Joe's Seventh Book Cafe 2023

xx

What the heck just happened? Oh well.

Hey, Joe, want to start over? Or will you be posting here?

Hey Joe, looks like something weird happened. Time to call in drneutron & his magical powers....

Wow this is strange. Is this the LT multiverse?

If nothing more weird happens, I’ll figure out what’s next tomorrow.

Joe, this happened when I was posting a note to your prior thread and it hung in space and then appeared here as a parallel bit of strangeness. I wondered if perhaps you were at that moment creating a new continuation thread. In any event this is very weird. Hopefully doc neutron can use his magical powers to just delete this abnormality.

January 2023

1. The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka
2. The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager
3. The Guest List by Lucy Foy
4. Mass Effectby Drew Karpyshyn*
5. Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun
6. Rainby Joe Hill*
7. Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
8. A Spark within the Forge by Sabaa Tahir*
9. The Maid of Ballymacool by Jennifer Deibel.
10. Loveless by Alice Oseman
11. What’s the Furthest Place From Here by Matt Risenburg*
12. Desert Star by Michael Connelly
13. Arthur Who Wrote Sherlock by Linda Bailey*
14. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
15. A Court of Mists and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

February 2023

16. Creature by Shaun Tan*
17. A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
18. Laura by Guillem March*
19. My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor
20. A court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
21 Everyday Hero Machine Boy by Irma Kniivila*
22. Encore in Death by JD. Robb
23. The Twilight Manby Koren Shadmi
24. A Wanted Man by Lee Child
25. The Last Orphan by Gregg Hurwitz
26. By the Book by Jasmine Guilloty
27. In a Dark, Dark. Wood by Ruth Ware
28. Silk Vol. 1 by Maurene Goo

March 2023

29. Fairy Tale by Stephen King
30. I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston
31. Storm Watch by c.j. Box
32. Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy (re-read)
33. Revenge of the Librarian by Tom Gauld*
34. Ducks Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton*
35. It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth by Zoe Thorogood*
36. Ms. Marvel Something New by G. Willow Wilson*
37. Number One Is Walking by Steve Martin and Harry Bliss*
38. Gideon the Ninth by Tamlyn Muir
39. A Different Kind of Normal by Abigail Balfe
40. Ms. Ice Sandwich by Mieko Kawakami

April 2023

41. The Vibrant Years by Sonali Dev
42. Poverty by America by Matthew Desmond
43. Celestia by Manuele Fior*
44. once Upon a Book by Grace Lin*
45. The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff
46. Altered Carbon by richard Morgan*
47. A Career in Books by Kate Gavino*
48. Love Everlasting by Tom King*
49. Flowerheart by Catherine Bakewell
50. Georgia by Dawn Tripp

May 2023

51. To the Realization of Perfect Helplessness by Robin Coste Lewis
52. The Last Remains by Elly Griffiths
53. The Customer is Always Wrong by Mimi Pond
54. Chain Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
55. Blind Man with a Pistol by Chester Himes
56. Happy Place by Emily Henry
57. Aunt Bessie Assumes by Diana Xarissa
58. The Banned Bookshop by Maggie Banks
59. Fixit by Joe Ide
60. Promises of Gold by Jose Olivarez

June 2023

61. Damsel by Evelyn Skye
62. Monstress Volume 7 by Marjorie Liu*
63. Einstein by Jim Ottaviani*
64. Who Owns the Clouds by Mario Brassard*
65. Cafe Unfiltered by Jean-Philippe Blondel
66. Nomenclatures of Invisibility by Mahtem Shiferraw
67. Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazalwood
68. Simon Says by Andre Frittino*
69. The Family Izquierdo by Ruben Delgado
70. Side Effects by Ted Anderson*

July 2023

71. All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby
72. Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner
73. The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng
74. The Phantom Scientist by Robin Cousin*
75. The Library of Lost and Foundby Phaedra Patrick
76. Library of Small Catastrophes by Alison C. Rollins
77. Last on His Feet: Jack Johnson (no touchstone?) by Youssef Daodi
78. Yellowface by RF Kuang
79. The Light of Days by Judy Batalion

August 2023

80. Somebody Else Sold the World by Adrian Matejka
>81 benitastrnad:. Dessert with Buddha by Roland Merullo
>82 PaulCranswick:. Anais Nin Sea of lies by Leonie Bischoff*
83. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
84. Chivalry by Neil Gaiman
85. Salvage Right by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
86. The Human Target Volume One by Tom King*
87. One by One by Ruth Ware
88. The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill
89. The Night Eaters: She Eats the Night by Marjorie Liu*
90. Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

September 2023

91. Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
92. Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh
93. Hawking by Jim Ottaviani*
94. Fangirl Vol.3 by Rainbow Rowell*
95. This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar
96. Bride’s Story Vol. 14 by Kaori Moru*
97. Bleeding Heart Yard by Elly Griffiths
98. The Complete The Killer by Jacamon & Matz*

October 2023

99. The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith
100. Emergent Properties by Aimee Ogden
101. The Last Count of Monte Cristo by Jamize Yama-Everett*
102. Exit Interview by Kristi Coulter
103. The Longmire Defense by Craig Johnson
104. The Detective Up Late by Adrian McGinty
105. Murder on the Orient Express adapted by Bob Al-Greene*
106.Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
107. Past Tense by Lee Child (re-read)
108. Blue Moon by Lee Child (re-read)
109. Haruki Murakami Manga Stories by PMGL*
110. Hilda and the Troll by Luke Pearson*
111. Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery by Miles Hyman*
112. The Impending Blindness of Billie Scott by Zoe Thorogood*
113. From From by Monica Youn

November 2023

114. The Secret by Lee Child
115. Innocent Sleep by Seanan McGuire
116. Left Neglected by Lisa Genova
117. Hard Child by Natalie Shapero
118. Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
119. System Collapse by Martha Wells
120. Roaming by Jillian and Mariko Tamaki*
121. if You’ll Have Me by Eunnie*

December 2023

122. Totem by Laura Perez
123. The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman
124. Mystery Guest by Nita Prose
125. Henrietta’s War by joyce Denys
126. Musical Tables by Billy Collins
127. Tom Lake by Anne Patchett

So I can change the title, but I don't think I can delete the thread. I think this happened once before and Kristi (?) from the LT staff was able to fix it by deleting the inadvertent thread and restoring the link to allow a continuation. You can find a link to her at the bottom of every page under "Contact".

At the very least, I can change the title so the numbering is Seventh Cafe, then we can keep using this one. That's less than ideal, so try the above first.

>8 drneutron:. OK, Jim, thanks. I’ll try Kristi.

No word yet from Kristi.

Okay, back to books - if you decide to give Knausgaard a whirl, it might be good to also have
1-2 light fiction books for balance.
He does rather go on.... His Struggle #1 delivered well -
#2 can be a struggle to get through the Love and Baby parts, which is why I didn't go on to Books 3-6.

>11 m.belljackson: Thank, Marianne. I suspect he’s not my flavor, but I appreciate the heads-up.

>12 jnwelch: Joe - both ENGLISH CREEK and its backstory DANCING AT THE RASCAL FAIR
were my 5 Star fiction choices. They compare with my favorite Ivan Doig, THE WHISTLING SEASON.

My old keeper shelf paperback RASCAL offered the surprise of the author's autograph.

>13 m.belljackson:. 👍. Thanks, Marianne.

Thread title changed, this one's now listed in the Threadbook!

>15 drneutron: Thank you Jim!

>15 drneutron:, >16 RBeffa:. What Ron said, Jim. Thanks a lot. I plan to do a little redecorating of the new cafe over the next couple of days.

I’m enjoying Left Neglected, Lisa Genova’s memoir-like novel about what a working mother goes through after a car accident causes a brain injury that results in “left neglect”, a condition I also had after my stroke. Hers was more severe than mine; for me, I could see what was on my left, but my brain was telling me that it wasn’t important and I could safely ignore it. Needless to say, this resulted in bumping into a lot of whatever was on my left, including walls. I’m much better now, but still can’t have a driver’s license.

Hers was more extreme. Her brain was telling her, not just to ignore it, but there was nothing at all there on her left. Her eyes were fine, but she could’t “see” anything to her left. What was to her right was her whole world. She compared it to you and I looking everywhere around us, seeing everything, and then being told that we’re missing a lot and being urged to “find “ it. As she says, there was no “it” to find in her world, and no way to find it. She underwent rehab, in which great effort was required for marginal progress. (Her fancy wrist watch on her left wrist helped her catch glimpses of her left hand). (She joked that she unsuccessfully tried to convince her husband to buy her more fancy jewelry to help her rehab).

I’m not sure how big an audience there is for the book. When she talks about her arduous efforts to get dressed, I’m fascinated and in full empathy mode. When she complains about the difficulties posed by dratted “buttons”, I’m internally shouting “Yes! Yes!” (They still give me trouble). But other readers might not find it as riveting?

This book reminds us of how amazing and fragile the brain is, and how much we take for granted all the critical connections that allow us to read (she loses that ability before rehab), and to move freely about the planet, including to the corner store.

>18 jnwelch: How harrowing that must be/must have been, and probably still is!

