Joe's Book Cafe 9 of 2022

This is a continuation of the topic Joe's Book Cafe 8 of 2022.

Talk75 Books Challenge for 2022

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Joe's Book Cafe 9 of 2022

1jnwelch
Nov 25, 2022, 4:14 pm









Quilts from Gee Bend, Alabama

2jnwelch
Edited: Dec 29, 2022, 4:38 pm

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
120. Eventide by Kent Haruf
121. Balladz by Sharon Olds
122. Clementine by Tillie Walden*
123. Firefly: New Sheriff in the ‘Verse by Greg Pak*
124. The Gray Man by Mark Greaney
125. The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Qunn

November

126. Flung Out of Space: Patricia Highsmith by Grace Ellis*
127. The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman
128. No Plan B by Lee Child and his brother
129. Benediction by Kent Haruf
130. Maybe an Artist by Liz Montague*
131. The Passenger by Cormac McCarthy
132. Godmersham Park by Gill Hornby
133. Follow Me Down by Ed Brubaker*
134. Saga Volume 10 by Brian K. Vaughan*
135. Shuna’s Journey by Hiyao Miyazaki*
136. Song of the Cell by Siddhartha Mukherjee

December 2022

137. A Twist of the Knife by Anthony Horowitz
138. Weaving Sundown in a Scarlet Light by Joy Harjo
139. Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi
140. Brand New ‘Verse by Josh Lee Gordon
141. Marple from Harper Collins
142. Cinnamon Skin by John D. MacDonald
143. Novelist as a Vocation by Haruki Murakami
144. Mazebook by Jeff Lemire*
145. Lazarus Vol. Seven by Greg Rucka

3jnwelch
Edited: Nov 27, 2022, 10:36 am



Another Gee Bend quilt

4jnwelch
Edited: Jan 5, 2023, 9:59 am

2022 Favorites

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

The Maid by Nita Prose

Aeneid by Vergil (Stanley Lombardo translation)

Metamorphoses by Ovid (Translated by Stanley Lombardo)

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

The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith

A Kind of Spark by Elle McNichol

The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn

The Passenger by Cormac McCarthy

The Song of the Cell by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Novelist as a Vocation by Haruki Murakami

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

5jnwelch
Edited: Nov 27, 2022, 10:40 am



Jesse and Adriana in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India

6jnwelch
Edited: Nov 25, 2022, 5:05 pm



Jesse and Adriana at the Taj Mahal

7jnwelch
Edited: Nov 25, 2022, 4:37 pm



The little ones

8johnsimpson
Nov 25, 2022, 4:26 pm

Happy New Thread mate, glad that you and Debbi had a good Thanksgiving Day and that Debbi only has three more days of isolation left.

Have a good weekend and we both send love and hugs to both of you, dear friend.

9quondame
Nov 25, 2022, 4:30 pm

Happy new thread Joe! You are well off to a colorful start.

10FAMeulstee
Nov 25, 2022, 4:39 pm

Happy new thread, Joe!

Lovely quilts at the top, and more Adriana and Jesse :-)

11jnwelch
Edited: Nov 25, 2022, 4:43 pm

>8 johnsimpson: Thanks, buddy. Love and hugs to you and Karen from both of us.

Debbi is definitely on the mend. We just took our first walk together (slowly) since she got laid low.

>9 quondame: Thanks, Susan. I'm a quilt fancier, and I love these ones from Alabama.

>10 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita! What a treat to get these photos from J & A's adventures in India!

12banjo123
Nov 25, 2022, 4:57 pm

Happy new thread! Love the pictures.

13richardderus
Nov 25, 2022, 5:04 pm

New thread orisons, Joe!

Love the Gee Bend quilts.

14figsfromthistle
Nov 25, 2022, 5:43 pm

Happy new one!

>1 jnwelch: What beautiful quilts!

15Familyhistorian
Nov 25, 2022, 6:04 pm

Happy new thread, Joe. Nice quilts up thread!

16PaulCranswick
Nov 25, 2022, 7:11 pm

Happy new one, Joe.

Pleased to see that you liked The Passenger it is one I am looking forward to in 2023.

Your family are a photogenic bunch but I have to say a WOW for the Taj Mahal photo - what a wonderful shot and what a memory it will provide the happy couple!

17drneutron
Nov 25, 2022, 8:17 pm

Happy new thread, Joe!

18humouress
Nov 26, 2022, 2:08 am

Happy new thread Joe!

I've arrived at the café in time to see the photos of the grands before they go back in storage. Don't they look spiffy! And I like the way that (it looks like) Adri has her heel cocked in that silhouette photo. Waiting to see them in their wedding attendance outfits.

19msf59
Nov 26, 2022, 8:25 am

Happy Saturday, Joe. Happy New Thread. Love the Jesse and Adriana toppers, along with the lovely "little ones". I hope Debbi is doing much better. I plan on getting to the new Brubaker soon.

20jnwelch
Edited: Nov 26, 2022, 11:01 am

Today’s Bargain: These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever at $1.99 on Kindle. Has anyone here read this one? I keep seeing it get lauded, including as a Best Book of the year. It may not be my cuppa.

21jnwelch
Edited: Dec 27, 2022, 6:21 pm

>12 banjo123:. Thanks, Rhinda!

>13 richardderus:. Thanks, RD! Aren’t those Gee Bend quilts beauts?

>14 figsfromthistle:. Thanks, Anita! We’re fortunate to have two family members who make quilts (sister and SIL) so our house has many. I think they’d both love these.

>15 Familyhistorian:. Thanks, Meg!

>16 PaulCranswick:. Thanks, Paul. Can’t wait to hear what you think of The Passenger. He’s a powerhouse.

That happy couple are going to have so many wonderful memories from this trip - if I got it right they just performed a choreographed dance. But I agree - that Taj Mahal photo will continue to wow them, I imagine, for the rest of their lives.

22jnwelch
Nov 26, 2022, 11:20 am

>17 drneutron:. Thanks, Jim!

>18 humouress:. Thanks, Nina. I’m glad you caught the photos early on. The little ones are having a grand(!) time at their abuelos. I’ve seen their parents in their wedding attire now - fabulous. I’ll try to get Adri-approved photos over here soon.

>19 msf59:. Thanks, Mark, Aren’t those fun photos? Debbi’s much improved but unfortunately not enough time has passed for her to join Becca and me today for a play. We’re seeing an adaptation of “Clue”, that funny movie that is one of Becca’s faves.

You’ll enjoy that new Brubaker. Something strangely good comes into Ethan’s life.

23jnwelch
Nov 26, 2022, 11:22 am

Is anyone else watching “Wednesday” on Netflix? We’re getting a big kick out of it. What a star turn by young Jenna Ortega. I saw her in an interview giving director Tim Burton a lot of credit.

24weird_O
Nov 26, 2022, 11:51 am

How do, Joe. Busy time of the year, and here I sit, surfing through reports of reading done by other people. I'm thinking I should try that, that reading thing. Sounds like fun.

25jnwelch
Edited: Nov 26, 2022, 8:22 pm

>24 weird_O: 😂. I bet you’d enjoy that reading thing, Bill. Great time of year for it. I’m currently reading The Song of the Cell by Siddhartha Mukherjee, which is most excellent, and I also plan to start Murakami’s Novelist as a Vocation. Lots of gems out there!

26jnwelch
Edited: Nov 27, 2022, 11:43 am

Shuna’s Journey by Hayao Miyazaki. An illustrated story (160 pages) by the famous creator of Spirited Away and other wonderful animated movies. Written in 1983 in Japan and just now translated into English. The journey is to find hearty golden grain seeds for his hungry, impoverished village. He encounters horrible humans along the way, but also two sisters with whom he bonds. It’s a lovely book, with his art a bit more water-color-y than in his animation. I was lucky to get my hands on it, as it is exceptionally popular at our local library. I suspect that’s true elsewhere in the country. I hope so; he’s one of the special artists on the planet in our time.

