Joe's First Book Cafe of 2026

Welcome to the 2026 cafe!

One of mine from the last thread

Waiting Room, Room Waiting

Daydreaming, there's a room in our
Hillside home that I've not
Seen, not visited in years.
Forgotten.
What an unexpected gift today.

Spacious, a bit tousled with
Pillows, blankets on the pine floor.
Bright blue sky streaming down the hill
Through the windows.
How could I have neglected this?
More space, more air, more shelter for imagining.
More joy.

Why did we wall it off?
Leaving the one small door?
What more have we taken from ourselves, and why?
What else is just
Waiting for us to explore, once more.

Books Read in 2026

January 2026

1. This Place Kills Me by Mariko Tamaki*
2. Carl’s Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman
3. The Day the Moon and Earth Had an Argument* by David Duff, The Crystal Heart* by Aaron Shephard, and The Knives* by Brubaker/Phillips.
4. Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens.
5. Drawing on Walls* by Matthew Burgess.
6. Isola by Allegra Goodman. Good but not great story of parentless Marguerite growing up spoiled by her rich circumstances, but still good-hearted, in a medieval castle-type setting, until her guardian uncle sells her lands and takes heron a journey to the New World - Canada. She ends up left on an empty stony island where she overcomes her coddled upbringing and survives under animal and weather duress. She finally makes herway back to France and is reunited with her dear friend Claire, and all turns out well.

* Denotes a graphic work

The Raincoat

Ada Limón

When the doctor suggested surgery
and a brace for all my youngest years,
my parents scrambled to take me
to massage therapy, deep tissue work,
osteopathy, and soon my crooked spine
unspooled a bit, I could breathe again,
and move more in a body unclouded
by pain. My mom would tell me to sing
songs to her the whole forty-five minute
drive to Middle Two Rock Road and forty-
five minutes back from physical therapy.
She’d say, even my voice sounded unfettered
by my spine afterward. So I sang and sang,
because I thought she liked it. I never
asked her what she gave up to drive me,
or how her day was before this chore. Today,
at her age, I was driving myself home from yet
another spine appointment, singing along
to some maudlin but solid song on the radio,
and I saw a mom take her raincoat off
and give it to her young daughter when
a storm took over the afternoon. My god,
I thought, my whole life I’ve been under her
raincoat thinking it was somehow a marvel
that I never got wet.

Out in the Spring, available by pre-order now

https://a.co/d/5a2duLl

LTer Caroline McElwee left the planet right before Christmas '25 after a short illness. We met with her a number of times in London, the first time thanks to Darryl Morris, kidzdoc. She was an avid theater-goer and reader, funny and charming, and an all round great person. Rest in peace, Caroline.

When Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzen . What a wonderful, simple, devastatingly real book. Former sawmill worker Bo is nearing the end of his life. Once physically imposing, he’s now frail and assisted by rotating carers under Sweden’s humane system. His wife has succumbed to dementia and is in a local hospital, and he has his big dog Sixten and his lifelong friend Ture, whom he mostly talks to over the phone. His son Hans loves him, but they’ve forgotten how to communicate, exacerbated by Hans’ belief that Bo has gotten too old to properly care for Sixten. Reminding me of Claire Keegan, the author brings us completely inside Bo’s life. Thank goodness for his carer Ingrid, who understands Bo and intervenes at key moments. An unforgettable reading experience.

New Year orisons, Joe!

Happy New Year, Joe. Love your bookish images.

Happy new year, Joe!

Those images up top are very striking.

I had done all my favorite books of 2025 in categories, and my temperamental PC wiped it out. I'll do it again later.

Here are my favoritests from each category.

Fiction

When The Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzen

Nonfiction

When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day by Garrett Graff

Mystery/Thriller

King of Ashes by SA Cosby

Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Orbital by Samantha Harvey

Graphic Novels

Brittle Joints by Maria Sweeney

Poetry

Startlement by Ada Limon

Hi Dad!

Happy new year, Joe. Striking images up there, not the least the happy faces in >2 jnwelch:.

Happy new thread and new year, Joe! Wow, those toppers!!!

Welcome back, Joe!

>16 drneutron:. Thanks, Jim! Thanks again for all your behind-the scenes work to keep the 75ers afloat. 😀

>15 jessibud2:. Thanks, Shelley! Happy New year! Aren’t the toppers fun?

>>14 EllaTim:. Hiya, Ella. Happy New year. Nice to connect up with you in 2026. I hope all is well with you and Marc. Song of a Blackbird by Marie van Lieshout, about the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam, was one of my favorite graphic books of the year. Have you seen that one?

>9 richardderus:. The Book Gods Blessings upon you, my friend. Looking forward to your always entertaining reviews in this new year.

>10 BLBera:. Beth! Thank you. Happy New Year to you. I’m glad those bookish images generated some love. What do you think of my belatedly posted 2025 favoritests in >12 jnwelch:?

>11 katiekrug:. Happy New Year, Katie! I love coming across striking images featuring books. I’m glad they caught your eye.

>13 seasonsoflove:. Whoa! There’s an unexpected visitor. Hi Becca! Happy 2026! How are you feeling? Is Indy nursing a puppy treat hangover or is she okay?

As you probably noticed, your mom made us a delicious, photogenic brunch and posted a photo on FB. I’m ensconced in front of the first football game of the day and, you guessed it, she’s not. She does plan to work down here later. She’s really enjoying her re-read of Farenheit 451. I’m enjoying the equally deep and significant Carl’s Doomsday Scenario, the second in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. What are you reading?

Hi Joe - With Hope for a Happier New Year:

"Ring out the false, ring in the true."

--Tennyson

Happy New Year, Joe!

New Year greetings from Kuala Lumpur. My project is at least physically completed and an addition to the city scape.

Look forward to keeping up with you in 2026, Joe.

Happy new year! Lovely photos at the top of your thread!

Karen O

Happy New Year, Joe! Our parallel adventures continue.

>19 jnwelch: Happy 2026! I’m feeling okay, tired and a bit sore. Indy is sleeping a lot…😀

The brunch looked delicious! I’m reading The Last Death of the Year by Sophie Hannah.

>2 jnwelch: lovely toppers of books and family.

Happy start to 2026!

>2 jnwelch: What a great family photo. : )

>8 jnwelch: When the Cranes Fly South is on the Bookclub list this year -- glad to hear it is a good one!!

And....

>27 Berly:. Thanks, Kim. We had a great time together in Pittsburgh.

I wish I was a fly on the wall for your book club discussion of When the Cranes Fly South. Should be a good one. Lots to chew on. It cut close to the bone for me sfter losing my parents and not being a spring chicken myself.

Happy New Year!

>26 figsfromthistle:. Hi, Anita. Thanks! Back atcha! Happy New Year, and I hope 2026 is a delightful year for you.

>25 seasonsoflove:. Hey there lovely one. Happy New Year! I’m glad you’re feeling okay and Indy is playing to her strengths. Follow her lead and please get lots of rest. Are you still maybe having a 75er thread this year? That would be most excellent if you do.

>24 ffortsa:. Happy New Year, Judy! I like the sound of “our parallel adventures”. I hope they intersect again soon; we have a lot of travel plans this year, but we both want to get back to your city and see you and Jim and some high quality theater.

>28 jnwelch: we are both getting lots of rest! She is asleep again, and I just finished my first book of 2026 :) I am doing-or at least attempting to do-a 75ers thread.

>29 seasonsoflove:. That’s great, Hon. Indy’s always a reliable guide when it comes to resting. :-). I’m glad you’re trying a thread; just let me know if I can help.

Happy New Reading Year, Joe--love those toppers, especially the guys scaling the tower of books. Sometimes the piles of my books look like Mt. Everest to me, so I can relate. I need a skilled Sherpa to guide me, I think.

I've put in a hold request for When the Cranes Fly South based on your review mentioning Claire Keegan. On New Year's Eve we watched "The Quiet Girl", an Irish movie based on Keegan's story Foster. And it was quiet, for sure, but powerful. And today I listened to 84, Charing Cross Road--how did you like the movie?

Happy New Year, Joe! Caroline will be sadly missed, both by people who had never met her but especially by those of us who knew her well from personal meet ups.

>6 jnwelch: Pre-ordered!

>7 jnwelch: I wish I had the opportunity to meet her. RIP indeed.

>8 jnwelch: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thanks for the review and recommendation, Joe!

Happy New Year! Let's make it a good one!

Happy New Thread, Joe. Another year hanging out with my favorite proprietor. Love the bookish toppers and the tribute to dear Caroline.

I plan on getting to When Cranes Fly South soon. I forgot that you also loved Orbital. That one is fantastic. I plan on starting Our Mutual Friend in about a week. How was the Charing Cross film?

>8 jnwelch: Thinking I will try When The Cranes Fly South on one of my book groups.

Dropping a star and a smile.

Taking my usual place in the cafe over by the comic book spinner rack by the side door

Today’ Bargain: Montana 1948 by Larry Watson for $1.99 on e-readers.. Powerful book; I imagine Mark, who recommended it, may chime in if he sees this. A family in the title state gets torn apart; the son has to sort through the wreckage and find a way forward.

>36 jnwelch: One of the few perfect reads of my life. Such a marvelous economy of words with such a huge cargo of meaning.

Happy 2026ing!

>31 kac522: Hiya, Kathy. Happy Reading Year to you, too. The guys climbing the mountain of books also is my favorite, although I’m charmed by the woman with the Dress of books.

I loved The Quiet Girl movie! And the Keegan book. Have you seen Small Things Like These, the other Keegan-based movie out? Cillian Murphy “stars”, and I think I’d jump over the moon for that guy. He’s great in “Steve”, too, a newish small movie about a home for troubled teens.

I think these days small movies are the ones really capturing my heart - like 84 Charing Cross Road, which we loved! I’m so glad we watched it. I’m a pushover for Anthony Hopkins, and Anne Bancroft was so touching and funny and tough as Helene. It was a treat to see a young Judi Dench, but a bigger taste of her in it would’ve been welcome.

>32 kidzdoc:. Happy New Year, buddy. I’m glad you like the toppers and that the tribute to dear Caroline was good in your eyes. What a sad and unexpected shocker. We so enjoyed her here on LT, and so looked forward to seeing her on London visits.

Our condolences to you my friend; I know you were even closer to her than we were.

>33 alcottacre:. Good to see you, Stasia! Yay for your pre-order of The Violence! Having not read it yet, I’m hanging a lot on what a good writer she is, as shown in her newspaper column and her other books, and how hard she and her editors worked on it.🤞🙏

You would’ve LOVED meeting Caroiline. Birds of a feather.

I’m glad you have When Cranes Fly South on your reading radar. I’ve asked Debbi to read it sooner than later so we can talk about it.😀

Happy New Year! I’m happy to join your team and make it a good one. On a personal level, Debbi and I had one of our best years together, and I’m so happy that she healed well from that much-needed heart surgery. But I felt like the 2025 America was crumbling around us.

Man, have I messed up the order of these responses. I think I missed these.

>21 banjo123:. Happy New Year, Rhonda! I hope all is well in your lovely part of the world, and that you have a great reading year.

>22 PaulCranswick:. Happy New Year to you and yours in Kuala Lumpur, mate. Your project is looking quite impressive, like a beautiful statue in a park.

Here’s to another year of sharing great reading.

>23 klobrien2:. Happy New Year, Karen! I’m glad you’re enjoying those toppers. Hope you have a wonderful year of reading.

Happy New Year and happy new books!

>36 jnwelch: That one is terrific and if I did not already own the hard copy of the book, I would probably snatch that right up!

>39 jnwelch: But I felt like the 2025 America was crumbling around us. I understand that feeling all too well.

Have a fantastic Friday, Joe!

Happy New Year, Joe! May the brews be perfect and timely!

>1 jnwelch: Now there are a set of real book challenges! Lovely images.

>34 msf59:. Hey buddy. Happy New Year! Whaddya say we have more LT fun than ever this year? Seems like a worthy goal.

I’m glad you like the toppers and join you in sadness over our friend Caroline.

Yes, please read When Cranes Fly South asap, so we can talk about it. I have my copy of Our Mutual Friend, and will begin the re-read after I successfully get resourceful Carl out of Carl’s Doomsday Scenario.

Yes to sharing admiration of Orbital. What poetic writing. Did you see Brittle Joints for favorite GN? I know you liked that one, too. I thought about It Rhymes with Takei and that gay illustrator graphic memoir, I’m Glad We Had This Time Together, and Song of a Blackbird, the one about Nazi occupation of Amsterdam. But Brittle Joints was my favorite.

We LOVED the 84 Charing Cross Road movie. Neither of us had seen it before. As I was telling someone here, I’m a pushover for Anthony Hopkins in just about anything, and Anne Bancroft was so good as Helene. A soupçon of young Judi Dench was welcome, too. I’m so glad we saw it.

>35 magicians_nephew:. Hiya, Jim. Yay for reading When the Cranes Fly south with one of your book groups. If you think of it, afterwards I’d love to hear what kinds of comments were made.

One of your book groups? How many do you have? Color me impressed.

We put a “Reserved” sign for you on your usual table by the comic book spinner and the side door.😀

>37 richardderus:. Hey, RD. I don’t think I’d ever heard you say that”perfect read” about any book before this. Montana 1948 was a powerful one, wasn’t it. “Such a marvelous economy of words with such a huge cargo of meaning.” Well said!

If you ever post a list of your perfect reads, please give me a heads-up.

>2 jnwelch: What a grand photo.

>8 jnwelch: I've added When The Cranes Fly South to be tbr pile. Your review is great, and I cannot resist temptation.

All good wishes for a wonderful 2026 Joe!

>41 foggidawn:. Happy New year, Misti, and Happy New Books!

>43 quondame:. Happy New Year, Susan! . May the brews be perfect and timely! . Wow, how beautifully said. You’d be a hit in Ireland with that one. Back atcha! I’ll have to try that one on our friend Mark at our next get-together.

Aren’t those toppers lovely? Ah, the book life is a good life.

Hi, Joe. Hoping to be around LT more in 2026 than I was last year.

Today’s Bargain: Demian by Herman Hesse for $1.99 on e-readers.. By the author of Siddhartha, which helped point me toward Buddhism as a lad. In this one a classmate makes the protagonist question his beliefs, and what caught my attention is the book has over 56,000 5 star ratings on Goodreads - the highest I recall seeing- and author Mieko Kawakami calls it “my favorite book growing up”. I’m all in favor of questioning our beliefs.

>46 Whisper1: Hiya, Linda. Nice to see you here in the new year. Isn’t that a grand photo? We had a grand time getting the family together in Pittsburgh for Thanksgiving. This was taken after we all watched Zootopia 2 together.

I was thinking of you: on Richard’s recommendation I’m reading the children’s book The Crystal Heart: A Vietnamese Legend by Aaron Shephard. I think you’d like it. Really lovely, atmospheric illustrations. I was just talking to Mark about a book (Patchwork: A Graphic Biography of Jane Austen) that we wish had better illustrations. This person would be a big step up.

I know your heart will be snared by When Cranes Fly South. I’m very glad you’re reading it. If time permits, please let me know what you think of it.

Happy New Year! I hope you have a wonderful 2026.

>48 weird_O: Hiya, Bill. It would be lovely to see you more around the LT campus this year. It was not as weird here as it perhaps might have been in ‘25.😀

>45 jnwelch: I've finally posted All my 6*-of-five reads together in one spot. I don't know why it took until now to think of doing it....
https://www.librarything.com/topic/376691#9048061

>50 jnwelch: The Crystal Heart had something of the melancholy tone I remember from the Oscar Wilde fairy tales The Happy Prince and The Star Child.

