Katie's Reading Life - 2020 - Part 11

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Welcome to my thread! I’m Katie and I’ve been with the 75ers since 2011. I live just outside New York City - in addition to reading, I love to explore the city and to travel both near and far. I’m a bit of a foodie, am trying to get more comfortable doing my own cooking, and love wine. My reading tastes are eclectic and run from acknowledged classics to super frothy romances. I can be a bit snarky and sarcastic, and I am not to everyone’s taste, which is totally okay with me :)

In addition to a couple thousand books, I live with my husband (affectionately known as The Wayne) and our cat, Leonard.

I don't have any specific reading goals for this year, but I do plan to participate - at least a bit - in several challenges here and in the Category Challenge and Reading Through Time groups.

CURRENTLY READING

(Kindle) (Print) (Audio)

COMPLETED

Books off my shelf: 14
Books off my Kindle: 18

74. With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo (audio) (4 stars)
73. The Fire This Time by Jesmyn Ward et. al. (4 stars)
72. Wicked and the Wallflower by Sarah MacLean (4 stars)
71. Writers & Lovers by Lily King (4.5 stars)
70. The Mercy Seat by Elizabeth H. Winthrop (5 stars)
69. Lily-Josephine by Kate Saunders (3.5 stars)
68. The Silent Treatment by Abbie Greaves (audio) (4.5 stars)
67. An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena (3.5 stars)
66. Speaking of Summer by Kalisha Buckhanon (3.5 stars)
65. Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore (3 stars)
64. Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris (audio) (4 stars)
63. Simon the Fiddler by Paulette Jiles (4 stars)
62. The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin (audio) (4 stars)
61. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (audio) (2.5 stars)

DID NOT FINISH (Year to Date):

1. The Little Disturbances of Man by Grace Paley
2. The Murder of Harriet Monckton by Elizabeth Haynes
3. Handsome Boss by Lori Wilde
4. Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren

COMPLETED

60. An Offer from a Gentleman by Julia Quinn (3 stars)
59. Long Bright River by Liz Moore (5 stars)
58. Beach Read by Emily Henry (4 stars)
57. The Secret Guests by Benjamin Black (audio) (3.5 stars)
56. My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell (4.5 stars)
55. How to Ride a Dragon's Storm by Cressida Cowell (audio) (3.5 stars)
54. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion (audio) (4.5 stars)
53. The End of October by Lawrence Wright (3.5 stars)
52. French Exit by Patrick deWitt (audio) (3.5 stars)
51. The Patron Saint of Lost Dogs by Nick Trout (3 stars)
50. Fade Away by Harlan Coben (audio) (3 stars)
49. Necessary as Blood by Deborah Crombie (4 stars)
48. The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris (4.5 stars)
47. Heidi's Guide to Four Letter Words by Tara Sivec and Andi Arndt (audio) (4 stars)
46. Smile by Roddy Doyle (audio) (4 stars)

45. Mr. Darcy's Diary by Amanda Grange (3.5 stars)
44. The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary (4 stars)
43. A Simple Favor by Darcey Bell (audio) (3 stars)
42. I Hear the Sirens in the Street by Adrian McKinty (4 stars)
41. Pont Neuf by Max Byrd (audio) (2 stars)
40. Beautiful Mistake by Vi Keeland (audio) (3.5 stars)
39. Navigate Your Stars by Jesmyn Ward (4 stars)
38. Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl (5 stars)
37. Quarantine by John Smolens (3.5 stars)
36. Mister Monkey by Francine Prose (audio) (3.5 stars)
35. Born Round by Frank Bruni (audio) (4 stars)
34. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson (4 stars)
33. Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian (audio) (3 stars)
32. The Cold, Cold Ground by Adrian McKinty (4 stars)
31. Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes (audio) (4 stars)

30. Rules for Visiting by Jessica Francis Kane (audio) (4 stars)
29. Elizabeth: Obstinate, Headstrong Girl by Various Authors (2.5 stars)
28. Visions in Death by J.D. Robb (4 stars)
27. The Indignities of Being a Woman by Merrill Markoe & Megan Koester (audio) (4 stars)
26. Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi (audio) (3.5 stars)
25. The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn (3.5 stars)
24. Ordeal by Innocence by Agatha Christie (audio) (3.5 stars)
23. A Boy in Winter by Rachel Seiffert (audio) (4 stars)
22. This is Your Life, Harriet Chance! by Jonathan Evison (audio) (3.5 stars)
21. Island of Wings by Karin Altenberg (3 stars)
20. Riots I Have Known by Ryan Chapman (audio) (3.5 stars)
19. Emma by Jane Austen (audio) (4 stars)
18. Eye Contact by Cammie McGovern (4 stars)
17. Miss Buncle's Book by D.E. Stevenson (3.5 stars)
16. Circe by Madeline Miller (audio) (4 stars)

COMPLETED

15. Dreamland Burning by Jennifer Latham (4 stars)
14. Still Waters by Viveca Sten (3 stars)
13. Corregidora by Gayl Jones (3.5 stars)
12. Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen (3.5 stars)
11. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (4 stars)
10. Lady Fortescue Steps Out by M.C. Beaton (audio) (3 stars)
9. Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn (4 stars)
8. Nightwoods by Charles Frazier (4 stars)
7. The Circus Fire by Stewart O'Nan (3.5 stars)
6. The Duke and I by Julia Quinn (4.5 stars)
5. A Commonplace Killing by Sian Busby (4 stars)
4. The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider (3.5 stars)
3. Big Girl by Kelsey Miller (audio) (4 stars)
2. Gracelin O'Malley by Ann Moore (4 stars)
1. American Royals by Katherine McGee (3.5 stars)



My Ratings (revised, once again, as I continue the fruitless search for the perfect scale...)

2 stars = below average
3 stars = average
4 stars = above average
5 stars = perfect *for me*

(Anything below 2 stars is unlikely to be finished)

And if your first instinct is to say "All lives matter," this thread is not for you. And I will, through the power of the interwebz, throat punch you.

Everyone else is more than welcome :)

Next post is yours!

I do love the image in #1 and the sentiment in #4.

*smooch*

Happy new thread!

Love the topper, Katie.

Happy new thread.

Medgar Evers, Rodney King, Eric Garner, George Floyd
BLACK LIVES MATTER

Happy new thread!

>6 richardderus: ditto completely

>6 richardderus: - I assume you mean the sentiment in #5 :)

Smooch back.

>7 drneutron: - Thanks, Jim.

>8 PaulCranswick: - Thanks, Paul.

>9 figsfromthistle: - Thanks, Anita.

>10 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba.

So much thanking!

Appreciate y'all stopping by....

Happy newest!

>11 katiekrug: uhhhmmm
yeup
*derp*

Happy new thread.

Sweet Thursday, Katie! Happy New Thread! Ooh, I hope you enjoy Simon the Fiddler as much as I did. Jiles Rocks!

Happy new thread and thanks for your support in >5 katiekrug:, Katie.

Happy new one, Katie. I love that topper. It speaks my name.

>12 karenmarie: - Thank you, Karen!

>13 richardderus: - I thought so...

>14 Helenliz: - Thanks, Helen.

>15 msf59: - Hiya, Mark! Comments on Simon coming up.....

>16 kidzdoc: - Always, my friend.

>17 jessibud2: - Mine too, Shelley, especially right now...

Simon the Fiddler by Paulette Jiles

Okay, yes, this novel could have been a bit tighter, but it had a large story to tell. Or a small story on a large canvas. Or a large story on a small canvas. Or all of the above.

I read Simon the Fiddler as a kind of ode to the quest stories of old, to heroic ballads and fairy tales and epic romances (in the old fashioned sense), all set within the frame of the American story – conflict and persistence and belief in a dream. You have the Quest, the Girl, the Bad Guy, the Obstacles To Overcome, and you have the ideal of land of one’s own, an honest and simple life, and the love of a good woman.

It’s an excellent piece of historical fiction, as well, bringing to life the Texas frontier in the years just after the Civil War, with the landscape and the people well drawn and fully developed. Jiles' writing is strong, her characterizations sharp, and her love for her characters and their story evident.

4 stars

Happy new thread, Katie. Love the topper.

I'm so glad you loved Simon the Fiddler! Jiles knows how to tell a story.

I loved that last puzzle you showed, on the previous thread.

Too many book bullets to mention here. Just know I'm buried under them.

Happy new thread, Katie! My library has that David Sedaris, also as an audio book.

>19 katiekrug: I'm glad it's already on my Kindle.

I think I suggested a book to you like a squillion years ago: Blood Kin by Henry Chappell. Terrific book, wonderful storytelling voice, and there's an ear-read available from Recorded Books.

One of the Texians, Anglo settlers whose rebellion against Mexico set off the land grabs of 1848, was a first-ever Texas Ranger called Noah Smithwick. He gets a fictional sidekick of sorts, Isaac Webb, whose PoV acts as a conscience for the gung-ho guys.

