Mark's Reading Place: Chapter One

Red-Bellied Woodpecker. My backyard. Christmas Day!

Audiobook:



Graphic/Comic:



January:

1) Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi 3.7 stars
2) How to Pronounce Knife: Stories by Souvankham Thammavongsa 4.4 stars
3) We Keep the Dead Close by Becky Cooper 3.8 stars (audio)
4) Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar 4.6 stars

Sayonara, 2020. It was one strange, unsettling year. Lots of darkness, anger and frustration, along with some real bright moments, like my daughter's wedding, my retirement and the Biden/Harris win. Of course, I am also fortunate that my family and friends have remained safe and healthy.
I also managed to have an excellent reading year. I fell far short of my stellar numbers from last year but this will be the new norm and I have no problem with it. Nonfiction has usually dominated the past few years, but fiction really came out strong. As usual, narrowing down the best reads of the year, is no easy task but these are the titles I came up with...

Fiction:

1) Shuggie Bain
2) Hamnet
3) Girl, Woman, Other
4) A Thread of Grace
5) Tiny Love: Stories

Honorable Mentions- The Stone Diaries, The Cold Millions

Non-Fiction:

1) A Field Guide to Getting Lost
2) The New Jim Crow
3) The Splendid and the Vile
4) Memorial Drive
5) Late Migrations

Honorable Mentions- The Falcon Thief, American Heiress

If, I had to narrow it down to only 5:

1) Shuggie Bain
2) A Field Guide to Getting Lost
3) Hamnet
4) The New Jim Crow
5) Girl, Woman, Other

I wish you a Happy New Year. May it be better than the old one.

Welcome back buddy.

Best wishes for a better 2021!

>7 Ameise1: Thanks, Barb. Good to see you.

>8 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. Looking forward to another year with the gang.

>9 DianaNL: Thanks, Diana. Fingers crossed.

...wait..."Mark"...hmmm, I have a distant memory of 2020 where there's a "Mark" but he hasn't been seen lately....

Dropping a star, Mark. Looking forward to seeing where your reading takes you in 2021.

Hi Mark, I'm just bopping around the threads leaving my calling card, as it were. I'm looking forward to bookish banter in 2021. Happy New Year!

>11 richardderus: Are you referring to Bird Dude, perhaps? Hmmmmmm?

>12 Crazymamie: Great to see you, Mamie. Looking forward to another stellar reading year.

>13 lauralkeet: Happy New year, Laura. Hooray for book & bird banter!

Welcome to 2021!

Happy New Year, Mark. Hope 2021 is another great reading year for you.

The Splendid and the Vile has been sitting on my bookshelf since spring and I am eager to get into it. I've got a lot of 20th century history lined up, starting with the new Rachel Maddow book about Spiro Agnew.

Happy New Year Mark!

Happy new year!Glad you made it out of the pit of 2020!

Dropping my star, Mark. Happy new year!

Mark, Happy New Year of birds, books and beer! Your corner of LT is always a comfortable resting spot for me.

Happy new thread! Hope 2021 is kind to you

>15 The_Hibernator: >17 SandDune: >18 drneutron: >19 katiekrug: >20 kac522: >21 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Rachel, Rhian, Jim, Katie, Kathy & Chelle! Happy New Year, my friends.

>16 lindapanzo: Happy New Year, Linda. I hope for a face to face Meet Up in 2021 and I hope you can get to The Splendid and the Vile soon.

Happy New Year, Mark! I'm thankful for our long LT friendship.

Happy New Year, Mark!
I truly hope we get to share a beer or three in person again in 2021.

I am enjoying The Women of the Copper Country these days as well as the audio of Memorial Drive. Trethewey's narration of her own memoir is so perfect. In fact, I'm going to head down to the basement to listen to another half hour of it while I ride the stationary bike. Then it's time for new year celebration libation!

I also have The Splendid and the Vile on my kindle, hope to get to it soon.

Happy reading and birding in 2021, Mark!

Happy NewYear Mark. I look forward to following your warbling again

Happy New Year, my fine friend!

And keep up with my friends here, Mark. Have a great 2021.

Happy new year!

>23 AMQS: Thanks, Anne!

>24 EBT1002: Thanks, Ellen. Fingers crossed for a Meet up. Love your current reads. The Women of the Copper Country is a perfect companion piece to The Cold Millions. Just sayin'...

>25 FAMeulstee: >26 brenzi: >27 mahsdad: >28 PaulCranswick: >29 quondame: Thanks, Anita, Bonnie, Jeff, Paul & Susan. Happy New Year, my friends.

Happy new year and new thread, Mark. I had a white-breasted nuthatch at my feeder yesterday, a rare visitor for me. The red-breasted ones and the goldfinches in winter drab are my usual daily fare, so it was a nice treat!

>31 msf59: How beautiful! That's the first not-creepy NY card-like thing I've seen today. (Go look at Harry Butler's thread!)

‘Morning, Mark, and Happy New Year! Excellent toppers. As you already know, I really like the photo of the Red-Bellied Woodpecker with his reflection.

>31 msf59: Very nice.

>31 msf59: Beautiful, good morning Mark.

Happy new year to you and yours, Mark!

Happy 2021!
I had a great reading year in 2020. My total was 135. That is the most I have read in one year since I started keeping track of my reading. I suspect that it is my most ever - including during college. It was a exciting reading year.

My top 5 Nonfiction for 2020 were:
1. Black in Selma: The Uncommon Life of J. L. Chestnut, Jr. by J. L. Chestnut, Jr.
2. Monuments Men by Robert Edsel
3. Book Collectors: A Band of Syrian Rebels and the Stories That Carried Them Through A War by Delphine Minoui
4. Amsterdam: A History of the World's Most Liberal City by Russell Shorto
5. Glass House: The Shattering of the All-American Town by Brian Alexander

>32 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley. Happy New Year. And hooray for the white-breasted nuthatch. I have not seen one of those today.

>33 richardderus: Hey, RD. Glad you like the non-creepy bluebird.

>34 karenmarie: Happy New Year, Karen. You know I wanted to share that red-bellied woodpecker one more time.

>35 Ameise1: >36 Carmenere: Happy New Year, Barb & Lynda!

>37 benitastrnad: Happy New Year, Benita. Congrats on reading 135 books! And thanks for sharing your NF Best of List. I was also a big fan of The Monuments Men.

Hi, Mark. Looking forward to more books and birds here in this bright new year. (Kinda getting a gloomy start, weatherwise, where I am...but still.) I'll have a beer from time to time as well, just to be companionable, you know?

>16 lindapanzo: Oooo...Rachel Maddow has a book about Spiro Agnew? THAT should be interesting.

To my favorite warbler and good friend,

Hi, Mark! Great thread topper, and your two current reads are on my radar to read this year.

>39 laytonwoman3rd: Happy New Year, Linda. It would be nice to have a beer together one of these days.

>40 Berly: >41 tymfos: Thanks, Kim & Terri! Happy New Year!

Welcome back and happy reading!

Happy New Year, and happy reading Mark!

Happy New Year!

Looking forward to your birding and reading adventures.

Happy New Year Mark!

2020 kind of broke the reading part of my brain but I’m hoping to recover my reading habits in 2021.

Hey Mark. Stopping by at the end of this first day of the new year. While my family ended up having a spirited call about Spokane today, trying to recollect where we lived (I brought it up because of The Cold Millions) most of my reading time was spent with Michiko Kakutani's Ex Libris, which was a good way to start off the year. I mean, why not add more books to the wishlist?

>43 thornton37814: >44 EllaTim: >45 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Lori, Ella, Figs. Happy New Year!

>46 SuziQoregon: Thanks, Julie. Great to see you, stranger. It has been awhile. I hope to see you around more often in 2021.

>47 alphaorder: Morning, Nancy. It sounds like a fun time talking about Spokane with the family. Looking forward to hearing more of your thoughts on The Cold Millions. How is Ex Libris? I haven't seen much LT chatter on that one.

