Mark's Reading Place: Chapter Fifteen

-Camping at Turkey Run State Park, Indiana. Our first pop-up camper and my trusty Explorer.



-Hiking at Turkey Run. Climbing up and down many sets of stairs, as we navigate the ravines. This is with my friend, Joe, (not an LTer, but a great guy anyway).

Audiobook:



Graphic/Comic:



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
92) If You Want to Make God Laugh by Bianca Marais 4.7 stars
93) Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson 3.8 stars (audio)
94) Big Sky (Jackson Brodie) by Kate Atkinson 3.8 stars (audio)
95) Mohawk by Richard Russo 4.2 stars
96) Instructions for a Funeral: Stories by David Means 4.7 stars
97) Moonbound: Apollo 11 by Jonathan Fetter-Vorm 4.2 stars GN
98) Moloka'i: A Novel by Alan Brennert 4 stars (audio)

Aug:

99) Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton 4.5 stars ALA
100) God Save Texas by Lawrence Wright 4.6 stars (audio)
101) Lanny by Max Porter 4.4 stars
102) Recursion by Blake Crouch 3.7 stars (audio)
103) Monument: Poems New and Selected by Natasha Trethewey 4.5 stars (P)
104) The Women of the Copper Country by Mary Doria Russell 4.3 stars ALA
105) Norco '80:True Story of the Most Spectacular Bank Robbery by Peter Houlahan 3.8 stars (audio)
106) The New Order: Stories by Karen E. Bender 4.6 stars ALA
107) Let's Go (So We Can Get Back): A Memoir by Jeff Tweedy 4.5 stars (audio)

^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
26) Hairy Woodpecker

(F)- First time seen at the feeders.

^This was my morning view, while drinking my first cup of coffee, at Turkey Run. My cell phone does not take great photos, so you can not see the smoke wafting through the sunlight, from early campfires. It was gorgeous. I also enjoyed the birdsong here but did not see much, in the campground. We did not start any morning fires, since it was fairly mild but we did have fires in the evenings. We had a more isolated campsite, (see the topper) but the rest of the gang were grouped together. There were 16-18 of us, counting the kids. My wonderful children did not attend. Sad face.

We went on, five mile hikes, both Friday and Saturday, over tough but beautiful terrain. We rewarded ourselves, with refreshments and tomfoolery, for the evenings.

-Eastern Screech Owl, (NMP)

Okay, I have to regretfully admit, that I did not see a whole lot of birds this camping weekend. While hiking through the deep woods, birds are scarce. I have experienced the same thing here. I hear more than I see. Last night we went on a night "Owl Prowl", hosted by a ranger at the Nature Center. A very large group of people showed up, including many children, so I did not expect to see or hear anything. Fortunately, I was wrong. The ranger played a ESO call, (from her cell phone app) got a response, and miraculously, one landed and everyone got a good look at the Eastern Screech Owl, (very similar to the above photo). These are small, compact owls and very hard to see in the wild.

The other birding highlight, was hearing a Barred Owl, while hiking through a deep ravine, yesterday. A friend heard it first, then promptly pointed it out to me and I then heard a pair calling back and forth. Yeah, baby. An excellent owl day. I think the ranger was more excited than the lucky participants.

Am I too early to say hi Mark? I thought I'd do my LT rounds while watching Jumanji with the kids and Aaron. I hope all is well with you! :)

Just saving my seat...

Happy new thread, Mark!

Very cool about the owls, and glad to hear you had such a great weekend.

Happy New Thread!

Happy new thread, Mark. Looks like your camping trip is hitting all the right notes for you, hiking and birding in the great outdoors!

Howdy Mark! Pitching my tent on your new thread! Great pics of your camping weekend!!

Happy new thread and hooray for your Owls!

Sounds like a wonderful weekend away Mark. Happy new thread to you!

Happy new thread. Sounds like a good vacation. Do you get a chance to rest up from it?

>6 The_Hibernator: Never too early for you, Rachel. All is good here. Good to see you.

>7 laytonwoman3rd: You have a prime seat, Linda. Grins...

>8 bell7: Thanks, Mary and hooray for the owls.

>9 mahsdad: Thanks, Jeff.

>10 Familyhistorian: Thanks. Meg. Camping did hit all the right notes, this time around.

>11 Carmenere: Morning, Lynda. You pitched your tent in a perfect place. Great view too.

>12 banjo123: >13 mdoris: Thanks, Rhonda & Mary.

>14 quondame: Thanks, Susan. It was just a long weekend and this will be my long work week, so no extra rest. Next day off, Sunday.

"God Save Texas is a journey through the most controversial state in America. It is a red state in the heart of Trumpland that hasn't elected a Democrat to a statewide office in more than twenty years. The book explores the history, culture, and politics of Texas, while holding the stereotypes up for rigorous scrutiny."

I have wanted to read this one for awhile and gladly found it on audio. I have not read Lawrence Wright. I have wanted to read his Scientology book too. I will start this one today. Any Wright fans out there?

I read NOTHING over the weekend, so I am also looking forward to getting back into Hollow Kingdom.

^I go away for a long weekend and 29 people are killed in mass shootings. One day, one of these shootings will include someone we know and that breaks my heart. What a sad, pathetic nation we have become...

Good morning Mark, and happy Monday to you, along with a happy new thread.

Glad to hear that you had such a wonderful weekend, even if it didn't include many birds. Congrats on the ESO sighting and hearing the Barred Owls.

edited to add: Yes indeed, a sad and pathetic nation.

>19 karenmarie: Good morning, Karen and thank you, my friend. Hooray for the owls!

>5 msf59: ESOs are the cutest owls on the planet and you are so lucky to have spotted one! Although they were occasional "patients" at the bird rescue I volunteered at years ago, I haven't seen any in the wild.

Happy new thread, Mark.

>18 msf59: Yup.

Happy New Thread, buddy. Sorry about the lousy news on your return. We need to get the scoundrels out and make that policy and change happen.

Great to hear you had such a good time camping with friends. I'll be intrigued to hear more about Hollow Kingdom. I'm getting a kick out of Anatomy of a Murder. Some of its gender-related views are a bit dated, but feisty women who banter are welcome, so that helps. It's filled with the folksy charm of the movie, along with some cleverness and wit.

>21 lauralkeet: Thanks, for chiming in on the ESOs, Laura. Glad to hear you were able to spend some time around them. If you remember, I clearly saw a family of them last year, in a tree on a residential street. 3 owlets and a parent. I was a Happy Camper.

>22 BLBera: Thanks, Beth.

>23 jnwelch: Morning, Joe and thanks. Always appreciate the book update. I will have to add Anatomy to my WL.

>5 msf59: A happy birder, if not the busiest of birders, was our Mark. God Save Texas from its worst self. That goes for us all, I suppose.

Happy long week of atoning for having the gall to enjoy yourself by working six days straight!

Happy new thread, Mark.

>17 msf59: That looks an interesting read.

>5 msf59: Wow! What a spot. Lovely photo. Happy new thread!

That camper looks fun!!! I hope that you take many a long weekend with it in the future. There are some really neat places close to you where you can enjoy that camper and the quiet. Along with coffee and books.

here is my idea of camping!
https://www.the-vintages.com/

Happy new thread, Mark!

Glad to read your camping trip was good, and an owl sighting and hearing other owls is great!

Happy new thread!

Looks like you had a great camping trip :)

Happy new thread, Mark. Just after you posted on my thread about the hairy woodpecker, I had one visit my feeder!

>26 richardderus: Thanks, Richard. I am somewhat used to these long work weeks, so I just focus on, an upcoming Sunday and Monday off. The days tick by. God Save Texas has been very good. I am learning a lot. Wright is an engaging author.

>27 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. God Save Texas has been very good, so far. Lots of interesting history in that state.

>28 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte. It was a fine spot. I was hearing a large woodpecker hammering away too, but never did see him.

>29 benitastrnad: Hi, Benita. Sue and I discussed the possibility of getting a hard-sided camper, in the near future. Less work and it would be perfect after I retire, later next year. We have a boatload of places, we would love to visit. I like your link too. I love Willamette Valley. My sister lives in that area.

>30 FAMeulstee: >31 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita & Figs. It was a good weekend trip.

>32 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley. Hooray for the hairy woodpecker sighting. I saw one in Indiana too. They had feeders set up at the nature center there. I wish I could have stayed there for hours, with my book. Hummingbirds were everywhere.

Happy new thread!

Hppy new thread, Mark!! Love your camping photos up top. And the owl. Glad you had so much fun. : ) Also glad to see that you loved Nickel Boys so much! I just got a copy from my INDIEspensable book club ( along with a copy of Whitehead's first book, The Intuitionist) -- he is a featured speaker next spring at Literary Arts!! Fist bump.

Shining photos and a beautiful little owl!

Here's an upcoming 'A Guy Can Dream' event in Middleton, Wisconsin -

"Birds, Bikes, and Brews" Tour.

>35 drneutron: Thanks, Jim.

>36 Berly: Thanks, Kim. Good to see you. We had a nice trip. I am glad you have a copy of The Nickel Boys. I am sure you will love it. I want to read his earlier stuff. Fist bump back.

>37 m.belljackson: Hi, Marianne. Glad you like the photos. Ooh, the BBB event sounds fantastic. I wish they had one of those babies around here.

'Morning, Mark, and happy Tuesday to you.

>40 msf59: *smile*

>40 msf59: :)

>41 karenmarie: >42 BLBera: Morning, Karen & Beth. Glad you like the birdy comic.

>40 msf59: *snerk* Never thought about "birding" from quite that angle before....

Happy Tuesday, buddy. Hopefully, by now you're home relaxing.

Not much to report today. We had to take care of insurance and bank stuff and the like. The good news is it's done. We did find a comfortable, breezy outdoor cafe to talk through a lot of it. Eesh.

>44 richardderus: Glad to see you guys getting into my bird humor, Richard. I have never thought of it, from that particular angle before either.