>18 jnwelch: The idea of that struggle haunts me, in the awful "built over a Hellmouth" sense of the word "haunt." I was so very lucky...I have a strange acquired-dyslexia for some things, but regular exercise is building back the left-side physical deficits, and delightfully I am pretty much back up to speed on the cognitive bits.

Buttons, however, are The Devil's Own.

Happy new thread, Joe. Re >18 jnwelch:. I have that book on my physical shelf and was just looking at it yesterday. It may be awhile till I get to it, though because of the library book pile-up! She is an excellent writer! I also have her Remember, one of particular interest to me, since my mum's battle with dementia. (I have read all her other books, except these 2)

>19 quondame:. Thanks, Susan. There are holdovers from that harrowing time, but I’m definitely one of the lucky ones. If we can successfully address, or even reduce, the fatigue, that’d be huge. (C’mon ASV!)

>20 richardderus:. Great to hear, Richard. Congratulations on all the progress. Yeah, thinking back on all the rehab is .. . haunting. We’re a lucky couple of buckaroos to be here talking about it.

Aren’t buttons the worst invention ever?! I’m not fond of belts any more, either.

>21 jessibud2:. Thanks, Shelley. This thread is a bit different from all the others, isn’t it?😀

Hmm. Great to hear about Lisa Genova. You’re right, she is an excellent writer. I knew she’d had success with other books, but this is my first. You sure get a look inside her main character’s family and life with this one.

Dementia, you say? I’m very interested in that, too. Both parents suffered from it toward the end, but at least it wasn’t Alzheimers. I’m sorry your mum had it, too. My dad’s had its charming moments - he was convinced the surrounding area had 28 (why 28?) houses laid out and decorated just like his, because the owners wanted to be sure he felt comfortable and welcome when he visited. He told us this matter-of factly, just like any other story.

Happy New Thread, I guess, Joe. I have never seen that happen before I must say.

>20 richardderus: It is an inspiration how you and RD have slowly worked your way back closer to good health. Long may it continue as you guys are important to so many of us here.

>22 jnwelch: Your comments on Alzheimers/dementia were interesting to me, Joe, and I have to see that I didn't honestly know Alzheimer's could be distinguished from senile dementia. I have always thought that the awful fug my Gran spent her last eighteen months in was Alzheimers but I am going to have to go and read up more.

>23 PaulCranswick:. Thanks, Paul. Yeah, Ron’s unintended prestidigitation is a new one for me, too. Poor Ron- he must’ve thought, what the hell just happened!

Alzheimer’s is the worst . I had an uncle who had it. He and I were pretty close - I was a boy obsessed with sports, and he was an outstanding two sport athlete in his day at the U of Michigan. With Alzheimer’s he forgot everything - who I was, who his sister was, who his wife was, how to take care of himself. When I gave his wife my sympathy at his funeral, she said “Don’t worry about it. For me, he died five years ago.” Five years ago was when he succumbed to Alzheimer’s, and had to be institutionalized.

>18 jnwelch: - Just to clarify, I believe this is a novel, right? Genova herself is a neuroscientist, I think - I saw her speak several years ago but don't remember a lot of detail.

Happy Wednesday, Joe! Happy New Thread! Not exactly sure, what all happened here but it looks like it is getting straightened out. 😁

>25 katiekrug:. Good question about the book, Katie. (My stories are not a novel). I thought it was a memoir, and it reads like one, but the main character is ”Sarah” (not Lisa). Yup, it’s a novel and yup, Lisa G is a neuroscientist. You can tell Sarah has become very real to me. If some Buddhist bibliophile and retired lawyer named “Joe” turns up in the book, i don’t know what I’ll do. Maybe ouijah board Rod Serling and see what he has to say.

P.S. I tweaked my above comments about the book to clarify that it’s a novel.

>26 msf59:. Ha! Hiya, Mark. Happy Wednesday. Yes, there was a bit of a multiverse crash here, but all three Spidermen (or Spider-men) are getting along pretty well.

Hey, did you ever read Legends&Lattes? The follow-up, Bookshops & Bonedust is out and tickling my fancy. Anything good on the griddle at your place?

Hey, Joe. Glad you survived the multiverse crash, with barely a scratch. I kicked off the month with Black Butterflies which was excellent. Highly recommended. I followed that with Gap Creek, which ended up being merely decent. I am also getting ready to start The Impending Blindness of Billie Scott which you recommended. I am also continuing to enjoy my audio of The Thursday Murder Club.

I have not read Legends& Lattes. It looks like it might be fun.

>27 jnwelch:. 👍. Thanks, Mark. I took a look at Black Butterflies and can’t remember now why I thought it wasn’t my flavor. I’m sometimes surprised that we don’t encounter more so-so books like Gap Creek, but I attribute a lot of that to all the nudges we get on LT to try delicious-sounding better books.

Can’t wait to hear what you think of Billie Scott. It made me think of the stories in Local.

Happy new thread, Joe. Good to see that the LT gurus came along and fixed the title so you were able to set up shop.

Happy new thread, Joe!

>24 jnwelch: Yes, Joe, Alzheimer’s is very bad. My mother didn't recognise ayone at the end either. She finally died when she got far enough back in time to get before her terrible fear of dying (devil, hell???) It must have been something like that, as she was really terrified of death.
And my sister kept saying there was nothing wrong with my mother... Some only see what they want to see.

Joe, do you remember (!) the Alzheimer's novel I started touting back when, called Care Giver by Richard Blanchard? It's told from the PoV of a man slipping down the slope...it's so well done and is such a lovely little story, sad but leavened with the surprising caring of the world around him. Still out there banging the drum for it....

Even kids who don’t read much get immersed in the Harry Potter series:

https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/ed-magazine/23/11/hooked-books

>30 Familyhistorian:. Thanks, Meg. Yeah, I guess the book gods decided it was time for a new thread. The LT staff was very responsive, as was (thank you, Jim!)drneutron.

>31 FAMeulstee: Right, Anita? wow, that’s some story about your mother. Ihope she passed peacefully after getting back before that fear. Amazing what the mind can do, including your sister’s refusal to accept.

>32 richardderus: Care Giver sounds like a book that warrants your advocacy, Richard. Kudos to you for keeping hope for it alive. I know the feeling. I’ll take a look.

P.S. you should put some version of your review over on Amazon. No one has reviewed it there yet.

>34 jnwelch: Wow! That's a crime! I'll post my review there ASAP. Thank you for letting me know.

>13 m.belljackson: I love Doig's books, so I am going to be on the lookout for those. I loved The Whistling Season too, Marianne!

>18 jnwelch: Adding that one to the BlackHole. I am sorry to hear about your troubles, Joe, and hope you continue to improve.

>33 jnwelch: Reading the Harry Potter series was a turning point for my daughter, Beth, who was not a reader up until then.

>36 alcottacre: BUCKING THE SUN is different from my favorites, yet Ivan Doig's illuminating words carry the day -

which could be a tough sell for any author, given that it delivers the entire history of The Fort Peck Dam!

>37 m.belljackson: I will have to look for that one too! Thanks, Marianne.

>35 richardderus:. Good to hear, Richard. I’ll check it out. You’re welcome.

>36 alcottacre:. Hi, Stasia. I liked Doig’s Dancing at the Rascal Fair and some other recommended one - why am I thinking Big Rock Candy Mountain. My like unfortunately never rose to the level of love that so many have.

I’m glad you threw Left Neglected into the Black Hole, and I hope it escapes. Sarah is honest about herself, self-deprecating and funny. A nice combination.

Great to hear about your non-reading daughter turning into a reader after experiencing the Harry Potter books. From that article I understand that happens a lot. What a blessing J.K. Rowlings gave us! She deserves her millions and probably billions by now. (In 2021, Google says, she was worth $820 million). I’m also sold on her Cormoran and Robin mystery series.

>37 m.belljackson:, >38 alcottacre:. 👍

>39 jnwelch: Big Rock Candy Mountain is one of Wallace Stegner's, not Ivan Doig's books, so I am not sure? I still need to track down the Doig books. . .

Have a fantastic Friday, Joe!

Today’s Bargain: In the Woods by Tana French for $1.99 on e-readers.

The creepy inspiration for the Dublin Murders tv adaptation, and the one that started tons of people reading this author.

>41 jnwelch: I do not know about the TV series, but I really like the book series.

>42 alcottacre:. The tv series was good, Stasia, especially with the In the Woods storyline. The storyline with two identical- looking women was too farfetched for me.

>39 jnwelch: Joe - When you have time for more fiction fun, both ENGLISH CREEK and THE WHISTLING SEASON are better than DANCING AT THE RASCAL FAIR...
& hard to get that tune out of your mind! Just like "The Big Rock Candy Mountain"...

>43 jnwelch: I watch pretty much no television (no Netflix, Hulu, etc either), but maybe one of these days I will get around to it, lol.

>45 alcottacre:. No biggie, Stasia. This isn’t one of those situations where the adaptation is better than the book(The Godfather is the example I always think of - and I did read the book).

P.S. There is a wonderful adaptation of Lessons in Chemistry on Apple Tv right now. The impressive Brie Larson stars as Elizabeth Zott. I loved the book, and I love the adaptation.