It's a morally ambiguous time and Isaac feels squicky at what the world is coming to...can't relate to that at all, of course.

Good stuff!

>20 BLBera: - Thanks, Beth!

>21 ffortsa: - Sorrynotsorry about the BBs, Judy :)

>22 susanj67: - Thanks, Susan! I find him quite amusing but am not sure he is for all tastes.

>23 richardderus: - Sounds good! Did you see they removed the statue of the Texas Ranger from Love Field today? I don't know all the background...

>24 katiekrug: I did; there are reasons it's a good idea, and countervailing arguments about its inefficacy as an emollient measure. But, in general, this action and the others like it suggest to me what I've long hoped to be the case is, or could be: The generational change is happening and evil-hearted old bastards who look like me are finally losing our damned choke-hold on Society.

At effin' LAST if this is so.

>24 katiekrug: Also, Virginia's governor has announced that a huge state-owned statue of Robert E. Lee will be removed from its prominent position in Richmond; the mayor of Richmond (the city owns the other Confederate statues in the vicinity) seemed to be in full agreement.

>26 laytonwoman3rd: I have no particular problem pulling down oversized paperweights in honor of Marse Robert or ol' Jeff Davis or especially the loathsome Nathan Bedford Forest.

Happy New Thread, Katie! And no throat-punching here!

Oh yeah...happy hangover Friday!

Happy new thread, Katie!

>27 magicians_nephew: Nope, me either. In fact, I think we should take down ALL the statues. Let's try seeing our historic figures as human beings.

Terrific review of Simon the Fiddler, Katie. Big Thumb!

Happy new thread, Katie. And to answer your question from way back on the previous thread - Yes, I did read Lolita this year and wasn't a big fan, so it will be interesting to see what I think of My Dark Vanessa. Also from your previous thread, I absolutely love your spirit animal! I've been meaning to get to Simon the Fiddler as I love Paulette Jiles - hopefully I will be reading it at some point during the summer.

>25 richardderus:, >26 laytonwoman3rd:, >27 magicians_nephew: - Change is coming. (I hope.)

>28 ronincats: - Thanks, Roni :)

>29 richardderus: - I love that you always remember my hh (and recovery) day :)

>30 bell7: - Thanks, Mary!

>31 laytonwoman3rd: - Agreed, Linda.

>32 msf59: - Thank you, Mark!

>33 DeltaQueen50: - Hi Judy! Even if you didn't like Lolita, references and allusions abound in MDV so you should be able to really see the story on another level than I could.

Had a bit of a lie-in this morning after virtual happy hour last night :) It's grey and gloomy here with rain and storms predicted throughout the day. We are planning to go to a protest/march this evening down in our town center, so I'm keeping my eye on social media to see if it gets cancelled.

Otherwise, just work work workity work today.

Oh, my new read is Oona Out of Order which I heard about from somewhere - can't recall where. It's sort of time travel-y. Decent so far, if no great shakes.

Happy new thread!

>35 katiekrug: That sounds like an interesting premise. I'll keep an eye out for your thoughts on whether it works well in the end.

Hope the weather remains co-operative. We had some rain yesterday and more today - which we really need, so I'm trying to not complain. Out early for tomorrow's run, before it comes in again mid morning.

Happy New Thread, Katie!

Good review of Simon the Fiddler. I’ll add my thumb. She’s such a good storyteller.

>35 katiekrug: Katie--I have Simon the Fiddler awaiting me -- glad everyone seems to like it so much! My virtual happy hour is tonight, although we may switch it to a backyard social distance--I'll be lying in tomorrow! LOL

Happy new one!

>36 ChelleBearss: - Hi Chelle!

>37 Helenliz: - So far, no word on cancelling, so fingers crossed. It still looks very threatening. I've made my sign, though, so I am all set to go!

>38 jnwelch: - Thanks, Joe!

>39 Berly: - Thanks, Kim!

>34 katiekrug: *smooch*

I found my copy of Tigana, a fantasy novel that Caro/cameling gave me ten years ago and that I didn't care for, last night. (I was shuffling paperwork into a bin and it was in there before the paperwork.)

I am here to tell you, Broad Generalizationists, that testing your assumptions and assertions is a worthwhile endeavor: I'm already halfway through the reread! What a sly takedown of self-importance and arrogance! The greatest obstacle to progress is not ignorance but the illusion of knowledge, as someone famous once wrote; I need to have this inoculated under my corpus callosum so both sides of my brain can't avoid knowing it at the same time.

>41 richardderus: - I have that on my shelves!

>42 katiekrug: Srsly, get to it, this is an excellent book! Caro deserves all the credit if you like it, so be sure to tell her so.

>41 richardderus: One of my favourite books ever. May be time for a reread.

Adding my love for Tigana to your thread, Katie. I am with Richard - get to it!

It only took me ten years, but I got there at last.

>46 richardderus: That is all that matters, right?

Moving Tigana up to the Read Soon list!

>47 alcottacre: ...so I'm telling myself...

>48 katiekrug: *confetti toss*

Inspired by this, I redownloaded Tigana for another listen (I’ve lost my kindle and I think my paper copy is in a box somewhere). Must be my 10th read of it as I tend to go back to it at least once a year. It will be interesting to see how it reads during these turbulent times.

>50 lunacat: It's been *perfect* for me at precisely this moment, so I hope it is for you as well.

Brava for protesting today! And your reward is:

https://www.withpeanutbutterontop.com/cheesy-pepper-jack-roasted-brussels-sprout...

Okay, seriously considering Tigana as my next read (but no promises)!

Those sprouts look SO good. Saving the recipe for when I next have some on hand.

Despite the weather, we went out to the march and rally yesterday evening. And despite the weather, several hundred other people also showed up. It started with some chanting on the town green and then about a mile walk to the municipal center where several people spoke, we observed a "moment" of silence for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, and did some more chanting and cheering. It was a peaceful, meaningful event with great representation from our diverse town, including families and children, students, and young community leaders. I am so glad we went.

Part of the crowd on the walk:


Signs:


My own sad sign, which barely survived the rain. I'm glad I thought to tape over the message in advance...

>53 katiekrug: I've made them before, and they are from. which. to. die. level good.

And, as a side note, a big polybag of frozen sprouts roasted without fats for 10min at 400°, then left to cool in a single layer on a baking sheet while you're getting this recipe set up, works like a champ!

>54 katiekrug: I'm so pleased for you that your town did this! It means you're in the right place.

Good on ya! There's been a fair amount of conflict here (of the keyboard warrior type) between the peaceful protest and the "there'll be a second spike" crowd. The county police came in for a lot of criticism for saying that they were not going to try and stop a peaceful demonstration. Strugling to think on what grounds they actually could stop a peaceful protest, if I'm honest, in normal times - accept that these are not those. Mostly from those saying that a demonstration couldn't possibly maintain social distancing - we're allowed to congregate in an outside space up to 6 people as long as there's 2 m between those of different households. Rock and a hard place springs to mind, but I think they made the right call.

>56 Helenliz: - Do you all have a mandatory mask policy, Helen? Everyone at the event last night was in masks and we all tried to keep some distance, though it was difficult at times. I was/am slightly concerned about the risk, but my concern about the issues at hand far outweigh it.

Congratulations and "good on ya'" Katie. I have been tempted to join myself but the two marches that came by our place were a couple of thousand people, crowded tightly together and not all masked so I've decided to find other ways to support the cause -- selfish perhaps but I sort of find myself on both sides of "second spike" vs "peaceful protest" (if that "vs" is really necessary)

>56 Helenliz: no, we're supposed to be keeping 2 m apart. Facemasks are required on public transport as of the week after next, and are advised "when social distancing cannot be safely maintained". Which is nice and vague.

>54 katiekrug: Well done, Katie.

>58 RebaRelishesReading: - Reba, I would feel the same about a larger, urban march. Here we have wide suburban streets and parks, so distancing was possible, though not always observed. But everyone was wearing masks, as far as I could tell.

>59 Helenliz: - We've been mandated to wear them for months now, so it's become almost natural :-/

>60 Berly: - A small thing to do, Kim. Looking for ways to do more...

Boring Saturday, the highlight of which was The Wayne's mojo chicken with onions and cubanelles. It's the second time he's made it, and it's a-ma-zing. Accompanied by homemade black beans and rice (only a 1/2 cup for me!). We were supposed to have "real" margaritas (reposado, fresh lime juice, agave nectar) with it, but (and this is so him, I love it).... He bought a bag of ice the other day (he likes to have one on hand) and put it down to re-arrange the chest freezer in the storage room. And forgot to then put the ice into the freezer, so found a plastic bag with a bit of water in the bottom and a damp floor last night. We were out of regular ice cubes, and no ice means no margaritas. I couldn't even be mad - he was so abashed :)

>58 RebaRelishesReading: - I would feel the same about a large, urban march, Reba. Here we had wide suburban streets and fewer people so distancing was possible. For the most part.

>59 Helenliz: - We've had the mask mandate for so long now, it's beginning to feel natural :-/

>60 Berly: - A small thing to do, Kim. I am looking for more ways to try to have an impact.