>45 jnwelch: Hi, Joe. I have been just puttering around the house, since getting home. Now, getting ready to throw some dinner together. Sue doesn't get home until 7 or so. Glad you got some important stuff done today, in a casual manner.

"We die. That may be the meaning of life. But we do language. That may be the measure of our lives.”

-T.M.

"We are profoundly sad to report that Toni Morrison has died at the age of eighty-eight. She died last night at Montefiore Medical Center in New York.
The Bluest Eye, Morrison’s first novel, was published by Holt, Rinehart and Winston in 1970. Morrison followed with Sula in 1973, and nine subsequent novels, all of them published with Alfred A. Knopf.
Morrison’s novels were celebrated and embraced by booksellers, critics, educators, readers, and librarians. Her work also ignited controversy, notably in school districts that tried to ban her books. Few American writers won more awards for their books and writing. Morrison was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1988 for Beloved. In 1993, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature."

February 18, 1931 – August 5, 2019
(Posted by the author's publisher)

I have read seven of her novels and have loved every one. I have featured her on the AAC and I hope she makes another appearance. I want to read the novels I have missed and then slowly reread the ones I have. She is easily one of the finest American writers, we have ever had. A national treasure. R.I.P.

I put a little nudge on the AAC thread, Mark, hoping people will pick up an unread Morrison, as I intend to do shortly, and share their comments even though she isn't featured in the challenge this year. It wouldn't hurt to bring her back...she was on your 2014 list, I believe.

>48 laytonwoman3rd: That is a great idea, Linda. I hope that nudge works. I hope to finally get to Paradise in the coming weeks and maybe a reread by the end of the year.

'Morning, Mark, and happy Wednesday to you.

Howdy, Mark! Still on vacay? Hope so and that you're enjoying it immensely!

>47 msf59: Well said, Mark. What a loss. And what a lot she gave us. As we were discussing, I'm going to get to The Bluest Eye sooner than later.

I'm Slowpoke Gonzalez, not Speedy, with my reading right now, but I'm still enjoying Anatomy of a Murder and the Tracy K. Smith collection. Will be reading more of The Miracle of Dunkirk today. I'm reading two interesting GNs, Queen of the Sea, based on the early years of Queen Elizabeth, and The Reprieve by Jean-Pierre Gibrat, a WWII story by the author of Flight of the Raven. I love Gibrat's art and storytelling.

Stay cool as much as you can today, buddy. High 80s is what they're predicting.

>50 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. It is a warm work day, but it is chugging along.

>51 Carmenere: Hi, Lynda. It was just a long weekend, so I am back to work. The next vacation is mid-September.

>52 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. Come on, Slowpoke Gonzales. Get with it! I am only slow with my current poetry collection and have not started a GN, although I have a couple lined up, including the PKD one, you recommended.

Humpday! Halfway to the weekend, aka Sunday, so please be of good cheer.

>55 richardderus: 3 down, 3 to go, RD. It should be smooth sailin' from here.

Hi Mark, we're heading into temps in the seventies for the next week so yay for that. I just plowed through a very long book so I'm happy with one I'm flying through now. Balance.

>57 brenzi: Hi, Bonnie. Good to see you. Hooray for the cool temps. Enjoy. I will have to swing by and see what you are reading.

"This village belongs to the people who live in it and to the people who lived in it hundreds of years ago. It belongs to England’s mysterious past and its confounding present. But it also belongs to Dead Papa Toothwort..."

As most of you all ready know, Lanny recently landed on the Booker Longlist. Since, I loved his last book, Grief is the Thing with Feathers I all ready had plans to read his latest. After finishing the excellent, but completely bonkers, Hollow Kingdom I will start Lanny tomorrow. I want to thank, Nancy for putting a copy of this one, in my hands. Book pals are the best.

I am almost done with God Save Texas, which has also been terrific. I NEED to read more of Wright's work. He is my kind of NF writer.

>58 msf59: you won't see anything Mark. I've been very lax haha. At least about my thread. Very busy reading though

Hi, Mark! Happy new-ish thread.

>59 msf59: My pleasure! Can't wait to hear your thoughts.

I'm in a quiet phase, Mark. Or so it seems. I don't feel particularly chatty. Finished a Gaines for the AAC and probably will read a second ( since it's on the bedside table). Reading Ali Smith now.

Thought I'd drop this owl photo on your thread. It reminds me of both the stance of puppeteers (like Henson), holding the creature high, just at in the camera's frame and the angry and frustrated little girl that RD's posted. I think this little girl is intent on what she's doing. No anger, just focused on her job.

>60 brenzi: On your advice, I did not stop by, Bonnie. LOL.

>61 tymfos: Thanks, Terri. Good to see you.

>62 alphaorder: Look forward to diving in, Nancy.

>63 weird_O: I think trying to contain that in 'sugar in spice' is just wrong.

>63 weird_O: that's a big bird for a little girl, one handed too. Yes, concentration.

>63 weird_O: Hey, Bill. I snap you snap out of the quiet phase quickly. We like a chatty Weirdo! Thanks, for sharing the GHO photo. This could be Ozzy Osbourne's daughter.

>65 quondame: >66 Caroline_McElwee: Big waves to Susan & Caroline!

-Keith Taylor (A friend of Joe's & I)

'Morning, Mark! Happy Thursday to you.

I'm in a comfort-read stage right now, plowing through the Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths. Archaeology, mysteries, complicated family situtions - what's not to like?

Hey Birddude, Of a Feather: A Brief History of American Birding is $1.99 on Kindle today! Go forth and learn the Secret History of your people!

Morning, Mark. Sweet Thursday!

Nice to see a Keith cartoon in >68 msf59: - what drew you to it, I wonder?

So, Hollow Kingdom is "completely bonkers", eh? That sounds like my cuppa all right. :-)

Thanks again for hearing me out last night. Weird day.

I finished Anatomy of a Murder and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm also a good ways into Miracle of Dunkirk, and what a good job he's doing of pulling together all the farflung details and telling the story.

I can't remember - did you read and did you like Flight of the Raven by Jean-Pierre Gibrat? If so, you'd like his The Reprieve, too, featuring the sister of the central character in Flight of the Raven, and also set during WWII. He's become one of my favorite GN authors.

If you are fantasizing/thinking/planning about a hard-walled trailer to replace the pop-up, Mark, you might consider something like this:

>72 weird_O:
That's wonderful! I would take one of those.

I finished up a book that I really liked listening to. I hope you can find a sound recording of both of her novels. They might make the walk at work pleasant.

Proof (Caroline Auden) by C. E. Tobisman is another first rate legal mystery/thriller from this author. Tobisman takes the reader inside the legal system and makes the nuts and bolts of filing evidence, filing cases, etc. - the stuff that usually isn't exciting - exciting for readers. That is a rare gift. In this novel the author takes a simple humble story and from it builds a novel that keeps the reader on the edge of their seats. And all with the simple stuff of routine legal work - until it isn't. A new will by an elderly patient in a nursing home. A custody case for an immigrant child. Protecting the legal rights of homeless alcoholics. Simple everyday legal stuff - until it isn't.

This novel won the Harper Lee Legal Fiction Award in 2018. This award is given by The University of Alabama Law School for the best legal fiction of the year. In my opinion it deserves this award. An author who can make the mundane interesting has a talent for writing.

The author's first novel was just as good, Doubt by C. E. Tobisman so if you like mysteries or thriller - read or listen to both of them.

I listened to this novel, and the narrator of the recorded version does a really good job of bringing this novel to sound. This was a great commute listen.

>69 karenmarie: Happy Thursday, Karen. It sounds like you are enjoying your comfort reads. nothing wrong with that.

>70 richardderus: Thanks, Richard. Thanks for thinking of the Birddude! I can't resist a title like that. B.A.G.

>71 jnwelch: Sweet Thursday, Joe. Yep, I will have to warble enthusiastically about Hollow Kingdom, despite it not being for everyone. This is going to be a title, that book folks will be chatting about. I do not remember Flight of the Raven. I will have to double-check.

>72 weird_O: Wowza, Bill. You know me well. It is a beauty. Not sure there is much sleeping room, but that bar is fantastic.

>74 benitastrnad: Thanks, for the book rec, Benita. Not reading/listening to much crime/thriller books, these days, but every once in awhile, I will add something to the rotation.

"Memory makes reality."

"But how can they make a stand when reality itself is shifting and crumbling all around them?"

^I loved Crouch's previous novel, Dark Matter, so I was pumped about his latest, Recursion, which has been stock-piling plenty of raves. I am only a couple hours into the audio and I am sold all ready. So smart. So smooth. Crouch rocks!

Hi Mark! I had fun reading Recursion! Interesting concept and kind of scary, too. I’ve never read Dark Matter but I will eventually.

I’m still not very far into Hollow Kingdom but I’m enjoying it. I’m also looking at the neighborhood crows a little differently. :)

>78 Copperskye: Hi, Joanne. Always good to see you. Yep, I am enjoying Recursion and you will definitely love Dark Matter, once you get to it. I am also glad Hollow Kingdom is working for you too. It is quite a trip, but a fun, engaging one and hooray for ST!!

Exit Strategy

I hear the sound of the sprinkler outside, not the soft kind we used to

run through
but the hard kind that whips in one direction then cranks back and

starts again.

Last night we planned to find the white argument of the Milky Way
but we are twenty years too late. Last night I cut the last stargazer
lily to wear in my hair.

This morning, the hardest geography quiz I’ve ever taken: how does

one carry
oneself from mountain to lake to desert without leaving anything

behind?

Perhaps I ought to have worked harder.
Perhaps I could have paid more attention.
A mountain I didn’t climb. Music I yearned for but could not achieve.

I travel without maps, free-style my scripture, pretend the sky is an

adequate

representation of my spiritual beliefs.

The sprinkler switches off. The grass will be wet.
I haven’t even gotten to page 2 of my life and I’m probably more than

halfway through,

who knows what kind of creature I will become.

-Kazim Ali (From Poem-A-Day)

Good morning, Mark, and happy Friday to you!

