Joe's Book Cafe 7 of 2022
This is a continuation of the topic Joe's Book Cafe 6 of 2022.
This topic was continued by Joe's Book Cafe 8 of 2022.
Talk 75 Books Challenge for 2022
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3jnwelch
Books Read 2022
January
1. Murder in Material Gain by Anne Cleeland
2. Nubia: Real One by L.L. Mckinney*
3. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
4. Graceling The Graphic Novel by Kristin Cashore and Gareth Hinds*
5. Cheer Up! Love And Pompoms by Crystal Frasier*
6. Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
7. Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon
8. Sharpe’s Assassin by Bernard Cornwell
9. Dancing at the Pity Party by Tyler Feder*
10. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
11. You Can Run by Rebecca Zanetti
February 2022
12. Call Us What We Carry by Amanfda Gorman
13. My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies by Ed Brubaker*
14. Velvet was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
15. Noor by Nnedi okorafor
16. Aeneid by Vergil (Lombardo trans.)
17. Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan
18. Dark Horse by Gregg Hurwitz
19. The Maid by Nita Prose
20. Cruel Summer by Ed Brubaker
21. This is Happiness by Niall Williams
March 2022
22. Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez
23. Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas
24. Laila Starr by V. Ram*
25. The Family Chao by Lan Samantha Chang
26. Akata Woman by Nnedi Okorafor
27. Dare to Disappoint by Ozge Samanci*
28. The Big Sleep Annotated by Raymond Chandler and Owen Hill
29. The Maid by Nita Prose
30. Liaden Universe Constellation Volume 5 by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
31, Murder in Immunity by Anne Cleeland
32. The Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman*
33. Chaos Choreography by Seanan McGuire
34. Cheshire Crossing by Andy Weir*
April 2022
35. The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman
36. Shadows Reel by C.J. Box
37. An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine
38. Dresden Files Dog Men by Jim Butcher*
39. The Last Report of the miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich
40. it Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
41. Hook,Line and Sinker by Rtessa Bailey
42. Count by Ibrahim Moustafa*
43. The Kaiju Preservation Siciety by John Scalzi
44. Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
May 2022
45. Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
46. The Black Mage by Daniel Barnes*
47. Taarna The Last Taarakian by Stephanie Phillips*
48. Fair Trade by Sharon Lee ans Steve Miller
49. Trade Secret by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
50. The Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
51. Book Lovers by Emily Henry
52. an Eye for an Eye by Carol Wyer
53. Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
54. Whale Day by Billy Collins
55. The Hurting Kind by Ada Limon
56. The Hawthorn Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
57. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
June 2022
58. The Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
59. You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi
60. See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon
61. A Cut for a Cut by Carol Wyler
62. Razorblade Tears by S.A. Crosby
63. Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park
64. Where the Rhythm Takes You by Sarah Dass
65. The Recovery Agent by Janet Evanovich
66. The High Desert Black Punk Nowhere by James Spooner*
67. 10 Minutes 38 Seconds by Elif Shafik
68. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
69. The World According to Physics by Jim Al-Khilili
70. Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez
71. Kiss Number 8 by Colleen AF Venable*
72. Metamorphoses by Ovid (Lombardo trans.)
July 2022
73. Recursion by Blake Crouch
74. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
75. Clanlands by Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish
76. The Locked Room by Elly Griffiths
77. Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle
78. Woman of Light by Kali Fajine-Alardo
79. Time is a Mother by Ocean Vuong
80. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
81. Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
82. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
August 2022
83. Wash Day by Jamila Rowser*
84. spy Family by Tatsuya Endo*
85. After Hours on Milagro Street by Angelina Lopez
86. Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
87. Jack Reacher: A Mysterious Profile by Lee Child
88. Blood, Sparrows and Sparrows by Eugenia Leigh
89. Powder and Patch by Georgette Heyer
90. Lore Olympus Volume Two by Rachel Smythe*
91. Against Heaven by Kemi Alabi
92. The Book Woman’s Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson
93. Nina by Christian Robinson
94. Slip by Marika McCoola*
95. Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz*
96. Keeping Two by Jordan Crane*
97. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
98. Dig by Cynan Jones
99. Cove by Cynan Jones
100. Honey and Spice by Bolu Babalola
September 2022
101. The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith
102. Dune Muad’Dib by Brian Herbert*
103. Firefly River Run by David Booher*
104. A Kind of Spark by Ellie McNicoll
105. Soul Taken by Patricia Briggs
106. The Grand odalisque by jerome Mulot *
107. Now We’re Getting Somewhere by Kim Addonizio
108. Upgrade by Blake Crouch
109. Frances in the Country by Liz Scanlon*
110. One Million Oysters by Alex Nogues*
111. The Depth of the Lake and the Height of the Sky by Kim Jihyun*
112. Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
113. Murder in All Fury by Anne Cleeland
114. American Gods Volume 3 by Neil Gaiman*
115. Emma Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree by Lauren Tarshis
116. Desperation in Death by J.D. Robb
117. Be the Serpent by Seanan Mcguire
118. Indigo by Ellen Bass
October 2022
119. Plainsong by Kent Haruf
January
1. Murder in Material Gain by Anne Cleeland
2. Nubia: Real One by L.L. Mckinney*
3. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
4. Graceling The Graphic Novel by Kristin Cashore and Gareth Hinds*
5. Cheer Up! Love And Pompoms by Crystal Frasier*
6. Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
7. Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon
8. Sharpe’s Assassin by Bernard Cornwell
9. Dancing at the Pity Party by Tyler Feder*
10. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
11. You Can Run by Rebecca Zanetti
February 2022
12. Call Us What We Carry by Amanfda Gorman
13. My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies by Ed Brubaker*
14. Velvet was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
15. Noor by Nnedi okorafor
16. Aeneid by Vergil (Lombardo trans.)
17. Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan
18. Dark Horse by Gregg Hurwitz
19. The Maid by Nita Prose
20. Cruel Summer by Ed Brubaker
21. This is Happiness by Niall Williams
March 2022
22. Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez
23. Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas
24. Laila Starr by V. Ram*
25. The Family Chao by Lan Samantha Chang
26. Akata Woman by Nnedi Okorafor
27. Dare to Disappoint by Ozge Samanci*
28. The Big Sleep Annotated by Raymond Chandler and Owen Hill
29. The Maid by Nita Prose
30. Liaden Universe Constellation Volume 5 by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
31, Murder in Immunity by Anne Cleeland
32. The Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman*
33. Chaos Choreography by Seanan McGuire
34. Cheshire Crossing by Andy Weir*
April 2022
35. The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman
36. Shadows Reel by C.J. Box
37. An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine
38. Dresden Files Dog Men by Jim Butcher*
39. The Last Report of the miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich
40. it Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
41. Hook,Line and Sinker by Rtessa Bailey
42. Count by Ibrahim Moustafa*
43. The Kaiju Preservation Siciety by John Scalzi
44. Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
May 2022
45. Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
46. The Black Mage by Daniel Barnes*
47. Taarna The Last Taarakian by Stephanie Phillips*
48. Fair Trade by Sharon Lee ans Steve Miller
49. Trade Secret by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
50. The Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
51. Book Lovers by Emily Henry
52. an Eye for an Eye by Carol Wyer
53. Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
54. Whale Day by Billy Collins
55. The Hurting Kind by Ada Limon
56. The Hawthorn Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
57. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
June 2022
58. The Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
59. You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi
60. See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon
61. A Cut for a Cut by Carol Wyler
62. Razorblade Tears by S.A. Crosby
63. Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park
64. Where the Rhythm Takes You by Sarah Dass
65. The Recovery Agent by Janet Evanovich
66. The High Desert Black Punk Nowhere by James Spooner*
67. 10 Minutes 38 Seconds by Elif Shafik
68. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
69. The World According to Physics by Jim Al-Khilili
70. Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez
71. Kiss Number 8 by Colleen AF Venable*
72. Metamorphoses by Ovid (Lombardo trans.)
July 2022
73. Recursion by Blake Crouch
74. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
75. Clanlands by Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish
76. The Locked Room by Elly Griffiths
77. Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle
78. Woman of Light by Kali Fajine-Alardo
79. Time is a Mother by Ocean Vuong
80. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
81. Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
82. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
August 2022
83. Wash Day by Jamila Rowser*
84. spy Family by Tatsuya Endo*
85. After Hours on Milagro Street by Angelina Lopez
86. Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
87. Jack Reacher: A Mysterious Profile by Lee Child
88. Blood, Sparrows and Sparrows by Eugenia Leigh
89. Powder and Patch by Georgette Heyer
90. Lore Olympus Volume Two by Rachel Smythe*
91. Against Heaven by Kemi Alabi
92. The Book Woman’s Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson
93. Nina by Christian Robinson
94. Slip by Marika McCoola*
95. Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz*
96. Keeping Two by Jordan Crane*
97. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
98. Dig by Cynan Jones
99. Cove by Cynan Jones
100. Honey and Spice by Bolu Babalola
September 2022
101. The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith
102. Dune Muad’Dib by Brian Herbert*
103. Firefly River Run by David Booher*
104. A Kind of Spark by Ellie McNicoll
105. Soul Taken by Patricia Briggs
106. The Grand odalisque by jerome Mulot *
107. Now We’re Getting Somewhere by Kim Addonizio
108. Upgrade by Blake Crouch
109. Frances in the Country by Liz Scanlon*
110. One Million Oysters by Alex Nogues*
111. The Depth of the Lake and the Height of the Sky by Kim Jihyun*
112. Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
113. Murder in All Fury by Anne Cleeland
114. American Gods Volume 3 by Neil Gaiman*
115. Emma Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree by Lauren Tarshis
116. Desperation in Death by J.D. Robb
117. Be the Serpent by Seanan Mcguire
118. Indigo by Ellen Bass
October 2022
119. Plainsong by Kent Haruf
4jnwelch
My Top 5 Favorites for 2021
Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson
World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatahil
Pax, Journey Home by Sara Pennypacker
Matrix by Laura Goff
Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells
Favorites of 2022 so far
Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
The Maid by Nita Prose
Aeneid by Vergil (Stanley Lombardo translation)
Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez
The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman
The Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Top 5 Favorites Ever (Today)
Plainsong by Kent Haruf
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys
I’m sure I had a different one in the 5 spot last time, but The Frozen Thames was so good it deserves its day in the sun.
Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson
World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatahil
Pax, Journey Home by Sara Pennypacker
Matrix by Laura Goff
Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells
Favorites of 2022 so far
Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
The Maid by Nita Prose
Aeneid by Vergil (Stanley Lombardo translation)
Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez
The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman
The Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Top 5 Favorites Ever (Today)
Plainsong by Kent Haruf
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys
I’m sure I had a different one in the 5 spot last time, but The Frozen Thames was so good it deserves its day in the sun.
8jnwelch
Ir eally enjoyed reading Woman of Light by the Sabrina and Corina author. Here's DIL Adriana's review of it from the Boston Globe:
"Destiny is the villain of Kali Fajardo-Anstine’s latest novel, “Woman of Light,” and there is no better antagonist. “Destiny” is a seductive idea, promising a preordained future and finality beyond any one person’s control. There’s a reason it shares a root with “destination,” the end of an odyssey. Knowing the point of departure and arrival in a story, though, doesn’t mean that the pathway itself is clear. For three generations of women in the Lopez family, an inescapable past and inevitable future have shaped their lives, but Luz Lopez wants to change all that.
Luz “Little Light” Lopez is a once-in-every-generation seer, and even at seventeen she can see things other people cannot, mostly at the bottom of tea cups. The images are not always exact, but she understands the power of interpretation. It’s why one would consult a tea leaf reader in the first place — to answer an otherwise impossible question.
Set in 1930s Denver, “Woman of Light” follows Luz and her brother, Diego, as they hustle to make ends meet. She works as a laundress, and he toils in a factory by day, but some evenings they work festivals where Diego charms snakes and Luz reads the leaves.
When Diego has to leave town after being attacked by his white girlfriend’s brothers, Luz and her aunt are left with half their income and all their needs. The hustle ramps up. After a humiliating experience at a public library, Luz does her best to fight the systems that define her possibilities. She eventually finds her way to a job that offers opportunities and some secretarial school at an uncomfortable cost. Still — with poverty and race crimes in Denver only rising, Luz focuses on a future she can control.
But the past won’t let her go. Luz’s sight is not limited to her festival customers — she can also see into her family’s history, reliving moments from fifty years ago as well as insights into what is to come. Some memories are muddled. Her visions, recollections that are both her ancestor’s and her own, only confuse her more — which represent the past, and which represent her future?
Fajardo-Anstine deftly weaves in chronicles of Colorado and the American West throughout, allowing Luz’s ancestors to bear witness to the forces of Westward Expansion, political corruption, and poverty-driven migration. Her people hail from the Lost Territory for a reason: Intergenerational trauma runs through Luz’s family, binding her to the land as much as it does to her aunt and cousins.
“Woman of Light” is a Western novel—it cares deeply about the landscape. The terrain of the Lost Territory teems with life, even as settling pioneers call it empty. The cold mountains and expansive plains of Colorado serve as stand-ins for the harsh realities Luz endures. No land can be truly conquered. No people can be truly conquered either. Not as long as their stories, and their memories, endure.
Grief and loss are centered in the novel, but even in these moments of grief it is possible to find joy. Luz and her family find happiness in food, long conversations, and spontaneous picnics, the little celebrations that give life its meaning. Luz — Little Light that she is — like so many women in her family, holds onto hope in the face of unspeakable pain. She doesn’t have to see clearly to know that good things will come too.
Perhaps that is the beauty of being able to spy into the future, no matter how blurry and undefined. Forget destiny — sometimes it’s enough to simply know there is a future. We just can’t see it yet."
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/bostonglobe/2XKRZL5RAZGUHOWLG6BPP2WIJE.jpg)
"Destiny is the villain of Kali Fajardo-Anstine’s latest novel, “Woman of Light,” and there is no better antagonist. “Destiny” is a seductive idea, promising a preordained future and finality beyond any one person’s control. There’s a reason it shares a root with “destination,” the end of an odyssey. Knowing the point of departure and arrival in a story, though, doesn’t mean that the pathway itself is clear. For three generations of women in the Lopez family, an inescapable past and inevitable future have shaped their lives, but Luz Lopez wants to change all that.
Luz “Little Light” Lopez is a once-in-every-generation seer, and even at seventeen she can see things other people cannot, mostly at the bottom of tea cups. The images are not always exact, but she understands the power of interpretation. It’s why one would consult a tea leaf reader in the first place — to answer an otherwise impossible question.
Set in 1930s Denver, “Woman of Light” follows Luz and her brother, Diego, as they hustle to make ends meet. She works as a laundress, and he toils in a factory by day, but some evenings they work festivals where Diego charms snakes and Luz reads the leaves.
When Diego has to leave town after being attacked by his white girlfriend’s brothers, Luz and her aunt are left with half their income and all their needs. The hustle ramps up. After a humiliating experience at a public library, Luz does her best to fight the systems that define her possibilities. She eventually finds her way to a job that offers opportunities and some secretarial school at an uncomfortable cost. Still — with poverty and race crimes in Denver only rising, Luz focuses on a future she can control.
But the past won’t let her go. Luz’s sight is not limited to her festival customers — she can also see into her family’s history, reliving moments from fifty years ago as well as insights into what is to come. Some memories are muddled. Her visions, recollections that are both her ancestor’s and her own, only confuse her more — which represent the past, and which represent her future?
Fajardo-Anstine deftly weaves in chronicles of Colorado and the American West throughout, allowing Luz’s ancestors to bear witness to the forces of Westward Expansion, political corruption, and poverty-driven migration. Her people hail from the Lost Territory for a reason: Intergenerational trauma runs through Luz’s family, binding her to the land as much as it does to her aunt and cousins.
“Woman of Light” is a Western novel—it cares deeply about the landscape. The terrain of the Lost Territory teems with life, even as settling pioneers call it empty. The cold mountains and expansive plains of Colorado serve as stand-ins for the harsh realities Luz endures. No land can be truly conquered. No people can be truly conquered either. Not as long as their stories, and their memories, endure.
Grief and loss are centered in the novel, but even in these moments of grief it is possible to find joy. Luz and her family find happiness in food, long conversations, and spontaneous picnics, the little celebrations that give life its meaning. Luz — Little Light that she is — like so many women in her family, holds onto hope in the face of unspeakable pain. She doesn’t have to see clearly to know that good things will come too.
Perhaps that is the beauty of being able to spy into the future, no matter how blurry and undefined. Forget destiny — sometimes it’s enough to simply know there is a future. We just can’t see it yet."
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/bostonglobe/2XKRZL5RAZGUHOWLG6BPP2WIJE.jpg)
10m.belljackson
>9 jnwelch: And, we too wake up to Light - Salman Rushdie sitting up talking and laughing online!
^^^^^^^^
Odd coincidence - while adding a couple of old books by Marianne Wiggins into the local Little Library,
I remembered just reading that she was one oi his collection of wives...
^^^^^^^^
Odd coincidence - while adding a couple of old books by Marianne Wiggins into the local Little Library,
I remembered just reading that she was one oi his collection of wives...
12richardderus
>9 jnwelch: I'm with him...give me a cup of coffee as proportionally big as that one, I'll be barking too.
New thread orisons.
New thread orisons.
13Storeetllr
Happy new thread, Joe!
>6 jnwelch: Wonderful!
>5 jnwelch: I saw this and was all, like, "Where are the kids?"
>1 jnwelch: >9 jnwelch: Lovely and fun illustrations. I wish I could paint half as well.
>6 jnwelch: Wonderful!
>5 jnwelch: I saw this and was all, like, "Where are the kids?"
>1 jnwelch: >9 jnwelch: Lovely and fun illustrations. I wish I could paint half as well.
14johnsimpson
Hi Joe, mate, Happy New Thread, i've managed to catch a new thread early, lol. I hope that you and Debbi are both well and that you had a good weekend. Sending love and hugs to you both and the family from both of us dear friend.
15FAMeulstee
Happy bew thread, Joe!
I love the family photo's, and the second Zagarenski illustration at the top is so beautiful!
I love the family photo's, and the second Zagarenski illustration at the top is so beautiful!
18PaulCranswick
Happy new thread, Joe.
>5 jnwelch: & >6 jnwelch: Somehow I feel sorry for the "discarded" Maleta & Boleta!
>5 jnwelch: & >6 jnwelch: Somehow I feel sorry for the "discarded" Maleta & Boleta!
20msf59
Happy Wednesday, Joe! Happy New thread! Love the toppers, especially the barn owl and of course the family pics are great too. I skimmed the review of Woman of Light, since I plan on reading it, in the next 2 months. Glad it was a hit.
22alcottacre
>1 jnwelch: Love that owl up top!
>6 jnwelch: I love seeing how the kids are growing up.
Happy new thread, Joe. Have a wonderful Wednesday!
>6 jnwelch: I love seeing how the kids are growing up.
Happy new thread, Joe. Have a wonderful Wednesday!
23jnwelch
>10 m.belljackson:. Excellent, Marianne. He’s a tough one, bless him.
Hmm. I know nothing about his love life. I hope his present one is helping him recover.
>11 drneutron:. Thanks, Jim!
>12 richardderus:. Thanks, Richard. I’ll swing by with coffee later.
>13 Storeetllr:. Ha! Glad you like the photos, Mary. I know, it almost seems sacrilegious to post a family photo with no grandkids.
Aren’t those fun illustrations from Pam Z.?
>14 johnsimpson:. Thanks, John! Good to have you here nice and early, buddy. We’re doing fine. Debbi’s in Tennessee visiting her brother, and I’m doing my best to stay out of trouble. Sending our best to you and Karen. I hope the summer has cooled down in Yorkshire and you’re enjoying it, my friend.
Hmm. I know nothing about his love life. I hope his present one is helping him recover.
>11 drneutron:. Thanks, Jim!
>12 richardderus:. Thanks, Richard. I’ll swing by with coffee later.
>13 Storeetllr:. Ha! Glad you like the photos, Mary. I know, it almost seems sacrilegious to post a family photo with no grandkids.
Aren’t those fun illustrations from Pam Z.?
>14 johnsimpson:. Thanks, John! Good to have you here nice and early, buddy. We’re doing fine. Debbi’s in Tennessee visiting her brother, and I’m doing my best to stay out of trouble. Sending our best to you and Karen. I hope the summer has cooled down in Yorkshire and you’re enjoying it, my friend.
24jnwelch
>15 FAMeulstee:. Thanks, Anita!
Isn’t that second topper beautiful? I love her work.
>16 quondame:. Thanks, Susan.
>17 katiekrug:. Thanks, Katie. Nice to see you here.
>18 PaulCranswick:. Thanks, Paul. You’ll be glad to hear that Maleta and Bolita are just as pampered as before. They’re just in a bigger maelstrom than before, with two mini-humans who will join them on the floor to (gently, per their parents) wrestle, one of their favorite things.
>19 figsfromthistle:. Thanks, Anita! We all love getting together. Wish we had the Pittsburgh crew with us all the time.
>20 msf59:. Thanks, Mark! I thought of you and Nancy with that owl.
I’m so glad you’re going to read Woman of Light. Can’t wait to hear what you think of Luz and the others.