Love the picture of the girl with the skirt of books, Joe. Hope your New Year is treating you right!

>44 jnwelch: I did not list my favorite GNs of the year. Bad Mark!! That said- the Takei and Song of a Blackbird would have been there, along with Year of the Rabbit & Brittle Bones.

Happy Sunday, Joe. Go Bears! We need this win. The Seahawks sure beat up on the 49ers last night. I wish we could have done the same.

ETA- Have you watched or have any interest in watching "Pluribus"? It is on Apple. I am at the halfway mark and it has been very good. Rhea Seehorn is fantastic. It is from the creator of Breaking bad and Better Call Saul.

Today’s Bargain: Buckeye by Patrick Ryan for $1.99 on e-readers.. If you’re like me, you’ve seen raves for this one all over the place. Multi-generational talent, starting in WWII. Great price for a newish release.

>51 richardderus:. Yahoo! I shall link and enjoy. Thanks, Richard. I know Montana 1948 is on there.

>52 quondame:. Hi, Susan. There is a sort of timeless melancholy in The Crystal Heart. The Oscar Wilde fairy tales aren’t fixed enough in my mind, but I’m sure others will get the comparison.

>53 Familyhistorian:. Isn’t that picture of the girl with the skirt of books a beaut, Deb? The attention to detail keeps bringing me back.

>54 msf59:. Happy Sunday, compadre. I am fully Zenned and one with the cosmos.😀. Hope your weekend is going well.

Yeah, worth your listing your favorite GNs. You and I aren’t the only GN readers on the LT campus, although sometimes it seems like it. I also hope that one may catch an LTer eye and cause them to take a flyer on something they wouldn’t normally read.

I don’t remember that Year of the Rabbit one, so I’ll follow up. Looking back, it was a better year for GNs than I thought.

Go Bears! It would be nice to revenge that early slamdown in Detroit and show our progress.

I’ll take a look at Pluribus. Believe it or not, Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul didn’t attract me. Drugs and obnoxious lawyers - eh, I’ll take a pass. But a weird storyline and monsters? I’m all over it. We loved the Stranger Things finale. What an achievement by the Duufer brothers. One for the ages. And those young actors have matured beautifully into their craft.

I think you both will like "Pluribus". I snagged a copy of Buckeye. I see that title bandied around everywhere but on LT.

Keep up with being "one with the cosmos" and Go Bears!

>157 jnwelch:. Ditto, buddy, on Buckeye. Not a big deal on LT, but seems to be everywhere else. It’s been a good day for bargains - I found Isola on sale, too. I know you rate it highly; it’ll probably be my next Kindle read. I’m thinking maybe I should’ve gotten Our Mutual Friend on lightweight Kindle; it’s a bit of a doorstop, isn’t it.

P. S. Last second field goal loss to Detroit for the Bears. Shake it off - onto the playoffs!

Today’s Bargain: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel for $1.99 on e-readers.. What a book!

>59 jnwelch: Agreed! It was an excellent story, well told.

Happy New Year Joe!

>54 msf59: >55 jnwelch: We've just finished watching Pluribus and I agree with Mark that it's well worth watching!

>59 jnwelch: Two thumbs up. I do like science fiction that doesn't hit you over the head with its science fiction - ness and Station Eleven was a book like that

Hi Joe! You convinced me with When the Cranes fly south, I’ll be looking for it.
I’d never heard of Song of a Blackbird but apparently my library seems to have it. So many stories still to tell.

Today’s Bargain: The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai for $2.99 on e-readers. A Barack Obama favorite book of last year, a “Best Book” for a host of publications. The lives of Indians Sonia and Sunny in India and the USA, as tradition and modernity grapple.

>64 jnwelch: ...a read I loved despite its majestic-dignified-unhurried pace and elephantine-tome-ly extent. Worth the effort and the regular price; a steal at three bucks.

>22 PaulCranswick: This is amazing Paul! I keep seeing it pop up and don't want to forget to say!

>37 richardderus: It's on my TBR for 2026, Richard.

>45 jnwelch: He posted them! I wrote every one down! Happy New Year! Don't know if you remember me. It's been a while but it's always like coming home on LT.

>67 Mary_Mignano: I think you'll enjoy the read, Mary Beth.

>64 jnwelch: Thanks Joe! I was planning to purchase The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny this year, so I'm thrilled to get it as this low price.

Here’s a fun article from Adriana about sports, Pittsburgh sports and especially the Pittsburgh Steelers.

https://pge.post-gazette.com/.pf/showstory/202601060014/3?fields=Title%2CByline

We were a part of the dire football events Sunday night as Adri and Jesse reached out to relatives for emotional support.😀

>60 richardderus:. Right, Richard. An excellent story, well told, says it for me, too. Were you able to see the tv adaptation? They did a good job. (Of course, as usual, the book was better).

>61 SandDune:. Thanks, Rhian! Happy New Year! Good to hear more support for Pluribus. I’ll give it a good look. I think our next together- viewing will be Fallout, after finishing the fabulous Stranger Things. We enjoyed the first season.

Hi Joe mate, i have starred you again and hope to be a more visible presence on your thread this year, Hope that you, Debbi and the family are well and that you all had a good Christmas and New Year.

>72 jnwelch: It was a decent show. It was not the book, and had no way to become a worthy companion to that cut-crystal story goblet.

>72 jnwelch: We are actually watching the first series of Stranger Things at the moment - it had completely passed us by. But our new cats were originally called Eleven and Hopper and Jacob had to explain to us where that came from as we thought they were just really strange names!

Wow! I snagged a copy of Sonia and Sunny too. You liked it too, right? Glad you started Our Mutual Friend and are getting into the rhythm of it. I am too, just finished chapter 12.

>62 magicians_nephew:. Yeah, I like Station Eleven’s more subtle science fiction, too, Jim. Makes me think of Ray Bradbury, particularly with the lovely writing. William Gibson, some, too.

>63 EllaTim:. Oh good, Ella. Debbi just finished When Cranes Fly South and loved it as much as I did.

If time permits, please let me know what you think of Song of a Blackbird. I think of Anne Frank, of course, but somehow I didn’t give as much thought to the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam. I do now.

>65 richardderus:. Right, Richard? Ditto. At times I got a little impatient with its dignified pace (do we really need to learn more about uncle so-and-so?) and elephantine tome-liness in The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, but in the end it was a dish well-made. It feels wrong-headed to carp, like saying to Da Vinci, “how about a little less chiaroscuro and sfumato, brother?”

>66 Mary_Mignano:. Hi, Mary. Paul’s building jutting up out of the cityscape is amazing, ain’t it.

>67 Mary_Mignano:. Montana 1948 is a good ‘un, Mary. Brother Mark is the first one who gave me the nudge to read it.

>68 Mary_Mignano: Happy New Year, Mary! I’m so glad you had the book cafe on your LT stop-by route.😀

Yes, I also loved Richard’s list, and need to follow up both with him, and on those listed books unknown to me. In thinking about 6 for 5s, the first I thought of from my reading was The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys. Loved that book.

>69 richardderus:👍

>70 kidzdoc:. Perfect, Darryl. You’re welcome! Lately more high quality newish books like The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny have been showing up among the bargains. I hope they keep doing that.

>73 johnsimpson:. Hey, John, buddy. It would be a pleasure to see you more around the ol’ cafe in ‘26, if you can manage it.

Debbi and I are doing very well indeed, and the holiday season was a series of good times. I’m now buried under a new pile of tempting books, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Hope you and Karen had a grand Christmas and New Year, too.

>74 richardderus:. I’m glad you got to see the Station Eleven tv adaptation, Richard. It definitely was not at the level of the original cut-crystal story goblet, but it also didn’t tarnish (scratch up?) it, IMO. There were parts where I particularly enjoyed having it visually realized.

>75 SandDune:. Hi, Rhian. Ha! I love the idea of Eleven and Hopper as puzzling cat names.😀. I hope you enjoy the Stranger Things series as much as we did.

>76 msf59:. Oh good, Mark. Isn’t that a surprisingly great price for The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny? Yes, I liked it. RD and I had a little back and forth on it. It even managed to satisfy his sharp eye.

Our Mutual Friend is coming back to me in a very pleasant way. Thanks for teeing it up for a group read.

>79 jnwelch: That is great news, Joe.

>64 jnwelch: Thanks for the ebook alert Joe!! I've been dithering over whether to buy Sonia and Sunny and this price is too good to resist. Even better: I earned $4.50 in digital credits over the holidays which paid for the book with a bit to spare.

>80 jnwelch: Adaptations can be good, even when the book is better, and still offer genuinely interesting and valuable additions to the story being told. Most whiners who decry the adaptations they see are spoiled little spoiler-phobes who think All things revolve around them. Tiresome in the extreme.

Today’s Bargain: Fifth Business by Robertson Davies for $1.99 on e-readers.. The first in Davies’ classic Deptford Trilogy, in which sober reality and magic skate side-by-side.

>83 richardderus:
It takes talent to adapt a work of literature to a screen. That's why there is a separate Academy Award for Original Screenplay and Adapted Screenplay. A writer who excels at one might not be as good at the other.

People, readers included, make a mistake when they think that both mediums are visual. While we read with our eyes, it is really our brain that is working. Reading is an intellectual activity, and our imagination fills in lots of the holes that words can't. Screens are purely visual, and some audio, so the way of interpreting a story has to be different from reading it.

The difference between what I see in my imagination and what goes on screen are very different. This is why I am often disappointed in the screen adaptations. The actor chosen isn't what I thought the hero looked like, or I don't like the way the designer created the set because I had pictured it differently in my imagination. I often find myself thinking that people need to have read the book in order to understand the movie.

This process also works in reverse. For instance, I did not start reading the Poldark novels until after the BBC series started. Now when I read one of the Poldark books I see Aiden Turner as Poldark. I am sure that I would have visualized him differently had I read the books first. Likewise, I can assure you that I did not picture Jamie Fraser as looking anything like Sam Heughen.

>85 benitastrnad: And, as you say, these are separate and distinct Media, so judging one by the standards applied to the other is fallacious; likewise, as every book club discussion reveals, no two people read the same story. It does not make one right, or better, or more "valid."

It's that human tendency to say "***I*** didn't see it that way" while meaning "...so it's not good/valid/correct" that I bridle at. I've made it a serious point of effort to say why things don't work for me so readers of my opinions will see for themselves if they agree or not; both responses tell them something valuable. Up to and including "I don't like this guy" in which case they shouldn't bother reading my reviews.

I think we should All be a lot more restrained in our discourse nowadays, and I certainly include myself in that. I fail regularly; so does everyone else; but let's normalize trying, and giving others credit for trying, to be alert to the tendency to blame instead of disagreeing.

>86 richardderus: "I think we should All be a lot more restrained in our discourse nowadays, and I certainly include myself in that. I fail regularly; so does everyone else; but let's normalize trying, and giving others credit for trying, to be alert to the tendency to blame instead of disagreeing." Yes. (Italics mine.)

>84 jnwelch: - Funny coincidence. Just last week, I picked up the first and third books in the Deptford Trilogy (they didn't have the second) from a local thrift store. I read them all (and another trilogy of his) a million years ago and decided on the spot that I wanted to do a reread - something I rarely do. I don't even remember much about the books except that I really enjoyed them.

>81 kidzdoc:. 👍

>82 lauralkeet:. There’s no better bargain than free, Laura. Nice maneuvering! I’m glad it worked out so well. I think Sonia and Sunny may be outr most successful bargain book so far.

>83 richardderus:. Agreed, RD. Often the ego-driven spoilerites are out to preen rather than genuinely mourn something missing or a significant misstep.

>87 laytonwoman3rd: It's so depressing to "hear" people talking about those whose opinions they disagree with so harshly. It's a book/movie, not an immoral vile incompetent public official! Chill!

>89 jnwelch: "MY opinion is important so yours is wrong" is very common among them.

I'm frequently surprised by the reactions of people in my book clubs, because sometimes they feel narrow and arbitrary, or personal in ways that shouldn't devalue the material read. Happened last night with A Tale for the Time Being. A little discouraging, as I like to understand the choices a writer makes at a certain distance from my own biases when possible.

Sad news: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette will be shutting down in May, after 240 years of operation:

https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/pittsburgh-post-gazette-shutting-down/

This article also mentions that the Pittsburgh City Paper will also cease operating this year.

>81 kidzdoc:. 👍

>82 lauralkeet:. There’s no better bargain than free, Laura. Nice manuveuring!

>85 benitastrnad:. Good thoughts, Benita. I had a similar experience with Poldark, but maybe I shouldn’t have. I first watched the 70s Poldark with Robin Ellis as Poldark, then saw the more recent one with Aidan Turner as Ross and Elinor Tomlinson as Demelza, and then read the books. The more recent Poldark adaptation was so good it overrode the original for me, and I see Turner and Tomlinson in the books.

I read the Reacher books before watching the excellent Alan Ritchson adaptation, and still see my own concoction, a taller, leaner, more weathered Reacher, although Ritchson is true to the character and physically impressive.

Finally, i couldn’t watch the A River Runs Through It movie, because I didn’t want to ruin the movie in my head. Still haven’t seen the theater version and probably won’t.

>86 richardderus:. Like Linda in >87 laytonwoman3rd:, Richard, I’m tempted to quote your wise last paragraph. Remembering to be restrained in our discourse and simply disagree rather than blame (or posture) would be a big improvement over what we all see and hear a lot these days. It doesn’t help that our Liar-in-Chief is so unrestrained and vitriolic.

>87 laytonwoman3rd:. Agreed, Linda.

>88 jessibud2:. Hi, Shelley. Intriguing. I don’t remember tha trilogy superwell either, just that, like you, I loved it. I’d probably benefit from a re-read, too. I’m re-reading Our Mutual Friend now and recovering much of my original pleasure.

>90 richardderus:. Even more so with a book/movie, as you say, RD, but I’d like to see our discourse chill more with regard to public officials, too. It’s awfully difficult in these Trumpian times when reds are “uneducated” and “stupid” and blues are “libtards” and “ hypocrites”, but I’m trying.

>91 richardderus:. Sadly true, RD. That’s what I see as posturing. Oof. We’ve all had professors/teachers like that at one time or another, which is bad enough, and to have it come from a peer is so annoying.

>92 ffortsa:. Omigosh, Judy, and I loved A Tale for the Time Being, although for me it significantly picked up once she met her grandmother. A little humility and recognition that it’s your personal reaction that others may not share, can go a long way.

>93 kidzdoc:. Thanks, Darryl. A sad Adriana alerted us - she loved that job that is now gone, and she was so darn good at it. Such tough times for newspapers.🥲

Hi Joe. Long time. I'll leave a brief message now, but in again later. I am loving a book called Crooks by Lou Berney. Very reminiscent of Elmore Leonard. I'm making a concerted effort, this year to return to reading and participating here. I'm off to a good start.

Nicely picking up speed here, Joe.

>92 ffortsa: & >98 jnwelch: I am not a member of a RL bookclub but I will look to join one or even create one when I eventually return to Yorkshire.

>99 brodiew2:. Good to see you, Brodie. Happy New Year! That sounds like an excellent resolution: more reading, more LT. I’m enjoying a re-read of Our Mutual Friend.

I’m glad you liked the first Dungeon Crawler book enough to continue with the second. I’m also currently reading Carl’s Doomsday Scenario. The Hubster got me a Princess Donut mug for Christmas ;-)

>89 jnwelch: Often the ego-driven spoilerites are out to preen rather than genuinely mourn something missing or a significant misstep. Unfortunately, that seems to be a common mode of expressing oneself these days, Joe. I think that's because it's what we see modelled in the media every time we see a clip or read a quote from someone who expresses themselves that way and is constantly in the limelight.