>77 msf59: Added to my wish list. Dark Matter's already there, so looks I need to acquire one or the other or both!

Happy new(ish) thread!
That's so fun that you got to see an owl on your night hike, despite the amount of people and kids on the hike! I bet there were some really excited kids!

>81 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. I am sure you will love both Dark Matter and Recursion. They are so smart and so fun, even if I don't always "get" everything.

>82 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle. It was a very nice camping weekend and the owl prowl was a definite highlight. I was amazed at how quiet the group was, especially the kids.

Hi Mark: 100 books already?!? Woo-hoo. I've been on a roll lately, too. Lots of cozy mysteries though.

Now, I'm reading a soon-to-be-released Scottish bookseller's book, Confessions of a Bookseller. Also reading Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers, which is interesting. First chapter, which is about hockey, grabbed me from the start.

>76 msf59: Not sure there is much sleeping room. Come on, man! Don't ya have a sleeping bag? Can't sleep on the good earth? With that bar, you'll pass out right quick. Or you won,t care. Either/or.

Hah hah hah.

>84 lindapanzo: - I love Gladwell. I thought Outliers was the best of his books and his podcasts (Revisionist History) are terrific.

Looks like the books are treating you well, Mark, although it is hard to believe you didn't do any reading on your camping weekend!

>86 jessibud2: I've read quite a few of his books but somehow missed this one. I wanted to read this one before his new one comes out in mid September, Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know.

Happy Friday, Mark!

I like that poem up there. Thanks for posting it.

I'm liking very much the Miracle of Dunkirk book that I'm pretty sure was the basis for the excellent movie. A lot more in it about the difficulties of getting to the beach while surrounded by the Germans. Fascinating. I also started The Transmigration of Bodies by the guy who wrote Signs Preceding the End of the World. And I hope to finish the not-short Tracy K. Smith collection this weekend!

BTW, I'm having a great time with my GN Brubaker-fest. I'm feeling mighty noir these days.

Happy Friday, Oldster! I'm finished with The Dispatcher, an urban fantasy short read set in Chicago-without-murders. Fun stuff!

>84 lindapanzo: Hi, Linda. good to see you. Yep, happy with 100 books read, so far, but I look around at all the deep stacks and it doesn't look like I made a dent. I think Outliers is the only Gladwell, I have read and I remember liking it. The Bookseller book sounds charming.

>85 weird_O: LOL. You sure can set me straight, Bill. Where are my priorities, for crying out loud?

>86 jessibud2: I should track down Gladwell's podcast, Shelley. Sounds good.

>87 Familyhistorian: Hi, Meg. I was surprised, I didn't bookhorn in some reading, on the camping trip, but we were usually on the go and I had very little "Me" time, which, is fine, every once in a awhile.

>89 jnwelch: Hi, Joe. Glad you liked the poem. I saved it, read it again and decided to share it. I like that style. Not familiar with Miracle of Dunkirk, but I did like the film, Dunkirk and the book sounds promising. How did you stumble upon that one? I liked Signs too, so I would be interested in The Transmigration of Bodies. And hooray for the Smith collection and the Brubaker-Fest!! You go boy!

>90 richardderus: Hey, Richard. Down to one more day! Yah! I may look for that Scalzi title. Sounds fun and fast.

Mark, Gladwell's Revisionist History podcast is just winding down its 4th season and I know he has another podcast, mostly about music, as well. I forget the title but I can let you know when I find it. Revisionist History is about taking a piece of real history and looking at it from a very different angle, something forgotten or not known about. Some of the segments are really outstanding.

here ya go: http://revisionisthistory.com/seasons?selected=season-4

I am sure there is a way for anyone more technically savvy than I am (ie, everyone) to find the first 3 seasons! ;-)

I really enjoyed Going Clear. Looks like I may have to put God Save Texas on the infinite TBR list. DS may move there after he graduates.

Whoot! (hoot?) on the screech owl!

and congrats on hitting 100!

>93 jessibud2: Thanks for the Gladwell info, Shelley. I am sure I can track it down through iTunes, which I use exclusively for my podcasts.

>94 streamsong: Thanks, Janet. Great to see you, stop by. I have a audio copy of Going Clear, waiting in the wings. I have been meaning to read that one, for a few years now. I highly recommend God Save Texas and it is also terrific on audio.

Hooray for the ESO! Do you guys get WSOs?

Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings

Recognize whose lands these are on which we stand.

Ask the deer, turtle, and the crane.

Make sure the spirits of these lands are respected and treated with goodwill.

The land is a being who remembers everything.

You will have to answer to your children, and their children, and theirs—

The red shimmer of remembering will compel you up the night to walk the perimeter of truth for understanding...

-Joy Harjo

^This is from Harjo's collection Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings. I love Native American poetry and Harjo is one of the best.

Happy Saturday, Mark! Hope you're getting some good reading time in after not having much on the camping trip.

Hi Mark and happy Saturday to you! I hope your work day goes well.

>97 bell7: Missed you up there, Mary. I am working today, but should squeeze in a fair amount of reading. Enjoy your weekend.

>98 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen. It is a beautiful day out here, and the mail is light, so it should be a smooth work day.

Hi Mark, I've been catching up after a slight absence. Your camping trip sounds like a good time and your reading material has intrigued me. Definitely going to look into Hollow Kingdom! As for >72 weird_O:, I don't know about sleeping arrangements, but that set-up would make you the most popular guy in the campground!

>96 msf59:

CEREMONY - for upcoming AOC reading - weaves in a lot of Indigenous Poetry.

Happy Weekend Day! Come quittin' time, you're your own man again. Read well.

>100 DeltaQueen50: Hi, Judy! Hooray for being the most popular guy in the campground. LOL. I think you would have a good time with Hollow Kingdom.

>101 m.belljackson: Thanks, Marianne. I have my copy of Ceremony waiting in the wings, alongside her book, Storyteller, which I snagged from the library. That looks like poetry, as well.

>102 richardderus: Hey, Richard. I have been off for 2 hours and it feels great. Having a beer and getting ready to go out and attend a surprise birthday party, for my best friend.

"From one of the most versatile writers in contemporary fiction, this novel is an authentic and moving historical portrait of the lives of the men and women of the early 20th century labor movement, and of a turbulent, violent political landscape that may feel startlingly relevant to today."

^I am sure some of you remember, that I have had a crush on Mary Doria Russell for years. She is one of my favorite fiction writers. All it took was The Sparrow and Doc and I was sold. A pair of amazing novels. I also had the opportunity to meet her at a Booktopia event. Her last novel was four years ago, so fans have been eagerly waiting for her next one and thanks, to ALA, I snagged a copy of The Women of the Copper Country, which I hope to dip into tomorrow. It was just released on August 6th.

>104 msf59: this is the second mention of this book that I've seen in about a week. Noted.

>47 msf59: RIP, Toni Morrison. I agree that her novels deserve to be reread. They are so rich in imagery and language that I feel I would like to read them all at least one more time. I've already read The Bluest Eye at least two times. It was her first book and the first one I read. I still ache for the little girl who wanted those blue eyes more than anything in the world.

>96 msf59: Loved the Harjo poem, Mark. When I heard our new Poet Laureate was a Native American woman I went right to the library and reserved her memoir Crazy Brave. I was not disappointed. She is a very talented woman. I listened to some of her music as well. Loved it. Now I'd like to look into her art work.

I am waiting for my copy of The Women of the Copper Country. So excited that it is set in my beloved Michigan Upper Peninsula.

>105 lauralkeet: I was actually hoping for more fanfare for this one, Laura. Have you read MDR before?

>106 Donna828: Hi, Donna. Thanks for chiming in on Ms. Morrison. I want to make it my mission to reread all of her work, starting with The Bluest Eye. I am getting a copy of Paradise and since I have not read that one, that will be my first tribute to her.

Hooray for Ms. Harjo! I also loved her memoir. I think she has a new collection of poetry coming out too. I will have to check for the title. And yep, looking forward to digging into The Women of the Copper Country a bit later today.

Happy Sunday, Mark!

Enjoy the day off, buddy.

>104 msf59: I hope it's as good a read as Doc was!

Happy weekend-at-last.

>108 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe. Looking forward to a good day off.

>109 richardderus: Hooray for MDR, RD! Hope she wrote another winner. I was crazy about Doc too. Probably won't get to read much of it today.

>107 msf59: Mark, I read Doc and really enjoyed it. Somehow despite all of Ann's warbling on BOTNS, I've never quite gotten around to reading The Sparrow. But it's on my Kindle, and with all this talk of her latest book I've decided to read The Sparrow in September.

I’m about 1/3 of the way through Hollow Kingdom. I love it! The cat is truly amazing writing...

I love MDR too and am so looking forward to the new one! Can't wait to hear what you think. Right now I'm trying to get through some of the Booker titles and just started An Orchestra of Minorities. I loved Obioma's earlier novel, The Fishermen, so I have high hopes for this one.

>111 lauralkeet: I am so glad you are getting to The Sparrow, Laura. It was my first MDR and kicked off the love affair. I can't imagine you not loving it.

>112 drneutron: I am elated, that you are locked in with Hollow Kingdom, Jim. It is such a good read. Yep, trippy as hell, but in the most positive way.

>113 vivians: Hi, Vivian. Great to see you. Hooray for MDR. Her fan base is small but also complete die-hards. I never did get to The Fishermen. I need to remedy that oversight.

-(NMP)

^I am off today but still up at the crack of dawn, so I can head to Montrose Bird Sanctuary, on the lakefront. I hope to see the Piping Plovers again. They have successfully raised two chicks there. They are nearly full grown now and starting to fly. I hope to see some migrating shorebirds, along with some other treats.

The afternoon, will be reserved for the books.

Hi Mark! Happy day off. Yay for birds and books.

>116 msf59: Ah, what a cute picture. Have fun today, Marc.

Morning, Mark!

Enjoy that Montrose Harbor bird sanctuary today, buddy. Say hello to those Piping Plovers for us.