Isn’t that second topper beautiful? I love her work.
>16 quondame:. Thanks, Susan.
>17 katiekrug:. Thanks, Katie. Nice to see you here.
>18 PaulCranswick:. Thanks, Paul. You’ll be glad to hear that Maleta and Bolita are just as pampered as before. They’re just in a bigger maelstrom than before, with two mini-humans who will join them on the floor to (gently, per their parents) wrestle, one of their favorite things.
>19 figsfromthistle:. Thanks, Anita! We all love getting together. Wish we had the Pittsburgh crew with us all the time.
>20 msf59:. Thanks, Mark! I thought of you and Nancy with that owl.
I’m so glad you’re going to read Woman of Light. Can’t wait to hear what you think of Luz and the others.
25jnwelch
>21 jessibud2:. Thanks, Shelley! Nice to hear re the “visual delight”.😀. I think we all could use as much delight as possible.
>22 alcottacre:. Thanks, Stasia! Isn’t that a cool owl?
I love how those kiddles are growing up, too. What a treat to be able to see it happen.
>22 alcottacre:. Thanks, Stasia! Isn’t that a cool owl?
I love how those kiddles are growing up, too. What a treat to be able to see it happen.
26ChelleBearss
Love the before and after family photos!
Hope everyone is well!
Hope everyone is well!
27m.belljackson
>23 jnwelch: Hi Joe - not sure of an updated wife for Salman...that could show up on WIKI.
I hope he has Presidential Level Security for the rest of his nice long life.
I hope he has Presidential Level Security for the rest of his nice long life.
28jnwelch
>26 ChelleBearss:. Thanks, Chelle! We’re all fine. I hope all the Chell-ios are, too! How are the little princesses doing?
>27 m.belljackson:. Hi, Marianne. I know what you mean - now we’ve got to worry about this encouraging other kooks to go after him. Poor guy. He’s a brave writer.
>27 m.belljackson:. Hi, Marianne. I know what you mean - now we’ve got to worry about this encouraging other kooks to go after him. Poor guy. He’s a brave writer.
29weird_O
Hi Joe. Happy to report that I can see the two family photos you posted. Yer Grands are lookin...uh...GRAND. I also like the works by your choice as Artist of Thread Seven. You have good taste in artwork, sir.
Rushdie was married to Marianne Wiggins, and he gives his side of their breakup in Joseph Anton. As I recall, he came to distrust her. But then he got swept away by Padma Lakshmi, who quickly tired of him.
Rushdie was married to Marianne Wiggins, and he gives his side of their breakup in Joseph Anton. As I recall, he came to distrust her. But then he got swept away by Padma Lakshmi, who quickly tired of him.
30jnwelch
>29 weird_O:. Thanks, Bill. Hurrah! I’m glad you can see the grandiddles this time. I felt bad when the photos “expired” before you could.
Thanks re the artwork. I’ve loved illustrated books all my life - including adult ones like Sandman.
I don’t know Marianne Wiggins, and probably should. I do know Padma Lakshmi, and I can sure see getting swept away by her.
Thanks re the artwork. I’ve loved illustrated books all my life - including adult ones like Sandman.
I don’t know Marianne Wiggins, and probably should. I do know Padma Lakshmi, and I can sure see getting swept away by her.
31EllaTim
Happy new thread, Joe.
Love the artwork. And the family pictures, glad to see all there and looking good!
Love the artwork. And the family pictures, glad to see all there and looking good!
32ffortsa
>30 jnwelch: Wiggins wrote the fine and disturbing book John Dollar, highly recommended.
33magicians_nephew
>32 ffortsa: Brings back memories. John Dollar was a stinging take on Lord of the Flies with girls instead of boys
34jnwelch
>31 EllaTim:. Thanks, Ella. You remember Debbi, and those are our kids, DIL, and grandkids. We miss being in your part of the world!
>32 ffortsa:. Thanks, Judy. Book and author are new to me. I’ll take a look.
>33 magicians_nephew:. Hi, Jim. Have you met Judy/ffortsa?😅. Man, I hated Lord of the Flies in high school. A stinging take on it might suit my dislike.
>32 ffortsa:. Thanks, Judy. Book and author are new to me. I’ll take a look.
>33 magicians_nephew:. Hi, Jim. Have you met Judy/ffortsa?😅. Man, I hated Lord of the Flies in high school. A stinging take on it might suit my dislike.
35m.belljackson
Good luck with Marianne Wiggins, Joe - the three I donated to Little Library were not favorites,
John Dollar was not among them.
John Dollar was not among them.
36jnwelch
>35 m.belljackson:😀. Thanks, Marianne.
37jnwelch
>2 ffortsa:. Judy! I missed you way back at the beginning! You snuck in the side door while the cafe was still under construction.
Thank goodness the illustrations were ready.😅
Thank goodness the illustrations were ready.😅
39richardderus
>38 jnwelch: Astonishing sight, isn't it...even moreso when you think of that image's source!
40Familyhistorian
Happy newish thread, Joe! Nice to get to it early enough to see the pics this time. That is quite the review of Woman of Light it has me sold.
42jnwelch
>39 richardderus:. I love the photos we’re getting from the JWST, Richard. This one is awesome, isn’t it. We’ve been gazing up at “our star” throughout our history, and now we get to see it up close and personal.
>40 Familyhistorian:. Thanks, Meg! Oh good. Adriana persuaded Debbi and me to read Woman of Light, and it’s topnotch. Go Luz!
>41 scaifea:. Thanks, Amber!
>40 Familyhistorian:. Thanks, Meg! Oh good. Adriana persuaded Debbi and me to read Woman of Light, and it’s topnotch. Go Luz!
>41 scaifea:. Thanks, Amber!
43jnwelch
Today’s Bargain: Time Was Soft There by Jeremy Mercer for $1.99 on e-readers. I enjoyed this “finely crafted” memoir of working at the Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris.
44magicians_nephew
>43 jnwelch: Pouncing!
46jnwelch
Today’s Bargain: The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey by Walter Mosley for $1.99 on e-readers. Some thought-provoking excellence from a favorite author.
Another bargain: How Long ‘til Black Future Month: Stories by N.K. Jemison for $2.99 on Kindle. Excellent short story collection from the standout sci-fi author.
Another bargain: How Long ‘til Black Future Month: Stories by N.K. Jemison for $2.99 on Kindle. Excellent short story collection from the standout sci-fi author.
47jnwelch
Another Bargain: to Dance with the White Dog. By Terry Kay for $1.99 on e-readers. I was charmed by this one, about an 81 year old widower’s friendship with a white dog.
49kidzdoc
>43 jnwelch: I loved Time Was Soft There, which I gave 5 stars after I read it about 15 years ago. I made sure to visit Shakespeare and Company during my only visit to Paris in 2016, and I was not disappointed.
>46 jnwelch: I did purchase the Kindle version of The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey yesterday, along with Major Taylor: The Inspiring Story of a Black Cyclist and the Men Who Helped Him Achieve Worldwide Fame by Conrad Kerber. Major Taylor was probably the first African American athlete to earn national and international fame, as he won a gold medal for the men's sprint in the 1899 ICA Track Cycling World Championships in Montreal, won the American sprint championship the following year, and numerous sprint races in Europe from 1900-1904. I first learned about him from a novel I read relatively recently, so when I saw that this book was on sale I nabbed it straight away.
>46 jnwelch: I did purchase the Kindle version of The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey yesterday, along with Major Taylor: The Inspiring Story of a Black Cyclist and the Men Who Helped Him Achieve Worldwide Fame by Conrad Kerber. Major Taylor was probably the first African American athlete to earn national and international fame, as he won a gold medal for the men's sprint in the 1899 ICA Track Cycling World Championships in Montreal, won the American sprint championship the following year, and numerous sprint races in Europe from 1900-1904. I first learned about him from a novel I read relatively recently, so when I saw that this book was on sale I nabbed it straight away.
50jnwelch
>48 alcottacre:. Hi, Stasia. Good! I think you’ll love To Dance with the White Dog. It’s a book we give to others now.
I hope you have a terrific Tuesday, too. It’s another beaut here (we’ve been lucky this summer).
>49 kidzdoc:. Hi, Darryl. Great - can’t wait to hear what you think of Ptolemy Grey. It has a bold premise. Thanks for letting me know about Major Taylor. I’m a sports nut, and didn’t know this story.
Debbi’s been in TN visiting her brother, but I get her back today.
P.S. Good to have a kindred spirit for Time Was Soft There. We made a point of visiting Shakespeare and Company in Paris, too. I got a kick out of experiencing the rabbit warren design.
I hope you have a terrific Tuesday, too. It’s another beaut here (we’ve been lucky this summer).
>49 kidzdoc:. Hi, Darryl. Great - can’t wait to hear what you think of Ptolemy Grey. It has a bold premise. Thanks for letting me know about Major Taylor. I’m a sports nut, and didn’t know this story.
Debbi’s been in TN visiting her brother, but I get her back today.
P.S. Good to have a kindred spirit for Time Was Soft There. We made a point of visiting Shakespeare and Company in Paris, too. I got a kick out of experiencing the rabbit warren design.
51kidzdoc
>49 kidzdoc: Will do, Joe. I'm not sure when I'll get to The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, but I'll try to do so before the end of the year.
I knew that you were a sports fan, which is why I wanted to let you know about Major Taylor. Apparently a number of other books have been written about him as well.
Safe travel wishes to Debbi!
Ha! I had to look up rabbit warren layout on Wikipedia. That is an apt description of Shakespeare and Company. We should let Erik (@Oberon) know about Time Was Soft There, as he visited that bookshop recently.
I knew that you were a sports fan, which is why I wanted to let you know about Major Taylor. Apparently a number of other books have been written about him as well.
Safe travel wishes to Debbi!
Ha! I had to look up rabbit warren layout on Wikipedia. That is an apt description of Shakespeare and Company. We should let Erik (@Oberon) know about Time Was Soft There, as he visited that bookshop recently.
52ocgreg34
>4 jnwelch: Happy new thread! I keep hearing good things about The Sea of Tranquility, so I'll have to find a copy of it.
53jnwelch
>51 kidzdoc:. I look forward to it, Darryl. As you may know, Ptolemy Grey was made into a Samuel Jackson mini -series (which I haven’t seen).
I have to learn more about Major Taylor.
Debbi arrived home safely, and is sitting across from me on the front porch. Unfortunately, her brother Mark in eastern TN is having a lot of physical issues. I get her for a week and then she’s off to Pittsburgh to help with the grandkids.
Rabbit warren layout at the bookstore, right? It was fun to explore. I didn’t know that Erik just went there; I’ll try to remember to visit his thread and mention the book.
>52 ocgreg34: Thanks. ocgreg. Her writing just carries me away, and Sea of Tranquility did it again.
I have to learn more about Major Taylor.
Debbi arrived home safely, and is sitting across from me on the front porch. Unfortunately, her brother Mark in eastern TN is having a lot of physical issues. I get her for a week and then she’s off to Pittsburgh to help with the grandkids.
Rabbit warren layout at the bookstore, right? It was fun to explore. I didn’t know that Erik just went there; I’ll try to remember to visit his thread and mention the book.
>52 ocgreg34: Thanks. ocgreg. Her writing just carries me away, and Sea of Tranquility did it again.
54kidzdoc
>51 kidzdoc: Thanks, Joe! I did not know that The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey was made into a mini-series. Earlier this week I received a text message from T-Mobile, my mobile phone and home Internet carrier, which informed me that I was eligible for a free year of Apple TV+, where I can watch this series, so I'll start looking at it soon.
I'm glad that Debbi arrived home safely, although I'm sorry to hear that about her brother. I won't be able to attend the 25th anniversary reunion of my medical school class at Pitt next month, as my lawyer cousin from Ypsilanti who visits us monthly will be attending a conference in Brooklyn that weekend, but I do intend to visit two dear classmates of mine there either later this year or next spring. I'll let you know as soon as I know when I'll be going, to see if I can meet up with you and your family at the same time.
I can mention Time Was Soft There to Erik. Let's see...yes, the Kindle version is still on sale for $1.99 USD. Erik wrote a nice review of the book his wife bought for him there, The Only Street in Paris: Life on the Rue des Martyrs by Eliane Sciolino, and I intend to get and read it soon.
I didn't spend a lot of time in Shakespeare and Company during my only visit there in 2016, as I met a close colleague and her youngest daughter for dinner not long after my visit.
ETA: I'm on page 100 of The Satanic Verses, which I have on my Kindle (it's currently on sale for $4.99 USD), and I'm thoroughly enjoying it so far.
I'm glad that Debbi arrived home safely, although I'm sorry to hear that about her brother. I won't be able to attend the 25th anniversary reunion of my medical school class at Pitt next month, as my lawyer cousin from Ypsilanti who visits us monthly will be attending a conference in Brooklyn that weekend, but I do intend to visit two dear classmates of mine there either later this year or next spring. I'll let you know as soon as I know when I'll be going, to see if I can meet up with you and your family at the same time.
I can mention Time Was Soft There to Erik. Let's see...yes, the Kindle version is still on sale for $1.99 USD. Erik wrote a nice review of the book his wife bought for him there, The Only Street in Paris: Life on the Rue des Martyrs by Eliane Sciolino, and I intend to get and read it soon.
I didn't spend a lot of time in Shakespeare and Company during my only visit there in 2016, as I met a close colleague and her youngest daughter for dinner not long after my visit.
ETA: I'm on page 100 of The Satanic Verses, which I have on my Kindle (it's currently on sale for $4.99 USD), and I'm thoroughly enjoying it so far.
56kidzdoc
>55 magicians_nephew: I'm with you, Jim. It will be hard for The Satanic Verses to top Midnight's Children, which I hope to re-read next year.
57jnwelch
>54 kidzdoc:. Samuel Jackson is a great pick to play Ptolemy, Darryl. You’ll see when you read it.
A free year of Apple TV+?! I’m envious. We’ve been too cheap to subscribe to it. I’ve told Debbi we need to change that, so we can see this one, Ted Lasso and another I’m not thinking of.
Did you ever read his Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned? It’s still my favorite. I don’t know which service carries it, but they made it into a good tv movie with Laurence Fishburne and Bill Cobbs.
Sorry to hear you’ll miss your med school reunion, but I’m glad you’ll seeyour pals in Pittsburgh. Yes, please tell us when, and we’d love to rendezvous with you there.
Thanks for taking care of letting Erik know about the book; I’ve been terrible about getting around to the threads this year (including yours in Club Read, I’m embarrassed to say). I’d read a review somewhere of The Only Street in Paris and it sounded very good. All this Paris talk is making me want to go back. I wonder how expensive and how easy it is to Chunnel there from London. We could re-visit Shakespeare and Company.
Your endorsement convinced me Midnight’s Children would be the first Rushdie i read. I’m of course curious about the fatwa-inspiring Satanic Verses, and glad to hear you’re thoroughly enjoying it. I know you’re a fan of his writing.
A free year of Apple TV+?! I’m envious. We’ve been too cheap to subscribe to it. I’ve told Debbi we need to change that, so we can see this one, Ted Lasso and another I’m not thinking of.
Did you ever read his Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned? It’s still my favorite. I don’t know which service carries it, but they made it into a good tv movie with Laurence Fishburne and Bill Cobbs.
Sorry to hear you’ll miss your med school reunion, but I’m glad you’ll seeyour pals in Pittsburgh. Yes, please tell us when, and we’d love to rendezvous with you there.
Thanks for taking care of letting Erik know about the book; I’ve been terrible about getting around to the threads this year (including yours in Club Read, I’m embarrassed to say). I’d read a review somewhere of The Only Street in Paris and it sounded very good. All this Paris talk is making me want to go back. I wonder how expensive and how easy it is to Chunnel there from London. We could re-visit Shakespeare and Company.
Your endorsement convinced me Midnight’s Children would be the first Rushdie i read. I’m of course curious about the fatwa-inspiring Satanic Verses, and glad to hear you’re thoroughly enjoying it. I know you’re a fan of his writing.
58jnwelch
>55 magicians_nephew:. Midnight’s Children will be my starter Rushdie, Jim. Thanks for plugging it.
>56 kidzdoc: 😀
>56 kidzdoc: 😀
59kidzdoc
>57 jnwelch: I just activated Apple TV+ on my cellphone and iPad. Select T-Mobile customers who take advantage of the current offer, which is valid until 9/30/22, receive a 7 day free trial, followed by 12 months of free service. After that the service costs $4.99/month.
https://www.t-mobile.com/offers/apple-tv-plus-deal
I don't think I've read anything by Walter Mosely yet, even though he was one of my father's favorite authors. I've kept his Mosely books, both the ones he gave me and the ones that were in his library before he died, so I'll start reading them, in his honor.
Now that I've found a comfortable home in Club Read my focus will be participating more consistently in that group, and checking in with my closest friends in the 75 Books group when I can. It's very hard to keep up with fast moving threads, so I won't follow many of them for the time being, and even less so once I eventually return to work, as I'll also have to continue serving as primary caregiver for my mother. Fortunately two new medications she was started on by her primary neurologist and Alzheimer's specialist at the Penn Memory Center have helped tremendously, and caring for her on a daily basis is far easier than it was two months ago.
The cost of Eurostar tickets from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord varies dramatically depending on how far in advance you book your tickets. I checked just now for a weekend (Friday to Monday), using a variety of dates; the cheapest round trip tickets are $518 this weekend, versus $299 in late September, and $104 in late November. IIRC the trip took roughly 2 hr 15 min
from London to Paris, and 10-15 minutes longer in the opposite direction. I don't know what effect Brexit has had on the check in process in either station.
As Jim said Midnight's Children is Sir Rushdie's best work, IMO. It has been selected twice as the "Booker of Bookers", the best of all the Booker Prize winners, and deservedly so.
https://www.t-mobile.com/offers/apple-tv-plus-deal
I don't think I've read anything by Walter Mosely yet, even though he was one of my father's favorite authors. I've kept his Mosely books, both the ones he gave me and the ones that were in his library before he died, so I'll start reading them, in his honor.
Now that I've found a comfortable home in Club Read my focus will be participating more consistently in that group, and checking in with my closest friends in the 75 Books group when I can. It's very hard to keep up with fast moving threads, so I won't follow many of them for the time being, and even less so once I eventually return to work, as I'll also have to continue serving as primary caregiver for my mother. Fortunately two new medications she was started on by her primary neurologist and Alzheimer's specialist at the Penn Memory Center have helped tremendously, and caring for her on a daily basis is far easier than it was two months ago.
The cost of Eurostar tickets from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord varies dramatically depending on how far in advance you book your tickets. I checked just now for a weekend (Friday to Monday), using a variety of dates; the cheapest round trip tickets are $518 this weekend, versus $299 in late September, and $104 in late November. IIRC the trip took roughly 2 hr 15 min
from London to Paris, and 10-15 minutes longer in the opposite direction. I don't know what effect Brexit has had on the check in process in either station.
As Jim said Midnight's Children is Sir Rushdie's best work, IMO. It has been selected twice as the "Booker of Bookers", the best of all the Booker Prize winners, and deservedly so.
60jnwelch
>59 kidzdoc:. Hey, buddy. Now you know just how cheap we are, if we balk at $4.99 a month! But all these subscriptions add up, don’t they. Wasn’t all tv free just a while ago? Although there was an awful lot less of it. I’m enamored by the access to high quality shows like the Sandman, and all the movies. It’d be a loss to go backwards, wouldn’t it.
What great news about the new Alzheimer’s meds and your mom! That’s huge. I’m so glad that taking care of her has become easier. It reminds me of when our dad mentally deteriorated drastically and we thought his marbles were permanently lost. It turned out to be a vitamin B12 deficiency, and with injections he bounced right back to the guy we’d known all our lives. Ptolemy Grey has some of that.
That ain’t cheap to chunnel to Paree, but it might well be worth it. Thanks for checking out the pricing. We enjoyed that “side trip” to Amsterdam so much that year.
You’ll be happy to hear that I just started Midnight’s Children, after reading a couple by Cynan Jones. Have you read him? Awfully good. A tip from an enthusiastic Richard.
P.S. are you thinking of moving to Philadelphia and working there, so you can take care of your mom? BTW, you are the best son ever, and way better than yours truly.
P.p.S. I wish I could’ve yakked with your dad about Walter Mosley’s books. It’s harder to find fans than it should be.
What great news about the new Alzheimer’s meds and your mom! That’s huge. I’m so glad that taking care of her has become easier. It reminds me of when our dad mentally deteriorated drastically and we thought his marbles were permanently lost. It turned out to be a vitamin B12 deficiency, and with injections he bounced right back to the guy we’d known all our lives. Ptolemy Grey has some of that.
That ain’t cheap to chunnel to Paree, but it might well be worth it. Thanks for checking out the pricing. We enjoyed that “side trip” to Amsterdam so much that year.
You’ll be happy to hear that I just started Midnight’s Children, after reading a couple by Cynan Jones. Have you read him? Awfully good. A tip from an enthusiastic Richard.
P.S. are you thinking of moving to Philadelphia and working there, so you can take care of your mom? BTW, you are the best son ever, and way better than yours truly.