All day yesterday there were car protests (my words) going on in our neighborhood all afternoon and evening (after the huge walk late morning) which seemed to me to be a perfect idea. Cars driving around, honking their horns and displaying signs -- making the point but not exposing themselves or others to Covid (nor to pepper balls/tear gas/etc for that matter - although our police have generally been doing a good job of escorting the demonstrators peacefully and only getting involved when small off-shoots of demonstrations got violent a couple of times)

>64 RebaRelishesReading: - We've had some of those here, too, Reba.

So, I was wide awake at 4:30 this morning. Good times. *eye roll*

I started two books yesterday:

The Fire This Time, a collection edited by Jesmyn Ward of writing by contemporary Black authors.

Speaking of Summer, an "own voices" novel about two sisters in Harlem.

I will dip in and out of the former, but Ward's introduction alone was excellent.

>54 katiekrug: This is great, Katie! Our country really seems to be really responding this time. I sure hope something clicks and change can happen.

I liked The Fire This Time, although, not as much as I expected.

>67 msf59: - Hiya, Mark! I've only read the first two pieces in TFTT.

Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris

A wonderful audio, read by Sedaris, and full of his signature quirky humor. I especially loved the pieces at the end where he adopts a few different personas. I did have one issue - his essay on food in China hit me as borderline offensive and was not as strong as some of the rest.

4 stars

Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore

Starting when she's 19, Oona wakes up every New Year's Day at a new age and stage in her life. She leaps from 19 to 51, then back to 27, then forward to 40... It's an interesting premise but given its very nature, it makes for a somewhat frustrating read. There are holes that aren't filled, and while I don't need a whole made-up scientific explanation for why it happens, the fact that it didn't happen until she was 19 seems like something that should maybe be addressed - at least in terms of Oona noting and wondering about it. The novel requires a suspension of disbelief, something I am not always good at; instead of becoming absorbed in Oona's story(ies), I always maintained a certain detachment, my mind asking, "Why?" "How?" "Huh?"

Not a bad book, just not for me. Still, I think a lot of readers would enjoy it.

3 stars

>70 katiekrug: Oooo! That makes me so dang mad. The *point* is the disordered temporal stream, so you better believe I want to know WHY IT HAPPENED!

If the point is, "why is this happening to me?" then you'd best be Proust or Kafka to pull it off.

*grumble*

>54 katiekrug: Glad to see you found the march worthwhile. We also went to our town protests, one in Bedford and one in Mt. Kisco. Both were organized by local residents, had great turnouts, and did not include any political speeches. It seemed like there was a real effort to listen to the voices of our black neighbors. Jo went to one of the NYC marches and came back very energized and committed to more activism. (She said everyone was masked but I made her shower and launder her clothes....still nervous about all that proximity.)

>71 richardderus: - Proust or Kafka she ain't (not that I've read either one - ha!).

>72 vivians: - Yay for you and yay for Jo! She is braver than I :)

>73 katiekrug: You'd *HATE* Proust, all that sesquipedalian waffle about an overwrought queen's anxiety disorder run amok; can, though, suspect Kafka's The Castle might have appeal to you.

>73 katiekrug: well thank heavens for that. I've read 1 Proust - not heading back for more in a hurry. Kafka leaves you uncertain of which way is up. Which is clever, but not terribly enjoyable.

Happy newish thread, Katie. I guess there was no getting down on one knee in the protest you attended with the damp pavements. Good for you for attending. The ones here are downtown with thousands of people so physical distancing is pretty impossible. The attendees are mostly in their 20s and early 30s. They're usually called for when the weather is clear and so far they have been lucky.

New thread, now ripe and ready for me to really bite into. Mmmmm, good.

>74 richardderus: - I've never had any interest in trying him :)

>75 Helenliz: - I'm much more into "enjoyable" reading than torturing myself!

>76 Familyhistorian: - No, there was kneeling for the 8:46 of silence and a call-and-response of "Hands Up, Don't Shoot." People going out in the rain to protest probably aren't going to be bothered by damp knees :)

>77 weird_O: - Hi Bill!

>66 katiekrug: Awake at 4:30? You could have called me. Don't know what happened to my internal clock.

I joined a demonstration the other day, the one that Jon Batiste was playing music for. Started at Union Square, moved down to Washington Square at a snail's pace. It was like struggling through a craft fair in a crowd. AT least most everyone wore masks. I was bemused that most of the people I saw were white - do we need entertainment? Left it at WSP because I really couldn't just mill around in the heat. I think some groups went on elsewhere. I'm sure there will be more to join.

Thanks for the review of Oona... I think this is one I can skip with a clear conscience.

>66 katiekrug: I assume you have read James Baldwin's The Fire Next Time too

>70 katiekrug: there was a Tracy Lett's play at Second Stage like that a few years ago starring Blair Brown. You got scenes of her life out of order and had to pick up the pieces and put them together as they came to you. Was well done but didn't really work for me

>79 ffortsa: - Thank God it was a one-time thing. I slept great last night! Yes, you can skip Oona for sure...

Interesting about the demonstrators, but why wouldn't they have been there out of the same impulse as yours?

>80 magicians_nephew: - Yep, I read it just a little while ago - sometime last week.

I can't imagine trying to follow that sort of play. My frustration would get the better of me.

Hi, Katie! 4:30 A.M. is a strange time of day. Some people just waking up. Some (like me) just going to sleep. No matter how hard I try or how much I want to get up in the morning and get stuff done like a normal person, ever since I retired I go to sleep later and later, almost never before 1 a.m. Even when I am in bed at a reasonable time. My internal clock just sucks that way.

I'm reading The Fire Next Time and plan to read The Fire This Time after that. I think I got the idea from you.

Oh, Kaaatieee: Moroccan-style braised chicken with chickpeas. Ras el hanout is really delicious, but using any curry preparation is just as scrummy.

>82 Storeetllr: - I used to be very much an early bird, but as I've gotten old (and lived with The Wayne who is a definite night owl), I've started going to bed later. And with him working from home, we can sleep later because no commute. Last night, I went to bed pretty early, though, because I was so tired from the 4:30am wakefulness.

The Fire This Time is an interesting collection... We'll have to compare notes when you are finished!

>83 richardderus: - Sounds fantastic! I love ras el hanout.

Struggling with the angle of attack to use on a well-enough-written, mostly-well-paced disaster novel. Takes place in Vegas; involves secrets and betrayals "revealed" ex post facto; published by University of Nevada Press, so this might be its only review outside tedious journal.

Play up strengths? Critique some stylistic infelicities? Don't want to puff up or puke on. *sigh*

>85 richardderus: - I think you can talk about both its strengths and its deficiencies. Or do what I do, and just say "Meh" and move on :D

>86 katiekrug: I wish I could, but it's enough better than ~meh~ that I want to speak my piece. Time to bite the bullet and go out on the tightrope.

>85 richardderus: sometimes a review of a mediocre book is more interesting than either a love affair or a rant. Where it worked, where it didn't, and why that was the case can be hard to put together, but it's more informative and balanced than either the rave or rant. Certainly if I want to see what something is really like, I read the 3 star reviews. I hated it is no more helpful than I loved it. I thought it was OK but didn't love it because ..... is useful.

>81 katiekrug: I'm sure the other marchers were there as I was. Batiste had announced his participation the night before. All I was musing about was that this march was in midday, with musical accompaniment, and maybe we melanin-challenged folks felt more comfortable in the situation. There have been many demonstrations starting at Union Square that for one reason or another I did not go down and join. So I was thinking about that.

>87 richardderus: - Whatever approach you take, I know you'll do a stellar job. xx

>88 Helenliz: - Agreed!

>89 ffortsa: - Ah, yes, sorry, Judy. I didn't make the connection between the music you mentioned and entertainment.

The New York Public Library's Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture has published a Black Liberation reading list:

https://www.nypl.org/blog/2020/06/09/schomburg-center-black-liberation-reading-l...

It's a great list. I've only read 15 but have several others on my shelves/Kindle...

Speaking of Summer by Kalisha Buckhanon

I had a hard time getting into this novel - the narrative was jerky, the writing seemed rather opaque, and Autumn - the narrator - was, in many, ways, inscrutable. I almost gave up on it, but ultimately I'm glad I didn't. Through the story of her missing sister and through flashbacks to their childhood and the illness and death of their mother, Autumn confronts the complexities of race and gender in American society, as well as the role of trauma and mental illness on identity.

I was not familiar with Buckhanon or her work before seeing Speaking of Summer in the Overdrive catalogue. She has written three other novels, all of which sound intriguing. I look forward to reading more.

3.5 stars

>91 katiekrug: Thanks for that list, Katie. I've read 14 or 15 myself (can't remember whether I actually read Harry Belafonte's memoir, or just really wanted to!). I have a couple more either here or on order, as well.

ETA: Ah, no...I have not read Belafonte. It was Sidney Poitier's The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography that I read. Belafonte is still on the wishlist.