Morning, Mark!

>49 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! Get your new thread up yet?

^Who's a pretty boy?

>50 msf59: Yep.

>51 msf59: Wow Mark, this bird is!

'Eh Yo, Mark. I just got up, made some joe, and realized: It's a new day, it's a new year. And I've already finished a book in this new year. Born a Crime.

Happy New Year, Mark. I hope your year is full of books, birds, and beer, not necessarily in that order.

My audio is A Life on Our Planet. Loving listening to Sir David Attenborough reading it.

>53 DianaNL: Glad you like the red-bellied woodpecker, Diana.

>54 weird_O: Howdy, Bill. Happy New Year. I think your first finished book of the year was a perfect choice. it is such a good memoir. New thread yet?

>55 BLBera: Thanks and Happy New Year, Beth. If the same trends continue, those 3 Bs will continue to hum along for much of 2021.

>56 alphaorder: Ooh, sounds like the perfect audio, Nancy. Sweet.

Dropping off my and wishing you the best of new years in 2021!

>57 msf59: The new thread is mired in Google Docs. Gots to get a topper.

>58 ronincats: Thanks, Roni! Happy New Year!

>59 weird_O:

>51 msf59: Love the bird!

>61 thornton37814: Me too, Lori!

"The stories that make up How to Pronounce Knife focus on characters struggling to find their bearings in unfamiliar territory...In a taut, visceral prose style that establishes her as one of the most striking and assured voices of her generation..."

After finishing my first book of 2021, Transcendent Kingdom, (more on that one later) I wanted to read my first story collection of the new year- How to Pronounce Knife: Stories. 2 stories in and I am loving it. Thanks to Bonnie for putting this one on my radar.

>30 msf59: "The Women of the Copper Country is a perfect companion piece to The Cold Millions..." Hmm, I wonder where I am in the library queue for "my" copy of Cold Millions.

Hi Mark, Happy New Year. I am dropping my star and getting comfortable as I anticipate the Birds, Beer and Book conversations. I am finding that as I grow older, I am moving slower and it takes me longer to visit everyone, but I will be around and I am sure I will be moving so slowly I won't be able to avoid the BBs!

Happy New Year Mark. Wishing you many good reads in 2021, and lifers too.

>64 EBT1002: I hope you are getting close in the library queue for The Cold Millions. Lots of similarities to the MDR. It also reminded me of The Last Ballad. Did you ever read that one?

>65 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy. I do not anticipate any slowdown on those mighty 3 Bs. Keeping caught up on LT, is never an easy task. Good to see you, my friend.

>66 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks, Caroline. Happy New Year. Hooray for books & lifers! Those little joys in life.

Happy New Year, Mark! It looks like you are getting in lots of reading...

>63 msf59: It won the Giller Prize for 2020 so I'm not surprised you're enjoying it, Mark.

The Cold Millions is on the TBR pile closest to my bed, so I should get to it soon!

Happy New Year to you Mark. Hope it will be a great reading year for you!

Happy New Year and Happy New Thread!

>68 banjo123: Thanks, Rhonda. Yah for the books!

>69 MickyFine: Hi, Micky. I am loving How to Pronounce Knife. Have you read it?

>70 Berly: Hi, Kimmers! I sure hope my warbling on The Cold Millions is causing a stir.

>71 mdoris: >72 SilverWolf28: Happy New Year, Mary & Silver. Good to see you both!

Happy 2021, Mark! I’m looking forward to following along with you again this year. Don’t know what I’d do without my books, birds, and beer buddy!

It's live, Mark. Kinda skimpy. Paul breezed through shortly after I turned on the lights. I think he might have boosted a couple of my books. We're doing inventory just now. I want to clear his name.

Reading about trees and Barack Obama. I've got such a swell pile of good books atop my chest of drawers.

>74 Copperskye: Thanks, Joanne. You know I like sharing the mighty 3 Bs with my good pals. Have a healthy one my friend.

>75 weird_O: Bill is live! Bill is live! It looks like I had been in bed for awhile, at that point. And yep, you can't trust that shifty Paul.

-Northern Flicker. My backyard. New Year's Eve.

>77 msf59: Wow, Marc. What a beauty.

>77 msf59: - How beautiful!

Morning, Mark!

>77 msf59: I have never seen one of these- fancy!

>78 EllaTim: >79 jessibud2: Glad you like the flicker, Ella & Shelley. During the warmer months, they can usually be found foraging on the ground. I am glad this one likes my suet feeder.

>80 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie. Flickers are one of my favorite woodpeckers. They can be found all year round here and are particularly noisy in the spring.

Hi Mark, and happy Sunday to you. I got distracted yesterday and apparently didn’t leave a message. Have fun today at Bree’s. I hope your Bears beat the Packers.

>77 msf59: What a beauty and such a great photo.

Dark-Eyed Junco. My backyard. For some reason I have a difficult time getting a good photo of these guys. Always a bit washed out. Regardless, they are cuties and they winter here too, so we see them regularly from Nov to April.

>82 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Glad you like the flicker! And Go Bears! They will have their hands full with the mighty Pack!

I will be watching the game - Go Pack Go!

OMG! I thought I've visited your new thread but I was remiss!
Soooo, Happy New Year, Mark! You're off to a great start! Best wishes for a more normal year!
We get gazillions of Juncos. They are so cute and boy can they eat! I haven't seen any Flickers but red-bellied woodpeckers, blue jays, blue birds and cardinals are abundant.
Good luck to your Bears............I'm hoping the Browns get a playoff berth.

It's nice you have such variety of bird life in your back yard.

Happy Sunday, Mark wonderful bird photos.

Happy Sunday Mark!

Happy 2021!

Dropping my star and looking forward to your stream of BB's and beautiful birds.

>85 alphaorder: Come on, Nancy. The Pack have the division wrapped up. How about a little Bears love, eh?

>86 Carmenere: No problem, Lynda. It gets to be a whirlwind on the threads, this time of the year. Happy New Year, my friend. Glad to hear you also get to enjoy the juncos. I have never had a bluebird at our feeders. Go Bears! Go Browns!

>87 thornton37814: It definitely supplies some joy, Lori, especially when I m not getting out on my bird strolls.

>88 Ameise1: Thanks, Barb. Glad you like the bird photos.

>89 The_Hibernator: Happy Sunday, Rachel. I hope all is well there.

>90 streamsong: Happy New Year, Janet. Good to see you and hooray for all the joyful Bs, in our lives.

>91 msf59:. Sorry, but I want that number one seed and the bye. :)

>75 weird_O: Heh...yeah, that Yorkshireman is a bit sticky-fingered around the books, ain't he.

Happy Sunday's football, Mark. See you tomorrow.

Happy Sunday, Mark.

>77 msf59: I absolutely adore Flickers. That's a great photo, Mark.

>83 msf59: and juncos are cute.

>63 msf59: You hit me with one of the first book bullet's of 2021.

All good wishes for a continued wonderful retirement.

Happy New Year, Mark!

Can the Bears do it? We'll see.

Love that painting up top.

Good list of 2020 favorites. I'm particularly with you on A Field Guide to Getting Lost. I plan to read more Solnit this year.

We figure we won't be seeing the vaccine before March or April, but maybe they'll surprise us. Luckily, as a teacher, Becca will get it soon.

Mark - bringing a little brightness into your evening, ICYMI.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/01/03/painted-bunting-great-falls-b...

>67 msf59: I actually never did read The Last Ballad, Mark. It has been on my wishlist for a few years now. There are so many good books still to read!

I saw over on Caroline's thread that you are planning to read The Woman of Troublesome Creek this month. I have it high on my TBR stack so perhaps we'll get to read it somewhat in tandem. I have so enjoyed these last few days of vacation -- more reading, more LTing, and still plenty of time to watch my Seahawks -- and I'm a bit nervous that I'll fall behind again when I start back to full-time work tomorrow. Oh well, I know the next 7 months will go by at the pace they always do. *smile*

>93 alphaorder: Well, Nancy, you got your wish, the "one seed and the bye". The Bears didn't play bad but they were completely outmatched. The Packers are good enough to win it all.