P.p.S. I wish I could’ve yakked with your dad about Walter Mosley’s books. It’s harder to find fans than it should be.
61magicians_nephew
>59 kidzdoc: You have a treat in store, O Best Beloved. The Easy Rawlings books beginning with Devil in a Blue Dress are terrific for character and story and a dip into a whole new rich and vibrant universe (for me at least). And wait until you meet "Mouse".
They made a movie out of "Devil" and it's worth watching for a great cast. Shame they never made a sequel.
They made a movie out of "Devil" and it's worth watching for a great cast. Shame they never made a sequel.
62jnwelch
>61 magicians_nephew:. Agree 100%, Jim, including re a sequel. At an author appearance I heard Mosley joke, “We could never afford Denzel Washington now”. Not to mention Don Cheadle, who was perfect as Mouse.
63msf59
Happy Saturday, Joe. I see you are reading your first Rushdie. Funny, Midnight's Children was also my first Rushdie. I believe I hosted a Group Read on it. Glad you are enjoying it. I remember it be challenging but an entertaining read. I did not forget about the Sandman series. As soon as I wrap up one of the shows I am watching, I will get to it.
We had a good day with Jack yesterday but he keeps us hopping, so no reading got done. I hope you are feeling well. We should plan a Meet Up for September. How is that sound?
We had a good day with Jack yesterday but he keeps us hopping, so no reading got done. I hope you are feeling well. We should plan a Meet Up for September. How is that sound?
64kidzdoc
>60 jnwelch: Sheesh...whatta coupla cheapskates! That's what you would pay for a large frappuccino, right? I was thinking that Apple TV+ would cost more than $4.99/month for first time subscribers. Just kidding; these streaming subscriptions can add up. I subscribe to YouTube TV, Netflix, and now Apple TV+, and I have T-Mobile Home Internet; I decided to do that as it was considerably cheaper than paying for a home cable/phone/Internet bundle. Now that I've moved into my parents' home I will have to consider whether I want to keep YouTube TV.
Having said that, I am seriously considering purchasing a digital subscription to National Theatre at Home for $129.99/year ($12.99/month), which would allow me to stream past NT plays at my convenience. On the surface that sounds like a lot, but considering that a single ticket to a Broadway show would cost that much if not more, and my limited ability to travel to London for the foreseeable future, it's a bargain, IMO.
The new medications, mirtazapine and trazodone, have worked far better than both I and my mother's neurologists thought that they would. Things had deteriorated by the second half of June to the point that I had started thinking about whether it was time to consider placing her in a memory care center or nursing home, far sooner than I had anticipated to. Within a week of starting low dose mirtazapine her mood had dramatically improved, which was observed by both me and my cousin from Michigan, who witnessed her outbursts of anger towards me and saw a difference that literally happened overnight. It's been nearly two months, and the effect of that medication, along with trazodone as a night time sleep aid, has persisted.
I started to look at The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey last night but I quickly fell asleep, so I'll try again tonight.
I don't know what I/we paid for our Eurostar tickets to and from Amsterdam, but I could probably check my AmEx statements from 2016 to find out. I would be willing to bet that we paid more than $104 RT, though, as, IIRC, we didn't decide to go to Amsterdam until after we arrived in London.
That was a very enjoyable trip, although I only saw you & Debbi when we, Anita & Frank, and Ella had dinner in the 4'33 grand café in the Muziekgebouw before Frank and I saw that unforgettable jazz concert at Bimhuis. I spent most of the following day in my hotel room in Utrecht, as I was feeling a bit under the weather, although I did meet Anita & Frank for dinner there, and I spent an absolutely lovely day with Connie and Sanne in 's-Hertogenbosch the following day, before we returned to London the day after that. I hope that you two return to the Netherlands in the not too distant future, as there are a good number of very friendly LTers who live there!
I'm glad that you've started Midnight's Children! I look forward to your thoughts about it. I definitely want to read it again and I would consider reading it alongside you, but The Satanic Verses is capturing nearly all of my attention, and I have a stack of novels from this year's Booker Prize longlist that are awaiting my attention.
I haven't heard of Cynan Jones. If Richard thinks highly of it then he's worth checking out. Our local library system has several of his books, and I just added Everything I Found on the Beach on my library wish list.
You’ll be happy to hear that I just started Midnight’s Children, after reading a couple by Cynan Jones. Have you read him? Awfully good. A tip from an enthusiastic Richard.
My father was a voracious and very speedy reader, who could go through a 400 page novel in a day, as I saw him do two years ago, before his first major seizure. He also liked Tom Clancy and James Patterson, and he would have enjoyed talking about books by those authors as well. Unfortunately our literary tastes rarely if ever overlapped.
>61 magicians_nephew: Sounds good, Jim!
Having said that, I am seriously considering purchasing a digital subscription to National Theatre at Home for $129.99/year ($12.99/month), which would allow me to stream past NT plays at my convenience. On the surface that sounds like a lot, but considering that a single ticket to a Broadway show would cost that much if not more, and my limited ability to travel to London for the foreseeable future, it's a bargain, IMO.
The new medications, mirtazapine and trazodone, have worked far better than both I and my mother's neurologists thought that they would. Things had deteriorated by the second half of June to the point that I had started thinking about whether it was time to consider placing her in a memory care center or nursing home, far sooner than I had anticipated to. Within a week of starting low dose mirtazapine her mood had dramatically improved, which was observed by both me and my cousin from Michigan, who witnessed her outbursts of anger towards me and saw a difference that literally happened overnight. It's been nearly two months, and the effect of that medication, along with trazodone as a night time sleep aid, has persisted.
I started to look at The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey last night but I quickly fell asleep, so I'll try again tonight.
I don't know what I/we paid for our Eurostar tickets to and from Amsterdam, but I could probably check my AmEx statements from 2016 to find out. I would be willing to bet that we paid more than $104 RT, though, as, IIRC, we didn't decide to go to Amsterdam until after we arrived in London.
That was a very enjoyable trip, although I only saw you & Debbi when we, Anita & Frank, and Ella had dinner in the 4'33 grand café in the Muziekgebouw before Frank and I saw that unforgettable jazz concert at Bimhuis. I spent most of the following day in my hotel room in Utrecht, as I was feeling a bit under the weather, although I did meet Anita & Frank for dinner there, and I spent an absolutely lovely day with Connie and Sanne in 's-Hertogenbosch the following day, before we returned to London the day after that. I hope that you two return to the Netherlands in the not too distant future, as there are a good number of very friendly LTers who live there!
I'm glad that you've started Midnight's Children! I look forward to your thoughts about it. I definitely want to read it again and I would consider reading it alongside you, but The Satanic Verses is capturing nearly all of my attention, and I have a stack of novels from this year's Booker Prize longlist that are awaiting my attention.
I haven't heard of Cynan Jones. If Richard thinks highly of it then he's worth checking out. Our local library system has several of his books, and I just added Everything I Found on the Beach on my library wish list.
You’ll be happy to hear that I just started Midnight’s Children, after reading a couple by Cynan Jones. Have you read him? Awfully good. A tip from an enthusiastic Richard.
My father was a voracious and very speedy reader, who could go through a 400 page novel in a day, as I saw him do two years ago, before his first major seizure. He also liked Tom Clancy and James Patterson, and he would have enjoyed talking about books by those authors as well. Unfortunately our literary tastes rarely if ever overlapped.
>61 magicians_nephew: Sounds good, Jim!
65jnwelch
Today’s Bargain: Tokyo Ueno Station by Miri Yu for $1.99 on e-readers. A National Book Award winner and NPR Best Book of 2020. Marginalized Kuzu haunts the local train station, and haunted me. A unique read.
66jnwelch
>63 msf59:. Hiya, Mark. Challenging but entertaining certainly fits so far for Midnight’s Children. I’m also reading The World to Come by Dara Horn. It has the artist Marc Chagall as one of the characters, which is a pleasant surprise.
Hope I haven’t been too much of a noodge about theSandman tv series. I just remember that the GNs didn’t work for you and, if you’re like other viewers, the tv series will help show why I love the GNs so much. My favorite character is Death, and you’ll see why.
Go Jack! I know what you mean about keeping you hopping. He’s already a Mr. Personality, isn’t he.
A meetup sounds good indeed. The one weekend that won’t work is 9/10 and 9/11, as our block party and Printer’s Row Lit Fest are happening.
Hope I haven’t been too much of a noodge about theSandman tv series. I just remember that the GNs didn’t work for you and, if you’re like other viewers, the tv series will help show why I love the GNs so much. My favorite character is Death, and you’ll see why.
Go Jack! I know what you mean about keeping you hopping. He’s already a Mr. Personality, isn’t he.
A meetup sounds good indeed. The one weekend that won’t work is 9/10 and 9/11, as our block party and Printer’s Row Lit Fest are happening.
67torontoc
I loved The World to Come.
Also there was a film of Midnight's Children made in 2012. It was directed by Deepa Mehta and the screen play was by Salman Rushdie. I saw it at the Toronto Film Festival and liked it very much. Apparently the filming was kept a secret-it was filmed in Sri Lanka.
Also there was a film of Midnight's Children made in 2012. It was directed by Deepa Mehta and the screen play was by Salman Rushdie. I saw it at the Toronto Film Festival and liked it very much. Apparently the filming was kept a secret-it was filmed in Sri Lanka.
68jnwelch
>64 kidzdoc: Hi, Darryl. It sounds like your father enjoyed fast-moving action reads, which I can understand. James Patterson isn’t for me (although Debbi and Becca like them for a change of pace), but I enjoyed a few Clancys back in the day. If we’d had a chance to talk, I probably would’ve urged on him my favorite action reads, the Jack Reacher books.
How wonderful that those new meds worked so well with your mother, and continue to do so. When meds have such a drastic positive effect, it can seem almost miraculous. It’s too bad our interiors vary so much and that doesn’t happen more often. Man, I’m happy for you and your mom!
We loved Amsterdam, and managed to get to Anne Frank’s museum (wow), the Van Gogh museum and the Rikjsmuseum besides seeing you, Anita, Frank and Ella. We also loved our b&b in some near burb that started with a Z ( with a creek and beautiful chickens in the back). Not to mention wandering the streets and hanging out in cafes and parks. I’m so glad we went. I’d been as a lad (a backpacking hippie) and Debbi as a lass, but without knowing each other.
Yay for Cynan Jones! I want to read more of him, so let me know what you think of the one you picked. With your mother’s situation, this may be a perfect time to read about the rejuvenated Ptolemy Grey.
How wonderful that those new meds worked so well with your mother, and continue to do so. When meds have such a drastic positive effect, it can seem almost miraculous. It’s too bad our interiors vary so much and that doesn’t happen more often. Man, I’m happy for you and your mom!
We loved Amsterdam, and managed to get to Anne Frank’s museum (wow), the Van Gogh museum and the Rikjsmuseum besides seeing you, Anita, Frank and Ella. We also loved our b&b in some near burb that started with a Z ( with a creek and beautiful chickens in the back). Not to mention wandering the streets and hanging out in cafes and parks. I’m so glad we went. I’d been as a lad (a backpacking hippie) and Debbi as a lass, but without knowing each other.
Yay for Cynan Jones! I want to read more of him, so let me know what you think of the one you picked. With your mother’s situation, this may be a perfect time to read about the rejuvenated Ptolemy Grey.
69kidzdoc
>60 jnwelch: P.S. are you thinking of moving to Philadelphia and working there, so you can take care of your mom?
I forgot to answer this question. I've been living in my parents' home in a suburb just north of Philadelphia since the Monday of Thanksgiving Week, two days after my father's second episode of status epilepticus that was the cause of his death in early December. I resigned from Children's Healthcare of Atlanta the following week, when it was clear that he had suffered too much brain damage to survive, as no one else could take on the role of primary caregiver of my mother. I've been back to Atlanta three times since then, when my cousin from Ypsilanti stayed with Mom, but other than that I've been here since then.
I do intend to resume working at some point, which will probably be a part-time non-clinical physician position that will allow me to work from home while still serving as a primary caregiver for my mother. I'm still on the medical staff at Children's, so I may also work some weekends in Atlanta when Tina is in town.
I forgot to answer this question. I've been living in my parents' home in a suburb just north of Philadelphia since the Monday of Thanksgiving Week, two days after my father's second episode of status epilepticus that was the cause of his death in early December. I resigned from Children's Healthcare of Atlanta the following week, when it was clear that he had suffered too much brain damage to survive, as no one else could take on the role of primary caregiver of my mother. I've been back to Atlanta three times since then, when my cousin from Ypsilanti stayed with Mom, but other than that I've been here since then.
I do intend to resume working at some point, which will probably be a part-time non-clinical physician position that will allow me to work from home while still serving as a primary caregiver for my mother. I'm still on the medical staff at Children's, so I may also work some weekends in Atlanta when Tina is in town.
70jnwelch
>67 torontoc:. Hi, Cyrel. Good to hear about The World to Come. I’m enjoying it.
A Midnight’s Children movie, eh? Sometimes I go yesward after reading a book I like, sometimes I go noward. It depends on whether I think the movie might mess up a treasured memory of a book. A River Runs Through it was a no for the movie. I already have a good one in my head. I’m glad this one worked well for you.
A Midnight’s Children movie, eh? Sometimes I go yesward after reading a book I like, sometimes I go noward. It depends on whether I think the movie might mess up a treasured memory of a book. A River Runs Through it was a no for the movie. I already have a good one in my head. I’m glad this one worked well for you.
71jnwelch
>69 kidzdoc:. Good for you, Darryl. I know how hard it is to consider assisted living. My dad’s one request was to live out his life in his home (my mom went too quickly from cancer to even consider options), and we were able to pretty much honor that. We had a good facility lined up just in case, but we were able to keep him home until he’d no longer get out of bed, and taking care of him was too hard (he was a pretty big guy - even I couldn’t move him alone for cleanup). We found a wonderful hospice for him for his final days, and he was even able to beguile the staff there with his harmonica playing.
I know this has thrown a monkey wrench into your Portugal retirement plans, but kudos to you for sticking by your beloved mother like this.
I know this has thrown a monkey wrench into your Portugal retirement plans, but kudos to you for sticking by your beloved mother like this.
72kidzdoc
>68 jnwelch: Dad did enjoy fast-moving action reads, as you said. IIRC he did have several Jack Reacher books, which he bought at secondhand bookshops and flea markets, but I donated all of them to the local Vietnam Veterans of America chapter, as neither my brother (who doesn't read!) nor I will read them.
I'm glad that you & Debbi visited the Anne Frank Huis, and the van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum, none of which I've gone to yet. The photos you two took of your B&B looked very inviting. Although it was nowhere near as scenic I'm glad that I stayed in the hotel (NH Utrecht) in Utrecht, as it was less than half of the price of the NH hotel on Dom Square in Amsterdam, it was a short walk from Station Utrecht Centraal, and the train ride from Utrecht Centraal to Amsterdam Centraal was less than 20 minutes, about the time it took to ride a tram from the hotel that Claire, her sister Karen and I stayed in (in Oud West, close to the museums) back in 2016.
If you have any photos of your backpacking hippie days I'm sure we would all love to see them.
It will be awhile before I get to that novel by Cynan Jones, probably next year at the earliest. Fortunately the website of our county library system allows users to put available books in a virtual wish list, for future reference. I borrowed a Booker longlisted novel last Saturday, Glory by NoViolet Bulawayo, and I'll head there shortly to pick up the copy of The Colony by Audrey Magee, another longlisted book, that I had requested earlier this week but was on loan.
I'm glad that you & Debbi visited the Anne Frank Huis, and the van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum, none of which I've gone to yet. The photos you two took of your B&B looked very inviting. Although it was nowhere near as scenic I'm glad that I stayed in the hotel (NH Utrecht) in Utrecht, as it was less than half of the price of the NH hotel on Dom Square in Amsterdam, it was a short walk from Station Utrecht Centraal, and the train ride from Utrecht Centraal to Amsterdam Centraal was less than 20 minutes, about the time it took to ride a tram from the hotel that Claire, her sister Karen and I stayed in (in Oud West, close to the museums) back in 2016.
If you have any photos of your backpacking hippie days I'm sure we would all love to see them.
It will be awhile before I get to that novel by Cynan Jones, probably next year at the earliest. Fortunately the website of our county library system allows users to put available books in a virtual wish list, for future reference. I borrowed a Booker longlisted novel last Saturday, Glory by NoViolet Bulawayo, and I'll head there shortly to pick up the copy of The Colony by Audrey Magee, another longlisted book, that I had requested earlier this week but was on loan.
73kidzdoc
>71 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe. My mother's Alzheimer's disease has progressed to the point where she is no longer able to do most activities of daily living, particularly prepare her own meals and take her own medications, and that combined with her frequent night terrors and associated confusion at night means that she requires 24/7 care. She is, understandably, still grieving the loss of her beloved husband of 60+ years, although we get on very well, especially with the addition of the two new medications, and I am all but completely convinced that she would quickly go downhill if she was admitted to a nursing home or memory care center, where she would be by herself or in the company of strangers most of the time, and that she would withdraw and die within a matter of a few months, a situation that I could not bear to consider until the point comes where she no longer recognizes anyone, including me, or it becomes impossible to care for her at home with support. I assume that day will come, but I pray that we have at least two or three good years together.
Yes, this has put a major and possibly permanent monkey wrench in my plan to retire to Portugal. It's entirely possible that I may choose to make this my retirement home, but I like the neighborhood, so spending my remaining time here would be far from the worst thing in the world.
Yes, this has put a major and possibly permanent monkey wrench in my plan to retire to Portugal. It's entirely possible that I may choose to make this my retirement home, but I like the neighborhood, so spending my remaining time here would be far from the worst thing in the world.
74magicians_nephew
>73 kidzdoc: Good on you, mate.
75Whisper1
>73 kidzdoc: Darryl, I am so sorry to learn about your mother's downhill progression with Alzheimer's. I send lots of love to you and admiration for the way in which you care for your mother!!!
76Whisper1
Joe. I am excited about your posts of Pamela Zagarenski. Her artistry is incredible, and she is one of my top illustrators.
77jnwelch
>73 kidzdoc: Sending our love to you and your mother, Darryl, and sending positive thoughts for those good two to three years. She’s lucky to have you, and I’m glad you’re watching over her. Ithink I told you that in similar times my dad said to me, “Now I get to be the child and you the parent.” I’m particularly glad that you’re taking care of her meds; that part always worries me.
So sorry that your Portugal plans have gotten messed up. We’ll come visit you in PA if we can’t meet up there.
>74 magicians_nephew:. 👍
>75 Whisper1:. ❤️
>76 Whisper1:. Thanks, Linda. Wonderful to have a fellow fan of the incredible Pamela Zagarenski. Artistry is right; among other things, she makes such interesting and unpredictable choices.
So sorry that your Portugal plans have gotten messed up. We’ll come visit you in PA if we can’t meet up there.
>74 magicians_nephew:. 👍
>75 Whisper1:. ❤️
>76 Whisper1:. Thanks, Linda. Wonderful to have a fellow fan of the incredible Pamela Zagarenski. Artistry is right; among other things, she makes such interesting and unpredictable choices.
79jnwelch
>78 banjo123:. Thanks, Rhonda!
80weird_O
What a pleasure to read all the posts from kidzdoc. Not all of what he wrote about is happy, but it has considerable relevance for me.
81kidzdoc
>75 Whisper1: I greatly appreciate your kind words, Linda. Fortunately my mother's case of dementia is slowly progressing, and in some ways she is actually doing better than she was at this time last year, particularly in regards to her mood and anxiety.
>77 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe. Our family, neighbors and close friends all appreciate what I'm doing for my mother, and the sacrifice I've made to ensure that she is cared for at home for as long as possible. IMO I'm just doing what is expected and required of me as a son, as my parents were my greatest and most loyal supporters throughout my life, and I know that my father would have dropped everything and done the same for me if I was in a similar situation.
Unfortunately the difficulty of taking his own medications properly is probably the cause of my father's episode of status epilepticus that led to severe and irreversible brain damage, and ultimately his death this past December. He knew that he could no longer prepare my mother's medications, and he allowed a close neighbor, who is a home care nurse, to do that, but he steadfastly refused to let Maun do the same for him, The serum levels of his anti-convulsant medications were quite subtherapeutic when he was admitted to the hospital the weekend before Thanksgiving, and the resultant seizure caused such a significant lack of oxygen to his brain that could not be overcome.
I'm all but completely certain that I'll make a trip to Pittsburgh in the not too distant future, but I'm not sure when. I'll keep you posted when my plans are starting to fall into shape.
>80 weird_O: Thanks, Bill.
>77 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe. Our family, neighbors and close friends all appreciate what I'm doing for my mother, and the sacrifice I've made to ensure that she is cared for at home for as long as possible. IMO I'm just doing what is expected and required of me as a son, as my parents were my greatest and most loyal supporters throughout my life, and I know that my father would have dropped everything and done the same for me if I was in a similar situation.