>44 m.belljackson:. Thanks, Marianne. Good to know.

I didn't realize that Dublin Murders was turned into a TV series. It's hard to keep up with those kinds of things.

>47 jnwelch:. Hi, Anita. Yup - I noticed the Dublin Murders tv show is more generally available now - it originally was on a subscription service.

>46 jnwelch: I also loved the book Lessons in Chemistry, Joe, but I do not have Apple TV either, lol.

>50 alcottacre:. If the opportunity appears somehow, I’d say this one is worth making the time for. Kudos to everyone involved.

>51 jnwelch: Good to know! Thanks, Joe.

>38 alcottacre: >39 jnwelch:

Keeping you both up to date with Ivan Doig and BUCKING THE SUN - it's now minus 37 degrees

in Montana where Owen Duff is keeping The Fort Peck Dam moving along by dynamiting ice.

>52 alcottacre:. 👍

>53 m.belljackson:. 👍

Hi Joe! I recently read Lessons in Chemistry and I'm happy to hear you like the TV adaptation -- I'll have to give it a go. Congrats on the newly fixed thread!!

>55 Berly:. Do try it, Kim. Brie Larsen is so good, and it ‘s very well-written. Unfortunately Lessons in Chemistry is just one episode a week, so we have to be patient. You’ll be able to eat it till you’re full for starters.

Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree. In the mood for carry-you-away light fantasy? If you liked Legends &Lattes, you’ll like this prequel. Viv the sword-wielding orc gets stranded for a while in a small town, Murk, and gravitates toward rattkin Fern’s bedraggled bookshop. While making local friends and experiencing some romance, Viv knows there’s a necromancer in the area with her wights, which she’s not sure the local Gate Wardens can handle by themselves. This book has the same easy-going charm as its predecessor, and should do well.

Innocent Sleep by Seanan McGuire. A disappointing October Daye novel? Say it ain’t so! There’s way too much Tybalt, King of the Cats, in this one, and way too little October. I imagine the author thought it would be fun to feature him and a different point of view, but it didn’t work well for me. I hope we get back to lots of snarky, witty, bold October in the next.

>58 jnwelch: Too little Toby?! Perish forbid! Better luck next entry.

>59 richardderus:. Right, RD? Not the best idea the author ever had.

I’m enjoying Iron Flame, the fantasy follow-up to the amazingly successful Fourth Wing.

>54 jnwelch: BUCKING THE SUN is a Batter Up for THE BARTENDER'S TALE which many readers wish would go on...and on...

The Case-book of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle for $1.99 on e-readers.

Doyle’s final collection of Holmes stories. It has 5 star ratings up the wazoo.

Happy Sunday, Joe. How are you feeling these days? We were down at Montrose yesterday. Not many birds but a gorgeous morning to stroll around. I plan on bookhorning in Lessons in Chemistry before starting the series. Glad to hear you have been enjoying it.

BTW- I watched The Killer on Netflix. It was just okay and it didn't really follow the books. Maybe, you will feel differently. You liked the All the Light We Cannot See adaptation. I thought it was "meh", despite the wonderful performance by the lead.

>64 msf59:. Hiya, Mark. Thanks for stopping by. Health is a bit rough right now - too much fatigue. Looking forward to the ASV. My mind is saying, patience grasshopper.

It’s hard to argue with “meh” for All The Light. It started well, but they messed with the ending. In the book Uncle Etienne lives, and Werner dies.. Wasn’t the lead amazing? I hope she gets many more roles. She was not an actress before this. I also appreciated the depictions of the French resistance and the Nazis - the abusive Nazis made us think of Trump supporters.

The Lessons in chemistry adaptation is excellent so far.

I just finished Iron Flame, follow-up to Fourth Wing. Both are exciting page-turners, and neither is your cuppa, I suspect. I first got intrigued when Fourth Wing installed itself at #1 on the NYTimes best seller list and didn’t leave for the longest time. I don’t remember a dragon-filled book ever doing that before.

I just started the new Murderbot book, System Collapse, so I feel like I’m on a fantasy/sci-fi run.

Thanks for the heads-up on The Killer; I’m gonna take a pass. How is Good Night, Irene going?

Man, I love that Montrose Bird sanctuary by the lake. I’m glad you had good weather for it.

We’re heading off today to Pittsburgh to visit the grandkiddies and their parents. We’re taking our daughter, so we’ll have the whole gang together, which is hard to do these days.

I’ll be checking in, but just in case, Happy Thanksgiving to all our Americanos here.

>66 jnwelch: Have a lovely trip!

>65 jnwelch:
I am sorry to hear about the fatigue. I know it interferes with your life, but I hope it won't interfere with your book reading. I like hearing about your reading adventures. I just read Fugitive Telemetry in anticipation of the new book coming out and wanted to be caught up with the series. I also got one the latest one of the Wayward Children books and hope to get it read before Christmas.

I am making my plans for my Thanksgiving Trip and am taking House of the Always by Jenn Lyon for my airport reading. It is book 4 in a 5 book epic fantasy series. It is a big book at 650 pages and it should keep me occupied over many hours of flying time. I have been taking one book of the series with me when I travel and trying to finish the book during the trip. I pick a big book so that I don't have to carry lots of books around with me. One big book usually takes me through a trip and several airports.

Enjoy your trip to Steel City and keep reporting on your reading adventures.

Have a great time in Pittsburgh, Joe. Enjoy that family time and give those grands a lot of hugs and kisses.

I enjoyed Fourth Wing but still deciding if I will do the follow-up. Good Night, Irene continues to be very good.

The Detective Stays Up Late by Adrian McKinty for $1.99 on e-readers. The newest (as far as I know)in the Sean Duffy series set in northern Ireland.

>57 jnwelch: I bought that one in paperback and need to read it! It looks fun - and I need fun over the holidays.

Have a marvelous Monday, Joe!

>67 richardderus: Thanks, Richard! It’s been a lovely first day.

Jesse has a “power squid” that plugs into a socket and increases your number of power chords. Might tide (groan) you over until the power octopus comes out.

Hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving, buddy.

>68 benitastrnad:. Thanks for the sympathy. The fatigue unfortunately has reduced my reading time. Arggh. Just as with everything else, most importantly, I’m still here, and I’m doing okay. But ungrateful me still gets annoyed by it.

I’m reading the new Murderbot right now! System Collapse.

Like you, I like to take a page-turner book on plane flights. I’m glad you’ve got the House of Always series to make the time fly. I also brought At the Bottom of the River by Jamaica Kincaid. Poetic prose - maybe too poetic to be your cuppa.

If you haven’t tried Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, there’s a good chance you’d like them a lot. I sure did.

We’re having a good time in Steel City. This is a big time reading family, bigs and littles. Always nice to be surrounded by books!

>69 msf59:. Thanks, buddy. As you know, the grands are irresistible, and they’re getting loads of hugs and kisses. Rafa is recognizing words and getting reading-ready. Exciting. And Fina is a brave and strong Princess Ballerina Strawberry- she will never be short on personality.

I forgot you enjoyed Fourth Wing. The new one has the same page-turning strengths you enjoyed and the same stretches of romance and sex you weren’t so fond of, you Grinch.

I’m happy to hear Good Night, Irene is working for you. Have a good Thanksgiving with Jack and the rest of the fam.

>71 alcottacre:. Oh, I’m glad you’re going to read Bookshops and Bonedust, Stasia. It is indeed fun, and time with Viv is time well spent.

We’ve had a marvelous Monday, thanks, that even included some time at our favorite cafe for Becca and me.

>65 jnwelch: How long will you have to wait to get the ASV? Fatigue is frustrating, and sometimes depressing. At least the grands can cheer you up this week.

>74 ffortsa:. Thanks, Judy. Yeah, we’ve been working on this issue for a long, long time now, and all the delays have been frustrating. The staffing seems quite inadequate to me, and we know there are a lot of people out there looking for jobs. I’m on a cancellation waitlist, but if nothing changes, I have to wait until December 11. This has been a real eye opener about the limitations of our healthcare. Every step of the way, since I got out of what was superb rehab, has been like this: lengthy delays, appointments not available until months ahead, any device glitch taking way too long to remedy. If a candidate’s platform included overhaul of our healthcare system, they’d probably get my vote.

System Collapse by Martha Wells. As I was a bit disappointed by this one, you may want to skip this. The good news is that SecUnit (Murderbot) remains a wonderful character. In this one he’s traumatized by a mysterious event he knows didn’t happen the way he so vividly remembers. What disappointed me was the build-up seemed excessively long and detailed, as we learn the physical setup of the planet’s facility and how the colonists may get exploited without intervention. In the last third SecUnit is forced into action and responds with his usual cleverness and dedication to saving his humans and the colonists. That saved the book for me.

Today’s Bargain: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest 50th Anniversary Edition by Ken Kesey for $1.99 on e-readers. What a book! Has it really been 50 years?

>76 jnwelch: I'm still underground with Murderbot, but I feel sort of the same and sort of the opposite - I'm not totally enjoying these final sequences though I found the false memory and all the redacted's sort of fascinating.