>95 msf59: We have screech owls in the area (guessing WSO?) but I've never seen one. :(

I love Mary Doria Russell's Facebook thread. I have her right up there with my kids to see her posts first.

Hey Birddude, have a lovely time a-Plovering.

I spent last evening listening to the pied oystercatchers piping their evening songs as they swooped over the sunset beach. It's always beautiful.

Kiss Kiss wasn't good (review's up); mostly because I dislike Dahl and suspect he wrote more of himself into his story-men than permaybehaps was wise.

>117 karenmarie: >118 EllaTim: Thanks, Karen & Ella. It was a good day, on the lakefront.

>119 jnwelch: Hi, Joe. I plan on getting back to Montrose, later next month. Maybe, you can join me then. I spent just under 3 hours there.

>120 streamsong: Hi, Janet. Hooray for the Screech! Hope you get to see one, one of these days. I also LOVE MDR's FB page. I share things from here all the time. She is fearless and has a wicked sense of humor.

>121 richardderus: Hey, RD. The Birddude had a good morning and I spotted the plovers too, including the 2, mostly grown chicks. Adorable. I hope to share a couple of photos later today. I will stop over and check out your review.

Enjoy the rest of your day with the books, Mark. It looks like you had a great time out bird watching. I need to get going with the rest of my day as I spent my morning finishing up a Fiona Griffiths novel.

>123 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. It has been a good afternoon. Shortly after, I started reading, I dozed off and had a good nap. I hope you got a few things done.

99) Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton 4.5 stars

“So, the truth- my name is Shit Turd (S.T. for short) and I'm a domesticated crow, raised by Big Jim who taught me the ways of your kind whom he called “MoFos”. He gave me my floral vocabulary and my indubitably unique name. As an honorary MoFo, I am here to be utterly honest and tell you what happened to your kind. The thing none of us saw coming...”

“Listen; life is worth a fight. Expectation must be shed like winter leaves. Even in death, there is a wondrous beauty. And death is not The End.”

Hollow Kingdom is one odd bird, (think of Charlotte's Web on acid) and yes, it is narrated by a snarky foul-mouthed crow. A virus has turned humans into zombies and the animals step up, to rescue their kind and to repair the damage, humankind has caused. Yep, totally bonkers, but what is completely surprising is, is how damn good this story is and how deep a lot of the writing goes, touching on nature and environmental issues, along with a vision of parity and dire warnings, if we don't wake up and change our tune. I have a feeling this is going to become a cult classic. A fun, engaging read, plus I learned that squirrels are sexual deviants.

**Footnote: This is my first of my recent ALA book haul. It was published on Aug 6th.

Nice review! Still loving it!

>126 drneutron: Thanks, Jim. I hope our warbling, will pay off. This was the surprise of the summer, or at least for me.

Yay for MDR! I hope to get round to her new one soon. The Sparrow is still one of my all-time favorite reads from any genre, and Doc was a hoot, too. I love following her on FB as well.

I'm adding Hollow Kingdom to the list - it sounds amazing!

>128 scaifea: Morning, Amber! Great to see the MDR love. The narrative, of the new one, isn't flowing as quickly, as I am used to but she has a tough, robust style, that I admire. I am glad I got your attention with Hollow Kingdom. It was a hoot.

"In the spirit of Killers of the Flower Moon and The Onion Field, Norco ’80 is a gripping true crime account of one of the most violent bank heists in US history."

"Norco ’80 tells the story of how five heavily-armed young men—led by an apocalyptic born-again Christian—attempted a bank robbery that turned into one of the most violent criminal events in U.S. history..."

^While recently listening to a book podcast, the hosts were talking about Norco 80 and it immediately captured my attention. I love a good true crime tale and I do not remember this incident at all. It was published this summer. I am starting the audio today.

The Women of the Copper Country is off to a good start too. Once again, I am reminded how brutal capitalism is. These people were treated like trash.

'Morning, Mark! Happy Tuesday to you. Glad you had a good day off yesterday.

Good morning, Mark!

Nice review of Hollow Kingdom. I've got it, and will read it soon. You had me at "bonkers". :-)

I'm going to be starting Kevin Young's poetry collection, Book of Hours. I'm woefully underread when it comes to him. And Darryl gave me another new (to me) poet to track down, named Jericho Brown.

Cooler today - that should help the work day.

>131 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. Back to work today, but only for 3 days. B.A.G.

>132 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. Glad I got you with Hollow Kingdom. A trippy, but very funny book. I want to read more of Young's poetry.

Mark - not as rare or tiny as your Piping Plovers, but two little wild turkey chicks
were running behind their tall mom across Portage Road on my trip into Madison yesterday.

These SIGHTINGS make a day!

I've got Hollow Kingdom from my library. I'm eager to dive in.

Happy Hump Day (for this week it is)!

>134 m.belljackson: Hi, Marianne. I have not seen wild turkey chicks, but I could only imagine, that they are cute as heck. Turkeys are seen in our area but you really have to venture out to see them. I would love to live in your area, but not in the wintertime. Grins...

>135 richardderus: I sure hope Hollow Kingdom rings your bells, RD. As you can clearly tell, it will not be for all tastes. It is a bold, challenging read.

>136 msf59:

I bear with the ice in winter because I loathe heat above around 80 degrees and have deep, abiding, realistic fear of drought.

Check out online "My Modern Met" for two extraordinary photos of red-winged blackbirds "vocalizing"

>137 m.belljackson: I will check it out. Thanks, Marianne.

^ A few books waiting in the wings- Paradise, (thanks, Nancy) will be my first tribute to Ms. Morrison. I will read Miss Jane Pittman for the AAC. My first Gaines. The Good Neighborhood does not come out until next year but I snagged a copy. It looks great. And the last, A Season on the Wind is a very promising bird book, also, courtesy of Nancy. She is the best.

Oh yeah, that is Riley in the background, making his book photo debut.

Hi Mark! Dropped by to say that I also recently finished, and really liked God Save Texas. And Hollow Kingdom sounds good.

>140 banjo123: Hi, Rhonda. I am so glad you felt the same way about God Save Texas. I want to read wore Wright. Hollow Kingdom, will clearly not be for everyone but if you lock in...

Hi Mark! Happy Wednesday to you. I read Therese Anne Fowler's Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald and was impressed with it. I haven't heard of this one, A Good Neighborhood.

63 posts since I last stopped by?! It has been a busy week. Glad you got the books - enjoy!

I haven't had much time for reading books either. Still only about 60 pages into American Dirt, but hoping to read more later this week. Definitely move it up your stack. Engaging and timely.

Good morning, Mark.

>139 msf59: Nice selections - never read any of them.

Kevin Young's Book of Hours is good so far - most, maybe all (we'll see) relate to his grief over his father's death. I finished a mystery my sister gave me, featuring "Charlotte Holmes" (A Study in Scarlet Women), and started a novel by Horacio Castellanos Moya called The Dream of My Return. He's a favorite author of Darryl's.

Looks like it's supposed to stay in the 70s. Have a good one, buddy.

>142 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. I had Fowler's Zelda book on my list at one time but it had fallen off. I will have to add it again.

>143 alphaorder: Thanks again, Nancy, for the books. What a nice treat. Glad you are continuing to enjoy American Dirt.

>144 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. Have you ever read Gaines? I would think, you had read him. Looking forward to it. I will have to request the Young collection and the Moyà sounds good too.

Hey there Birddude. Anything clever fly your way at the BBS? A really big not-seagull was scaring the bejabbers out of the locals when I did the library run (Recursion came in! w00t!) earlier. Thunderstorms have everyone grounded now. Well, I'm indoors, but that's just the people version of grounded.

>147 richardderus: Hi, Richard. All good here. It has been quiet at my BBS, but I did spot the Great Blue heron today, standing in the creek. This is only the third time or so, this year. Hooray for your copy of Recursion coming in. Boo, to the thunderstorms. I will have to stop over at your place and see what you are up to.

"And we aren't going to wait around for the Second Coming, are we! We won't wait for Jesus to come back and make things right. We aren't going to beg for a decent life, a good life, a healthy life. We are going to demand those things--for ourselves! For our neighbors! For our children! And for all the working stiffs who come after us."

"And that, children, is how you by-God raise some hell."

^The quotes, spoken by Mother Jones, are from The Women of the Copper Country, which I am enjoying immensely. I am embarrassed to say, I knew very little about Mother Jones, but MDR gave me an education. She only makes an appearance in the novel, but it makes quite an impact. She was 76 at that time.

Has anyone read a book on Mother Jones, that they could recommend? It appears, she led quite a life.

>149 msf59: - Great quote, Mark!

>149 msf59:

Since the mid-1970s, Mother Jones has also been a famous and fearless magazine!

She wrote an autobiography.

>150 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley. I think you would really like this novel. Have you read MDR before?

>151 m.belljackson: Thanks, Marianne. I have not read the Mother Jones magazine but I do follow them on Facebook. I like that hard-hitting style. I will have to look into her autobiography.

^ I am finally posting a few of my photos from my visit to the Montrose Bird Sanctuary, on Monday. The first two, are the Piping Plover chicks, although they are now nearly full grown and can fly. I did see the father too, they have named him Monty, but did not get a photo.

-Least Sandpipers.



-Ring-Billed Gulls, with Lake Michigan in the background.



-The Chicago skyline, with the John Hancock Tower, enveloped in fog.

You're really making me look forward to the new Mary Doria Russell book, Mark. I know next to nothing about Mother Jones.

>152 msf59: - No, I haven't read her before though I will be on the lookout!

>153 msf59: So cute!

>155 brenzi: You will love The Women of the Copper Country, Bonnie. It is not about Mother Jones, though. It is about a fictional woman, who organizes a union strike. MJ does make an important appearance though.

>154 msf59: That skyline's beauteous! Almost wouldn't know it's Chicago, it's so purty.

Happy to see the plover and sandpiper pics!

>156 jessibud2: I highly recommend, MDR, Shelley.