Unfortunately the difficulty of taking his own medications properly is probably the cause of my father's episode of status epilepticus that led to severe and irreversible brain damage, and ultimately his death this past December. He knew that he could no longer prepare my mother's medications, and he allowed a close neighbor, who is a home care nurse, to do that, but he steadfastly refused to let Maun do the same for him, The serum levels of his anti-convulsant medications were quite subtherapeutic when he was admitted to the hospital the weekend before Thanksgiving, and the resultant seizure caused such a significant lack of oxygen to his brain that could not be overcome.
I'm all but completely certain that I'll make a trip to Pittsburgh in the not too distant future, but I'm not sure when. I'll keep you posted when my plans are starting to fall into shape.
>80 weird_O: Thanks, Bill.
82humouress
Happy new thread Joe!
Beautiful illustrations, as always. The fox catching escaping letters especially made me smile.
Beautiful illustrations, as always. The fox catching escaping letters especially made me smile.
83jnwelch
>80 weird_O:. Agreed, Bill. I always enjoy Kidzdoc’s posts and his wide-ranging reading.
>81 kidzdoc:. Oh man, what a shame that your father’s refusal to be helped on taking his medications probably contributed to his demise. I do understand the difficulty in accepting old age’s enfeeblements. It’s tough for all of us to let go of things we’ve done all our lives. At least he wasn’t endangering others like my father was with his driving.Thank goodness we finally convinced him to stop.
Yes, keep us posted, please. I know we plan to be in Pittsburgh around Halloween to help with the grandkids.
>82 humouress:. Thanks, Nina. Oh good. I was hoping that illustration with the fox and the letters came through well rnough on a computer screen. She’s so clever and talented.
>81 kidzdoc:. Oh man, what a shame that your father’s refusal to be helped on taking his medications probably contributed to his demise. I do understand the difficulty in accepting old age’s enfeeblements. It’s tough for all of us to let go of things we’ve done all our lives. At least he wasn’t endangering others like my father was with his driving.Thank goodness we finally convinced him to stop.
Yes, keep us posted, please. I know we plan to be in Pittsburgh around Halloween to help with the grandkids.
>82 humouress:. Thanks, Nina. Oh good. I was hoping that illustration with the fox and the letters came through well rnough on a computer screen. She’s so clever and talented.
84jnwelch
I have no idea what the name of this insect is, but it sure is spectacular.
Thanks to clever Debbi, we were able to watch 8 caterpillars on our dill plant transform into beautiful swallowtail butterflies. We kept them safe in a butterfly house in our kitchen, and gradually released them all outside this past week. So cool.
Ours had more colorful spots on the wings - blue, red and yellow,
85weird_O
Looks like a sci-fi/fantasy creation, Joe. A lot of hits on Google, with a variety of common names: boxer mantis, orchid mantis, dead leaf mantis. The butterfly is lovely, i.e., non-threatening. :-)
ETA You changed the butterfly image! I liked the first image better, but perhaps this one is closer to what emerged in your "incubator".
ETA You changed the butterfly image! I liked the first image better, but perhaps this one is closer to what emerged in your "incubator".
86jessibud2
>84 jnwelch: - LOL! It looks like a photoshopped praying mantis, Joe. Someone has too much time on their hands, ;-)
We raised painted lady caterpillars in my class when I was still teaching. Then, when they had transformed, we took the aquarium (cracked, so no good for fish but great for butterflies) outside with the students and had a *release party*. Your swallowtails are gorgeous!
We raised painted lady caterpillars in my class when I was still teaching. Then, when they had transformed, we took the aquarium (cracked, so no good for fish but great for butterflies) outside with the students and had a *release party*. Your swallowtails are gorgeous!
87johnsimpson
Hi Joe, mate. The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith is out today in Hardcover, a hefty tome at 1024 pages, i will wait for the paperback to come out, in the meantime i will read Troubled Blood.
Sending love and hugs to you and Debbi from both of us dear friend.
Sending love and hugs to you and Debbi from both of us dear friend.
88msf59
Hi, Joe. I LOVE your caterpillar/butterfly photos. I find this so cool. I have been enjoying and studying more butterflies while on my walks and would really like to start planting more butterfly friendly plants in my backyard.
I just have a few pages left in Angle of Repose, an excellent reread and my 75th read of the year.
I just have a few pages left in Angle of Repose, an excellent reread and my 75th read of the year.
89jnwelch
>85 weird_O:. Thanks for digging on the sci-fi insect, Bill. Some kind of mantis sure seems right, doesn’t it.
I did change the butterfly image, good catch! I couldn’t find one that looked like ours - they really looked cool with their color spots. But as you guessed, this one looks closer, and you also get to see a bit of a mesh butterfly house like ours.
>86 jessibud2:. Bill thought mantis, too, Shelley, and that seems right to me.
Good for you for studying metamorphosis in class. A release party is a great idea. Ours transformed two each day, so we had 4 releases , each exhilarating. The grandkids followed along on Facetime. The swallowtails were indeed gorgeous. What a great project that was. Apparently the caterpillars love dill.
I did change the butterfly image, good catch! I couldn’t find one that looked like ours - they really looked cool with their color spots. But as you guessed, this one looks closer, and you also get to see a bit of a mesh butterfly house like ours.
>86 jessibud2:. Bill thought mantis, too, Shelley, and that seems right to me.
Good for you for studying metamorphosis in class. A release party is a great idea. Ours transformed two each day, so we had 4 releases , each exhilarating. The grandkids followed along on Facetime. The swallowtails were indeed gorgeous. What a great project that was. Apparently the caterpillars love dill.
90jnwelch
>87 johnsimpson:. What great news, John! I absolutely can’t wait, and will buy its hugeness in lightweight e-form. I’ve missed Comorran and Robin! And now her idiot husband is out of the way. Thanks, buddy!
>88 msf59:. Hiya, Mark. Isn’t the butterfly project cool? The caterpillars love dill, and we’re putting milkweed in the parkway as a butterfly attractant.
Congrats on reaching 75!
I was just telling someone that I never really got bitten by the Wallace Stegner bug. I read a couple, and they were fine, but not a siren call.
The Ink Black Heart (see >87 johnsimpson:) is jumping my queue. Can’t wait!
>88 msf59:. Hiya, Mark. Isn’t the butterfly project cool? The caterpillars love dill, and we’re putting milkweed in the parkway as a butterfly attractant.
Congrats on reaching 75!
I was just telling someone that I never really got bitten by the Wallace Stegner bug. I read a couple, and they were fine, but not a siren call.
The Ink Black Heart (see >87 johnsimpson:) is jumping my queue. Can’t wait!
91quondame
>84 jnwelch: Those are both stunners, in different ways.
92jnwelch
>91 quondame:. Right, Susan? Thanks.
93m.belljackson
Hi Joe - I found QUICHOTTE when searching for a less politically dark Salman Rushdie.
It's a slow mover through the first half, but is picking up after leaving Canyon of the Ancients.
Inspiration is woven through a weird plot!
It's a slow mover through the first half, but is picking up after leaving Canyon of the Ancients.
Inspiration is woven through a weird plot!
94jnwelch
Today’s Bargain: The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie for $1.99 on e-readers. A lesser known mystery by Dame Agatha, with the murder taking place on a luxury train (no, not the Orient Express).
95m.belljackson
Joe/Mark/Paul > Today's "Daily Kos Recommended" is a really DARK political winner.
96jnwelch
>95 m.belljackson:. Thanks, Marianne. Not sure which one you’re referring to?
98richardderus
Joe!! Joe!! You can't sleep on these excellent $1.99 Kindle deals today:
Tales of the City is such a wonderful, happy, hopeful look at gay life in San Francisco 50 years ago! *gasp*
The Green Man is, I think, one of the few Kingsley Amis tales I would re-read because it left no lingering scum-ring of misogyny in my mind.
The United States of Fear is depressing but necessary reading for its indictment of the US dependence on international thuggery.
What an amazingly diverse crop of good reads!
Anyway, my duty is done, so my hugely improved self will now slink back into the shadows.
Tales of the City is such a wonderful, happy, hopeful look at gay life in San Francisco 50 years ago! *gasp*
The Green Man is, I think, one of the few Kingsley Amis tales I would re-read because it left no lingering scum-ring of misogyny in my mind.
The United States of Fear is depressing but necessary reading for its indictment of the US dependence on international thuggery.
What an amazingly diverse crop of good reads!
Anyway, my duty is done, so my hugely improved self will now slink back into the shadows.
99jnwelch
>97 m.belljackson:. 😀
98. Nicely done, RD. Thanks for helping spread the news of good bargains.
P.S. I can’t belive Tales of the Cityis that old(!), but I do remember selling tons of it in my bookstore days.
98. Nicely done, RD. Thanks for helping spread the news of good bargains.
P.S. I can’t belive Tales of the Cityis that old(!), but I do remember selling tons of it in my bookstore days.
100jnwelch
Today’s Bargain: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel For $1.99 on E-readers. Wow, if you haven’t read this excellent one, here’s an unexpected bargain opportunity to do so.
101NarratorLady
>100 jnwelch: Thanks Joe! Emily St. John Mandel is a writer about whom I only hear good things. Should I start with this one or does it matter?
Just started Horse by Geraldine Brooks and it’s great so far. Heard her speak last month at a “literary luncheon” on Cape Cod last month. Absolutely delightful.
Just started Horse by Geraldine Brooks and it’s great so far. Heard her speak last month at a “literary luncheon” on Cape Cod last month. Absolutely delightful.
102jnwelch
>101 NarratorLady:. Yes, start with this one, Anne. I think you’ll enjoy reading St.John Mandel. Smooth and engaging storytelling, with plenty to think about.
Oh, I’m glad you got to see Geraldine Brooks and you’re enjoying her nee one. I lost contact with her after Year of Wonders. I loved that one.
Oh, I’m glad you got to see Geraldine Brooks and you’re enjoying her nee one. I lost contact with her after Year of Wonders. I loved that one.
103benitastrnad
>98 richardderus:
I read Green Man by Kingsley Amis years ago (before LT) after I had watched a BBC/PBS adaptation of it. I enjoyed the book, but it never prompted me to pick up another by Kingsley Amis. Like, Richard I would reread Green Man and might do so at some point in the future.
I read Green Man by Kingsley Amis years ago (before LT) after I had watched a BBC/PBS adaptation of it. I enjoyed the book, but it never prompted me to pick up another by Kingsley Amis. Like, Richard I would reread Green Man and might do so at some point in the future.
105jnwelch
Today’s Bargain: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley for $1.99 on e-readers. The classic at a most excellent price.
106jnwelch
Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith/J.K.Rowling.. I just finished this heart-pounder. I’m sure a lot will be said about its length (1200+ pages). All I can say is, she sustains the momentum throughout. I was thoroughly hooked and more than ready to keep going.
It all starts with an intriguing, well-described Youtube cartoon with the book title’s name set in a cemetery, and a fan-designed complementary game. Yes, there’s a related murder and lots of online shenanigans. Rowling convincingly portrays this world and its inhabitants as this story snakes through social media and the dark web and RL people trying to hide behind online personas. The trolling (especially of women by angry, immature men), is horrific, and Rowling no doubt draws in part on personal experience in making it so realistic.
Comoran and Robin must conduct a complex investigation involving the online and real worlds while continuing to ineptly negotiate (see previous books) their attraction to each other.
I’m still somewhat astounded that the Harry Potter author handles this kind of material so well. After this consuming read, I already can’t wait for the next one.😅
It all starts with an intriguing, well-described Youtube cartoon with the book title’s name set in a cemetery, and a fan-designed complementary game. Yes, there’s a related murder and lots of online shenanigans. Rowling convincingly portrays this world and its inhabitants as this story snakes through social media and the dark web and RL people trying to hide behind online personas. The trolling (especially of women by angry, immature men), is horrific, and Rowling no doubt draws in part on personal experience in making it so realistic.
Comoran and Robin must conduct a complex investigation involving the online and real worlds while continuing to ineptly negotiate (see previous books) their attraction to each other.
I’m still somewhat astounded that the Harry Potter author handles this kind of material so well. After this consuming read, I already can’t wait for the next one.😅
107jnwelch
Her much-discussed trans comments in social media: I think she fails to sufficiently empathize with the torment of being trapped in a wrong-gendered body, and of trying to express true identity when one’s physical appearance constantly thwarts that. The point I think she was trying to make was that the physical experience of being a woman, with menses and pregnancy and everything else, can’t just be imitated or mentally assumed. Her comments have not been admirable or well-informed, but in my mind they haven’t been mean-spirited either. People wanting to read her will need to make up their own minds, of course.
108weird_O
>106 jnwelch: I almost want to read it, Joe. Good show. Perhaps regrettably I haven't tackled Lethal White yet. I think I should hop on that before springing for a copy of this here gargantua.
I am set to begin Miss Welty's Delta Wedding (along with a self-selected group of others).
I am set to begin Miss Welty's Delta Wedding (along with a self-selected group of others).
109msf59
Happy Labor Day, Joe. I hope you are having a nice holiday weekend. Glad to hear you loved, but not at all surprised, that you were crazy about Ink Black Heart. I did enjoy the first 3 books in this series. Someday, I might get back to them. Been getting some birding and reading in, so you know I am doing good here. I am especially enjoying Mercury Pictures Presents. Not sure you have read Marra, but the dude can write.
110mdoris
>107 jnwelch: HI Joe, I have read J K. Rowlings writings and some of her speeches re Trans concerns but happily have stayed away from any Twitter twatter and it is my feeling that she is a hero, quite courageous and brave and deeply concerned about women's safety. It seems to be the saddest thing that the challenge to the Trans narrative seems to be met with venom, the rudest and vilest of physical threats and concerns for her personal safety. There seems to be no chance to talk through concerns. What a world!
111PaulCranswick
>107 jnwelch: I think that is a fair assessment, Joe. She was largely as I recall defending safe spaces for women but she did come across as lacking a little in empathy.
>110 mdoris: I agree with that too, Mary, that some of the venom and threats of violence she has had to face is way over the top. Reasoned debate is the way to solve the ills of the world, but there would always be a response to her as she has such a high-profile and privileged public profile.
She has been a great advocate of women's rights and is wonderfully philanthropic - personally I think that there are genuine concerns about abuse of gender being made a matter of choice rather than biology and this was highlighted by the rapes in the schools in Virginia and the sudden spurts of pregnancies in the New York prison system but those concerns can be canvassed and addressed without ignoring the needs and rights of trans people.
>110 mdoris: I agree with that too, Mary, that some of the venom and threats of violence she has had to face is way over the top. Reasoned debate is the way to solve the ills of the world, but there would always be a response to her as she has such a high-profile and privileged public profile.
She has been a great advocate of women's rights and is wonderfully philanthropic - personally I think that there are genuine concerns about abuse of gender being made a matter of choice rather than biology and this was highlighted by the rapes in the schools in Virginia and the sudden spurts of pregnancies in the New York prison system but those concerns can be canvassed and addressed without ignoring the needs and rights of trans people.
112jnwelch
>108 weird_O:. Hi, Bill. I hope you read the excellent Lethal White and Troubled Blood soonish, and your “almost” turns into “really”. What a treat these books are.
Reading Eudora Welty is always a good thing. I’ll watch for your comments on Delta Wedding.
>109 msf59:. Hiya, Mark. I hope you had a good Labor Day. I imagine you must have with charming Jackson presiding over proceedings.
I’m a Maara enthusiast after A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, and Mercury Pictures Presents is in my future. I’m glad it’s working well for you.
>110 mdoris:. Hi, Mary.
I love your reference to “twitter twatter”. Ha! I also admire Rowling but I wish she’d been more sensitive to the folks she was speaking about. An express recognition of the challenges they face would have gone a long ways in furthering her message without resistance and ire. Yes, venomous extremists seem to jump in boots first at every opportunity. I think she makes a wonderful commentary on that and its effects on the vulnerable in The Ink Black Heart. You’re right, it really fouls up rational discourse. The best course often may be for rationals to disregard or briefly refute it. Getting engaged with it is useless and distracts from sane exchanges, doesn’t it.
>111 PaulCranswick:. Thanks, Paul. Showing some understanding of and sympathy for trans people first probably would’ve avoided much of the controversy. She came across as insensitive and high-handed which I don’t think was her intention. Yes, the extreme reactions have been way over the top. As I mentioned to Mary, she does a subtle and brainy job of skewering trolling in The Ink Black Heart.
I’m not sure I follow your abuse of gender concerns, but it seems anything human can be abused. We’re all a complex mixture of bad and good, aren’t we. The anonymity of the internet unfortunately encourages acting out by many inclined to the bad.
Reading Eudora Welty is always a good thing. I’ll watch for your comments on Delta Wedding.
>109 msf59:. Hiya, Mark. I hope you had a good Labor Day. I imagine you must have with charming Jackson presiding over proceedings.
I’m a Maara enthusiast after A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, and Mercury Pictures Presents is in my future. I’m glad it’s working well for you.
>110 mdoris:. Hi, Mary.
I love your reference to “twitter twatter”. Ha! I also admire Rowling but I wish she’d been more sensitive to the folks she was speaking about. An express recognition of the challenges they face would have gone a long ways in furthering her message without resistance and ire. Yes, venomous extremists seem to jump in boots first at every opportunity. I think she makes a wonderful commentary on that and its effects on the vulnerable in The Ink Black Heart. You’re right, it really fouls up rational discourse. The best course often may be for rationals to disregard or briefly refute it. Getting engaged with it is useless and distracts from sane exchanges, doesn’t it.
>111 PaulCranswick:. Thanks, Paul. Showing some understanding of and sympathy for trans people first probably would’ve avoided much of the controversy. She came across as insensitive and high-handed which I don’t think was her intention. Yes, the extreme reactions have been way over the top. As I mentioned to Mary, she does a subtle and brainy job of skewering trolling in The Ink Black Heart.
I’m not sure I follow your abuse of gender concerns, but it seems anything human can be abused. We’re all a complex mixture of bad and good, aren’t we. The anonymity of the internet unfortunately encourages acting out by many inclined to the bad.
113jnwelch
https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/prize-years/2022 Darryl kindly posted the Booker Prize shortlist on FB. Here’s the link.
114katiekrug
As someone with a close family member who is trans, I wish people would just live and let live. A trans-woman doesn't threaten my experience as a woman (nor does menstruating or pregnancy define it in any meaningful way, for crying out loud - does my refusal to carry a child make me not a woman?). My trans nephew doesn't threaten my husband's experience as a man. And there are far more instances of violence against trans people because of, at best, unhelpful rhetoric and at worst, hate speech, than there are of trans violence against others in so-called safe spaces.
115jnwelch
>114 katiekrug:. Amen, Katie. Thanks for posting those thoughts.
116lauralkeet
>111 PaulCranswick: the rapes in the schools in Virginia...
The incidents you refer to happened in my local community. Your phrasing needs clarification. There were two incidents of sexual assault, both committed by the same teen who was found guilty of both and is currently living in a residential home until the age of 18.
The student's gender identity is completely beside the point, as is what they were wearing or that the assault was committed in a bathroom. To me, the far greater concern is that the school district failed to act on the first incident, and allowed the teen to transfer to another school where they committed the second assault.
The incidents you refer to happened in my local community. Your phrasing needs clarification. There were two incidents of sexual assault, both committed by the same teen who was found guilty of both and is currently living in a residential home until the age of 18.
The student's gender identity is completely beside the point, as is what they were wearing or that the assault was committed in a bathroom. To me, the far greater concern is that the school district failed to act on the first incident, and allowed the teen to transfer to another school where they committed the second assault.
117quondame
>114 katiekrug: Yes, this. I don't understand a lot of what a trans person, especially a trans-woman, sees in the identified gender, but it's not my life, or my child's life so I have no input. As my child is an adult, I still have, and should have, no choice.
118jnwelch
>116 lauralkeet:. Woo, I somehow missed that awful story, Laura. Makes me unfortunately think of the Catholic Church moving child-molesting priests to new parishes. It’s hard to believe they’d turn this guy loose in another school to repeat his predation.
I get your point that gender was irrelevant.
>117 quondame: Hi, Susan. My understanding is many trans people felt they were the other gender from the get-go. We know two sets of parents dealing with this in young kids, both boys inclined to be girls, and I love the understanding way the parents are handling it. They treat the “boys” with respect and protect them, and let them explore their desired way of dressing and of handling things. It’ll be interesting to see how it all develops. A complicated scenario for a parent, for sure, but love, respect and an open mind can accomplish a lot.
I get your point that gender was irrelevant.
>117 quondame: Hi, Susan. My understanding is many trans people felt they were the other gender from the get-go. We know two sets of parents dealing with this in young kids, both boys inclined to be girls, and I love the understanding way the parents are handling it. They treat the “boys” with respect and protect them, and let them explore their desired way of dressing and of handling things. It’ll be interesting to see how it all develops. A complicated scenario for a parent, for sure, but love, respect and an open mind can accomplish a lot.
119quondame
>118 jnwelch: It's not that I question whether a young person might be sure they have the wrong body for their identity. I wouldn't have had a concept or vocabulary for that growing up, but I certainly saw contemporaries that didn't "fit". What boggles me is when anyone who can avoid being labeled female in our culture dives into that cattle chute. That they do so is, to me, convincing evidence of overwhelming motivation. Now if I had 3" more height and any strong physical attraction to women, the other path would have been quite tempting. But being a 5'6" (fat assed) male has it's own disadvantages.