>102 SuziQoregon: Ha! I wish it was easier to post photos here, Juli. I’d love to see one of your Princess Donut mug. With tiara? Do you keep it in your inventory?

I finished Doomsday and enjoyed it. Silly fun. I’m impressed at how he keeps up the interest quotient and the pace. Time for a break for me. I know there are at least a couple more out, right?

>104 jnwelch: Yeah there’s currently 7 books with the eighth due out this year. When I finish this one I’ll add a photo of my mug to my review on my thread.

Good Morning Joe. It's also been a while since we talked about Star Trek. Are you looking forward to Starfleet Academy? I don't have a whole lot of interest but that doesn't mean I won't tune in to check out a couple of episodes.

Landman is one of my favorite new series. A great show overall. It has a lot of heart. What about you?

Today’s Bargains: Fools Crow by James Welch (no relation) and Praying for Sheetrock by Melissa Greene, each for $1.99 on E-readers.

Fools Crow features a young Blackfoot Indian after the Civil War in Montana during a time of transition. Should he and his tribe fight or assimilate. Excellent author; strong, thought-provoking book.

Praying for Sheetrock is set in a small Georgia town in the 1970s that seems to have been missed by the Civil Rights movement. In this NF that reads like a historical novel, an extraordinary unemployed black man takes on the domineering, town-controlling white sheriff, and begins crucial change. An NBA nominee and NY Times Notable book.

>105 SuziQoregon:. I’ll look for the mug on your thread, Juli. Thanks for figuring out my misnumbering of your post. I try to go too fast sometimes.

Man, I think Matt D. has a gold mine with this series. I love it when that happens for someone. It’s very clever so far, and Princess Donut is a treasure. I’m glad she became less obnoxious pretty quickly. Mongo is growing on me, and certainly is a useful companion.

What got me started is I was getting recommendations for Dungeon Crawler Carl from such disparate reader types. The first was from a self-avowed non-reader who’d heard about it from a friend and was all excited about reading it. He wasn’t sure I’d like it because I wasn’t an 80s video gamer. I told him I’d heard the same kind of thing about Ready Player One and enjoyed that one. Video games, i’m sure our resident rocket scientist Dr. Jim could confirm, are not exactly rocket science.

>106 brodiew2:. Good morning/afternoon from your slowpoke buddy, Brodie. I look forward to any new Star Trek show. My bride is a Patrick Stewart/STTNG fan, and we had a particularly good time with Picard. Star Trek Discovery started out well bu then the writing got muddy and repetitive, IOO (in our opinion).

We recently loved Stranger Things, including its fabuloso finale. You’re not going to believe what we’re excited about now. There’s a French murder mystery series called Astrid that features an autistic (on the spectrum) researcher who helps a female detective. Their relationship is so good, and Astrid’s forays into possible romance with a very gentle man are so touching. PBS Masterpiece and Prime Video are carrying it. It’s my sister’s favorite tv show, period, and it’s right up there for us, too. Phenomenal acting.

>44 jnwelch: I discovered the book 84, Charing Cross Road through the movie, which is very much of a rarity for me then and likely never to happen again since I watch no movies at all these days.

>71 jnwelch: I will have to check that out. Thanks for the link, Joe!

>84 jnwelch: I am a fan of Robertson Davies although it has been a good while since I read any of his. I really need to get back to him. I already have the hard copy of the Deptford Trilogy so not buying the e-books.

Have a great day, Joe!

>108 jnwelch:. Hi, Stasia. Did you think of Anthony Hopkins and Anne Bancroft when reading the book after seeing the 84, Charing Cross movie? I read the book first and didn’t have anyone like them in mind, but I LOVED what they both did with the parts.

Adriana is such a good writer. I think you’ll get a kick out of her article in >71 jnwelch:. We just got some terrible news that her Pittsburgh newspaper shut down for financial reasons. No surprise, really, in these newspaper-killing times, but she enjoyed that job so much and was so good at it. She’s sad, we’re sad.

I know, i was a big Robertson Davies fan, too, lo those many years ago. I bet it’s been decades for many of us. Maybe some enterprising LTer will start a group read like Mark has with Our Mutual Friend.

It’s been a great day - we had a surprisingly good time getting a bunch of necessaries done, and managed to squeeze in a bookstore visit. I hope yours has been/is, too.

Here is our cousin Amy Bass’s take on the murder by ICE in Minneapolis:

I am chilled to the bone about what went down in Minnesota yesterday. The murder of an unarmed American should not be unfamiliar to anyone -- the legacy in this country of taking down unarmed African Americans is long and horrifying. So where does yesterday's murder of Renee Good, a trained legal observer, by ICE agents in a Minneapolis neighborhood fit into the context of our gunfighter nation? Where do the bold-faced lies distributed by Trump & Noem regarding what happened, regardless of video from every angle and observers on every corner, land?
First, make use of your words. She was not a 'violent rioter' or a 'domestic terrorist.' No officer was run over. No officer was hospitalized. No officer was nearly killed. None of those words create any semblance of truth. But they do create an organized authoritarian strategy to continue the work that they are doing: demanding that U.S. citizens understand and justify such actions with lies, rather than evidence. They are demanding obedience to their narrative.
Don't let them.
Do not accept their lies -- obedience does not make you an ally. It makes you complicit. You are not the enemy for demanding truth. You are not disloyal. You are, instead, refusing to buy into the televised military force and racialized fear campaigns designed to create immediate disinformation. Minnesota's elected officials -- the mayor, the governor -- have adamantly and immediately pushed back.
Support them. Elevate them. Demand accountability.
And remember that you can multitask -- that while you were sitting in horror and watching that neighborhood scene unfold, Trump asked Georgia for millions to reimburse his legal bills....continued his pursuit of a banking license for a Trump-family cryptocurrency, claimed control -- PERSONAL CONTROL -- of oil from Venezuela, claimed profits from tariffs enabled him to raise the military budget to $1.5 trillion....and so much more.
Violence. Lies. Grift.
They don't care about whether their narratives are true, as long as they work.
Don't let it work.

Amy is a correspondent for CNN, but this is a personal post on Facebook.

We've been generating a whole lot of lovely and sensible words, and now I'm ready for another visual, artist unknown:

>112 jnwelch: I like that woman’s style. I hope the window reveals something that pleases her.

>111 jnwelch: so bad, so very bad. And getting worse every day. As some suggested it would, it started small...things were let to happen, then *things* got bigger and more and more bold and brutal.
Just yuck.

>113 quondame:. Ditto, Susan. A book for her to read would be a good idea, wouldn’t it.

>114 LovingLit:. Unbelievably sad, Megan, isn’t it. I literally sometimes can’t believe what is happening, what Trump and Noem and ICE are doing to us. And they have the audacity to baldface lie
to help them get away with it. Our politicians have no balls when it comes to standing up to Trump and Maga. Yup, they started small and have gone big, as so many have predicted. He’s a Putin-wannabe, bullying his citizens, trying to terrorize his enemies, trying to take over countries - it’s the same playbook.

>106 brodiew2: I'm not always looking forward to new iterations of Star Trek, but my love of the franchise keeps coming back to, at least, take a look. Strange New Worlds has been okay, but I agree on Discovery. Picard had a great third season.

I also enjoyed the Stranger Things finale. It had some issued, but the seeing the characters get a decently happy ending was ok by me.

Funny you should mention a French show. I watched two recent French films related to The Three Musketeers which sent me on a short tour of Vincent Cassell movies. I'll check Astrid on Prime.

>111 jnwelch: Pure Evil.

How can America get hundreds of leaders like the Minneapolis Mayor to Unite us all?

>112 jnwelch: What lovely colours, Joe.

>111 jnwelch: Sometimes when I am thinking of relocating back home to the West, I ponder on how safe it is to live here, where you can walk the streets safely at any time of day or night, where there is no gun crime of any note whatsoever where the sores are open until 10 pm at night. Malaysia has its problems and is socially conservative but the positives far outweigh the negatives for this middle-aged guy.

What happened in Minneapolis and continues to happen elsewhere should not happen in civilized society full stop. This is not the exercise of policy, it is despotism.

Here is a well-written article in the NY Times by the Mayor of Minneapolis, who has been quite vocal about wanting ICE the hell out if his city:

OPINION
GUEST ESSAY
I’m the Mayor of Minneapolis. Trump Is Lying to You.
Jan. 8, 2026, 5:42 p.m. ET

By Jacob Frey
Mr. Frey is the mayor of Minneapolis.
On Aug. 1, 2007, the Interstate 35W bridge spanning the Mississippi River in Minneapolis collapsed into the water during rush hour. Thirteen people died, and dozens more were injured.

In the immediate aftermath, the president, a Republican, showed up in a city full of Democrats ready to help.

Minneapolis leaders were passionate and vocal critics of President George W. Bush’s policies at the time. But when the crisis struck, it didn’t matter. We were partners in what mattered most: saving lives, steadying our community and rebuilding infrastructure. Cities could count on the administration in a crisis. Politics stopped, quite literally, at the water’s edge.

Blue cities like Minneapolis used to be able to count on good-faith partnerships with the federal government under both Republican and Democratic administrations. Under the Biden administration, our police officers worked with federal agents and the U.S. attorney’s office to bring down shooting rates in North Minneapolis. The effort wasn’t political — it was practical, and it continues to keep people safe.

But such partnerships, in both crisis and ordinary governance, are not the experience of big-city Democratic mayors under the Trump administrations. I learned that the hard way in 2020 during the civil unrest that came in the wake of George Floyd’s murder by a Minneapolis police officer. I’ll never forget the shock I felt when President Trump not only encouraged violence during the unrest, but denied federal approval for disaster relief.

On Wednesday, when I learned that a Minneapolis resident had been shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, I didn’t feel the shock in my gut that I felt over five years ago. Nothing about this was shocking. The chaos that ICE and the Trump administration have brought to Minneapolis made this tragedy sadly predictable. In mid-December, ICE agents were filmed dragging a pregnant woman through the street. Heavily armed agents have been deployed to arrest lone individuals in public libraries and malls. Even in the aftermath of this week’s shooting, ICE agents continued to spread chaos, apparently deploying chemical agents at a local public high school.

The actions of the ICE agents deployed to my city are dangerous, and now, even deadly. But that danger has been compounded by the administration’s incredulous claims that the victim committed an act of domestic terrorism. The Department of Homeland Security secretary, Kristi Noem, baselessly insisted the shooting was an act of self-defense. Mr. Trump falsely claimed that the victim, Renee Nicole Good, “behaved horribly” and “ran him over,” referring to the ICE agent. I’ve watched multiple videos, from multiple perspectives — it seems clear that Ms. Good, a mother of three, was trying to leave the scene, not attack an agent.

The Trump administration’s false narrative about this week’s shooting, and the demonization of the victim, are only part of a bigger lie. It wants the American public to believe that ICE’s heavily militarized crackdown across this country is an effort to keep cities like Minneapolis safe. It is not. It is about vilifying not just immigrants, but all who welcome them and their contributions to our communities. By defending the lie about this clearly avoidable shooting in Minneapolis and refusing to allow Minnesota officials to investigate the crime, the administration is sending a message to the entire country: If you show up for your immigrant neighbors, or even are simply present when those neighbors are taken, your rights will not be protected by the law and your life will be at risk.

Under both the first and second Trump administrations, the country has learned from watching Minneapolis that the federal government holds no regard for cities or the people who live in them. When coupled with this administration’s open contempt for democratic norms — indeed, our Constitution — this is a threat to the long-term endurance of our Republic.
I hope no more of my fellow mayors find their cities in this administration’s cross hairs. But for those who do, here is my advice: The best thing you can do is to build cities that work, and love those streets and those citizens above any ideology. By bringing down violent crime, Minneapolis has been able to successfully push back against those who have tried to portray our city as a postapocalyptic hellscape. By building housing and focusing on affordability, we have made our city a place that immigrants, transplants and native Minneapolitans can all call home. By supporting immigrant-owned small businesses, our city has become living proof that immigrants make our city and our nation stronger.

Cities are on the front lines of this dark hour in our national politics. But after we weather this moment — and we will weather it — it will be on us to light the way forward. The best way to convince the country that welcoming and lifting up immigrants is good for its communities is by proving it in our own cities

>93 kidzdoc: Wow! It's so sad to see so many papers "biting the dust."

>111 jnwelch: Joe, many thanks for posting Amy's insightful message regarding the protest in Minnesota, and the killing of an innocent woman. This incredibly well-written accounting, is a must read for all who are open to learning the truth. Sadly, I don't think it will change any who do not support her words.

>112 jnwelch: Joe, What an incredible image. The colors are stunningly beautiful. Thanks for posting this in the midst of what is happening in our country these last few days.

Man, did we get a lot of rain here last night. Flash flood warnings.

>123 jnwelch: Hope you weren't at the (postponed) Bulls game!

>134 jnwelch:. We weren’t, Kathy, thanks. What a weird cancellation. Floor too slick due to all the rain and humidity, and the Blackhawks’ cold ice under the floor.

>108 jnwelch: Astrid is one of my favorites. I love that the autistic characters are playing themselves!

>120 thornton37814:. Right, Lori? Unless you’re a megapaper, these days you’re going down. I’ll let you know what’s next for our gal. I’m hoping she gets a good online gig, but we’ll see. Her CV is pretty awesome, but times are tough thanks to the orange doofus.

>126 ffortsa: That’s apparently true for the British Astrid adaptation (i forget its name), but we researched the French one, and I’m pretty sure the French actress, Sara Mortenson, isn’t autistic. It makes what she portrays so convincingly even more impressive.

I’m glad it’s one of your favorites!

>128 jnwelch: Interesting, because I thought all the people in the support group were.

eta: fascinating that she isn't, because she has such a handle on that character.

>128 jnwelch: The people in the support group may well be. That would be cool. We love those scenes.

>121 Whisper1:, >122 Whisper1:. Oh, you’re welcome, Linda. Can you believe this? Our own president, and his toadies, are doing this to us. That poor woman, and her family. Every former law enforcement officer I’ve seen talk about says it’s pounded into your head in training not to do that, and that this ICE agent committed murder.

You’re right about the committed culters. Amazingly, even the undeniable visual evidence doesn’t sway them: she (to them) was trying to run him over, and he only shot her in self-defense. Are you kidding? What does this say about humans? That some % always will go along with authority, even here in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

That >123 jnwelch: image is beautiful, isn’t it? Remembering the beautiful is part of staying sane in such difficult times, IMO. I’m going to visit your thread today and look at some colorful book illustrations.😀

>118 PaulCranswick: Well, at least Americans don't fear that they will be murdered if they draw a picture of Jesus, Etc.

>131 jnwelch: I’ll let Paul answer that one, Marianne. Thanks for reminding me of his post.

>118 PaulCranswick:. Right, Paul. There’s a lot to be said for peace and safety.

Having lived in Chicago lo these many years, my bedrock has always been, be smart. And raising two kids here, that’s what we taught them. From my POV, the problem with perceived peace and safety is it can lull you into not being smart, and make you afraid to step outside.

For our country’s history, those not here have clamored to come here, with the benefits outweighing concerns about the need to be smart. Drumpf has changed all that, with an agenda designed to discourage people from coming here. It’s working. And we’re among the many here who have looked at plan B non-U.S. places to live. I’d rather be here, but if this Maga crap continues, who knows.