>158 richardderus: I wish the skyline photo, would have came out better. I tried snapping it, between the trees. It was a gorgeous sight, though.

Obama's Summer Reading

"It's August, so I wanted to let you know about a few books I've been reading this summer, in case you're looking for some suggestions. To start, you can't go wrong by reading or re-reading the collected works of Toni Morrison. Beloved, Song of Solomon, The Bluest Eye, Sula, everything else — they're transcendent, all of them. You’ll be glad you read them. And while I’m at it, here are a few more titles you might want to explore:

Sometimes difficult to swallow, The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead is a necessary read, detailing the way Jim Crow and mass incarceration tore apart lives and wrought consequences that ripple into today.

Exhalation by Ted Chiang is a collection of short stories that will make you think, grapple with big questions, and feel more human. The best kind of science fiction.

Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel­’s epic fictionalized look at Thomas Cromwell’s rise to power, came out in 2009, but I was a little busy back then, so I missed it. Still great today.

Haruki Murakami’s Men Without Women examines what happens to characters without important women in their lives; it'll move you and confuse you and sometimes leave you with more questions than answers.

American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson is a whole lot more than just a spy thriller, wrapping together the ties of family, of love, and of country.

The Shallows by Nicholas Carr came out a few years ago, but its arguments on the internet’s impact on our brains, our lives, and our communities are still worthy of reflection, which is something we all could use a little more of in this age.

Lab Girl by Hope Jahren is a beautifully written memoir about the life of a woman in science, a brilliant friendship, and the profundity of trees. Terrific.

Inland by Téa Obreht just came out yesterday, so I won’t spoil anything. But those of you who’ve been waiting for Obreht’s next novel won’t be disappointed.

You’ll get a better sense of the complexity and redemption within the American immigrant story with Dinaw Mengestu’s novel, How to Read the Air.

Maid by Stephanie Land is a single mother’s personal, unflinching look at America’s class divide, a description of the tightrope many families walk just to get by, and a reminder of the dignity of all work."

^ President Obama posted this today on FB. Is this a great reading list or what? God, I miss that man! I have read several of these. I loved, The Nickel Boys, Wolf Hall & Lab Girl and I want to read Exhalation & The Shallows.

>160 msf59: Thanks for the list. Soo many great books there :)

>153 msf59: >154 msf59: Lovely photos Mark. I love the top two especially.

>160 msf59: So glad that Obama continues to post his reading. Like you I have read some, but will certainly take a punt at a couple of the others. Of course The Nickel Boys is already on the list. He is an honorary LTer I think, he'd fit right I here!

>161 figsfromthistle: Our kind of reader, Figs!

>162 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks, Caroline. Glad you like the Plover photos. You are correct, Obama would fit in perfectly on LT. Of course, he would be on the 75 too. Grins...

'Morning, Mark!

Excellent bird photos.

I subscribed to Mother Jones Magazine for many years, but eventually dropped it. It was excellent. I'm surprised at myself for not being more inquisitive about Mother Jones - Mary G. Harris Jones - herself.

Sweet Thursday, Mark! You take off for Pitt tomorrow, yes?

Thanks for posting President Obama's list. What an impressive reader he is, and his comments are right on the money for the ones I know. It's great to see Lab Girl on there; I felt that one deserved more readers than it got, even as well as it did. Jesse's reading that second Ted Chiang collection, and it's in my future. I'm enjoying his first.

I'm glad you were able to see the Piping Plovers at Montrose. Did someone knowledgeable show up?

>164 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Glad you like the photos and thanks for chiming in on Mother Jones.

>165 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. Yep, our flight is tomorrow afternoon. It will be a very quick trip, so probably won't see much of Pittsburgh, but I am sure I will go back.

I will have to get to Chiang. Richard was recently reading the new one too.

And yes, I met one of the plover monitors, at Montrose. Very nice woman, who I have met before. We also walked through the Magic Hedge together too. B.A.G.

Glad you're enjoying the new Mary Doria Russell book, Mark. I do recall your crush on her. Set in the U.P., isn't it? My library reserve copy ought to be coming in any day now. I'll need to figure out where to pick it up at the new library but, no doubt, someone can steer me in the right direction.

I remember loving her book Doc

Exhalation: Stories and I are on a break...two stories, one ~meh~ and the other pretty good, and newer, shinier books called to me. I'll get back to him. Soon. Ish.

Spend a spiritually fulfilling Thursday, Mark.

>160 msf59: I'd seen the list, but hadn't realised he'd commented on all the books. I heard Dinaw Mengestu speak earlier this year, he's wonderful.

ETA No, I didn't. I've had a mix up with Dina Nayeri, a completrly different wonderful writer. Gah. Sorry!

Thanks for posting!

>167 lindapanzo: Yep, still have a crush on MDR, Linda. She rocks. Her new one, will be a good fit for you. I am glad you requested it.

>168 richardderus: Hey, RD. I will have to get my mitts on Chiang's first collection. It sounds like that is the perfect place to start.

>169 charl08: Hi, Charlotte. I like Obama's comments too. I ulcer love to have a beer with him and discuss books.

Hey, Mr. Birdwatcher. Have you heard about Ocean City, NJ enlisting trained falcons to take out aggressive seagulls? All the Philly tv stations have run video on the experiment.

Sounds like I should read that Hollow Kingdom.

'Morning, Mark! Happy Friday to you.

Happy Friday, Mark! Hope you get some good reading in over the weekend.

>171 weird_O: Hi, Bill. I think I did hear that story about the trained falcons. Pretty cool. Hollow Kingdom is a "bonkers" book, but I think you might get a kick out of it.

>172 karenmarie: Morning, Karen and thanks.

>173 bell7: Happy Friday, Mary. We are going to Pittsburgh for the weekend. I will try to squeeze as much reading in as I can.

Limen

"All day I’ve listened to the industry
of a single woodpecker, worrying the catalpa tree
just outside my window. Hard at his task,
his body is a hinge, a door knocker
to the cluttered house of memory in which
I can almost see my mother’s face.
She is there, again, beyond the tree,
its slender pods and heart-shaped leaves,
hanging wet sheets on the line--each one
a thin white screen between us. So insistent
is this woodpecker, I’m sure he must be
looking for something else--not simply
the beetles and grubs inside, but some other gift
the tree might hold. All day he’s been at work,
tireless, making the green hearts flutter."

"...We're huddles on the tiny island of bed, quiet
in the language of blood: the house, unsteady
on it's cinderblock haunches, sinking deeper
into the muck of ancestry. Oil lamps flicker
around us--our shadows, dark glyphs on the wall,
bigger and stranger than we are."

Excerpt from Southern Gothic

-Natasha Trethewey

^The poems are from Monument: Poems. An exceptionally good collection, that was recommended by Joe. I highly recommend it.

^We are going to Pittsburgh for the weekend and will be attending the Cubs/Pirates game on Saturday. Our first time, in this fair city. We won't have much time to do touristy things, but I am sure we will go back. We come back home Sunday afternoon. I will check in when I can. Go Cubs! We need to sweep the Bucs!

Have a nice time in Pgh. Haven't been in decades, though I'd like to visit for a couple of days.

>177 msf59: Have fun, Mark. I love Pittsburgh and that is one of my favorite ballparks.

I see things are still moving quickly around here! Hope you have a good weekend

>177 msf59: Enjoy the games! Pgh is a cool burg these here days, so try to get to Primanti's at least.

>178 weird_O: Thanks, Bill. We are here and getting ready to head into downtown for the game.

>179 lindapanzo: Thanks, Linda. Looking forward to getting to the park, in a short time. Should be a great day. Another tough loss last night.

>180 ChelleBearss: Hi, Chelle. We are having a nice getaway weekend.

>181 richardderus: Hi, RD. We are staying out by the airport and had a very nice evening last night. Getting read to head in the city, after breakfast.

Greetings from Pittsburgh PA! We had a very nice evening and of course found a terrific brewpub. We are getting ready to head into the city shortly, to attend the game and walk around a bit. We are also meeting some Chicago friends, who are also in town. Should be a great day!

That Church Brew Works is terrific, isn’t it, Mark?

I’m glad that you’re having such a good time, and that Monument: Poems hit the spot.

>160 msf59: Thanks for the list of Obama reads, Mark. Remember when we had a president who knew how to read?

>176 msf59: I am also enjoying Monument. I love Trethewey.

Hey Mark, are ya flyin' the W? Go Cubs!

Have a great time on your getaway weekend, Mark.

>184 jnwelch: Hi, Joe. The Church Brew Works was awesome. Having a good time and it sounds like you guys are having a terrific time as well. Unfortunately, we have to wrap it up today.

>185 BLBera: Hi, Beth. I think we all miss Mr. Obama. I am so glad to hear you are a Trethewey fan. She was new to me and I really appreciate Joe turning me on to her .

>186 kac522: We are sure flying the W, Kathy. Now, we need to win tonight and turn this road debacle around.

>187 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. We are having a great time but sadly, we are also wrapping it up.

Nice piece in today's NYT about a bookstore in Pittsburgh: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/18/books/amazing-books-pittsburgh-bookstore.html

Get home safe, Mark, and yay for the Cubbies!

Hi Mark. I hope you are having a great weekend. Obama's reading list is inspiring and also makes such a contrast between him and that non-literate idiot who followed him into the White House.

Today I going to start another of your recommendations. I have an audio of Huck Out West by Robert Coover lined up and I am looking forward to it.

>190 alphaorder: Thanks for the bookshop article, Nancy. Very interesting. We will have to get back to Pittsburgh and explore more of the city. It is a lovely town.

>191 richardderus: Thanks, Richard. We are home, safe and sound. Everything went very smoothly, but I just wish we had a bit more time in Pittsburgh. Yep, I am glad the Cubs pulled that one out yesterday. Now, we need to beat the Bucs again tonight.

>192 DeltaQueen50: Hi, Judy. Amen to your Obama comments. I know you like western-themed books, so you should have a good time with Huck Out West. Enjoy!