>93 laytonwoman3rd: - I'm glad you like the list, Linda. I never know if people just get overwhelmed with lists or find them useful. Maybe a little of both!

A list like this is extremely useful, I think. Those 1000 Books to Read Before You Die lists, not so much!

>91 katiekrug: - These are the ones I've read:

The Autobiography of Malcolm X
Bad Feminist
The Bluest Eye
The Fire Next Time
The Fire This Time (in progress)
Heavy: An American Memoir
Just Mercy
Kindred
Men We Reaped
A Raisin in the Sun
The Street
Their Eyes Were Watching God
The Underground Railroad
The Warmth of Other Suns
The Wretched of the Earth

And the ones I own but have not yet read:
How To Be an Antiracist
The New Jim Crow
Thick: And Other Essays
Well-Read Black Girl
When They Call You a Terrorist

One that I was surprised wasn't included: Invisible Man, which I read in high school and still think about.

>95 laytonwoman3rd: - Agreed!

>94 katiekrug: Never double think a list Katie. I'm always up for another one. Doubly so now (double always? I guess not).

>98 charl08: - I had a feeling you wouldn't mind me posting a list, Charlotte :)

I'm another who's usually open to a new list. This one is challenging, meaning rewarding.

Happier weekend ahead, Katie. I just had the indignity of having to ask someone to carry a gallon of water into my room for me.

Today is all about the epic grump.

That's a great list. I've read 8, I think, which is woeful. But that's why lists are good.

>100 weird_O: - Agreed, Bill.

>101 richardderus: - Today is already better, RD. Hope the same for you!

>102 ffortsa: - There's certainly a lot to dig into on the list, Judy.

I had a 6am wake-up call to be ready for the start of our Board meetings this morning. We had two yesterday, three today, and the rest are next Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It's interesting doing them virtually. Less stressful for me, but a lot less fun than jetting off to somewhere interesting. Oh, well.

An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena

This was a fun read, despite the somewhat lame ending and certain holes in the plot. It would have been 4 stars, but the problems with it couldn't be ignored.

A dozen or so guests descend on a country hotel in the Catskills right before a major snow and ice storm hits. One of them turns up dead the next morning. Everyone is a suspect. Well, everyone except the next person to die.... It's told from multiple perspectives, includes some interesting back stories, and while never super suspenseful, it was certainly a compelling read which I devoured in about a day.

3.5 stars

>104 katiekrug: working the weekend? Yuck! I hope it's not too onerous, Katie, and that you get some time off to compensate.

>106 lauralkeet: - Thanks, Laura. Our Board meetings are usually over weekends, but not TWO! Ha. I was just saying to someone, though, that it's not like I have much else to do or anywhere to go...

>91 katiekrug: It is a great list indeed, Katie and I have saved it for future referral.

Sadly I have read a paltry 6 of them but have a few more planned for this year that were on the list.

>108 PaulCranswick: - Glad you find it useful, Paul.

>107 katiekrug: But wait, aren't you free? Isn't NJ much further along in re-opening? And you have a car!

>110 ELiz_M: - Not a ton open and, tbh, I'm still playing it super safe because I don't trust other people!

What a beautiful day it is! Sunshine, pleasant temps, just right all the way around.

>112 richardderus: Well, yes...except for the fact that I can't see the image you posted there...

>104 katiekrug: Glad your board meetings are less stressful even if the side benefits are missing. I agree, let other's engage in risky activities if they want to but stay safe yourself.

>91 katiekrug: That is a good list, Katie.

Have a sucessful weekend, even if it might not be the most fun one could have of a weekend.
>112 richardderus: >:-D

You must be having lovely weather because we are. And we are only 70 or so miles west of you.

I'm using the time and temperature to loaf. Happily, loafing comes naturally to me.

Hope the technology gods are smiling on you, Katie. Will you celebrate with a glass of something when your events are done?

>112 richardderus: - And it looks like another gorgeous one today!

>113 laytonwoman3rd: - Hi Linda! It's Snoopy doing a happy dance.

>114 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba.

>115 BLBera: - Thanks, Beth. (I say as if I created it!)

>116 Helenliz: - Thank you, Helen. At least today is meeting-free :)

>117 weird_O: - It's absolutely gorgeous here, Bill. Enjoy more loafing! I shall follow your lead.

>118 charl08: - Hi Charlotte! Everything went fine yesterday. And I did a brunch happy hour afterwards with some colleagues, so I guess the answer is yes :)

I had a good day yesterday after the meetings were over. I finished alphabetizing my books and getting the better organized. Always fun to fondle the books!

We had a stir fry for dinner and then watched 'I Am Legend' with Will Smith. It was pleasantly diverting.

I hope to spend some time with my jigsaw puzzle and audio book today. The audio is The Silent Treatment - I've seen nothing on LT about it, but it's quite good.

In print, I am reading Lily-Josephine, which is sort of a throwback to what I think of as 80s British multi-generational soap opera novels. I'm enjoying it, even if it is pure brain candy.

It's a corking day! Simply *wizard*!

(Too many Agathas...must step away from the 1930s...)

>121 richardderus: - You are plowing right through them!

>122 katiekrug: Too many, now I have biblioborborygmi. Sworn off for the summer at least.

Wow - what a zoom-filled weekend for you. I'm back in the office but still doing only zoom meetings with clients. My office building is still very empty, which means loads of parking spaces and an empty cafeteria! The best news is that our library is opening today for curbside pickup.

>121 richardderus: that's spiffing!
>123 richardderus: that's less spiffing.

>125 Helenliz: *chuckle*

Katie. I know I am an evil-souled wretch for doing this but I am convinced you need to know this exists:
COCONUT
PECAN
CAKE

>123 richardderus: - Understandable!

>124 vivians: - Hi Vivian! Our library is opening for curbside pick-up soon, too. I'll be interested to see exactly how they implement it. They've partially re-opened our office in Dallas - there are only about 15 people (of ~165) who are going in at the moment. So far, they are leaving it up to the individuals and not forcing people to return. The Wayne's office won't be opening until September at the earliest, and he plans to only go in a couple of days a week (mostly so he can get back to his gym and the personal trainer he had been going to 2x/week).

>125 Helenliz: - Hi Helen!

>126 richardderus: - Appreciate the sentiment, RD, but I'm a marginal coconut fan and a not-at-all pecan fan, so I can safely forego that cake. Which is good for my weight loss (I'm down 13 pounds since early May!) :)

Yay for down over 10lb!

And a verschmeckeled eyebrow over not liking pecans.

>128 richardderus: - I am not a huge fan of nuts in baked goods in general....

::side-eye::
reeeaaallly

I'll give any cake a fair seeing to once.

That's nearly a stone, excellent effort. I'm just happy that I don't think I've put any weight on in the last few months. Seeing the biscuit tin has been filled more often, I'll take a steady state scenario as a win.

>130 richardderus: - Can we still be friends?!?!

>131 Helenliz: - I think a steady-state is a definite win! I think this loss gets me about to where I was when I left for Argentina in early March... So basically, pre-malbec-and-empanadas-at-every-opportunity/pre-COVID weight...

>132 katiekrug: I agree. Particularly as my 3 times a week down the gym got hit on the head. I've been out walking and running, but no resistance stuff, so I'm expecting that to be awfully hard when we do get back. Fingers crossed for beginning of July on that one. I reeeeeaaallllly miss my monday morning spin class (yes, I know, that's a nonsensical sentence for anyone to utter!).

>133 Helenliz: - I understand. Not because I miss anything of the sort, but The Wayne does. He had been going to the gym every week day and working with a trainer twice a week, and he really misses it...

Hooray for the weight loss Katie - I too have suffered from the COVID 19! I do miss the gym. I like walking outside when the weather is nice, but I do like to get the heart rate up on the elliptical a couple times a week.

>132 katiekrug: mmmm

well

hm

the internal debate was a close-run thing, but in the absence of actual spiritual evil (eg, cat possession, absence of dogs, employment by petrocorp), I can't see why...
...
...
...waitaminnit!!

:-P

>135 BLBera: - Thanks, Beth! Hope you can get back to the gym soon :)

>!36 - Bwahahahahahaha! I would refute thusly:

Leonard is technically The Wayne's cat, Louis is always with me in spirit (and in my bank account as we still pay his expenses!), and I am employed by a humble non-profit, thankyouverymuch. xx

>137 katiekrug: Well! That's very different.

Never mind.

(I still miss Emily Litella sketches.)

>138 richardderus: - *grin*

Last night, we picked up sandwiches from a local restaurant and then enjoyed a "drive-in" movie put on by the local film society. It was 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' and set up in a parking lot at a nearby university. It was good fun and nice to do something out of the house. Made for a bit of a late night, but well worth it.

I'm still reading/listening to the same books, which continue to entertain.

The Wayne has Friday off (his company has made Juneteenth a permanent company holiday for the US-based staff) and I was thinking of taking it off, too, before remembering I have Board meetings. Sad face...