>94 richardderus: Hey, RD. It was good day with the books and football, despite the Bears loss.

>95 AMQS: Happy Sunday, Anne. I hope you don't spoil me with your visits. Grins...

>96 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura. Hooray for the flickers & the juncos.

>97 Whisper1: Hi, Linda and thanks. I got you with a perfect BB. How to Pronounce Knife is excellent. Finished it today.

>98 jnwelch: Happy New Year, Joe. The Bears did NOT do it, which was not surprising. They are in the playoffs but they definitely don't deserve it. I would like to read more Solnit too.

>99 alphaorder: I LOVE the Painted Bunting, Nancy and what a great story. I would sure like to see one of these beauties.

>100 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen. It looks like the Seahawks won today. Yah! I plan on starting The Woman of Troublesome Creek by the middle of the month, if you want to join me. I have a copy on my Kindle.

I have been seeing The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek being mentioned all over LT today so I checked it our and lo' and behold it was on at a reduced price for the Kindle so now I am the proud owner of a copy. Mark has struck again!

>103 DeltaQueen50: Hi, Judy. Good to see you. Hooray for Troublesome Creek! I had also snagged a reduced ebook copy. Maybe, you can join a couple of us, in reading it.

'Morning, Mark, and happy retirement Monday to you. I hope you get a chance to get out today. It's cloudy here.

I've seen Cardinals and a Red-Bellied Woodpecker this morning. Carolina Chickadees and Carolina Wrens yesterday along with House Finches.

Morning, Karen. I am going to Sue's work, to get my neck and back adjusted and then I will head off to the Arboretum, for my first visit there of the year. Love the feeder report. It is still dark out there, so I can't get a good look at the feeders.

**Okay, I had a black-capped chickadee and a junco, as my first visitors.

Morning, Mark! Have fun at the Arboretum.

>108 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie and thanks. Looking forward to seeing more FOY, (first of the year) birds.

-Harry Bliss

>110 msf59: Ha! Oh yeah, great idea.

Morning, Mark. After the holiday lull, it's back to getting things done. Debbi keeps sending me text reminders of things we've got appointments for. Oh well.

Nice Bulls win last night; disappointing Bears loss. I had been looking forward to the Bears defense being really good this year, and that's probably the biggest disappointment. We knew the offense wasn't going to set the world on fire.

So far I'm getting more writing done, but less reading. Let's see whether we can balance that out better. The Louise Gluck collection is interesting. She's a strong writer, and I'm starting to get into her more mature writing.

>111 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. I am going over to the Arboretum in a little while, just to get some fresh air, exercise and see some birdies. You are right about that Bears defense. I think they were pretty much flat all season, with just a glimpse now and then. I hope you reading begins to pick up. I do not think I have read Gluck.

>73 msf59: I haven't read it. Literary fiction has mostly been beyond my mental capacity in the last year. Think I'll be comfort reading in 2021 too.

>110 msf59: Love it.

>113 MickyFine: Hey, Micky. When you are ready, you might want to read How to Pronounce Knife to help ease you back into literary fiction. Crisp, easy prose, that still packs a punch.

>114 Ameise1: It definitely made me smile, Barb.

Glad to see the Bears made the playoffs but I'm eager for a warm weather team having to venture up to the frozen tundra of Green Bay. The first look at the forecast for next weekend shows the coldest temps of the season, though not very cold by GB standards.

The hockey season starts on January 13th and having 6 NFL playoff games this weekend should help tide me over.

>116 lindapanzo: Hi, Linda. I don't think the Bears played badly yesterday but the Packers made them look like a high school team. Rodgers and Co. are good enough to go all the way.

Hey, what do you think of the recent moves by the Cubs? I am disappointed. Isn't it a bit early to start a rebuild? Darvish has turned out to be one of the best pitchers in the game.

^My first trip to the Arboretum this morning. It is gorgeous here in the winter. Some of the paths can be a bit icy though, like this one, so I try to walk along the edges. Not a heck of a lot of birds but I did spot a Saw-Whet Owl. My FOY owl! Yah!

Nice pic! That looks like a great place for hiking. How deep is the snow?

>117 msf59: It's going to be a long season for both my Cubs and my Blackhawks. Both unexpectedly went into full rebuild mode earlier than expected. The Hawks don't even have a first-string goalie right now, whereas, last season, they had two top of the line NHL goalies. Now, it's a couple minor leaguers and a second string NHL goalie who's never fulfilled his potential.

As for the Cubs, possibly even worse. It sounds like the Ricketts family is destitute and willing to put a minor league team on the field. Even if Wrigley reopens, I doubt I'll be back there anytime soon. Since 1966, I've averaged 10 to 15 ballgames a year but probably not anymore.

>118 msf59: Love this picture, and your toppers. We've had the first big freeze here for ages and the birds have been hitting our feeders hard, including some more unusual visitors. But nothing as dramatic as your woodpecker.

Wishing you a great year of reading - I picked up a British GN recently that I liked a lot - Breakwater - not sure if it is being published outside the UK.

>118 msf59: So pretty! Nice photo.

I got back to T-town and am going to spend the rest of the day unpacking the car and catching up on my book lists. I didn't get as much reading done as I wanted to, but I did get some books knocked out. I listened to Book 2 in the Harry Potter series on the way back to Alabama and thought it mediocre children's literature at best. I can see why the librarians never noticed it until Book 4 came out and they began to notice the sales. I know I missed it when the first book was published back in 1995 or so. It simply didn't make any of the must purchase lists I follow or order from. I wonder how these will age? Will they be like Little House on the Prairie and be something read for 70 years after first publication?

The University notified me today that they have a Covid vaccine dose with my name on it, so I will have to make an appointment for tomorrow to get it. At first I had trouble figuring out why I would be on the list and then I remembered - the age thing.

>119 drneutron: Thanks, Jim. Not much snow. Just a few inches.

>120 lindapanzo: I don't follow much hockey, Linda but I hope the Blackhawks supply some enjoyment for you, through the season.

>121 charl08: Happy New Year, Charlotte. Great to see you. Glad you like the pics and topper! I have not read a GN in nearly a month, so I am really itching to get to one.

>122 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie. Not a bad shot with my cellphone.

Pretty Arboretum shot! I saw this on Twitter:

>118 msf59: What a lovely photo.
All good wishes for a year filled with lots of bird watching, and book reading.

>118 msf59: Lovely shot Mark.

>118 msf59: - So pretty! I bet it was very quiet, too. And congrats on the owl.

>123 benitastrnad: Hi, Benita. Did you get my text? I am glad you made it back safely. Sorry, you didn't care for the Harry Potter book. I remember liking that one. I am glad to hear you are getting vaccinated.

>125 richardderus: Hey, RD. I think that is a kingfisher. Great looking bird.

>126 Whisper1: Thanks, Linda. Expect more photos and book and bird warbling.

>127 brenzi: Thanks, Bonnie.

>128 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley. It is beautiful place. I just had to point and shoot. Smiles...

"A deeply personal work about hope and identity in a nation coming apart at the seams, Homeland Elegies blends fact and fiction to tell an epic story of belonging and dispossession in the world that 9/11 made. Part family drama, part social essay, part picaresque adventure..."

I meant to post this morning and spaced it. I started Homeland Elegies yesterday, so I am 60-plus pages in. So far, it is excellent. The writing is superb. A big thank you to Nancy for gifting this wonderful book to me. It made her Best of the Year list and I can clearly see why.

>130 msf59: - Exhibit A. Bingo

>118 msf59: Gorgeous photo!

>131 msf59:

Glad to see you are enjoying Homeland Elegies. Have you seen any of his plays? Shawn and I saw Junk at the Milwaukee Rep. I thought it was excellent. I still need to either read or see American Dervish. The book is in my stack, so that is more likely.

