richardderus's ninth 2026 thread

Stunning Korean crown!

𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝗥𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗞𝗢, Untitled, 1967
oil on canvas, 80 × 69 in. (203.2 × 175.3 cm) from The Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza Art Collection, New York

I've switched up the image of a Rothko here because I found another that evokes my sense of peaceful hope, optimism, and faith in humanity. I wish all of those things to every living one of us. No matter who; no matter where; no matter what.

My Tumblr re-addiction gave me an excellent description of my 6*-of-five scale in words:
1* Terrible
2* Bad
3* Decent
4* Good
5* Great
6* Phenomenal

THIS THREAD'S REVIEWS
150 (P8) Mad Eden: A Novel in post #11.
151 (P9) Pure men in post #47.
152 (P10) Rears & Vices in post #69.
153 Contrapposto : a novel in post #76.
154 The traveler : one man's quest for humanity from the South Seas to Revolutionary Paris in post #77.
155 (P11) The invention of nature : the adventures of Alexander von Humboldt, the lost hero of science in post #78.
156 (P12) Precious Friends: Murder in Sag Harbor (Angelo Perrotta Mysteries) in post #95.
157 (P13) I Make My Own Fun: A Novel in post #106.
158 The beasts of the east : the fall and rise of America's eastern wilderness in post #134.
159 Goodbye, Killer Robots: Why Artificial Intelligence Won’t Destroy Humanity in post #135.
160 (P14) The open era in post #142.
161 (P15) Medea Sang Me a Corrido in post #155.
162 (P16) Muñeca in post #159.
163 (P17) A murder most camp : a mystery in post #179.
164 (P18) A different kind of brave in post #180.
165 (P19) A different kind of enemy in post #182.
166 (P20) The disaster gay detective agency : a novel in post #194.
167 (P21) Lavender House in post #196.
168 (P22) Mirage city in post #199.
169 (P23) Bone of my bone in post #225.
170 The reverse centaur's guide to life after AI : how to think about artificial intelligence-before it's too late in post #240.
171 The one and the ninety-nine : forging identity in the age of social contagion in post #248.
172 The Messi effect : how the global legend changed the future of American soccer in post #251.
173 The Make-Believe: A Memoir of Magic and Madness in post #258.
174 (P24) The disco at the end of the world in post #294.

All my threads in the 75ers linked somewhere here

2026 threads
Reviews 001 to 010 back here.
Reviews 011 to 022 back here.
Reviews 023 to 055 back here.
Reviews 056 through 071 back here.
Reviews 072 through 092 back here.
Reviews 093 through 106 back there.
Reviews 107 to 126 back there.
Reviews 127 to 149 are back there.

Previous years
My Last Thread of 2009 Is Here:
Reviews are back-linked there.
My Last Thread of 2010 Is Here:
Reviews are back-linked there.
My Last Thread of 2011 Is Here:
Reviews are back-linked there.
My Last Thread of 2012 Is Here:
Reviews are back-linked there.
My Last Thread of 2013 Is Here:
Reviews are back-linked there.
My Last Thread of 2014 Is Here:
Reviews are back-linked there.
My Last Thread of 2015 Is Here:
Reviews are back-linked there.
My Last Thread of 2016 Is Here:
Reviews are back-linked there.
My Last Thread of 2017 Is Here:
Reviews are back-linked there.
My Last Thread of 2018 Is Here:
Reviews are back-linked there.
My Last Thread of 2019 Is Here:
Reviews are back-linked there.
My Last Thread of 2020 Is Here:
Reviews are back-linked there.
My Last Thread of 2021 Is Here:
Reviews are back-linked there.
My Last Thread of 2022 Is Here:
Reviews are back-linked there.
My Last Thread of 2023 Is Here:
Reviews are back-linked there.
My Last Thread of 2024 Is Here:
Reviews are back-linked there.
My Last Thread of 2025 Is Here:
Reviews are back-linked there.

All previous Burgoine reviews linked here.

THIS THREAD:
#035 The Light of the Fireflies in post #275.
#036 Under the Water in post #276.
#037 Desert Flowers in post #278.
#038 The Bridge: An Annotated Edition in post #283.
#039 This Never Happened in post #285.
#040 (P25) A Dangerous Sky: A WWII RAF M/M Romance in post #288.
#041 The Grand Couvert in post #292.
#042 (P26) Dearly Departed in post #299.
#043 (P27) The Seduction in post #301.
#044 (P28) Bromantasy in post #302.

All previous Pearl Rule reviews linked here.

THIS THREAD:
#009 Dreams in Which I'm Almost Human: A Memoir (35%) in post #303.

Seriously...not a great venue for normies here.
My 2025 in review.

2026 GOALS
I won't be focusing attention on the number of books I've read, or any of the rest of the numbers game, because it feels like bragging. I have none of the pressures on me that normal people have. I've got my datastick of notes from reads as much as thirteen years old, never written into reviews for any number of reasons. I have a huge hoard of rage at the kakistocracy fueling a desire to do something, a disability that doesn't allow that something to be kinetic, and so I write.

It's what I can do, so it's what I will keep doing until ICEstapo starts coming for domestic enemies of the kakistocracy. Emptying that data stick of the backlog of more-or-less coherent notes taken might last me the year, if I get even close to 2025's levels of success in writing away my emotional pain. My reviewing schedule for 2026 will begin on the second...there will be hashtag events during the year that I'll announce the weekend before they begin...I still won't post reviews on Tuesdays (traditional book-release day in the US) until publishing slows down the new-books firehose in December as #Booksgiving hots up. The most exciting books of 2025's reading were translations so I'm definitely continuing my focus on reading translated literature in 2026.

Since the entirety of 2026 is looking politically unstable, I'm making a point to review books that treat that instability as a chance to reflect on how we got here, so we can get out...and stay out. I'm not a bit sure anyone will enjoy it. It is urgent not to lose sight of the reality that our right to read and think and behave like, about, and what we think is best is very much under attack. 6870 times in the 2024-2025 school year alone. Guess whose identities were targeted most often. "Books by authors of color, by LGBTQ+ authors, by women. Books about racism, sexuality, gender, history. PEN America pushes back against censorship and the intolerance and exclusion that undergird it." I recommend joining PEN America to support a key player in the fight to oppose and reverse the school bans.

☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂

1Q26 in review is here.
2Q26 due 30 June 2026.

GBBO and other special hashtaggie projects will be linked here.

2026 #ShortStoryMonth didn't happen in 2026.
☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂
2026 #PrideMonth already has seven reviews (links here) and further reviews will be agglomerated and enumerated here. I have no specific numerical goal for written reviews.
(150) (P8) Mad Eden: A Novel in post #11.
(151) P9 Pure men in post #47.
(152) P10 Rears & Vices in post #69.
(155) P11 The invention of nature : the adventures of Alexander von Humboldt, the lost hero of science in post #78.
(156) P12 Precious Friends: Murder in Sag Harbor (Angelo Perrotta Mysteries) in post #95.
(157) P13 I Make My Own Fun: A Novel in post #106.
(160) P14 The open era in post #142.
(161) P15 Medea Sang Me a Corrido in post #155.
(162) P16 Muñeca in post #159.
(163) P17 A murder most camp : a mystery in post #179.
(164) P18 A different kind of brave in post #180.
(165) P19 A different kind of enemy in post #182.
(166) P20 The disaster gay detective agency : a novel in post #194.
(167) P21 Lavender House in post #196.
(168) P22 Mirage city in post #199.
(169) P23 Bone of my bone in post #225.
(174) P24 The disco at the end of the world in post #294.
(Burgoine #040) P25 A Dangerous Sky: A WWII RAF M/M Romance in post #288.
(Burgoine #042) P26 Dearly Departed in post #299.
(Burgoine #043) P27 The Seduction in post #301.
(Burgoine #044) P28 Bromantasy in post #302.

#PrideMonth wrap-up is here.

☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂
#WITMonth explainer is here.
#WITMonth wrap-up
***
☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂☀☁☂
GBBO THOUGHTS
Season 16 back-links here.

See >6 richardderus: for 2025 achievements & 2026 goals, and quarterly wrap-ups. Special hashtag events in >7 richardderus: .
Monthly wrap-up posts to be linked below. 2025's wrap-ups are back-linked here.

January 2026 here.
February 2026 here.
March 2026 here.
April 2026 here.
May 2026 here.

All my six-stars-of-five reads since I first said I wanted to give a book six stars of five for being a perfect read in 1994. I've started the list with 2013 to coincide with the launch of my blog. All the links take you to the reviews I posted for those titles on the blog.

My Tumblr re-addiction gave me an excellent description of my 6*-of-five scale in words:
1* Terrible
2* Bad
3* Decent
4* Good
5* Great
6* Phenomenal

1994. MONTANA 1948...the original; the perfect read!

1. THE SONG OF ACHILLES


2. MATTERHORN


3. EUROPE IN AUTUMN


4. MARGARET THE FIRST


5. MISSIONARY


6. CIRCE


7. BLACK LIGHT


8. YOU EXIST TOO MUCH


9. COVE


10. KIBOGO


11. THE WORDS THAT REMAIN


12. GLORIOUS EXPLOITS


13. THE REMEMBERED SOLDIER

Okay. The floor is yours.

150 (P8) Mad Eden: A Novel by Morgan Thomas

I'm first again?????? How did that happen?

I didn't realize I wasn't going back to your old thread, but I will right now to find out about the tooth.

I've done that. I echo Kim. WTF?!?!! Please tell me that your residence is not in jeopardy.
Meanwhile, I like the looks of *ME*.... I also wish you a Happier New Thread than you have at this moment.

>12 LizzieD: Welcome, Peggy me lurve. I do not feel this is a residence-threatening idiot bureaucratic snafu. Irwina has dealt with this before with my friend Margie.

What it does mean is that trip to the dentist is out until something happens. I got my sister to send me a couple hundred bucks'-worth of yogurt and cottage cheese so I won't subsist solely on Ensure. Ammy will deliver when they deliver and I'll use my bin in the community freezer to keep the stuff that won't fit in my small fridge.

>11 richardderus: is a good tale, but borrow it from the library.

Happy new one, Richard!

Hope you get your health coverage sorted soon! Wouldn't it be nice if things worked like they should?

Happy New Thread, Richard . I am sorry you are not seeing a dentist sooner. That is just wrong. Tooth pain is some of the worst pain .

Happy new thread! So sorry you're dealing with tooth stuff.

>14 RebaRelishesReading: Me too, Reba. This constant grinding pain STINKS.

>15 vancouverdeb: Thank you, Deborah. I've done my pain-wallowing so now am rejoining Life and doing my best not to whine anymore.

>16 drneutron: Thank you, Doc, I'd so rather that no one anywhere ever had to go through this kind of yuck, but such is life.

Happy new thread, Richard! Well, semi-happy at this point I suppose. Fingers crossed the powers that be get their wire uncrossed and you get that tooth taken care of asap.

>20 Familyhistorian: That's the way I'm hoping it shakes out, Meg, but what will be will be.

>13 richardderus: THAT is a relief at least. The 2 main men in my life were/are strong proponents of "Prepare for the worst and hope for the best," so my mind immediately goes to worst-case scenario. I suspect it's my nature too. Sometimes I envy the happy-clappers, but mostly I consider our approach to be realistic.... especially these days.

I'm glad that the soft stuff is on the way. Ensure is no fun. Now I'll leave the second pebble and hope that you can take pain meds that give you some relief. *smooch*

Salutations on your new thread, RD. I really hope that you are able to get the teeth sorted soon.

Happy new thread, and may *all* the bureaucrats be cursed with developing consciences, which they presumably entirely lack.

Happy New Thread! I really hope you can see the dentist very soon!