The drive-in sounds like so much fun, Katie. It being so close to summer solstice and living as far north as we do, it's sadly not really an option in my town (it's not properly dark until well after 10). Hope you survive yet more Board meetings.

>141 MickyFine: - It was fun, Micky. A nice change of pace. I guess getting more daylight hours has its own advantages! My first experience of very long days was when I went to Moscow in June. I couldn't get over it. Thank goodness for blackout curtains :) I'm supposed to go to Norway next June and expect much the same thing. Of course, who knows if that will happen?

Thanks for visiting! I hope you're having fun settling into the new place.

>142 katiekrug: I always find it odd when I go to more tropical locations and the sun literally drops out of the sky around 6 p.m. while feeling like summer. Summer always means long evenings to me. Of course, in winter we get the very short days. It doesn't bother me like it does many others but there's always a trade-off.

I think we're pretty close to settled now. There's a chair for our living room still on order (should show up next month) and we've got all kinds of plots for our yard and additional small touches/furniture swaps but those are more long range plans. There's far fewer rogue boxes around the house except in my step-daughter's room which we've left for her to sort as she likes when she visits this weekend.

>143 MickyFine: - I'm impressed you are mostly settled already! I still have random boxes in various places - a lot of them are The Wayne's books that he needs to deal with....

I'm also still looking for some pieces of furniture for the living room. I thought I'd found my ideal coffee table, but I think it is too high for the fairly low-sitting purple chesterfield :)

The Silent Treatment by Abbie Greaves

This is a very tender portrait of a marriage, recalled during a moment of crisis in Maggie and Frank's relationship. Frank hasn't spoken to his wife in 6 months, until a tragedy forces him to tell the story of their meeting and courtship and marriage. There is, from the beginning, something being left unsaid, and as Maggie's narrative is woven in, we get closer to the truth of what happened.

It's a beautiful meditation on marriage and parenthood and trust, and the things we keep hidden out of love for others. I shed a few tears at the end.

Very good on audio, if you're an audio person.

4.5 stars

Lily-Josephine by Kate Saunders

A fun, outlandish romp in the style of a soap opera - love, sex, betrayal, weird family dynamics, toxic relationships, and True Love. Silly but oh-so-entertaining....

3.5 stars

(This book has been on my shelves since November 2007 - yikes!)

>145 katiekrug: Very tempting, Katie.

>145 katiekrug: This does sound good, Katie. Hooray for reading from your shelves!

>147 RebaRelishesReading: - It was very nice company while I jigsaw-ed :)

>148 BLBera: - I hope you'll give The Silent Treatment a try, Beth.

Hi Katie!

>146 katiekrug: Nice read from your shelves effort. Glad you liked it.

>145 katiekrug: Sounds very "torn from the headlines!" in a way, like it could be the very thing that happened to two oldsters.

>146 katiekrug: The cover (jacket?) image is stellar!

Goopy outside here...can't think of a reason to go out unless there's a major emergency.

>150 karenmarie: - Thanks, Karen!

>151 richardderus: - Grey and a bit sticky here....

>151 richardderus: >152 katiekrug: Steady rain here, this AM, but the sun is shining brightly now and even the big puddle under the car is pretty much gone. It's coming your way.

Finishing Cloud Atlas.

>144 katiekrug: Judy and I also have been on the Quest for the Perfect Coffee Table.

Like the Grail as you pursue it recedes into the distance

>153 weird_O: Icky blech no no. Send it somewhere they need it!

>153 weird_O: - It does seem to be getting grayer over here, Bill. I have Cloud Atlas on my shelf, but it has yet to call to me....

>154 magicians_nephew: - I FOUND IT!! Well, it's not perfect. I really wanted a round one, but finding one that wouldn't look too big was a challenge. So I got a square one - from Birch Lane. It should arrive next week. And it was on sale :) I also took a little look-see at their "hallway" furniture before I checked out, and found a not-too-big hall tree that will work well for us. Even The Wayne really liked it. So that was sort of an expensive afternoon, but oh well....

>155 richardderus: - Amen!

>156 katiekrug: expensive but in a productive way, so it's all good! Our discretionary spending has plummeted in the past three months, so I didn't mind a bit when we decided to splurge on some plants, planters, and a trellis for our deck.

>157 lauralkeet: - I'm excited for the living room to finally come together, Laura. The living room is home to the famous purple chesterfield, and I want to do it justice. I have identified some accent chairs for it and will likely get those soon, too.

Your deck sounds like a real haven!

>158 katiekrug: Thanks Katie. It's a small deck, and for a while we've had some large evergreens as a privacy barrier between our deck and those of the adjacent townhomes. The pandemic had us longing for more of a garden. So we now have herbs, succulents, and a few other container plants like lavender. The trellis will allow us to do something more with an exposed wall, and we're currently looking for a small water feature to burble merrily while we sit outside with a glass of wine or a book.

>159 lauralkeet: - Oh, that sounds lovely!

>160 katiekrug: especially the glass of wine, amirite?!

>161 lauralkeet: - Well, yeah. OF COURSE.

CURRENTLY READING

>155 richardderus: >156 katiekrug: Oh, please! I wasn't talking about the rain, I was talking about the sunshine heading your way.

>156 katiekrug: Oh good, so glad you found a coffee table that fits. We tried a few, but retreated to my wire cage and glass top even though it barks our shins once in a while. Height is the bugaboo, I find. 18" seems to be standard, but it doesn't go with the height of most of the couches I would want.

>164 weird_O: - Okay, you are forgiven, Bill :)

>165 ffortsa: - I was worried about the 18" height of most of them, too, Judy, but when I sat on the couch to measure, it seemed to be okay. I had just been measuring to the top of the seat cushion and that made it seem too high. Having a body there made a difference to me. YMMV, of course.

I got a simple metal and glass one. I wanted glass because it's not a huge space and I think the glass is less likely to make it feel bulky.

>163 katiekrug: Ooo! I hope With the Fire on High works for you, YA or no.

>164 weird_O: OIC

That's very different.

Well then! Fog was the thing this morning, and tomorrow morning too.

Happy Friday, Katie. Good review of The Silent Treatment. I also like those current reads of yours. I think I have With the Fire on High saved on audio. I have to check.

>166 katiekrug: Aside from being pretty and not bulky looking, glass also has the advantage to not getting damaged if someone accidentally leaves a wet glass on it :) Congratulations -- so glad you found a table (and a bonus piece for the entry).

Oh, I enjoyed With the Fire on High, I hope it's a good one for you, Katie!

I finally made it over here! Have a wonderful weekend :)

With our cats, glass just has paw prints all over it in our house, Katie.

Hi Katie, I have read Upstate by Kalisha Buckhanon and I really liked it. Done in an epistolary style, I felt like the author really captured the voices of her characters. I've been meaning to read more by this author so I am adding Speaking of Summer to my list.

Thanks for that great list in >91 katiekrug:, Katie. By my count I've read 21 of the listed books, and I'll read two others for Juneteenth weekend, Sister Outsider: Essays & Speeches by Audre Lorde, and Monument: Poems New and Selected by Natasha Trethewey.

Will come back later to respond, but had to share this... Our local art museum is hosting an online art sale for local artists and artisans, and I am super tempted to buy this:

>175 katiekrug: Oh I love it! You should :D

>167 richardderus: - I am enjoying the audio of With the Fire on High, RD :)

>168 msf59: - Hiya, Mark! I think you'd like The Silent Treatment. It's really well done. And the audio of WTFOH is very good, too.

>169 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba! I am excited for the table to arrive. I think I'll be purchasing the chairs I want shortly, too. I'll have ot post a pic when everything is in place.

>170 bell7: - Thanks, Mary! So far, so good :)

>171 figsfromthistle: - Thanks, Anita!

>172 ronincats: - Leonard isn't one for jumping up on things he's not supposed to, Roni. No-go "zones" are basically the kitchen counters and any tables. Chairs, couches, beds, etc. are fair game :)

>173 DeltaQueen50: - Upstate did look intriguing, Judy. I love epistolary novels. And one of my libraries has it, so yay!

>174 kidzdoc: - Nice to see you, Darryl. Sounds like you are doing some good reading (as usual)!

>176 bell7: - Oh, Mary, you enabler, you :)

My virtual meetings continue to go well. Yesterday was smooth and this morning has gone well, too. I have one meeting going on my computer and one on my phone so I can move between the two. Microsoft Teams is great and so easy to use.

Tonight, The Wayne and I are venturing out to eat dinner al fresco at a nearby restaurant. I'm a tiny bit nervous, but I looked carefully at the restaurant's set-up, and the tables are very well-spaced on the patio. The restaurant has remained open for takeout and the care they have taken with health and safety guidelines throughout has been reassuring, so if we're going to go out, I think we are making a smart choice.

Hi Katie!

Two meetings at the same time. Brava.

Have fun eating out tonight.

good to know about MIcrosoft Meetings. We might try it for our book group.

>180 karenmarie: - Thanks, Karen.