P.S. it reminded me of my living in Santa Barbara (S.California) in my 20s. It was safe, peaceful, idyllic, no seasons, and my mind couldn’t stand it. 😀. I moved from there to NYC, from working at a natural foods restaurant to a Soho bookstore. Ah, much better.

Today’s Bargains: Night Circus by Erin Morganstern fo $2.99 and Die Trying by Lee Child for $1.99.

What a spellbinder The Night Circus is! Wife an daughter overcame my misgivings, and they were right.

I’m a Reacher fan, and this is a good one in the series for finding out whether you are, too. Or try the first one, Killing Floor.

Joe - love to see your response to #117!

I'm sorry to hear about DIL's job, Joe. But you're right, of course, that she's mega-talented, and I hope what comes next for her is even miles better.

"They don't care about whether their narratives are true, as long as they work."

^Well said, Amy Bass!

^Can we go just one week without something horrific happening?

Happy Saturday, Joe. Thankfully we have our books to take comfort in. How could we survive without them?

On a much brighter note- Go Bears! How are you feeling about this game?

>108 jnwelch: Put us down for big fans of Astrid too Joe. Love the character and the supporting cast. The relationship between Astrid and the female detective is fun to watch too.

The flashbacks to Astrid's early days are touching and fascinating both

>128 jnwelch: jnwelch: The British take on "Astrid" is called 'Patience" .

Have to have a look at it.

But the British version of "Professor T" was so bad we're a little gunshy.

>134 jnwelch: Big Fan of Night Circus here. So many amazing characters.

Good morning, Joe! Happy Saturday. I continued my French crime film wave lasyt night with Jean Reno's 22 Bullets. It was slower than expected, but beautifully shot. It's about a retired mafia boss, who survives an assassination attempt and exacts his revenge. It's no Payback, but it is a decent thriller.

>135 m.belljackson:, >117 m.belljackson:. Thank you for the reminder about >117 m.belljackson:, and your patience.

What she describes in >111 jnwelch: does feel evil, doesn’t it. The striking thing to me is that the evil- doers and their supporters just don’t see it that way. For example, they’re convinced that that poor MN mother, who was slowly trying to leave at like 3 mph before he shot her three times in the face, they’re convinced that from his POV she was trying to run him over and he acted in self-defense. When I say it was murder, it makes no sense them because obviously he’s entitled to act in self-defense. All angles I’ve seen make it clear that it was cold-blooded murder; they say his body cam makes it look like she’s trying to run him over. I haven’t found that video yet.

This is an example of what divides us so strongly. I think ICE agents are behaving like lawless thugs, as we saw here in Chicago. They think this MN mother, and the rest if us, have no business interfering with ICE doing its job, and if we do, we deserve what we get, including murder.

And of course part of what we inhabitants are thinking is we didn’t ask for ICE, things were fine without it, and these are our friends and neighbors that are being haraased and abused and murdered. That ICE keeps detaining and abusing U.S. citizens makes it worse, and that only a very small percentage of detainees actually have a criminal record makes it worse.

I agree that the Minneapolis Mayor is doing an impressive job of trying to hold ICE accountable and get them restrained. A failure of leadership in Congress and around the country is apparent to everyone. We need better leaders, okay. Do we have people who would be? Probably. How to get them to run and be elected? On a national level it looks unattractiveto serve in office, doesn’t it. So many Republicans are retiring because it’s not a cushy, positive job any more. So who is willing to run?

I’ll stop there, and invite others to comment.

>136 scaifea:. Thanks, Amber. Yeah, we’re trying to stay upbeat about Adri’s newspaper shutting down. I know in the end she’ll be fine. But she loved that job, and was so darn good at it. We always looked forward to reading her columns.

>137 msf59:. Hiya, buddy. Yeah, well said by Amy. Her comments always are thoughtful. We’ve seen the pattern: Trump and his lackeys lie, deflect and mischaracterize, their Maga base embraces it, and they get away with it. With rare exceptions.

Can we get through a week without something horrific happening? Experience says probably not. As someone said, for poor Canada it must be like having an apartment above a meth lab.

>138 msf59:. Happy Saturday, Mark. We just met with our Spanish tutor and I understand some things better. You’re right, at least we have our books to give us a break from the madness. What a blessing the peaceful times under Biden were. Our Mutual Friend is calling to me.

Big game for the Bears! I’m feeling pretty good about it. Most commentators are predicting a Packers win, so I’m resigned to that if it happens. But the commentators have been wrong about the Bears all year, haven’t they. So maybe they’ll surprise everyone again. Wouldn’t that be great?

Hey Joe. I think you missed me a couple of times but that's okay. The Seahawks are doing pretty well this year and they have a bye this week. We'll see who they end up playing. Hopefully not the Rams. Might be nice to play the Packers. Hope all is well with you.

>139 magicians_nephew:. Yay for you and judy loving Astrid, too, Jim! The whole cast is so good, isn’t it. We love her relationship with the female detective, and with her fledgling boyfriend, and with her fellow spectrum dwellers in the group. What a well cast, well-written show.

Thanks for remembering the British version’s name: Patience. We thought Patience was good, but still prefer Astrid. Interestingly, as I mentioned to Judy, Sara Mortenson playing Astrid is not autistic, but did a boatload of research. The actress playing Patience, Ella Maidy Purvis, IS autistic and has ADHD. I don’t know about the other cast members in either.

I didn’t know that Dr. T was derived from another show, but I didn’t like Dr. T. That was too bad, as I liked the lead actor from the early Death in Paradises.

When we told a friendly Londoner the British shows we watched, he was amazed they were even available to us in the U.S., and let us know that Brits, in his understanding, watched a lot of American shows.😀

>141 magicians_nephew:. Agreed, Jim. I’m not a RL circus fan, but I also found the atmosphere of The Night Circus intoxicating. I don’t know how, but Morganstern bespelled me. That one started with our daughter convincing Debbi to read it, and then both of them convincing me.

>142 brodiew2:. Hiya, Brodie. Shoot, I’m very sorry I missed you a couple of times. The post volumes are tough going for me sometimes. My brain’s tongue (what the heck?) ends up dragging on the ground. Just give me the missed post numbers and I’ll respond.

The Seahawks are looking really good, and I bet they’re appreciating the bye to get healthier. I also bet a lot of Minnesotans are wishing they didn’t let QB Sam Darnold get away. I of course am hoping you get to play the rejuvenated Bears.

>147 jnwelch: Some years ago I attended a performance at the National Theatre during its 50th anniversary, which was a celebration of Black British actors who had performed on stage there. Two Black British women sitting next to me and I commented on how much we enjoyed the all star performance, and, as usual, my accent (though not dress) immediately gave me away as being from the United States. They asked where I was from, and when I replied "Atlanta," they hesitated for a moment, and one sheepishly asked "Is it anything like 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta' there?!" We laughed, and I had to confirm that some areas and residents of the city probably fit that stereotype to a certain degree. 😂

>149 kidzdoc:. Omigosh, Darryl, I’ll bet I have some fans in the family, but I’m embarrassed by “The Real Housewives of” anything. My knowledge, admittedly, comes from show promos and SNL spoofs. I cringe to think of our friends across the pond watching a Real Housewives show to get an idea about life in America!😂

I can't remember for sure, but I think you're the one (or at least one of the ones) who turned me on to Murakami. Well, I came across Absolutely on Music the other day and have downed it in one sitting. Murakami had a series of conversations with Seiji Ozawa, long time conductor of orchestras like the Boston Philharmonic about his career, what it's like to be a conductor, how he interprets music. Lots of insight into Ozawa's world. It's been a really fun distraction from obsessing on recent events.

And, it turns out Ozawa is a big fan of Chicago blues. Used to frequently hit the clubs back in the day when he was leading a music festival there for several years running.

>151 drneutron:. Love it, Jim. I read anything Murakami. So I’d be happy if I was the one who turned you onto reading him.

I enjoyed Absolutely on Music, too. I listen to classical music, particularly Bach, but I’m not knowledgeable. Murakami clearly is. I was impressed with the way he productively discussed it with Ozawa in that book. I always thought of Murakami as a jazz guy, but this showed otherwise.

Chicago had some great blues clubs back in the day (Kingson Mines, Wise Fools and others on the North side), and I used to go a lot. What fun it would’ve been to spot the distinctive Ozawa at one. I don’t know whether there are as many good blues clubs now as then; I doubt it. There used to be more jazz clubs, too. There still are some good ones, but fewer. Too bad.

I'd have been right beside you in the clubs!

>152 jnwelch: >151 drneutron: Old Chicago Blues Clubs? BIG JOHN'S, Mother Blues, and Howlin' Wolf's south side one...

My Mom and I were on our way to hear Seiji Ozawa conduct when a car pulled up next to us with him inside -
looking for directions to the concert hall!

>151 drneutron: One of my favorite nonfiction books. I loved the way they discussed the minute differences in recordings and the art of conducting. Great stuff. The only other Murakami I've read is Murakami T: The T-Shirts I Love, which was a little book with a lot of fun.

>150 jnwelch: I haven't watched more than a few seconds of any episodes of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta," but I've seen (more than) enough reality television to confirm that there are some women, thankfully not many, who do fit that stereotype. One woman I remember vividly was the wife of former NBA star Allen Iverson, whose child was briefly hospitalized on our service. AI didn't come to the hospital but his baby momma did — I don't know if they were still together, as one of my partners was caring for that child — and I do remember her coming by, immacutely dressed, with an entourage of similarly dressed women whose perfume preceded them.

I saw those women one day on rounds, and when I inquired one of the nurses about them I was told that one of AI's children was in the hospital.

>153 drneutron:. That would have been so much fun, buddy. If you ever figure out time travel (post solar probe), let’s do it!

>154 m.belljackson:. Nice going with naming the old Chicago blues clubs, Marianne. And what a cool Ozawa sighting. Did you invite him to get together after the concert?

>155 kac522:. 👍. Thanks, Kathy.

>156 kidzdoc:. Must have been quite a sight, Darryl. We normally end up at the hospital in urgent situations in sweats or other grubby clothes. Perfume? Not exactly.😀

Wow. What a hard thought come from behind when for the Chicago Bears. Congratulations Joe. I'm not sure if the Bears will have a chance to play the Seahawks just yet but we'll see where things stand after next week's games.

What was the largest mammal to walk the Earth? Cool fact for the day:

That crown goes to the now-extinct Paraceratherium – a massive hornless rhino with a giraffe-like long neck. Found mostly in Asia, in China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and Pakistan during the early to late Oligocene epoch (34–23 million years ago), these behemoths dwarf the biggest rhino we have today – the southern white rhino, which can reach 4.2 meters (13.8 feet) long, 1.85 meters (6 feet) tall, and weighs 3.6 tonnes.

Paraceratherium, meanwhile, is thought to have had a total length of 7.4 meters (24 feet) and a shoulder height of 4.8 meters (15.7 feet), making it the most massive mammal to ever walk the Earth. The prehistoric goliath is also believed to have weighed around 17 tonnes – almost five times as much as its extant counterpart – based on estimates from a partially reconstructed skeleton in the American Museum of Natural History.



I'm pretty sure the blue whale is the biggest mammal overall, but it's not a land walker.

Blue whale: Up to 100 feet long and 100-120 tons.

>158 brodiew2:. What a win that was, Brodie! The Bears sucked in the first half, and fell behind by a lot, but scored 25 points(!) in the 4th quarter to win it. Right, we’ll have to wait to see how it all shakes out to find out whether they’ll square off with Seattle, but at least Green Bsy is now in the rearview mirror.😀

Next

>159 jnwelch: Didn't whales walk on land? Not sure if they were blue!

^^^^^

Though not a mystery fan, I am totally enjoying re-reading The Midwich Cuckoos.

>161 jnwelch: I gave up on the Bears after they fell behind 21-3. I should have known better, given how many times they have mounted fourth quarter comebacks this season.

Although I am, of course, a diehard Eagles fan I don't expect the defending Super Bowl champions to defend their title, and I'm not convinced that they will beat the 49ers this afternoon. I would like to see the Bears and Bills face off in SB LX.

Happy 2026, Joe! >44 jnwelch: What a coincidence - I just listened to the audio of 84, Charing Cross Road (I’ve read it and have seen the movie but it’s been a few years). What a joy, the audio was great.

I received a copy of When the Cranes Fly South for Christmas so I’m glad to read your positive thoughts.

Nice work by the Bears last night!

>164 kidzdoc: My daughter has become an Eagles fan from hanging out with her best friends, one of whom is from Philadelphia. Has a jersey for bar outings.

>166 quondame: Nice!

Hi Joe. I'm finally getting started with my new year in LT. It was fifteen years ago this month that I joined this illustrious group!

I saw comments about When the Cranes Fly South on Mark's thread and I've added it to my list. It sounds terrific. I finished The Correspondent a couple of days ago and love, love, loved it. Have you read it yet?

Oh and... *whispers* Go Seahawks! xo

Sigh. If I was a betting man I would have done well on the results of today's first two NFL playoff games, as the Bills won on the road, and the Eagles lost at home. I suspect that the Eagles' star wide receiver A.J. Brown has played his last game in Philadelphia, after he dropped three huge passes and was chewed out by head coach Nick Sirianni in front of his teammates and the television cameras. The Eagles made way too many mistakes to win that game, and as I expected, the missed extra point after their first touchdown ended up being one of the key differences, as they had to go for a winning touchdown at the end of the game instead of a chip shot field goal that would have sent the game to overtime. We won the Super Bowl last season, and my expectations for this year's team were low, so it's hard for me to get upset about this loss.

>170 kidzdoc:. Yeah, I saw the end of the Eagles game, Darryl. My sympathy. Isn’t it striking how often a missed extra point has a major effect? That happened in the Bears-GB game, too. Their 4 point lead at the end, 31-27, made GB have to go for a TD rather than a field goal to tie.

No huge mistakes for the Bears, thank goodness. What a difference it makes having a good coach! And Ben Johnson knows how to manage the clock in the 4th quarter for these comebacks. 25 points in the 4th quarter by the Bears! Can you believe it?

>168 EBT1002:, >169 EBT1002:. The Seahawks look really good, Ellen. I bet MN is wishing they didn’t let Sam Darnold get away! I don’t expect the Bears to get past the Rams this weekend, but it’s here in Chicago, so maybe. Maybe the Seahwks and Bears will square off when the time comes.

I have not read The Correspondent, so you can bet I’ll be investigating that one. When the Cranes Fly South knocked Debb and me on our keisters, so I’m hopeful that it will be a chock full reading experience for you.

Great to see you here in the new year. I think i started in ‘08, but it feels like maybe 5 years ago.

>164 kidzdoc:. Another friend (in NY) gave up on the Bears when they were down 21-3, and I can’t blame either of you. The Bears sucked in the first half, and they were only slightly better in the 3d quarter. But one thing Bears fans have learned is that we have to watch this team all the way to the game’s end. I believe this is the 6th or 7th 4th quarter comeback for the Bears this season. Here, they’re calling them “The Cardiac Bears.”

I still think of you in Atlanta. Were you still an Eagles fan when you lived there? I won’t be surprised if the answer’s yes. I know you have strong ties there now made stronger. Sorry about the loss to SF. That missed extra point made a big difference in what happened in that last set of downs.

I’d love to see a Bears-Bills SB. Except that part of my heart would be with the Bills. They’ve had such hard luck in past SB’s that I’d be pulling for them against anyone else.

>165 Copperskye:. Thanks, Joanne. Happy 2026!

I envy you listening to that 84, Charing Cross Road audio. I can just imagine how good that must have been. I’m not really an audio book guy, especially since the stroke took away my driving, but this would be an exception.