It's almost common to say that heterosexuals are never accused of choosing their orientation, but internally I have gone through at least a semblance of making that choice - when my dearest and most loved woman friend came out to me. It would have been obscenely wrong of me to have made, with her, any other choice than I did, but still, not being able to hold onto her has torn at me the rest of my life, we were that close.
It's almost common to say that heterosexuals are never accused of choosing their orientation, but internally I have gone through at least a semblance of making that choice - when my dearest and most loved woman friend came out to me. It would have been obscenely wrong of me to have made, with her, any other choice than I did, but still, not being able to hold onto her has torn at me the rest of my life, we were that close.
120PaulCranswick
>116 lauralkeet: I was thinking about those incidents, Laura, and you are of course right that the school board trying to cover up the first incident and transferring the student to another school directly lead to the second incident.
>114 katiekrug: I have to say I wholeheartedly agree with Katie's points here especially on calling out acts of violence against anybody because of gender and to live and let live. I too have a couple of transgender friends here in Malaysia - and I believe me it is much more difficult for them here than in the West - and I don't believe what their religion, race, sexuality or gender makes a blind bit of difference to my view of them as friends.
>114 katiekrug: I have to say I wholeheartedly agree with Katie's points here especially on calling out acts of violence against anybody because of gender and to live and let live. I too have a couple of transgender friends here in Malaysia - and I believe me it is much more difficult for them here than in the West - and I don't believe what their religion, race, sexuality or gender makes a blind bit of difference to my view of them as friends.
121jnwelch
>119 quondame:. I see what you mean, Susan. With all the inequities and frustrations women continue to experience, it has to be a strong motivation if one chooses a female presentation after being given a male one at birth. Interesting to think about. It’s hard to get anywhere close to that mindset, but my understanding is that for people who make that choice (or choose to be nonbinary), it is intolerably painful to live a life that feels so false.
P.S. I’m sorry you lost your close friend. I haven’t had anyone close to me come out, but I’d like to hope we could still connect and be friends.
>120 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. I can’t add much to what you and Katie have said so well. Debbi and I don’t have any close trans friends, but we do know several in diverse Chicago. My perception fits what you and Katie are saying - they’re just trying to live their lives like the rest of us, working to pay the bills and trying to find love, friendship and happiness. I imagine their dearest wish would be to simply be accepted and allowed to live and let live like the rest of us.
P.S. I’m sorry you lost your close friend. I haven’t had anyone close to me come out, but I’d like to hope we could still connect and be friends.
>120 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. I can’t add much to what you and Katie have said so well. Debbi and I don’t have any close trans friends, but we do know several in diverse Chicago. My perception fits what you and Katie are saying - they’re just trying to live their lives like the rest of us, working to pay the bills and trying to find love, friendship and happiness. I imagine their dearest wish would be to simply be accepted and allowed to live and let live like the rest of us.
122quondame
>121 jnwelch: I didn't lose her as a friend. But the woman she lived with a few years down the line didn't like me and found a reason to take offense, not at me but at my husband, where none was meant. She died about 15 years ago from breast cancer and I hadn't even heard that she was ill and I wasn't notified but learned from a friend married to a former co-worker of hers. I missed the funeral.
123jnwelch
>122 quondame:. Ah, sorry to hear it, Susan. Friendship- ending misunderstandings are such a shame. My dad lost his lifelong best friend that way.
124mdoris
Hello Joe, i have been reading the various replies above and while it is critical for anyone to try and figure out what is driving the conflicts and stresses they are experiencing, I do not think the changing your gender as MANY are trying to do is always the best solution. It seems there is a one size fits all now and it is the teenagers who are greatly feeling this. There is a suggestion of social contagion, like cutting and eating disorders in current and previous days. I am seeing statistics that there has been a 4000% increase for teenaged girls f to m. This is an experiment. No one knows the long term affects of lifetime testosterone on a female body. The experience of bilateral mastectomies and hysterectomies on teenage girls is happening before they have any maturity to know what they will want in life for family in the future.
This casual approach "live and let live", the "whatever" response is going to kick back in the future I fear. Yes, it will work for some but it will leave a lot of regretful people who felt a society pressure into something that did not end up working for them. I have followed many de-transitioners and the stories are tragic, so regretful, so harmed and so wishing that a therapist had given them time and support and other options instead of a 30 minute appointment (sometimes over the phone) and a prescription for puberty blockers and testosterone.
A Canadian Dr. Ken Zucker did years worth (40) of research on desisting. How to support teenagers through their gender dysphoria and confusion but this research has been ignored. Why? Maybe because it does not benefit the medical and pharmaceutical empires.
This casual approach "live and let live", the "whatever" response is going to kick back in the future I fear. Yes, it will work for some but it will leave a lot of regretful people who felt a society pressure into something that did not end up working for them. I have followed many de-transitioners and the stories are tragic, so regretful, so harmed and so wishing that a therapist had given them time and support and other options instead of a 30 minute appointment (sometimes over the phone) and a prescription for puberty blockers and testosterone.
A Canadian Dr. Ken Zucker did years worth (40) of research on desisting. How to support teenagers through their gender dysphoria and confusion but this research has been ignored. Why? Maybe because it does not benefit the medical and pharmaceutical empires.
125jnwelch
>124 mdoris:. Thanks for bringing that up, Mary. I wasn’t aware of de-transitioners, i.e. those who make a physical gender change and later regret it. A complex phenomenon grows more so! Yes, making any major life-affecting decisions at a young age is very risky. The prefrontal cortex (for judgment) often doesn’t fully develop until the 20s. Madame MBH and I joke that we could see our risk-taking son’s prefrontal lobes growing in during college.
Most of us probably remember what emotional idiots we were in our teens. I certainly do. It does not seem like a desirable age to make decisions about changing physical make-up.
The article I read (thanks to you) about trans who regret their decision made the point that these days it is much more common for females to want to change to male appearance. I wonder whether that has anything to do with Susan’s point, that the odds continue to unfairly favor males in our society.
What if it were possible to turn from black to white? How tempting that would be for many. A much more hassle-free life without the daily crap and all the obstacles. ( This issue came up in real life for the blue people of Kentucky, as related in books like The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek).
Going back to your point, therapy does seem awfully important, and you’ve got me thinking that this is too significant a decision to make at a young age. What a difficult balance for a parent, though, if a child is miserable, and comprehensively affected by gender dysphoria.
P.S. I didn’t understand what the word “desisting” meant in your last paragraph.
Most of us probably remember what emotional idiots we were in our teens. I certainly do. It does not seem like a desirable age to make decisions about changing physical make-up.
The article I read (thanks to you) about trans who regret their decision made the point that these days it is much more common for females to want to change to male appearance. I wonder whether that has anything to do with Susan’s point, that the odds continue to unfairly favor males in our society.
What if it were possible to turn from black to white? How tempting that would be for many. A much more hassle-free life without the daily crap and all the obstacles. ( This issue came up in real life for the blue people of Kentucky, as related in books like The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek).
Going back to your point, therapy does seem awfully important, and you’ve got me thinking that this is too significant a decision to make at a young age. What a difficult balance for a parent, though, if a child is miserable, and comprehensively affected by gender dysphoria.
P.S. I didn’t understand what the word “desisting” meant in your last paragraph.
126jnwelch
A Kind of Spark by Ellie McNicoll. I love this compact Middle-grade book. (Thank you, Amber, for the nudge). Addie is an 11 year old high-functioning autistic girl who is getting mistreated at school by classmates and an old-fashioned teacher. She has an autistic sister and a neurotypical one, a very supportive mother and father, and a new friend who wants to understand Addie’s quirks, e.g. stimming to calm anxiety. Addie learns that her town was responsible for many witch executions back in the day. She sees similarities in the ostracism she experiences for being “different”, and petitions the city council to put up a memorial plaque for those who were unjustly killed.
The author also is neurodivergent (love that word), not neurotypical, and I loved the authenticity of Addie’s experiences. This one will not take you long to read, and it’s well worth it.
The author also is neurodivergent (love that word), not neurotypical, and I loved the authenticity of Addie’s experiences. This one will not take you long to read, and it’s well worth it.
127humouress
>125 jnwelch: Meanwhile, my 18 year old son has just got a full forearm tattoo - just a bit too early for those prefrontal lobes to kick in. Although my 13 year old didn't go ahead with a buzz cut which he really wanted because his friends were doing it. I told him he could, if he really wanted to (since that's not a permanent change) but I did remind him about the time his brother did it which is commemorated for eternity in photographs with extended family (whom my kids rarely meet, so that's how he'll be remembered). Kids 🙄
128scaifea
>126 jnwelch: Yay! I'm go glad you loved it!
129katiekrug
My last point, because I am getting angry and emotional, is that maybe people should allow a child and their parents the grace to do what they think is best and right in their situation. To insinuate that people are making snap decisions after 30 minutes with a therapist is insulting. And believe me when I say that my nephew is not subjecting himself to what he is facing in a conservative community in Texas because of "social contagion." Given the level of prejudice and violence trans people face, it is a wonder to me that anyone has the courage to even consider transitioning.
130jnwelch
>127 humouress:. Hi, Nina. Yeah our slam poet son started getting tattoos and piercings when he turned 18. Before that he dyed his hair blue, which I actually liked. As you say, not permanent. (Now he’s hair-free up top like his dad). Our daughter started getting tattoos later in life, ones related to songs and books. I got a tattoo (shooting star, added another later) when in my 20s, and Debbi got one when in her 50s (blue butterfly).
132jnwelch
>129 katiekrug:. Ha, you’re a hothead like me, Katie. I’ve really worked to cool my temperature in recent years. Getting riled up was hurting me and those around me. Buddha said, don’t do that any more.😀
Great point you make. Yes, making the decision to transition invites trouble and complication for the trans person these days.
I also take Mary’s point about people later regretting the decision to physically change, and that we should be careful with young people making a life-changing decision like this. I agree we should leave the parents and child alone to work that through.
Great point you make. Yes, making the decision to transition invites trouble and complication for the trans person these days.
I also take Mary’s point about people later regretting the decision to physically change, and that we should be careful with young people making a life-changing decision like this. I agree we should leave the parents and child alone to work that through.
133laytonwoman3rd
>129 katiekrug: "maybe people should allow a child and their parents the grace to do what they think is best and right in their situation" I'm with you, Katie. It's one thing to have an abstract conversation about a subject like this, but it's quite another to know the territory and its pitfalls from personal experience.
134weird_O
>129 katiekrug:, >133 laytonwoman3rd: Katie's statement encapsulates SO MANY of society's woes these days. Women's health issues, sex and gender issues, reading and education issues. Just butt out. Allow the child (or adult) and their parents/loved ones/advisors/counsellors "do what they think is best and right in their situation".
135jnwelch
>133 laytonwoman3rd: Agreed, Linda. I hope the discussion hasn’t been too abstract, because the issues are very real. I was just talking to a friend about his female-leaning son, and he and his wife had to talk it all through. As he says, kids change so much over time. They decided to let him explore his female inclinations, with their support, without authorizing physical changes. I suspect that’s what Debbi and I would’ve done. Facing a smart teen demanding physical changes would’ve been a challenge.
>134 weird_O:. Ha! Believe it or not, Bill, you made me think of landscaping (plants and trees) we’re doing in the parkways around our house (areas near the streets). We haven’t invited comments, but we’ve sure been getting them from neighbors and passersby. Since they’ve largely been positive (with some well-meant “suggestions”) we haven’t gotten to the point of telling them to “just butt out “ yet. It also reminds me of all the people who wanted to weigh in on our decision to raise our children vegetarian. We always gave the kids the option to eat meat, but Debbi asked them to let her make it rather than eating fast food meat after not having had meat before. Lots of “just butt out” temptations for that one, especially since our son was a picky eater because of a syndrome (can’t remember the name) he had.
>134 weird_O:. Ha! Believe it or not, Bill, you made me think of landscaping (plants and trees) we’re doing in the parkways around our house (areas near the streets). We haven’t invited comments, but we’ve sure been getting them from neighbors and passersby. Since they’ve largely been positive (with some well-meant “suggestions”) we haven’t gotten to the point of telling them to “just butt out “ yet. It also reminds me of all the people who wanted to weigh in on our decision to raise our children vegetarian. We always gave the kids the option to eat meat, but Debbi asked them to let her make it rather than eating fast food meat after not having had meat before. Lots of “just butt out” temptations for that one, especially since our son was a picky eater because of a syndrome (can’t remember the name) he had.
136jnwelch
Today’s Bargain: Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman for $1.99 on Kindle. I enjoyed this well-done prequel to her Practical Magic.
139quondame
>129 katiekrug: >132 jnwelch: The outrage against trans individuals and young transitioners has become such a politicized issue that I would be very wary of any book or article with any strong agenda as the "child abuse" bludgeons are making what should be a private family matter into yet another reason to denounce social liberals as being degenerate. Since most tweens and teens desire to be normal and to fit in as well as to feel some independence from their parents, I do not buy that hoards of them are pushing to make such a radical change as a fashion statement.
Of course, in a culture that idolizes the male jock and makes girly the worst insult, maybe any female bodied child who has eyes to see would want free themselves of the stigma. And maybe some male bodied children sensitive enough to feel the bite of the poison are desperate not to grow up to produce more of it.
Of course, in a culture that idolizes the male jock and makes girly the worst insult, maybe any female bodied child who has eyes to see would want free themselves of the stigma. And maybe some male bodied children sensitive enough to feel the bite of the poison are desperate not to grow up to produce more of it.
140jnwelch
>139 quondame:. Yes, what a complicated time in which to grow up. I said to someone around my age, at least when growing up we didn’t have the end of the world looming over our heads. (Or did we? “Duck and cover” - how absurd was that?)
I will say that I am so impressed with the kids I come across these days. There are some wonderful parents and wonderful children out there. I’m sure there are clueless hooligans and snotty harm-bringers out there, too. - I hope the numbers favor the wonderful ones.
And we need to have some really bright ones help fix the many problems left them by old, white men.
I will say that I am so impressed with the kids I come across these days. There are some wonderful parents and wonderful children out there. I’m sure there are clueless hooligans and snotty harm-bringers out there, too. - I hope the numbers favor the wonderful ones.
And we need to have some really bright ones help fix the many problems left them by old, white men.
141quondame
>140 jnwelch: I too have a very good impression of the young people I've interacted with, from 10-40. From the two pre-teens that helped me pack and load my camp at the end of an SCA War event, to my contemporaries' children, the younger SCA and dance crowd, and my daughter's friends, they are lively, creative, supportive of each other, and very QUILTBAG. My daughter says she's one of the only cis-gendered people in her social group, and identifies as bi, so it's not at all theoretical for me. She has booted my preconceptions about a bit for sure.
142jnwelch
Ha! We need our kids to boot our preconceptions around a bit, don’t we. Both kids used to tell me I’m “weird”, and I always said that’s a high honor indeed. I like weird people - including our resident weirdo, Bill.
I am a dull as dishwater cisgender guy, though, as far as that part goes.
Forgive my ignorance - what are SCA and QUILTBAG?
P.S. i looked QUILTBAG up - that’s certainly colorful (!) and useful!
P.P.S. Is SCA the Society for Creative Anachronism?
I am a dull as dishwater cisgender guy, though, as far as that part goes.
Forgive my ignorance - what are SCA and QUILTBAG?
P.S. i looked QUILTBAG up - that’s certainly colorful (!) and useful!
P.P.S. Is SCA the Society for Creative Anachronism?
143quondame
>142 jnwelch: SCA is The Society for Creative Anachronism, a pre-1600 historical enactment group, US and Europe mostly but world-wide. QUILTBAG is another way of saying LGBTQ+, and the SCA is, in my region and many others, very LGBTQ+, but since it is full of guys competing to be king by bashing each other with big sticks, it has some very reactionary pockets, but the official rules are written strongly supporting inclusion.
We had a scandal that took off about swastikas on the coronation regalia that I sparked by, well, noticing that there were swastikas on our Kingdom's coronation regalia, and objecting to it on a FB post distraught that no one else had objected after 2 weeks. Some people became worse than rude on both sides, the royals resigned, we had a regent for awhile, and rules were handed down from corporate.
Some people still aren't speaking to each other.
Ah! I noticed you did your own research!
We had a scandal that took off about swastikas on the coronation regalia that I sparked by, well, noticing that there were swastikas on our Kingdom's coronation regalia, and objecting to it on a FB post distraught that no one else had objected after 2 weeks. Some people became worse than rude on both sides, the royals resigned, we had a regent for awhile, and rules were handed down from corporate.
Some people still aren't speaking to each other.
Ah! I noticed you did your own research!
144msf59
Happy Saturday. Joe. Good discussion going on over here. Not much to add here, but mostly in agreement with you. How about this gorgeous weather? My reading has been slow, so far this month- just finished my first 2 books. I just started Kitchen Confidential on audio and I am getting ready to start Post Office. I can't believe I never read this. Have you read Bukowski?
145jnwelch
>143 quondame:. Good for you for objecting to the swastikas, Susan. We still see way too much of that garbage from white nationalists and wannabes and antisemetics.
The SCA sounds like quite an interesting organization; a new one to me. LGBTQ++++ is starting to get unwieldy with all the add-ons. I’d love to see QUILTBAG catch on.
The SCA sounds like quite an interesting organization; a new one to me. LGBTQ++++ is starting to get unwieldy with all the add-ons. I’d love to see QUILTBAG catch on.
146jnwelch
>144 msf59: Happy Saturday, Mark. Off to the Farmer’s Market, but I’ll be back.
(Cont. . . .). I did read Bukowski back when I worked in the bookstore. I can see why a lot of readers take to his blunt, unapologetic style. I didn’t take to it enough to continue.
I’ll have to lookup Kitchen Confidential. I’m reading two that wouldn’t suit you, The Final Gambit (conclusion to a YA mystery trilogy that Becca and I like) and Soul Taken ( the newest in a fantasy series with werewolves, vampires, “the fae” and other creatures, and a great were-coyote central character named Mercy Thompson). You might like my GN: The Grand Odalisque, a prettygood French art-stealing caper with nice art. Oh, and I forget: do you like the poet Kim Addonizio as much as I do? Her Now We’re Getting Somewhere is another solid collection from her.
(Cont. . . .). I did read Bukowski back when I worked in the bookstore. I can see why a lot of readers take to his blunt, unapologetic style. I didn’t take to it enough to continue.
I’ll have to lookup Kitchen Confidential. I’m reading two that wouldn’t suit you, The Final Gambit (conclusion to a YA mystery trilogy that Becca and I like) and Soul Taken ( the newest in a fantasy series with werewolves, vampires, “the fae” and other creatures, and a great were-coyote central character named Mercy Thompson). You might like my GN: The Grand Odalisque, a prettygood French art-stealing caper with nice art. Oh, and I forget: do you like the poet Kim Addonizio as much as I do? Her Now We’re Getting Somewhere is another solid collection from her.
147richardderus
Happy weekend, Joe. Speaking of QUILTBAGgery, Prime has canceled Paper Girls...the producers are going to shop it around but it could begone, sadly.
Guess that most-of-a-billion they spent on the LotR crapfest wasn't such a great thing after all.
Go see Bros the instant it comes to Chicago. I actually ached from laughing.
Guess that most-of-a-billion they spent on the LotR crapfest wasn't such a great thing after all.
Go see Bros the instant it comes to Chicago. I actually ached from laughing.
148jnwelch
>147 richardderus:. Oh, darn it, Richard. I’m one of those who really enjoyed Paper Girls. The idea of the girls meeting up with their grownup selves was appealing, as were their efforts to sort out what those harsh folks from the future were up to.
Did you watch The Bear? I thought that was a good one. Nice to see all the Chicago locations.
Yeah, LotR is awfully slow, albeit pretty. I’m not sure it’s suited to a series treatment. I think Wheel of Time is suited to being a series, and I’m looking forward to Season 2. Ditto re The Sandman.
Bros?? What’s it about?
Did you watch The Bear? I thought that was a good one. Nice to see all the Chicago locations.
Yeah, LotR is awfully slow, albeit pretty. I’m not sure it’s suited to a series treatment. I think Wheel of Time is suited to being a series, and I’m looking forward to Season 2. Ditto re The Sandman.
Bros?? What’s it about?
149richardderus
The Bear is on my watchlist...along with a ridiculous number of other things...but it's closer to the top than the bottom!
I'm disgusted by the Paper Girls nonsense. What a terrific cast, and we know the stories were good because the comics were, too. Performance problems seemed to me to boil down to "can't afford it, wasn't an instahit" which...gross. The REASON for streaming was to build an audience back when it wasn't cable-replacement TV.
Nothing Tolkien gets past my revulsion for its fanbase of racist pigs.
Bros is a romcom about finding love in your forties despite a lifetime's anxiety that you aren't Enough.
I'm disgusted by the Paper Girls nonsense. What a terrific cast, and we know the stories were good because the comics were, too. Performance problems seemed to me to boil down to "can't afford it, wasn't an instahit" which...gross. The REASON for streaming was to build an audience back when it wasn't cable-replacement TV.
