax.

Sounds like a great trip, Katie. I hope that the wonderful memories last a long time and the hassles of getting back fade quickly.

Hi Katie! Your trip sounds excellent save for the homeward bit - at least your photos will be of the fun bits.

Well, it's tough to handle all that confusion and aggravation when you're trying to get home, but at least it didn't happen on the front end and interfere with your fun. Glad to have you back, though!

>206 lauralkeet: - Thanks, Laura!

>207 Helenliz: - Indeed, Helen :)

>208 Familyhistorian: - The hassles are already fading, Meg...

>209 susanj67: - So true, Susan. I made The Wayne sit through a viewing of all the photos last night :)

>210 laytonwoman3rd: - Very good point, Linda!

Norwegian by Night by Derek B. Miller

I really enjoyed this novel about an elderly man recently moved to Oslo who gets caught up in a crime and goes on the lam with a young boy. Miller deals with issues of alienation, immigration, assimilation, and grief in a story informed by war and sectarian conflict. What I loved most, though, were the occasional humorous bits that brought me up short and alleviated some of the darkness. A good read, that I know a lot of people here have already discovered.

4 stars

Good Luck with That by Kristan Higgins

Kristan Higgins is a reliable author for me. She started out writing smart and funny contemporary romances, and seems to have now transitioned permanently to general fiction (I refuse to call this "women's" fiction) dealing with families and relationships. Unfortunately, this one was a bit of a disappointment for me as I felt the secondary characters (which Higgins usually writes really well) were all a bit one-dimensional and cliched. That said, the themes of the book about self-image, body positivity, and the power of friendship are important ones, and Higgins still injects some of her signature humor. I think I was hoping for just a bit more.

3.5 stars

A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie

This was a bit on the boring side, but I didn't manage to guess whodunit, so still worth reading.

3 stars

You survived. Yay.

I mean, I mean, HOORAY KATIE IS SAFE AND HOME!!! Of course I meant that, heh.

>214 katiekrug: It's a 1960s publication, so it was while Dame Agatha was on her long, sad slide down. It wasn't the best story...why get Rafiel involved at all at this late date?...oh well, second-guessing of dead people's thought processes gets one nowhere.

>135 katiekrug: An book #12 has a name and release date in 2020... so perhaps she will stop after that.
I read her stand alone novel and it was good. Had some of the same feels as the Ruth Galloway books. I'm having trouble getting into her other series, The Zig Zag Girl (Stephens and Mephisto series)

Sorry to see your return home was dramatic but glad that you had a great vacation!

It sounds like your vacation was great, Katie. Too bad the trip home undid some of the post-vacation glow.

Norwegian by Night sounds good. Onto the list it goes.

>212 katiekrug: I really enjoyed Norwegian by Night as well as another of Derek B. Miller's, American by Day. I need to look if he has any others.

Glad you made it back Katie. Your group shot looks good!

It's great to hang with female friends sometimes, isn't it? Glad you had a great vacation but sorry about the trip home :(

Your vacation posts assure me you had a great time with friends. A great escape!

Glad to hear you had a fantastic trip! Sorry about the challenges coming home (though for the bags part of it, at least that was when you were home and not when you'd arrived this time!).

Sounds like you got a couple of good reads in, too.

>215 richardderus: - :)

It was kind of an odd book, but I still didn't guess the resolution so even in decline, Dame Agatha is still more clever than me!

>216 ChelleBearss: - I have The Stranger Diaries on my Kindle, along with the first in the other series. I've definitely heard mixed things about the series...

>217 BLBera: - Beth, I think you'd like NbN. Once I was home, even the annoyances of getting there faded in comparison to the great trip!

>218 vivians: - Vivian, I'm not sure I'll read American by Day. I didn't find the policewoman that interesting in NbN.

>219 charl08: - Thanks, Charlotte!

>220 RebaRelishesReading: - It was nice to see this particular group of female friends, Reba, as they are in Dallas so we don't see each other nearly as much as we used to. And there was very little drama, which was also a plus!