I’m still over the moon positive about When the Cranes Fly South, and ditto for my dear wife. Still thinking about Bo and Sixten and the others, too. I hope it works well for you.

>166 quondame:. Sorry to see that Eagles loss, Susan. At least your daughter will have her fellow fans to commiserate with.

>167 kidzdoc:. 👍

Joe - see whales on #163!

>163 m.belljackson:. Thanks, Marianne! Ooo. Good one. I always think of dolphin ancestors leaving the land and returning to the sea, which I find extra interesting because they’re so smart. But I think the ancestry extends to whales and porpoises, too. All mammals, right?

“Yes, the ancestors of modern dolphins were four-legged, land-dwelling mammals that lived about 50 million years ago, with fossils like Pakicetus showing early relatives similar to small deer that hunted near water before gradually evolving into fully aquatic dolphins. While ancient dolphins didn't walk on land, their ancient predecessors did, transitioning from land to sea, developing flippers from legs, and losing hind limbs over millions of years, leaving behind vestigial pelvic bones as evidence of their terrestrial past.”

I’ve never read The Midwich Cuckoos but your enjoyment is piquing my interest.😀

>173 jnwelch: Kyle Brandt, one of the hosts of Good Morning Football on NFL Network, had an absolutely hilarious take on the Bears' comeback win. He grew up in suburban Chicago and played football for Princeton, although he didn't play in the NFL. He posted a series of tweets — or whatever it is that we call X posts these days — from Bears fans during the game which all talked about how bad the team was before their fourth quarter comebacks, and he interjected his own comments about these tweets, which had his fellow hosts all but crying in laughter; I was, too!

Yeah, IIRC that was the team's seventh second half comeback this season. I wonder if it's because of their sordid history in the playoffs against the Packers — did I understand correctly this was the first time they have defeated Green Bay in the postseason since 1941?! According to Google, that is correct, which is absolutely astounding. Yeah, I would assume that they would be called the Cardiac Bears!

Yes, I was absolutely an Eagles, Phillies and 76ers fan for the entire time I lived in Atlanta, from 1997-2021. Atlanta is a city of transplants, and many of the people who move there are far more likely to maintain their allegiances to the teams of the places they came from, or, worse yet, to adopt a popular or successful team like the Yankees, Lakers, Bulls, Steelers or (ugh) Cowboys. The one local team that traditionally garnered wide support was the Georgia Bulldogs, especially amongst people who grew up in the state; college football is historically far more popular in the Deep South, particularly in states like Alabama that didn't or don't have professional sports teams. However, Atlanta did gain two professional sports teams while I was living there, the Atlanta Dream of the WNBA, which was only modestly popular in comparison to teams such as the Indiana Fever, especially after they signed Caitlin Clark, and Atlanta United of Major League Soccer, which was wildly and spectacularly successful beginning with their first match, when they almost or completely sold out Georgia Tech's home stadium, which seats in the neighborhood of 50,000 people. They soon moved to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the new home of the NFL Falcons, after it was completed, and not infrequently they played in front of crowds of 60,000 to 70,000 fans, including several of the matches I attended with friends. Atlanta United was a success on the pitch from their first season, and the team became a huge story, both in the United States and especially in Europe, as fans there were astonished that an American club was that popular, especially in a Deep South city with no prior history of loyalty to soccer football. Even though the club isn't as good as it used to be most of us have maintained our loyalty to it, and even though the local team here, the Philadelphia Union, is currently more successful, I'll always be an Atlanta United supporter.

I'm not the least bit upset about the Eagles' loss yesterday. They didn't play well enough to win this season and didn't deserve to win yesterday, and since they won the Super Bowl last season they have tasted success in the recent past, with two SB wins in the past five seasons. As I said, they need a new offensive coordinator, and their diva WR needs to be shipped elsewhere, especially since they already have two top notch receivers, DeVonta Smith, who would be a WR1 on most teams and don't carry the emotional baggage that A.J. Brown does, and Jahan Dotson, who could definitely step into the WR2 slot.

>176 jnwelch: The Midwich Cuckoos is short and revealing and erudite!

Good grief, Joe, somehow I missed your thread in the changeover of the years. Happy (belated) new year! Striking toppers, as always. Hope your 2026 reads treat you well.

I've put When the Cranes Fly South on hold.

I do hope you read The Correspondent. I think you would appreciate it, as would Debbie.

>172 jnwelch: "I bet MN is wishing they didn’t let Sam Darnold get away!" Yup, especially as JJ McCarthy has rated a bust so far in my opinion

>176Another thumb or two UP for Midwich Cuckoos AKA "Village of the Damned"

Liked the movie liked the book better.

From Ms. Magazine re Adriana’s book:

In The Violence, Adriana E. Ramírez relates her family’s history against the backdrop of Colombia’s brutal civil war. It’s being heralded as a tour de force, and I am eager to read about a part of global history I know little about.

>183 jnwelch: Could Adriana also write a column like Robert Reich does?

>177 kidzdoc:. Hi, Darryl. “Recent” history of the Bears, post-1941, is pretty sordid; before that I think it was pretty peachy for the Bears. Most recently GB has had a series of high quality QBs and the Bears have - not. Except for the brief period of pre-injury Jim McMahon and the legendary ‘85 Bears, the SB winners. That’s why there’s been so much excitement now about Caleb Williams.

Thanks for the explanation of your Philly allegiances and Atlanta experience. I love that the Atlanta football soccer team did so well.

Yeah, I envy you and Philly those 2 out of the last 5 SB wins; what fun that must have been. As so many have said, in many ways it’s a children’s sport, but we sure enjoy getting caught up in it.

>178 m.belljackson:. Aces, Marianne. I’ll look for it.

>179 bell7:. Hi, Mary! I’m glad you found us. Happy New Year! The toppers are kind of a “door” to the cafe, so I try to make them noticeable and, with luck, striking, as you say. Mark has me on a long swim through Our Mutual Friend to start the year. Ebullient writing, and a lot of it.😀. Lots of canny, or uncanny, observations of our collective foibles; right now one of my favorite characters is getting his goodness twisted by unexpected money. I hope your reading year is starting off well.

>180 EBT1002:. Oh my, Ellen. I’m happy to hear you’ll be reading When Cranes Fly South. What a wonderful book. I’ll keep The Correspondent on our radar, for sure. I think Isola is next for me, as I try to gather in all the good ones.

>181 Oberon:. Hiya, Eric. I’m sorry that McCarthy isn’t doing better. He did look quite good at Michigan, but right now I’d take Darnold over him. I hope McC’s not a bust; we’ve had years of QB disappointments here, including pretty high draft picks. In can make such a big difference for the team.

I can remember one year when a team, I think Tampa Bay?, won a SB with a so-so QB, but that is so freaking rare.

>182 magicians_nephew:. Good to hear, Jim, about Midwich Cuckoos. You and Marianne have convinced me, and I’m trying to find an inexpensive copy. Did youikre his Day of the Triffids?

Today’s Bargain: Dangerous Visions edited by Harlan Ellison for $1.99 on e-readers.. The classic collection of science fiction stories. This one delighted my brain cells when I was a lad.

>144 jnwelch: That remark about being in Canada was like living above a meth lab, came from me Joe. And that was before all the latest surreal events going on down there.

>189 Familyhistorian:. Thanks, Meg. Such a good line! For me, it sums it up perfectly. Bunch of crazed yahoos milling around. Hopefully none of the debris will carry north if we explode.

>184 m.belljackson:. Thanks, Marianne. As a fan, I don’t think there’s much Adriana can’t do, and a Robert Reich-like blog is certainly a possibility. I’m thinking she may use this time for her book coming out, as author appearances are planned. We’ll see.

Today’s Bargains: Time and Again by Jack Finney and Spook by Mary Roach, each for $1.99 on e-readers.

Time and Again is a wonderful time travel story, one of the best I’ve read. (The Time Traveler’s Wife comes to mind.)

Our paranormal-intrigued daughter loves Spook, and Madame MBH loves Mary Roach. (I’ve enjoyed reading her, but Debbi is a passionate fan).

Time and Again is one of my all-time favourite reads and one of the very few rereads I've ever done. I sometimes wished a good director would have made a film of it, someone like Spielberg, Ron Howard or someone with that kind of imagination and compassion. No one ever did, as far as I know, and maybe it's just as well. I might have been disappointed. But it sure has all the elements: humour, romance, adventure, mystery, fun.

Happy New Year Joe!
Yikes, January is halfway through and I’m just getting around to that!

>192 jnwelch: I read Time and Again years ago and it was my favorite time travel story for years until I read 11-22-63 by Steven King which took the top spot in that genre (in my head). And as far as epistolary novels go, I found The Correspondent to be just as excellent as 84 Charing Cross Road.

Best of luck with the Bears. Very annoyed that I didn’t stick around for the end of the game since I was surprised the next morning. Must have been a great game. Here in New England we are enjoying our flutter with the play-offs; nobody predicted this at the beginning of the season! Totally understand why no one else wants them to win. Enough with the Super Bowl rings (thinks everyone in the rest of the country).

Isola is a good one. Enjoy!

>143 jnwelch: I totally agree with you Marianne!!

>123 jnwelch: WOW Joe, what an incredible image!

>193 jessibud2:. Isn’t Time and Again a spellbinder, Shelley? It’s a favorite for me, too. I liked re-reading it, but it’s been a long time for me. You’ve got me thinking about doing it again.

It’s hard to believe it was never made into a movie! The directors you mention would be perfect. (“Somewhere in Time” has some loose ties but is not it). I imagine that in this content-hungry time someone eventually will give it a go. An adaptation of Neuromancer is releasing soon; that’s another one I thought we’d see adapted before now.

>194 NarratorLady:. Hiya, Anne. Happy New Year! Yeah, the start of the year has been a little slip-slidey for me, too.

Time and Again is an oldie but goodie that holds up well as far as I know. I’m now thinking about a re-read, thanks to Shelley. In one of those quirks of life, I’m not drawn to reading Stephen King, although his wallet continues to fill up without me. I periodically give hin a go, his Fairy Tale a while ago, but the light never flips on. So I haven’t read 11-21-63. I did like The Time Travler’s Wife a lot.

I don’t often read epistolary novels, but 84. Charing Cross is such a gem of the genre. Helpful to hear The Correspondent measures up.

Thanks re the Bears. It looked like the Packers had the Bears down and out, so I think a lot of viewers quit before that agogging 4th Quarter. As I said to Darryl, Bears fans have learned over this comeback-strewn season to watch them to the very end. I’ve never seen the like. A lot is said about their ice-in-his-veins young quarterback, but I’m also amazed by the halftime coaching adjustments. In this one, the Bears couldn’t stop the Packers at all. In the second half they did, for the most part. What changed? Wish I was smart enough to know.

Ha! I know what you mean with everyone pulling for the Patriots to lose all those Super Bowl years. We had some of that with the Bulls during their NBA championships run. Although Jordan was so popular it was offset somewhat. I’m impressed that your Patriots are back in the thick of ot so soon after Brady retiring and Belicek leaving. That young QB Drake Maye is looking A+.

>195 EBT1002:. Thanks, Ellen. Brother Mark, like you, is enthused about, and the critics have their hands in the air for Isola, so I’m looking forward to it.

>196 Whisper1:. Thank you, Linda. It makes me feel good to hear someone else appreciate >123 jnwelch:. I love that one. I’m a rainy day guy anyway. My Scottish ancestry? Who knows, but it calls out to my heart.

I hope all is well for you, and the PA winter is bearable with its own lovely moments.

Happy Friday, Joe. I hear you've been singing the praises of Dungeon Crawler Carl. I finished Crooks last night and,'without skipping a beat, picked up my copy of Dungeon Crawler Carl. I really enjoyed the first chapter. It's quite a page Turner, and the first person narrative style is cheeky and compelling.

>199 brodiew2:. Hiya, Brodie. Oh, I think you’ll have a great time with Dungeon Crawler Carl and his partner Princess Donut. It’s a page turner all right! Reading purely for fun, what a concept. Enjoy, Brodie.

Today’s Bargain: Towards Zero by Agatha Christie for $1.99 on e-readers. . One of her best.

Saturday’s Bargains: City of Thieves by David Benioff and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey, each for $1.99 on Kindle.

The first is a superb novel set in Nazi-besieged Leningrad. Two prisoners must complete an impossible task or die.

The other is the miraculous, near-perfect novel featuring the unforgettable Randall McMurphy squared off against the venomous Nurse Ratchett.

Hi Joe = today's cheerful reading from thrift = DR. SEUSS GOES TO WAR.

My cheerful hope is that, to celebrate Dr. King's Birthday,
trump invades Greenland
and Finally Turns The Whole World Against Him.

From brother Mark today. Appropriate with MLK Day tomorrow:

Martin Luther King Jr. Mourns Trayvon Martin
by Lauren K. Alleyne

For you, son,
I dreamed a childhood
unburdened by hate;
a boyhood of adventure—
skinned knees and hoops,
first loves and small rebellions;
I dreamed you whole
and growing into your own
manhood, writing its definitions
with your daily being.
I dreamed you alive, living.

For you, America’s African heir,
I dreamed a future
of open doors, of opportunity
without oppression,
of affirmation and action,
I dreamed Oprah and Obama
I dreamed Colin and Condoleezza
I dreamed doctors and dancers,
lawyers and linebackers, models,
musicians, mechanics, preachers
and professors and police, authors,
activists, astronauts, even,
all black as Jesus is.

I dreamed you dapper—
the black skin of you
polished to glow; your curls,
your kinks, your locs,
your bald, your wild,
your freshly barbered—
all beautiful.

I dreamed you wearing whatever the hell you want
and not dying for it.

For you, brother,
I dreamed a world softened
by love, free from the fear
that makes too-early ancestors of our men;
turns our boys into targets,
headlines, and ghosts.

I had a dream
that my children will one day live
in a nation where they will not be judged
by the color of their skin

but by the content of their character.
Sweet song of my sorrow.
Sweet dream, deferred.
For you, gone one, I dreamed
justice—her scales tipped
away from your extinction,
her eyes and arms unbound
and open to you
at last.

>203 m.belljackson:. Good for you, Marianne, with the Dr.Seuss war book. Hmm.

There may be a few holdouts, particularly from authoritarian countries, but I think Monsieur Drumpf has most of the whole world against him. Greenland to me, while a headline grabber, is another attempt to deflect attention from the Epstein file.

I know you’ll appreciate the MLK poem in >204 jnwelch:.

Thank You, Joe.

>206 m.belljackson:. 😀

Today’s Bargain: The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek for $1.99 on Kindle.. I loved this one. The Blue People of Kentucky! New to me - what an eye-opener.

>208 jnwelch: Joe, I recently read The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. It was amazing to learn about the Blue People of Kentucky! I am always amazed at what is learned from reading. So many of the illustrated books I read teach me a lot of things I never knew!
I hope to read the next book regarding her daughter.

>204 jnwelch: What a beautiful, mournful poem. So poignant.

I just wanted to stop by to tell you I'm watching the game and rooting for the Bears on behalf of you and Mark. It would be fun to talk a wee bit of smack next weekend if they are the team traveling to Seattle to play my Hawks. xo

>209 Whisper1:. Hi, Linda. Yes, me, too. I love what I learn from reading. The Blue People were completely new to me. I researched it while reading, because I doubted it could be true.

The Book Woman’s Daughter is really good, too.

>210 EBT1002:. Isn’t that a moving poem, Ellen. In some ways we’ve made a lot of progress since MLK, in some ways none, as the poem reminds us.