As the translator notes, themes from some of his his subsequent movies, particularly Princess Mononoke, can be found in this story.



27jnwelch
Edited: Nov 27, 2022, 10:50 am



With the bride's sister and friends



We'll need a narrative when they get back

28jnwelch
Nov 27, 2022, 11:35 am

Today’s Bargain: The Book of Night Women by Marlon James for $1.99 on e-readers. I haven’t read this one by this excellent author, but I know it has fans.

29m.belljackson
Nov 27, 2022, 12:15 pm

>27 jnwelch: How many novels in that one photo!

30jnwelch
Nov 27, 2022, 12:16 pm



Our Jesse Bear



Glamorous Adriana

31jnwelch
Nov 27, 2022, 12:18 pm



I believe this is the bride (not her wedding dress). What a dress!

32jnwelch
Edited: Nov 27, 2022, 12:22 pm



Henna decoration on Adri



Bride and groom on the right

33richardderus
Nov 27, 2022, 1:06 pm

What wonderful photos! I'm so jealous they got to go to India...then I remember how much airplane time that represents and wiggle my toes in grateful appreciation of my bed.

Happy Sunday, Joe.

34jnwelch
Nov 27, 2022, 1:22 pm

>29 m.belljackson:. Yes! Thanks, Marianne.

>33 richardderus:. Happy Sunday, Richard.

Thanks. Adriana doesn’t like to fly, and the last leg was 15 1/2 hours. (Oof!). But what an adventure.

35humouress
Nov 27, 2022, 1:59 pm

Nice photos and so colourful. Adri especially looks like she's loving the outfits.

36jessibud2
Nov 27, 2022, 2:51 pm

Wow! Her dress in >30 jnwelch: is stunning! Do they get to keep them?

I had henna done once on my hands. It's truly such an elegant art.

37quondame
Edited: Nov 27, 2022, 5:36 pm

>26 jnwelch: It'll be a while, but I now have holds on that!

Wow! Everyone looks so splendiferous!

38jnwelch
Nov 27, 2022, 6:21 pm

>35 humouress:. Hi, Nina. You instinctively understand Adriana. She does indeed love the outfits. Debbi helped her decide on one of them.

>36 jessibud2:. Agreed re the stunning dresses. Yes, they keep them. Adri says there’s a Sikh community in Pittsburgh; maybe she and Jesse will wear their outfits back there? They look so good!

>37 quondame:. Oh good, Susan. Please let me know what you think of Shuna’s Journey.

39quondame
Nov 27, 2022, 8:17 pm

>38 jnwelch: I'd bet the Pittsburgh Sikhs keep the custom of offering free meals to all comers once a week as the ones near me do. I dated a guy who really liked going on Sunday. Once, and only once, they served a killer good chutney that kept me going back a few times.

40Caroline_McElwee
Nov 28, 2022, 12:05 pm

Love the quilts and the family holiday photos Joe. What an experience.

41jnwelch
Nov 29, 2022, 10:19 am

Today’s Bargain: The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin for $2.99 on e-readers. I thoroughly enjoyed this one set during WWII.

42Familyhistorian
Nov 29, 2022, 10:25 am

Amazing wedding photos, Joe. It would be interesting to find out about the ceremonies.

43bell7
Nov 29, 2022, 10:42 am

Happy new thread, Joe! Love all the wedding and trip photos - Jesse and Adriana must be having an amazing time! I don't like to fly either, but some things are worth it, and that trip certainly appears so.

44jnwelch
Edited: Nov 29, 2022, 10:59 am

>39 quondame:. I love that free meal custom, Susan; I hope the Pittsikhers follow it. I’ve never tried chutney I could remotely call “killer” - it’s hard for me to imagine, which means I’d love to try it.

>40 Caroline_McElwee:. There you are, Caroline. We almost suspended operations until you showed up.😀. It’s been an amazing trip for them; I’ll try to post some more photos. They’re now on their 30 hour trip back via Munich. Their original flight was cancelled (mechanical problems), and they almost had to take a 70 (!) hour journey back, until a sympathetic agent helped them get this one. That would’ve been ridiculous - almost 3 days to come back.

45jnwelch
Edited: Nov 29, 2022, 11:00 am

>43 bell7: Hiya, Mary. Thanks! It has been an amazing trip for them, and from experience I’d say being child-free probably wasn’t the least of it. It always helps to have doting grandparents. Now they’re heading back to the States, looking sleepy in the latest photo they Whatsapp’d to us.

46jnwelch
Edited: Jan 5, 2023, 10:11 am

OK, I couldn’t resist. A new poem from me:

Jesus What?

Jesus spat
In someone’s hat
What’s the meaning of that?

Jesus insulted the useless poor
Later shooed them out the door
Why would he do that?

Jesus avoided the downtrodden
Hoping they’d be forgotten
Losers make the world more rotten?

Jesus would’ve admired Adolph
So rough, so tough
Even the best need time off
To play some golf

Jesus liked money
Chased it with cunning
The best are always hunting

Jesus hated talk-back women
Grabbing beauties when they let him
They were lucky to have met him

Jesus shunned people of color
He was whiter than any other
Not everyone’s your brother

When children died
He didn’t mind
Guns are more beloved
Than being kind

But the unborn
Must be kept warm
Punish the gals, never the fellas.

Wealth always has merit
The meek shouldn’t inherit
The poor should grin and bear it

You wonder how I always knew
What I’m saying is true.

It’s not Jesus, it’s you.

47klobrien2
Nov 29, 2022, 12:27 pm

>46 jnwelch: I love it! Quite righteous!

Karen O

48jnwelch
Nov 29, 2022, 12:28 pm

>46 jnwelch:. Thanks, Karen!

49quondame
Edited: Nov 29, 2022, 4:36 pm

>44 jnwelch: There are chutneys and anchars that make the meal for me. The green mint & chilies one I even make for myself and have done the yogurt walnut occasionally. Then there is lime pickle which rocks, but the Sikh one wasn't any of those but looked like salsa but made everything that touched it fabulous. Hot fabulous, but not super hot.

Then there is the cranberry chutney I used to make for family Thanksgiving which was necessary to make turkey palatable for me. I reduce vinegar with garlic and ginger and toss in a can of cranberries add chili powder, salt & pepper and done. But! the smell of the reducing vinegar drives all living creatures with working noses out of the house, so I've been discouraged from making it in recent, turkey free, years.

50msf59
Nov 30, 2022, 8:35 am

>46 jnwelch: The poem is fantastic. You haven't shared one in a while but you sure came roaring back. This one is so timely and spot on. Not only a jab at "you know who", but that whole vile party and the evangelicals that embrace them both. I would like to see "Jesus What?" get published.

I LOVE the India photos. Both Jesse & Adriana look great. What a wonderful experience.

Happy Wednesday, Joe. I am currently enjoying Trust. This could be a contender for my best book of the year, although I still have a long way to go.

51richardderus
Nov 30, 2022, 9:04 am

>46 jnwelch: *applause*

Oops, I should've warned you to sit down first! I hope you didn't fall on anything irreplaceable!

You did good.

52Caroline_McElwee
Nov 30, 2022, 4:55 pm

>44 jnwelch: Oh my, that is some journey home. Glad the agent was able to help them reduce the hours.

>46 jnwelch: Thought provoking Joe.

53jnwelch
Dec 1, 2022, 10:09 am

Today’s Bargain: The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larsen for $1.99 on e-readers. I loved this NF about Churchill during the war years.

54jnwelch
Edited: Dec 1, 2022, 12:54 pm

>49 quondame:. That’s impressive, Susan - and sounds delicious. With a little relocation, I think you’re ready to be on the Great British Chutney Show.😀

>50 msf59:. Many thanks, compadre! I know them non-Christian evangelicals and the Orange Disaster peeve us both.

Aren’t those India photos cool? I hope to post a couple more. After an arduous, delay-filled journey back (shouldn’t we be able to do better in 2022?), they’re back home in Pittsburgh.

Wow, you bb’d me with Trust. That looks most excellent. Straight to the WL that one goes.