>22 LizzieD: I've always thought the happy-clappers were ambulatory roadkill. We'll All end up dead I just hope not to leave by being squished under the tank-tracks of the big orange vehicle blaring its horn and firing its guns to show where it is heading.

Ensure's fine but not as a steady diet. New pain patch tomorrow!

>23 PaulCranswick: I'd like that, too, PC so thanks!

>24 ArlieS: That...is genius. What an inventive, diabolically cruel, condign curse. ::salute::

>25 SilverWolf28: Me too, Silver! Me blinkin' too. TYVM

Hi Ricardo!! Happy new thread and curses to the idiots handling your case. Hurray for the new pain patch tomorrow and for more than just the Ensure diet (been there, done that). Big smooches my friend.

Happy new thread, Richard. I can't believe you are having to go through this. Or, well, maybe I can. The healthcare system seems to be so screwed up in this country. I truly hope it can be straightened out ASAP and you'll be able to see the dentist very soon.

>30 Berly: Heya, Berly-boo. I think I'm in a weird crease, because last month everything was fine, but end of May/beginning of June starts the state's new quarter so...? Some kind of file upload/download/glitch and now I don't exist...?

Ensure's a lot better option than hunger but it gets old fast. Now I've got it, cottage cheese, and yogurt as well as some instant grits, so things're lookin' up for eating pleasure until the root (!) cause can get dealt with.

>31 atozgrl: Hi Irene! Oh, I find it easy to believe. Whatever it takes to fix it I'll do, but it won't be fast so I needed a solution to the immediate issue before anything else.

I hope the goddesses are tuned in and respond to your petition positively soon.

Sweet Thursday, Richard. Happy New Thread. Sorry to hear about your current health issues. What is going on?

I'm finally catching up, Richard, and so sorry to hear about the toothache and the nightmare that is the bureaucracy of healthcare. I hope it gets sorted out soon, but UGH in the meantime.

‘Morning, RDear! Happy new thread. Ugh to having to apply in The Bronx.

>1 richardderus: I’m happy to see anything Korean.

>11 richardderus: polysyllabifactive neologization You broke me. I haven’t had enough coffee yet.

*smooch*

>34 msf59: Bureaucracy. Or gawd/the AI is trying to punish me for not believing in either of them as forces for Good, Right, and Justice. It will All get sorted eventually and I'll be miserable until it does.

I thought that Karen would be coveting that crown to duplicate for Hwan and Jenna. Very Handsome!!!!!

I hope that the new pain patch has been patched and is doing it's job heroically. Hooray also for loving Sister and Ammy that you now have some food choices. Arlie's post 24 reminds me of the meme that can also be a curse for all of that ilk from Dr. King: May they be judged by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin.

*smooch*

>35 bell7: Thanks, Mary, it's not my favoritest thing ever. It is not going to go away so I do the best I can to get things arranged for my best comfort right this minute, and just stay informed about how I can assist the folks working with the bureaucracy to help me get what I need. xo

>36 karenmarie: Broke your brain, did I? Sorry about that. I chose that one hoping you'd notice it's in Hwan's honor. Plus it's so stunningly lovely, no?

I had pureed fresh blueberries folded into vanilla Greek-style yogurt for my lunch and it was soooooooooo gooooooood. Blessings upon my dear sister for arranging my grocery delivery through Ammy Fresh. I get attacks of vertigo from whatever's causing this tooth pain so I don't want to go traipsing around in the close-to-90° day. It's a kinda sucky time. *smooch*

>38 LizzieD: I approve of that message's repurposing, Peggy! I'm slowly getting around to the threads as this patch works its magic. I'm feeling vertigo fairly often so I'm not going to be a reliable visitor, but it's not for lack of interest, y'all!

*smooch*

>37 richardderus: Well good luck with that battle, RD. It looks like a tough one. Frodo against Sauron.

>42 msf59: ...only Sauron's got a brain worm....

I hear that Ensure is hard to take, Richard, that's why so many bottles of it are taking up space in my fridge (not for me, I'm glad to say). How come things take longer to straighten out when the person been affected is in Pain? Hang in there!

Oh there you are Richard! I've finally unearthed your neglected thread in your dusty little corner that no one visits *rolls eyes* I've not missed anything then, have I?

Oh - a new thread? Happy new one, RD.

>44 Familyhistorian: Morning, Meg! I can't say Ensure has ever given me the slightest trouble in digestion or in any discomforting sense. It's just dull, uninteresting, when one has more than one or two in a given day. Honestly I'm so pleased they exist as an alternative to chewing that I feel churlish whinging about how dull they are!

151 (P9) Pure men by Mohamed Mbougar Sarr (tr. Lara Vergnaud)

'Morning, RDear. Happy Friday to you. I hope the pain is under control, and I am so sorry about the vertigo.

Every time I buy yogurt it ends up getting tossed. The only whole milk yogurt offerings at my local grocery store are 30 or 32 ounce tubs. Yogurt and pureed blueberries sounds yummy.

>47 richardderus: Appreciated, pass.

*smooch*

>45 humouress: *startle*

...why, um...hi there! It's good to see someoneyou here, uh, Nina! ::rapid dusting and trash-tidying::

No, no, not much is new, I'm ticking over like a 1932 Duesenberg. Slower than before and a lot of new parts needed but they're harder and harder to source...the fuel costs are immense...but the ancient bodywork ain't rustin' out yet.

>48 karenmarie: Morning, sweetiedarling. Pain's showing signs of abating! I accidentally chewed a blueberry skin and didn't half-choke from trying to scream with my mouth full! That was not true yesterday. It would be lovely if that trend continued. I like yogurt so I do not ever toss it out, but I do have to budget for it. I also keep the containers because they're *excellent* planters for my radishes. Nine years ago I was forbidden by management to keep growing my radishes on the windowsill in room 4. Here, one of the first things Boris said when showing me my apartment was "look at this window! great place for your plants!"

I knew I was home, and home is worth fighting to keep...so I soldier on through the minefield of complexity to get my home safe and established. I have enormous respect for Irwina the social worker who makes the confusing path smooth for us. I do what I can to make my case as simple as possible for her.

>47 richardderus: would not work for you for some body-horror reasons so I confirm your judgment as sound based on knowledge you should not try to acquire. *smooch*

Morning, Richard. "Pain's showing signs of abating!" Hooray for that! We are gearing up for our first camping trip. I will pick up the camper after playing PB and then bring it back here and clean and load it. We leave tomorrow afternoon.

I am starting The Director today. I know you loved it and that is good enough for me.

Abating pain. That's very good news, my WBL!!! May that trend continue until cause is gone and you are symptom free! Bless Irwina, and may she get through the flooded maze for you in short order.

I have yogurt for breakfast on Thursdays: plain Greek with blueberries, cherries while they last then strawberries then maybe raspberries, raisins, sunflower seeds, granola, and maple syrup. Do I like yogurt? You decide.

*smooch*

>52 LizzieD: Plain Greek usually gets my amendment with Bonne Maman preserves, or with pureed cucumbers or similar savory yummies. Vanilla added yogurt is where I add fresh fruits.

Irwina is The Best™, and I hope all y'all with religious convictions pray for her to stay in love with her job here so I never have to navigate the awfulness by myself (he begged both shamelessly and selfishly).

I'm happy to report the tooth pain is down to more manageable levels, though the swelling is still very sensitive it's not the screaming acute stabby-stabby blaring warning klaxon pain.

I'll take it!

Extra big smooches for you, RDear, as it sounds like it's been A Week. Hopefully you get in to a dentist soon!

Also, thanks for your review of Puck on your last thread. I had it on The List but I think I'll give it a pass given your thoughts.

‘Morning, RD! Happy Saturday to you.

>50 richardderus: I’m glad the pain is abating. I used to save the plastic Lindy’s Frozen Ice containers, giving some of them to the elementary school for projects and using some to germinate tomatoes and cukes. I germinated them in the master bathroom because there’s quite a bit of privacy glass, so lots of sun. I currently save plastic forks and spoons from take out to put out canned food for the beasts a.m. and p.m. I still wash and reuse them, it's just that I don't go through spoons and small forks that need to go through the dishwasher.

The book’s blurb ‘searching, heart-wrenching’ are also not on my dance card right now, although occasionally a smut offering draws a tear or two.

>53 richardderus: Long life and continued social work fervor for Irwina.

*smooch*

>55 MickyFine: Hey there, Micky, good to see you and thanks.

I'm not sure if I'm glad or sad that you're passing on I>Puck. Part of me says "yay, too few eyeblinks and too much good stuff" and part says "...and who are YOU to think it's good to deprive someone of a primary experience?!"

Then I remember that's the *point* of writing and reading reviews, to whittle down the ever-renewing forest of bamboo that is book-writing into manageable bits.

>56 karenmarie: Morning, Horrible, happy Saturday. I'm of the idea that every tiny, insignificant action to reduce/reuse things saves us from the capitalist travesty that is "recycle" (ie, landfill via the long route) so is really helpful. Even if you reuse plastic forks once you've lowered your usage, and saved some energy by not using hot water to rinse and clean your cutlery.

If you can read The Long Game without sobbing, you're weird. (In the bad way...I already know you're weird in the good way.)

Irwina FTW fer sher. Her attitude of being of service is admirable. *smooch*

Irwina sounds a irreplaceable as my current eye doc - both loving what they do and realizing what a service they are providing where it's needed.

I'm very glad to hear that the tooth pain is relenting, and I hope the swelling is quick to follow. I am HAPPY to be past that huge fantasy and enjoying looking here and there. I can now see how intrigued I really am with The Beheading Game. Right now, I'm pretty intrigued. *smooch* for your Saturday!

>59 LizzieD: "Relenting" is a good word to use. It will come back, because nothing's fixed the underlying issue (whatever it proves to be). The swelling, now...it's not as bad but it's fluctuating weirdly independent of the pain's intensity. ??? I hope you like The Beheading Game, and celebrate with you the end of the thousand-page reign of terror. *smooch*

Hurray to the tooth pain relenting, and I very much hope that it doesn't return any time soon. Hurray also for Irwina. Long may she serve!

>61 atozgrl: Thanks, Irene! I hope all keeps trending in this direction, too. Good-Sunday wishes.

152 (P10) Rears & Vices by E.M. Caro

Glad the tooth is behaving a little better. My pain was better today too -- maybe it's a positive trend? : )

I'm glad to read that the tooth pain is relenting, and I sure hope that you can get it sorted out properly a the dentist,Richard.

>64 Berly: We can only hope the miseries of pain are retreating for now. I'm glad yours is moving back fast. I'm delighted with even the smallest of victories! I know you're familiar with thar mindset. *smooch*

>65 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deborah! It's an endless process, staying even with bureaucracy's foolishness. I so often fail at it....

‘Morning, RDear! Happy Sunday to you. I hope the pain is still under control.

>63 richardderus: I don’t particularly like historical MM or MMM romances, but appreciate the review and the links you provided.

*smooch*

So, it's safe to say >63 richardderus:'s author liked my review. I've been auto-approved for their entire line of DRCs on Netgalley. Next up is By Any Means by E.M. Caro.

>68 karenmarie: Not likely to please you anyway, Horrible. I liked it but didn't love it.

I'm happy to report the fangs aren't more painful today. Lunch had, as my soft-chew food option, quiche! I really like quiche so ate a second helping. I've got some carrot-coins I brought to my apartment that I can nuke later to make softer as they were perfectly cooked for my normal chewing prowess but a bit crisper than I can do now.

Of course it's nerve-wracking not to *know* why it started or left, so there is no sense of more than mild, temporary relief. I want it fixed!!