>181 ffortsa: - Is Meetings the same as Teams? I can only vouch for the latter!

Update: I bought the art print :)

>175 katiekrug: -- Love it! I vote with the "buy it" crowd!

>177 katiekrug: -- can't wait to see the "all done" photo

>179 katiekrug: -- Hope you have a lovely and safe dinner date :) Our Little Italy neighborhood is closing two blocks of the main street through there (ironically "India Street") on Friday and Saturday evenings and the restaurants are moving table out into the street to provide lots of space between them and lots of air around (plus a wide area to walk in up the middle). It's a trial for 3 or 4 weeks at this point and I'm sorely tempted to go down there.

>175 katiekrug:, >183 katiekrug: YAY!! Perfect for you, expresses exactly the persona you project. Where will it live?

>182 katiekrug: Oops. My bad. Teams, of course.

I'm delighted you bought the print. When art speaks to you, it's good to listen to that voice.

>184 RebaRelishesReading: Closing and using that street sounds like a great idea. There's a street downtown that pretty much always does this - just a block or two, but it's delightful.

>184 RebaRelishesReading: - Reba, they are doing the same in our town and nearby ones, with streets wither fully closed, or parking suspended so that the restaurants can use the space. The one we are going to tonight (if we don't get rained out), has a large patio of its own, but most places around here are smaller and have more of a store-front, so the extra outdoor space is welcome.

>185 richardderus: - I'm not sure where I'm going to put it. Maybe in the "library" where I have four tall bookcases (that only hold my A-H authors!) and the game/puzzle table.

>186 ffortsa: - Aha! Well, I hope Teams works as well for you. It's been great for our company.

Thanks re: the print.

Love the print, glad you sucumbed. Hope dinner is yummy and feels as good as it tastes.

Hi Katie, my hubby and I went out to a restaurant the other night for dinner and it was great. As you say above, most responsible restaurants take all precautions and seat people a good distance apart. In my neighbourhood, they have roped off the front parking lot in a small mall that we call "Restaurant Row" in put in outdoor sitting in front of four places. It's nice to be able to actually consider going out again.

>187 katiekrug: It's really odd that with the climate we have here in San Diego more restaurants don't have big patios but it's really unusual. Little Italy is quite urban with buildings right on the side-walks so not much of anyplace to have outside seating except like this. I think it's such a cool idea that I hope they continue it even "after". Hope you aren't rained out and have a lovely dinner tonight.

I *love* the painting! Tomm and I have been talking about how we need to look for some local art for our walls, which are pretty bare.

And yay for braving the restaurant! I'm not quite there yet, and I think Tomm is getting slightly exasperated with me.

>188 Helenliz: - Thanks, Helen!

>189 DeltaQueen50: - Sounds like a good experience, Judy! Our dinner worked out just fine.

>190 RebaRelishesReading: - That is surprising, Reba! Things here are so densely packed, it can be hard to find a place with a nice patio. When we lived in Dallas, it was much easier, but there were only about 6 weeks out of the year I'd be willing to sit outside, and it was often the chains that had nice patios and I hate chain restaurants!

>191 scaifea: - Hi Amber! I find buying art a bit fraught - I tend to second guess myself but every time I have succumbed to something that really spoke to me, I have been very happy. I have two pieces, in particular, that are special to me, and they make me happy every time I look at them.

I understand about eating out - I found that having a cocktail helped to ease my nervousness a bit ;-) Seriously, though, the restaurant set-up was great. Tables probably at least 10' apart. I've gotten over my fear of the virus on surfaces after reading a number of articles that all say it's just about the air. It also helped that it was nice and breezy last night....

So, we had a nice dinner out - I got a blood orange moscow mule when we arrived (switched to wine when the food came), cherrystone clams to start, and then blackened salmon and a baked potato. It was *so nice* to go out and enjoy the weather and relax. I highly recommend it if you can find a place with widely-spaced seating and responsible staff. And you aren't in a state that is spiking in cases. I'm so proud of our state and how people really took things seriously and flattened the curve.

I was up at 6:00 this morning for the last day of meetings. It went fine but man, I was beat. I took a lovely nap this afternoon and I don't plan to set an alarm tomorrow morning!

Currently reading Writers & Lovers by Lily King, and it is excellent.

I'm so glad you bought that print...it's delightful. And hooray for a nice dinner out. Neither one of us really like to eat outside, even on our own patio. We've talked about giving it a try because we really miss the dining out experience, but our favorite places don't have much scope for setting up outside...tents in the parking lot don't do a lot for me.

Oh yay, you bough it! I hope it continues to bring you joy. I've only actually bought one piece of art, a photograph, for myself so far but it's one I really love and I'm still very glad I did it, though it was a bit of a splurge for me.

Yay for a successful outing!

I saw that it's now the law to wear a mask in public in California and I wish they'd do that everywhere. I still sit in my car at the grocery store shaking my head at the 50% of folks going in and coming out without one. Gah.

>194 laytonwoman3rd: - Linda, I agree, tents in the parking lot are not ideal. Some places here have done that, and it doesn't really appeal to me. Generally speaking, though, I've always liked to dine outside, though my parameters for acceptable weather for it are very strict :)

>195 bell7: - The occasional splurge on something that will provide happiness is not a bad thing. What is the photo of?

>196 scaifea: - We are still under requirements to wear a mask in public, and it makes me feel much better for sure. Such a small thing to do to contribute to the common good.

It's this, actually. Small figure of a person leaving an ice cave. I'm told it's a composite of photographs, and I just love how dramatic it is. My library has a room where local artists can show singly or in groups, and it was on display one month. My goal someday is to fill my house (yet to be purchased) with local art.

>198 bell7: - Very cool (no pun intended), Mary!

There are the two pieces I have splurged on. The first was at a gallery in Santa Fe and the second was at an art show in a local park here. Not a great pic, with the pile of books in front of it...





ETA: I forgot, I also bought two things in Ghana that I love - one a small copper statue of a woman dancing and the other a piece of folk art - a chicken made from recycled bags and other "garbage" the artist found on the street. I have odd taste :)

>199 katiekrug: Nice images, both! And I like the hammered-silver pitcher, too.

Monday orisons, Katie, may all the PhDs suddenly grow some common sense.

A neighbor of ours is a quite talented artist and she was going to have a show os her new work until the virus closed the galleries.

She created a lovely work in egg tempura of the view outside her windows (which is basically also the view outside OUR window) a a soft focus cityscape of water towers and the tops of buildings in warm soft focus colors.

We were drooling over it for a while but in the end decided not to buy it. But will be looking for other art from local artists to hang in our place

>200 richardderus: - Thanks, RD! What about our lovely wedding photo? ;-)

>201 magicians_nephew: - It sounds lovely, Jim.

This whole conversation is reminding me that I really need to get my act together and actually hang stuff on our walls. I have terrible commitment issues when it comes to hanging things....

I have a series of 4 photos I took on various trips that I am particularly proud of that I would love to finally display properly. One is of Notre Dame, one of a fisherman on the Nile at dawn, one of the roof of a temple in Bangkok, and one of the Canadian Rockies near Banff. I'm thinking of hanging them in the guest room, but then I wouldn't see them much. Decisions, decisions....

>201 magicians_nephew: - Ah, there it is! I LOVE it. The colors are much more vibrant than I was imagining.

The Mercy Seat by Elizabeth H. Winthrop

In Louisiana in 1943, a young black man is set to be executed in the state's traveling electric chair. As the hour of his execution approaches, Winthrop shares part of his story, along with those of a host of other characters, both black and white. The chapters are short, the POV changing and revisiting with each one. It's a very compelling read and every character is interesting and adds something essential to the overall narrative of justice, race, guilt, grief, and morality.

I could not read this one fast enough. So well done.

5 stars

>202 katiekrug: I have a strict "no comment" policy on heterosexual porn.

>204 katiekrug: Damn. *trudges off to library*

>205 richardderus: - Bwahahahahaha! to both. xx

"We live in a country where Americans assimilate corpses in their daily comings and goings. Dead blacks are a part of normal life here. Dying in ship hulls, tossed into the Atlantic, hanging from trees, beaten, shot in churches, gunned down by the police, or warehoused in prisons: Historically, there is no quotidian without the enslaved, chained, or dead black body to gaze upon or to hear about or to position a self against."

From "The Condition of Black Life is One of Mourning" by Claudia Rankine, published in The Fire This Time.

>199 katiekrug: Yoiks! You made me jump, Katie. Second photo, stack of books. Sara Hylton. My daughter's name is Sarah Hylton.

The author Sara Hylton, Google tells me, is English and has quite a list of books to her credit. Have you read her work before (before the book in the photo)?

>208 weird_O: - I haven't read any Sara Hylton, Bill. Not even the one in the photo - it went back to the library unread....

>204 katiekrug: Looks like I am adding The Mercy Seat to the TBR stack too. Sounds great.

Eating at a restaurant sounds so appealing - glad you tried it out. Our local places tend to be in small strip malls, so eating in parking lots seems to be the option now. We don't have central A/C (just units in the bedrooms) so cooking is out for the time being. Stay cool today!