55jnwelch
Edited: Dec 1, 2022, 1:02 pm

>51 richardderus:. Luckily I was sitting on a chair when I read this, Richard. Although I did fall off it. >46 jnwelch: wasn’t very well disguised - did you realize that it is a poem?

>52 Caroline_McElwee:. Hi, Caroline. Even with that help, with delays their trip back took about 40 hours (via Munich and Chicago). In this day and age, shouldn’t we be able to do better than that?

Thanks re the poem. I believe the thoughts provoked are shared by a whole lot of USA-ians.

56jnwelch
Dec 1, 2022, 6:28 pm



We got a kick out of Jesse in a turban







Goings on which I can't explain. We hope to get the stories when they visit us over the holidays.

57Caroline_McElwee
Dec 2, 2022, 7:15 am

>56 jnwelch: More wonderful photos. Clearly an experience of a lifetime Joe.

58ElizabethStrehlow
Dec 2, 2022, 7:18 am

This user has been removed as spam.

59jnwelch
Dec 2, 2022, 11:02 am

Today’s Bargain: The Maid by Nita Prose for $1.99 on e-readers. I LOVED this one -quirky hotel maid protagonist being set up for murder. Great debut novel from this former editor.

60scaifea
Dec 2, 2022, 11:36 am

Hi, Joe! Wow, those photos are amazing!! And I have the new(ish) Miyazaki book out but haven't read it yet - I'm excited!

61richardderus
Dec 2, 2022, 11:48 am

>59 jnwelch: Oh, me too! And can't wait to see Florence Pugh as Molly.

>58 ElizabethStrehlow: ...?...

I hope you'll come share the explanations. I'm mostly bumfuzzled by the greenlit dancers...a floor show at a wedding?! Or the bride and groom having to do the absolute most embarrassing first dance ever?

Anyway, spend the weekend splendidly.

62PaulCranswick
Dec 2, 2022, 7:58 pm

>56 jnwelch: The great photos continue Joe.

Have a great weekend.

63jnwelch
Edited: Dec 4, 2022, 1:58 pm

>60 scaifea:. Hi, Amber. I love having someone else who gets excited about Miyazaki! Aren’t those amazing photos? What an adventure.

I just recommended Last Night at the Telegraph Club to someone, along with Aristotle and Dante, as YA LGBTQ books. Did you read Telegraph Club?

>61 richardderus:. Hey, compadre. I forgot about Florence Pugh as Molly. Thanks for the reminder. Can’t wait!

I do think the greenlit dancers are the bride and groom performing a choreographed dance. Others were asked to do that, too, including, I believe, Jesse and Adriana. We see them and their tiny accomplices in a little more than two weeks, so we’ll pump them for Tales of India.

I don’t what’s going on with the sneaky spammer, but she (it?) got booted quickly.

I hope your weekend is splendiferous as well.

64jnwelch
Edited: Dec 4, 2022, 1:57 pm

>57 Caroline_McElwee:. Hi, Caroline. The timing was less than ideal, and the expense more than they would have liked, but they, and we, are so glad they did it. As you say, the experience of a lifetime.

>62 PaulCranswick:. Hiya, Paul. Thanks. There’s a poem up there in >46 jnwelch: if you have time.

Have a great weekend, buddy.

65jnwelch
Edited: Dec 3, 2022, 2:50 pm

Song of the Cell by Siddhartha Mukherjee. Another excellent look at the inner workings of our body by this accomplished writer. This time it’s on the cellular level. As one reviewer said, Mukherjee has a gift for analogy. This is an easy to read and understand history of our understanding of cells up to present developments, including what may be a cure for sickle cell anemia. Aristotle gets a lot of mentions, and would be gratified and awestruck.

66jnwelch
Edited: Dec 5, 2022, 12:04 pm

Today’s Bargain: A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Leguin for $1.99 on Kindle. The beloved fantasy by a leading author.

67ffortsa
Dec 5, 2022, 2:16 pm

>65 jnwelch: I just read a fascinating article in the March 7th, 2022 issue of the New Yorker, about all the new findings about the cells in our bodies, and how much more complicated a cell is than we knew before.

68jnwelch
Edited: Dec 5, 2022, 4:33 pm

>67 ffortsa:. It is fascinating, Judy, isn’t it. I bet the article is by Mukherjee? He writes regularly for the New Yorker.

69richardderus
Dec 5, 2022, 6:22 pm

>65 jnwelch: He can write the most surprising amounts of information into one's pleasure reading, can't that Mukherjee? Linda Lipko sent me a copy of The Emperor of all Maladies years ago...what a deep and intensely interesting read!

Unlike you, I can't contain my logorrhea when faced with his eloquence. Any review I've ever attempted has amounted to a compromise between a research paper and simply retyping the whole book. So well done, he gritted grudgingly, on such a concise review.

*grumbles off*

70jnwelch
Dec 5, 2022, 8:40 pm

>69 richardderus:. 😂. Thanks, RD. I surely do understand the temptation to rev up the loquacity engines. He’s a smooth operator, that Mukherjee.

71msf59
Edited: Dec 6, 2022, 7:47 am

Happy Tuesday, Joe. I will add Song of the Cell to my Obese TBR. Sadly, I still never got to Maladies. I finished Trust, which is a strong contender for best book of the year. I am also enjoying the Harjo collection. Boy, I love her work. I am also reading the latest Brubaker, which is always a treat.

Did you start "Three Pines" yet? I would be interested in your thoughts, when you do.

72jnwelch
Dec 6, 2022, 9:23 am

>71 msf59: Happy Tuesday, buddy. You’ll be happy to hear that I just started Trust, after your enthusiasm, and I’m liking it. I’m glad Song of the Cell is on your radar. The new Brubaker wii be just your cuppa. I think he’s winding up the Ethan Reckless stories. I’m going to be reading more Joy Harjo today. Agreed-great collection. I’m still enjoying the Murakami book, too. My GN is a huge sci-fi one that’s not your cuppa, called Mass Effect. I’ve requested that Lemire one from the library.

Three Pines: two episodes are up, and I liked them. Good actor pick for Gamache, and good cast all around. Not a “wow” show from my POV, but solid and book-faithful. “Wednesday” was the one that wowed us. Jenna Ortega is superb.

73jnwelch
Dec 6, 2022, 10:25 am

A Twist of the Knife by Anthony Horowitz.. Another fun outing by the Magpie Murders author, this time with the author the prime suspect in a theater-related murder. He’s adept at mixing his real life story with the fictional, as he calls on the savvy private detective Hawthorn to save his bacon. Pull up a comfortable chair by the fire and enjoy.

74jnwelch
Dec 6, 2022, 10:38 am

Today’s Bargain: The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek for $1.99 on e-readers. Outstanding story of the “blue people” of Kentucky and the WPA book women on horses and mules who brought reading to those isolated in the back woods. Fascinating novel, and also a memorable commentary on our propensity for racism.

75klobrien2
Dec 6, 2022, 11:52 am

>73 jnwelch: I’m a bit behind, but I just requested the next Horowitz after Magpie MurdersMoonflower Murders. Maybe I’ll catch up with that series first, but A Twist of the Knife is for sure on my TBR.

Karen O

76jnwelch
Dec 6, 2022, 12:41 pm

>75 klobrien2:. Hiya, Kathy.

Moonflower Murders is the book he’s working on in A Twist of the Knife, as he races to solve a murder before he goes to jail for it.😀. What fun reads he gives us!

77ffortsa
Dec 6, 2022, 4:13 pm

>68 jnwelch: The New Yorker article in question is by James Sommers.

78jnwelch
Edited: Dec 6, 2022, 4:21 pm

>77 ffortsa:. Ah, thanks, Judy. I lost that bet. I likely read it, but I don’t remember James Sommers. I’d better keep an eye out for his writing - I’m fascinated by the very complicated goings on within us, and our attempts to understand them. There is so much interdependence that is hard to fully understand. How in the world did we evolve all this stuff?