My Goodreads buddy Sarah-Hope and I traded top-five lists of #PrideMonth reads from 2025/6. I liked to look of the lists and posted them to my blog:
https://expendablemudge.blogspot.com/2026/06/happy-pride-month-2026.html

I'm glad that today is better than yesterday, Richard! At this point "not worse" would count as a win. I want you to KNOW and have it FIXED too!!!!!

*smooch*

>72 LizzieD: Thanks, Peggy me lurve. I hope it's soon, am prepared for it not to be, and annoyed it took place at all. Well...onward and, I hope, good resultsward. *smooch*

Good to see that life has gotten more tolerable eating-wise, Richard. It would be good to see a longer lasting solution though.

>74 Familyhistorian: ...and how I hope it stays that way for a while, Meg, until the desired longer-lasting solution arrives.

153 Contrapposto : a novel by Dave Eggers

154 The traveler : one man's quest for humanity from the South Seas to Revolutionary Paris by Andrea Wulf

155 (P11) The invention of nature : the adventures of Alexander von Humboldt, the lost hero of science by Andrea Wulf

'Morning, RDear! Happy Monday to you.

So many reviews! so much successful dodging!

*smooch*

Hi, Richard! I do believe that your >78 richardderus: was a Kindle deal not very long ago, and I scooped it up. Then as now, I don't know when I'll get to it, but your review certainly pushes it higher on the slopes of Mt. Bookpile.
I like the looks of >76 richardderus: and >77 richardderus: too, so you got me in today's fusillade.

Thank you also for the tip (again?) to look at etymonline.com. I shall!

*smooch*

>79 karenmarie: Monday orisons, Horrible! I was a bizzy widdle boi, warn't eye? Not one single surprise in your bob-and-weave's success.

It might get tougher soon....

*smooch*

>80 LizzieD: *eville chortle*

I was hoping to read that an appointment has been made at the dentist for you, Richard. * smooch*

>6 richardderus: Books banned totalling6870 times in the 2024-2025 school year alone.
Whaaaaat?
That is crazy. I only recall there being news about one book here freaking people out, because of a teen gay couple DOinG tHinGs. I bought it as soon as I could to see what the fuss was about and hopefully also supported the author lol (it was Into the River by Ted Dawe). Haven't read it yet.

Now that I looked it up,it seems it was "Banned in 2015; subsequently unrestricted in the same year" and that most banned publications are hate-mongering/promoting killing or death/ or p3do type stuff.

I like to think of the ones that conservative school-boards want banning are ones to look out for (as in to read!).

>83 vancouverdeb: The insurance issue is ongoing, so nothing will happen until that's resolved. I hope it comes soon!

>84 LovingLit: I love Stephen King because he, on his popular social-media account, tells his legions of young fans to do exactly that! Go find out what makes these nutjobs so crazy so you can decide for yourself.

No wonder his and Tabitha's sons are the men they are. That's good parenting.

‘Morning, RDear! Happy Tuesday to you.

>81 richardderus: However, I revisited >78 richardderus: and paid $1.99+tax for the Kindle edition.

*smooch*

>87 karenmarie: For $1.99 it's a bleedin' steal! I think you'll enjoy the read when/if you get to it. The man was fascinating.

Tuesday orisons, Horrible.

>77 richardderus: I just recommended that to my rl bookclub yesterday :). We didn't actually decide what will be on the list for the coming year (we meet Sept-June) but I planned to read it no matter what -- and now with that 5 star recommendation from you I will do it sooner rather than later!

Hope your insurance issues get resolved soon!!

>89 RebaRelishesReading: Oh cool, Reba! I hope the group agrees. It's got huge amounts of discussion fodder. I hope you'll love the read whenever you get to it.

Thanks, I'm hoping it works out soon.

Here I am too. I misinterpreted your note on Karen's thread to say that the insurance had come through, but I see that it's not so. BOTHERATION!!!!!! I'm glad for "no worse." I swear. What a world.

My DH, working on our currently stranded 1998 Honda, spent part of his morning listening to the neighbor's brother going on about how the left is burning junkyards all over the country so that nobody can get parts for old cars, and everybody will be forced to buy electric cars. Busy, busy, busy tiny minds! This has apparently been out there for some time.

Peace and pain control along with your *smooch*

>91 LizzieD: That's just...amazing. Like burning junkyards wouldn't make the news...and that's only my first problem with that idea. Thank you, sweetness, for the *smooch*

>91 LizzieD: & >92 richardderus: You want to protect the environment so you set off fires everywhere in places they may be difficult to control. Go figure.

There has apparently been a marginal increase in fires at such places but this is put down to the discarded lithium batteries rather than intentional fire setting.

>93 PaulCranswick: Sainted Occam of the Razor! You mean there might be a *reason* for an anomalous blip in fires if there's new materials being dicarded? Well, blow me down and call me shorty! Go know from this.

156 (P12) Precious Friends: Murder in Sag Harbor (Angelo Perrotta Mysteries) by Frank Spinelli

‘Morning, RDear! Happy Wednesday to you.

>91 LizzieD: and >92 richardderus: I hadn’t heard the MAGA weirdness of the left burning junkyards so folks can’t get parts for cars so they have to buy electric cars. Your neighbor’s brother has definitely drunk the Kool-Aid. My first thought was that burning junkyards would prevent people from getting parts for electric cars, too.

>95 richardderus: Kevlar vest intact.

*smooch*

>96 karenmarie: Yes, the smutlessness of >95 richardderus: assured me it would find no home on your Kindle.

>91 LizzieD:, >96 karenmarie: A similar thing occurred in the Aughties when I lived in Austin. New construction and renovation of all plumbing *required* the use of low-flow faucets and toilet innards. A huge boom in people buying the unrestricted old ones from homeowners followed for ~5yrs. It was illegal but was really hard to prove. People do not like being told to make changes, so it's easy to get a silly rumor going...there are real cases that make silly ones plausible for the, um, inattentive shall we say.

Good early afternoon, Richard! >95 richardderus: and its predecessors go on my "Keep an Eye Out" list. Fun and games for us, but sorry, JB.

Do I KNOW that MSNOW and Bloomberg and HCR are feeding me the truth of the way things are? No. BUT not one of them has ever asked me to believe a wide-spread, easily decimated conspiracy theory.

(Karen, neighbor's brother likely got a good share of his Kool-Aid at the neighbor's house.)

>98 LizzieD: I had a long chat with one of the sweet folk on staff, discovering she really believes there's no way it's even physically possible for anything to leave the Earth. Satellites aren't in space, there cannot be a Moon landing, it was done on sound stages with alien technology (how'd it get here, I wanted to ask, when Lawrence the cute security guard asked for me...the {flat} Earth is infinite it seems).

A functioning adult with a kind, helpful personality BELIEVES.THIS.GUFF.

I am. Well, I'm just. I can't with this.

Sweet Thursday, Richard. I will have to swing by later and check out some of your posts. I am heading out the door soon to go play and then I am hanging with Jackson later on. Never a dull moment here, my friend...I hope you are doing well.

‘Morning, RDear! Happy Thursday to you.

>97 richardderus: I prefer my smut crime-less. I differentiate between crime and mystery here – the smut mysteries are typically why someone left or came back, secret billionaires, etc.

>99 richardderus: The gullibility and stupidity of people constantly amaze me. It shouldn’t.

*smooch*

>100 msf59: Thursday orisons, Birddude. I'm happy not to be worse! Enjoy the pleasantly busy summer day.

>101 karenmarie: Crime and mystery are indeed separate things in the literary genre...crime/mysteries are procedurals or thrillers in my book. Espionage/secrets being discovered are basically grail stories.

Isn't it amazing how we can know People Are Dumb but still be stunned at how dumb people are. I wonder what else I'm blind to.

>99 richardderus: OH DEAR, oh dear. I'm glad that she's sweet anyway.

I see on Karen's thread that the tooth is behaving as long as it doesn't get too cold. I'm still counting the days until you get it seen. I want to yell at THEM that this is the USA in 2026 when people shouldn't be deprived of health care because of money. All I have to do is walk out the door here, and I'll run into somebody else whose life has been spent just that way.

Be cool, comfy, read, review, eat! *smooch*

>104 LizzieD: It's very easy to manage that sensitivity, so I'm plenty ready to do that. I'm grateful I can chew relatively soft things!

If there's enough money for billionaires to exist, there's enough money for everyone to eat, have a home, and see the medical professional they need to see. Billionaires are unnecessary...fed, healthy, housed human beings aren't.

157 (P13) I Make My Own Fun: A Novel by Hannah Beer

Morning, Richard. We have been in a stormy pattern for nearly a week and some it pretty heavy. It looks like a couple of tornados touched down in IL last night. Thankfully there is no such thing as climate change, otherwise we could be in big trouble.

On a much lighter note- I got to hang with Jackson for a couple of hours yesterday and he can brighten the darkest sky.

ETA- I am picking up Villain : a novel from the library. That is a BB from you. I absolutely loved The Director. It will be a top read of the year for me. Just amazing. I appreciate the nudge.

>107 msf59: I'm really glad you enjoyed some Jackson time to soothe jangled nerves, Mark. It's not a pretty world we're watching be born. I'm holding onto hope we can still alter course.

Enjoy the Walschots! It's so fun to get back into her weird, off-kilter world. I celebrate your reaction the Director because Pabst needs centering in our understanding of how visual culture was formed.

Happy weekend-ahead's reads!

If anyone is ever interested in how I see The Bible as a text, go spend 1h20m with Daniel Green:
https://youtu.be/mVNzvSaO4j0?si=wBpvnGYDXIJOmcUm
I seriously doubt it will make a christian out of you, but it should reinforce the incredible longevity of the *actual* message in the book. It feels so good to have my real opinion validated by someone so young.

‘Morning, RDear! Happy Friday to you.

>106 richardderus: 4.5* is tempting, but nah.

>109 richardderus: It’s already been 9 years, but I read The Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible in 2017, so I’ll pass.

*smooch*

>110 karenmarie: Friday orisons, Horrible! I don't think you made a mistake skipping >106 richardderus:. I'm not clear how it would speak to you, given the animal cruelty.

>106 richardderus: - That one sounds intriguing. I think I'll see if the library has it.

Happy Friday!

>112 katiekrug: Oh excellent! I think you'll really enjoy the read, Katie.

'Morning, RDear. Happy Sunday.

Not much going on here - all the usual things. I might make Filthy Cabbage for dinner. All the preliminary prep work is done.

*smooch*

Dropping off weekend smooches which are full of restorative properties, I hear.

((Hugs)) and **smooches** and hopes that you have a super Saturday, RD!

* smooch * Richard and I hope the day is going well enough.

>114 karenmarie: Happy weekend, Horrible! I hope the filthying goes well and it becomes a favorite addition to the rotation.

>115 MickyFine: *smoochiesmoochsmooch* Micky! I am restored.

>116 alcottacre: Stasia! I'm glad to see you, it's a better Saturday for it.

*smooch*

>117 vancouverdeb: Hi there Deborah! I'm glad to say it was a very pleasant Saturday, indeed. I spent it napping and reading and napping and watching science videos avoiding the entire topic of political culture.

*smooch*

>121 richardderus: If only it was possible to ignore the topic of political culture most of the time. Have a wonderful rest of the weekend, Richard.

This was in the news last week: https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/articles/cx211xy0w0eo

"avoiding the entire topic of political culture." Good luck with that. Not always easy to do these days.

Happy Sunday, Richard. We get a Jackson sleepover today. I mustered up a mini-review of The Director, with a well-deserved shout-out to you and Kristel.

>122 Familyhistorian: It would feel like heaven wouldn't it. I'm pleased the felonious yam is getting his name scraped off the Kennedy Center. So there's that!