My brother and sister-in-law are going to interview the Buddhist scholar Lewis Lancaster next week and I've asked to come along. Not because of his achievements, which are remarkable, but because he is stranded away from home for health reasons and I am very nearby. He is the uncle of childhood friends.

>78 quondame:. Got it, Susan, thanks. I thought others might like the build-up more than I did, and I did find the redacted material quite interesting. I’ll be there for the next installment; this was just a bit of a letdown for me after its cool predecessors.

Good for you for visiting with the Buddhist scholar. If time permits, I’d love to hear how it goes.

Dear Joe

I am grateful for your long-time commitment to the 75 Challenge Group!!! I enjoy your opening images, the sharing of books you've read, the the special photos of your beloved grandchildren and your loving wife. I send all good wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving time.

I am getting ready to fly off to Montana tomorrow and all that airport time will start. I have read about 60 pages in the 640 page Big'un I am taking with me, but with that many pages I have hardly made a dent in it.
My sister warned me that it will be 34 and snowing when I get to Bozeman. I will be there late in the afternoon and we will have a Thanksgiving supper after I get there. We also hope to be able to go up to Yellowstone to Old Faithful and see it in the snow. Otherwise, I think we will be baking and staying indoors.

Have a happy time with everybody in your family and I hope you get to go see something interesting while you are in the Steel City.

Joe,



Happy Thanksgiving from an appreciative non-celebrator.

Thanks Linda, Benita and Paul! I’ll respond more later.

Happy Thanksgiving to all our 75ers Americanos! I hope everyone has a good day with loved ones or otherwise treating themselves especially well.

Hi Joe, mate, Happy Thanksgiving dear friend.

Happy Thanksgiving Joe, and much coffee in coming days!

>85 quondame:. Thanks, Susan. Mmm, coffee. I treated myself to three cups and leftover pecan pie this morning. That’s the way to start the day!

>84 johnsimpson:. Hiya, John, buddy. Thanks for the T-giving wishes across the pond. I hope all is well in your lovely part of the world.

>82 PaulCranswick:. Thanks, Paul. I appreciate your thinking of us across the world. It’s been a grand week here. We got to hear Rafa play Go Tell Aunt Rosie on the violin and watch Fina dance the Reindeer Hokey-Pokey accompanied by her enthusiastic parents. Against stiff competition, the parents may have been the cutest. Yesterday Adriana cooked like a dream, with every dish a hit, plus pumpkin and pecan pie to die for.

>81 benitastrnad:. Sounds good, Benita. I hope you had safe and comfortable travel. We love that part of the country. My sister lived in Helena for a lot of years before recently moving to the Bay Area in northern CA. Our visiting only in warm(ish) weather may have skewed our view toward the more idyllic.

I hope you had a most excellent Thanksgiving and got make that trip to Old Faithful. We got our whole family (including our stay at home parents) to Glacier and Yellowstone parks one trip. Wonderful.

We’ve had a happy visit here, thanks. We head back home tomorrow. I plan to post a photo or two once we get back.

>80 Whisper1:. What a lovely post, Linda, thank you. I appreciate the kind words. I could say virtually the same thing back to you, grateful for the visual feasts of book illustrations and family photos you’ve given us over the years.

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and have a relaxing weekend.

>65 jnwelch: I hate when they mess with the endings Joe. Your comment about the lead makes me at least want to watch the first episode.

May catch Lessons in Chemistry next month, I'll sub for a month to Apple+.

>65 jnwelch: >88 Caroline_McElwee: I really enjoyed the recent televised Lessons in Chemistry. I read the book a while back, and the TV show really captures the letter and the spirit of the book, IMO. Well worth the subscription.

Karen O

>89 klobrien2:. Ditto, Karen. It’s also one of Brie Larson’s best performances, IMO. I think all the episodes are up now, right? We plan to binge and finish when we get home.

>88 Caroline_McElwee:. Hi, Caroline. Good solution for All the Light We Cannot See. I liked the beginning best, and she’s worth the look. Can’t wait to see what she does next.

Karen and I recommend LIC WHOLE-heartedly.

>90 jnwelch: Brie Larson is fantastic. Yes, all the episodes (eight of 'em) are out. It would be a great show to binge (I might have to rewatch, soon).

Karen O.

>92 jnwelch:. Wonderful. Can’t wait! Thanks, Karen.

Today’s Bargain: Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood for $1.99 on e-readers. A “STEMinist rom-com”. Fun read.

Another Bargain: Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler for $1.99 on e-readers. A sci-fi classic.

>94 jnwelch: Every once in a while, you highlight an Amazon sale and when I check my list, I have already purchased it, probably at another sale. I've had Parable on my Kindle list since 2017, unread.

>94 jnwelch: I just did the same thing >95 ffortsa: did! With the same results, showing that great minds, etc.

Get home safe, y'all.

>95 ffortsa:, >96 richardderus:. Thanks, Judy and Richard. That’s one of the things I like about “Today’s Bargains”: they bring back to mind books we haven’t thought about for a while. I hope you both dust off Parable and give it a try. Madame MBH liked it and is not normally a sci-fi reader.

We’re home safe. It’s a pleasantly short flight from Pittsburgh. What a fun visit that was.

>97 jnwelch: I am glad that you made it home safely, Joe! I hope you and Debbi take a few days to catch your breath :)

>98 alcottacre:. Thanks, Stasia. We plan to do exactly that.

I’m enjoying The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman, and I just started Henrietta’s War by Joyce Dennys.

Go Blue! The U of Michigan just beat Ohio State in a huge game in Ann Arbor. As an Ann Arbor boy it was great to see.

Today’s Bargain: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman for $2.99 on e-readers. I wish the price was a dollar lower, but this is one of my favorite Gaiman books. (Neverwhere is #1). The graphic adaptation is very good, too, as is the audio book.

Booker winner: Prophet Song

>102 jnwelch: I have been on the hold list for that one for a long time. I can't wait to read it!

Happy week ahead.

>103 figsfromthistle:. Hi, Anita. Yeah, I think that one caught a lot of eyes even before it won. I don’t know about you, but when my hold ranking is abysmal, I start thinking about investing some cash. As I just said to someone, we’re entitled to treat ourselves once in a while. But I know it’s a constant balancing act.

I just saved a fortune on graphic novels/memoirs with my haul today at the library. I find the arrival timing is much more consistent with the GNs. Poetry books, too. But I find it hard to time the arrivals of hot, popular books, especially fiction.

>104 jnwelch: Not sure if you're aware of this, Joe, but the CPL library card is good at the Evanston Public Library. Their hold lists are usually not quite so long, and if they don't have a title available they automatically search through the rest of the north suburban library system to find a copy. Their renewals are not as generous, though--I think only 1 or 2. If you don't mind the trek up to Evanston, it's an alternative to consider.

Today’s Bargain: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie for $1.99 on e-readers. If you haven’t yet read this game-changer, here’s your bargain chance.

>106 jnwelch: Such an excellent book!

I'm unsurprised Paul Lynch won the Booker. It was his to lose considering how very timely the read is.

How are you doing with The Iliad Joe? I will probably start it on my Christmas break. I'm on the last quarter of Seamus Heaney's letters, which I am loving, and over half through the Le Guin complete poems at the moment (I hadn't realised she had done an interpretation of the Tao Te Ching, which was clean and beautiful and thought provoking, the first time I have read a version); and dipping into other non-fiction and poetry too (so many 'recommendations' from the Heaney letters).

>107 richardderus:. Isn’t Roger Ackroyd great, Richard? I’m tempted to re-read it, even though that initial shocked zap of understanding can never be re-created.

That sounds right re Prophet Song. There’s been wide acclaim for quite some time. I haven’t read it yet; I expect I won’t until next year.

>108 Caroline_McElwee:. I’m about in the middle of Emily Wilson’s The Iliad, Caroline. It’s exciting and awfully good, but right now I’m only reading a few pages at a time, as those satisfy my appetite. Keep me posted on when you start. Amber is still kindly assisting me. Most recently she confirmed what common sense indicated: that when people back then sacrificed an animal to one or more of the gods, they still found a way to eat that animal, through an accepted mental and physical sleight-of-hand.

I do love me some Seamus Heaney, but I don’t gravitate toward letters. I’m glad you’re enjoying his so much. Kudos to you again for reading the LeGuin poems. She did a Tao Te Ching translation?! I must track that down, as it’s one of my top reads. My favorite translation so far is Stephen Mitchell’s. It’s very clear and direct and less likely to strike readers as mystical mumbo-jumbo, IMO. But the translations are all wildly different; it must be something about the Chinese language and its openness to different interpretations.

I also like the Witter Bynner Way of Life According to Lao Tsu translation.

I’ve been warbling to Mark about Monica Youn and From From. Excellent poems featuring her take on the Asian experience. It’s an NBA finalist.

>106 jnwelch: The best, most delicious surprise in this book. I'm not always patient with Agatha Christie, but this one is really great.

>109 jnwelch:
I never was much for the epistolary style for novels. However, a few years ago I read the book What There Is to Say, We Have Said edited by Suzanne Marrs. This is a book of selected and edited letters between Eudora Welty and William Maxwell. He was the fiction editor at the New Yorker from 1936 - 1975. Those letters were a revelation. They were so interesting and personal. Reading them was like having a window into their thinking, as well as there personnel lives. It changed my opinion about reading the printed letters of authors, and perhaps, of other famous people. It might be the quality of the letter writing that changed my view, as it would be hard to get better writers than Welty or Maxwell.