79scaifea
Dec 6, 2022, 4:45 pm

>63 jnwelch: I haven't read Telegraph yet, but it's coming up soon on my list! It won a handful of awards this year, so I'm excited to get to it.

80jnwelch
Dec 6, 2022, 5:41 pm

>79 scaifea:. Oh good, Amber. I think Telegraph will suit you, and I look forward to hearing your reaction. The environment of the different time period was fascinating.

81msf59
Dec 6, 2022, 6:45 pm

I am so glad you started Trust, Joe. There is such an impressive structure to the novel. I hope you love it as much as I did. I am looking forward to starting "Wednesday". I have heard such good things.

82klobrien2
Dec 6, 2022, 7:01 pm

>76 jnwelch: John, did you catch the recent mini-series on PBS of "Magpie Murders"? It was just great, and made the books even more accessible.

My copy of Moonflower Murders is on its way to my library for me! Can't wait!

Karen O

83jnwelch
Dec 6, 2022, 7:34 pm

>81 msf59:. Good to hear, Mark. Trust made the NYTimes Notable Books for the year, as did some other faves of ours, including Sea of Tranquility and Ada Limon’s poetry collection.

I think you’ll get a kick out of “Wednesday”. Wait till you see her epic, hilarious dance.😀

>82 klobrien2:. John is my undercover name, Kathy. Here it’s safe to call me Joe.😀.

We’ve loved the PBS Magpie Murders, but haven’t finished it yet. Good to hear it’s great all the way through.

You’re in for a treat with Moonflower. This guy (Horowitz) is responsible for Foyle’s War (great show) and the Alex Rider YA books, among many other things. What a big closet full of different hats to wear he must have.

84klobrien2
Edited: Dec 6, 2022, 7:48 pm

>83 jnwelch: You and I have trouble with each other's name: I'm always calling you "John" (I think it's the "JN") and you call me "Kathy." I'm sorry for my miscalling you! I'll really try to not do that anymore. And thanks again for your Horowitz heads-up!

Karen O

85jnwelch
Edited: Dec 6, 2022, 8:08 pm

>Ha! Mea culpa! Apologies, Karen. I’m so used to your signing off as Karen O that I thought you were another cafe patron named you-guessed-it. That’s classic! Well, in my case it’s probably due to my advanced state of befuddlement.

I need to get it right for our next meeting of the Horowitz fan club. You were very patient with my blubbleheadedness.

86PaulCranswick
Dec 6, 2022, 8:58 pm

>84 klobrien2: Karen's comments made me smile, Joe. I have a number of blind spots too which horrify me when they get pointed out. It is quite often when two members join our group at a similar time I can get confused when their name in real life is not the same as the name they have chosen in the group.

87jnwelch
Dec 7, 2022, 11:26 am

Today’s Bargain: Ceremony in Death by J.D. Robb for $1.99 on e-readers. Meet the indefatigable NYC detective Eve Dallas in this “spectacular sizzler”. If you like it, go back and read the first one, Naked in Death. A favorite series.

88jnwelch
Dec 7, 2022, 1:09 pm

>86 PaulCranswick:. Man, it’s my most wretched blind spot, Paul. Like you, I’m sure, I hate to get names wrong. Sometimes it’s hard to find the LTer’s personal name. I looked in Karen (not Kathy)’s profile and didn’t find it. Well, I’ll remember next time. Twenty lashes with a wet noodle, as we used to say as kids.

89jnwelch
Edited: Dec 7, 2022, 3:11 pm

How great that Ralph Warnock won! It never should’ve been that close, but Georgia is a very red state except for its most populated areas, like Atlanta and its suburbs.

This 51-49 majority will make things much easier in the Senate for a number of reasons, including reducing the leverage of holdout Democrats like West Virginia’s Joe Manchin. It should provide an effective check against the slim Republican majority in the House, too.

90ffortsa
Dec 7, 2022, 3:52 pm

>89 jnwelch: I agree, wonderful that Warnock won. But I heard someone point out that it frees Manchin to be more for West Virginia than for the Democrats, so votes might still be close, and Harris may still need to stay in Washington to break the ties. Of course, it would have been so much worse if the election went the other way.

91jnwelch
Dec 7, 2022, 4:25 pm

>90 ffortsa:. Agreed,Judy. This is a blessing: best midterm election result for a sitting president’s party since 1934 (FDR). As you point out, though, it still won’t be easy to get necessary things done. I hope they prioritize gun law reform! At least an assault weapon ban, which should be the least controversial.

92weird_O
Dec 7, 2022, 7:50 pm

Reading this afternoon's NYTimes account of the discovery of two classified files/documents by Trumpf's lawyers, I noted that at one point in the months-long hassling over the missing government files, Trumpf wanted a particular lawyer to offer a deal. The government give Trumpf files, etc., he had been asserting were his, and he'd give the government the contested files he possessed. The lawyer declined to offer the "deal" and soon terminated his connection with the former pres.

Hmmm. The Art of the Deal indeed.

The guilty-on-all-counts verdict against The Trumpf Crime Family Organization levers open the door.

93Familyhistorian
Dec 7, 2022, 8:14 pm

Thanks for the reminder about the 'in death' series, Joe. I'm doing a reread of those from the beginning and must get back to that.

94jnwelch
Dec 8, 2022, 10:36 am

>92 weird_O:. Fascinating, isn’t it, Bill. An emperor could take any doc’s anywhere, and that’s the Orange Disaster’s perspective. They’ve apparently now got a law firm team searching everywhere for more.

Jeez, what a deal for drumpf to cook up.

I love the tax fraud conviction. There’s reportedly now a basis to go after drumpf personally, ss he signed off on a key document, despite avowing that he knew nothing about what the Trump org was doing.

>93 Familyhistorian:. You’re welcome, Meg. What a great re-read! I aspire to do the same some day. It always makes me think of Roarke and the button in the first one.
😀

95jnwelch
Edited: Dec 8, 2022, 11:46 am

Murakami: I’m reading his new one, Novelist as a Vocation, and I loved this from it:

“It is my belief that a rich, spontaneous joy lies at the root of creative expression. What is originality, after all, but the shape that results from the natural impulse to communicate to others that feeling of freedom, that unconstrained joy?”

96jnwelch
Edited: Dec 8, 2022, 3:28 pm

A good article by Adriana about their difficulties getting home and the perennial lack of airline responsibilty: https://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/columnists/2022/12/08/united-airlines-trave...

97jessibud2
Dec 8, 2022, 5:42 pm

>96 jnwelch: - Great article, and she is far more polite than many of us would be in similar circumstances.

By the way, since she named the airline, she might get a chuckle out of this. Canadian musicians with a sense of humour (it went quite viral at the time, several years ago):

https://www.bing.com/search?q=united+breaks+guitars+youtube&form=ANNTH1&...

98jnwelch
Dec 8, 2022, 9:13 pm

>97 jessibud2:. Ha! Funny one, Shelley.

Isn’t that a great article? Seems like it’s time to reassess what the airlines get away with. I’m not sure deregulation did us any favors. As she points out, it’s not their customers they’re concerned about.

99msf59
Dec 9, 2022, 8:15 am

Happy Friday, Joe. Hooray for the Warnock win but I just heard that Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is leaving the Democratic party and becoming an independent. She is a POS anyway but this hurts our narrow margin.

Good Murakami quote. Glad to hear how much your enjoying his latest. Thanks to your recommendation, I finally started Peripheral. I am enjoying it, 3 eps in, although some of it is hard to keep track of.

100jnwelch
Edited: Dec 9, 2022, 11:18 am

>99 msf59: Happy Friday, Mark. Agreed re Sinema. She was an independent anyway; a less savvy Manchin.

Oh good. The Peripheral is complex, but worth it. (I’d say the same about the book by Gibson). When you meet Inspector Lowbeer, she (they?) is a Chicago stage actor, Alexandra Billings. I was happy to see her get a big part like that.