^We had a terrific time in Pittsburgh. We were joined by our good friends, who also live in Chicagoland. PNC Park, where the Pirates play is beautiful and the river backdrop, with the various bridges, is gorgeous. As a bonus the Cubs won yesterday. We then went brewery hopping, (like we do...) and discovered my favorite looking brewery to date: The Church Brew Works, which is housed, in a former, full sized Catholic church. Original stained glass and the altar is where the brewing vats are, which, for me, is quite fitting.

>194 msf59: Happiest faces ever seen in that church, I'm sure!

Mark, my friend! It looks like you are having a terrific summer: camping, baseball (GO Cubbies!), good books....

I thought of you when I purchased Birds of the West : an artist's guide by Molly Hashimoto on my last Seattle visit. It is a beautiful book with amazing bird art!!!

I'm currently reading The Initiates at Joe's recommendation as well as Lost Children Archive which I can tell is going to be great (just started it this morning).

Happy Sunday!

>194 msf59: Great to see you having a good time Mark.

>196 EBT1002:: I bought Birds of the West when I was in Seattle for Independent Bookstore Day! I can't remember which shop I picked it up at, but the author was there signing, and I couldn't resist...

>195 richardderus: You might be right, RD. B.A.G.

>196 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen. It has been a good summer. It just goes so fast. Birds of the West sounds like a joy. I will have to request it. I hope you enjoy Lost Children Archive as much as I did. I also have a copy of The Initiates waiting in the wings, courtesy of our pal, Joe.

>197 Caroline_McElwee: It was a good weekend, Caroline. Thanks. We are back home now and back to work tomorrow. Sad face.

>198 alphaorder: Very nice, Nancy. Did you read it yet?

Wow Mark, I can't believe the diocese allowed that church to become a brewery. That's unbelievable. Around here they're pretty careful about who they sell to. Mostly senior hosing or nursing homes but I know of one church that was turned into a B and B.

"The critically acclaimed author of Refund returns with a new collection of stories that boldly examines the sense of instability that has grown stronger in American culture over the last two years through the increasing presence of violence, bigotry, sexual harassment, and the emotional costs of living under constant threat."

^I did get some reading, in, thanks to airport and flight time, so I finished The Women of the Copper Country and started a story collection, The New Order: Stories, which is off to a promising start. This was an ALA book, that Benita picked up for me, last year.

>203 msf59: - :-(

Sounds like you had a great weekend, Mark.

Hey, here's some postal trivia for you. I am copying this straight from another site I belong to, postcrossing (international postcard exchange). Pretty cool and I never knew!

"Some weeks ago, the world celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first humans walking on the moon. Reliving the experience of the Apollo 11 mission was an emotional event all around the world, not just for the millions of people who remember watching the live broadcast on TV with bated breath, but also for the younger generations of dreamers that those astronauts have inspired.

As you can imagine, landing on the Sea of Tranquility is a risky adventure, requiring all sorts of preparations. There’s physical and scientific training to go through, and checklists for all sorts of procedures, but there’s also a more down-to-earth side of things, like life insurance. Can you imagine the price of the insurance for such a perilous and unique mission though? Yup, it’s pretty much astronomical! So how were astronauts supposed to make sure their families were looked after in the event they didn’t make it back to Earth?

When faced with this situation, Apollo 11 astronauts Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong came up with a cunning secret plan: postal covers!

They were famous and their autographs were greatly prized, so they decided to sign dozens of special envelopes in advance, featuring space-themed stamps and motives. These were to be hand-cancelled by friends at the post office on the day that they landed on the moon, and later delivered to their families. In case something happened to them, they hoped these autographed covers could be sold to collectors, in order to give their families some financial security.

Thankfully, they all came back safe and sound from this grand adventure, and didn’t need to use the postal covers as insurance. 😅 But it was still a brilliant plan! And as expected, these special philatelic items became collectibles, and are highly sought after by astrophilatelists, the branch of philately that focus on space-themed stamps. They continued to be made by astronauts until the 16th Apollo mission, and you can discover more of them on this page. Neat! "

>201 brenzi: Actually, we talked briefly, with the server, at the brewery, about the church and he said the Catholic Churches decided to consolidate several of their churches in the Pittsburgh area and sold off a few. Maybe, the price was right, and they didn't care what they did with it. Grins...

>204 jessibud2: Hi, Shelley. It was a fine weekend. I loved the Apollo 11/ postal story. How cool is that? I had never heard that either. Thanks for sharing.

>206 msf59: - Here is a link: http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/9097559

Hi, Mark! I'm glad to see that you enjoyed Pittsburgh. I love PNC Park! (But the Pirates haven't been bringing me much joy lately.)

I've been to Pittsburgh twice and we've had PNC Park visits both times. One of my favorite out-of-town ballparks. Both times, we stayed downtown and a highlight was walking over that bridge to the ballpark. Very scenic.

>207 jessibud2: I love the image of those postcards, Shelley. Thanks for sharing.

>208 tymfos: Hi, Terri. Good to see you. It was a quick trip to PA but we really enjoyed Pittsburgh and PNC, and some very good beer.

>209 lindapanzo: This is a good photo, with PNC in the background and the 6th Street Bridge, over our left shoulder. I agree, Linda, a very scenic area. It was very expensive to stay downtown, so we stayed, out near the airport, for about a third of the cost.

'Morning, Mark!

So glad you had a wonderful weekend. Yay Cubbies! Yay brewery in a former church!

I hope you have a great day.

>200 msf59: I didn't read it yet, but you may recall I brought it to show you the day we went to the arboretum. You liked it. :)

Hey buddy. Love the photos!

Looks like you had a terrific time! Isn’t PNC Park aces?

I just started Hollow Kingdom. It’s bonkers all right. :-)

>211 msf59: Happy photo of a happy trip. Glad it was a Cubbies success as well as a good brewpubbing trip.

>211 msf59: Happy photo of happy brewpubbers who're also happy Cubbies fans! Happy "wait-it's-over-already?!" day.

It is a hot and heavy Monday, (and not in a good way, either) so I won't be able to reply until after work. See you then...

HI Mark! I escaped without too many book bullets - except from the Obama list, of course. I also loved Wolf Hall, Lab Girl and Toni Morrison, although I need to read more of the Morrison.

But I added two FB pages to follow - Mother Jones and Barrack.

Good for your trip to Pgh. And the Pirates let your Cubs win; how gracious of them. (Heh heh.) I saw those Pirates play at Forbes Field. But that was a different century.

>160 msf59: Thanx for Mr. Obama's book list, Mark. I've read the four Morrison titles he mentioned (and at least one other) and Wolf Hall. The others are now of interest to me. How about that? That Obama guy warbles almost as well as you do.

>203 msf59: Luckovich is sharp. Always.

Still working on Pachinko.

>211 msf59: Hey, you were in the 'Burgh. How cool. (Well its summer in Western PA, it probably wasn't COOL). I grew up about 15 miles or so north of the city.

>219 weird_O: I never got to see Forbes fields (at least not that I remember, I was 4 when they moved), but I did see quite a few games (more Steelers) in Three Rivers. My biggest claim to fame, was that my high school marching band marched on the field at Willie Stargell's retirement game

>212 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. It was a fun weekend.

>213 alphaorder: I completely forgot that, Nancy, but I do remember now. I will have to request that one.

>214 jnwelch: Hi, Joe. We did enjoy PNC Park, along with the breweries we checked out. We will have to go back. Yes, Hollow Kingdom is bonkers, but I hope you are enjoying it.

>215 richardderus: >216 richardderus: Thanks, RD! Were you trying to express your greetings in a couple of different ways? If so, it worked. I am happily home, in the quiet and the a/c. No problems here. No ballgame either, so I will read a bit and probably watch a film.

>218 streamsong: Hi, Janet. Sorry for the lack of BBs, but, once again, I am woefully behind on my mini-reviews. I hope to catch up, in the next day or 2. Glad we caught your interest with the FB pages.

>219 weird_O: Do you have a favorite baseball team, Bill? The Phillies? Or none at all? Did you read the follow up to Wolf Hall? If not, is was equally as good. What do you think of Pachinko?

>220 mahsdad: We had a good time in Pittsburgh, Jeff, but it is an area, I would like to explore further. I am sure there is some killer hiking in the area. When you go back, do you hit any of the local breweries? I was impressed.

If you want a good historical novel about Pittsburgh I would recommend Out of This Furnace by Thomas Bell. It is set in pre 1900 Pittsburg and is about immigrants working in the steel mills.

Thomas Bell’s real name was Tomas Bellicheck.

>221 msf59: So many books, you can't remember them all!

>221 msf59:. I am enjoying the bonkers Hollow Kingdom - the Bonkers section is always the first one I check out in a bookstore.

My other book right now is The Incendiaries - did you read it? Our cousin recommended it. I’m about a 1/3 through - not enthralled yet, but it’s got me turning the pages.

That was some sunset here tonight - we got som spectacular lightning to go with it, too.

>224 benitastrnad: Hi, Benita. Good to see you. Thanks for the book rec. I will keep it in mind.

>225 alphaorder: You sure got that right, Nancy.

>226 jnwelch: Hooray for sunsets and bonkers books! I am glad you are enjoying both, Joe. I have not read The Incendiaries. I will watch for your final thoughts.

Looks like the weather cooperated for your weekend away, Mark. Nice pictures. Sorry to see that your Monday was a heavy reminder of RL.

>228 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. It was a good weekend. My regular day off is today, so it breaks the work week up a bit.

Reading update: American Dirt is AMAZING, but intense, so I took a little break and am halfway through Chances Are, which is just what I had hoped for - vintage Russo. I am also really appreciating helium, which I picked up off the rec table at Literati. And my current audio is perfect for my commute - Delancy.

Another day off...thank goodness. Reading anything good?

Happy day off, Mark! I hope you see many gorgeous birds this morning, perhaps a lifer or first-this-year.

Hey, buddy. Glad you gave yourself a transition day off.