Suzanne Marrs has also published an edited book of the correspondence of Eudora Welty and Ross Macdonald. I have it on my gigantic TBR list.

Wow, that Lessons in Chemistry adaptation was good to last drop. They tweaked the book’s ending a little bit, which made sense in terms of the show and didn’t bother me. Professors can still work in the lab.. We got some Six Thirty the dog along the way, but I wouldn’t have minded more. Brie Larson - perfection.

>110 ffortsa:. Wasn’t that a delicious surprise, Judy? I’m sold on Dame Agatha, so while some of hers may be less compelling or diverting than others, I’m grateful for all of them. She has a few that are required reading for entry into the celestial library, and Roger Ackroyd is one of them (And Then There Were None and Murder on the Oriental Express are two others that come to mind).

>111 benitastrnad:. Hi, Benita. I still generally steer clear of epistolary novels. Your post is a good description of why readers enjoy authors’ letters. I get tempted every once in a while to read Jane Austen’s. More of her wit is always welcome.

Roaming by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki I didn't expect to come away from a book by the Tamaki cousins feeling so-so. They've singly or together created some real keepers, like This One Summer, Laura dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me and Skim. This one has a promising premise - two college friends visit NYC for the first time, with a somewhat unpredictable new friend accompanying them. Two of the young women are gay, and flirt. We get to see some well-drawn illustrations of beloved NYC hotspots like the public library, but the story doesn't go much of anywhere. I found the unpredictable friend annoying and unrelatable. The book has been praised for treating queerness as no big deal, but unfortunately, for me, the whole book was no big deal. I did like the illustrations, and it's not a bad book, but it sure seems like a missed opportunity. Try Brian Wood's New York Four or New York Five instead.





If You'll Have Me by Eunnie makes for a nice contrast to Roaming. Sweet and charming, it also features queer college age girls. Momo is inexperienced and unsure of herself; she can't believe she has a shot with very experienced and charismatic PG. But PG is intrigued by Momo's honesty and depth of thinking/feeling, and a romantic friendship realistically develops. The art is simpler, brighter and more colorful than the Tamaki book, and I quickly began rooting for Momo and PG.

A Thanksgiving Gang of Welches

>99 jnwelch: I have a copy of Henrietta's War hanging around my house waiting for me to read it. . .

>100 jnwelch: I was very happy that the Wolverines hung on to win that one!

>102 jnwelch: Woot!!

>115 jnwelch: What a great picture!

Have a terrific Tuesday, Joe!

>116 alcottacre:. Hi, Stasia. Yeah, someone here recommended Henrietta’s War to me (who?). So far its tone is reminding me a bit of Diary of a Provincial Lady, which I loved.

Happy days for the Wolverines! And they finally get Coach Harbaugh back.

Nice win for Paul Lynch. Sure sounds timely. Makes me think of poor Netherlands, with that right wing extremist getting elected, and the hard to erase looming spectre of the Orange Disaster here.

It’s been a terrific Tuesday so far, thanks, and now I’ll return to The Invisible Hours. I hope you have a terrific one, too!

>115 jnwelch: How wonderful! I'm glad you got to have fun in PGH as a whole clan.

I don't mean to alarm you, Joe, but I'll be recommending some comic books...I mean graphic novels!...this coming week as part of the YA #Booksgiving reviews.

...Joe?...Joe, are you okay?

>115 jnwelch: Lovely photo Joe.

>118 richardderus:. *proprietor lies stunned on the floor*

Did . . . you . . . say . . . comic books?! Tough winter already - hell has frozen over.

I will say that I can’t wait to see these recommendations!

>119 Caroline_McElwee:. Thanks, Caroline. I hope that some day you get a chance to meet our kids, including Adri, and her and Jesse’s kids. Maybe some day we’ll bring them all across.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/28/books/review/best-books-2023.html?smid=nytcor...

That’s the link to the NY Times 10 best books of 2023.

I’m happy for Chain gang All-Stars, but sad for Demon Copperhead, Good Night Irene and Heaven & Earth Grocery Store.

Today’s Bargain: The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins for $1.99 on e-readers. An early classic mystery, full of atmosphere.

>117 jnwelch: “It was me! It was me!”, (I’m chiming in from the bleachers.)
I was the one who recommended Henrietta’s War. And yes, it is Delafield-esque. Same era, same sensibilities. If it catches your fancy, there is a sequel, Henrietta Sees It Through.

>115 jnwelch: Love this Gang of Welches :-)

Today’s Bargains: Witness in Death by J.D. Robb and Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz, each for $1.99 on e-readers. I love the in Death series, and Magpie is a very good mystery within a mystery that was poorly adapted for tv.

>123 NarratorLady:. Great, Anne. Thanks! I forgot to make a note of you recommending Henrietta’s War, as so many smart 75ers do (many of mine are “Mark recommended”; I try to remember to say so).

It reminds me of you and Ellie pushing me read Jane Gardam’s Old Filth trilogy. Thank you again for that one. I’m still at the stage of sorting out the characters in HW; thanks for letting me know about the follow-up.

>124 FAMeulstee:. Someone needs to come out with a practical, effective teleporter, Anita. I’d love to have you and Frank meet the rest of that Gang of Welches, besides just Debbi and me.

>122 jnwelch: An oldie, but a goodie!

>125 jnwelch: More good stuff! You know what a huge fan of the In Death series I am :)

Have a fantastic Friday, Joe!

Today’s Bargain: Possession by A.S.Byatt for $1.99 on e-readers.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007OLYPW2?_bbid=183497908&tag=bookbubemail1-20

What a book! Two young scholars research the secret love affair of two Victorian poets. Captivating Booker winner by an author who unfortunately died last month.

>121 jnwelch: My favorite of these was Eastbound which I reviewed back in January. Lovely little book, all set on the Trans-Siberian Express.

>120 jnwelch: I know, right?! SO unlike me.

>128 jnwelch: I saw this! I went right away to Barnes & Noble and got me a copy. I also got a Nook copy of Crook Manifesto since I keep losing possession of my copy.

Thanks so much for turning me on to Book Bub!

Karen O

Happy Saturday, Joe. Looking forward to our Meet Up tomorrow. It is always a good time. FYI- Demon Copperhead came out in 2022. I hope those current reads are treating you fine.

>128 jnwelch: I was about to jump on Possession and get rid of my fat paperback, but it looks like I've already done that!

>127 alcottacre:. Right Stasia? I’m not a Moonstone fan, but The Woman in White is a solid oldie but goodie, isn’t it.

Go Eve and Roarke! I’m so impressed by the quality level she maintains throughout the series.

It was a most excellent Friday, and Satuday, too. We’re now the proud owners of a shiny blue Honda CRV hybrid Sport Touring car, to replace our faltering 2008 Honda Odyssey XL. As Debbi says, the new car has all the bells and whistles, while the old one had none.

I hope your weekend is off to a good start.

>129 richardderus:. It must have been your review that influenced me, Richard; I teed up Eastbound at the top of my WL.

Yes, kudos to you for your open mind about comic books, but I sure didn’t see that coming!

>130 klobrien2:. Oh good, Karen. I’m glad Book Bub is treating you well. I love that it covers (virtually) every type of e-reader. Isn’t that a great offer for Possession? How did you like crook Manifesto?

>134 jnwelch: Crook Manifesto—I haven’t gotten past the first 70 pages yet. Something else will catch my attention, so I’ll set it aside, then forget about it, and all of a sudden it’s going back to the library. So now I have my own copy. I really liked Harlem Shuffle.

Karen O

>131 msf59:. Looking forward to tomorrow’s get-together, buddy.

Thanks re Demon Copperhead. Man, time has flown recently. I can’t believe DC was a ‘22 book.

Yes, The Mystery Guest and Henrietta’s War are treating me well. It’s good to be back with Molly the Maid in the former; she’s giving disapproving Detective Stark as much trouble as she did in the first book.

>132 ffortsa:. That’s a pleasant surprise, isn’t it, Judy, to find out you already have the book you were intending to get. Possession is such a good one, isn’t it.

>135 klobrien2:. Thanks, Karen. I liked Harlem Shuffle, too, but what I’ve read about Crook Manifesto hasn’t made me race to acquire it.

>79 jnwelch: And here I went and posted on Mark's thread. I'm officially brain dead.

The visit with Lewis Lancaster turned out to be very entertaining. And I finished The Buddhist Maritime Silk Road which is written to about my level of understanding, nothing very deep but interesting in a quiet way.

>136 jnwelch: Joe, I was excited to see there was a sequel to The Maid and I’ve ordered The Mystery Guest from the library. Thanks!

Your link brought me to a Trixie Belden book of a similar name which, hilariously, I no doubt read in my far away youth!

>139 NarratorLady: I read a lot of Trixie Belden too. Nobody mentions her much around here.

>139 NarratorLady: & >140 laytonwoman3rd:
I was a Trixie Belden fan too. I didn't read Nancy Drew but read everything I could find that was Trixie Belden.