>123 humouress: He is Too Too Cute!! I'm sure the science is fascinating, too, but if environmentalists aren't right this second creating a line of plushies based on that totes adorbs li'l feller, they're missing a fund-raising opportunity second to none.

>124 msf59: Damn near impossible. It's always temporary, this respite.

Enjoy young Jackson spending the night. I'm very glad The Director appealed so much!

'Morning, RDear. Happy Sunday to you.

Book club selection meeting is this afternoon, and etc.

*smooch*

>128 karenmarie: Oh cool! I'll be interested to see what the new season has in store. Sunday orisons! xo

It is I, sailing by.....*sigh* I wish I were not the one who usually starts the political conversation around here. I have so few people that I can talk to without hearing their yelling that I always jump at the chance to say what I'm thinking. What I'm thinking today doesn't bear typing aloud.

*smooch* I wish you a lovely, cool day!

Just slipping into your thread to say hi and that I hope the week brings some relief from the heat. Happy Sunday!

>130 LizzieD: hey there, Peggy, it's hard to avoid being political in a time where so much is being politicized that was previously thought to be settled.

Stay as far above the fray as your conscience will allow! *smooch*

>131 Storeetllr: Hi Mary! I sure hope this heat will pass. I stayed in my apartment today to keep it All refrigerated. No unnecessary sweating for me, thanks.

158 The beasts of the east : the fall and rise of America's eastern wilderness by Andrew Moore

159 Goodbye, Killer Robots: Why Artificial Intelligence Won’t Destroy Humanity by Benjamin Branfman

'Morning, RDear! Happy Monday to you.

Lost natural wonders and AI... sigh. Pass.

The Filthy Cabbage over Basmati Rice was wonderful, and we have leftovers.

*smooch*

>135 richardderus: Perhaps I should read that one because I do worry about what AI will bring.

Happy Monday, my WBL! It's cooler here, and we got some rain yesterday, so that is all good. I hope the same for you.

I don't think I'm ready to give time to AI or non-chirpy lost but not entirely forgotten natural wonders. 'tant pis' for me

*smooch*

>136 karenmarie: Oh excellent! Is it a new item in the rotation? it sure sounds delish.

I hope you're Mondaying with aplomb. *smooch*

>137 RebaRelishesReading: Yes indeed, Reba, I hope you will. It's very much a book meant to show you *why* you shouldn't panic, but should be alert and aware.

>138 LizzieD: Greetings, Peggy me lurve. I'm pleased to report it's a hair under 80 today and less humid because of some thunderstorms last night. Tant pis pour toi, ma chere. The bits about NC's successes with red wolves are deeply fascinating. *smooch*

160 (P14) The open era by Edward Schmit

>134 richardderus: When I saw that title, I started reading to see if they covered the red wolves in NC, and was delighted to see that it's there. The local news just had a story last month about new red wolf pups born at a local museum. And an online series in May from the public library about the Tuscarora in NC also had a mention of how important this effort was to the Tuscarora people here.

Besides bison, I was surprised when I learned years ago that there used to be elk in NC. They've also reintroduced them in the western part of the state. Maybe there's some hope for us yet.

>143 atozgrl: Wolves are very important symbols in many cultures, so I'm not surprised the Tuscarora are All for the rewilding. Elk are really incredible looking animals, so would be very cool to see wandering around. IF it wasn't in your backyard...they're HUGE.

Maybe get the book from the library...? It's a good corrective for the all-doom All the time problem we have with corporate media coverage of the world.

Morning, Richard. I hope your week is off to a nice, painless start. We had a good time with Jack Sun-Mon. We are gearing up for another camping trip this weekend. This one to IA with the whole camping gang. Never a dull moment, my friend.

'Morning, RD. Happiest of Tuesdays to you.

>144 richardderus: There are any number of videos on YouTube about moose wandering around on streets and in yards. They're fun to watch - and they are definitely HUGE.

I think I'll be going to Virlie's today, otherwise all the usual things.

*smooch*

>134 richardderus: That sounds like good news.

Occasionally I come across signs here that say 'Rewilding'. While I wholeheartedly applaud the effort and I love the plants they put in, I suspect ... that the plants aren't actually native species. I could be wrong though.

>145 msf59: Hate to disappoint you on such a pretty day...pain's bad, though not existentially bad like yesterday. Enjoy Iowa!

>146 karenmarie: Morning, Horrible! Virlie's sounds great. I'll be coping with this damn gout flare. Bad enough that I can't even do my dishes! *ew*

>147 humouress: It's ironic that sometimes introduced species are needed to create the conditions best for natives...but since the entire universe is a spectrum, I guess it really does make sense that nothing is tidy and linear even in science.

>144 richardderus: Apparently the red wolves specifically are important to the Tuscarora. Both were abundant here before the Europeans came.

I checked the library catalog, and they've got 10 copies on order, so I should be able to get it from the library when I'm ready for it. We certainly need that corrective for the all-doom messaging we hear so much! Thanks for the suggestion, RD.

I am so sorry about the pain, Richard. Can you please get a break?? I hope you get some relief soon. 🙏🙏

>151 atozgrl: I'm really glad your library is so supportive of it, the need to be is huge. Enjoy the read when you get to it, Irene!

>152 msf59: Thank you, Mark, I think your good wishes pushed the goddesses into granting some relief today. My hands are a lot better! Have a safe trip to Iowa, and enjoy the camping.

161 (P15) Medea Sang Me a Corrido by Dahlia de la Cerda (tr. Heather Cleary & Julia Sanches)

Happy Wednesday morning, and hope things are progressing in the (less) pain and paperwork fronts.

‘Morning, RDear! Happy Wednesday to you.

>149 richardderus: I’m so sorry about the gout flare. I hope it unflares soon.

>155 richardderus: I guess I’d consider it a sub-genre. I’m one-and-done with the sub-genre with Circe, although I have The Song of Achilles on my shelves. I’m impressed – 4.75*. At 112 pages, it’s actually a novella.

*smooch*

It's Hump-Day, and I wish that you may have less pain for at least the rest of the week. Take care, and I'll be back when I can catch up! *smooch*

162 (P16) Muñeca by Cynthia Gómez

>156 bell7: Less pain has arrived, Mary, the swelling's gone down and I've got ABX coming to stave off what might be an infection trying to get going. I'm going into The Castle (is the state bureaucracy) with Irwina tomorrow to get lingering stuff finally straightened out. Or so I hope, anyway. Progress!

>157 karenmarie: Wednesday orisons, Horrible! A novella is usually lacking elements of complexity >155 richardderus: has, though...I'm just glad it's so short you can dunk it in your coffee, it fit neatly in between some longer reads.

The flare's been waning, thank goodness, and continues to wane. *smooch*

>158 LizzieD: Hey there, Peggy! I'm pleased I feel enough better to make tomorrow's trip not-dread-inducing. *smooch*

Sorry to hear about your gout. My mother was troubled with it in her later years and found it very painful and difficult to deal with. I know you have dealt with it forever, so won't say anything more about it. Glad it is easing.

'Morning, RDear. Happy Thursday to you.

I hope you and Irwina kick butt and take names.

*smooch*

>163 benitastrnad: It's a no-fun kind of a condition. I'm deeply annoyed by its incurability!

Your mom's experience is the more usual one...later in life onset. It does make getting old hellish!

>164 karenmarie: Irwina sent me home before the Medicaid visit because I got some infuriating information she can't help me fix. I'm really not a happy boy right now. May your day go better than mine has! *smooch*

To make my very, very annoying day brighter, my Bsky feed told me this morning that Cynthia Gómez, author of >159 richardderus:, liked my review enough to quote-post it in her account! I'm really chuffed that she was so happy about my praise.

First, I'm glad for your day-brightener, Richard. It is GOOD to be appreciated for what you do!

Glad to hear that the pain was less yesterday and willing to believe that it was even less today with chance of infection lessening.

>166 richardderus: That is a bad thing to hear. I hope Irwina was able to take care of the Medicaid and whatever else she can do for you. I likewise hope what she can't deal with is fixable by you without horrendous time and trouble.

*smooch*

>167 richardderus: Sorry you're having so much medical/insurance/care trouble. Hope it gets resolved soon. Nice news about you review (but then, you get a lot of (well deserved) good comments on your reviews, right? :). Hope it really does brighten your day.

>168 LizzieD: TYVM, Peggy. I don't think I did too well today mostly because I got the bad news that my friend Margie died last night. It was not unexpected. I'm glad for her sake she's out of pain. But I'll miss her.

>169 RebaRelishesReading: I admit it's felt like either gawd or the AI overlords are using me for target practice. I'm hoping it's resolved in my favor too.

>170 richardderus: Oh, Richard, I am so sorry. This, on top of the bureaucratic woes. It's too much. I too hope all of it is resolved quickly. I'm happy that you heard at least something good (>167 richardderus:) today, and that it helped to lift your spirits at least a little bit.

>172 atozgrl: Thank you, Irene, I'm just feeling battered right now. It will smooth out but I'm kinda not enjoying this bit....

This sparked joy in me.

>174 richardderus: That gave me a good laugh. My DH saw one yesterday with the Creature in the reflecting pool, but not this one with Trump.

>174 richardderus: Ha! Me as well!

>170 richardderus: I am sorry for your loss, Richard.

>175 atozgrl:, >176 figsfromthistle: I just love the way it makes fun of his clown-show administration, his evil, and shows how in the end he *will* get what he deserves.

Makes me smile big!

>176 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita, it was indeed a loss. Her daughter is distraught.

163 (P17) A murder most camp : a mystery by Nicolas DiDomizio

164 (P18) A different kind of brave by Lee Wind

‘Morning, RDear.

>170 richardderus: I’m sooo sorry to hear about your friend Margie.

>174 richardderus: Yup.

*smooch*

165 (P19) A different kind of enemy by Lee Wind

>181 karenmarie: I'll miss having Margie around, but it was fun to get to know her. *sigh*

I love >174 richardderus: more every time it catches my eye! I'll be glad when the convulsions from this infection finally expel the hateful scum-blob out of our entire government.

*smooch*

>179 richardderus: Ooh, you got me with a BB for Murder Most Camp. Looks fun! I’ve requested it, but have a little bit of a wait (boo! 😊)

Karen O

>184 klobrien2: YAY for the wait! I'm delighted they bought the book, there are other patrons who want to read it, and you wanting to read a book you might not have heard of otherwise is the cherry on my sundae! *smooch*

>170 richardderus: Oh Richard. I'm sorry to hear about Margie's death. I somehow didn't realize that her hold on life was so tenuous. I was thrilled when you reported her presence. I know that it was a gift to both of you to have a like-minded person in residence. I'm also sure that you made her last few months much happier than they would have been otherwise. *smooch*, my WBL.

>174 richardderus: Occasionally, worse is better. That is too funny. Of course, it's Obama and Biden and Pelosi's fault, but never mind. I also chortled when I heard that at least one piece of flag-blue paint shard has floated to the top.

>179 richardderus: Got me! This will show up on my Kindle sooner if not later. I'll read it right after I rewatch *Meatballs*, a very dated favorite that I watch once a summer.

HAPPPY JUNETEENTH to you too. I hesitated to wish it to the receptionists at my eye clinic this morning. I'm sure I should have, but sometimes Miss Ann appropriating a special black thing is worse than Miss Ann ignoring it. The same is true for thanking an individual soldier for his service. I score pretty high on the dork scale.

Speaking of which, I wonder how you react to this little quotation from T. Keneally's The Dickens Boy, which tells the story of CD's youngest son in Australia. Plorn (Edward Bulwer-Lytton Dickens) is doing well on a sheep ranch in the outback. The station manager explains to him, "I am made in the narrow mold, Plorn: I like men." It rings so true for the character that Keneally has created for 1869, spoken straightforwardly and accepted in the same vein.