I thought if the Bears made it past the Rams (so close!) they’d have approximately zero chance of beating the Seahawks. But it would’ve been fun to try and talk some trash. That was an exciting Bears game, wasn’t it? Caleb Williams’ arm is phenomenal. That tying TD! One for the ages.

Anyway, for me your team will be the SB winner. They look formidable this year. As I said to some poor Viking fan (Erik, I think), the Vikings must be kicking themselves for letting Sam Darnold get away.

"That tying TD! One for the ages." Amen to that. Bummer about that interception in OT. They could have won it on that drive. Terrific season. Beef up that defense and we should be good to go in September.

Thanks for sharing that MLK poem. Very fitting.

Happy Monday, Joe. We have Jackson over but I am still hoping to finish OMF.

>190 jnwelch: A self-contained explosion would be best, I think. Preferably before any moves are made against Greenland.

>211 jnwelch: I really wanted the Bears to win that game. It was hard fought. Turnovers often tell the tale. Let's go, Hawks! When it comes to the Rams, I feel like saying: 'Once more, unto the breach!'

Today’s Bargain: Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson for $1.99 on e-readers.. Loved this one about an interracial romance.

>6 jnwelch: I am just catching up! I am so glad that I joined this group. So many fantastic reads. This one looks like it will be great.

>216 supertalya:. Hi, Talya! We’re mighty glad you joined, too. My reading quality went significantly up after joining LT. You’re right, you find an abundance of riches here.

I’m so glad you spotted The Violence. That’s by our DIL Adriana, and I can’t wait to read it!

>212 msf59:. Hiya, Mark. “Beef up that defense and we should be good to go” sounds right to me. Caleb showe up at Hawks game on Fri and the Bulls game on Sat - both times the crowd went nuts.😀

I’m glad you ended up liking Our Mutual Friend. Four stars sounds right. Not one of his best. My favorite of his, Bleak House, is on sale today.

I hope to finish Isola today, and then it’s time for the new Harry Dresden, Twelve Months.

>213 Familyhistorian:. Yes, i don’t want to wish ill to anyone, but the Orange Incompetent severely tests that sentiment. I wonder what he’ll come up with next to distract us from the Epstein files. He’s getting desperate.

>214 brodiew2:. Thanks re the Bears, Brodie. It was a hard fought game, and the Bears were so close to winning. Ah well, as I said, i think your Hawks would’ve smushed them if they had. I’m pulling for Seattle now. With Bo Nix out, it looks like New England has a pass to the Super Bowl, but you never know.

Tuesday’s Bargains: Bleak House by Charles Dickens and Some Buried Caesar by Rex Stout, each for $1.99 on e- readers.

Bleak House is his best, IMO.

Some Buried Caesar is a good starter book if you want to give a go to Nero Wolfe.

I thought our Canadian Prime Minister's speech yesterday in Davos was excellent and timely. He used far too many *big words* for trump to understand. But maybe (doubtful but maybe) someone on *his team* will know how to use a dictionary and can translate for him. He won't be happy once he understands what Carney has said but, what else is new?

>218 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. I don't normally disagree with you, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say I think Our Mutual Friend is Dickens' best novel--although not the one I enjoy the most. I think it's the most intricately plotted, with so many twists and turns. It's the least sentimental of his novels and it also has characters that change and grow over the course of the novel--particularly Bella Wilfer and Eugene Wrayburn. But it's hard to love, like Bleak House or David Copperfield or my personal favorite Little Dorrit.

>219 jnwelch: I heard an interesting comment last night--we elected (well, not you or me personally...) Trump and he's plenty bad for America, but we did something even worse: we elected a leader who is bad for the world. It will never be the same again.

>221 jessibud2: I heard parts of Carney's speech, Shelley, and it was so good. I need to find a recording of the entire thing.

Hi Joe - just wanted to thank you for your recommendation of When The Cranes Fly South. It was so realistic and carried such emotional intensity that I had to finish in two sittings. I was really struck by the presence of the "carers" and wish we could boast of such an impactful system. I think this one will stay with me.

>221 jessibud2:. Agreed re the Canadian prime minister’s speech, Shelley. What an embarrassing contrast to our president’s bombastic drivel. The depths of his stupidity remain astounding. But Carney is representing you all so well. I envy you having someone sane and articulate.

>222 kac522:. Thanks, Kathy. What took MF down a substantial peg for me was Boffin’s “transformation” into a complete bastard due to money (which seemed way too heavy-handed when I first read it) and the later revelation that it was all play-acting to get Bella to realize her love for Rokesmith/Harmon. Way too far over the top for me. And Mrs. Boffin’s despair being playacting! That was way too inconsistent with her character. For me, very disappointing. I know we often have to suspend disbelief with Dickens, e.g. the exact lookalikes in A Tale of Two Cities, but this one bothered me too much to rate this one as high as his others.

Little Dorrit is another one I haven’t gotten to. You inspire me to make it my next.

You’re right about Trump being bad for the world and it never being the same again. Who’s going to trust us now, knowing that in 4 years someone like him may get elected. It’s such a sad one. These are very hard lessons we’re learning.

>223 kac522:. 👍

>224 vivians:. Hi, Vivian! Thanks so much for letting me know about When the Cranes Fly South. What a beautiful book. Like you, this one will stay with me. I told Mark I still think about it just about every day.

I agree with you about their home caregiving system. Oh, I wish. We needed home caregivers for my dad toward the end, and having a community system like Bo’s would’ve been so wonderful. I loved Ingrid. What a difference she made.

>225 jnwelch: Our Plan of Action could feature an Alert for a Thousand People to immediately come and
stand in front of the door where ICE is headed. Then call The Fire Department to block them in.

Today’s Bargains: Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison and Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson, each for $1.99 on e-readers.

Song of Solomon: can you believe I haven’t read this one? Bad Joe. One of her most esteemed offerings.

Kindness Goes Unpunished: this is a top tier Walt Longmire story, with him going to Philadelphia for his daughter.

>225 jnwelch: That's an interesting point about the Boffins. I'm more bothered that Bella was part of a "trick" about Mr Boffin AND that Rokesmith is really John Harmon. That's a lot of deceit for anyone to forgive and forget--I'm not sure I would have trusted Harmon or the Boffins afterwards. Upon re-reading, I remember feeling Mrs Boffin's despair is real--not at her husband--but guilt at seeing Bella go through all those upsetting emotions watching Mr Boffin. I remember feeling hints in the text that the longer it carried on, the less Mrs Boffin wanted to be part of it. But I'm just starting that section now, and will read more closely.

>229 kac522:. Thanks, Kathy. Any additional thoughts are welcome.

>227 m.belljackson:. 👍. Good plan, Marianne.

*flees Chuckles the Dick discussion*

>231 richardderus: I thought we might chase after you in the Dickmobile, but that seemed like such a bad idea! 😀

Hello Joe. I finally watched episode one of Starfleet Academy. It was not as bad as I was expecting. I even enjoyed parts of it.

Random Question: Have you read any James McBride? I was thinking of reading Deacon King Kong this year.

" Four stars sounds right. Not one of his best." You still gave it 5 stars. You are a true Dickens devotee. Bleak House remains my favorite.

>225 jnwelch: We are in complete agreement here, even after the twist is revealed. That was especially cruel to Bella.

Sweet Thursday, Joe. Battening down the hatchets with this arctic deep freeze blowing in. Tomorrow will be a fine time to stay indoors with the books.

>229 kac522: I completely agree with your spoiler comments, Kathy. Poor Bella.

>232 jnwelch:

>236 richardderus:. 😀. I hoped you’d enjoy that one, RD.

>233 brodiew2:. Hiya, Brodie. Good to hear re Starfleet Academy. I haven’t tried it yet because our smart tv is very confused right now and will need straightening out. Are you a Fallout fan? We liked the first season and what we’ve seen so far of the second one.

Yes, I think highly of James McBride’s books, and Deacon King Kong is a particularly good one. You’ll be glad you read it. I thought likewise of his newer Heaven and Earth Grocery Store.

>234 msf59:. You caught me, Mark. I said 5 stars to you because it was Dickens, but I’ve since revised my thinking for the reasons I gave Kathy in >225 jnwelch:.

I’m glad you agree with my thinking in >225 jnwelch:. It was hard on Bella, you’re right. That’s another reason to question it. Kathy is re-reading OMF, I believe, and it’ll be interesting to see what she thinks.

Sweet Thursday, buddy. Poor Becca has to go into work at her Catholic school tomorrow, even though the public schools will be closed because of the dangerous cold. A friend is giving her a ride to work at least. She normally takes the bus, which would be a scary cold adventure. Did you see they even cancelled the Polar Club’s annual Polar Plunge into the lake? That’s when you know it’s really bad. 😀

I’ll be enjoying Twelve Months tomorrow, that new Harry Dresden book. Perfect day for it.

>235 msf59: i agree with both you and Kathy about its effect on Bella.

Here is Adriana’s article about Trump’s first year, under the headlie “ Trump Establishes Legacy”:

Donald Trump is keenly aware of his legacy. Otherwise, why would he care about renaming venerated institutions after himself? And why declare his own birthday a free admission day at national parks after canceling the same status for MLK Day and Juneteenth?
A year into his second term, though, and Trump is struggling, his legacy in danger. As the newspaper The Independent put it, citing a SSRS survey for CNN, “a majority of Americans believe President Donald Trump’s first year back in the White House has been a ‘failure’ and that he has spent too much time of it focusing on the wrong priorities.”
While most of the poll considers how Trump has handled the economy, international relations, law and order, immigration and abuses of power, there’s a telling result at the bottom of the results: “The poll also revealed a shift in perceptions regarding the president as a person, with just one in three telling SSRS/​CNN they believed Trump cares about people like them, down from 40 percent in March.”
I’m honestly surprised, given his track record, that one third of those polled actually think he cares about them.
The good
I’ll say this: President Trump promised to release the files surrounding the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and he did. He promised to remove us from the Paris Climate accords, and he did. He declared he would support the fossil fuels industry, and he has.
He has closed the border, as promised. He has waged war against transgender people, as promised. He made his tax cuts permanent, as promised.
We can debate how good any of these promises actually were, certainly. Those of us who care about climate change might be horrified, as are those of us who care about equal rights, humanitarian causes and refugees. But this is exactly what his supporters wanted.
And sure, the Trump tax cuts, “stand to benefit the highest income earners” according to the Treasury’s Office of Tax Analysis, with very little actually making it to the middle class, but this is another promise he made to the American people and one he fulfilled.
For Trump and his acolytes, these are his victories, his attainments, and as the White House put it in a press release, “he has unquestionably delivered.”
The bad
But Trump’s biggest promise, the one that he rode into office, was to reduce the cost of living. A worldwide pandemic, and a loss in human productivity, led to an increase in the cost of goods during President Joe Biden’s tenure. And despite the U.S. hurting less than the rest of the world, people were unhappy with prices and wanted lower costs.
Trump promised to change all that by leaning into tariffs and protectionism. But he hasn’t. Almost two-thirds of respondents to the SSRS survey (63%) said that Trump has not done enough. That included 42% of Republicans, who said “more needs to be done to lower the price of groceries and everyday goods.”
And while the entire world is in the middle of an affordability crisis, the Trump presidency has only made things worse for average Americans than needed. Tariffs have driven up prices, shutting down solar and wind projects has diminished our energy supply and his Congress passed Trump-supported legislation that will increase health costs for at least 22 million Americans directly and the rest of us indirectly.
In this regard, Trump has been an absolute failure. And while he can try to blame the Biden administration for economic issues, the longer he does so, the more he reveals his inability to handle or grasp the enormity of the problem.
The ugly
Thanks to Trump’s aggressive local deployment of border enforcement officials, civil unrest is at an all-time high. His obsession with imperial expansion into Greenland has us on the verge of a World War with NATO and Europe (who were our staunch allies a year ago). His invitation to have DOGE eliminate waste only increased our spending by 6%, failed to reduce our budget, and eliminated many members of the government workforce whose knowledge and skills the government still needs.
We’re not a better country today than we were a year ago, by no objective measure. There are fewer people employed than a year ago. There is less trust in the government. There are more protests and anger.
But Trump is already crowing victory, promoting all the amazing things he has done for the people of the world. But like his assertion that he’s ended eight wars, it’s pretty easy to debunk almost all his claimed accomplishments with a little research.
Still, he’ll continue to tout his wins, and some will continue to believe him. But most of us will not. As two-thirds of polled Americans noted, it’s because his actions have never been to benefit ordinary people. From his policies to his pardons-for-cash, it’s clear that Trump is only interested in enriching himself and his friends, other billionaires.
And on that measure, a year into office and a year into massive increases to his net worth, it cannot be denied, he’s been a wild success.

>239 jnwelch:- I hope trump and his *team* don't read Adriana's article. They will tell her she isn't grateful enough. Sounds very familiar to me, these days.

She is smart, and very articulate, something that trump is very afraid of and could never attain, even if he understood the power of that.

In his long, rambling, almost incoherent rambles over the last 2 days, trump sounded quite unwell. More than usual. Maybe the end is nearing. One can only hope.

His long rambling speeches are nothing new. He did that in his first term. He is still doing it. It is because he is constantly deflecting to topics that he knows his base loves to hear. As to actually saying something of substance, he can't. I hope that Moscow Mitch and that toady Mike Johnson are happy with the implementation of all they hoped and wished for.

>237 jnwelch: I am a Fallout fan as well. I may be an episode behind. I know that Walton Goggins made a plea on his own Instagram account that people watch the the recent episode because of the amazing writing and character actions. I'll catch up on it soon.

After watching the second episode of Starfleet Academy, I'm not too proud to say that I think it's one of the better hours of track I've watched in a while. The show is not as serious minded as other attempts. The characters and actor choices are good. It's pretty entertaining.

Thanks for the thumbs up on James McBride. I read his Miracle at St Anna a few years back and really enjoyed it.

>242 brodiew2:
I have read two books by James McBride. Miracle at St Anna and Good Lord Bird. I enjoyed both of them, but I liked Miracle at St Anna the best. My real life book club will be reading Deacon King Kong this summer and I do want to read Heaven and Earth Grocery Store. I think that McBride is a very good author. At times some things he writes are hard to read, but overall, I think he is an author who should get much more attention than he gets.

>243 benitastrnad: did you see the Ethan Hawke television miniseries for the Good Lord Bird? He is so good in it and the entire production also.

>243 benitastrnad: I will join you, Benita, if I may, when you read that one in summer.

Today’s Bargain: Americanah by Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie for $1.99 on e-readers. Terrific book. Two star-crossed lovers from Nigeria; one goes to America, one goes to London.

>240 jessibud2:. She’s a naturalized citizen, Shelley. Her biggest fear has been the Trumpies will try to deport her. With the newspaper shut down, the trolls (yes, poor Adri has attracted many) will have to go somewhere else.

I know, Trump sure appears to be losing it. When Magas complain about Biden, i remind them about what a successful president he was, and that he’d be in the White House if he hadn’t unfortunately gotten too old. Then I also point out that Trump obviously has gotten too old.

>241 benitastrnad:. Agreed, Benita. I truly am most angry (Buddhists aren’t supposed to get angry, Joe!) at Mitch McConnell. He has hurt us all so much, starting with that egregious refusal to even consider Obama’s pick, Garland, for the Supreme Court. To me, Mike Johnson's just a pathetic toadie.

>242 brodiew2:. Oh good, Brodie. We’ve really enjoyed Fallout, although we’re on hiatus for a while while my bride is in Pittsburgh with the nietos.

Glad to hear it re Star trek Academy. The STs are always better when humor is a featured element, IMO. This one is in our future. I’ve been seeing a number of favorable critical takes.