>138 quondame:. Ha! I know the feeling, Susan. The worst is when I think I’m on my own thread and I’m on someone else’s. Embarrassing!

Hmm. I’m glad the visit went well, and I’ll have to take a look at The Buddhist Maritime Silk Road.

I keep forgetting to mention the Buddhist publication Tricycle: https://tricycle.org/. Good articles, and I like their”Daily Dharma” reminders of Buddhist principles. Best of all, they’re connected with England’s Bodhi College, which offers some great online courses, including ones for beginners (we’re all beginners). I’m currently taking one on the Seven Factors of Awakening. Improbably (IMO), Buddhism is full of listed factors, starting with the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path.

>139 NarratorLady:. Oh good, Anne. So far I’m enjoying The Mystery Guest just as much as the first one. It’s great to be back with the inimitable Molly.

Ah, another link screw-up. Sorry about that. I get so caught up in posting that I forget to check. I’m glad it at least connected you to a fond memory. I’ll go back and fix the touchstone.

>140 laytonwoman3rd:. I never knew of Trixie Belden growing up, Linda. Our daughter found one at a book fair, liked it, and began collecting them. So I have a fond liking for Trixie. Becca and I read a ton of Nancy Drew as she was growing up (I was a Hardy Boys guy when I was a lad).

>141 benitastrnad: Hi, Benita. Go Trixie!

Today’s Bargain: Nowhere Man by Gregg Hurwitz for $1.99 on e-readers. I do love me some Orphan X. Reacher fans will enjoy this. A tv adaptation must be in the works somewhere.

>142 jnwelch: If only the three major religions had stayed with the basic Buddhist BE KIND message...

>142 jnwelch: I think I ran across Tricycle when I was "researching" Lewis Lancaster - he is mentioned there.
There were definitely a lot of numbered items mentioned - 18 schools etc.

Hi Joe. It's been awhile since I've visited. Today it is raining a soft rain that is lovely for sitting in a large chair, book in hand with soft light in the house.

I very much like your post regarding "Today's Bargain." Your thread remains one where I can always find books that I want to read.

I hope you are well.

I send all good wishes

^Great time hanging out with you yesterday, Joe. Never a dull moment, right?

>128 jnwelch: I have read that one twice already. I was very sorry to hear about Byatt's death.

>133 jnwelch: Congratulations on the new vehicle, Joe and Debbi!

>144 jnwelch: For me, it was the Hardy Boys. I preferred them to Nancy Drew.

Have a marvelous Monday, Joe!

>144 jnwelch:, >150 alcottacre: My dad used to tease me whenever I'd bring home another Nancy Drew from the library--he said his favorite Nancy Drew book was "Nancy Drew Flies." Took me many years before I figured out the pun.

>142 jnwelch:. Hi, Susan. I have to say thank goodness for Tricycle and Bodhi college. I’ve unsuccessfully tried for years to find an in-person place where those interested gathered and received Buddhist instruction without a particular flavor or agenda being pushed. No dice. But now at least I have it online and it’s been a godsend (oops -wrong word?😀)

>148 Whisper1:. Hi, Linda. It’s fun for me to do the “Today’s Bargains”, and I’ glad you enjoy them.

Yes, i love the book recommendations that happen here. It may take me a while because of my “mood” reading, but as you can see, I follow a lot of them.

“Today it is raining a soft rain that is lovely for sitting in a large chair, book in hand with soft light in the house.” That sounds lovely!

All good wishes to you, and I hope you’re doing well, too.

>149 msf59:. Hey, buddy. Man, that was fun with a capital F, wasn’t it. I was just in good enough shape when I got home to watch some football.😀

Thanks for the copy of Chenneville and the Jesmyn Ward. I’m glad we found for you House of Doors and Lessons in Chemistry. I’m betting you’ll have a good time with both.

Good photo - I’m guessing Begyle will ask us if it can use it for promotions.

>150 alcottacre:. Isn’t Possession a knockout, Stasia? It was a big loss when she passed away.

Thanks for the congratulations on our new vehicle. We love it! The mpg with hybrids is pretty remarkable, and this has a lot of driver-friendly gadgetry that wasn’t around in 2008 ( when we bought our last car).

We’ll have to talk Hardy Boys some day. I sure ate them up. A sister’s boyfriend gave me a box full of his old ones, and it was one of the best day’s of my life! I’m still friends with him. (No, my sister really isn’t😀).

I have to say, I had a blast reading the Nancy Drews with our daughter. The authors kept things interesting, and Nancy seemed like a pretty good role model for Becca.

>151 kac522:. Oh jeez, Dad jokes, Kathy. My kids send their sympathy. I can’t resist bad puns either, as they frequently remind me. Our daughter has had a good time playing the Nancy Drew computer games that are out there, so Nancy is still a part of her life.

Today’s Bargain: If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino for $1.99 on e-readers. Beautiful, one-of-kind book by a great author.

>154 jnwelch:
I agree about Possession it was a standout the year that I read it, and it made my best of the year list.

Tuscaloosa is really hoppin' today due to the Republican debate. Security is very tight. Of course, Tuscaloosa is no stranger to big crowds in town, and so the facilities crews at UA know what they are doing and are very efficient in setting up barriers and such. Streets are blocked off, and rerouted, so I am going to stay home and bake tomorrow. No way am I getting out in that crowd. What am I baking you ask? Anise flavored biscotti for Christmas presents.

>157 benitastrnad: Biscotti! I love the tooth-cracking delights. Anise being a flavor I enjoy, these sound like it's a good thing I live thousands of miles away or I'd be sniffing at your screen like an alleycat at a fish fry.

>156 benitastrnad:, >157 benitastrnad:. Hi, Benita. Right? I’ve yet to meet a reader of Possession who wasn’t captivated. Debbi loved it, too.

Tuscaloosa is one of the best city names ever. How is it some songwriter hasn’t used it? Tupelo Honey, Wichita Lineman, Tuscaloosa ____?

Anise flavored biscotti?! Yum! Richard and i will be arriving at your doorstep, enthusiastically elbowing each other in hopes of getting to the biscotti first. Those are lucky Christmas present receivers.

>158 richardderus:. I had the same thought, amigo. Meet you there.

Today’s Bargain: The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes for $1.99 on Kindle. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K9X958R?_bbid=184601987&tag=bookbubemail1-20

Outstanding slim offering from this accomplished author.

>159 jnwelch:
I don't know how these will turn out. I have only made biscotti once before and they were not a big success. But I am ready to try again. Yesterday it was Gingerbread cake day. I made three of them. I have three more to make, but am going to devote the entire day to the biscotti project.

I got my COVID booster yesterday and I am slow to get started this morning. I sincerely hope I have all the ingredients as it will be a mess trying to get anywhere in this berg (population 170,000) today. But I made a list on Monday and I think I got what I need. Time to get out the spice grinder and tear into those anise seeds.

>161 benitastrnad:. Mmm. Gingerbread cake. Sounds mighty good. What kind of frosting, if any? At least you’ll have a couple of taste testers for the biscotti.

Good for you for getting boosted. We’re fully loaded (including flu and RSV and pneumonia vaccines, in addition to the latest Covid) and still masking on airplanes and at crowded events. Trying to steer clear of any dangerous bugs. I hope you have all the baking ingredients you need.

>154 jnwelch: The school library had a ton of the Hardy Boy books and I read them all. I am not sure how many there were, but they had me hooked when I was about 12.

>155 jnwelch: Dodging that BB as I have already read it.

>160 jnwelch: I really need to read that one, but I do not need to buy the e-book because I own a hard copy.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, Joe!

>160 jnwelch: I agree. In fact, the Barnes book led me to the original of that title, a series of essays on literature by Frank Kermode that is considered a masterpiece of the genre. I'm sure Barnes knows the essays and used the title advisedly.

>163 alcottacre:. Yes! I have fond memories of those Hardy Boys books, Stasia. Glad to hear you ate them up, too.

I’m glad you’ve read the Calvino. I feel he’s an under-read author. I’d like to re-read this one some day.

The Sense of an Ending is quite a memorable book. If time permits, please let me know what you think when you get to it.

It was a wonderful Wednesday, and I’m having a lovely Sweet Thursday. I hope you are, too.

>164 ffortsa:. Hiya, Judy. Yes, in fact the touchstone still goes first to the Kermode book. Have you read it? I wonder how it relates to the Barnes’ book, because I’m sure you’re right that Barnes knew about it.

>142 jnwelch: Noted the link, thanks Joe.

>149 msf59: Great to see you two getting together.

Sweet Thursday, Joe. Enjoy your last solo night. Enjoy a beer or two! How is Tom Lake?

>166 Caroline_McElwee:. Oh good, Caroline. I’ve found Tricycle and Bodhi very even-handed and helpful.

So much fun getting together with brother Mark. He’s also a fine and knowledgeable safari guide for a craft brewery pub crawl.😀

>167 msf59:. There’s our guy! I was just complimenting you. I’ve just cracked Tom Lake, so not much to report yet. I’ve also started Billy Collins’ new collection, Musical Tables. I’m a few pages from the end of Henrietta’s War, which has been a WWII charmer. That stiff upper lip has a good self-deprecating sense of humor.