All good things must come to an end, darn it. We’re on our way home. Looks like rain is expected?

>230 alphaorder: I love your reading reports, Nancy. Will you jump back into American Dirt after, Chances Are? Good to know about the poetry collection. Maybe, I can borrow it, next time we meet.

>231 richardderus: Yep, a good day off, RD and like the NUT, I am, I was up early and out of the house at 6:45. I am glad I was too, since traffic begins to build quickly, in the 'burbs.

>232 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen. Once again, I missed my target birds, but without a scope, it is difficult to track down, shorebirds. I always enjoy myself, though.

>233 jnwelch: Safe travels back, Joe. Yes, storms are moving through the area, although it is not raining now. I hope none of this activity impedes your arrival. Fingers crossed.

-Green Heron (NMP)

On my bird ramble this morning, I did not see a couple of target birds, I had in mind, (very difficult without a spotting scope) but since these involved shorebirds and wading birds, I saw plenty of great blue herons, great egrets and a couple of green herons. As I was exiting the expressway, I saw a white pelican in a small pond, off the roadway. These are always a treat to see. Shorebirds are always the first to begin migrating south, so this is a good time to see them, although that will be wrapping up soon.

I did see a pair of beaver too, feeding in the water. They looked to big to be muskrats.

Green heron is a handsome dude! Shorter than I expected, somehow.

Wow, that sounds like a most excellent bird ramble to me. I've never seen a pelican in these here parts, or a green heron. and we always love seeing great blue herons and egrets. It's a treat to see beavers, too.

We're back safely - the storms did delay our flight about 2 hours, but it could've been worse. I finished The Incendiaries - it's well-written and intriguing, but I wasn't wowed. I do think there's a good chance you'd like it better than I did. Maybe someone else can more strongly recommend it to you.

Hi, Mark. I haven't seen a green heron and I have to wonder about the name. They sure don't look green to me! But you spotted some good ones!

>238 jnwelch: - I have The Incendiaries making its way to me as we speak. I requested it from the library after hearing Ellen warble about it. I did read the other one by him, Lulu Anew so am looking forward to this one.

>237 richardderus: The green herons seem to hunch themselves down, making themselves smaller. They can stretch out a bit but not as long as a GBH.

>238 jnwelch: Hi, Joe. Welcome home. Saw some nice birds on the bird ramble, but it was still pretty slow. Although, hiking around outdoors is always one of my favorite things to do, regardless.

I will have to look into The Incendiaries. It does sound interesting. Here is a white pelican. They do migrate through here and I have seen them a few times. Great looking birds:

"Wilco is a rock band which formed in 1994 in Chicago, Illinois, United States by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure from that group. Wilco's lineup has changed frequently, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John Stirratt remaining from the original incarnation."

"The singer, guitarist, and songwriter—best known for his work with Wilco—opens up about his past, his songs, the music, and the people that have inspired him."

^Wilco might be my favorite band, post 1990. I have seen them in concert a few times too. I also loved Uncle Tupelo, although their styles are much different. I read a terrific bio on the band, several years ago but now I have the chance to read a memoir, by one of my favorite songwriters. I snagged the audio version of Let's Go (So We Can Get Back): A Memoir of Recording and Discording with Wilco, Etc., and I will start it tomorrow.

>239 jessibud2: I agree, with you Shelley, the green heron is not a vibrant green, but I think there is enough there, for it to qualify. The same goes for the great blue heron. Hard to call those blue, although there are definite shades.

96) Instructions for a Funeral: Stories by David Means 4.7 stars

“The problem is, my son sees the man I am now and not the men I was before I became the man I am now. The man I am now is a result of his presence in my life and therefore I'm not even close to being the man I was before he existed...”

“You get intense heat at the bottom of a very large pile of bullshit, you see, and in the smithy of that heat a few of the words congeal and solidify and become diamonds of truth, bright enough to send shafts of light through the cracks.”

I love a good story collection, especially by an author I have never read and Instructions for a Funeral: Stories, fits that bill. It is so smart, introspective and beautifully written. He takes hard and tender looks, at fatherhood, marriage, addiction and murder. I can not recommend it high enough. It might be my favorite collection of the year...so far, anyway. Oh, yeah- That last quote is dedicated to our Commander in Chief.

Moloka'i: A Novel by Alan Brennert 4 stars

My knowledge of Hawaii history is limited and I definitely did not know anything about the leper colonies there, in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
This well-written tale follows a seven year old girl, though her life, as she deals with being a leper and being sent to a leprosy settlement on the island of Moloka'i. If this interests you at all, give this fine novel a try.



God Save Texas by Lawrence Wright 4.6 stars

“God Save Texas is a journey through the most controversial state in America. It is a red state in the heart of Trumpland that hasn't elected a Democrat to a statewide office in more than twenty years.”

I had not read Lawrence Wright before but I am sure glad I started with this timely book, that looks at the history of Texas, especially the political evolution. Wright covers all the bases here too, including the wonderful music that came out of this fascinating, sometimes infuriating state. I lived in Texas, in the late 70s, for a very short time, so I experienced it a bit.

*This is also excellent on audio, with the author narrating.



Recursion by Blake Crouch 3.7 stars

I loved Crouch's last book, Dark Matter and his new novel is another mind-bender. This one features, a NYC cop and a neuroscientist , that team up and try to puzzle out the devastating phenomenon the media has dubbed False Memory Syndrome. Trying to explain any more of the plot, is pointless. I was totally locked into the first half, fully engaged and riveted but it fell off in the second half and dragged on to long. That said, if you like his work, give it a try. Many readers loved it.

Hi Mark, I do enjoy your lightening rounds. God Save Texas sounds like a good audio for me. I tried the Brennert novel earlier this year and could just not get into it so that was one of my few DNF books of recent history.

>245 brenzi:
The Colony: The Harrowing True Story of the Exiles of Molokai by John Tayman is a work of narrative nonfiction that is about the leper colony on Molokai that might be more to your taste. I listened to the audio version of it and it was well done and one of the few nonfiction audio books I have liked.

>245 brenzi: I think you would like God Save Texas, Bonnie and Wright does a solid job with the narration. Sorry, Moloka'i didn't work out for you.

>246 benitastrnad: I added The Colony: The Harrowing True Story of the Exiles of Molokai last time you recommended it, Benita. Sounds like a good one.

Lots of good mini-reviews, Mark! I'm another one who enjoys your lightning rounds.

We're getting back into the routine after that swell time on CC. I'll be reading Hollow Kingdom today, although I'm still in the initial stages with it. Hope you have a good one, buddy.

I finished Hollow Kingdom late last week - loved it! Now I need to find time to get my thread up to date.

>248 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. Glad my Lightning Rounds are appreciated. I like, to at least write a few comments on each book I read. I am sure you will continue to have a good time with Hollow Kingdom.

>249 drneutron: Hooray for Hollow Kingdom, Jim. Let's make sure we warble loud and clear, on that gem.

Well, Amber's getting my copy, so she can help warble!

>251 drneutron: And Lynda is getting mine. LOL. Spread that joy.

>223 msf59: Not much of a sports fan, Mark. Football, I guess. Following the Steelers and the Iggles. Penn State.

Pachinko is, well, a slow read for me. To me, it seems like The Miseries. I've read several Ring Lardner stories and I've been kind of disappointed in them. But I'm intending to finish both books. Right now, I am focussed on A Gathering of Old Men, which has the narrative drive the others lack. I'll get 'em read.

>253 weird_O:
I thought the book was really slow when I first started reading it, and had trouble figuring out why it would be nominated for a National Book Award. In the end, I think the book deserves the award, as it picks up and parts of it come together. It might be that it is more of a "women's book" and by that I mean that the central characters are women and they do women kinds of things that aren't big histrionic kinds of things, even when they are caught in the vice of history itself. For me, it picked up when the story quietly passed to the next generation.

>253 weird_O: I my Bears too, but don't follow basketball and hockey much. Sorry, Pachinko isn't tootin' your horn, Bill. I liked it, well enough, but I sure didn't love it, like other folks around these parts. I just started my Gaines read. I have heard good things about A Gathering of Old Men, so I have that one on my list too.

>254 benitastrnad: I am glad I read Pachinko but it did not "Wow" me, the way it did you and Joe.

>255 msf59: You should go to a hockey game, Mark. I think you'd love it. The Hawks are kinda pricey but the Chicago Wolves are pretty reasonably priced and fun. Hockey is way better in person.

Hi, Mark. Just posted a very cool link on my thread. Bird photographer of the year awards. Some stunners there...

>256 lindapanzo: I agree with you about hockey, being better in person, Linda. I have been to some Hawks games, but not for many years. I never considered attending a Wolves game, but I will definitely think about it. I have not been to a Bears game in many years either. Far too expensive and I like watching the game on the small screen.

>257 jessibud2: Thanks for the heads-up. Shelley. I will be stopping by.

"Miss Jane Pittman. She is one of the most unforgettable heroines in American fiction, a woman whose life has come to symbolize the struggle for freedom, dignity, and justice."

I have never read Mr. Gaines, so I am glad that Linda & the AAC is giving me an opportunity to correct this oversight. I decided on The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman. I just started it and I will be reporting back.

>259 msf59: When I was a kid, about 8th grade or so, we had to watch the new movie that just came out based on this book.

>259 msf59: Hope you enjoy Miss Jane, Mark. I thought it was pretty good.

>260 lindapanzo: I can't remember if I saw the film or not, Linda. It would be nice if I could track it down, once I am finished with the book.

>261 laytonwoman3rd: Not far in, Linda, but I am enjoying it, in the early going.

>244 msf59: I really liked Molokai when I read it several years ago. I second Benita’s recommendation of The Colony. Excellent narrative non-fiction and right up your alley.

>263 Copperskye: Hi, Joanne. Great to see you stop by. Another endorsement for The Colony. I will have to add it to the list.

>259 msf59: Good for you, Mark. Someone else motivated me to add A Lesson Before Dying to the WL; I'll add The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, too.