Tomorrow Tomorrow and Tomorrow won the Goodreads’ reader vote for Best Fiction 2022. Did you read that one? I thought it was good , but wouldn’t have put it #1. I voted for Lessons in Chemistry, and would’ve been fine with Remarkably Bright Creatures or You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty.

I was happy that The Maid won the Mystery category.

101jnwelch
Dec 9, 2022, 11:17 am

Today’s Bargain: The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman for $1.99 on e-readers. The Thursday Murder Club is on the case. Fun!

102jnwelch
Edited: Dec 9, 2022, 8:18 pm

The Goodreads reader vote best poetry book was Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman, followed in the voting by Time is a Mother by Ocean Vuong. That suits me fine. I’d put Ada Limon up there, too.

103jnwelch
Dec 10, 2022, 3:03 pm

Today’s Bargain: A Voyage Long and Strange by Tony Horwitz for $1.99 on e-readers. Per usual with this late author, it’s entertaining and educational.

104weird_O
Dec 10, 2022, 4:44 pm

>96 jnwelch:, >97 jessibud2: Airline travel isn't for the faint of heart, that's for sure. And there's blame enough for everyone to have a share. The entire system is a cob-job. Easy for me to say, since I'm unlikely to take another commercial flight. It's Capitalism.

105jnwelch
Dec 10, 2022, 7:44 pm

106humouress
Dec 11, 2022, 6:30 am

>105 jnwelch: I could do that. I think I might make it my list ;0)

107jnwelch
Dec 11, 2022, 10:20 am

>104 weird_O:. Ha! I hadn’t heard “cob-job” before, Bill. It makes me think of “cobbled together”, which certainly fits. I wonder whether enough people are going to get angry enough that we’ll get an overhaul or passenger-protective regulation? Your not flying certainly will save you some aggravation.

>106 humouress:. Right, Nina? I love that list, and it’s perfect in a world of so many books and recommendations. Go with what you enjoy, and what’s nutritious for your mind.

108jnwelch
Edited: Dec 11, 2022, 10:35 am

Trust by Hernan Diaz. . A Top Ten of the Year novel in many eyes that tells the story from different perspectives of how a financial mogul (think J.P. Morgan), became rich, with the help of his more interesting wife, and how he and others tried to alter and spin her story. Fluid and “easy” reading that keeps the pages turning and your heart engaged. The truth satisfyingly emerges in the last section. An impressive, five star book, recommended to me first by Señor Mark.

109richardderus
Dec 11, 2022, 4:10 pm

>108 jnwelch: WOW you AND Birddude in one day! *sigh* I guess my fate is sealed. I must follow my leaders.

*mournful sigh*

110jnwelch
Edited: Dec 12, 2022, 9:48 am

>109 richardderus:. 😂. Hurrah! I’ll have to go over and get Bird Dude’s take on it. His enthusiasm got me to try Trust.

111bell7
Dec 13, 2022, 9:13 am

>105 jnwelch: Truly the best list.

>108 jnwelch: *trots off to make sure it's on the TBR list*
Okay, yes it is. Maybe I'll get a chance to read it in 2023. It's been making a lot of "best of" lists this year.

112jnwelch
Dec 13, 2022, 11:01 am

>111 bell7:. Hiya, Mary. I look forward to seeing your reaction to Trust. It is making a lot of “best of” lists, isn’t it. He’s a new author for me, and I’m tempted to try more.

113jnwelch
Edited: Dec 13, 2022, 11:09 am

Currently reading multiple books: Novelist as a Vocation by Murakami, Weaving Sundown in a Scarlet Light by Joy Harjo, Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi and Marple from Harper Collins.

114klobrien2
Dec 13, 2022, 11:13 am

>113 jnwelch: A man after my own heart! I like to keep multiples going—just more interesting, I feel.

I got the Marple book as a present, and I’m itching to get at it. You’ve definitely got some good ones going.

Happy Tuesday!

Karen O

115weird_O
Dec 13, 2022, 11:55 am

You be a juggernaut, Joseph! Huge numbers on the yearly tally, multiple books in play.

116jnwelch
Edited: Dec 13, 2022, 12:22 pm

>114 klobrien2:. Hi, Karen. Marple is a loan from our Agatha-comprehensive daughter. It’s a lot of fun, and I envy you having your own copy.

I like to keep multiples going too - more interesting, as you say, and for me it gives me more flexibility to match whatever my reading mood is.

Happy Tuesday!

>115 weird_O:. Thanks, Bill! A book juggernaut; I like the sound of that.

117Familyhistorian
Dec 13, 2022, 12:47 pm

>96 jnwelch: Great article by Adriana, Joe. I can relate to that having flown several times this year.

>97 jessibud2: United isn't the only one who breaks guitars, Shelley. I can remember the look of my ex's Gibson once Air Canada got through with it. It looked a lot like the broken guitar in the video.

118richardderus
Dec 13, 2022, 3:29 pm

>116 jnwelch: "Book juggernaut" or "velocireader" or "glutton at Culture's buffet"...any and all fit the circumstances, no?

119msf59
Dec 13, 2022, 6:41 pm

Hooray for Trust! I am so glad you also found it a 5 star read, Joe. He is a helluva writer. My current read, The Colony of Unrequited Dreams is also going to be a top read.

120jnwelch
Edited: Dec 14, 2022, 11:32 am

Today’s Bargain: Gray Man by Mark Greaney for $1.99 on e-readers. If you like thrillers (think Orphan X), this is a good one. It was the basis for the Ryan Gosling movie.

121jnwelch
Edited: Dec 14, 2022, 2:39 pm

>117 Familyhistorian:. Hi, Meg. Isn’t that a great article? It struck home with me, too.

We avoid United as much as we can, and mainly fly American, because we feel we hear too many stories like this coming from United. That may well be unfair, with American having its share of travel-impeding or other kinds of screw-ups, but that generally hasn’t been our experience.

>118 richardderus:. They’re all good, Richard, but “velocireader” is my new favorite, as we spryly race through jungles of words.

>119 msf59:. Aye me bucko, Hooray for Trust! Such a good one; thanks for pointing the way.

I’ll have to look at your current one. I’m exhilirated today by author Akwaeke Emezi. I LOVED her adult novel You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty, and I just finished another good, thought-provoking young adult novel by her, Bitter. She really draws me in. I’ve been reading about the physical issues (debilitating pain, convulsions) she has to deal with. Wow, not easy.

122jnwelch
Dec 15, 2022, 9:32 am

More good Adriana news: she’s going to be doing short book reviews for People magazine! Wow. She may have to clone herself if she keeps this up.

123richardderus
Dec 15, 2022, 11:14 am

>122 jnwelch: Oh, that's a great gig! I'm so glad for her.

124jnwelch
Dec 15, 2022, 12:47 pm

>123 richardderus:. Isn’t it, Richard? She says it pays really well, too. I asked her if there’s enough of her to do all this, and she answered, “I’m not sure! We’ll see what’s possible before I collapse into a box of books!!”

It’s good to be young.

125Caroline_McElwee
Dec 15, 2022, 3:35 pm

>122 jnwelch: Congratulations to Adriana. Hope she enjoys the new gig.

126jnwelch
Dec 15, 2022, 3:51 pm

>125 Caroline_McElwee:. Thanks, Caroline. I think she will. The brevity is intriguing.

127jnwelch
Dec 15, 2022, 6:27 pm

I much enjoyed Ruth Ware’s Miss Marple Christmas story in the new Marple collection.

Our daughter loves RW. Are there any Ruth Ware fans here? Any recommendations?

128quondame
Dec 15, 2022, 8:32 pm

>122 jnwelch: Oh that's wonderful!

129jnwelch
Dec 15, 2022, 10:16 pm

>128 quondame:. Thanks, Susan! She’s very happy about it.

130humouress
Dec 15, 2022, 10:24 pm

>122 jnwelch: Well done Adri!

131weird_O
Dec 15, 2022, 10:52 pm

Good for Adri. Your son has a wonderful partner, and you and Debbi a swell DiL. And then there's those kids!