Yes, Debbi arrives home shortly. I’ve swept all the peanut shells under the rug, gotten the kegs out into the back alley, and mopped the floors. Hopefully Debbi won’t notice there was a party.

Today’s Bargains: Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker and The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki for $1.99 and $2.99, respectively. I don’t know what to make of the former being Bill Gates’ favorite book ever, but I can’t resist Steven Pinker on this subject. The latter is another superb Ozeki novel.

All that talk earlier about the epistolary literary style reminded me that I haven't read Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society yet. I was ready for a new recorded book, so I went to the library and got the recorded version. This morning I spent and hour hunting my shelves because I was sure that I had a hardcopy of that novel as well. I couldn't find it, so it will be one that I will enjoy while driving and knitting in the evenings.

I have lots of baking to do. The anise flavored biscotti were a hit yesterday with the ladies potluck lunch group and so I only came home with three of them - which I had for lunch today with my coffee. Today I will be making those cheesy covered olives that were a cocktail hour staple back in the 1960's. I have a Holiday party on Sunday and they will be perfect for that, and one more Gingerbread cake to make. I took one of the Gingerbread cakes to my knitting class last night and everybody there enjoyed it. That makes me happy. Only 4 more to bake this coming week.

Hi Joe, I hope you are well...I think I am about to cause you to experience a mild heart event, because I praised three comic books on my thread today.

No. Really.

Go look, see if you agree with my admittedly unsophisticated about the comic-book eye.

>170 benitastrnad:. Hi, Benita. I’m drinking a Starbucks gingerbread latte, and your gingerbread cake would be a perfect accompaniment. We do have a honey apple cake from our SIL, so I won’t complain. Your knitting class and friends and family are lucky to have you. I’m glad the biscottis turned out well. Debbi’s making corn muffins to go with her most excellent chili. It’s good to have her back from visiting her brother for many reasons; one is my menu was pathetic in her absence. I was too worn out to go beyond pizza and cereal.

>171 richardderus:. I think the words, “I praised three comic books” fall under the category of words I never expected to hear from you, not quite reaching the heights of “Trump is my bestie”.

I’ll take a ride share over to your thread to see what the heck right after this.

>165 jnwelch: Kermode's lectures focus on the difference between Christian (and maybe Judeo-Christian, not sure) eschatology and more Eastern thought. Christian thought puts great emphasis on the end of existence, and this changes how actions are perceived in life and literature, and how previous events are interpreted (the Old Testament prophets, for example). Eastern thought such as your own Buddhism are much more focused on the now, without forecasting a spiritual reward after death (again, I think).

In the Barnes book, his character's discovery at the end of the novel changes the meaning and interpretation of everything that has come before. To use a cliche, the scales fall from our protagonist's eyes, and he sees his story for the first time. I hope that might whet your interest in Kermode just a little. Of course, he very academic.

eta: I'm not sure why, but thinking about this book reminded me of Enduring Love by Ian McEwan.

>173 ffortsa:. Thank you for the thoughtful post. It does whet my interest in Frank Kermode. Comparing religions often hooks me, particularly if Eastern is included. I’m not familiar with Enduring Love. Barnes’ book’s connection with Kermode’s sounds more tenuous than I guessed.

Well, Joe, you're going to be...surprised? it's not shocking anymore...that tw more GNs got reviewed today, one a 5*. Several more this week, so be sure to be seated before reading my thread. Wouldn't want you to be overcome....

>175 richardderus:. I think I have the vapors, Richard; luckily I can faint on that nearby couch. I shall make sure to peruse your thread this week, smelling salts in hand.

Joe and Mark - Today's online Migrant News shows my Family's Good Shepherd Church

and a Welcome from our old home town of Oak Park, Illinois!

>177 m.belljackson:. Hi, Marianne. Nice- your church and your and Ernest’s home town.

Good start to your week!

Man, I really liked the actor Andre Braugher. What a shame, at 61. Rest in peace, Andre.

>179 jnwelch: - I was so sorry to see this. I am hoping that maybe now 'Homicide: Life on the Street' will finally be brought to a streaming service. It was such a good show.

The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman. I’ve enjoyed her deft handling of magical realism over several books, but this one surprised me. I’ve spent a lifetime avoiding The Scarlet Letter and Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Hoffman changed my perspective on both. In this story about a young girl fleeing a no-books-allowed cult and its relentless leader, the Scarlet Letter plays a pivotal role in inspiring her to take the necessary risks for freedom. Nathaniel Hawthorne actually is a character in the book, heedlessly pleasing to women and lovestruck. I may not be ready for The Scarlet Letter, but I will be looking for a more palatable Hawthorne book. An unusual, worthy read.

>179 jnwelch: I agree. Braugher died much too young, years of good work ahead of him.

Musical Tables by Billy Collins. At first this one by one of my favorite poets was a bit disappointing. He decided to write and collect short poems, “small poems” as he calls them, most of them three or six lines long (no haikus). I missed reading his usual, longer ones. But the more I read, the more I appreciated what he has done. Consistently witty and often thought-provoking, these are an easy and fun read.

The Sunday Times

There’s so much
going on in the world
besides these sausages.

An Exaltation of Frogs

I know it’s supposed to be larks
but their full-throated croaking
early this rainy morning
after a night of more rain
is lifting me slightly off the floor.

A poet who writes with a good sense of humor is a rarity and a treasure. Collins is 82. I hope he keeps entertaining us for many more years.

>182 ffortsa:. Right, Judy? Thank goodness he did Brooklyn 99 or I never would’ve known how superbly funny he is/was.

>181 jnwelch: You might try Mosses from an Old Manse, Joe. I liked that short story collection better than The Scarlet Letter and it gives you a feel for the themes that are important to him in his writing.

>184 jnwelch:. Thanks, Mary. I’d hoped that comment might invite some Hawthorne suggestions.😀

>180 katiekrug: Me, too, Katie. I love his comedic chops, but I’d like to see him in that serious, much commented on role.

>181 jnwelch: I had never read The Scarlet Letter until I went to college and I had a wonderful American literature professor who made me fall in love with the book. I read it twice that semester. I will have to see if my local library has a copy of The Invisible Hour. Thanks, Joe.

As a fan of The Scarlet Letter, the Hoffman is definitely going on my list!

>188 alcottacre:. You’re welcome, Stasia. A wonderful professor is a gift, and I envy you that experience.

>189 katiekrug:. Good, Katie! You’ll enjoy it, I’m sure.

>179 jnwelch: - I agree, Joe. Though, he first came on my radar reading the audiobook version of James McBride's The Colour of Water. I fell in love with his voice.

>191 jessibud2:. Hi, Shelley. Andre Braugher had a wonderful voice, didn’t he. What a great match for the audio book of Color of Water.

Today’s Bargain: The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen for $1.99 on Kindle. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00125MK78?pd_rd_i=B00125MK78&pd_rd_w=wrsJe&co...

A good one by one of my favorite authors.

Make me an angel
That flies from Montgomery
Make me a poster
Of an old rodeo
Just give me one thing
That I can hold on to
To believe in this livin'
Is just a hard way to go

A favorite lyric from “Angel from Montgomery”. Thinking today about friends lost along the way. . .

Not book related at all but I seem to recollect a prior conversation about the other Jimmy Stewart Christmas movie “The Shop Around the Corner”. Just watched it for the 99th time (slight exaggeration) last night and was charmed all over again. Should be available on TCM this week. Also streaming on MAX.

Today’s Bargain: The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton for $1.99 on e-readers. Clever whodunit.

>195 NarratorLady:. Thanks for the good tip, Anne. Jimmy Stewart is like a warm comforter in winter, isn’t he. “Shop Around the Corner” - I need to remember that one.

I was taken aback by his being a villain in “After the Thin Man”. Sweet Jimmy? Say it ain’t so!

>196 jnwelch: ok, I bit.

>197 jnwelch: Jimmy was pretty young then I think. Obviously he was better suited to be the good guy. Hope you’re able to catch the movie - it was made in 1940 so he’s in his early 30s.

>196 jnwelch: I have been meaning to read that one for a while now. Thanks, Joe!

>198 ffortsa:. You’l have fun with it, Judy.

>199 NarratorLady:. Perfect , Stasia! That’s when Today’s Bargain is optimum- when it’s one you meant to get to. You’re welcome!

Hi

Today’s Bargain: We Can Build You by Philip K. Dick for $1.99 on e-readers. Consult a Lincoln replica on android relationship issues? I’m in! From an always thought-provoking sci-fi author.

>149 msf59: It brought a smile to see you and Mark having a good time together. This group is so very marvelous. Connecting and sharing our books is great. This year brought three new friends that I regularly exchange messages with. There are so many special people in this group. I'm so glad I joined back in 2008. Thanks again for posting the bargain of the day!!!

Hi Joe - Not sure if libraries will ever carry it, but Roscoe has a new book out that is really impressive:

Roscoe Mitchell Keeper of the Code
Paintings 1963-2022

The ART INSTITUTE also bought one of his paintings!