I'm nearing the halfway point in Hollow Kingdom and continuing to enjoy it. I'm going to try that Jane Harper you gave me for my hard copy book.

Hey, Sweet Thursday! Turns out Sweet Thursday was published the year I was born. I may need to do a re-read of Cannery Row and that one soon. A revisit with the gang would be a bit of all right.

Have a good one today. Looks like the weather will be treating us well. I'm going into work (gasp!), but I'll try to keep it short, and get back outside.

>265 jnwelch: Is that you, Joe? Visiting this early? Wipes eyes and gulps more coffee. Yep, it sure is. Morning, bud. Sweet Thursday. Looking forward to your thoughts on The Lost Man. I am trying to track it down on audio. Cannery Row, along with any Steinbeck are worth revisiting, IMHO.

Good luck at "work". I am heading out soon too.

"Beneath the soaring doorways of stone,
and peaks that pierce the ceiling of clouds,
from every river, star, and stone
comes the eternal refrain:
you are home."

"Award-winning author and illustrator Evan Turk showcases the beauty and importance of the National Parks in this gorgeous picture book that takes readers on an amazing tour across the United States."

You Are Home: An Ode to the National Parks is a illustrated valentine to our National Parks, is worth your time, less than 30 minutes, enough time to read it twice. Many of my Bucket List Parks are on here. Turk is a Middle-Grade author. I have not read him before.

^^AW, sh*t! My images aren't loading. Sighs...

Yes, they are!

>268 msf59: They load for me

'Morning, Mark! Happy Thursday and yay for mailman weather.

I forget, did you read Steinbeck's Log from the Sea of Cortez? It complements Cannery Row in some ways, and it's the one that got me back into reading Stenibeck - which took off with that Steinbeckathon.

I was up early to see Debbi off on her trip to Pittsburgh to see Rafa and his parents.

>269 jessibud2: >270 figsfromthistle: I see them both now. Thanks, Shelley & Figs.

>271 karenmarie: Morning, Karen and hooray for mailman weather!

>272 jnwelch: On your recommendation, I did read Sea of Cortez and enjoyed it quite a bit. Love me some Steinbeck. I hope "work" goes smoothly.

>236 msf59: Now that's what I call a bird with presence Mark.

>267 msf59: How gorgeous that book is! Makes me want a coffee table to display it on.

>275 Caroline_McElwee: Glad you like the Green Heron, Carolina. I did not see them, this close up, but they are cool birds.

>276 richardderus: It is a beautiful book, RD, just a bit slight, designed for a younger reader. I WANTED more!

>246 benitastrnad: Sounds excellent Benita. I've added it.

Hi Mark! I listened to The Lost Man on audio a few weeks ago. Second time with that narrator and I think I'm going to read the rest of hers in the normal format. I didn't really care for that narrator but the book is good.

>278 brenzi: I listened to the audio of The Dry and I liked that one. I wonder if it was the same narrator?

^Another illustration from You Are Home: An Ode to the National Parks. I love Pronghorn Antelope. I have seen them on the eastern plains of Colorado.

Did you know they are not "true" antelopes but are more closely related to giraffes.

Lewis and Clark were the first ones to scientifically document Pronghorn Antelope.

Good morning, Mark, and happy Friday to you!

I had a great day off yesterday, just puttering around and reading. I finished Rat Race for the Dick Francis challenge. It was very good.

>281 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. I read a bunch of Dick Francis back in the 80s and remember really liking him. Glad to see the group revisiting him.

Heading out...

>280 msf59: What gorgeous creatures, and artwork!

I had no idea the pronghorns weren't "true" antelopes. Convergent evolution is fascinating.

Happy Friday, Mark. What a beaut! Am I dreaming? I could’ve sworn this was August in Chicago.

I texted you - I’m far enough along in Hollow Kingdom to come upon the role of the unified birds, and I’m seeing another reason you liked this book.😄

We have the beginnings of the swell weather, Mark. It rained much of the morning, but the humidity is way down and temps are as much as 20 degrees (f) lower than yesterday. Cool, huh? Yuk yuk.

Lots of good reading being talked up here (as per usual).

I just wanna say that I like A Gathering of Old Men better than A Lesson Before Dying.

>283 richardderus: Glad you like the artwork, RD. I did not know this about pronghorn antelopes either. Hey, this is why we read, right? Endlessly learning stuff...

>284 jnwelch: Hi, Joe. It was an absolutely gorgeous day. I hope the rest of our summer, stays just like this. I love those cool nights for sleeping too.

Hooray for unified birds, in Hollow Kingdom. Obviously, I knew nothing about the book, when I added it to my backpack (other than a cool cover), but what a treat it turned out to be.

>285 weird_O: It looks like you are getting some fine weather too, Bill. It is supposed to stay like this through the weekend. Then a brief warm up and then back to comfy. I will take it.

So good to hear that you loved A Gathering of Old Men. I am into the 2nd half of Jane Pittman and thoroughly enjoying this one as well. I thought it might have been one of his "lighter" works, listening to different folks, but so far it has been delivering and his writing is so fresh and timeless.

106) The New Order: Stories by Karen E. Bender 4.6 stars ALA

"I wanted a nation in which our leaders never lied and were elected to office because of their love for and adherence to the truth. I wanted a nation where, if people got sick, they would be cared for, swiftly, tenderly, and the only concern would be that they would get well. I wanted a nation that did not conjure suspicion about entire groups of people...I wanted a nation where a person could go to school or shopping or wherever and never worry about whether it was smarter to dive under a chair or run"

“The world was still hot and despairing and full of pain, and I wasn’t a giant at all, but I wasn’t dust, either. I was trying to be a hopeful resident of the world. I stood with my fellow congregants in the room, feeling their presence beside me. We were all paying attention now, our minds unfastened. We looked to the new year...”

Wow, another great surprise. This story collection, from last year, eerily reflects our current state of affairs, taking hard looks at the senseless violence, relentless fear, bigotry and sexual harassment that have been choking our society, with a cold, unflagging fury. Many collections have hit or miss stories, I think this is what most readers expect and while every story here, may not hit for the fences, it is remarkably consistent. I also have to give a shout-out to “ The Department of Happiness and Reimbursement”, which just might be my favorite story that I have read this year. It blew me away.

**Once again, I want to thank Benita for grabbing this title for me, from ALA, last year. She has such an uncanny radar.

When you posted your Lawrence Wright book up thread that name rang a bell. I was sure I had read something by him and I have, Going Clear, which was good but took me a while to get through. I am not that interested in reading about Texas so I had a look for what else he has written. Twins: And What They Tell Us About Who We Are sounds like my kind of book and my library has it so I guess you got me with a BB, Mark, in a strange kind of way.

>34 msf59: >59 msf59: >71 jnwelch: >79 msf59: >125 msf59: >132 jnwelch: >140 banjo123: >171 weird_O: >174 msf59: >214 jnwelch: >226 jnwelch: >248 jnwelch: >265 jnwelch: >284 jnwelch: >286 msf59:

The new pop up feature makes it easy to tell if your touchstone is Hollow Kingdom or The Hollow Kingdom

They both look interesting to me.

Hi Mark, just stopping by to see how the birds, beer and books are treating you - seems like all is well. I am enjoying my listen to Huck Out West and should wind it up tomorrow.

>289 Familyhistorian: Hey, I will take a sideways BB, Meg. Grins...I hope to get to Going Clear in the very near future. His well-received book, The Looming Tower also sounds promising.

>290 quondame: Thanks, Susan. It does look like a nice touchstone feature. It will come in handy. A few of us have been reading Hollow Kingdom and everyone seems to be getting a kick out of it.

>291 DeltaQueen50: Hi, Judy. It as been a slow stretch for the birds, but the beer and books are doing dandy. Glad you are having a good time with Huck Out West.

"This is the way the world ends. Again."

I have been reading very little fantasy these days but many of my LT pals, really like N.K. Jemisin so I thought I would finally start with The Fifth Season, which is the first in a trilogy. I have had this saved on audio, for eons. I also want to get my mitts on her latest story collection. I will start Season today.

I am also well into the second half of Jane Pittman, which has been very good. Even better than expected .

'Morning, Mark! Happy Saturday. Enjoy another mailman weather day. We're going to be about 15 or more degrees cooler than yesterday and cooler for the next week. A welcome relief.

Should be nice weather out there, buddy. We'll be in Comic Con for a good part of it, but we'll enjoy it on either side.

Jemison should be a good companion on the trail; if I've got it right, she won Hugos for all three in the Broken Earth Trilogy (she might be the first to win three in a row?), and a Nebula for the third.

Mark! Hey Mark. I finished number 75! I could get to 100. If I keep up the pace. Of course, I could also retire from the fray. Knock off, quaff a brewski, maybe look at the birds.

Nah.

>294 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. I am glad to hear you are getting some relief from the summer heat too.

>295 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. Have a great time at Comic Con, with Becca. It is another beautiful day out here. I am enjoying the Jemison, in the very early going.

>296 weird_O: Congrats on hitting 75, Bill. You should have no problem reading 25 books, in the next 4 months.

Really looking forward to your thoughts on The Fifth Season, Mark, especially how it works in audio. I own the trilogy and LOVE to recommend it :)

>298 bell7: Hi, Mary. Great to see you. The audio of The Fifth Season has been very good, but I am still trying to keep it all pieced together. Not easy, for any format you choose. One thing is for sure, her writing is terrific.

>276 richardderus: I read The Dry Mark and listened to the next two so I don't know about the narrator.

The New Order looks good.

I had to disable that new LT feature because I mostly use my iPad while I cruise the threads and once the pop up appears I couldn't get rid of it and it blocked what I was trying to read.

>300 brenzi: Hi, Bonnie. I love the Australian accent, so that is why I want to hear the audio. I love listening to Irish audios too. I hope you can track down The New Order: Stories. It is an excellent collection.

Bummer, about the issues you are having with the new LT feature. I think it is pretty cool.