Nothing Tolkien gets past my revulsion for its fanbase of racist pigs.
Bros is a romcom about finding love in your forties despite a lifetime's anxiety that you aren't Enough.
150m.belljackson
JOE -Here's a Buddhist message from a surprising source,
Diane Di Prima's REVOLUTIONARY LETTER #43:
the map: first goal is health
strong bodies make strong spirit, Venceremos Brigade
coming back from Cuba discover they know how to breathe
they can get up with the sun; first thing:
to zap the sugar habit, get rid of meat
& heavy drugs, to eat no chemicals, no processed food
first step:
to find out what health feels like: even keel
tireless energy pouring steady through
then prana (vital energy) moving smooth
through all yr flesh: next goal release
sex force - strong flesh becomes bright flesh
anger becomes 'Buddha's Anger' a steady roar
righteous, beyond yr action, not spasmodic, threatens
no self-destruction; loose touch on
brothers & sisters, loose force (and contain it)
Holy Power
to build up, or pull down
Diane Di Prima's REVOLUTIONARY LETTER #43:
the map: first goal is health
strong bodies make strong spirit, Venceremos Brigade
coming back from Cuba discover they know how to breathe
they can get up with the sun; first thing:
to zap the sugar habit, get rid of meat
& heavy drugs, to eat no chemicals, no processed food
first step:
to find out what health feels like: even keel
tireless energy pouring steady through
then prana (vital energy) moving smooth
through all yr flesh: next goal release
sex force - strong flesh becomes bright flesh
anger becomes 'Buddha's Anger' a steady roar
righteous, beyond yr action, not spasmodic, threatens
no self-destruction; loose touch on
brothers & sisters, loose force (and contain it)
Holy Power
to build up, or pull down
151humouress
>135 jnwelch: Re making your own food; I've noticed a lot of kids my own children's age (including some of their cousins) as well as my mum and sister and others my age seem to have food related allergies or issues on a scale that I don't think we had when I was growing up. Granted some cases could have gone undiagnosed but not if the allergies were as severe as the ones these kids have. I'm putting it down to additives etc etc in processed food. The problem is that even if you buy, say, meat to make your own burgers you don't know what the animals were fed. It's easier with vegetables, of course, but you still don't know.
>143 quondame: I am sometimes reminded (because I usually forget) that the swastika as used by the Nazis was taken from the religious symbol used in Hinduism and therefore was originally a positive symbol.
>143 quondame: I am sometimes reminded (because I usually forget) that the swastika as used by the Nazis was taken from the religious symbol used in Hinduism and therefore was originally a positive symbol.
152jnwelch
>149 richardderus:. Good re The Bear, RD. Please let me know your reaction if you end up watching it.
That was a terrific cast in Paper Girls, wasn’t it. The comics were great; i’m thinking of getting the Compendium with them all pulled together in one place. Somebody please continue the tv series!
I’m ignorant of the racist pig Tolkien fans, and perhaps it’s best I stay that way?
A romcom that Richard likes?! I must check this out.😀
That was a terrific cast in Paper Girls, wasn’t it. The comics were great; i’m thinking of getting the Compendium with them all pulled together in one place. Somebody please continue the tv series!
I’m ignorant of the racist pig Tolkien fans, and perhaps it’s best I stay that way?
A romcom that Richard likes?! I must check this out.😀
153jnwelch
>150 m.belljackson:. Interesting poem, thanks, Marianne. Many, most, all? Of the Beat poets were interested in Buddhism, particularly Zen, so maybe Diane Di Prima isn’t such a surprising source. I wish she’d developed her idea of Buddha’s Anger more in this, though. On its face it’s almost an oxymoron. He identified Anger as one of three Poisons (also called Hatred; greed and ignorance are the other two) that you have to shed (or “purify”) to become Awakened and get released from our suffering. So Buddha angry is almost unthinkable, not that that should stop an imaginative poet. She seems to be writing about a build-up of and use of inner power.
154jnwelch
>151 humouress:. I agree, Nina, about food allergies being more prevalent now, and you may be right about why. I find it a bit mystifying.
You can buy “organic” food that is safe and which you know how it has been raised and killed, or harvested, including veggies, meat and eggs. You can join the debate about how “safe” or how well-regulated that is if you’re so inclined. We’ve never done it for meat. Our kids elected to continue being vegetarian.
I don’t know the history of the swastika, but it sure has taken on a vile meaning in our time. The efforts synagogues (a favorite target) have to go to to be relatively “secure”, for example, is disheartening.
You can buy “organic” food that is safe and which you know how it has been raised and killed, or harvested, including veggies, meat and eggs. You can join the debate about how “safe” or how well-regulated that is if you’re so inclined. We’ve never done it for meat. Our kids elected to continue being vegetarian.
I don’t know the history of the swastika, but it sure has taken on a vile meaning in our time. The efforts synagogues (a favorite target) have to go to to be relatively “secure”, for example, is disheartening.
155m.belljackson
>153 jnwelch: Yes, this was a quiet poem amongst the other rages - she may have simply invented 'Buddha Anger' as she moved on
the more peaceful path her life took...?
Ps - I just looked up 'Buddha Anger' and there's a ton of odd information!
I thought it may have been an emotion that the recent more militant Buddhists had channeled.
the more peaceful path her life took...?
Ps - I just looked up 'Buddha Anger' and there's a ton of odd information!
I thought it may have been an emotion that the recent more militant Buddhists had channeled.
156jnwelch
>155 m.belljackson: Thanks, Marianne. “Militant Buddhists” is another phrase that shouldn’t exist. They turn my stomach, like all the Christians doing the opposite of what Christ preached.
157quondame
>151 humouress: While that is quite true, and was the explanation/justification used by the royals, the artist and the artists sponsors, in our group, in these times, displaying it signals, intentionally or not, acceptance of those with racist beliefs, which our bylaws prohibit expression.
My statement on FB, was that I felt uncomfortable in a group that approved of displaying such symbols on our leaders most prominent clothing. In an arts competition re-creating the original item, I would not have made the same statement, though I would not have voted for the piece.
My statement on FB, was that I felt uncomfortable in a group that approved of displaying such symbols on our leaders most prominent clothing. In an arts competition re-creating the original item, I would not have made the same statement, though I would not have voted for the piece.
158ffortsa
>154 jnwelch: re: more allergies. I'm sure environmental contaminants could be oversensitizing our immune systems, but I also think children are protected too much from all that dirt! It's interesting to me that children raised on working farms, going to the barn, dealing with animals and muck and things growing outdoors, are statistically much less at risk of developing allergies. My most severe allergies were discovered when I was about 2, and new therapies to prevent or reverse nut and peanut allergies in young children involve cautious introduction of these items under supervision, to teach the immune system to see them as harmless (at least that's the theory).
160jnwelch
>158 ffortsa:. Thanks, Judy. Huh. I didn’t know they were trying to develop treatments for nut and peanut allergies. Wouldn’t that be wonderful if they succeeded.
I’ve read about how our inside environments may have become too sanitized. Whooda thunk it. Makes me glad our motto raising our kids was the more dirt on their faces at the end of the day, the better their day had been.
I’ve read about how our inside environments may have become too sanitized. Whooda thunk it. Makes me glad our motto raising our kids was the more dirt on their faces at the end of the day, the better their day had been.
162laytonwoman3rd
>161 jnwelch: Stunning!
163jnwelch
>162 laytonwoman3rd: Isn’t it, Linda? Wow!
164jnwelch
Today’s Bargain: The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula Leguin for $1.99 on e-readers. One of my favorites from a giant of sci-fi.
165FAMeulstee
>161 jnwelch: WOW! This is very beautiful with the reflections in the water.
Thanks for sharing, Joe!
Thanks for sharing, Joe!
166jnwelch
>165 FAMeulstee:. You’re welcome, Anita! I love this one!
167richardderus
>161 jnwelch: Wow! I am gobsmacked by that gorgeous image.
168jnwelch
>167 richardderus:. Ditto, RD. What a corker!😀
169quondame
>161 jnwelch: Enchanting!
170jnwelch
>169 quondame:. Agreed, Susan!😀
171msf59
Happy Wednesday, Joe. I don't know if you saw the news but we bought a used camper, (travel trailer). I am picking it up today, so we can get new tires. We will keep it on our driveway for two nights and take it out to a local forest preserve for the weekend. We are excited. This has been a long time coming.
Like, I mentioned, I have been enjoying Sentient. Glad to see Lemire still going strong. Also enjoying The Sandman on Netflix. Have you watched "The Bear"? It is about a Chicago beef restaurant, and it is a winner.
Oh, yeah- Juno continues to be a fine addition to our household.
>161 jnwelch: LOVE!!
Like, I mentioned, I have been enjoying Sentient. Glad to see Lemire still going strong. Also enjoying The Sandman on Netflix. Have you watched "The Bear"? It is about a Chicago beef restaurant, and it is a winner.
Oh, yeah- Juno continues to be a fine addition to our household.
>161 jnwelch: LOVE!!
172ffortsa
>164 jnwelch: Oh. I loved the TV version of that book years ago. And it would be a great story for one of our book groups.
173jnwelch
>171 msf59:. Congratulations on the new used camper, Mark! I know you’ve been looking forward to that. I’ll look for what forest preserve you end up at. We just added Schiller Park to our roster.
Yes, I loved “The Bear”. I watched it while Debbi was gone, and now she’s going to. She also is starting the Sandman comics, having enjoyed the show. I hope a lot of others go that route. I’m glad the Sandman series is working for you!
I’ve got Sentient on my radar; i just started the last graphic entry for American Gods which has been well done so far.
Go Juno! I look forward to meeting her.
>172 ffortsa: I loved that TV adaptation of The Lathe of Heaven, too, Judy. Seems like the book would spark an interesting book club discussion.
Yes, I loved “The Bear”. I watched it while Debbi was gone, and now she’s going to. She also is starting the Sandman comics, having enjoyed the show. I hope a lot of others go that route. I’m glad the Sandman series is working for you!
I’ve got Sentient on my radar; i just started the last graphic entry for American Gods which has been well done so far.
Go Juno! I look forward to meeting her.
>172 ffortsa: I loved that TV adaptation of The Lathe of Heaven, too, Judy. Seems like the book would spark an interesting book club discussion.
174jnwelch
Today’s Bargain: The Windup Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami for $2.99 on E-readers. Probably his consensus best book. Remarkable.
175Berly
>174 jnwelch: An excellent book indeed! And I love the photo up in >161 jnwelch:. Beautiful. Wishing you a happy Wednesday.
176jessibud2
Hi Joe. Did you watch Jeopardy tonight? There was another question involving your grandpa (and I knew that answer!) Wouldn't it have been funny if that clue had come up when Adriana was on? She could have answered and then said, by the way...;-)
177jnwelch
>175 Berly:. Isn’t that a great book, Kim? I’m glad you’ve read it. That photo gets me every time. Sweet Thursday!
>176 jessibud2:. Thanks for mentioning it, Shelley. I missed it, darn it. We’ll have to check with Adriana and Jesse on whether they saw it. Yes, that would’ve blown all of our minds if it came up when Adriana was on, and she would have had fun explaining.
>176 jessibud2:. Thanks for mentioning it, Shelley. I missed it, darn it. We’ll have to check with Adriana and Jesse on whether they saw it. Yes, that would’ve blown all of our minds if it came up when Adriana was on, and she would have had fun explaining.
178alcottacre
Well, I am only 100+ messages behind again, Joe. Sorry about that!
I hope you have a thunderous Thursday!
I hope you have a thunderous Thursday!
179jnwelch
>178 alcottacre:. Believe me, I know how that goes, Stasia! No worries.
Thursday is underway, and it is thunderous with possibilities! Hope you’re having a swell time where you are.
I just finished a gene editing thriller that might suit your reading palate: Upgrade by Blake Crouch, the guy who wrote the excellent Dark Matter. It’s another pulse pounder that makes for intriguing ruminations. Is there some way to use gene editing (enhancement) to help us avoid our looming environmental disaster?
Thursday is underway, and it is thunderous with possibilities! Hope you’re having a swell time where you are.
I just finished a gene editing thriller that might suit your reading palate: Upgrade by Blake Crouch, the guy who wrote the excellent Dark Matter. It’s another pulse pounder that makes for intriguing ruminations. Is there some way to use gene editing (enhancement) to help us avoid our looming environmental disaster?
180alcottacre
>179 jnwelch: Ooh, I will have to look for that one. Thanks for the recommendation, Joe!
181jnwelch
>180 alcottacre:. You’re welcome, Stasia!😀
182figsfromthistle
Dropping in to say hello. Hope you have a wonderful Friday :)
183jnwelch
>182 figsfromthistle:. Back atcha, Anita! Thanks for dropping in.
184jnwelch
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. I just finished this one by the author of The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry (which I loved) and I’m not sure what to say. Sam and Sadie have troubled childhoods and meet in a hospital. Having bonded over a video game, they end up designing together a beautiful, successful one. He’s Harvard, she’s MIT. The book is about their continued strong no-sex relationship, through hard times and wonderful times, looking for love, separations and re-finding, creating new games separately and together. I got to know them well indeed, and it all ended up being deeply affecting. They’ll be haunting my thoughts for some time to come, wondering what they’re up to now. I ended up giving it 5 stars, feeling there was too much there to call it a 4 star book.
185jnwelch
From the Dalai Lama: “Compassion is the radicalism of our time.”
If you want to be radical and rebellious, (who doesn’t?), try being compassionate all the time.
If you want to be radical and rebellious, (who doesn’t?), try being compassionate all the time.
186jnwelch
P.S. I was happy to find out today that the excellent poet Ocean Vuong is a Buddhist. It can be a lonely vigil sometimes.😀
188jnwelch
Jenny Holzer did this cool piece of art, projecting authors' words on the Rockefeller Center this weekend.
"This week, 30 Rockefeller Plaza—a building infamous in modern art history for its then-director Nelson Rockefeller’s 1933 destruction of a major Diego Rivera mural over his objections to its allegedly socialist imagery—is serving as a shining beacon in support of freedom of expression. Following a string of violent attacks on writers and journalists
, including the organisation’s former president Salman Rushdie
, the non-profit PEN America teamed with conceptual artist Jenny Holzer to create a large-scale projections on the façades of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, 610 Fifth Avenue and 620 Fifth Avenue."
The Art Newspaper
Our DIL Adriana, a Pen award winner, has her words projected as part of it! i can't find a photo of them yet, unfortunately just a video I can't post here. Her words:
We are all accountable for what we say
There is risk in expression
Responsibility too
On all levels
Adriana Es Ramirez
So cool! And it's her birthday - perfect.
189EllaTim
>188 jnwelch: Wonderful Joe! Congratulations to Adriana!
>187 jnwelch: Nice picture of them both.
Have a good Sunday Joe. I don’t manage to visit a lot, but your thread is interesting as always.
>187 jnwelch: Nice picture of them both.
Have a good Sunday Joe. I don’t manage to visit a lot, but your thread is interesting as always.
190FAMeulstee
>188 jnwelch: Indeed a cool piece of art, Joe. How wonderful that Adriana is included with this quote.
And happy birthday to Adriana!
And happy birthday to Adriana!
191jessibud2
Adding my congrats to Adriana on her birthday and on the honour of having her words up and out there!
And what a sweet picture! Are all 4 of them there now or just the girls?
And what a sweet picture! Are all 4 of them there now or just the girls?
192richardderus
Oh wow, Joe! That (>188 jnwelch:) is so amazing. Adri is very clearly a woman on the rise in the writing world. That is deeply satisfying to me.
193m.belljackson
Happy Sunday and Happy Birthday to Adriana!
Sure hope you can get a post up of HER words - so powerful.
Sure hope you can get a post up of HER words - so powerful.
195laytonwoman3rd
>188 jnwelch: That is wonderful. I somehow never heard that story about Nelson Rockefeller before, although I guess it isn't all that surprising. Thank goodness we have Adrianna and Salmon Rushdie and Pen America...
196jnwelch
>189 EllaTim:. Hi, Ella. Thanks on Adri’s behalf!
And thanks for visiting. I’m glad you find the threads interesting.
>190 FAMeulstee:. Isn’t that a cool piece of art, Anita? I’m teleporting Adriana’s thanks to you.
>191 jessibud2:. Thanks, Shelley, and I’m sure Adriana would say the same. All 4 are in Colombia for a wedding. I’ll post a photo of dressed-up Rafa and Fina soon.
And thanks for visiting. I’m glad you find the threads interesting.
>190 FAMeulstee:. Isn’t that a cool piece of art, Anita? I’m teleporting Adriana’s thanks to you.
>191 jessibud2:. Thanks, Shelley, and I’m sure Adriana would say the same. All 4 are in Colombia for a wedding. I’ll post a photo of dressed-up Rafa and Fina soon.
197jnwelch
>192 richardderus:. Isn’t that amazing, Richard? We’re all so proud of her. She’s really built this from the ground up. We were glad Jesse married such a strong woman, but we had no idea how strong.
>193 m.belljackson:. Happy Sunday and thanks, Marianne!
Fingers crossed on a snapshot of her words appearing. We weren’t sure what would show up, so we’re glad to have the video. Wow!
>194 humouress:. Isn’t that cool, Nina? Rockefeller Center!
Fina has so much attitude and sense of her strength- look out world!
>195 laytonwoman3rd:. Hi, Linda. I had read that sad story about Diego Rivera’s mural. Among other things, what a tragic loss of important art. It adds to this installation’s message, doesn’t it.
>193 m.belljackson:. Happy Sunday and thanks, Marianne!
Fingers crossed on a snapshot of her words appearing. We weren’t sure what would show up, so we’re glad to have the video. Wow!
>194 humouress:. Isn’t that cool, Nina? Rockefeller Center!
Fina has so much attitude and sense of her strength- look out world!
>195 laytonwoman3rd:. Hi, Linda. I had read that sad story about Diego Rivera’s mural. Among other things, what a tragic loss of important art. It adds to this installation’s message, doesn’t it.
198jnwelch
Today’s Bargain: Claire of the Sea Light by Edwidge Danticat for $1.99 on e-readers. An NPR Best Book of 2013. I liked it a lot.
199Donna828
Hiya Joe, Happy belated Birthday to your talented Daughter-in-Law, Adriana. It was one of our five granddaughter’s birthday yesterday as well. Pictures on my thread.
Speaking of grandchildren (ahem), two of my KC grands (Sadie and Griffin) were born with serious peanut allergies and have undergone the sensitivity treatments. It took a period of a 18 months or more, and they have to eat a bite of peanut butter or a Peanut M&M every day for the rest of their lives, but they won’t die of an unintentional mishap the way a friend’s son did many years ago. It’s a miracle for sure.
Speaking of grandchildren (ahem), two of my KC grands (Sadie and Griffin) were born with serious peanut allergies and have undergone the sensitivity treatments. It took a period of a 18 months or more, and they have to eat a bite of peanut butter or a Peanut M&M every day for the rest of their lives, but they won’t die of an unintentional mishap the way a friend’s son did many years ago. It’s a miracle for sure.
200jnwelch
>199 Donna828:. Thanks, Donna. Happy Birthday to your granddaughter! I’ll wend my way to your thread to see the pics. Your granddaughters are such cuties!
What fantastic news about the two with nut allergies! What a relief for them and the whole family. (So sorry for your friends and their son -awful).
We’ve all heard tales of unintentional mishaps and traces of nuts in food processing or handling. Scary stuff. This is great news. As I mentioned, i was unaware of this possibility. So was Madame MBH. I have to tell our preschool teacher daughter. She regularly has nut allergy students, and I’m not sure she’s heard of this. 18 months is a mighty long time, especially for a kid — but so, so worth it. Thanks for letting us know.
What fantastic news about the two with nut allergies! What a relief for them and the whole family. (So sorry for your friends and their son -awful).
We’ve all heard tales of unintentional mishaps and traces of nuts in food processing or handling. Scary stuff. This is great news. As I mentioned, i was unaware of this possibility. So was Madame MBH. I have to tell our preschool teacher daughter. She regularly has nut allergy students, and I’m not sure she’s heard of this. 18 months is a mighty long time, especially for a kid — but so, so worth it. Thanks for letting us know.
201quondame
>188 jnwelch: What a great project and kudos to Adriana for her part! She sure has that right.
202jnwelch
>201 quondame:. Thanks, Susan!
203jnwelch
Zhongshuge Bookstore in Dujiangyan, China, from Goodwill Librarian
An article about it:https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/inside-dujiangyan-zhongshuge-bookstore-36884623
204streamsong
Hi Joe!
>188 jnwelch: Love this by Adrianna. Would it be OK if I modified it a bit, with only the references to the art project and Adrianna's words and posted it on FB? Or if you'd like to do it, I'll be happy to share it a long.
>188 jnwelch: Love this by Adrianna. Would it be OK if I modified it a bit, with only the references to the art project and Adrianna's words and posted it on FB? Or if you'd like to do it, I'll be happy to share it a long.
205jnwelch
>203 jnwelch: That sounds fine, Janet. Are we friends on FB? If not, if it's okay, and if not, no worries, please friend me.