>221 ffortsa: - It was a wonderful break, Judy!

>222 bell7: - It could have been so much worse, Mary, so while frustrating, I did try to be somewhat positive. I was just so freaking tired by the end of it!

Blerg. Back to work this morning, and our VPN won't let me login. Because of course.

In book news, I'm reading A Princess in Theory and just started the audio of The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, which I think I'm going to enjoy very much.

>225 katiekrug: "our VPN won't let me login" My paranoia would kick in. "THEY'VE LOCKED ME OUT!" (That's probably because I was the person who changed people's passwords or shut down their e-mail accounts when they left the firm).

>225 katiekrug: Speedy resolution to your VPN issues, a smooth re-entry into reality, and some sock-blowing-offing reads for your week ahead!

So glad to hear your trip was a blast. Hopefully the work week only gets better from here.

Agatha Christie fools me even on some re-reads, Katie. How is that possible?

>225 katiekrug: I used to hate working from home precisely because of the VPN glitches that seemed to occur a lot, Katie.

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill is certainly a promising title. :)

>226 laytonwoman3rd: - LOL, Linda, that didn't even cross my mind. I think I'm more likely to part ways with them than vice versa. Also, my login worked to start my laptop...

>227 richardderus: - Many thanks for those many good wishes!

>228 MickyFine: - Hope so, Micky! Yesterday wasn't bad, but I had trouble concentrating.

>229 jnwelch: - Because we are dum-dums, Joe? ;-)

>230 BLBera: - The IT bit of working remotely is not my favorite, but it's still worth it. And I'm *really* enjoying Nina Hill. It's smart and funny.

I had a dentist appointment this morning - no issues, no cavities. Apparently, I have some "irritation and inflammation" around my back teeth, but the hygeniest had just finished poking and prodding and scraping, and I don't see how it *couldn't* be irritated. Anyway, I haven't noticed any issues while brushing and flossing, so *shrug.* I'm good for another 6 months :)

I was sorry to see Toni Morrison passed away yesterday. I read Beloved in high school and was blown away by it. I've never re-read it, mostly because I didn't want to lessen the initial impact. Since joining LT, I've also read The Bluest Eye and Sula, both of which I loved. I have eight more of her novels on my shelf still waiting to be read.

I've had Sula sitting around for a long time...I'm going to pick it up very soon. I don't think I have anything else of hers that I haven't read already. She is one of those people I thought would live forever...should live forever...

Your trip to St. Lucia sounds like it was a lot of fun, Katie. There's nothing like hanging out with one's girlsfriends to rejuvenate yourself! I know St. Lucia is a special place as I spent some time there with my Mom way back in the 1990's and remember it well. I guess I am also part of the dum-dum club as I have been fooled more than once on the same book by Ms. Christie as well!

>234 laytonwoman3rd: - Sula is amazing, Linda. And I know what you mean about her living forever....

>235 DeltaQueen50: - I think there are probably a lot of us dum-dums around, Judy ;-)

>234 laytonwoman3rd: ...when I think Toni Morrison, a living being of worth and value to society, died while Moscow Mitch and 45 are still alive, it makes me absolutely certain there is a god, she hates us, and this is her Hell.

>237 richardderus: Well maybe Ms. Morrison is going to give Her a run for her money, now that she's up there....I think I heard a rumble of thunder a while ago...

>238 laytonwoman3rd: Heh! There's a glorious thought. "O Divine Tonimo, forgive us our hatred and ignorance and lead us to the Fountain of Fact that we may batten on its waters."

Hi, Katie. I am also bummed about Toni Morrison's passing. I have read 7 of her books and they all deserve rereads. We lost one of the best.

Congrats on the successful dentist visit. Phew! Way sorry to hear about Toni Morrison leaving us. I will have to hunt around to see what I have of hers left to read on the shelves.

I've only read Beloved, but great to see so much enthusiasm for her work and it's making me want to pick up more of her work.

>237 richardderus: - Amen.

>238 laytonwoman3rd: and >239 richardderus: - It's a lovely thought....