>210 msf59: - You'll love it, Mark!

>211 vivians: - Maybe if you get desperate enough, the parking lot will start appealing, Vivian ;-) I don't blame you for not cooking - too hot! We have central a/c but I still don't like cooking much when it's hot. It's good for my diet, though!

Speaking of cooking, we had a very nice dinner last night, courtesy of moi. Grilled up some peppers and onions so they got some scorching on them, chopped about half and put into a bowl with chickpeas and cucumber, dressed with evoo, lemon juice, and some Tuscan Sunset seasoning from Penzey's. Refrigerated for about an hour.

Cooked spicy chipotle black bean burgers, sliced them, put them in whole wheat wraps with a smear of tzatziki and the rest of the grilled veg. Served with chickpea salad on the side.

Delicious!

>213 katiekrug: YUM

We had regular burgers and pinto-bean chili a bit like the TexMex one I grew up on. It's no patch on y'all's elegant repast, though, since the vegetation was...lacking...chez moi.

>214 richardderus: - Chili and burgers sound yummy! Thursday evening, because of virtual HH, is my "bad" night where we order in from a pizza joint. I either get a small margherita pizza or some kind of sandwich. It's nice to have a treat to look forward to. I have another virtual HH tomorrow night and am trying hard not to use it as an excuse to get more delivery :-P But a burger sounds SO GOOD right now.

I'm planning to repeat last night's dinner tonight, minus the extra grilled veg because we're out. I'll use thin-sliced cucumber and some baby spinach to bulk up the wrap, I think.

>215 katiekrug: Today they do, yesterday I wanted a salad quite a lot. So today I got quiche and salad! And wanted a burger.

*sigh*

The menu for this evening does sound quite tempting. I'm trying to convince myself to go out to Stop'n'Shop today because tomorrow it's going to rain and I need more rye bread. So far no luck. I seem to be willing to run out before Thursday's non-thundery weather. Hell, it's not like I'll go hungry, I'm just being spoiled and wanting what I want when I want it.

You Exist Too Much is a wonderful read.

>199 katiekrug: I like the simplicity of both of those. I remember your getting the chicken! Very quirky, but I like that. Always fun to have things with personality.

The wraps and grilled veggies also sound delicious. I'm winding down in my food options for the week, so today I had grilled cheese and tomato soup. I can probably squeak another one in for tomorrow's lunch, and then I have the fixings for baked potatoes. But after that, I really need to do a grocery shopping.

>216 richardderus: - So did you make it to S&S or did you save that treat for another day? I hate grocery shopping.

Making note of the book rec.

>217 bell7: - I do love Flora the Chicken, Mary. SOme of hte people I was on the trip with thought it was an insane purchase, but she brings me much joy :)

Oooh, grilled cheese sounds good. I'm not a huge tomato soup fan, though I don't mind a little bit to dip my grilled cheese in. Not sure what's for dinner tonight - something easy, as I have a virtual happy hour. Possibly just a plate of random stuff from the fridge - a little cheese, some veg, some deli turkey, etc.

Not sure I mentioned that I finished Writers & Lovers, which I really loved. I was afraid it would be pretentious, but it's not at all. I'm now reading a historical romance - the first in a trilogy, of which I read the 2nd one first (sorry Susan!). The 3rd comes out next week.

I'm still listening to With the Fire on High, which is good but I haven't felt like puzzling much the last several days and that is when I do most of my listening.

I loved Writers & Lovers too! Not reading anything great at the moment - I'm trying to finish up some series and they're not thrilling. My next book group read is an Allende, who has been hit or miss for me.

>220 vivians: - Between you and Beth, I am in excellent company with W&L!

Sorry about the current reads - it happens. Which Allende is up next? I have several of hers, but I think I've only read Daughter of Fortune, which I really liked.

>219 katiekrug: Creeped your LT profile to figure out what historical romance you were reading. Sarah MacLean is a new discovery for me but I've loved the couple things I've read by her so far.

It's A Long Petal of the Sea, I think about the Spanish Civil War. The recommendation came from the source of our last read, The Mercies, so I'm game. I didn't like The Japanese Lover very much but really enjoyed The House of Spirits. Remember how lively she was when we saw her at that Simon & Schuster event?

Writers & Lovers by Lily King

"I didn't much like the writers Paco did, men who wrote tender, poetic sentences that tried to hide the narcissism and misogyny of their stories."

Writers & Lovers is a tender and bittersweet story about art, creativity, and persistence. To give the bare facts of the plot would make it sound relentlessly depressing, and it is to King's credit that she manages to imbue her novel with a shining thread of hope and some wonderful humor. I tend to shy away from novels about Art and Writers and other Important Topics That Should Be Capitalized because they are often pretentious and snooze-inducing, but this was none of that. I loved Casey as a character - she was very real and someone worth rooting for.

4.5 stars

>222 MickyFine: - Okay, Creeper :D I liked but didn't love the first of hers I read (Brazen and the Beast) but I'm enjoying this one.

>223 vivians: - Ack! I forgot we saw her on our first "date" ;-) I never did read that book of hers that she was speaking about then. Bad Katie. The Long Petal to the Sea is on my list - it's gotten some good reviews around here, though I can't remember from whom, of course....

>223 vivians:, >225 katiekrug: Hi Vivian & Katie. Long Petal to the Sea is on the list for one of my RL book groups, so I'll be reading it in the next couple of months. It's been ages since I read Allende, although I've enjoyed many of her books in the past.

>211 vivians:, >212 katiekrug: The best thing to eat when it's this hot is watermelon salad. Cubed watermelon with cheese (either feta or ricotta salata) a green herb (either mint or cilantro) dressed with lime juice & olive oil. I've eaten about 10 lbs of it in the past two days (i bought a 13 lb watermelon....).

>226 lauralkeet: - I hope you like it, Laura!

>227 ELiz_M: - Thanks for the reminder of watermelon salad, Liz. I love it with feta. I've added watermelon and feta to the shopping list....

>219 katiekrug: Tsk, tsk. But, weirdly, I've just seen that Sarah McLean series referred to in a Goodreads email!

>224 katiekrug: *mumbled from around provolone-on-rye* Since I liked most of Euphoria, I'll be looking for it.

Gloomy day, thunderously bright evening...does the weather goddess know what time it is?

Hi Katie. I love your art. I have added The Mercy Seat to my list and am so glad you also loved Writers & Lovers. I think King did a great job. I loved Casey.

Hooray for Writers & Lovers! It is such a good book. King has quickly become a favorite.

Have a great weekend, Katie!

>229 susanj67: - Probably because the newest is coming out next week, Susan. I just finished the first and really enjoyed it.

>230 richardderus: - I have Euphoria on audio, I think. I'll probably move it up the list given how much I liked W&L.

The weather goddess plays by her own rules :)

>231 BLBera: - Hi Beth! Hope you like The Mercy Seat.

Casey was such a great character.

>232 msf59: - Hiya, Mark! I need to read more by King. This was my first.

Have a great weekend yourself!

Fun but looong happy hour last night. I slept in a bit this morning...

I finished the romance I was reading this morning while enjoying my coffee on the deck. Next up, I think I will finish The Fire This Time - I only have 4 or so more pieces left in it. Still no listening time - maybe this weekend?

I'm only working Monday and Tuesday next week and then taking off through the following Monday. Looking forward to a decent break from work.

Happy Friday, friends!

Happy Hangover Day! I'm thrilled, thrilled I say, with the blast of sunshine coupled with sticky humidity outside! No thanks on that outdoor thing.

But, of course, YMMV

Hi Katie! Good to hear that you'll have next Wednesday-Friday off.

Have I missed anything on the dog front or has acquisition taken a back seat to other things?

>235 richardderus: - I am NOT hungover, thankyouverymuch. Not sure *how* I'm not, but I feel fine :)

It's gross out.

>236 karenmarie: - Hi Karen! We got frustrated with the dog search because rescues are overwhelmed so you don't get any kind of response when you submit an application and we kept finding dogs we were interested in and never even getting a "Sorry, s/he's been adopted" message. I actually started looking again this week, hoping things will be a bit calmer. So, we'll see...

>237 katiekrug: So, still pickled then. That's gonna be the mother of 'em all when it hits.

*evil laughter*

>238 richardderus: - Ha! I was not pickled, though I did go to bed rather early last night....

Grey and gloomy here. I got up early to go to the farmer's market, but there was a line to get in, as they only allow a certain number of people at one time, so I left because there was nothing I really needed. I did stop at a bakery and got myself a treat - a sourdoughnut which was a lovely mix of sweet and sour, from the sugar glaze combined with the dough.

I am hoping to get some of our new furniture set up today, but that will depend on The Wayne, and if I can get him motivated.

I have two books to post comments on which I may do after writing this. I've done some puzzling this morning (I am almost done but all that is left is blue sky and it is SO boring) and was able to listen to a chunk of my current audio. In print, I am reading Queenie Malone's Paradise Hotel which is an ER book I won a couple of months ago.