>132 jessibud2: B.A.G.

>133 mdoris: Thanks, Mary. I get lucky once in awhile.

>134 alphaorder: Hi, Nancy. Definitely enjoying Elegies. This is the first time I had heard of Akhtar. I did not know he was a playwright. Of course, I am now curious about American Dervish.

Morning, Mark!

>130 msf59: Yep.

>136 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie. Love these visits. All eyes on your state today. Fingers crossed.

^This is also from my walk yesterday. A small forest preserve. The river was running swiftly here and to the left, in an open spot in the water, were hundreds of Canada geese, along with a large group of mallards.

>138 msf59: That's a lovely winter scene.

>138 msf59: That looks like a lovely place to walk!

>138 msf59: That is so full of gorgeous. I really miss snow.

>139 thornton37814: >140 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Lori & Chelle. It is a beautiful spot, just a bit icy on the trails.

>141 Crazymamie: I definitely do not mind a few inches of snow, Mamie and so far it has delivered on that front. I wish I could send some your way.

1) Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi 3.7 stars

Gifty is a neuroscientist, working for the Stanford School of Medicine. Her family are Ghanaian immigrants. Her evangelical mother is living with her, struggling deeply with depression. Gifty's brother died from a heroin overdose, while he was still in his teens. Her research into addiction, is a way for Gifty to deal with these challenging issues and her family's troubled past.
I absolutely adored Gyasi's debut, Homegoing. This does not reach those lofty heights but it is well-written and feels like a story she is quite familiar with since her own Ghanaian family immigrated to Alabama and she went to school at Stanford. It is not a smooth or easy read but I will still recommend it.

Morning, Mark!

>143 msf59: - I keep going back and forth about reading this one. I loved Homegoing but this one just doesn't call out to me...

‘Morning, Mark, and happy Tuesday to you. Congrats on the Saw-Whet. How many owls did you collect last year?

>130 msf59: Can you believe it? I’m really glad it got leaked so more people could hear how stupid and venal and criminal this man is.

>138 msf59: Beautiful shot. I had a flock of Canada Geese honking and flying by yesterday. They must be locals – we have locals now – because they were flying east northeast.

Morning, Mark!

>138 msf59: Oh, that's gorgeous!

>144 katiekrug: Morning, Katie. You might just want to skirt Transcendent Kingdom then. I am sure you have a multitude of others to choose from.

>145 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. I believe I got the snowy owl early last year on the lakefront, so that should make 5 species for the year. The only 2 I missed, were the Eastern Screech and the Long-Eared. The LEO would be a LIFER!

Glad you like the photo!

>146 scaifea: Morning, Amber. Good to see you. Glad you like the woodsy photo.

Hey there Birddude. Happy you enjoyed Transcendent Kingdom more than I did...the evangelical abusive mother was just too much for me.

Splendid Tuesday orisons.

Love your Arboretum photos, Mark. So gorgeously wintery.

Happy new year, Mark! 2020 was a huge mixed bag for me too, with happy highlights being my brother's wedding and purchasing my first house. Glad you had a few moments to get you through the difficult parts, and here's hoping 2021 is better and brighter!

>121 charl08: Breakwater was on the New York Times list of 2020's top 10 graphic novels, Charlotte, so it is available in the US. I've already read two of the ten (Constitution Illustrated and One Story by Gipi.

The text of Constitution Illustrated is the US Constitution. It's parsed into chunks, each of which is presented in a style of a different cartoonist or cartoon strip. One Story is a spare, mystifying narrative that spirals through time, from today back to a World War I episode with stops along the way. Excellent illustrations in an array of moods.

I see you need no encouragement, Mark. But I approve of your activities.

I'm inspired by your example.

>130 msf59: LOL, that was the first thing Frank said to me, after we heard about it :-)

>138 msf59: So beautiful!

Mark - I was looking at your 2020 thread and couldn't answer the question of whether you have read Owls of the Eastern Ice. If you haven't, I would recommend it highly.

>148 richardderus: Hey, RD! I think we were both a bit disappointed in Transcendent Kingdom , especially after her impressive debut and I agree the mother in the novel did get annoying. I wonder if Gyasi modeled after her own. I hope not.

>149 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky. Not many bird photos, so I have to share the landscape shots.

>150 bell7: Thanks, Mary. Happy New Year. I agree with you on 2020 being a mixed bag. Hoping for a smoother 2021.

>151 weird_O: >152 weird_O: Hey, Bill. I would definitely be interested in Breakwater too. Glad to hear it is available stateside.
Yep, it is no secret I love being outdoors and I am not letting the winter weather stop me.

>153 FAMeulstee: It looks like Frank nailed it, Anita. He is quite astute. LOL.

I have both Homegoing and Transcendent Kingdom on my shelves and am planning on reading BIPOC books this year. So hopefully I'll get to one. I take it you suggest her Homegoing?

>154 Oberon: Happy New Year, Erik. Good to see you, sir. I remember having Owls of the Eastern Ice on my TBR but it wasn't available at my library or on audio, at the time. I have now grabbed a copy on audio. Thanks for the reminder. It sure sounds like my cuppa.

>156 The_Hibernator: Hi, Rachel. I gave Homegoing 5 stars, so I would definitely suggest you go with that one first. An amazing debut.

Happy New Year Mark. I hope to keep up with you this year.

>158 avatiakh: Happy New Year, Kerry. Great to see you.

Let's hope like hell the polls give us Blue skies over Georgia.

I'm teetering on the edge of obsessively checking the polls but that will only make me crazy and probably cause sleep loss. Ugh. We need some good news!

Happy new year Mark! It's been literally years since I paid you a visit but I'm back on LT and I see your thread is still as active as ever. I love the beautiful birds and it looks like your 2021 reading is off to a strong start.

>162 richardderus: >163 AMQS: I think it is uncomfortably close, RD & Ann. I don't think we will find out until tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

>164 AnneDC: Happy New Year, Anne. Welcome back. Great to see you. Yep, I am still chugging along and birds have become a part of my life. Hope to see you around more often.

-Clay Bennett

>143 msf59: Saving this one until she comes to speak in Portland later this year.

Love all your bird photos and the snow covered walkways!! Also burning the 2020 calendar.

Looks like we got 1 Democrat win for sure in Georgie and have to wait until tomorrow to see about the other race. My husband just wants a new party to start because he is done being a Republican and he is tired of just two parties. We'll see...interesting times.

>167 Berly: Hi, Kimmers. I am glad you are getting to attend the Gyasi author event. I am also glad you like the photos. I did not realize your husband was a Republican, although it is great to hear he is jumping ship.

Come on Georgia!!

Morning, Mark!

>166 msf59: Love this!

'Morning, Mark, and happy Wednesday.

>166 msf59: Yay for Stacey Abrams.

I was trying to not let my hopes get too high, but what a joy to wake up to Good Blue News in Georgia.

Morning, Mark!

>166 msf59: Woot! I love it!

Mark -

In case you and your LT buddies are looking for more books to read, here are Lit Hub's most anticipated books of 2021. There are only 228 to choose from. A number of story collections that I thought would appeal to you, given our recent conversation.

https://lithub.com/lit-hubs-most-anticipated-books-of-2021/

Morning, Mark.

So far, so good from Georgia. The NYTimes thinks Ossoff will win, too, because the remaining votes are from Democratic precincts. Wouldn't that be great?

I'm nearing the end of Half of a Yellow Sun. I've sure learned a lot I didn't know about the history of Nigeria and Biafra. I'm hanging in there with Louise Gluck. She doesn't have the pizzazz of some of the poets you and I have liked, like Ada Limon, but she's very good, and occasionally has one that really grabs me. I'm about a third of the way through her 600+ pager.

It's looking like Ossoff will squeak past the recount point of 50.5% of the vote, as of now.

I am crossed into very odd topology to jink it into being.