132jnwelch
Dec 16, 2022, 1:30 pm

>130 humouress:. Thanks, Nina. As she gets more exposure, offers have started showing up. That’s what happened with the newspaper job, and I bet it happened with this one, too.

>131 weird_O:. Thanks, Bill. We’re thrilled for our son, who needed someone like this. (Prior girlfriends run a distant second, from our POV). We love her and, as you say, then there’s those kids!

133jnwelch
Dec 16, 2022, 1:43 pm

Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake for $1.99 on e-readers. If it’s stormy out and you’re in the mood for gothic fantasy, this one is a classic.

134jessibud2
Dec 16, 2022, 2:08 pm

Wow, huge congrats to Adriana! Can NYT be far behind?

Joe, you are a lawyer. Is this even remotely a possibility? Can it happen, and, if so, in time to matter? Be still, my heart...

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/other/democrats-introduce-bill-to-bar-trump-from-...

135jnwelch
Dec 16, 2022, 2:27 pm

>133 jnwelch:. Thanks, Shelley. I’m thinking the same thing. I’m hoping that eventually the NYTimes will ask her to do a review.

As to Congress barring Trump from holding federal office, I think it would be unconstitutional unless they amended the Constitution, which is very hard to do. The Constitution sets out the age, citizen and residency requirements. Think about the Republicans trying to bar Pete Buttigieg - we’d all be outraged.

136jessibud2
Dec 16, 2022, 4:13 pm

>135 jnwelch: - But surely there must be some limits to people with a criminal record? That can't be allowed, can it? Of course, it would help if he actually got convicted already. Not like there's a lack of possibilities, right? I don't understand why the people have been dragging their feet over this for so long. Time's a-ticking...

137jnwelch
Dec 16, 2022, 9:11 pm

>136 jessibud2:. Believe or not, Shelley, a convicted felon can run for U.S. president. We’ve never had it happen, as far as I know.

I think as a practical matter it would sink Trump’s ship. Too much to overcome.

138jessibud2
Dec 16, 2022, 9:22 pm

>137 jnwelch: - Oy. Sadly, teflon man seems able to overcome just about anything and everything. Except maybe if there was an actual law that could stop him. And actual bars that could contain him.

139jnwelch
Dec 17, 2022, 10:57 am

>138 jessibud2:. I know, I worry about this guy the same way, Shelley. It does appear that the law is closing in on him from all sides, but we’ll see.

140jnwelch
Edited: Dec 17, 2022, 6:46 pm

Marple from Harper Collins. A most excellent holiday season book. Twelve new Jane Marple stories from as many accomplished authors. My favorite was by Ruth Ware, involving some missing pearls at (of course) an English manor. In it Miss Marple tips her hat to Dorothy L. Sayers for using a similar mystery solution in a Lord Peter story. I was impressed by some authors I hadn’t read before, including Ware, Lucy Foley, Kate Mosse and Leigh Bardugo. Surpringly, i found the Elly Griffiths one a bit lightweight compared to the others. I wish she had sent Ruth Galloway back in time to meet Miss M.

141Caroline_McElwee
Dec 18, 2022, 12:57 pm

>140 jnwelch: I have been pondering on this one Joe, you may have nudged me over the edge I saw an interview with Kate Mosse about it.

142msf59
Edited: Dec 19, 2022, 8:32 am

Hi, Joe. Just checking in. I hope you and the family are doing well. I have been having a great reading month, with Trust & The Colony of Unrequited Dreams leading the way. I even squeezed a Longmire in. My numbers are down quite a bit from last year but the quality sure isn't.

ETA- We just started "Wednesday" and we love it.

143jnwelch
Dec 19, 2022, 1:02 pm

>142 msf59:. Hurrah! I’m glad you’re having a good time with Wednesday! Jenna Ortega is everywhere on social media these days, and seems to be handling it well. Wait until you see her dance!

I feel much like you - lots of excellent reading, although my numbers are down. Did I persuade you to try You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi? I think you’d love it. She’s a most excellent author. Debbi gave me Untangled: Walking the Eightfold Path for Hanukkah. It’s a Buddhist book which looks great, but will probably only attract a small sliver of readers. Such is life.

Did you ever read the Lazarus GNs by Greg Rucka? It’s a series I’ve enjoyed, and the new one is another good one. I’v also got Lemire’s Mazebook, which you had mentioned. Did you end up reading it?

144jnwelch
Dec 19, 2022, 1:07 pm

Today’s Bargain: Whose Body by Dorothy L. Sayers for $1.99 on e-readers. This is a decent place to start if you want to try a Lord Peter mystery. I’ve loved them
over the years.

145jnwelch
Edited: Dec 19, 2022, 1:11 pm



Manarola Town, Italy under a full moon from Future World

146Caroline_McElwee
Dec 19, 2022, 6:26 pm

>145 jnwelch: Stunning.

147msf59
Edited: Dec 19, 2022, 6:30 pm

I have added You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty to my list. I did read Mazebook. I liked it well enough but it is a lesser Lemire, IMHO.

>145 jnwelch: It looks like a scene from the new season of White Lotus. Stunning.

148Whisper1
Dec 19, 2022, 8:12 pm

Hi Joe. I'm thinking of you and sending all good wishes.

149Familyhistorian
Dec 20, 2022, 8:53 pm

>145 jnwelch: Beautiful!

Congratulations to Adriana on her new gig. Hopefully she doesn't have to give up sleep to fit everything in!

150jnwelch
Edited: Dec 22, 2022, 10:34 am

>146 Caroline_McElwee:. Agreed, Caroline. Wish I could teleport there.

>147 msf59:. Isn’t that stunning, Mark? I’ve dipped into White Lotus and can see the connection - although we can hope there are fewer messed up folks in this idyllic scene. WL reminds me we need more Buddhists (of the real kind).

I’m glad you’ve got You Made a Fool of Death on your radar. I’m back to reading Murakami’s book (he’s very good at talking about his writing process - who knew his wife is always his first manuscript reader? - anfd his views on the literary world). I’m also reading the NBA YA winner, All My Rage), which is dark and challenging- sound good?😀

Happy Mid-week, brother. Debbi sends her best and wishes your family a happy holiday season. We’re embarked on Hanukkah. One of our traditions is to write letters to each other on one of the days. It’s a good feeling- we all neglect to tell each other thoughtful appreciations normally, don’t we.

>148 Whisper1:. So pretty, Linda, thank you. You have a heart of gold. The warm, glowing kind. I hope you’re having a good holiday season.

>149 Familyhistorian:. Thanks, Meg! I don’t know how she does it. She’s still somehow carrying on with her teaching and performing gigs, too. And her husband is no slouch. Those kids sure have good role models.

151richardderus
Dec 21, 2022, 12:36 pm

>145 jnwelch: Such a gorgeous shot. The Mediterranean towns on steep cliffs look so lovely! I'd be dead in a week if I lived there but I do like looking at them.

Have a lovely slide into Yuletide.

152jnwelch
Edited: Dec 22, 2022, 10:32 am

>151 richardderus: isn’t it gorgeous, RD? If I spent more than a short time there, my brain would probably get too hungry, but I sure wouldn’t mind an idyllic visit. I lived in beautiful Santa Barbara way back when, but my brain needed some clash and clang and changing seasons. I moved to NYC, on my last stop before Chicago.

Enjoy Yuletide. May your toes be toasty and your cup always full.😀

153jnwelch
Edited: Dec 22, 2022, 10:43 am

All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir.. The YA National Book award winner. Two high school age Pakistani immigrants, Salahudin and Noor, attempt to overcome the very bad hands Fate has dealt their families: poverty, alcohol and drug addiction, deaths from inadequate healthcare, racism, physical abuse, and inadequate support. They’ve been traumatized but also loved, and experienced success in school despite the obstacles. It’s a rough-on-the-emotions journey they take, but I’m glad I was able to take it with them. Very well done.

154richardderus
Dec 22, 2022, 10:52 am

NEWSFLASH

Elizabeth Acevedo, she of With the Fire on High, has an adult-fiction titled Family Lore coming out 1 August 23! Place your library request soon.