*smooch* again on general principles!

Sorry to hear about Margie's death, Richard. Hope you get some rest and good reading in this weekend.

>170 richardderus: So sorry, Richard. It's tough to lose people you care about...even when it's expected.

>174 richardderus: Gave me a, much needed, laugh out loud!! Glad it sparked joy for you too.

>170 richardderus: I'm sorry to hear about Margie but happy that she's at peace.

>186 LizzieD: Thank you re: Margie's passing. I hope >179 richardderus: will delight you when you get to it.

Miss Ann is a wise lady for just keeping it quiet. No need to perform allyship if you're a genuine supporter.

Keneally's take on how to handle the topic of gayness is the one that's "worked" for All of human history. I'll wager a lot of the Classical Greek stuff that survives about pederasty would shock and repulse the farmers and shopkeepers who sold their goods to the rich guys who did the stuff we read about 2500 years later. Wealth is always afforded privileges.

>174 richardderus: still raises a smile days later! *smooch*

>187 bell7: Thanks, Mary, she was such a powerful person it's hard to think it All just got to be too much for her body.

>188 RebaRelishesReading: I'm glad I knew her, and I'll miss seeing her.

>174 richardderus: is a genuine joy!

>189 humouress: It's sad for me, awful for her suffering daughter, but I'm glad she's finally out of her pain.

Thanks, Nina.

166 (P20) The disaster gay detective agency : a novel by Lev AC Rosen

'Morning, RDear. Happy Saturday to you.

Tra la la... life goes on. Shots went well and I'm already noticing less pain. It's going to be pretty hot, but I don't have to be outside - AC in our house, AC in my SUV.

*smooch*

167 (P21) Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen

>195 karenmarie: Morning, sweetiedarling. I'm suffering most terribly in the sunshiney, 72° day here. It will get to a truly ghastly 84° in the afternoon. *woe* At least I have my a/c to keep me from a dreary life of suffering.

*eville chortling*

Stay well, smoochling.

Oh, that's so sad about Margie. I'm sorry you lost her so soon into your friendship.

168 (P22) Mirage city by Lev AC Rosen

Fourth and latest in the Evander Mills series.

>198 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie. I am sad and still glad for her that she's out of pain at last. Trying not to feel selfishly wounded...mostly succeeding. Good weekend-ahead's reads!

I'm sorry to hear it's been a sad week for you, RDear. Sending smooches and extra hugs for you and hoping another kindred spirit crosses your path soon.

Richard, first thank you for your answer to my question about the Keneally quotation. You gave me just what I hoped for from you - a statement of understanding beyond my own.
Also thanks for supporting my diffidence or whatever it is.

>179 richardderus: >194 richardderus: Both are happily on my Kindle at $1.99 each. Hear ye! Hear ye! Hear y'all!!!

>196 richardderus: I'll likely be asking for all four of these, having enjoyed the Ammy sample.

Therefore, if you want to hang out with your book in front of the AC in your heat (and that's YOUR heat--- I'll still walk without bad effects at 84°) you may consider your job of passing on the good stuff done since you've tentatively gotten me for SIX in two days.

*smooch*

>201 MickyFine: Thank you, Micky. I expect I'm mostly sad because now I'll miss getting to play with Margie for a fun future of reading anecdotes.

*smooch*

>202 LizzieD: It's a really interesting thing to know Keneally, now 91, has such a perspective on queerness. I see my affinity group as very broad, a vividly intense spectrum; but that's merely a perspective, like a rainbow is. Keneally's narrow mold is the one we are all, as humans, individually cast from. Remember when we were kids, the car companies used to change stuff like taillights and front-end grilles and the like? Same car; same engine; looked a little different came in a new color maybe had a better radio or window crank but it was the same car. Nowadays we can't tell the cars apart even with their badges and taillights shining right at us. We've gone from perceptible differences and so varying judgments about the item to having them be appliances.

It's the high-control person's dream. It's also the apotheosis of safety in a herd. Among queers, the whole marriage debate was so infinitely flattening as AIDS scared people into hiding...in the 1970s we were debating if marriage should even exist, not trying to gain access to it. Hard to tell the mainstreamed queers from the cishet folk much of the time.

The Evander Mills series will, I'm confident, speak to you. It's very well done history but still involving and exciting storytelling.

I see that I didn't specifically send you my sympathies on Margie's passing, RD. I will echo what >201 MickyFine: Micky said; that's exactly how I feel about it. It does feel too soon, when you were just getting to know her.

I've been eyeing Lev AC Rosen's works, and am glad to see they mostly hit the mark for you. It ups the chances I will enjoy them when I read them, just not sure exactly when that moment will be.

>205 atozgrl: Thanks, Irene, I'm very sad about the brevity of our acquaintance. I'm still glad I got to meet her.

>206 bell7: I hope you will enjoy them, Mary. I'd aim you towards the Evander Mills series first.

Happy summer!

One of my libraries has lots of books by Lev AC Rosen so a couple of them made it onto my hold list. Thanks for the reviews, Richard.

It seems like just the other day when you introduced us to Margie. So sorry that you didn't have more time with her as your simpatico fellow resident.

84 in the afternoon, that is warm, Richard . I'm so sorry to read about the passing of your friend, Margie. You had such a short time as friends.

>210 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deborah, it was short but very pleasurable. I'll miss having meals with her.

It's a truth universally acknowledged that I'm a weenie when it comes to heat. It's 63° right now on the way to 82° for the high, but really I'm just humblebragging to the southern contingent as they're always so much hotter than those of us who had the sense to move away. A Sunbelt childhood taught me that rain is a treasure, snow is a gift, and anyplace with both is home.

‘Morning, RDear! Happy Sunday to you. Thank goodness for AC, right?

It’s already 86.2F here, going to a high of 93F.

>204 richardderus: Interesting perspective about cars being appliances. Uni-body designs are all basically alike. I do not like the grill styles and actively dislike some of the tail light configurations. I still love my 2012 Ford Escape.

*smooch*

>204 richardderus: Also interested in your perspective, Richard, and in agreement with all of us being cast in a "narrow mold", which I welcome as an expression of the equality that exists while learning to appreciate the fascinating differences!
I, btw, have the first or the E. Mills series becoming available to me!

Back to humans ..... My DH refers to the one in the White House whom I have been calling "the entity" as "Fat Boy." This morning I suddenly remembered the names of the atomic bombs we dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Little Boy and Fat Man. With due respect to those who claim the two denominators legitimately, "Fat Boy" is a fine pejorative descriptor to my mind. He is fat. He is still a boy. He has wreaked havoc on the whole world.
(Rereading that, I have no idea where all the pretentiousness is coming from today. Sorry. *FBitWH* is going to do the job for me.)

*smooch* for a cool Sunday!

>209 Familyhistorian: I hope you'll try them soon, Meg. Yeah, I'm sad Margie was not around longer but I'm really glad I knew her.

>212 karenmarie: Afternoon, sweetiedarling! I'm eagerly awaiting another 90° day so I can whine legitimately. Not. Cars today are all seaweed colored blandly samey appliances for very good reasons, but gawd are they tedious things to look at. I'm very glad I can't drive anymore because I simply can't interpret the screens fast enough to be safe doing so.

*smooch*

>213 LizzieD: Hey Peggy..."Fat Boy" is very apt indeed as a moniker for the felonious yam. As is "Trumplethinskin" and All those other high-quality insults. Anything to keep from syllabically enunciating the vile thing's actual yclepture.

Lavender House hooo-ooo-o! *smooch*

>215 richardderus: What happened to 'keep your eyes on the road at all times'?

>217 humouress: That's a lot harder with a 20in television just off the road-facing part.

>218 richardderus: Quite so.

>210 vancouverdeb: 84° in the afternoon is warm!?!? I would gladly take that right now. We've been mostly in the 90's or hotter all month.

>212 karenmarie: Thank goodness for AC is right!

>219 humouress: mmm hmm

>220 atozgrl: Well, not by southern standards, but it's full-on summer weather up here. I've lived in NY for more than 30 years...I'm fully acclimatized.

Happy Monday, Richard. The Warbler is back in town. I hope you have been dealing with more comfortable pain levels. 🙏

You got me with Medea Sang Me a Corrido. Wow! Lots going on in that one. My cuppa.

((Hugs)) and **smooches** for today, RD! Have a marvelous Monday!

169 (P23) Bone of my bone by Johanna van Veen

It's $1.99 on Kindle right now!

>223 msf59: Monday orisons, Mark! I'm glad to say you're spot-on, the pain levels are back to normal range.

I really hope you'll enjoy Author Dahlia's story, because it's something special in a world full-up with blandly decent reads.

>224 alcottacre: Marvelous Monday wishes right back at'cha, Stasia! *smooch*

‘Morning, RD! Happy Monday to you.

>213 LizzieD: I’m laughing, Peggy, because your DH calls him “Fat Boy”, but that’s what I affectionately call our ‘baby’ ginger Wash.

>216 richardderus: I’m still irritated that I can’t use the evil chaos demon's last name for “A suit in card games that outranks all other suits for the duration of a hand. It applies to so many situations and events, but I cannot bear using it.

>222 richardderus: mid-high 90Fs here today with changes of strong thunderstorms in the evening. In other words, summer in central NC.

*smooch*

>228 karenmarie: Bog-standard summer weather indeed. I'm so so glad I left the south. I feel the same way about being deprived of a very useful word, Horrible. I'm just repulsed by the connotations so, like you, I avoid saying it.

*smooch*

DOGGONE, Richard. Again!!! >225 richardderus: is even now being loaded to my Kindle for $1.99 again. I shall go bankrupt and brainrupt. *smooch* anyway!

>230 LizzieD: I'd say I'm sorry but lying to you is a fool's errand. Teachers always know. The $1.99s do add up, but the pleasures of the read will do more for you than the pittance would've. *smooch*

Hooray for the normal pain-levels. I also wanted to tell you that I just started Villain: A Novel. All thanks to you and your reminder and your rave.

My neighborhood.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/PVWMSSdNwL9U4JDL8

Hiya, RDear, and happy Tuesday to you.

>233 richardderus: Thanks for the link/photos.

*smooch*

>234 karenmarie: Hiya Horrible! I understand from what others have said that my captions aren't showing up on the photos. VERY annoying.

*smooch*

I'm tickled to see the photos even without captions. I thought for one brief shining moment that you had that range and big frig and freezer in your own space, but a second thought disabused me of that. Never mind. I love it! I'm not sure about the city street, but you obviously have a park you can get to with trees.
*smooch*

>236 LizzieD: Oh good, Peggy! It's a really nice neighborhood, and by my standards feels just like Home. *smooch*

>233 richardderus: The neighbourhood looks great, Richard. I'm so glad it feels like home.

>238 vancouverdeb: It's all part of the 1930s socialist revolution, Deborah, demanding and creating decent housing for working people.

No wonder I feel so at home!

170 The reverse centaur's guide to life after ai : how to think about artificial intelligence-before it's too late by Cory Doctorow

'Morning, RDear. Happy Wednesday to you.

Virlie's was fun yesterday, doing not much at all will be fun today.

*smooch*

>241 karenmarie: It's *gorgeous* here today, Horrible, so I took a walk to a corner of the neighborhood I'd never poked around in before. One-family houses being renovated on Devoe Terrace were a lovely sight. It was good to get some sweat-breaking exercise despite my issues, out in the sunshine.

A half-hour before my stuffed shells and garlic bread lunch! *smooch*

>240 richardderus: Reverse Centaur looks really interesting, and you gave it a full 5 stars, so I’m searching for a copy. Great review!

Karen O

>242 richardderus: All GOOD for you, Richard! May your very good day continue. We're fine.