Like >172 alphaorder: says, that LitHub list has some gems! Kevin Barry for one:
KEVIN BARRY, THAT OLD COUNTRY MUSIC, DOUBLEDAY
(JANUARY 12)
There are no bad Kevin Barry books. There are no sedate Kevin Barry books. Every darkly-soulful tragicomedy he produces—be it a novel or a short story collection—is a wild, electrified beast of language that throws you up on its back as it dances with manic glee around the lonesome, haunted west of Ireland landscape. Having said all that, Barry’s latest collection is (at times) a somewhat quieter affair—a touch sweeter and more melancholic in tone—but the stories in That Old Country Music have all the hypnotic pathos and inimitable linguistic verve of Barry at his very best.

>169 Crazymamie: Hi, Mamie! Yay for Stacey Abrams. What an incredible job she has done.

>170 karenmarie: Happy Wednesday indeed, Karen. Hooray for Stacey Abrams & Good Blue News in Georgia! Yippee!

>171 scaifea: Hi, Amber! Yay for Stacey Abrams.

>172 alphaorder: Ooh, I look forward to looking through this list, Nancy. Thanks for sharing.

>173 jnwelch: Happy Wednesday, Joe. This is shaping up to be a great BLUE DAY! Stacey Abrams has done an outstanding job in Georgia. A future president, perhaps? Thanks for the book report. I have wanted to read Half of a Yellow Sun for quite awhile. I also liked your comments on Gluck. I will have to give her a try.

>174 richardderus: Hey, RD. Come on Ossoff! You can DO IT!! This new Barry does sound good. I really NEED to go back and read more of his earlier work.

>168 msf59: Yes, and I still love him, but we regularly cancel each other out in voting. LOL. I vote on the individual not by the party, but most of my votes wind up in the Democratic bin.

I’m two stories in to How to Pronounce Knife too, Mark. I don’t usually like short stories but these are good. It’s a book club pick. Oh, and Happy New Year.

>177 Berly: The key is you still love him, Kim. Grins...

>178 Familyhistorian: Hi, Meg. I am so glad you are enjoying How to Pronounce Knife despite your dislike of short stories. It is an excellent collection.

^I think we could all use this today. A Bald Eagle taking a dip, during one of my bird outings today.

>180 msf59: Yup.

"The compact, rather short-necked Brant is an attractive small goose with a black head, white necklace, and rich brown body brightening to white under the tail. They winter in flocks in bays, estuaries, and lagoons, where they eat eelgrass and other aquatic vegetation. They nest in the Arctic in wetlands thick with grasses and sedges."

Brant are rarely found in the continental US, so when one showed up at Montrose Harbor, on the Chicago lakefront and had been sticking around for several days, I decided to trek down there yesterday morning and got great looks. It hangs with Canada geese and since it is about half the size, it was easier to pick out. FOY, LIFER. I am hoping for many more.

>180 msf59: Could hardly believe waht I saw on TV last night...

>183 msf59: Congratulations on a lifer again, Mark!

Morning, Mark!

It's a wild ride reading through some of the threads from yesterday: we all go from happy and excited about the Georgia results to horrified and shocked and sad. It's crazy to think that there will probably be more than a few pages in future history textbooks about recent events.

>184 FAMeulstee: Hi, Anita. We can only imagine what the rest of the world thinks of us. You must think we live in an unstable Banana Republic and with Trump in charge, we probably are. At least I got my Lifer, right?

>185 scaifea: Morning, Amber. Yesterday was an ugly roller-coaster ride, for sure. One we should be ashamed of for a long time. At least Georgia came through and it looks like it shook up the folks on Capital Hill, getting them to pass the electoral vote without much dissent.

If you are keeping track and I don't blame you if you are not, I did get my LIFER Snow Goose, a couple of weeks ago. I could not get a good photo, though. I sure did this time, as one showed up at the Chicago lakefront, hanging with a large flock of Canada geese. The Brant showed up with this group too.

>186 msf59: It was very clear to me, in a nutshell as it were, what a dangerous demagogue Trump is. Everything he said diametrically opposed to the truth. And how he has bewitched his followers to believe in his view of the facts. It's like they have been brainwashed. Scary.

>183 msf59: Lovely goose. I haven't seen any of those for years.

Morning, Mark!

Morning, Mark, and sweet Thursday to you. We need it after yesterday.

>183 msf59: Congrats on your LIFER! Excellent pic.

>187 msf59: A second LIFER Goose. Whew. BirdDude scored.

Happy Thursday Mark! Nice to see a bald eagle!

Hi Mark. I made it to your thread. I love all the bird pictures, they are very pretty. And those cartoons are funny and so true.

>181 msf59: What was that bald eagle doing in Chicagoland? Shoulda been in D.C., ripping into insurrectionist flesh.

>183 msf59: Beautiful!

Hi Mark, so glad today is calmer. Yesterday was horrific.

Pardon my ignorance, Mark, but does a lifer mean that it's the first time you've ever seen that bird?

>188 EllaTim: Hi, Ella. You have described Trump perfectly. We are hoping he is out the picture, very soon now. We are sick of it.

>189 Crazymamie: Sweet Thursday, Mamie.

>190 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. Yep, much more relaxed today and trying to stay distracted with birds and books. Thanks, on the Lifers. Always exciting.

>191 The_Hibernator: Hi, Rachel. Bald Eagles have become much more common here. This one is on a river, on my way to my daughter's house. 15-20 minutes from here.

>192 connie53: Hi, Connie! Wow! It is great seeing you, stranger. How many years has it been? Glad you like the photos and the birds. I share those a lot now.

>193 weird_O: LOL. I was wondering the same thing, Bill. I wish a huge flock of them would have came down over the Capital building yesterday and had a feast.

>194 alphaorder: Hi, Nancy. It sounds like the Brant is still hanging around today. I am sure glad I went down and saw it.

>195 lindapanzo: Hi, Linda. Yep, much more relaxed today. Those horrific events definitely impeded my reading yesterday but I hope to get back in the groove today.

You are correct: A LIFER, is a first time bird. This relates to birders and birdwatchers keeping a "Life List" of everything they have seen.

You always take great pictures of your birding adventures! Do you have a special camera or just a "normal" one ?

Sweet Thursday, Mark!

Oh, today feels good, despite the insurrection of idiots yesterday. Supposedly momentum is gathering for Am. 25-ing drumpf, but it's hard to see that happening with less than 2 weeks left. Man, do we all owe Stacey Abrams. So great. I'm hoping Biden and Harris find something appropriate for her to do in their administration.

>197 msf59: How many different kinds of birds are there in the world? Presumably, American Midwest has only a portion of these.

I was so excited about the Georgia runoff results on Tuesday (after staying up til 1 am) and so upset by the insurrection on Wed, though I did stay up til 3 am watching as they did the electoral vote count. We were thrilled when Vermont put him over the top and again, when "teller" Amy Klobuchar, my first choice for president, announced the electoral vote totals.

After two late night, hectic days, I am listening to easy listening music and reading. Probably going to sleep very, very early.

Hi Mark, I'm very much enjoying Cold Millions thank you very much. Can we somehow put Stacey Abrams in charge of....everything? She gets sh** done!

>187 msf59: I’ve never seen a Snow Goose in RL. Congratulations on that one!

>198 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Figs. I enjoy sharing my photos. I have a decent camera- a Canon S-50 but it is far from a professional level camera. It still serves me well.

>199 jnwelch: Hi, Joe. Bloody Wednesday was an ugly day in our history. It at least ended on a positive note and made our Thursday somewhat sweet. Hooray for Stacey Abrams! She rules!

>200 lindapanzo: Hi, Linda. There are upwards of 10,000 species of birds in the world and only about 2,000 species in North America. It would be quite a challenge to even get close to the second number, in my lifetime.

I sure hope you get a good nights sleep tonight, my friend.

>201 brenzi: Hooray for The Cold Millions, Bonnie! How could a serious reader not love this book. And yah, for Stacey Abrams. She is AMAZING!