That’s a McBride I haven’t read, so thanks for mentioning it. I loved his Color of Water years ago, a memoir involving his Jewish mother.

>243 benitastrnad:. Hi, Benita. I haven’t read Good Lord Bird either; good to hear you liked it. I think you’ll be very happy with the two of his you’ve got coming up.

>244 brodiew2:. Jeez, Brodie, that, believe it or not, is the first I’ve heard of the Good Lord Bird tv adaptation. Adding it to the TBS (to be seen). Hawke just got nominated for a movie Oscar.

>245 PaulCranswick:. Sounds like a plan, Paul, and a good one.

>225 jnwelch: I really enjoyed and agreed with your spoiler comments on OMF. I would even let the play acting go if it wasn't so darn cruel to Bella. Why did they ever think that this was a good idea? Especially the Missus...

I will swing back and check out the Adriana piece.

Joe - Buddhist Prayers to Oberon and John Simpson and - our Country...

Is anyone else here excited about there being a new Harry Dresden novel, Twelve Months? It’s been quite a while since the last. The author, Jim Butcher, indicated a year of personal problems contributed to the delay.

I’m ways into it, and it feels good to be back in Harry’s Chicago, with all his supporting characters except, of course, the late Karrin Murphy. Although she’s very much on Harry’s mind, and gets a lot of mentions.

>252 jnwelch:
That is one series of which I have not read a single book. I have a couple of the early ones in my collection, but no reading done on them. I am, however, really wanting to read the second book in the Aeronaut's Windlass series. I loved the first book. I thought the second was to have been published last year, but then it wasn't.

>252 jnwelch: Thanks for the heads up. I've reserved a copy. I may see it sometime this year....

Hi Joe, mate, we had a great Christmas and New Year but the last couple of weeks have been a bit traumatic but hopefully things are back on an even keel and we hope for a quiet rest of the year. On the 13th i had to have a Catheter fitted but on the 19th i made an appointment to see my Doctor who immediately contacted the Urology dept at our hospital, i was put on a list to be phoned when they could get me seen. At 6.20pm that night i got a call to make my way immediately to the Urology dept, they must have seen my blood test results and realised that i needed seeing asap.

The upshot was that they had put the Catheter into my prostate and it was not doing as it should have, they put a new, larger Catheter in and it began to flow like a flood. This meant that i was to be kept in and put on a drip. The following morning i saw the Surgeon and he explained that if i had left it for a few more days i would have had Renal failure. I was kept in until late on Thursday afternoon when my blood tests were at a level where he was happy to discharge me, i have to have an operation to cut a groove down my prostate to allow my urine to flow easier, this will be done by laser but it could be a year before it is done. I have caught up on my lost sleep but tire easily at the moment and my reading verve has come back.

Sending love and hugs to you, Debbi and the family from both of us dear friend.

>255 johnsimpson: Hi John, and forgive me for butting in. I was very sorry to read about your episode of severe urinary obstruction; that sounds quite serious! Have you been diagnosed with benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) or something more significant? Have you had your serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) checked? Are you taking any medications for your prostate? I was diagnosed with BPH by my late father’s urologist in early 2022, shortly after he died, on the basis of an abnormal digital rectal exam which revealed an enlarged prostate, along with an elevated serum PSA. I’m currently taking three medications for my prostate: finasteride, which shrinks my prostate and lowers my PSA; oxybutynin, which decreases any bladder spasms that could cause me to urinate more frequently; and tamsulosin, which improves the flow of urine through my urethra. The medications have worked well, as most nights I’m able to sleep without having to wake up to urinate.

Although my symptoms are better my PSA continues to be mildly elevated; they would be considerably higher than normal if I wasn’t on finasteride, though. Because of that my urologist has ordered an MRI of my prostate to look for evidence of early prostate cancer. My father had prostate cancer, although the urologist told me that it was both high grade and slow growing and that it would not claim his life, considering that he was in his 80s when it was detected. He wants to be more conservative with me, in case that I am diagnosed with cancer in my mid 60s. My best friend up here is 65 yo and shockingly has metastatic prostate cancer, so I had no problem agreeing to get the MRI.

Feel free to reach out to me if I can be of any help, as I've learned a lot about BPH in the past few years. The urologist did mention that one option for BPH is Urolift, an outpatient procedure in which a probe is inserted in the urethra and several implants are placed into the enlarged prostate to improve the flow of urine through the urethra. Because I have responded well to medication management I haven’t considered getting a Urolift.

Hi Joe. I'm watching my Seahawks (who are up 10-6 but just had a *terrible* drive and had to punt) and taking a tour of LT.

>239 jnwelch: Excellent piece she wrote there. These are horrifying days and each day just seems to get more horrifying.

I don't know the Jim Butcher series with Harry Dresden. I must investigate.

Joe - tried to forward a great new column today from Minoqua Brewing and got blocked...

Today’s Bargain: The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett for $1.99 on Kindle. An excellent historical novel about a cathedral being built in medieval England, and the lives surrounding it. Beyond the price, it’s a good choice for an e-reader because it’s a bit of a doorstop in length.

>257 EBT1002: What a game! Nail biting shootout. Go Seahawks!

>251 m.belljackson:, >258 m.belljackson:. Thank you for the modt welcome Buddhist prayers, Marianne. I did an all day meditation sesshin yesterday. I needed a physical workout after all that single focus!

Thanks for trying to forward the article, and sorry to hear it got blocked. What’s its title? Maybe I can Google it?

>253 benitastrnad:. Hi, Benita. There’s no way to read everything out there, so no worries. But I do recommend trying the first one to find out whether it’s your flavor. As you can tell, I’ve had a very satisfying ride with the Dresden Files, and halfway through the new one, I’m finding it just as good as the others. (There was one early one, the second or third, that was weaker, but, thank goodness, it was an outlier).

Like you, I thoroughly enjoyed The Aeronaut’s Windlass and i’m drumming my fingers waiting for the second one.

>254 quondame:. Ha! You’re welcome, Susan. That’s why I mainly request GNs and older books at the library. The long waits for the newer ones are aggravating, and I never know when they’re suddenly going to drop into my life.

>255 johnsimpson:. Holey Moley, john, thanks for letting me know me know. You poor guy! A few days later it would’ve been renal failure! Good for you and your doctors for catching it in time. Yikes! Those kind of health scares sure have us counting our blessings.

My father had (treatable) prostate cancer, so they watch me like a hawk. I annually have the kind of testing Darryl describes in >256 kidzdoc:. So far, so good. Like Darryl, I take Tamsulosin for urinary flow. Ain’t it grand to get older? Good thing we’re now so darn wise.

My best wishes forcthe upcoming laser surgery. I’m sure they’re masters of it. I’m so impressed by whatvthey can do these days. Debbi’s heart surgery was so efficiently welcome!

>256 kidzdoc:. Thanks, Darryl. Lots of good points for John to consider. Likre you, I’m taking Tamsulosin, but I haven’t had to go any further on that front, thank goodness. At least they’re managing to keep jalopy me running pretty smoothly. I’ve got yo do my best to stay alive or Debbi will kill me. 😀

>257 EBT1002:. What a game against the Rams, Ellen. That was exciting! Mark and I both see the Hawks as the SB winner over New England. They look really good.

Thanks re Adriana’s article. She’s such a smartypants.

Yes, every day seems to be more horrifying now than the one before. Has it gotten so horrifying that our do-nothing Congress will do something? ICE needs to be shut down. Lying Kristi Noem needs to go. Deteriorating, demented Trump needs to go. The midterms offer some hope, but they’re too far away.

The Dresden Files: have you ever enjoyed urban fantasy? If so, this is a great urban fantasy series. If not, but you want to check it out anyway, Storm Front is the first one.

>261 jnwelch: Do you mean the 3rd? The Olympian Affair is long out. I’m not a cat person, so the series has limited appeal.

>262 jnwelch: I always have so many books that long waits for books by authors not on my most favored list don’t mix annoy me.

>260 brodiew2:. Hi, Brodie. Go Seahawks! What an exciting game that was against the Rams. Mark and I kept texting back and forth about exactly that.

As I said to Ellen, the Seahawks look like they’ll win the SB. Good luck!

>263 quondame:. Thanks, Susan. Yes, thank you, the third. I’m not the world’s biggest cat fan, although we did have Dora and Grace way back when, before our daughter got diagnosed with asthma. But I thought the first one in particular was awfully good.

>256 kidzdoc:, Hi Darryl mate, since i saw the Neurologist and found out that i had Cervical Spine Stenosis and one of the symptoms is Bladder and Bowel Dysfunction, it made a lot of sense in that i would need to go for a wee, but halfway through, it would stop as the mind is saying that i need to poo. I would try to poo, sometimes i would defecate but most time it would be a release of wind or nothing at all. Then the little voice would say wipe your bottom, obviously if i had done something i would but a release of wind or nothing, then no, at this point the voice in my head says if you don't wipe your bottom, you won't finish your wee and so i would do as told and then finish my wee.

The meds i am on make me constipated and so for quite a while i have taken Dulcoease or Dulcolax to help me out. In November i was losing a lot of blood when defecating, i knew from my Colonoscopy sample that there was nothing wrong and that it was just a burst pile but i went to the doctors just to get confirmation. I saw a doctor at another practice, he confirmed it was a burst pile but said that my prostate was slightly enlarged, he wasn't overly worried but suggested a PSA test. I had a PSA test and blood test done and then got an appointment for an MRI on my Prostate.

I went for my MRI and had a wee before it was done, as i was getting dressed the young nurse came to me to say that my bladder was rather full and did i need a wee, i said no and i was advised to go to A&E. I duly went and before i checked in i went to have a wee, by the time i was called i had had another wee. All that was done was i was asked for a sample and just had enough for that. I was then left on a seat before being told to go back to the waiting room, as it was Christmas Eve i decided to go home. I was called and told if i had a problem, then i had to go to A&E.

I got a call before New Year to say that i didn't need a biopsy and then got an appointment to go to the Urology dept at Pontefract hospital. I saw the Consultant and immediately he said i hadn't got Cancer but that my bladder was full. I did a urine flow test and expelled 330ml of urine but after the bladder scan, it showed that i had 580ml left in my bladder and that i needed a Catheter fitted. As it was they could do it there and then, it was bloody painful when she put it in and the pain did not ease until early evening. I was told to go to the Blood test room and have a blood test done and then i could go home and they would contact the district nurse. I received a large package of bags and tubes along with what they gave me 6before leaving. This was on the 13th January.

On Monday 19th i was not happy with what it was doing, the only way urine was expelled was if i pushed as if wanting to poo and then only five pushes. I got an appointment and when i told the doctor he got straight on the phone to the main Urology dept at Pinderfields hospital, they were very busy and i was put on a list to phoned when a slot available. I believe that they looked at my blood test results as i got a call at 6.20pm to make my way to the dept immediately. I got there at 6.50pm and told them what had gone on and they said OMG. The Sister got me to get undressed and they then took the Catheter out, it had gone into my Prostate and fitted a larger Catheter into the bladder after i had had a bladder scan, my urine was going into my Kidneys, the new Catheter worked like a dream, red urine flowed out like Niagara Falls. I was put on an IV drip and found a bed.

The following morning the surgeon said that if i had left it it until the end of the week i would have gone into Renal failure, i would not be released until my various levels that were tested regularly were at a point where i could go home. I will need to continue with the Catheter, a tap one, until definitive BOO surgery and i have been listed for a GLLP as that was what i preferred. I hope all this makes sense. The nerve damage i ahve from the stenosis means i am not getting the signals, the amount of urine in my bladder after i had urinated should have had me wanting to urinate more but i wasn't feeling anything.

>261 jnwelch: Joe - We could spend a long time on Buddhist prayers for John!
I read this on his thread and have been so sad that it took so many months for doctors to recognize what needed to be done...
good this was finally dealt with and hoping that the surgery is soon and goes smoothly.

^^^^^

You and Adriana might want to subscribe (free) to Minoqua Brewing Company -
check out their older columns and see today's:

"They are Done Gaslighting - This is Escalation."

Owner can be a little odd, but columnists are unflinching in criticism.

The BBC put together a fascinating list of the Top 100 British novels in 2015, based on polling 82 non-British critics from around the world.

The critics named 228 novels in all. These are the top 100.

100. The Code of the Woosters (PG Wodehouse, 1938)
99. There but for the (Ali Smith, 2011)
98. Under the Volcano (Malcolm Lowry,1947)
97. The Chronicles of Narnia (CS Lewis, 1949-1954)
96. Memoirs of a Survivor (Doris Lessing, 1974)
95. The Buddha of Suburbia (Hanif Kureishi, 1990)
94. The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner (James Hogg, 1824)
93. Lord of the Flies (William Golding, 1954)
92. Cold Comfort Farm (Stella Gibbons, 1932)
91. The Forsyte Saga (John Galsworthy, 1922)
90. The Woman in White (Wilkie Collins, 1859)
89. The Horse’s Mouth (Joyce Cary, 1944)
88. The Death of the Heart (Elizabeth Bowen, 1938)
87. The Old Wives’ Tale (Arnold Bennett,1908)
86. A Legacy (Sybille Bedford, 1956)
85. Regeneration Trilogy (Pat Barker, 1991-1995)
84. Scoop (Evelyn Waugh, 1938)
83. Barchester Towers (Anthony Trollope, 1857)
82. The Patrick Melrose Novels (Edward St Aubyn, 1992-2012)
81. The Jewel in the Crown (Paul Scott, 1966)
80. Excellent Women (Barbara Pym, 1952)
79. His Dark Materials (Philip Pullman, 1995-2000)
78. A House for Mr Biswas (VS Naipaul, 1961)
77. Of Human Bondage (W Somerset Maugham, 1915)
76. Small Island (Andrea Levy, 2004)
75. Women in Love (DH Lawrence, 1920)
74. The Mayor of Casterbridge (Thomas Hardy, 1886)
73. The Blue Flower (Penelope Fitzgerald, 1995)
72. The Heart of the Matter (Graham Greene, 1948)
71. Old Filth (Jane Gardam, 2004)
70. Daniel Deronda (George Eliot, 1876)
69. Nostromo (Joseph Conrad, 1904)
68. A Clockwork Orange (Anthony Burgess, 1962)
67. Crash (JG Ballard 1973)
66. Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen, 1811)
65. Orlando (Virginia Woolf, 1928)
64. The Way We Live Now (Anthony Trollope, 1875)
63. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Muriel Spark, 1961)
62. Animal Farm (George Orwell, 1945)
61. The Sea, The Sea (Iris Murdoch, 1978)
60. Sons and Lovers (DH Lawrence, 1913)
59. The Line of Beauty (Alan Hollinghurst, 2004)
58. Loving (Henry Green, 1945)
57. Parade’s End (Ford Madox Ford, 1924-1928)
56. Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit (Jeanette Winterson, 1985)
55. Gulliver’s Travels (Jonathan Swift, 1726)
54. NW (Zadie Smith, 2012)
53. Wide Sargasso Sea (Jean Rhys, 1966)
52. New Grub Street (George Gissing, 1891)
51. Tess of the d’Urbervilles (Thomas Hardy, 1891)
50. A Passage to India (EM Forster, 1924)
49. Possession (AS Byatt, 1990)
48. Lucky Jim (Kingsley Amis, 1954)
47. The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (Laurence Sterne, 1759)
46. Midnight’s Children (Salman Rushdie, 1981)
45. The Little Stranger (Sarah Waters, 2009)
44. Wolf Hall (Hilary Mantel, 2009)
43. The Swimming Pool Library (Alan Hollinghurst, 1988)
42. Brighton Rock (Graham Greene, 1938)
41. Dombey and Son (Charles Dickens, 1848)
40. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Lewis Carroll, 1865)
39. The Sense of an Ending (Julian Barnes, 2011)
38. The Passion (Jeanette Winterson, 1987)
37. Decline and Fall (Evelyn Waugh, 1928)
36. A Dance to the Music of Time (Anthony Powell, 1951-1975)
35. Remainder (Tom McCarthy, 2005)
34. Never Let Me Go (Kazuo Ishiguro, 2005)
33. The Wind in the Willows (Kenneth Grahame, 1908)
32. A Room with a View (EM Forster, 1908)
31. The End of the Affair (Graham Greene, 1951)
30. Moll Flanders (Daniel Defoe, 1722)
29. Brick Lane (Monica Ali, 2003)
28. Villette (Charlotte Brontë, 1853)
27. Robinson Crusoe (Daniel Defoe, 1719)
26. The Lord of the Rings (JRR Tolkien, 1954)
25. White Teeth (Zadie Smith, 2000)
24. The Golden Notebook (Doris Lessing, 1962)
23. Jude the Obscure (Thomas Hardy, 1895)
22. The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling (Henry Fielding, 1749)
21. Heart of Darkness (Joseph Conrad, 1899)
20. Persuasion (Jane Austen, 1817)
19. Emma (Jane Austen, 1815)
18. Remains of the Day (Kazuo Ishiguro, 1989)
17. Howards End (EM Forster, 1910)
16. The Waves (Virginia Woolf, 1931)
15. Atonement (Ian McEwan, 2001)
14. Clarissa (Samuel Richardson,1748)
13. The Good Soldier (Ford Madox Ford, 1915)
12. Nineteen Eighty-Four (George Orwell, 1949)
11. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen, 1813)
10. Vanity Fair (William Makepeace Thackeray, 1848)
9. Frankenstein (Mary Shelley, 1818)
8. David Copperfield (Charles Dickens, 1850)
7. Wuthering Heights (Emily Brontë, 1847)
6. Bleak House (Charles Dickens, 1853)
5. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Brontë, 1847)
4. Great Expectations (Charles Dickens, 1861)
3. Mrs. Dalloway (Virginia Woolf, 1925)
2. To the Lighthouse (Virginia Woolf, 1927)
1. Middlemarch by George Eliot