I appreciate your review, which I did read, of *Reverse C*, which I won't read. I give myself permission to stay out of it.

*smooch*

Re: >233 richardderus:, here's my narrative of what y'all're seeing:
"It was a much fancier neighborhood in the 1930s. It never got like the stereotype of the Bronx, which is/was the South Bronx, but it's not middle-class anymore while the buildings are.

I take it the captions didn't come through...the big redbrick old building is the vacant Bronx Armory. It's on Kingsbridge Road, the main shopping street, and Jerome Avenue. It's under the 6-train stop...they're mainly elevated here...and across Jerome on Kingsbridge is the Morton Williams supermarket I shop at.

The big buildings are my apartment building's entrance, the building from across University Ave; the leafy street is W 192nd, across from my building; the messy strip of green is a pocket park on Aqueduct Avenue heading south on W 192; the BIG trees regularly spaced are just behind the plaque with my feet in the pic that says "ST James Park" further south along 192nd."

Earlier today I took a walk up W 190 Street to see what was in that direction. A street of one-family houses called Devoe Terrace, it turns out with lots of them being renovated. It was about 75° and sunny so I took advantage of how lovely it was to poke around. It's a comfy place, this neighborhood, the more I see the better I like it. I'm full of stuffed shells with garlic bread and an apple turnover for dessert so I'm quite contented.

>243 klobrien2: Thanks, Karen O. I think you'll get a lot out of Doctorow's latest as he head into the midterms...lots to watch out for.

>244 LizzieD: My damned toe bled most of the morning, Peggy, so the blessing was mitigated. Still a blessing, though.

*smooch*

171 The one and the ninety-nine : forging identity in the age of social contagion by Luke Burgis

>245 richardderus: I'm very glad to see that you are in such a nice neighborhood, Richard! And especially one that feels like home. I am also happy to see that you are feeling better and that you had such a good lunch. Sorry about the toe though. I hope it's better by now.

>239 richardderus: 'It's all part of the 1930s' Ah. *nods sagely* When you were in your heyday.

I hope the toe is behaving. Myself, I'm happy this morning. My dermatologist called and said I can go back on the eczema medication which he stopped because of low blood count. I'm thrilled because it quickly cleared up a frustrating wet eczema flare of several weeks duration when I first went on it and - of course - a heap of painful blisters popped up on my hands when I had to stop so I'm hoping (expecting) they'll disappear soon.

In other news, I was woken by my husband this morning and we watched Scotland (captained by ex-Liverpool Andy Robertson) go down 3-0 to Brazil; now to cross fingers and hope they get through as one of the best in group third positions.

172 The Messi effect : how the global legend changed the future of American soccer by Paul Tenorio

>250 humouress: I beg your pardon. I shall have you to know that I *introduced* "heyday"'s modern sense to the English language in 1751, not the yesterday-afternoon of the 1930s.

Eczema must be hellish in tropical climes. Any skin irritation gets worse in heat, at least on my grumpy-old-man skin it does. Because I take blood thinners to help ward off another stroke I won't be free of bleeding issues, and the toe is awkward to bandage because it's not the great toe that's causing the problem.

Brazil's a huge powerhouse in the sport so no shame in losing to them, he gloated. xo

Morning, Richard. Sweet Thursday. I am going to hang out with Jack for awhile today. I miss him. I am at about the halfway point in Villain and continue to enjoy it. She is such an interesting writer, although her style and pacing is not for everyone.

‘Morning, RDear! Happy Thursday to you.

>240 richardderus: Speaking of AI, I downloaded a Kindle Unlimited book last night and started it this morning. I am going to abandon it after 22 pages. It’s not worth continuing. The interesting and scary part about it is that in the Forward the author wrote:

I don’t have a budget for editors or designers, so I have used AI to help me improve my book where I thought it was helpful.

I wonder how many authors are using AI and not being up front about it?

I’m glad you got out yesterday for a walk.

>247 richardderus: Ugh. I’m so sorry.

>248 richardderus: And here we are, an ephemeral, online collective that we can float into and out of without consequence. 😲

>251 richardderus: I’d love to read this book because watching Messi is so satisfying. He’s brilliant and seems to be a Good Man.

*smooch*

>252 richardderus: Pardon granted. I wouldn't really know about other climes since the eczema only started a few years ago and it's just **** irritating **** in any clime.
Oh; I automatically assumed it was your big toe. These days just cutting my toenails feels more awkward than it did, say, ten years ago - the contortions I have to go through.

>251 richardderus: Ah, I see that World Cup fever has got to you too. (>252 richardderus:) You're a Brazil fan? Well, fair enough; ordinarily I probably would be, too.

>254 karenmarie: Hard to say, right? I read an ER book I had received many months ago and I was struggling with it because I felt that the writing was bad, so I broke one of my personal rules and read what other people had to say about it before I finished. A few people claimed it was AI written and one reviewer laid out a convincing argument for it.

>255 humouress: Toenails! Do not get me started! Contortions AND the extra-sharp, heavy, high end clippers for "older adults." BAH.

I'm sorry about your toe, Richard, with empathy of sorts - not bleeding but pain. (Some of it started when I was 10 and clumsy. Jumping rope, I landed on the second toe of my left foot in my Buster Browns and broke it.)

Well. That didn't go in expected direction. I am easily escaping World Cup Fever, thank goodness.

I wish you may stay cool and enjoy food and books today, my WBL. *smooch*

>249 atozgrl: I am, too, Irene! It suits me well. I enjoy the Jamaican beef patty they serve here so today's lunch was perfectly fine.

The blood thinners that help me avoid the awfulness of another stroke come at a cost. But a stroke's worse than a bleeding extremity....

173 The Make-Believe: A Memoir of Magic and Madness by Hannah Murray

>253 msf59: Afternoon, Birddude...a Jackson day's always a good thing, no? I'm glad Villain is holding up for you. I don't think lots of people would get past the premise, TBH.

>254 karenmarie: I got out again today, Horrible. It's been lovely! My toe bleeds but my brain ain't bleedin' so I'll take it with a glad heart. Like I take my 20-year residence here on LT...rough with smooth.

Messi is Shane Hollander made flesh. Ronaldo is Ilya. It's something I got clearer about as I read along. It's a book you'd love, I expect. Stay well! *smooch*

>255 humouress: I'm seeing many stupid errors in many books that I strongly suspect are AI hallucinations, which somehow the tech scum have convinced us is what we should call lies/mistakes when their fucking program gets it wrong.

Brazilian guys are hot, what can I say.

Eczema-B-Gon spells duly cast.

>256 LizzieD: Jamaican beef patty with spinach was my lunch, both of which I love. I'll survive quite nicely, thank you, on this diet.

My foot issues are so old, they could have grandchildren of their own. I'm trying to see it as a positive: I have a built-in alarm system keeping me from overexerting myself.

I'm a little weary of the increased maintenance requirements of this aging blob of meat that I have to drag around. Better than the alternative, I remind myself. xo

So sorry to hear about Margie Richard.

Today it has been 33.5°C (91.4°F) and tomorrow is forecast to be 35°C (95°F). It’s not as hot as that indoors of course, but it is too hot… And we don’t have air conditioning. The last two days have been the hottest June days ever recorded.

>263 SandDune: *GAAAK*

It's a perfectly lovely 83°/28.3C here and I ain't mad (US sense) about it. Plus I have a/c like everyone else in this country if it gets unpleasant. Of course it makes sense I *would* since I'm on the same latitude as Madrid.

Margie's being commemorated by some political pals of mine who are signing voter-turnout postcards with her name until the midterms. It was a very moving gesture they're making.

>257 richardderus: You've got that right, a bleeding toe is nothing in comparison to a stroke. May you never have another!

>255 humouress: >256 LizzieD: Boy, I can relate! I don't have trouble getting to my left foot, but my right hip has lost flexibility and reaching my right toes to cut toenails is a struggle. *Sigh*

>265 atozgrl: Your keyboard⇉the goddesses' inbox.

Haven't been able to bend my knees enough to cip my own nails in years.

>233 richardderus: Looks like a nice walkable neighbourhood!

>261 richardderus: *sigh* I was watching the game, not the guys.

Much appreciation for the spells, thank you - especially as they seem to be working. (Though I think I made my kids jump when they caught sight of the blisters yesterday.)

>264 richardderus: Well, you learn something new every day. I always assumed New York/ DC were more on a level with London.

I usually solve the toe-clipping by making an excuse to get my nails painted and get a pedicure. Of course, occasionally I leave it a bit too long (pun unintended) and break a nail and then I have to sort it out myself.

>267 figsfromthistle: That's the most powerful appeal to me. I'm annoyed it's rainy because I can't risk getting standing water in the ouchy because that's how I lost the other great toe.

>268 humouress: ...the game...? Oh right, that's why they're wearing those hot outfits.

Nope. Canada's around your London-ish latitudes. DC is about the latitude of Gibraltar. I'm amazed how many people think that same thing, when we're essentially Africans climatically.

Just dropping by to wish you a lovely weekend! xxoo

>271 Storeetllr: Morning, Mary! *smooch*

Sailing through on a breeze that helps the rising temps even if it doesn't do a lot for atmospheric pressure! All good wishes for your Friday and the weekend, Richard! *smooch*

>273 LizzieD: Greetings, Peggy! My Friday is behaving only slightly badly. I'm annoyed by the rain showers, thus standing water that keeps my bleeding toe indoors. *grumble*

I'm gonna take this up with y'all's gawd. She's bein' mean to me. *smooch*

BURGOINE #035

The Light of the Fireflies by Paul Pen (tr. Simon Bruni)

Rating: 3.25* of five

The Publisher Says: A haunting and hopeful tale of discovering light in even the darkest of places.

For his whole life, the boy has lived underground, in a basement with his parents, grandmother, sister, and brother. Before he was born, his family was disfigured by a fire. His sister wears a white mask to cover her burns.

He spends his hours with his cactus, reading his book on insects, or touching the one ray of sunlight that filters in through a crack in the ceiling. Ever since his sister had a baby, everyone’s been acting very strangely. The boy begins to wonder why they never say who the father is, about what happened before his own birth, about why they’re shut away.

A few days ago, some fireflies arrived in the basement. His grandma said, There’s no creature more amazing than one that can make its own light. That light makes the boy want to escape, to know the outside world. Problem is, all the doors are locked. And he doesn’t know how to get out…

I CHECKED THIS BOOK OUT FROM THE PRIME LENDING SERVICE.

My Review: The first of Spanish writer Paul Pen's books that I read. It's a bit more like Room than I expected; it's dark and dreadful and worryingly claustrophobic.

Would've been a full four stars for eerie, entirely gorgeous prose...except that brisk, brusque ending that ties a neat little bow on the backside of a shambling, messy orc of a story.

Amazon Crossing would like $4.99 for the Kindle edition.

BURGOINE #036

Under the Water by Paul Pen (tr. Simon Bruni)

Rating: 3.5* of five

The Publisher Says: What does the perfect family have to fear most? The perfect stranger.

From the outside, Frank and Grace seem to have the perfect family. He’s a loving husband, she’s a devoted wife, and together they have two happy children. But appearances can be deceiving. A strange series of misfortunes has left them an unexplained break-in, a catastrophic accident, and a bizarre poisoning that’s left Grace feeling especially unnerved. Packing up their RV for a move across the country, they’re ready for a fresh start, expecting to leave all their problems safely behind.

Then one night on the road to their new home, the figure of a young woman emerges from the darkness, causing them to swerve off the road. The injured stranger says her name is Mara. Miles from help, they invite her to stay. But Mara is hiding a secret. And she is not the only one.