206jessibud2
>203 jnwelch: - WOW! But... how to reach most of those books??!
208jnwelch
Good morning! I’m having a pleasant start to the day, out on our front porch reading Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree by Lauren Tarshis. Neither Debbi nor I remember buying it, so it’s a mysterious gift from the book gods. Sweet and delicious.
P.S. Darn it. Time to work out.
P.S. Darn it. Time to work out.
210weird_O
Yo, Joe. Enjoy this day. WaPo reporting that NYState Atty Gen. Letitia James has filed a civil lawsuit against Trump, three of his children, miscellaneous Trump Org. executives, seeking to extract $250 million and to bar them from business in the state for the next five years. Charging that real estate values were falsified to dodge taxes and to defraud bankers. I personally hope this is the first of many suits against him.
211jnwelch
>209 mdoris:. Thanks, Mary! Back atcha!
>210 weird_O:. Thanks, Bill. It’s been a swell day here in Chai-town with Madame MBH. We survived the workout, and got some important stuff done, like weeding our rooftop garden.
I was thrilled by the lawsuit against Trump and his children, too. I love that NY attorney general, Letitia James. Gutsy. Did you see Michael Cohen, Trump’s ex-lawyer and current enemy, is taking credit for getting the ball rolling for the lawsuit? Apparently James mentioned his role. I’m with you, the more lawsuits against Trump, his children and cronies, the happier I am. If he ends up in prison, we’re celebrating!
P.S. Chai-town: is a mispelling of Chi-town in honor of Madame MBH’s favorite hot beverage.
>210 weird_O:. Thanks, Bill. It’s been a swell day here in Chai-town with Madame MBH. We survived the workout, and got some important stuff done, like weeding our rooftop garden.
I was thrilled by the lawsuit against Trump and his children, too. I love that NY attorney general, Letitia James. Gutsy. Did you see Michael Cohen, Trump’s ex-lawyer and current enemy, is taking credit for getting the ball rolling for the lawsuit? Apparently James mentioned his role. I’m with you, the more lawsuits against Trump, his children and cronies, the happier I am. If he ends up in prison, we’re celebrating!
P.S. Chai-town: is a mispelling of Chi-town in honor of Madame MBH’s favorite hot beverage.
212msf59
Sweet Thursday, Joe. How is life treating you? Our first little camping trip went well. We needed that experience under our belt. Due to other things happening, I haven't been reading as much as I would like but I will catch up. I am starting Us Against You. Did you ever read Beartown? If not, I would think it would be a good fit for you. BTW- Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow sounds really good. It is on the list. Boy, I have such a hefty stack to get through.
213jnwelch
>212 msf59:. Hey, buddy. All is well here; we both got our covid booster and flu shot today today so we’re a little wiped out. (My poor sister just got covid in France and Jesse got it in Colombia; the good news is that they were vaccinated and boosted, so it’s mostly been like a bout of flu for both of them).
I didn’t read Beartown; thanks for the tip. Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow is another good’un from her. Right now I’m reading Desperate in Death, the newest Eve Dallas mystery in that series I like. I also started Plainsong, and what a treat to fall back into that one. Sorry I missed the informal group read.
There will be two new Cormac McCarthy books coming out not long from now. The mind boggles.
I didn’t read Beartown; thanks for the tip. Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow is another good’un from her. Right now I’m reading Desperate in Death, the newest Eve Dallas mystery in that series I like. I also started Plainsong, and what a treat to fall back into that one. Sorry I missed the informal group read.
There will be two new Cormac McCarthy books coming out not long from now. The mind boggles.
214bell7
I've been hearing mostly good things about Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, but recently one of my library patrons (who loved both A.J. Fikry and Elsewhere) came back and said she didn't like it. Hopefully I will agree with you and not her whenever I get to it.
215jnwelch
>214 bell7:. I can see that, Mary. I hope so, too. If the reader has no interest in videogames or their creation, that could take their reaction down a notch. And romance comes up, but it’s mainly a long term friendshipmance between two very creative people.
216kac522
Good morning, Joe. Thought you would be interested in this author appearance of Tom Gauld at the Seminary Co-op, discussing his new book Revenge of the Librarians:
https://www.semcoop.com/event/tom-gauld-revenge-librarians?utm_source=Master+Lis...
https://www.semcoop.com/event/tom-gauld-revenge-librarians?utm_source=Master+Lis...
218jnwelch
>216 kac522: Thanks, Kathy. I do love me some Tom Gauld. We're booked (groan!), but it would be nice to hear your reaction if you end up going.
219jnwelch
Emma Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree by Lauren Tarshis. We’re not sure how this book got into our house, but we’re sure glad it did. Emma-Jean is bright but considered “weird” by her classmates. It’s apparent to the reader, although never stated, that she’s neurodivergent. She avoids getting entangled in the “complicated” emotional lives of her middle grade classmates until sweet, insecure Colleen asks for her help. She soon shares her problem-solving ability with other classmates and follows the path of her beloved, deceased father. A little gem of a book that we’ll probably be giving as a gift.
220jnwelch
Desperation in Death by J.D.Robb. I saw another reader describe this Eve Dallas series as “reliable and satisfying”. Amen. In this one she takes on a sex-trafficking organization run like a corporation.
221bell7
>217 jnwelch: What a great picture, and how fast they're growing! Thanks for sharing, Joe.
222richardderus
>217 jnwelch: They are so completely adorable, Joe! I love Fina's expression in that photo..."of course I'm being an angel, now just don't look behind the altar..." seems to fit. Rafa's a handsome young man, isn't he, and very happy to show off?
Happy young families brighten every day, thanks for posting the photos!
ETA oh, I suppose I should ask if you and Debbi are keeping well...you obviously are, though, so I'll see you around.
Happy young families brighten every day, thanks for posting the photos!
ETA oh, I suppose I should ask if you and Debbi are keeping well...you obviously are, though, so I'll see you around.
223quondame
>217 jnwelch: A very high level of finery for Fina. Of course they are both always finest kind.
225jnwelch
>221 bell7:. Thanks, Mary. You’re welcome! Aren’t they cuties? Debbi and Becca loved little Fina’s dress.
>222 richardderus:. Thanks, Richard. I think you’re spot on re mischievous Fina’s expression. Rafa gets a kick out of wearing clothes that make him look “handsome”. Of course, he thinks his Elmo t-shirt does that.
You’re welcome for the post. I know you and others like to keep up with these two.
Debbi and I are doing well, thanks, although we’ve been pretty low key post-booster and flu shot. We’ve got the British Junior Bake-off on, with Becca and Indy attending.
Hope all is well on your end, buddy.
>223 quondame:. Thanks, Susan. Madame MBH and our daughter have been enthusing over Fina’s dress, too.
>222 richardderus:. Thanks, Richard. I think you’re spot on re mischievous Fina’s expression. Rafa gets a kick out of wearing clothes that make him look “handsome”. Of course, he thinks his Elmo t-shirt does that.
You’re welcome for the post. I know you and others like to keep up with these two.
Debbi and I are doing well, thanks, although we’ve been pretty low key post-booster and flu shot. We’ve got the British Junior Bake-off on, with Becca and Indy attending.
Hope all is well on your end, buddy.
>223 quondame:. Thanks, Susan. Madame MBH and our daughter have been enthusing over Fina’s dress, too.
226jnwelch
>224 Caroline_McElwee:. Hi, Caroline. Too bad re >187 jnwelch:. I’ve noticed that the ones from Facebook tend to have short lives. Thanks re Adriana’s cool projection.
I’m glad you got to see R&F.
I’m glad you got to see R&F.
227johnsimpson
Hi Joe, mate, love the photo of Rafa and Fina in their wedding finery, hope all is well with you and Debbi and we both send love and hugs dear friend.
228jnwelch
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2022/09/forget-the-sedatives-ill-take-som...
An interesting article on using immersive virtual reality (peaceful environments like a meadow) to reduce the use of sedatives in operations. Also, they’re projecting the need for more and more carpel tunnel and hand operations because of peoples’ greatly increased use of keyboards.
An interesting article on using immersive virtual reality (peaceful environments like a meadow) to reduce the use of sedatives in operations. Also, they’re projecting the need for more and more carpel tunnel and hand operations because of peoples’ greatly increased use of keyboards.
229jnwelch
>227 johnsimpson: Hi, John. Good to hear from you, buddy. Aren't Rafa and Fina looking splendid in their finery? Debbi and I are doing well, thanks. We're boosted (again) and flu shotted, and still managing to avoid the dreaded covid bandit, although I expect it would be relatively mild if it caught us now. Sending our love and hugs to you and Karen, mon frere.
231richardderus
>230 jnwelch: I'm waiting for the White Chocolate Peppermint ones, myownself.
232jnwelch
>231 richardderus:😅. It’s great that flavorful brake pads are catching on, RD.
233jnwelch
Thursday morning at the Bombastic Cafe, Debbi learning Spanish with her instructor, Joe reading poetry(Ellen Bass) and writing some, hot latte and a raisin swirl pastry at hand. One of my favorite parts of life!
234jnwelch
“Great line from Ellen Bass: “Let me escape my insistence.” Yes, please!
236jnwelch
>235 scaifea:. Me, too, Amber. Just Duolingo, but every day. Debbi’s instructor is going to start coming to our place once a week, so we can all converse in Spanish together. Tenedor, cuchara and cuchillo came in handy this morning.
I’ve been dying to ask you: have you read Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree? I think you’d love it. Debbi and I did.
P.S. I was just quoting the Aeneid this morning about ”Rumor.” You would’ve been proud of me.😀
I’ve been dying to ask you: have you read Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree? I think you’d love it. Debbi and I did.
P.S. I was just quoting the Aeneid this morning about ”Rumor.” You would’ve been proud of me.😀
237msf59
Happy Friday, Joe. I sure miss seeing you around. Thanks for you, I really enjoyed The Sandman Netflix series and I sure hope they continue it. I am trying to make my way through a huge stack of books. I am nearly done with a bio on Billy the Kid and I am enjoying Sugar Street, a recent novel Benita sent me. I also recommend a GN bio, Flung Out of Space.
>230 jnwelch: LOL!
>230 jnwelch: LOL!
238jnwelch
>237 msf59:. Hey, buddy. I appreciate it. It’s hard to keep up with everything these days. I’ll stop by.
So glad the Sandman series worked well for you! Those stories are near and dear to my heart. I want to have Gaiman and Stephen Fry over for dinner. What a night that would be!
Thanks for the GN rec. i’m reading a Constantine GN collection- good character and writing, but probably not your cuppa. Johanna in the Sandman series was derived from this character. I’m still re-reading Plainsong, and I’m reading a good new one by Sarah Addison Allen, the Garden Spells author, called Other Birds.
So glad the Sandman series worked well for you! Those stories are near and dear to my heart. I want to have Gaiman and Stephen Fry over for dinner. What a night that would be!
Thanks for the GN rec. i’m reading a Constantine GN collection- good character and writing, but probably not your cuppa. Johanna in the Sandman series was derived from this character. I’m still re-reading Plainsong, and I’m reading a good new one by Sarah Addison Allen, the Garden Spells author, called Other Birds.
239jnwelch
Today’s bargain: a good Agatha Christie mystery, 4:50 from Paddington, is available for $1.99 on e-readers.
241richardderus
>240 jnwelch: At least one, preferably more. And with this at the top of the stairs:
*happy sigh*
Come visit my new thread soon...the longer you wait the closer to 100 posts behind you'll get.
*happy sigh*
Come visit my new thread soon...the longer you wait the closer to 100 posts behind you'll get.
242jnwelch
>241 richardderus:. What a beautiful book-filled room, RD! I love the windows, too.
I feel like Belle in Beauty and the Beast. You have a big library?! Let me at it!
I feel like Belle in Beauty and the Beast. You have a big library?! Let me at it!
243johnsimpson
>240 jnwelch:, >241 richardderus:, oh yes please, drool, drool.
244Whisper1
Joe, It makes me smile knowing you found, and enjoy the artistry of Pamela Zagarenski. She also makes cards.
245scaifea
>236 jnwelch: I don't know if I've mentioned this or not, but I decided to learn Spanish because we have a patron who comes in two or three times a week and she doesn't speak English (although her husband does) and no one else on our staff speaks Spanish. I want her to feel at home in the library, so I want to be able to communicate with her. She's really sweet and hugged me when she found out what I'm doing (via one of my colleagues), and now everytime we come in, we teach each other a little Spanish or English. It's wonderful, and I'm having so much fun learning a language that isn't dead!
And yay for Vergil quoting! I am *very* proud!
And yay for Vergil quoting! I am *very* proud!
246magicians_nephew
Mark i always hate to add to anybodies TBR pile but if you want to hear another great story about Billy The Kid you might have a look at Anything for Billy by the great Larry McMurtry
247jnwelch
Today’s Bargain: Native Son by Richard Wright for $1.99 on Kindle. A classic that everyone should read at some point in their lives.
248jnwelch
Plainsong by Kent Haruf. Even better the second time around. Got a crusty old guy teary-eyed. What a book!
249jnwelch
>243 johnsimpson: 😂. John, buddy, we’re going to have to find some rags to wipe up all the drool around here.
>245 scaifea:. What a lovely story, Amber. I can’t think of how to say enough about it! You’re one of the most thoughtful people I’ve ever met. The woman must be so grateful. You’ve transformed her experience with welcoming and kindness.
Our reason to learn is those Spanish-speaking grandkids and their mom and her family. I was going to say old dogs learning new tricks, but I’m the old dog and Debbi seems to be a young spry one.
Yay for Vergil!
>244 Whisper1:. Ha! One of many illustrator loves we share, Linda. Pam Zagarenski’s art is wonderful, isn’t it. Have you ever read Plainsong? It’s not illustrated, but I think its kindness would resonate with you.
>246 magicians_nephew:. Good one, Jim. If ever there was a Mark book, that’s it.
>245 scaifea:. What a lovely story, Amber. I can’t think of how to say enough about it! You’re one of the most thoughtful people I’ve ever met. The woman must be so grateful. You’ve transformed her experience with welcoming and kindness.
Our reason to learn is those Spanish-speaking grandkids and their mom and her family. I was going to say old dogs learning new tricks, but I’m the old dog and Debbi seems to be a young spry one.
Yay for Vergil!
>244 Whisper1:. Ha! One of many illustrator loves we share, Linda. Pam Zagarenski’s art is wonderful, isn’t it. Have you ever read Plainsong? It’s not illustrated, but I think its kindness would resonate with you.
>246 magicians_nephew:. Good one, Jim. If ever there was a Mark book, that’s it.
250Whisper1
>249 jnwelch: Joe, I recently read Plainsong. Like you, and many others in our group, I loved it!
251jnwelch
>250 Whisper1:. Oh good, thanks for letting me know, Linda. I just finished re-reading it, and it’s been very much on my mind. I’m so glad you read and loved it!
253jnwelch
>252 PaulCranswick:. Agreed, Paul. Maybe the shelves were filled by your latest run to the bookstore?
All is well here, mate. I hope you and Hani and the not-so-little Cranswicks are doing well!
All is well here, mate. I hope you and Hani and the not-so-little Cranswicks are doing well!
254scaifea
>249 jnwelch: Thanks so much for those kind words, Joe. I love working at the library and I want everyone who comes in to feel like they are in a safe and welcoming space. And I'm loving learning a new language!
255FAMeulstee
>245 scaifea: That is such a nice thing to do, Amber, learning a language to make someone feel at home.
I just told this to my husband, as an example what a nice group of people the 75ers are.
Hi Joe :-)
I just told this to my husband, as an example what a nice group of people the 75ers are.
Hi Joe :-)
256jnwelch
>254 scaifea: You’re inspiring, Amber - in many ways. We have our first conversational session with the Spanish teacher tomorrow. Yikes! Can I think quickly enough to hang in there? We’ll see.
>255 FAMeulstee:. Agreed re Amber and this group, Anita. I can imagine Frank enjoying that Amber story. Debbi did, too. What a mensch Amber is.
>255 FAMeulstee:. Agreed re Amber and this group, Anita. I can imagine Frank enjoying that Amber story. Debbi did, too. What a mensch Amber is.
258jessibud2
>257 jnwelch: - WOW!
259jnwelch
>258 jessibud2:. Right, Shelley?😲
260quondame
>257 jnwelch: A bit pointed for my preferences.
261jnwelch
>260 quondame:. Thanks for pointing that out, Susan. I wasn’t sure what kind of reaction it would draw. It seemed a bit sketchy, but colorful.
262jnwelch
Can anyone comment on author Annie Ernaux and her books? I’ve not read her. She just won the Nobel Prize for literature.
263richardderus
I reviewed her 1977 novel Do What They Say or Else this morning. Her work is very narrowly focused on her Self. It's a good, solid look at what a woman who has great intelligence, limited emotional range (on/off), and an implacable disdain for bullshit thinks, says, and does.
264m.belljackson
>257 jnwelch: Sure looks like Chicago's own Bushman!
265jnwelch
>263 richardderus:. Thanks, Richard. Way to get on it quickly. Her The Years looks interesting, and also fits your description.
>264 m.belljackson:. 😀
>264 m.belljackson:. 😀
266FAMeulstee
>262 jnwelch: I loved The Years, Joe, you can find my thoughts on my 2021-04 thread.
And I liked both A Man's Place and A Girl's Story.
I was very happy when I heard she won the Nobel.
And I liked both A Man's Place and A Girl's Story.
I was very happy when I heard she won the Nobel.
267PaulCranswick
>262 jnwelch: I will read A Girl's Story this weekend, Joe. My first experience of her to be honest.
I wanted to buy The Years yesterday as I had noticed it last week in the bookstore but someone likemindedly beat me too it.
I wanted to buy The Years yesterday as I had noticed it last week in the bookstore but someone likemindedly beat me too it.
268PaulCranswick
>257 jnwelch: By the way that is impressive! I hope King Kong doesn't expire from lead poisoning!
269figsfromthistle
>257 jnwelch: Wow! That must have taken ages to complete! Very cool.
271jnwelch
>266 FAMeulstee:. That’s encouraging, Anita, thanks. She came out of the blue for me (didn’t know her before), so it’s good to hear that the choice made you happy, and that you loved The Years and liked two others by her.
>267 PaulCranswick:. I’ll look for your reaction to The Girls, Paul. She’ll be a new experience for me, too. You and Richard have been admirably quick reactors.
>268 PaulCranswick:. Isn’t that impressive, Paul? You’d think gaining admiration would be a lead pipe cinch, but I bet for some people it went over like a lead balloon.
>269 figsfromthistle:. Agreed, Anita. Very cool, and it must’ve taken patience and ages to complete.
>270 scaifea:. I join your wow, mensch lady.😀
>267 PaulCranswick:. I’ll look for your reaction to The Girls, Paul. She’ll be a new experience for me, too. You and Richard have been admirably quick reactors.
>268 PaulCranswick:. Isn’t that impressive, Paul? You’d think gaining admiration would be a lead pipe cinch, but I bet for some people it went over like a lead balloon.
>269 figsfromthistle:. Agreed, Anita. Very cool, and it must’ve taken patience and ages to complete.
>270 scaifea:. I join your wow, mensch lady.😀
272kidzdoc
>262 jnwelch: Good morning, Joe! I think you saw my post on Facebook about Annie Ernaux winning this year's Nobel Prize in Literature. I was very pleased, as she is one of my favorite writers. I've read seven of her books, and in 2010 I wrote two articles in Belletrista, the online literary magazine celebrating women writers from around the world that Lois (@avaland) from Club Read founded and ran for several years. In the first article I reviewed three of her books, A Man's Place (1984), which won the Prix Renaudot that year and gained her recognition in France; I Remain in Darkness (1997); and The Possession (2008). Here's a link to that article, which you can read for free:
Trio: Three by Annie Ernaux
I also wrote a review of her book Things Seen for Belletrista later that year:
Things Seen
My favorite books by Ernaux are A Man's Place and A Woman's Story. My copy of The Years, which is considered to be her magnum opus, is still in Atlanta. I'll fetch it the next time I go there, and hopefully read it before the end of the year.
Trio: Three by Annie Ernaux
I also wrote a review of her book Things Seen for Belletrista later that year:
Things Seen
My favorite books by Ernaux are A Man's Place and A Woman's Story. My copy of The Years, which is considered to be her magnum opus, is still in Atlanta. I'll fetch it the next time I go there, and hopefully read it before the end of the year.
273LovingLit
>114 katiekrug: late to the party, but hear hear!
I am looking forward to reading A Man's Place asap- it sounds excellent.
I am looking forward to reading A Man's Place asap- it sounds excellent.
274jnwelch
>272 kidzdoc:, >273 LovingLit:. The computer ate my responses. Be back later today.
275jnwelch
>272 kidzdoc:. Impressive and timely, Darryl. I didn’t know you had published reviews! There’s enough there that I’ll have to create some time to read them, but I get your endorsement of the author loud and clear. Thanks!
>273 LovingLit:. Hi, Megan. I join your “hear hear!” For Katie’s post. I plan to try Ernaux’s The Years at some point.