>153 jnwelch: Sounds grim. I'll coddiwomple on out, then.

155jnwelch
Edited: Dec 22, 2022, 1:13 pm

>154 richardderus:. That’s a great newsflash, Richard, thanks. For her I might even pre-order, we’ll see. I LOVED Akwaeke Emezi’s adult one.

All My Rage won’t quease your stomach, I don’t think, but if you’re like me your tear ducts may undam. They’re two worthy human beings who love each other, and have a whole lot to overcome.

Off to place that library request.

P.S. Not yet available to request at our library. Family Lore is due out Aug. 1.

156Berly
Dec 22, 2022, 1:13 pm

>153 jnwelch: Sounds like rough one with moments of hope. Happy almost holidays!

157jnwelch
Edited: Dec 22, 2022, 1:19 pm

>156 Berly:. Hi, Kim. Yes, it’s a YA so hope is steadfast and prevails.

Rohinton Mistry (Mr. I’ll Crush Your Heart) would probably have gone in a different direction. I appreciated Tahir’s mercy.

Happy Holiday season, my friend. We’re already in the midst of celebrating Hanukkah.

158Berly
Dec 22, 2022, 2:08 pm

>157 jnwelch: Sorry. I knew that. I should have said happy days off, although you are already retired, so I guess that doesn't matter does it? LOL

159jnwelch
Dec 22, 2022, 6:15 pm

>157 jnwelch:. A neighbor recently asked me how retirement was, Kim. Without thinking I enthusiastically said, “It’s the best thing ever! Now I have trouble remembering how I did non-retirement!”😀

160Berly
Dec 22, 2022, 7:02 pm

>159 jnwelch: Who cares about the past. I am just glad you are having fun now!! LOL

>150 jnwelch: Do you open the letters together or are they sent to out-of-state people? That is a sweet tradition.

161Carmenere
Dec 23, 2022, 7:26 am

Happy holidays to you and yours, Joe! I look forward to more book chat in '23. Cheers!

162bell7
Dec 23, 2022, 7:32 am

Happy Hanukkah, Joe! Hope you & yours are keeping safe and warm in the storm over the next few days.

163Caroline_McElwee
Edited: Dec 23, 2022, 6:35 pm



With every good wish of the season Joe and Debbi. I hope next year we will be able to catchup in person.

164drneutron
Dec 23, 2022, 10:58 am

165jnwelch
Dec 23, 2022, 10:59 am

>160 Berly:. 😂. You’re right, Kim.

Isn’t that a sweet tradition? To answer your question, Debbi and I read our letters together. I think the others read theirs in private.

>161 Carmenere:. Happy Holidays, Lynda! I love the book chat, too, and I’m sure ‘23 willbe another fun, book-filled year.

Cheers!

>162 bell7:. Thanks, Mary! Happy Holidays!

We stocked up on food and books, and are warm and happy. The Pittsburgh clan is driving to us this year, bless ‘em, and may wait until Sunday or Monday to travel, given the storms and cold. Their safety is number one.

166jnwelch
Edited: Dec 23, 2022, 11:08 am

>163 Caroline_McElwee:. Thanks, Caroline. Lovely card. Best holiday wishes to you.

As for seeing each other again soon, as Debbi says, “from your lips to God’s ear.”😀

>164 drneutron:. Hiya, Jim. Bless you, you’re so organized! I’m going to wait to start my ‘23 thread, but once again I appreciate your efforts in making our 75er chats possible.

Thanks for the helpful link, which we’ll all look forward to using, and Happy Holidays!

167SandDune
Dec 23, 2022, 11:16 am



Happy Christmas from my Christmas gnome!

168jnwelch
Dec 23, 2022, 1:10 pm

>167 SandDune:. Thanks, Rhian! Love the yarn-gnome. You’re educating me on Welsh.

169jnwelch
Dec 23, 2022, 1:14 pm

>136 jessibud2:. Shelley, I didn’t think of this one regarding the Orange Disaster:

Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, prohibits anyone who “engaged in insurrection or rebellion against” the United States from holding any “civil or military” office if they have previously taken a formal oath to support the US Constitution.

Many in Congress are hoping to apply that to drumpf.

170jessibud2
Edited: Dec 23, 2022, 3:40 pm

>169 jnwelch: - Well, that's encouraging! Do enough people who matter know about this? (as in, who can make a difference in the eventual outcome)

I saw a very discouraging article from Newsweek just the other day. I can post a link if you want but I don't want to clutter your thread with trumpilstilitskin stuff, especially at this time of year, unless you are interested. I always thought of Newsweek as one of the *reliable* news sources but I could be wrong. The article pretty much showed evidence of treason. Full stop. I still wonder why this is taking so long...

171jnwelch
Dec 23, 2022, 2:51 pm

>170 jessibud2:. Yes, they do, Shelley. It’s getting a lot of media play, with the Jan. 6 Committee Report coming out and the net closing in on drumpf. His circumstances are looking delightfully dire. But as you and I have discussed before, he has slipped by so many occurrences that should have brought him down - you called him the Teflon Man. So we can’t count him and his cult out just yet. But at least all his damning chickens are now coming home to roost.

172jnwelch
Dec 23, 2022, 2:55 pm

I was just thinking about my favorite literary characters. Right now my top two would be Lizzie Bennet in P&P and Raymond McPheron in the Plainsong books.

Do you have favorite literary characters?

173kac522
Edited: Dec 23, 2022, 4:47 pm

>172 jnwelch: Interesting question...I just finished a re-read of Middlemarch and I was thinking how much I love Caleb Garth. Not a major character, but such a good one.

174jnwelch
Dec 23, 2022, 5:56 pm

>173 kac522:. It’s a fun one to think about, isn’t it, Kathy. Some characters I find myself thinking about long after I’ve finished the book, sometimes for years and years, and others snap back into mind the instant someone mentions them,

I’m impressed with your pick of Caleb Garth. I remember Dorothea and Causubon (arggh) well, but you make me want to go back and do a re-read that pays more attention to Caleb. I don’t remember him well, but he strikes me as a Raymond McPheron type of character - lots of moral integrity and compassion.

175richardderus
Dec 23, 2022, 6:39 pm

>169 jnwelch: I have every expectation, given the referral to the Justice Department by the Congressional committee, that it would apply. And, if he keeps insisting he won the 2020 election, he's not eligible for a third term. No provision was made for a coup or a stolen election...you get two elections and, if you win 'em, that's all. Is that the 24th or 25th Amendment? I forget.

176jnwelch
Dec 23, 2022, 7:34 pm

>175 richardderus:. Agreed, RD. He’s running out of room to duck and dodge and bob and weave and try to avoid the instant Karma that’s coming to get him.

I’m keeping my hopes on a low burner because this orange POS has gotten away with so much to date. That 2dterm/3d term problem is just a little inconsistency (one of many, right?) that he chooses to ignore.

Justice is closing in on him. Lock him up!

177kac522
Dec 23, 2022, 8:18 pm

>174 jnwelch: Yes, exactly Joe--Caleb Garth has lots of moral integrity and compassion. He's the father of Mary Garth. Mary and Fred Vincy are the young couple that overcome many odds to eventually marry at the end of the book. And Fred Vincy is the brother of Rosamond Vincy who marries Dr. Lydgate, the new doctor in Middlemarch. Eliot does such a great job of contrasting the Dorothea/Casaubon marriage with the Rosamond/Lydgate marriage.

I read a short piece by literary critic John Sutherland where he makes the case that almost every character in Middlemarch is related (by blood or marriage) to at least one other character in the book. So don't feel bad if they sort of merge in your brain--they're all related.

178quondame
Dec 23, 2022, 8:59 pm

>176 jnwelch: If only instant or even insistent Karma were a thing. For DT that is. Me not so much ...

All the good stuff to you and your family, Joe!

179banjo123
Dec 23, 2022, 10:21 pm

Happy Hanukkah, Joe! That letter writing is a sweet tradition.