Was it all just another inexplicable accident? Or have they opened the door to an escalating family nightmare designed to tear their perfect world apart?

I CHECKED THIS BOOK OUT FROM THE PRIME LENDING SERVICE.

My Review: Another creepy suspense story from Paul Pen, one that strongly hints at supernatural stuff without tipping its hand. Audrey's my kinda lass, irritatingly opinionated and highly judgmental and not smart enough to hide it despite being smart enough to know she should. Hello daughter of my cloning.

The way it all unravels as the parents' "perfect marriage" unsurprisingly fails the stress test of moving cross-country to escape something rather than make something was fun to watch, if predictable. I don't see classic written all over it but I'm not mad I read it.

Amazon Crossing asks you for $2.49 for the Kindle edition. Good value for your dollar IMO.

Swinging by to give ((Hugs)) and **smooches** for today, RD. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

BURGOINE #037

Desert Flowers by Paul Pen (tr. Simon Bruni)

Rating: 3* of five

The Publisher Says: Rose and Elmer have created an idyllic sanctuary for themselves and their five daughters in Mexico’s Baja California desert. Out there in the middle of nowhere, blissfully cut off from the burdens of modern society, they’re free to raise their beautiful family…and preserve its secret.

And they’re never giving it up.

Then a young hiker named Rick comes looking for a place to stay. It’s just for the night, he says—but long enough for Rose and Elmer to fear they’ve made a horrible mistake. As the stranger grows more intrusive and more suspicious, the couple know they must do what they can to protect themselves. What they don’t know is that Rick has a secret, too. Soon, home and family will prove to be as cold and dark as the desert nights. And even with so many places to run, there’s still no escape from the past that binds them.

I CHECKED THIS BOOK OUT FROM THE PRIME LENDING SERVICE.

My Review: Very much a Paul Pen uneasy-making story. Rick is a faceless menace with a name but no characterization to speak of. Elmer and Rose are stock characters that evoke "weirdo Murrikinz" to European eyes; it goes unexplored how these two norteños got to Baja California without considerable attention being paid to them.

I do not recall a single thing about any of their daughters. Nothing. A story to pass some time, but if I'd paid for it I'd be frothingly furious.

Amazon Crossing is "only" asking $3.99 for a Kindle edition.

>277 alcottacre: *smooch* and a happy weekend-ahead's reads, Stasia!

The Pride Treasure Hunt is on - but it finishes on Tuesday.

>280 humouress: I've got five rainbows so far, but need to get clues on the others.

Happy Saturday, Richard. I played PB yesterday, after resting a sore knee for nearly a week. Of course, I rolled my ankle and tweaked my back while playing (LOL) but I am feeling better today and will try playing again. These obsessions we have....

Have a great weekend.

BURGOINE #038

The Bridge: An Annotated Edition by Hart Crane (annotated and with an Introduction by Lawrence Kramer)

Rating: 3.5* of five

The Publisher Says: Now in paperback, with a new preface and clear, reader-friendly annotations that unlock Crane’s landmark poem.

Hart Crane’s modernist masterpiece The Bridge has steadily grown in stature since its 1930 publication. Once dismissed by influential critics as a noble failure, a view that hardened into conventional wisdom, it is now widely regarded as one of the major achievements of twentieth-century American poetry. The poem unites mythology and modernity to reckon with the promises, kept and broken, of American experience.

The Bridge is challenging in the best sense, exacting and ultimately rewarding. Beloved yet often misunderstood, it threads indirect and finely grained allusions through period-specific references to 1920s life that can elude contemporary readers. Crane’s elaborate compound metaphors braid disparate sources, making the poem’s movement at times hard to track. Its topical and geographic markers call not only for identification but for explanation. Without specialized knowledge, much of it not readily available even online, many passages remain opaque.

Until now, there was no single, convenient resource to help readers unlock Crane’s vision. This book is that guide. Its detailed, far-reaching annotations make The Bridge fully accessible, whether you are a scholar, a student, or a devoted reader of poetry.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: I am not "...a scholar, a student, or a devoted reader of poetry," so I had no business reading this queer poet's great edifice of thought. I loved the Walker Evans photos, and appreciated Lawrence Kramer's erudite and informative annotations, but it took me from October 2025 until now to finish this #PrideMonth read.

He might be one of gay history's "might have been great"s but I simply could not care less about poetry no matter how hard I try.

Fordham University Press requests and requires the surrender of $23.99 for an ebook. You do you, Boo.

>282 msf59: Saturday orisons, Mark! It's a good obsession to have since it keeps you physically and socially active and connected. Of course, *I* think you're completely nuts, but hey....

BURGOINE #039

This Never Happened by Mempo Giardinelli (tr. Rhonda Dahl Buchanan)

Rating: 3.5* of five

The Publisher Says: In this autobiographical novel, a journalist witnesses the hot-off-the -presses editions of his own books thrown onto a bonfire of books. The date is March 24th, 1976, the day of the coup d'etat that led to the overthrow of the Isabel Peron presidency in Argentina and 18 years of terror known as "La Guerra sucia" or The Dirty Wars" in which 30,000-plus are still unaccounted for.

Fearful for his life and those of his wife and children, the narrator must find a way to navigate the highly volatile and murderous world under the boot of La Junta, in hopes of saving himself and his family; but first he has more important business to attend to—his mistress, with whom he's been having a scorching love affair—and finds himself grappling with several major dilemmas and very real dangers confronting him as he works his way out of this lethal maze.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: In just over 200 pages, a future as dark as any Orwell dreamt up, as grim as Fahrenheit 451, is limned from the author's lived past. It's a bitter draft to swallow...especially the book-burning scene.

I might have swallowed it with better grace had the author not larded in a tacky, creepy cheating episode and never explored its emotional resonances; it felt like a cheap ploy to engage my worst, most prurient feelings. Stalled at three and a half stars instead of the full five I was heading for.

Schaffner Press needs a mere $11.99 to grant you access to the ebook.

>281 richardderus: I've managed eight rainbows, despite not being an expert - mainly by using the LT search bar. I still need 6, 10 & 11 so I will finally have a look at the thread.

Dropping off weekly smooches and hoping your weekend treats you right.

BURGOINE #040 (P25)

A Dangerous Sky: A WWII RAF M/M Romance by Sebastian Haig

Rating: 2.5* of five

The Publisher Says: Two fighter pilots. One secret that could destroy them both.

England, 1940.

The sky over the Channel is filling with enemy aircraft, and every sortie could be a pilot’s last.

Flight Lieutenant Tom Ashford has survived long enough to know the rules: keep your men alive, keep your emotions buried, and never let anyone see what truly matters to you. War is ruthless to weakness and even more ruthless to secrets.

Pilot Officer Callum Fraser arrives at the squadron young, capable, and determined to prove himself in the brutal air war over southern England. Under Tom’s steady command, he learns quickly how to fight, how to survive, and how thin the line between courage and fear can be when the sky fills with fire.

But danger isn’t confined to the cockpit.

In the quiet spaces between missions—fog covered village lanes, silent barracks after midnight, and the lonely miles of the Sussex countryside something begins to grow between them. What starts as trust between pilots becomes something far more dangerous: a connection neither man can deny, and neither can afford to be discovered.

Because in wartime Britain, loving the wrong person can destroy a career… or worse.

As the Battle of Britain intensifies and losses mount, Tom and Callum must decide what they are willing to risk in the air, and on the ground.

Because some battles are fought at thirty thousand feet.

And some are fought in the heart.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.

My Review: Blandly competent. WAAAY too long. Unmemorable prose, a subtitle that's a log line, a synopsis that's ridiculously overcomplicated and simultaneously portentous and uninformative as well as clearly designed to be read on a smartphone...not much thrilled me about this read except finishing it.

Which I did, so there are 2.5 stars.

Sebastian Haig only wants $3.99 for the Kindle edition, so if you need to fill a few hours...

>286 humouress: I'm impressed! I think I'll go give it a whirl again, see if more synapses decide to fire.

>289 richardderus: Thank you. I've never managed a hunt without help but I do seem to be getting better at them. Oddly enough, it seems to be the vampires that are stumping me.

Hiya, RDear, and happy Saturday to you.

>261 richardderus: and >268 humouress:->269 richardderus: I do both. Hot guys AND matches. There are two matches I’m interested in today. England play Panama at 5 p.m. EDT, and Jordan play Argentina at 10 p.m. so I might the first with Bill and the second upstairs.

>289 richardderus: Your review makes me happy. Blandly competent…

*smooch*

BURGOINE #041

The Grand Couvert by Eoghan Brunkard

Rating: 3.5* of five

The Publisher Says: One man trying to survive the revolution. One man trying to climb out of the gutter. One cat trying to kill them both…

Edouard Laurent is a young man struggling to survive in a tumultuous Paris during the dying embers of the Revolution. He was a hesitant participant in a chateau burning and has been conscripted to the Republican army. So, when Ivo Armel, a power-hungry official offers the chance of a pardon if Edouard retrieves a mysterious relic, Edouard and a strange team of adventurers set off. Unknown to them, they are being pursued by a small feline, who believes himself to be the Comte of the chateau Edouard helped reduce to ashes.

Will Edouard and his friends unravel the mystery of this relic and its significance to Armel’s revolution? Can the Comte endure terrible wine, worse lovers, and the indignity of repeatedly getting his head stuck in glasses while in pursuit for his vengeance?

A highly comedic, heartwarming and oddly, historically accurate novel by Eoghan Brunkard, author of ‘Clementine Lane’, of the trials of surviving late 18th century Europe.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.

My Review: "Ivo" and "Armel" are Breton saints...the latter spent the end of his life defeating a dragon burning up a Breton forest, the former a sainted abbot who championed the rights and care of the poor; on the nose much, Author Eoghan? It was a fun read for me. I cheered when the comte died, and thoroughly reveled in his afterlife as a stray cat.

I liked the read because I was sent to Holy Scripture aka Wikipedia to test my knowledge of Revolutionary France while giggling. It wasn't paced that well, some scenes too long; but overall I'd be glad to read Author Eoghan's next book.

He only wants $4.99 for a Kindle edition which feels reasonable to me.

>287 MickyFine: Thank you, Micky! Last weekend of #PrideMonth so I'm fishing around for the black crape and my mourning outfits. *sigh*

*smooch*

174 (P24) The disco at the end of the world by Nathan Tavares

>290 humouress: ...that IS odd...not a topic I'd think would be a stumper for you.

>291 karenmarie: Horrible! I hope the Natural History Museum threw you a good birthday celebration like they do for All their fossils.

>289 richardderus: was, if not "created" entirely by an LLM, "assisted" by one. It was as savorless as artificial-maple syrup. I have no proof of that origin so I couldn't justify saying so in my review, but I feel very very sure it's the case based on...blandly competent uninteresting prose. I hate the idea that the future of storytelling is this literary Novocaine. *smooch*

Tuesday ends the month of June and the quarter and #PrideMonth. That's three sum-up posts! I'll do Pride Month on here, June and 2Q26 on the new thread...so this one's goin' over 300 posts.

I'm relatively unscathed by your BBs today, Richard, and I fear I count that a good thing.

I've looked at the treasure hunt, guessed at a couple and missed. I'd like to get the two required for a badge though. *smooch*

BURGOINE #042 (P26)

Dearly Departed by Chip Pons

Rating: 3.9* of five

The Publisher Says: Hope is a dangerous thing for gods. Even former ones.

From the highly beloved author of “contemporary romance magic” (Christina Lauren) Winging It with You comes a Hades-inspired gay rom-com, in which the former god of the Underworld turned grumpy funeral director must find a loophole in the Immortality Retirement Act that banished him to Earth, until the florist next door who sees life in full bloom begins to unravel all his carefully laid plans.