I do love Middlemarch. Fun to see it at the top. As this is UK authors only, James Joyce is not on the list.

Here’s a fun BBC article on why Middlemarch deserves to be #1.

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20151204-why-middlemarch-is-the-greatest-bri...

Virginia Woolf, Jane Austen, and Charles Dickens, have four titles each on the list.

>263 quondame:
The second one. I thought it had a delayed publication. Will have to check on that. I just looked up the Cinder Spires series and the second book Olympian Affair was published in November 2023. There was a novella that was published in September 2023. It is titled Warriorborn. I knew the second book was due to be published in 2022 or 2023 and then it was delayed. It seems it is out now, so I will have to get it onto my TBR pile as soon as I can.

>269 benitastrnad:👍. Thanks, Benita. Good to know about Warriorborn.

Joe, I saw this really interesting and important article today in Lit Hub. Sounds like what your neighbourhoods were doing in Chicago:

https://lithub.com/everything-we-do-matters-minneapoliss-moon-palace-books-is-a-...

>271 jessibud2: I just read that article! AND there's another Minneapolis bookstore, DreamHaven Books, whose owner witnessed the latest ICE execution, and ran from his store shouting "Stop it! Stop it!". Their website has crashed from the overwhelming number of people trying to order from them.

>272 laytonwoman3rd: DreamHaven books is a great bookstore even without the ICE resistance. Where I used to buy all my D&D materials back in the day.

>268 jnwelch: Very cool, Joe. Thanks for sharing. Is this the list from 2015? Or is it more recent? I will be using this this year depending on how many reading frenzy continues. I'm not super high production but this is a great reference. Nice to see that Wodehouse made the list.

>268 jnwelch: Minority view rates Middlemarch as 3 stars and rewrites a more compelling tale in her review.

>268 jnwelch: Great list! I'm delighted to have read 48 or so of the titles, and mostly enjoyed them.

I recently tried to amalgamate all my various recommendation lists into a master list, and now have to delete the duplicates. Excel wasn't helping much, alas. Don't really understand why the command to remove duplicates was so unhelpful. I'll add this to the list and sort them in, then start deleting the dupes manually. We are always on the lookout for books that will suit our two book groups, and this might help.

>262 jnwelch: I'm fortunate in that my urologist is the same one my father had in the last years of his life, and because Dad was increasingly more disabled physically, and his memory was failing him, he would schedule his and my mother's doctor's appointments around my frequent visits from Atlanta, and he insisted that I be in the exam rooms with them so that I could help them understand what the doctors were telling them. As a result I already knew about my father's slow growing but highly malignant case of prostate cancer, and because of its hereditary component he (the urologist) wants to be more conservative of his management of my BPH and elevated PSA, even though neither are shockingly abnormal (my PSA is 2.8, which is well within the normal range of 0-4, but taking finasteride decreases that level by half, so my PSA would be around 5.6 if I wasn't taking it). My best friend here, who I've known for 50 years and is only a few months old that I am, has metastatic prostate cancer, which came as a complete shock to me given his youthful appearance and excellent physical condition, and these factors, along with the knowledge that prostate cancer is significantly more common and fatal in African American men, makes me want to get the MRI of prostate that my urologist ordered ASAP, especially now that I've finished with my cataract surgeries.

I saw my primary optometrist a couple of hours ago, but my eyes are still adapting to the new intraocular lenses, so she wants to see me in a month to get additional measurements for prescription eyeglasses. At the moment I'm not wearing glasses to drive or see at medium to long ranges, which my optometrist agreed with, but that will likely change over the next month, but I am using over the counter +2.50 reading glasses that the optometrist who works with my ophthalmologist recommended, and those are working well for close distances.

I'm glad that your night time urination is being controlled on tamsulosin alone. I did realize that I haven't been drinking as much water during the day as my nutritionist recommended, starting from this time last month when my mother was admitted to the hospital, so I'll have to get back on track, so that she doesn't beat me with a stick — or something heavier — the next time I see her.

>271 jessibud2:. Thanks, Shelley. I’ll have to circle back to the article and respond further. I’m a Lit Hub fan, too.

>272 laytonwoman3rd:. Thanks, Linda. Oh, I love that story, and I love hearing that the store owner’s menschness received such a store-helpful bookish reaction. 😀

>273 Oberon:. Hiya, Erik. Yes, I now know what bookstore to visit in Minneapolis. We haven’t been there in ages.

I didn’t know/remember that you were a D&D enthusiast. Have you read Dungeon Crawler Carl? Methinks you might get a kick out of it.

>274 brodiew2:. Oh man, many thanks, Brodie. I have no idea why I got a notification yesterday about a 2015 BBC poll, but I’ve revised the >268 jnwelch: post to reflect that. Thank goodness the list is kind of timeless. Based on the notification (republished?) I wrongly assumed it was brand new.

I, too, was happy to see that Wodehouse made the list. Ditto re His Dark Materials, which I esteem, but didn’texpect to see listed. My goddaughter’s favorite Virginia Woolf is on there, too, The Waves. I still haven’t read that one and need to fix that. Like you, I see this list as a great reading reference.

>275 m.belljackson:. I must say that “3” is absurdly low for Middlemarch, one of the best books I’ve ever read. But thanks for the tip on Minority View, Marianne. Is that the book reviewers’ name on the LT book page?

>276 ffortsa:. Thanks, Judy. Good for you! I’m most excellent on the list’s Top 25, but not so much after that. Yes, I’m too lazy to count. One of the perks of being retired.

This does seem like a great resource for book clubs.

Interesting angle: in 2015 the project coordinators were surprised so many female authors were on it, 40%, which was different from UK poll results. One coordinator thought that it might be that the “outsider” (foreign) critics polled might have related more to the “outsider” status of the female authors. What do you think? I love this list, and that comment made me think of male colonialism, i.e. UK male literati trying unsuccessfully to colonize the rest of the literary world.😀

>277 kidzdoc:. Thanks, Darryl. Ha! I love that your mother is still after you to drink more water.

Your father was smart to include you on his and your mother’s doctor visits. That would’ve been smart even without your being a doctor. For important doctor visits, Debbi and I go together, so the non-patient can take notes, if appropriate, and ask questions, and make sure we both understand what the doctor is saying. Doctors are constantly pressed for time, and know a whole lot that they’re not necessarily saying, and are not all equally adept at communicating, and are not necessarily at the same level of adept communication at every appointment during a busy day. We’ve likewise found it useful to have a non- patient advocate during hospital stays. E.g. Debbi and my son banished a remarkably offensive and arrogant cardiologist from my post-stroke hospital room, something Ivwas too la-lah-ed to do myself.

I look forward to hearing more about your post-operation eye developments. It’s sounds positive so far, and I hope/expect it to become even more so, based on the experience of Debbi and others. I just saw my opthamogist, and so far I remain non-actionable, although my right eye is ready for a stronger prescription.

>266 johnsimpson: Oh wow, John, I'm very sorry that you're going through this! I didn't know that cervical spinal stenosis could lead to that degree of urinary and bladder dysfunction, so thanks for educating me about this. Given that the innervation to your bladder and bowel would be adversely affected it makes sense that you would be experiencing significant bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) and constipation.

I would guess that your bladder was extremely enlarged with urine before you were fitted with a urinary catheter. The bladder can typically hold 400 to 600 ml of liquid (roughly 13 to 20 oz), and since your bladder had much more than that it makes sense that the back pressure on your ureters (the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder) would have resulted in renal failure if that problem wasn't quickly addressed.

I was completely unaware of green light laser prostatectomy (GLLP), so I looked at a couple of YouTube videos to learn more about it, and its benefits over the Urolift and TURP (transurethral resection of the prostate) procedures. I hope that you can get this surgery soon!

>279 jnwelch:👍

Today’s Bargain: People Like Us by Jason Mott for $1.99 on e-readers.. This is the new (to me) author I am most excited about. He’s an exciting rule-breaker. His Hell of a Book won the National Book Award, and I liked this one even more.

It’s about two black writers, one on an author’s tour after his book won a big prize, and the other having agreed to give a daunting talk to a school that has just experienced a mass shooting. Gun violence is a major theme, and both are trying to find peace, internal and external, in a gun-filled country. The phrase “People Like Us/You” to me is a variation on the offensive “ you people”, used here by whites who don’t think they’re racist. How does one deal with that?

I realize I’ve gone way beyond 250 posts. I’ll try to set up a new cafe pronto.

>279 jnwelch: Middlemarch Review is under my name & from long ago.

>273 Oberon: Thanks for the recommendation Joe. Yes, I am an old D&D junkie though my wife tries to get me to hide that fact.

>279 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe; it was actually my nutritionist who wants me to drink 64-80 oz of water a day, but my urologist also recommended that I drink 64 oz or more. I have a 64 oz graduated plastic bottle that I fill after I wake up, and before my mother's hospitalization I would focus on finishing the contents of the bottle before bedtime.

That's also smart that you and Debbi accompany each other to your doctors' appointments. One thing that my father was known to do was to write his questions and concerns on a 3x5" card and either read from them or, in the case of his PCP, hand the card to them. I feel that I get all of my questions answered, but I do need to start doing that.

Yes, the cataract surgeries and post-operative outcomes have gone as well as I could have expected. Now that it's been two weeks since my second surgery I can start taking combination prescription eye drops, which contain a steroid, an antibiotic and an NSAID, twice a day for the next two weeks, instead of the four times a day regimen I was on for the last two weeks, starting on the day prior to surgery. The drops are very important to prevent endophthalmitis, the most serious complication of cataract surgery which, if not detected and treated promptly can result in permanent vision loss. Everyone, from my primary optometrist to the assistants in the ophthalmologist's office to my ophthalmologist, asks me if I'm still taking these drops, and when the optometrist and ophthalmologist examine me they look for any signs of endophthalmitis.

The follow up examination I'll have with my optometrist next month is in line with everything I've read about post-operative cataract surgery care, as it typically takes 6-8 weeks for the vision in the most recently repaired eye to stabilize to the point where definitive measurements for eyeglasses can be established. I did notice during today's exam that the vision in my right eye, the one that was operated on last month, was demonstrably better than in my left eye, which was operated on two weeks ago.

I don't know if Debbi has needed this but I'll also see my primary ophthalmologist in six months for a recheck of both eyes. One relatively common but easily treatable complication of cataract surgery is the development of posterior capsular opacification (PCO), a condition in which epithelial cells from the posterior capsule progressively surround the new intraocular lens, which is inserted into the capsule at the time of cataract surgery. The treatment for it is the use of YAG posterior capsulotomy, a procedure which removes enough of those epithelial cells that takes only a couple of minutes and restores clear vision within a day or two. It can be performed by an optometrist or ophthalmologist in the office and is completely painless.

>239 jnwelch: I quite enjoy reading Adriana's articles you share. Quite eloquent and intelligent writing. Thanks for sharing.

>268 jnwelch: An interesting list. I must read more British novels!

It was good to read the factual review of the good and bad of the present US government to date in Adrianna's article. I trust her view of things much more than some of the news coming out of your country.

>284 m.belljackson: Ah, okay, Marianne. Sorry to hear that Middlemarch worked that badly for you. For me a ‘“3” is passable, okay, no great shakes.

>285 Oberon:. Ha! I love it, Erik. You’re welcome. Isn’t embarrassing our wives part of our job description? Is your wife a Stranger Things fan? Weren’t they playing D&D? So the game is now de facto cool.

>286 kidzdoc: Hi, Darryl. Yeah, we always write down our questions before dr appointments and make sure they’re all covered. Sounds like you’re getting appropriately cautious and thorough care for your eyes.

Debbi still has regular ophthalmologist visits to check her eyes. This is serious business, I know, and to me another one of our amazing modern medical miracles.

>287 figsfromthistle:. Hi, Anita. I’m glad you enjoy Adriana’s articles. I agree with you. Can you imagine having two essays like that do every week? She’s remarkable to me with my insider’s view of her family life, raising two bright young kids and taking care of all life requires while fitting in those essays. Her book comes out soon (April), The Violence, so we’ll get more of her high quality.

There’s some hope that her shuttered newspaper will reopen. A couple of potential owners are jostling for position.

>288 Familyhistorian:. Ha! You and me both, Meg. She’s obviously liberal, but she’s very even-handed in her columns, isn’t she. As our news outlets vie to attract “readers”, that even-handedness too often gets lost. I trust her views, too.

We had no idea what a gem our son had stumbled upon when he married her (we knew mostly about her slam poetry success - nationally ranked, as is he), but she’s become more and more impressive as we’ve gotten to know her better. They make a great team.

>285 Oberon: It is indeed part of the job description! My wife is Stranger Things fan - I did not help myself by explaining to her who the D&D Vecna was and how the Stranger Things monster that they called a mindflayer looked nothing like what a "real" mindflayer should look like.

>292 Oberon:. 😂😂. Way to get yourself into more trouble, buddy! Actually, as non-D&D players, my wife and I would’ve loved annotated information like that. I thought the Duffer brothers had just made up “Vecna” and the Mindflayer. If we’d thought to fly you into Chicago, you could’ve added a whole new dimension to what we were watching. We loved Stranger Things.

The new cafe is open. See you there!

>289 jnwelch: Joe - you will enjoy my Review of Silas Marner a lot more!