>273 LovingLit:. Hi, Megan. I join your “hear hear!” For Katie’s post. I plan to try Ernaux’s The Years at some point.
276jnwelch
Morning in the Bombastic cafe, drinking a latte and reading Balladz by Sharon Olds. And writing about my now gone parents. If you were gifted another life after this one would you want the same parents?
277kidzdoc
>276 jnwelch: Absolutely!! I couldn't have asked for a better mother or father.
I think I'll separately post my four reviews of the books by Annie Ernaux I wrote for Belletrista, to make them more accessible to LTers.
I think I'll separately post my four reviews of the books by Annie Ernaux I wrote for Belletrista, to make them more accessible to LTers.
278jnwelch
>277 kidzdoc:. Ha! I thought of you, Darryl. I know you dearly loved your late father, and dearly love your still-present mother, whom you’re taking care of now. What a joyful home life you must’ve had, growing up?
I’d probably pick different ones, although it’d be a close call with my mother, who was behind me four square. My father was a great guy, but too reticent for yours truly, too unwilling to talk and share his experiences and opinions. I’m sure I was difficult, but neither got very involved in my life. I was the third of three; they were probably worn out by the time I showed up with my refusals to do as told.
Thanks re the reviews. That would be helpful.
I’d probably pick different ones, although it’d be a close call with my mother, who was behind me four square. My father was a great guy, but too reticent for yours truly, too unwilling to talk and share his experiences and opinions. I’m sure I was difficult, but neither got very involved in my life. I was the third of three; they were probably worn out by the time I showed up with my refusals to do as told.
Thanks re the reviews. That would be helpful.
279kidzdoc
>278 jnwelch: That was definitely the case, Joe. I was showered with love from both parents, along with my mother's two sisters, my maternal grandparents, my paternal grandfather, and other relatives, all of whom lived in Jersey City or the Bronx when I was young.
I'll post those reviews later this afternoon; that won't take long.
I'll post those reviews later this afternoon; that won't take long.
280FAMeulstee
>276 jnwelch: NO! I would NEVER want the same parents again, neither my four siblings.
If I had to choose two the same from my family, it would be my eldest brother and my father. And of course Frank again would be a blessing.
If I had to choose two the same from my family, it would be my eldest brother and my father. And of course Frank again would be a blessing.
281jnwelch
>279 kidzdoc:. Man, that sounds idyllic, Darryl. I wish I could’ve stood in a shower like that.
I’ve got two friends who grew up without fathers, and Debbi’s dad died when she was 10. I guess I should count my blessings having had both through most of my life. Both of those friends, btw, turned out to be most excellent fatheres, with great kids, both providing what they never had, and Debbi was/is the best mother ever, possibly joined at the elite level by yours.
>280 FAMeulstee:. Ha! I wish you could be more definite about your answer, Anita! Kudos to your eldest brother and father, and our friend Frank.
My middle sister was very helpful to me, and I’d certainly take her again, given the chance.
I’ve got two friends who grew up without fathers, and Debbi’s dad died when she was 10. I guess I should count my blessings having had both through most of my life. Both of those friends, btw, turned out to be most excellent fatheres, with great kids, both providing what they never had, and Debbi was/is the best mother ever, possibly joined at the elite level by yours.
>280 FAMeulstee:. Ha! I wish you could be more definite about your answer, Anita! Kudos to your eldest brother and father, and our friend Frank.
My middle sister was very helpful to me, and I’d certainly take her again, given the chance.
282katiekrug
I'd want the same mother but could do with a different father. They are both gone now and suffice it to say, only one is missed.
283richardderus
>276 jnwelch: LOLOLOLOL
What's the superlative of "hell to the motherFUCKIN no goddamned way"?
Anyway. The Guncle, which you'll recall I warbled at to you, is $1.99 on Kindle today. https://smile.amazon.com/Guncle-Steven-Rowley-ebook/dp/B08H17JJCK
What's the superlative of "hell to the motherFUCKIN no goddamned way"?
Anyway. The Guncle, which you'll recall I warbled at to you, is $1.99 on Kindle today. https://smile.amazon.com/Guncle-Steven-Rowley-ebook/dp/B08H17JJCK
284ffortsa
>276 jnwelch: Hm. I'd wish the ones I had were a little more sophisticated re educational options for their three kids. And a little less reactive when they were stressed or challenged. But loving? Definitely. I would have liked to be braver, more adventurous. I feel they would have supported me if I knew to want that.
285EllaTim
>276 jnwelch: Hi Joe! Interesting question. I was visiting my mum some days ago, and she had a visitor, who turned out to be my old primary school teacher. She is a cousin of my mother, and resembled her a lot. I can remember wishing that my mother was more like her. She was very lively and enthusiastic, and my mother was tired and depressed all the time. So yes, it feels very disloyal, but I would have liked my mother to be more like her.
Kudos for learning Spanish. A real challenge, but I’m sure your Spanish speaking family will appreciate you for it.
Kudos for learning Spanish. A real challenge, but I’m sure your Spanish speaking family will appreciate you for it.
286quondame
>276 jnwelch: What an interesting question. I wonder if they would want to be the same people a second time around. They were both difficult and troubled. But one thing no one can do is choose their parents so that would be a major change in "how things work."
287jnwelch
>282 katiekrug:. I get it, Katie. It’s similar for me, although i feel I’m being a bit unfair to a kind father. One can do a lot worse than a kind but distant father.
>283 richardderus:. Ha! I remember your lack of fondness about how you grew up, RD, especially as regards your mother. I wish you better (much) ones for your next life.
Thanks for the Guncle reminder. It does sound awfully good, and what a price. I snapped it up.
>283 richardderus:. Ha! I remember your lack of fondness about how you grew up, RD, especially as regards your mother. I wish you better (much) ones for your next life.
Thanks for the Guncle reminder. It does sound awfully good, and what a price. I snapped it up.
288jnwelch
>284 ffortsa:. The best parents really dig in on education options, don’t they, Judy. Being loving is #1 though, and makes up for a lot of deficiencies. As a boy, it seemed to be easier for me to be brave and adventurous than it was for my sisters at that time. My older sister was, but got heavily criticized for it, and made some questionable decisions. Anyway, it would be hard for you to think of it if you didn’t have brave and adventurous role models in your life? Do you think it would be different today?
>285 EllaTim:. Isn’t this an interesting question, Ella? It sure made me stop and think - and write. I get what you mean about your mum and her lively, enthusiastic cousin. It reminds me of my envy of friends’ elderly parents who remain mentally sharp. Mine didn’t, unfortunately, as they got into their later years.
Thanks re the Spanish -we’re getting better!
>285 EllaTim:. Isn’t this an interesting question, Ella? It sure made me stop and think - and write. I get what you mean about your mum and her lively, enthusiastic cousin. It reminds me of my envy of friends’ elderly parents who remain mentally sharp. Mine didn’t, unfortunately, as they got into their later years.
Thanks re the Spanish -we’re getting better!
289jnwelch
>286 quondame:. Isn’t that a thought-provoking question, Susan? I like your addition: would the parents want to be different a second time around? Given another shot at it, I’d try to more often talk our kids through bad behavior and bad choices. That’s something I admire that our son and DIL do. It’s not easy and takes a lot of patience, but I think it’s so good for the kids.
Maybe we do somehow choose our parents? Maybe we do choose to live on this challenging planet? Because of what each will teach us? It’s interesting sometimes to think of it that way. It’s related to the Buddhist perspective that a problem in our life, e.g. a difficult person in our life, is there to teach us something important. And Obama’s “teachable moment” idea.
But I digress!
Maybe we do somehow choose our parents? Maybe we do choose to live on this challenging planet? Because of what each will teach us? It’s interesting sometimes to think of it that way. It’s related to the Buddhist perspective that a problem in our life, e.g. a difficult person in our life, is there to teach us something important. And Obama’s “teachable moment” idea.
But I digress!
290quondame
>289 jnwelch: Oh no. Of that one factor we have complete innocence. We have heavy enough responsibilities for what we did do - or not. And to have held my mother in anyway responsible for the monster who fathered her would have been gross beyond any wrong. For the monstrous aspects of her offspring, sadly much of the burden is hers.
291jnwelch
>290 quondame:. It should be constructive, not destructive. Those facts sound too sadly formidable.
292msf59
Morning, Joe. Happy Wednesday. Just checking in after our whirlwind trip. Our first big camping trip went very well and we enjoyed our time on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, although we only ended up hitting three distilleries. Do you enjoy bourbon? I don't remember if you have told me. Of course, I did not get much reading in at all but I hope to make it up, especially with this rain.
I hope you and the family are doing well.
I hope you and the family are doing well.
293jnwelch
>292 msf59:. Morning, Mark. I’m glad the trip went well, and the camping worked out. I followed along on Facebook, and there seemed to be a lot of happiness going on!
I’m open-minded about bourbon, but it hasn’t been a go-to. Maybe you can educate me on one of our safaris.
All is well at Casa Welch. That next door project is nearly completed - we’ll give you a tour next meet-up.
I’m open-minded about bourbon, but it hasn’t been a go-to. Maybe you can educate me on one of our safaris.
All is well at Casa Welch. That next door project is nearly completed - we’ll give you a tour next meet-up.
294weird_O
>276 jnwelch: If you were gifted another life after this one would you want the same parents?
To me, the question is more one of why I'd want to live another life. If I had different parents, I'd be a different guy—DNA and gene pool and all that—even before the actual nurture. My dad died when I was six, my mother never remarried, never really pursued another relationship. I'm wary of do-overs.
To me, the question is more one of why I'd want to live another life. If I had different parents, I'd be a different guy—DNA and gene pool and all that—even before the actual nurture. My dad died when I was six, my mother never remarried, never really pursued another relationship. I'm wary of do-overs.
295jnwelch
Yes, that’s a legit angle on the question, Bill. If there’s no afterlife, or only a so-so one, another go-round here sounds better, doesn’t it?
I’ve also thought about the “devil you know” vs. the one you don’t. Ask for a new set and it might be worse, right?
But to me the question is a good prompt for thinking about how your parents raised you, and whether you wish you had something different, if you yourself were otherwise the same. Maybe without DNA changes and your other concerns, you still wouldn’t be the same if raised by different parents. That alone would change you. If you like the way you are, maybe you don’t want to mess with it.
I have to say, I’d sure like to try what Darryl experienced, and he turned out well.
Sorry to hear your dad died when you were six. That had to change the whole ballgame. Debbi’s died when she was ten.
I’ve also thought about the “devil you know” vs. the one you don’t. Ask for a new set and it might be worse, right?
But to me the question is a good prompt for thinking about how your parents raised you, and whether you wish you had something different, if you yourself were otherwise the same. Maybe without DNA changes and your other concerns, you still wouldn’t be the same if raised by different parents. That alone would change you. If you like the way you are, maybe you don’t want to mess with it.
I have to say, I’d sure like to try what Darryl experienced, and he turned out well.
Sorry to hear your dad died when you were six. That had to change the whole ballgame. Debbi’s died when she was ten.
296johnsimpson
Hi Joe, mate, thought i would let you know that Troubled Blood is coming to our TV screens this December, for such a large book it is only in four parts but i am looking forward to it. I must get it read before then though, lol.
Hope all is well with you, Debbi and the family and we both send love and hugs dear friend.
Hope all is well with you, Debbi and the family and we both send love and hugs dear friend.
297jnwelch
Hey, buddy. Thanks for letting me know about the Troubled Blood adaptation, John. It’s probably going to be a while before it makes it to this side of the pond. I’m thinking I’ll track down the Lethal White series and watch that again to tide me over.
Debbi and I and the family are doing swell, thanks. Love and hugs back to you and Karen and the Simpson gang.
Debbi and I and the family are doing swell, thanks. Love and hugs back to you and Karen and the Simpson gang.
298magicians_nephew
>294 weird_O: I'm wary of do-overs
Me too Bill. My parents never quite knew what to do with the brainy bookish kid they had in me and it led to some friction and some disappointments (on both sides) through the years.
But the friction in part made me the person I am - so Okay. I'll take it.
I read a lot of time travel fiction where the hero goes back in time and tries to change things - doesn't always work out so well. (cf. R. A. Lafferty's "Thus We Confound Charlemagne")
Me too Bill. My parents never quite knew what to do with the brainy bookish kid they had in me and it led to some friction and some disappointments (on both sides) through the years.
But the friction in part made me the person I am - so Okay. I'll take it.
I read a lot of time travel fiction where the hero goes back in time and tries to change things - doesn't always work out so well. (cf. R. A. Lafferty's "Thus We Confound Charlemagne")
‘I pass the test,’ she said. ‘I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel.’
299bell7
Good morning, Joe! Glad to see things are going well at the cafe.
Interesting question about a do-over in family. I'm not sure what my answer would be. Certainly a variety of experiences can turn out a variety of good people. But I don't know that I would want my experiences, my life, to be any different than it is, ultimately, and I imagine even the things I don't like about my parents - both of whom I love dearly - helped form me into who I am. So... no, I guess?
Interesting question about a do-over in family. I'm not sure what my answer would be. Certainly a variety of experiences can turn out a variety of good people. But I don't know that I would want my experiences, my life, to be any different than it is, ultimately, and I imagine even the things I don't like about my parents - both of whom I love dearly - helped form me into who I am. So... no, I guess?
300jnwelch
>298 magicians_nephew:. That sounds like a good thing, Jim. You’ve mulled it over, figured you like the person you are, and conclude you wouldn’t want to mess with that. I’m sure it would’ve been easier and more enjoyable if your parents had a better idea of what go do with the brainy bookish kid, but maybe dealing with their unsavvy approach helped lead to the person you’re happy with today.
For me, it’s enjoyable mind candy to think about what I’d change if given a chance, and whether I’d take the same parents again, given a choice.
>299 bell7:. Hi, Mary! All is well at the cafe, although we need to open a new one soon.
You sound like Jim, and it makes sense. You’re happy with who you are, and why risk a do-over that might make you less so.
Like many, I’m sure, I’ve often felt I mainly had to raise myself, and figure things out on my own, and it’s intriguing to think about having fully engaged parents like Darryl’s. But maybe, like you and Jim, I should focus more on how it all turned out.
I just finished Balladz, the new poetry collection by Sharon Olds, and even now, in her late 70s, the memory of her perplexing mother, who beat her growing up, profoundly affects her experience of life (and her poetry). But she’s a great, Pulitzer-winning poet, and maybe that awful history with her mother was a key ingredient. Her father wasn’t too swell either.
For me, it’s enjoyable mind candy to think about what I’d change if given a chance, and whether I’d take the same parents again, given a choice.
>299 bell7:. Hi, Mary! All is well at the cafe, although we need to open a new one soon.
You sound like Jim, and it makes sense. You’re happy with who you are, and why risk a do-over that might make you less so.
Like many, I’m sure, I’ve often felt I mainly had to raise myself, and figure things out on my own, and it’s intriguing to think about having fully engaged parents like Darryl’s. But maybe, like you and Jim, I should focus more on how it all turned out.
I just finished Balladz, the new poetry collection by Sharon Olds, and even now, in her late 70s, the memory of her perplexing mother, who beat her growing up, profoundly affects her experience of life (and her poetry). But she’s a great, Pulitzer-winning poet, and maybe that awful history with her mother was a key ingredient. Her father wasn’t too swell either.
301Whisper1
Joe, Your question regarding having the same, or different parents if possible, gave me pause to think. My first reaction was NO
But in every way, I was blessed beyond measure by my grandmother (my mother's mother.) She was the one I went to when the parents were out of control. She was the one who raised me. She didn't have money for fancy toys, but, a set of crayons and a coloring book was a wonderful treat because it was from her, and I knew, even though she never told me, that there was a sacrifice.
She is the one who sat in the small school auditorium in both middle school and high school, and listened to me sing the Christmas and spring concert solos. She remains my moral compass. Her aim was always for goodness and kindness. She had a very difficult life working in the garment blouse factory. My grandfather died of a heart attack on Christmas morning when he was 38. My grandmother raised two children alone on a factory wage. There were no day care centers back then. She struggled.
But in every way, I was blessed beyond measure by my grandmother (my mother's mother.) She was the one I went to when the parents were out of control. She was the one who raised me. She didn't have money for fancy toys, but, a set of crayons and a coloring book was a wonderful treat because it was from her, and I knew, even though she never told me, that there was a sacrifice.
She is the one who sat in the small school auditorium in both middle school and high school, and listened to me sing the Christmas and spring concert solos. She remains my moral compass. Her aim was always for goodness and kindness. She had a very difficult life working in the garment blouse factory. My grandfather died of a heart attack on Christmas morning when he was 38. My grandmother raised two children alone on a factory wage. There were no day care centers back then. She struggled.
302kac522
Interesting question about parents, Joe. But I am hesitant to ask the question, for fear of how my own children would answer--would our children want different parent(s)?
303humouress
I would keep my parents, embarrassing though they can be at times - but I've taken a leaf out of their book and deliberately embarrass my kids if the occasion calls for it. (Hey, you've got to get some fun out of this parenting gig.)
But my teenaged kids have told me a few times that they would change their parents. I'm pretty sure (touch wood), once they've had a taste of the wider world, that they'll change their minds.
But my teenaged kids have told me a few times that they would change their parents. I'm pretty sure (touch wood), once they've had a taste of the wider world, that they'll change their minds.
304jnwelch
Today’s Bargains: Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro For $1.99 on e-readers. If you haven’t read this one, here’s your bargain chance. Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie for $1.99 on e-readers. A nice pick for the Spooky Season.
305jnwelch
>301 Whisper1:. Wow, Linda. I know you must’ve been a lovely little girl. What a foolish missed chance for your parents.
Kudos to you and your awesome grandmother for the way you turned out, an inspiration to all of us. To sustain through such a difficult life, without your grandfather, and give what she gave you, is remarkable. To me, that’s a real hero.
Thank goodness she helped you turn into the wonderful woman you are.
She must’ve been an amazing woman.
Kudos to you and your awesome grandmother for the way you turned out, an inspiration to all of us. To sustain through such a difficult life, without your grandfather, and give what she gave you, is remarkable. To me, that’s a real hero.
Thank goodness she helped you turn into the wonderful woman you are.
She must’ve been an amazing woman.
306jnwelch
>303 humouress:. Hi, Nina. I’m with you on embarrassing your kids when the occasion calls for it (I manage to do it just by existing) and I suspect they’ll come around and appreciate you as they get older. Ours sure did. They were of course growing up oblivious to the effort we put in, but as their friends started to envy them for having us, and they started climbing their 20s, they let us know they got it. I’m pretty sure they’d pick us again, given the chance. But I couldn’t have said that when they were teens. Our daughter, maybe. She was less inclined to think we were clueless doofuses.
That’s quite a list. Thanks for posting it. That sums it up well. Thank goodness we never had to remove someone from our lives to protect them. We agreed early on that our job wasn’t to be their “friend” but to be their parent, with all your list describes.
That’s quite a list. Thanks for posting it. That sums it up well. Thank goodness we never had to remove someone from our lives to protect them. We agreed early on that our job wasn’t to be their “friend” but to be their parent, with all your list describes.
307jnwelch
>302 kac522:. Hi, Kathy. Good question - would our kids pick us again as parents. As I indicated to Nina, I think ours would. Their mother, for sure. I’m constantly impressed by her.
If mine had parented me the way we did ours, I’d pick them again. I think our son and his wife have one-upped us (well, one-upped me, anyway) with the way they talk to, discipline and teach their kids while always letting them know they’re loved. Those little gremlins in turn wow us.
If mine had parented me the way we did ours, I’d pick them again. I think our son and his wife have one-upped us (well, one-upped me, anyway) with the way they talk to, discipline and teach their kids while always letting them know they’re loved. Those little gremlins in turn wow us.
308jnwelch
Okay, the new cafe is open. See you there! https://www.librarything.com/topic/345189
309richardderus
>307 jnwelch: That makes every single frustration worth it, doesn't it? Seeing them do that extra bit better. *happy papaw sigh*
I know we had divergent opinions of the Nathaniel-Parker-led Three Pines film years ago, but there's a Prime series coming in December that I am really excited to see. Read about it here:
https://www.slashfilm.com/1051647/three-pines-everything-we-know-so-far-about-am...
I got interested when I found out that the people who made the utterly gorgeous The Crown are making it. Then I watched the teaser and I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas!!
Hugs all around.
I know we had divergent opinions of the Nathaniel-Parker-led Three Pines film years ago, but there's a Prime series coming in December that I am really excited to see. Read about it here:
https://www.slashfilm.com/1051647/three-pines-everything-we-know-so-far-about-am...
I got interested when I found out that the people who made the utterly gorgeous The Crown are making it. Then I watched the teaser and I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas!!
Hugs all around.
310jnwelch
>309 richardderus:. Wow! Alfred Molina is a great Gamache choice! And led by The Crown folks. You’ve got me excited!
Yes, our kids doing well and an extra bit better than us makes it all worthwhile, doesn’t it. *happy doofus dad sigh*
Yes, our kids doing well and an extra bit better than us makes it all worthwhile, doesn’t it. *happy doofus dad sigh*
This topic was continued by Joe's Book Cafe 8 of 2022.