180johnsimpson
Dec 24, 2022, 11:38 am

Merry Christmas

181jnwelch
Dec 24, 2022, 1:02 pm

Today’s Bargain: Dreamsnake by Vonda N. McIntyre for $1.99 on e-readers. Topnotch sci-fi; a Hugo and Nebula award winner.

182jnwelch
Dec 24, 2022, 1:11 pm

>177 kac522:. Ah, yes, you bring it all back, Kathy, particularly that contrast in marriages. What a great book.

>178 quondame:. Oh, I hope that instant karma chases DT down, Susan.

Wishing all sorts of good holiday stuff to you and yours.

>179 banjo123:. Hiya, Rhonda. Happy Hanukkah! I love the letter writing tradition. It’s a chance for us to show our appreciation for each other that sometimes gets lost in the day-to-day.

>180 johnsimpson:. Love that card, John. Merry Christmas, buddy.

183johnsimpson
Dec 24, 2022, 1:25 pm

>182 jnwelch:, All the very best to you, Debbi and the family mate, Happy Hanukkah.

184PaulCranswick
Dec 25, 2022, 11:02 am



Malaysia's branch of the 75er's wishes you and yours a happy holiday season, Joe & Debbi.

185Berly
Dec 25, 2022, 8:24 pm


186jnwelch
Edited: Dec 25, 2022, 9:24 pm

>183 johnsimpson:. Thanks, John. We enjoyed the last night of Hanukkah via Facetime, as the weather has delayed our Pittsburgh clan. They arrive tomorrow, so we’ll extend both Hanukkah and Christmas for the little ones.

>184 PaulCranswick:. Thanks, Paul. Happy Holiday season, buddy. Give Hani and the kids a hug for us.

>185 Berly:. Lovely , Kim, thanks. Happy Holidays, my friend.

187jessibud2
Dec 26, 2022, 9:28 am

Happy ALLidays, Joe. This weather has messed up a lot of travel plans for a lot of people. I am very grateful I wasn't travelling to Montreal as the train service between the 2 cities is, still today, completely shut down. Some people were on the train for nearly 20 hours (for a 6 hour trip). Not my idea of fun. I think a tree came down on the tracks at some point, causing havoc. No injuries, thankfully, but that's small comfort when you are stuck like that, I suppose.

188jnwelch
Edited: Dec 26, 2022, 12:03 pm

>187 jessibud2:. Good for you, Shelley. I’m glad you avoided the mess and delays. I feel so sorry for folks who spent their holiday stranded somewhere. I’m hoping it’s smooth for our gang today. Both little ones are now potty-trained, which is great, except that now they need to stop a lot on the road to go to the bathroom.

189jnwelch
Edited: Dec 26, 2022, 12:04 pm

The Guest List by Lucy Foley. A gathering for a wedding on a remote Irish island. The two intended are both successful, glamorous and attractive. But one of them has secrets, as do many of the guests. As the weather turns stormy and dangerous, so does the wedding. I couldn’t put it down, and it sorts out well. Great book for putting up your feet by the fire and going for an arm chair thrill ride. A gift from our thrill ride specialist daughter.

190jnwelch
Dec 26, 2022, 1:04 pm

Today’s Bargain: Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford.. An excellent primer on this remarkable man and his impact, which is felt even today.

191quondame
Dec 26, 2022, 9:16 pm

>190 jnwelch: Thanks. I mentioned that one to my brother just before Christmas, so it's great it's so easy to send him a copy!

192benitastrnad
Dec 26, 2022, 11:42 pm

>189 jnwelch:
I have that one on my TBR list. Maybe I should move it up? However, my mystery right now is the last Guido Brunetti book to be published Give Unto Others. It is book #30 in the series. Can you believe that? I have trouble believing that Guido has been around that long, but author Donna Leon publishes one a year. There is a new one coming out in June 2023.

193jnwelch
Dec 27, 2022, 10:17 am

>191 quondame:. Glad to hear it, Susan! Isn’t that a good one?

>192 benitastrnad:. Oh good, Benita. You’ll enjoy it when you get to it.

Thirty in a series is remarkable. The most I know of are 50+ in J.D. Robb’s in Death series- all of them high quality.

I enjoyed the first few Guido Brunetti mysteries, but didn’t get hooked in for the long haul like you. Enjoy!

194jnwelch
Dec 27, 2022, 1:35 pm



Rafa and Fina enjoying a book with Bubbe

195jnwelch
Edited: Jan 5, 2023, 10:19 am



Debbi's kitchen helpers

196jessibud2
Dec 27, 2022, 2:21 pm

Lovely and sweet pics! Enjoy, enjoy!

197Caroline_McElwee
Dec 27, 2022, 4:33 pm

Delightful pictures Joe.

198quondame
Dec 27, 2022, 6:09 pm

>194 jnwelch: Exquisite.

200msf59
Dec 27, 2022, 6:33 pm

>194 jnwelch: >195 jnwelch: I love, love the grand pics! I am so glad you get to enjoy these precious little ones for the holidays.I can't stop smiling...

201jnwelch
Dec 27, 2022, 6:38 pm

>200 msf59:. Ha! Thanks, Mark! Ditto!

We feel particularly lucky. With the dismal driving weather, they couldn’t come until Monday. What a treat to have them with us.

202bell7
Dec 27, 2022, 10:07 pm

Oh what great pics of Rafa and Fina! The one of them and Debbi in >194 jnwelch: is especially sweet.

203Berly
Dec 27, 2022, 11:39 pm

Such cute photos! I can just feel the love and joy. : )

204jnwelch
Dec 28, 2022, 1:30 pm

>202 bell7:. Thanks, Mary! I love how the little ones enjoy being read to. They march into our bedroom in the morning with the books they’ve picked.

>203 Berly:. Thanks, Kim. These two have a knack for generating love and joy. It’s a treat to have time with their busy parents, too.

205richardderus
Dec 29, 2022, 11:22 am

>204 jnwelch: I can only imagine their busy parents are thrilled to have four more hands to help!

I've sent you a PM, Joe.

206jnwelch
Dec 29, 2022, 12:38 pm

Today’s Bargain: Depth of Winter by Craig Johnson for $1.99 on e-readers. A particularly good Walt Longmire mystery.

207karenmarie
Dec 30, 2022, 7:43 am

Hi Joe!

It's line in the sand time and onward to next year's threads, I'm afraid. One of my new year’s resolutions is to be a better LT friend.

208kidzdoc
Dec 30, 2022, 9:35 am

Happy New Year, Joe! See you on the other side.

209jnwelch
Edited: Dec 30, 2022, 5:55 pm

>207 karenmarie:. Hi, Karen. The sands of time trickle through the fingers of our lives. In my youth, it was hard to imagine being around for 2023. Where are the flying cars and airports for alien spaceships?

>208 kidzdoc:. Happy New Year, Brother Darryl. See you on the flip side.

210jnwelch
Dec 31, 2022, 2:10 pm

Happy New Year, everyone!

I’ll probably start the first 2023 cafe tomorrow.

211roundballnz
Jan 1, 2023, 4:03 pm

Happy New Year ......

212jnwelch
Jan 1, 2023, 8:02 pm

>212 jnwelch:. Happy New Year, Alex! Hope to see more of you in 2023, buddy.

213jnwelch
Jan 3, 2023, 11:30 am

Today’s Bargains:of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck and The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie for $1.99 on e-readers and Kindle, respectively. The classic and a very good Dame Agatha mystery.

214quondame
Jan 4, 2023, 6:43 pm

I've missed the café in the new year!

215jnwelch
Jan 5, 2023, 9:36 am

>214 quondame: I know, Susan, thanks for you patience. Working on it.

216ronincats
Jan 5, 2023, 9:39 am

I keep checking too, to see if you are there yet. I'm going to try to visit more regularly this year.

217jnwelch
Jan 5, 2023, 10:21 am

>216 ronincats: Good to hear, Roni. Yes, it's open now.

218jnwelch
Jan 5, 2023, 10:23 am