. Today’s Bargain: A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Bachman for $1.99 on Kindle. A moving, excellent book.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GEEB730?ref_=pe_170810_781764600_kddgb_7_lm

>199 NarratorLady:. That was a young Jimmy, Anne, for sure. What a talent, to be that likable on screen. I always wanted to pitch in and help him. I have The Shop at the Corner in my mind.

>204 Whisper1:. Hiya, Linda. I hope you’re doing well this holiday season.

Mark and I had a grand time, exchanging and talking about books and other things that came to mind. You’re right; we have a special group of people on LT, and we’re very lucky to have this community.

How great that you found three new friends this year. I’ve been morosely missing ones lost, and I should give some attention to, and gratitude for, new arrivals.

You’re welcome re Bargain of the Day! Always a pleasure.

>205 m.belljackson: Congrats to you and Roscoe, Marianne! Cool stuff.

Class Notes



My high school class of 1950
is disappearing over the edge
of the world– a snowless avalanche.
Rosalie of the pancake makeup;
Alex who outran us even towards death;
three Susans, two Davids, and a Roger.

When I see our class representative’s
name on an incoming email,
I think of how families must have felt
during World War II when they saw
the Western Union bicycle approaching.

And I remember all of us lining up
in gym class as captains chose their teams.
The line would dwindle until, on one leg
then the other, I was standing almost alone.
Maybe whoever is doing the choosing now
thinks I would be no good at dying.

Linda Pastan (1932-2023)

Has anyone read Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano? Good? It keeps popping up on “Best”lists.

>210 jnwelch: I didn’t feel at all ambivalent about Hello Beautiful. I actively disliked it but I believe I’m in the minority. I purchased the paperback version in France last spring while on vacation and when I finished it, I took it straight to our library book sale. Someone was delighted, I’m sure.

>209 jnwelch: I’ve just found Linda Pastan lately, from yourself and msf59’s warbling, I’m sure. I read Almost an Elegy and then realized that she recently passed away. Now I have 4 collections of her poetry from the library, and I’ll start with the oldest Carnival Evening (1998).

Great to see one of hers, here on yours!

Karen O

>211 NarratorLady:. Woo, that says a lot about Hello Beautiful, Anne. Thanks for speaking up. I’m inclined to let that one swim by.

Did you by any chance read Pym by Mat Johnson? I’m in the midst of it and know not what to think. It’s a mighty weird one from my POV.

>212 klobrien2:. That’s great to hear, Karen. You’re like me with Monica Youn. Having enjoyed her most recent, I’m busy tracking down her older stuff. I’m very much liking Pastan’s Almost an Elegy, and will probably follow the route you have. Yeah, I think Linda P lived into her 90s; we just lost her in January this year.

Today’s Bargain: Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf for $1.99 on e-readers. My favorite VW novel; a classic? Yes, IMO.

Is a classic novel one that remains indisputably great no matter how much time passes? Seems right. Is it presumptuous to declare a book an “instant classic”? I think it is, but it always catches my attention- although I may decide not to read whatever it is.

>215 jnwelch: In my never-remotely humble opinion, a classic is something that never finishes saying something important to people. I don't think, despite being dated, that Catcher in the Rye has finished saying important things about how important it is for adolescents to think about the consequences of their actions, about how important it is for adults to listen, and make sure adolescents feel heard, and about how insufferably arrogant boys are encouraged to be. I suspect its popularity will wane ever more as our generation, which did not take the latter lesson to heart, disappears; it probably ought to be taken out of high schools, though, for Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret.

>214 jnwelch: It has been far too long since I read that one! I definitely need to give it a re-read soon.

>216 richardderus:. Thank you for that thoughtful post, Richard. Classics are books that each new generation is drawn to, to enjoy and learn from? I like your Catcher in the Rye example, because i could see its story and lessons becoming dated and it falling out of favor.

I always think of The Count of Monte Cristo when I think of a classic. Generation after generation gets hooked on the injustice, and roots him on in his acquisition of skills, wealth and refinement in his pursuit of revenge.

Are there books that didn’t fare so well when they came out, but went on to be revered and considered classics? I’m thinking the answer must be yes: we know, for example, that this has happened many times in the art world. The Impressionists were scorned as inept hooligans, while journeymen art got exhibited, highly praised, and purchased for large sums. Ulysses by James Joyce? Scorned by so many at publication (thank you Sylvia Beach); now widely adored and required reading.

>217 alcottacre:. Ha! I had a similar response, Stasia, but despite my love for Mrs. D, my innards pushed for a re-read of the brilliant A Room of One’s Own.

>218 jnwelch: Moby-Dick was a critical, aesthetic, and commercial disaster (thanks to the British press's stupid cavils with it) until the 1920s and Carl Van Doren decided it was a major Romantic novel and so rehabilitated it.

Today’s Bargains: News of the World by Paulette Jiles and Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder.. Each $1.99 on e-readers. The first is a most excellent novel that got me started on reading this most excellent author (Chenneville is up next). The second introduced me to thae almost saintly, late Dr. Paul Farmer and his extraordinary international health efforts. It also got me started giving to his charity organization, Partners in Health, which we’ve been doing for years now.

P.S. it also got me started on reading a whole lot of Tracy Kidder books. Quite inspiring.

>220 richardderus:. Hi, RD. We don’t talk about Bruno (the movie Encanto) and we don’t talk much about Moby-Dick. Maybe it’s the Brit in me, but I find it overstuffed and dull. Still, it’s a good example of what we’re talking about.

It reminds me of that wonderful Dr. Who episode in which poor, downtrodden Van Gogh gets to time travel to the Musee D’Orsay and sees people reverently enjoying his paintings and hears professorish Bill Nighy waxing eloquent about why Van Gogh may be the greatest painter of all time.

https://youtu.be/ubTJI_UphPk?si=yPxwUiFLSncQTLrh

>222 jnwelch: Thank you for sharing that wonderful clip! It was great to revisit that Doctor Who.

>221 jnwelch: i’ve got Chenneville waiting at the library for me. I’ll be interested to read it and to hear what you think about it. I loved News of the World!

Karen O

>222 jnwelch: Moby-dick can be great illuminating fun if you skip the gruesome parts!

>222 jnwelch: That's a good one. Would that he could Joe.

>222 jnwelch: It is one of my all-time favorite episodes, indeed.

You anti-American Philistine, you. :-P

>223 klobrien2:. Isn’t that a wonderful clip, Karen? I love it every time I see it.

I loved News of the World, too. Mark gave me his ARC copy of Chenneville from Suzanne and ALA.

>224 m.belljackson:. Gruesome wasn’t the problem for me, Marianne; heavy eyelids were. And I couldn’t believe he tucked a whale merchandise gift shop in there. (Kidding).

>225 Caroline_McElwee:. Right, Caroline? Yes, I wish Van Gogh could see how much his work is appreciated in our time. What a tough time he had in his.

>226 richardderus:. Man, being called an anti-American philistine by a Commie elitist like you really hurts, RD. My Melville-loving BIL would no doubt agree with you.

>228 jnwelch: You forgot "godless"...get your insults right, Joe. Though goodness knows these are statements of fact, not really insults.

I thought the most interesting decision they made in the van Gogh episode was the ending...no matter what you do or say, sometimes you just can't fix what's wrong. Moving and truthful.

Happy Friday, Joe. I hope you are feeling better. I loved "Class Notes". Pastan Rocks! Like I mentioned, that will be my favorite poetry collection of the year. I hope you can bookhorn in Chenneville.

I just have a few pages left in The House of Doors. Eng delivers again and on a more modest scale, compared to his first 2 novels. I also enjoyed Manga Stories. What a cool idea.

Are you staying put for the Christmas holidays?

>227 jnwelch: Doesn't wake up your mind?!

"What of it, if some old hunks of a sea-captain orders me to get a broom
and sweep down the decks?

What does that indignity amount to, weighed, I mean, in the scales of the New Testament?

Do you think the archangel Gabriel thinks any the less of me...."

or, darker...

"...that same image, we ourselves see in all rivers and oceans.

It is the image of the ungraspable phantom of life; and this is the key to it all."

Just passing the word... The 2024 group is up!

https://www.librarything.com/ngroups/24188/75-Books-Challenge-for-2024

Unfortunately, Joe, our favorite proprietor, is having log-in/password issues on LT and can't access the site. He will also be leaving for the Rose Bowl, so may not back it back here before the New Year. Wishing him the best.

>233 msf59: Thanks for informing us, Mark.

Happy holidays, Joe!
I hope your LT log-in troubles are over soon, this place needs you! (((hugs)))

I'm finally getting caught up here, Joe, only to learn you're having log in problems! Hope you have a great time at the Rose Bowl, and happy New Year should I not see you before then.

Saw your PM, Mark. Hopefully he can fix it with a quick password reset!

How frustrating Joe. Enjoy your vacation though.

>233 msf59: Thanks for keeping us in the loop Mark.

Nadolig llawen a blwyddyn newydd dda i ti!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you!

Happy Holidays, Joe!!

Merry Christmas, Joe!

Thinking about you during the festive season, Joe

>233 msf59:
Get home safe, Joe!

Hi Joe! It's been an almost impossibly long time since I visited, and I'll try to do better next year!

Sorry to hear about your log in troubles, Joe. Hope your holidays are/were happy ones!

Merry Christmas!