>202 Copperskye: It is funny, Joanne, that in some areas, Snow Geese come though in huge flocks and are a considered a annoyance. On a very small scale, I do not mind them at all.

Morning, Mark! The above image is making me think about George Washington's Farewell Address - he warned that political parties would harm our democratic republic because people would put loyalty to the party over loyalty to country. He was right.

How are the books treating you?

>206 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! Great observation on Washington's farewell observation. He called it.

Books are treating me fine- I just finished my audio, We Keep the Dead Close a solid true crime story and I should be close to finishing Homeland Elegies, which has been excellent.

Montrose Harbor. A beautiful winter morning on the lakefront. This was from my goose hunt, the other day.

>208 msf59: Beautiful.

>209 Crazymamie: It was quite calming, being down there and there were also a few diving ducks, out there, that I got good looks at.

3) We Keep the Dead Close by Becky Cooper 3.8 stars

“There are no true stories; there are only facts, and the stories we tell ourselves about those facts.”

In January 1969, Jane Britton, an ambitious 23-year-old graduate student in Harvard's Anthropology Department would be found brutally murdered in her Cambridge apartment. The murder was never solved. Forty years later, the author, an undergrad at Harvard, hears the story of Jane's killing and begins to do her own investigating. She discovers that Jane was having an affair with a professor there and he may have bludgeoned her to death. Cooper also uncovers misogyny and other unsettling traditions, that were pervasive at that revered institution.
Cooper planting herself in this story, really adds an interesting layer to this solid true crime tale. The writing is good and it feels meticulously researched. My only issue, is that I think it could have been a much tighter and leaner narrative.

‘Morning, Mark! Happy Friday to you. I hope your B&B day is a good one, with many owls.

I’ve got dozens of finches right now and at least 6 Cardinals, plus a Titmouse eating suet and a Chickadee grabbed a sunflower seed and heading back to the Crepe Myrtle. I forgot to mention that I’ve been seeing a Downy Woodpecker recently in addition to daily visits of Blue Jays and Red-Bellied Woodpeckers.

>206 Crazymamie: Mamie, you are a BB giver even on other people’s threads! I had to pull Washington's Farewell Address and Webster's Bunker Hill Orations from my shelves – it's a marvelous little book, a Macmillan’s Pocket Classics published in 1916 – and plan on reading Washington’s Farewell address this morning.

>211 msf59: Definitely a BB for me! Thank you.

>208 msf59: Beautiful photo. Envious Mark.

>212 karenmarie: *grin* We have a lovely little hardback of Washington's Farewell Address.

Morning Mark! >208 msf59: Wow, Chicago has a gorgeous lakefront.
Hope your Friday is filled with lots of good stuff!

I started on a older work of nonfiction a couple of days ago. I am reading Scorpions: The Battles and Triumphs of FDR's Great Supreme Court Justices by Noah Feldman. All the talk about the Supreme Court in the last few years has prompted me to do some reading about the previous attempts to "pack the court." The most famous one was the effort by FDR to get more liberal judges onto the court so that some of his relief programs could be implemented. This title won the American Bar Association's Silver Gavel Award back in 2011. I am starting chapter 3 and so far it is an engrossing read. I have read about the early life of Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter and am now starting the chapter about his early friendship with FDR.

>212 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. It looks like I will be having a fine 3 "B" kind of day! I like your feeder report. I have been hunkering down with the books, this A.M. so I have not checked on my feeders much, although there is activity out there.

>213 Caroline_McElwee: It was a lovely setting and pretty comfortable for early January, I must say.

>215 Carmenere: Hi, Lynda. It is beautiful down there. If you ever visit our fair city, I would love to show you Montrose.

>216 benitastrnad: Hi, Benita. You have an uncanny knack for coming up with some interesting NF and Scorpions: The Battles and Triumphs of FDR's Great Supreme Court Justices certainly fits that bill. I will be watching for your thoughts.

^Bird humor...

>218 msf59: - That made me laugh! Poor sparrows, though, they sure can't do that. They are everywhere, nowhere would they seem *rare*, lol!

And besides being daily visitors here, I love cardinals and would never call them boring!

All during the months of quarantine and working at home I got to see Bluebirds outside of my office window. Lots of them. Unusual because they are territorial. But there were. Sometimes I would see two or three of them at once. It was because there was a constant source of water outside this window.

>219 jessibud2: I am sure this happens with our American Robins too, Shelley. We see them everywhere here, spring through fall, but I know there are places that would covet a robin sighting. And I agree with you, cardinals are never boring.

>220 benitastrnad: I am assuming these are Eastern Bluebirds? Wow! I see them now and then on my bird strolls, but I have never seen one at my feeders. They seem to prefer wider spaces.

"A field scientist and conservationist tracks the elusive Blakiston's Fish Owl in the forbidding reaches of eastern Russia."

Hooray, I am starting my second audiobook of the new year and Owls of the Eastern Ice: A Quest to Find and Save the World's Largest Owl sounds like a perfect choice for the Old Warbler. My audiobook time has slowed to a virtual crawl, going from 75-80mph to 15-20mph, like I am stuck in a school crossing zone or something. Hey, I am just happy to still get a chance to listen to them.

>218 msf59: My parents grew up in southern Ontario and are always a bit sad we don't get cardinals this far north and west. I remember being fascinated by starlings while hanging out in a park on a trip in Nova Scotia. They're considered a bit of a pest there but I thought they were beautiful.

>205 msf59: I've been reading His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph Ellis. During the Revolutionary War, there was a devastating smallpox epidemic. Ellis says one thing that Washington doesn't get enough credit for is requiring that all his soldiers get inoculated against smallpox. Saved his army and maybe the war.

>208 msf59: Beautiful shot--I can't remember--did you see Monty and Rose (the piping plovers) when they were at Montrose Beach earlier in the year? Apparently there's a move to help preserve their habitat at the beach, to encourage them to come back: https://news.wttw.com/2021/01/05/advocates-want-park-district-expand-plovers-nes...

And a good line from our President-to-be in 12 days, quoted on NPR:

Biden said Friday upon learning of Trump's decision (not to attend the inauguration) that it was "one of the few things he and I have ever agreed on." He added, "It's a good thing, him not showing up."
https://www.npr.org/sections/biden-transition-updates/2021/01/08/954865776/trump...

>224 kac522: - I just heard that on our news, too. Thank goodness....

>223 MickyFine: Hi, Micky. Sorry, you can't enjoy cardinals. They offer a comforting splash of color, in the stark hues of winter. We also see starlings regularly and they can also be seen in the winter here.

>224 kac522: Hi, Kathy. Good to see you. I love the Washington/smallpox story. That is a good one. Trump was no Washington.
Yes, I did see Monty & Rose, our resident Piping Plovers. Not in 2020 but in 2019. That was the first year, they successfully nested here. I even have photos, somewhere around here.
I love Biden's quote from today. That is perfect.

>224 kac522: I think this was my photo of Monty or Rose:

"Beloved story writer Ron Carlson’s first novel in thirty years, Five Skies is the story of three men gathered high in the Rocky Mountains for a construction project that is to last the summer."

^I have wanted to read Ron Carlson for years. He does not get much LT attention but he sure seems like an author, in the vein of Haruf & Watson, as someone I would like. I finally plucked Five Skies off the shelf, where it has languished forever. I will start it tomorrow.

Anyone a fan of Carlson? Thoughts?

>227 msf59: Beautiful pic, as always, Mark.

>228 msf59: We hosted Carlson for Five Skies back in the day. Shawn really liked it.

So did you finish Homeland Elegies? In answer to your question elsewhere, I remember when David Rhodes' Driftless was published. It was a big deal and got great reviews. I have it, along with the follow-up Jewelweed. From what I know, they do sound like your type of books.