>240 msf59: - Awesome that you've read 7 of them, Mark! I have some catching up to do... All of the ones I own are now packed up :(

>241 Berly: - Hi Kim! At least she left us with a large body of work.

>242 charl08: - Charlotte, if you can find it, give Sula a try. I think you'd like that one (I'm sure you'd like others, too, I just haven't read many myself!).

I am really struggling to get back into the swing of work. I know I'll get there, but I hate this sort of feeling, especially when there is A LOT to be done.

I went for a walk this morning, which I've been terrible about lately. It was really nice, and I hope to get back into the routine of doing that. I've also started setting my alarm for 30 minutes earlier than usual, just to give myself some extra Katie time in the morning. And I'm adjusting my work schedule to be 10:00-6:00, so that I can get the walk and a shower in before having to sit down at my desk. Anyway, sorry to blather on...

I'm almost done with A Princess in Theory - not sure what I'll start after that. I have a few e-books out from the library, but I'm not wildly excited about any of them. I'll have to see what grabs me when I'm ready to pick up a new one.

The audio of The Bookish Life of Nina Hill continues to be a delight.

>243 katiekrug: Added it to the Amazon basket, Katie! Thank you.

When i was working i generally got up at 6:00 AM.

Now that I am retired i can't (yet) break the habit so i get up at 6:00 and have an hour of "jim time" while Judy is still sleeping

>246 magicians_nephew: That's how it works chez moi, too. I've always been an early riser and that didn't change with retirement. I love having a little quiet reading time before Chris is up and about.

Have a great day, Katie!

You're in that slump of unhappytime, I'm sorry to see. Peak fun followed by mundanity often produces it. May the next read jolt you out of the yawns!

>245 charl08: - You're welcome!

>246 magicians_nephew: - I wish I didn't like sleep so much, Jim, as I do love early morning hours...

>247 lauralkeet: - Hi Laura!

>248 richardderus: - Yesterday ended up being a decent day as far as work goes. I got some boring tasks finished. I've taken this morning off, as I needed to deal with something at the house, and then I'm supposed to meet an old high school friend for lunch (but she hasn't texted a time or place yet so who knows?). Beautiful day today!

A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole

Ledi is a grad student in New York, an orphan who doesn't remember her parents, and who keeps herself mostly to herself to avoid disappointment and pain. Jamal is the heir to a small African kingdom who, it turns out, was betrothed to Ledi when they were toddlers. They meet, sparks fly, complications ensue, but of course it all ends with a HEA. It was nice to read a romance not involving stock (white) characters, but much of this one was pretty silly. Still, I liked both main characters, and it was a solid read for the genre.

3 stars

>249 katiekrug: It's perfection today, isn't it? I almost didn't come inside after my vitamin-D bath earlier.

>250 katiekrug: A very genre read...hm...will keep on radar for That Mood.

>251 richardderus: - Don't make too much effort to keep it on the radar. I think there are more enjoyable ones out there...

Another beautiful day! And this weekend looks like a winner, too.

Yesterday was a loss as far as work went. Oh well. Had a nice lunch with my high school friend. We loathed each other our freshman year and got in trouble after a shouting match one night in the dorm - sent to the dean of students who wrote letters to our parents. Heh. That's about the worst trouble I ever got into. But we both eventually grew up a bit and here we are.

Tonight, the Wayne and I are going to a thing in our new town called 'Dining Under the Stars' where they close down a street in the main restaurant area, and set up tables and chairs and you can sit outside and order from any of the restaurants. They have live music, and since most of the restaurants are BYOB, the liquor store around the corner will deliver to your table. The weather is great - hopefully it'll stay that way.

This weekend, we'll be doing a lot of moving of little stuff to the new house, and I'll be painting a bookcase while The Wayne runs network cable so we can get the internet up and running over there. That'll make it easier for me to work while waiting on workmen - we are ripping up some of the ugly old carpet and putting in new flooring, we need the HVAC serviced, etc. Good times.

And I guess I should start a new thread...

New thread!

http://www.librarything.com/topic/310003