Hayden Harlow, once the mighty Hades, has spent centuries quietly resenting his fall from immortality. Stripped of his godhood by the allegedly irreversible Immortal Retirement Act, he now runs Harlow and Sons Funeral Home—a front for his eternal sentencing among mortals, and a bleak reminder of the purpose he’s lost. Still, he’s determined to claw his way back…if only the Fates at City Hall would stop toying with him.

Enter Levi Wilder: a florist with an artist’s heart, an infectious smile, and a gift for finding beauty in life’s messiest moments. When Hayden storms into Levi’s shop to complain about a bouquet of sunflowers—an offensive choice for a funeral, in his opinion—their worlds collide. Hayden is all restraint and shadows; Levi is all sunshine and charm. But beneath the clash lies an undeniable spark neither can ignore.

As their connection blossoms, Hayden finds himself caught between the life he once knew and the bright future Levi dares him to imagine. But trusting Levi means risking the walls he’s kept in place all these years—and it’s not just his heart on the line. Because in the threads of fate, one choice can change everything.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: Sweet, adorable meet-cute/grumpy-sunshine gay rom-coms are *perfect* summer reads. This one was just a shade too twee for my brooding cynical "heart" or whatever scar-tissue Frankenthing replaced it. There's more spicy racy stuff than I expected, but it was well done so I rolled with it.

I'd give four stars if Levi hadn't demanded emotional openness without offering to accept his own behaviors as occasionally over the top. It's not lethal but it niggled at me; Levi can be demanding but Hayden can't feel some kinda way about it...?!

G.P. Putnam's Sons requires a fare of $12.99 to get on the ferry across the story-Styx.

>298 LizzieD: I'd offer to help with the treasure hunt, but that whole "unscathed by the gigantically effortful fruits of unending labour and effort" thing's just a little too craw-stickingly painful. I must rest up and sharpen my biblioflensing knife. *hmmf*

*smooch*

BURGOINE #043 (P27)

The Seduction by Sara Torres (tr. Mara Faye Lethem)

Rating: 3.75* of five

The Publisher Says: Unspoken tensions simmer between two women under the heat of a Catalan summer in this internationally bestselling, erotic, and quietly radical portrait of queer desire.

In a sun-drenched house on the Catalan coast, a young, queer photographer arrives to capture the portrait of a celebrated writer. But what begins as a professional collaboration slowly unravels into something more intimate and unsettling—a charged exchange of glances, silence, and shifting emotional boundaries.

The photographer, unnamed and quietly observant, is drawn to the writer’s enigmatic presence, her self-possession, her power. Over shared meals and quiet routines, the difficulty of understanding the desire of the other begins to obsess the narrator. As the summer heat thickens, so too does the unspoken tension between them, heightening the photographer’s insecurities and her perception of her own flaws. When a third woman arrives, an old friend with blurred boundaries, the fragile connection begins to unravel. Is this seduction, or projection? Intimacy, or illusion?

Told through lyrical, introspective prose, The Seduction is a poetic, slow-burn exploration of the complexities of seduction between women, intimacy, queer longing, and the quiet ache of unfulfilled connections.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.

My Review: "Lyrical, introspective prose" is code for "pretty-sounding, too-long sentences telling a shaggy dog story." This is lovely to look at stuff that's in no hurry to tell you a story.

I kept reading, finished the book, because it might not've taken me much of anywhere new but it picked the most scenic route to get there that I could even imagine.

Atria Books/Primero Sueno Press needs $12.99 before you get to read your ebook.

BURGOINE #044 (P28)

Bromantasy by Máire Roche

Rating: 3.5* of five

The Publisher Says: Two heroes. One brain cell.

BROMANTASY is a cozy, queer fantasy about the mortifying ordeal of being known by your totally platonic best friend and the epic quest that might force you to confront the truth.

Fellas, is it gay to kiss your bff while on a quest through the forest you’re unqualified for?

Juniper O'Reilly is good at only two things: demolishing a pint of mead and finding the perfect skincare routine. Everything else—taking care of the farm, bartering for goods, any sort of manual labor—falls to Juniper’s best friend, the absurdly capable, endlessly patient Mo Elmthorn.

But when Juniper accidentally volunteers them both for a quest to kill a fearsome monster, he knows he’s finally gotten in over his head. Juniper hates camping, he hates the dark, and there’s no way all these foraged mushrooms are going to sit well in his stomach. One thing he doesn’t hate? How good Mo’s thighs look in his questing pants—he doesn’t have time to think about that, though, with a monster to hunt and their futures on the line.

But monsters come in all shapes and sizes. When Juniper and Mo realize that the terrifying beast they’ve sworn to kill is just a scared little girl torn from their family, they’re off to find not only the true villain of the story, but maybe even a happy ending.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.

My Review: The humor's a little obvious for my taste. I don't think the set-up is as cute as more sentimental readers will. The fantasy trappings wore thin very soon because they felt very inconsistent to me.

If you like the publisher's comps up top, or that orc/coffee shop thing, maybe you'll get a kick out of this one, too.

G.P. Putnam's Sons asks $12.99 for an ebook.

PEARL RULE #009

Dreams in Which I'm Almost Human: A Memoir (35%) by Hannah Soyer

Rating: 4* of five

The Publisher Says: Dreams in Which I’m Almost Human is a genre-defying memoir of disability, identity, and desire that fuses lyricism, myth, and medical truth to explore what it means to live and love a body defined by others.

At eight years old, Hannah Soyer had no choice but to undergo an intensive spinal fusion surgery, in order to keep her lungs from eventually collapsing. Fourteen years later, she chose another treatment for her neuromuscular condition: regular drug injections into her spinal fluid. But what does “choice” really mean, and how much weight do our choices hold?

In taut, lyrical chapters, Dreams in Which I’m Almost Human confronts and communes with bodily autonomy, medical and sexual consent, traveling abroad in a wheelchair, caregiving and caretaking, appreciating the natural world, family history, bedtime stories, fantastical creatures, Irish poetry, and the limits and wonders of language and love. A bold collection of genre-bending essays, this memoir is an investigation into what we (and our words) are capable of, as we yearn to make sense of our relationships to ourselves, each other, and the worlds we inhabit.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: I like lyrical prose, I batten on queer identity stories; I had to nope out of this one after I read:

What I mean is, in the words of Jenny Boully, "why is it that I have feet and yet still refuse to flee?"

The next paragraph enumerates the experiences the lover has regarding the beloved, and I literally could not stop sobbing. I'm not happy with how my Young Gentleman Caller left things between us, and was hopeful when I got a text from him; the conversation I'd hoped for was not forthcoming, and I still feel raw. Sorry Author Hannah, I just can't. Maybe later...?

Red Hen Press will need you to cross their palm with $9.99-worth of silver before granting your wish to become one with this sky-mermaid's being.

OK, stupid question time: What is the Prime Lending Service? I have not heard of it before.

((Hugs)) and **smooches** and hopes that you have a lovely Sunday. . .

>292 richardderus: You seem to have liked this despite the ... you know what :0)

>295 richardderus: I may sleep at odd hours but paranormal isn't one of my go-to genres.

>284 richardderus: Well, you may be onto something there...😊

‘Morning, RDear. Happy Sunday to you.

>296 richardderus: Ha ha. I may be a fossil, but I’m a cherce fossil.

>303 richardderus: I’m so sorry about YGC.

*smooch*

>304 alcottacre: I think the official title might be "Prime Lending Library." It's a no-extra-cost selection of books available to Prime customers to borrow...I think only five at a time...that just stay on your Kindle until you return one and then you can borrow another. *smooch* It's sticky outside but I'm going to the store come hell or high water.

>305 humouress: The...creature...in question is a vile, judgemental, awful human being reincarnated as a c-a-t, who gets abused as they should be simply for being himself and existing in the world. So, getting treated as he treated others when he was human. Yay!

>306 msf59: Both parts? :-P

>307 karenmarie: Morning, Horrible, you old-bones-haver. Rob's AI psychosis is an epidemic among young men, but at least he got far enough out of it to make contact with me. I hope it will happen again. All I can do at this point is hope....

*smooch*

>311 richardderus: I quietly join you in your hope. It's not just young men, it's equally intelligent young women. My friend got to the point of violent language back to the people who tried to ask her to reflect on what she was doing. At that point, I had to bow out. It's a sad thing.

That is the reason that I won't even try >303 richardderus:. I surely don't need that intensity any more than you do.

I hope that you meet neither hell nor high water on your trek to the grocery. In fact, I hope you've gone and come back and are cooling it!

>308 richardderus: Thanks for the information, RD! I am going to start widening my reading horizons. . .

>312 LizzieD: It's really really scary to me how much we don't yet know about "AI" and its programming's purposes and effects.

I skipped the grocery trip bc my foot hurt more and more as the day went by, plus tomorrow's an active day with the postponed Juneteenth BBQ and the facility fire drill. *smooch*

>313 alcottacre: There used to be a megaton of good, if old, non-fiction, and some cool series-starting mystery novels, so I hope that's still true! *smooch*

>290 humouress: I found a couple of hunt answers using Talpa search this time. I put in some keywords from the clue. I think at least one of the ones I found using that method was one of the vampire clues; possibly both of them. A Google search also helped with at least one clue; again I don't remember which one. Good luck finding the answers!

>316 atozgrl: Thanks, I'll give it another go. The Hunt ends tomorrow!

ETA: I searched in Tags for number 6 but ended up with number 10.

>311 richardderus: AI psychosis? The real world is challenging enough, what is AI causing?

>316 atozgrl:, >317 humouress: Y'all are doing better than I did, so go! go! go!

>318 Familyhistorian: It's a very real-world harm caused by the seduction of fantasy being real:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chatbot_psychosis

‘Morning, RDear. Happy Monday to you.

>311 richardderus: I’d never heard of AI psychosis until just now – but, as it turns out, I used one of the first chatbots, in 1971, when the Claremont Colleges had ELIZA. We had a TTY at Pepperdine that linked to one of the computers there for my Statistics class. I got in a mood one day and told ELIZA that I was in love with a standardized coefficient, and it went from there. I used every word and phrase I’d learned by that point. I saved the printout, but have never been able to find it.

I’m so sorry AI psychosis has hold of Rob. I hope he can escape it again soon.

*smooch*

>321 karenmarie: It's a terrible thing, and makes me deeply unhappy. I can't do anything about it, but if/when he decides to get in touch again I'll be here to meet him where he is.

I had a similar experience with a mainframe chatbot precursor in the early 1980s. I wasn't too impressed back then, have never bothered much about it since. *smooch*

PRIDE MONTH WRAP-UP

I wrote twenty-eight specific-to-Pride reviews. Twelve of those were June 2026 DRCs (out of twenty June 2026 DRCs reviewed this month, and a slightly appalling SEVENTY-FOUR June DRCs I received. Seriously...one less than this group's annual goal in one month?! Who do I think I am, Stasia?).

I'm torn between The Invention of Nature, a biography of my elder sibling in gay-maleness von Humboldt, and Medea Sang Me A Corrido as my favorite Pride reads. I thoroughly loved Villain but it was less clearly queer than Hench so got a hair less luuuv from me. The Summer Boy was a lovely read, a story I felt was aimed directly at me; yet it wasn't as energetic, as actively pursuing my attention as my two favorite candidates. I read two Steven Rowley stories, liked both, but...not quite enough to warble my fool lungs out over them. It was a good 2026 crop, one to savor in memory, and makes me very glad I didn't pressure myself with a numerical goal so I didn't fret about "making progress" or other such artificial stricture.

I'm labeling this tracking project a successful trial. Maybe I'll aim for a numerical goal in 2027. I have a solid eight months to decide, no rush....

My tenth thread is up:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/385189