Hi, Mark. I've let myself steep in all the stories of the Capitol Clown Convention, letting my book reading slip a bit. Mayhem for sure, but glittering here and there are the various chucklehead antics. All the morons posting photos and video of themselves trespassing in and vandalizing the Capitol. One Smart Boy from Frederick, MD, wore his employee ID into the Capitol, was quickly identified, reported to his employer, and now is unemployed. A local public school teacher is on suspension whilst the school district investigates his participation in the melee. Some of it is good reading.

>229 kac522: Thanks, Kathy. I thought I had a plover saved in my gallery. Hoping they return this year.

>230 alphaorder: Hi, Nancy. I am not surprised about Carlson, especially since he is a WI author. Ask Shawn if he could recommend any other Carlson. I would definitely try his short fiction.

Yep, finished and loved Homeland Elegies. Thank you. I just snagged Driftless for my Kindle. Not sure how Rhodes avoided my radar.

>231 weird_O: Hey, Bill. I agree on the Capital Clown Convention, although we know there is nothing funny about clowns. Scary and sad, is more like it. I hope they ramp up these arrests. They need to pay for this horrific behavior.

^We had a great owl hunt yesterday afternoon. We saw 6 short-eared owls actively hunting. They normally appear at dawn or dusk but these guys were buzzing around between 230 and 330pm, which is perfect for viewing purposes. We had no choice but to keep our distance, so there was no problem disturbing these beauties. My little Canon was maxed out, so that is why the photos are a bit fuzzy. When they did perch on these posts, it was at least 50-60 yards away, maybe more. I took many photos but there were only a couple decent ones.

A cool footnote- This is at a bison preserve, which is part of a huge prairie preserve, about 40 miles from here, so there were at least 6 or 7 bison feeding here, as well. The owls seemed to like flying around above them.

"The burly, bull-headed Northern Shrike is a pint-sized predator of birds, small mammals, and insects. A bold black mask and stout, hooked bill heighten the impression of danger in these fierce predators."

^We also got decent looks at a Northern Shrike yesterday. This is only the second time I have seen one. They like to perch high up and hunt from there. It looks relatively harmless, right? Very cool birds.

It looks really cute!

Good morning, Mark, and happy Saturday to you.

>218 msf59: That’s so good.

>233 msf59: Congrats on the Parliament of Owls. *smile*

>231 weird_O: and >232 msf59: I saw an interview with one of the deplorables who was shocked, SHOCKED, I say, that she had been tear-gassed. I don’t know what these idiots expected.

Just dropping in to say ‘Hi’ Mark! That snowgoose looks a lovely bird. When I retire (14 days and counting) I’m definitely going to spend some time improving my birding knowledge.

Morning, Mark! Enjoying the bird photos. Hoping your Saturday is a good one.

>235 connie53: Yep, cute and fierce. An interesting combination, Connie.

>236 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. Hooray for cardinals and owls. Boo to the deplorables!

>237 SandDune: Hi, Rhian. Glad you like the Snow Goose. 14 days? Wow, that is sweet. Any birding advice I can give, I am right here if you need me.

>238 Crazymamie: Hi, Mamie. Glad you like the photos. You have a good Saturday too. I plan on one here.

Happy weekend Mark.

Two lifer geese
and a shriiiike in a dead tree

Sorry, I had to.

Enjoying the birds!

>242 thornton37814: I'm rather glad you had too!

It's great that there is some good birding going on, Mark. It sounds so much more positive than all the doom scrolling or retail therapy.

>243 quondame:
My retail therapy was book shopping. I purchased 2 books today at the Used Book Store and spent a grand total of $10.00. They had mysteries marked down - $5.00 per book.

Ah, Mark - no words left for January 6th, 2021; just fear that he will try to do more.

If I was Joe, I'd call in the Marines to defend the Capitol and The White House -
whatever their individual politics, The Marines would not allow this horror to repeat.

Yax Trax could work well in the icy arboretum.

>218 msf59: Funny! Whenever we go east, and I get to see Cardinals, I am excited, they are so pretty.

And I love the snowy arboretum.

Whew. Skimming through and enjoying your thread as always. I am glad you read and enjoyed Transcendent Kingdom. It has stuck with me rather well.

I have Homeland Elegies on hold at the library. I think the queue is a bit long.

My Seahawks played like poop (well, the defense was fine, but the offense sucked) so I hope your Bears do better. The Saints are not an easy opponent.

>233 msf59: Okay, when this damn pandemic is over, I'm coming to Illinois to go on one of your owl hunts. You saw SIX short-eared owls!!!?? I am so envious. Thank you for sharing your birding adventures. I enjoy the vicarious thrill of seeing such terrific variety!

>246 banjo123: I feel the same way about Cardinals! I had them in my life until I moved to Oregon at age 35. I miss them.

>240 Ameise1: Happy Sunday, Barb. I didn't get a chance to stop back over here yesterday.

>241 richardderus: I love it when you stop by and serenade me, Richard. Grins...

>242 thornton37814: Yah, for the birds, Lori! Glad you are enjoying them.

>243 quondame: I am lucky, Susan, that I can find solace and distraction in my birds and my books. I see none of that slowing down.

>244 benitastrnad: Hooray for book therapy, Benita!

>245 m.belljackson: Hi, Marianne. I hope we can get past January 20th somewhat peacefully, and he can go crawl back under his Mar a Lago rock. We had Yax Trax available, when I was carrying mail but never or very rarely used them. I somehow managed fine. Our trails around here still remain icy.

>246 banjo123: Hi, Rhonda. Hooray for the cardinals and the snowy arboretum.

>247 EBT1002: Happy Sunday, Ellen. I would love to take you or any of my LT pals birding or owling. For whatever reason, this year has been phenomenal for short-eared owls. Seeing multiple ones, in select areas in not unusual. I hope they continue to winter here. Great birds to watch.

You will love Homeland Elegies. That is my prediction. Bummer, about your Seahawks. They do look sluggish at times and the Rams looked really good.

Morning, Mark! Planning on a bit of the lazy today with the books. Also laundry because there is always laundry. Hoping Sunday is kind to you.

>250 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! Hooray for a lazy day with the books. Enjoy your day. Sunday is laundry day here too and I am usually in charge of that. With it mostly being just Sue and I, it isn't bad.

‘Morning, Mark, and happy Sunday to you. Go Bears!

>251 msf59: When Bill and I got married in 1991 I was 38 and he was 35 (get‘em young and train’em right!) I told him that I felt no responsibility for his dirty sox to become clean sox, and he’s always done his laundry. In fact, there’s a load of his things in the dryer right now.

>252 msf59: The first thing that Obama talks about in A Promised Land is of all the rooms, halls, and landmarks at the White House how much he loved walking down the West Colonnade each day. At the time I was thinking of Trump's Library and thought this might be the first page of Trump's memoir:

>253 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. If Sue has any issues with how I am doing the laundry, she will pipe up immediately, but this is pretty rare. She will still wash her work, dress clothes. I don't want to be responsible for that.

Go Bears! I LOVE the "Wite House"!!

>252 msf59:, >253 karenmarie: - What I am most surprised at is that there *is* a tRump library. Surely that must be a joke. He doesn't read, why would there be a library? And perhaps that should be *Wite OUT*!! ;-)

>255 jessibud2: There isn't one yet. A Presidential library is pretty much a President's own monument to himself, his Presidency and his accomplishments. There aren't any guidelines to setting it up, so this guy's will be just what you might expect---a great liberry, probably the greatest liberry this country has ever seen, a BIG liberry full of important things that nobody else ever put in a liberry.

>256 laytonwoman3rd: - ROFLMAO! Linda! Makes perfect sense to me! ;-)

>257 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley. If we don't keep laughing, we're doomed, right?

>256 laytonwoman3rd: LOL, that's great Linda. I'm actually wondering whether he will even bother. He seems to have discarded or shunned near all of the presidential norms.

>218 msf59: A Cardinal! A Cardinal!! So true here in Oregon. : )

>252 msf59: One can only hope. He may not know what a library is, but if he can find another way to celebrate himself he'll probably do it.

Happy Sunday, Mark! So is not working cutting down your audio time?

Hi Mark. I am enduring a rather stressful week with my hubby in hospital following knee surgery and all the upsetting images from Washington. I was thrilled that Georgia came through, and I hope that Trump gets some sort of punishment from his disgusting behavior - he deserves to go down in history as the worst president ever!

Thoughts of a Trump Library actually makes me giggle. I see one book, "Art of the Deal" included and truthfully, I think the image in >252 msf59: is the way I see it.

I am leaving you with a link to my 2021 thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/326326# and I hope you get a chance to visit.

Hi Mark, feeling positive vibes about the Bears on this grey and gloomy day.

I understand that, if they win, they have to go up to the frozen tundra of Green Bay next weekend. If the Bear lose, the LA Rams have to travel to the frozen tundra. Note that the long-term forecast in GB for next weekend is mid-20's, which is pretty balmy for this time of year.

I am really hoping to finish the Rachel Maddow book about Spiro Agnew today but, somehow, I keep getting distracted.

>255 jessibud2: >256 laytonwoman3rd: >259 lauralkeet: Yeah, a Trump Library is quite a joke. Maybe a broom closet, for a few copies of Art of the Deal.

>260 Berly: Hey, Kimmers. Hooray, for cardinals. I have a feeling Trump has never stepped foot into a library, in his entire life.
Yes, my audiobook time has been slashed dramatically but I really can't complain. I am getting in more print book time, though.

>261 DeltaQueen50: Hi, Judy. Great to see you. I am very sorry to hear about your husband's surgery. I was going to search for your new thread but I appreciate you supplying the helpful link.

>262 lindapanzo: Happy Sunday, Linda. Glad you have a good feeling about the Bears today. I am just hoping they make a good game of it. I am sure the Pack would love to beat up on the Monsters of the Midway again.

How is the Maddow?

Silence

Silence with you is like the faint delicious
Smile of a child asleep, in dreams unguessed:
Only the hinted wonder of its dreaming,
The soft, slow-breathing miracle of rest.
Silence with you is like a kind departure
From iron clangor and the engulfing crowd
Into a wide and greenly barren meadow,
Under the bloom of some blue-bosomed cloud;
Or like one held upon the sands at evening,
When the drawn tide rolls out, and the mixed light
Of sea and sky enshrouds the far, wind-bellowed
Sails that move darkly on the edge of night.

-Babette Deutsch 1919. From Poem a Day.

>263 msf59: - You do know that Art of the Deal and any other books that list him as author, were ghost-written, right? He is barely capable of writing a coherent tweet, no way in hell he could author a whole book!

>263 msf59: The Maddow book is very good. I was about 7th/8th grade during the Watergate hearings and we followed that a lot but I didn't know much about Agnew then or now. What a slimeball.

Just very distracted by current events to read much but that is improving.

>208 msf59: Beautiful!

>233 msf59: I love when you post owl photos. They such wonderful looking birds!

Beautiful owl pictures, Mark. Thank you for posting them.

I have a copy of Book Woman of Troublesome Creek and need to read it for my real life book discussion group. I am currently reading Silence of the Girls and as soon as I finish that one I will be starting on Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. I would guess that it will be sometime around the end of the month before I start, but I will let you know when I start it.

>265 jessibud2: I knew this too, Shelley. We know he could never author something on his own.

>266 lindapanzo: I may have to keep that Maddow book in mind, Linda. I do not know much about Agnew either.

>267 ChelleBearss: >268 charl08: Hi, Chelle & Charlotte. I hope I will be able to post more owl photos in the coming months. Glad you enjoy them.

>269 benitastrnad: I think that would be great if we can get a few of us to read Book Woman of Troublesome Creek together, Benita. I will probably start it in a week or so.

>208 msf59: Mark, that's beautiful!

>218 msf59: a cardinal would definitely get that reception in CO - I've never seen one.

Hope you have a great week.

>271 AMQS: Hi, Anne. Good to see you. You will have to come to Chicago, my friend and I will show you all kinds of cardinals. Grins...Have a great week too.

'Morning, Mark, and happy Monday to you. Sorry about your Bears.

Morning, Karen. Yep, it was another disappointing loss by my Bears, who shouldn't have been in that game to begin with. Always next season, right? Grins...

4) Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar 4.6 stars

“Trump was no aberration or idiosyncrasy, as Mike saw it, but a reflection, a human mirror in which to see all we’d allowed ourselves to become. Trump had just felt the national mood, and his particular genius was a need for attention so craven, so unrelenting, he was willing to don any and every shade of our moment’s ugliness, consequences be damned.”

“America had begun as a colony and that a colony it remained, that is, a place still defined by its plunder, where enrichment was paramount and civil order always an afterthought.”

Akhtar, an award-winning playwright, was born on Staten Island to Pakistani physicians. His father, a cardiologist, treated Donald Trump, in the early '90s for an irregular heartbeat. He became infatuated with the man and began to drink the capitalistic kool-aid, leading to his own downfall. The author has chosen a unique narrative structure for this novel, blending fact and fiction. It is an American pastoral, with looks at identity, hope and dispossession. It also explores the immigrant experience, post- 9/11.
The writing is excellent. Smart and insightful. I had to reach for a dictionary, more than once. A book for the times and another top read from 2020.

**Thanks again to Nancy, for putting this wonderful novel into my hands.

>275 msf59: - So glad to hear this was a winner. I have it on my Kindle, thanks to a recent sale.

I posted this on my thread, too, Mark, but had to drop it here too:

And now for something completely different. Because goodness knows, we need something completely different (best viewed in full screen):

Birds Can Dance

Hey, Mark.

Looks like good reading and good birding has been a-happening. I'm glad the owl hunt met with success; sounds like a fun time.

I finished The Vanishing Half and liked it very much. My GNs are another Gaiman-inspired volume of The Dreaming and Fangirl, adapted by Rainbow Rowell from her book that I liked.

All is well on our end, and I hope your week is off to a good start.

>276 katiekrug: That is awesome, Katie. It is a terrific read.

>277 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley. I will check it out.

>278 jnwelch: Hi, Joe. Yep, birds and books are keeping me sane. That will continue. Not surprised that you liked The Vanishing Half. Good book. Glad you are enjoying your GNs. I looking forward to spending some time with mine this afternoon.

Afternoon, Mark! I missed morning.

>275 msf59: Great review - adding this to The List.

>275 msf59: Homeland Elegies was a winner for me too Mark! I just finished another installment in Adrian Mckinty's series (In the Morning I'll be Gone) and thought it was the best one yet.

Love the bird humor!

>282 vivians: I absolutely love that series! My favorite so far is the last one out - Police at the Station and They Don't Look Friendly.

>281 Crazymamie: Afternoon, Mamie and thanks. I sure hope my warbling sparks some interest in Homeland Elegies. Glad I snagged you with a BB.

>282 vivians: I am not at all surprised that you also loved Homeland Elegies, Vivian. Another 2020 gem. I have not read McGinty. I do not read a lot of crime fiction these days but I may have to look into that one.

>283 Crazymamie: More encouragement, thanks, Mamie.

Homeland Elegies sounds really good Mark. And I have David Rhodes' Driftless on my shelf where it's been languishing for eons so maybe I'll get to it this year.

>285 brenzi: Hi, Bonnie. I am sure you will love Homeland Elegies. It is such an impressive achievement. I would gladly join you on Driftless, I have an ebook copy. Next month? Grins...

Go Bills! Go Bills! I really like this team.

>279 msf59: The Vanishing Half is not my usual kind of book but I've seen so many rave reviews that I put it on my 12th Thingaversary book list.

>287 lindapanzo: I am glad we sparked interest in The Vanishing Half, Linda. I think mixing in some literary fiction now and then is good for the soul. If the mood is right of course.

Morning, Mark!

Morning, Mamie! See you on the new one!

For some reason, I couldn't continue the topic down below so Chapter 2 can be found here:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/328672#unread