Thus ends my boring update.

Wicked and the Wallfower by Sarah MacLean

I enjoyed this historical romance set in London in 1837, much more so than the second in the series which I read first (I know, I know...). The two main characters were both interesting and the backstory that propelled the plot was different than those things usually are. The final book in the trilogy comes out on Tuesday, and I look forward to reading it soon and finding out how that backstory concludes.

4 stars

The Fire This Time, edited by Jesmyn Ward

Like most collections, this one had some pieces that were much stronger than others. I listened to James Baldwin's The Fire Next Time earlier this month, and, as this collection attests to, not much has fundamentally changed about the position of Black people in this country in the last 50 or so years. There was some beautiful and powerful writing in TFTT. I especially liked Carol Anderson's essay, "White Rage" and Claudia Rankine's "The Condition of Black Life is One of Mourning."

And this from Daniel Jose Older in "This Far: Notes on Love and Revolution:"

"Even on the left, even in this age of exposed racial rifts, politicians still say with a straight face that this country was founded on principles of equality. Words mean things, we say again and again, but actions mean much more, and still as a nation, we worship the very slave owners who gave legal precedence to the notion of percentages of human beings. We scream equality and freedom while unabashedly modeling our actions on the fathers of genocide. The only way to rationalize this most American of contradictions is to devalue the lives of the slaughtered, as was done then, so it must be now, and so apologists remind us that those were the times, and they didn't know better, and on and on. But if those lives matter now then they mattered then, and the clapback stretches through history, unraveling all the creation myths this country has always held most sacred, toppling our many false idols and cleaning out our profaned temples."

4 stars

>242 katiekrug: I can't do it. I tried, and I can't. It's trenchant and timely and tendentious, but my rage circuitry is over capacity too much of the time for me to be able to safely flip the switch on that read.

I'm grateful to you for doing it, so I can vicariously enjoy the virtuous glow.

>242 katiekrug: Thank you Katie. I read The Fire Next Time when it came out (in the '60's?). May need to put this one in my "read soon" stack.

>241 katiekrug: Hi, Katie! This review reminded me that I've been meaning to ask you about a Regency romance I read recently — More or Less a Marchioness. I found it in my ebooks, with no memory of how it got there. I love Georgette Heyer, but haven't read many of the more contemporary authors writing in that genre. I saw you have it catalogued but no review or stars. Have you read it?

>243 richardderus: - I totally understand, RD. Between the Baldwin and this one, my "rage circuitry" is also over loaded. I've been indulging a lot of lighter stuff...

>244 RebaRelishesReading: - The Baldwin is probably more powerful overall, Reba, but some of the pieces in this anthology were almost as strong.

>245 rosalita: - Hi Julia! I haven't read that one, and I haven't read the author before. I must have picked it up in a Kindle sale. I can't vouch for it, and I'd hate for you to read it and decide you hate all contemporary Regency (oxymoron?) romances :) I always try to get people to read Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series as a start. The first one is The Duke and I, but I actually read the 3rd first many, many years ago, and it got me hooked. That one is Romancing Mr. Bridgerton but it does contain a bit of a spoiler for earlier books. I also generally like Eloisa James' historical romances but they are sometimes hit or miss... Not sure any of this is helpful :-P

Spent a chunk of this afternoon putting together our new hall tree. We have a little foyer at the front hall that ends up opening to the living room. So this faces the living room, opposite the fireplace. It looks very nice and I like that it's not huge and overwhelming like hall trees can be...

>247 katiekrug: Très chic! I love the graphic of "KRUG" above it, too.

Angular, simple, linear...perfect counterpoint to Its Purple Majesty.

>246 katiekrug: I must have picked it up in the same e-sale, because I have no memory of buying it! I thought it was pretty good. While she doesn't make liberal use of the period slang the way Heyer did, the storyline was decent. I did read The Duke and I and thought it was fine but never continued with the series. It sounds like it gets better, so I should give it another go.

>247 katiekrug: Oooh, very nice!

>237 katiekrug: (Friday, 1:10pm) We got frustrated with the dog search ... I actually started looking again this week, hoping things will be a bit calmer. So, we'll see...

>247 katiekrug: (Saturday 3:34pm) Spent a chunk of this afternoon putting together our new hall tree.

Ahem. That hall tree looks fab but I just saw something on Instagram/FB that makes me think there was a bit more to your afternoon than you are letting on. I am looking forward to your next post ... 😀

>248 richardderus: - I am quite happy with it, RD! Glad you approve. x

>249 rosalita: - Oh, I missed that you had read it already, Julia!

>250 lauralkeet: - Is this to what you refer, Laura?



This is Nuala (New-lah)! We adopted her from a rescue organization this afternoon. She is a 9 month old lab mix and came from Mississippi.

>251 katiekrug: What a pweshus boop-snoot! Schmoozle her ears from me, k?

>251 katiekrug:....See, you just had to get the timing right. Nuala's been holding out for YOU. Congratulations, all of you. She looks like a honey.

>251 katiekrug: squeeee! YES! She is adorable. I'm impressed with how quickly you went from "we might start looking again" to "gotcha".

>247 katiekrug: Very nice, but I LOVE your puppy! We had a black lab, Nala.

Black labs are great dogs, but they are enthusiastic puppies for the first two years...I know you'll love her and she'll love you. Keep the photos coming!

>252 richardderus: - I sure will. She is getting lots of ear schmoozles. They are so soft!

>253 laytonwoman3rd: - Thanks, Linda!

>254 lauralkeet: - When I started looking again, I came across a dog that we thought would be a good fit, so filled out the application. It was approved Friday but that particular dog was already spoken for. The rescue rep said they were having an adoption event on Saturday and there would be two labs there, so we cleared our schedules (ha!) to make sure we got there :)

>255 BLBera: - We named her Nuala, because the dog we originally contacted the rescue about was named Noodles, which The Wayne thought was a great name. I've always given my pets "real" names, so I suggested Nuala and he could call her Noodles if he wanted to :)

>256 ronincats: - I've always had lab mixes, Roni - they are my favorite dogs :) She is a little more chill than some, but definitely still a puppy.

Aw, welcome, Nuala!! Please give her some ear scritches for me.

>251 katiekrug: Congratulations, Katie, Nuala looks sweet with that bit of white going up to between her eyes. Wishing her a long and happy life with you two!

>257 katiekrug: What great timing. I'm happy for you guys! And I agree, labs are great dogs. I love our terrier mix but she is a real handful, and totally different from our labs.

Congratulations on Nuala. And Noodles is a very cute nickname. (All of our kitties have multiple names).

I hope Leonard is okay with the new family member...

Nuala is utterly adorable! Congrats on your new family member.

Sweetheart! (says the cat person).

>251 katiekrug: What a sweetie! I hope she soon settles in :-)

Just stopping by in hopes of more news about Nuala. She is such a sweet-looking pup. I think Noodles will be a perfect nickname. I chuckled, though, when I saw she came from Mississippi. Is that on the "safe" list of states? Lol.

Saw Nuala on IG and was so happy to see you found a pupper! Hope she and Leonard are finding detente if not friendship. :)

Nice! Does her bark have a southern accent? 😀

Love Luala!! I wish I could give her some ear schmoozes too. I've had two lab mixes and adored them both and I remember those velvety ears :)

Hi, Katie.

Good review of Writers & Lovers. I'll add it to the WL.

Nuala looks like a sweet one. Congratulations on adopting her.

What a cutie! Congrats on the addition, and watch out for those tail wags - they can be dangerous to fragile objects!

Thank you, all! Ear scritches and schmoozles have been distributed :) She is a very good dog. She didn't have a single accident last night, which was a relief. She refuses to go in her crate- I think she has bad memories associated with crates, so we are just leaving it there with the door open for her, and I think once she is more settled, she might use it. We'll see. She is very smart and knows after she does her business outside she gets a treat immediately, so she has taken to fake peeing, which cracks me up. I have to bend down and make sure there is something coming out, so she can't hoodwink me.

This is a picture of her after she got tired of watching The Wayne put together some furniture and decided to help - all 38 pounds of her...

She and Leonard mostly avoid each other, but Nuala sometimes tries to make friends and then there is a lot of hissing and growling. So that's a work in progress...

And speaking of works in progress, I *finally* finished the puzzle I've been working on for ages. IT wasn't all that hard, but the sky was super boring so I was avoiding working on it :)

I like the puzzle...I don't know why I haven't done any jigsaw puzzles during the stay-at-home. I used to enjoy doing them, and I think there are a couple untested ones here in the house.

It looks like Nuala is rapidly learning that she's got a good thing going...and I think Leonard is just asserting himself for form's sake. You'll find the big phony curled up against a soft dog undercarriage one of these days.

I love the fake peeing to get a treat! Good luck with the cat/dog relationship. Labs are great dogs.

I was so enamored of Nuala that I forgot to mention that I really like your hall stand. Looks great and looks like you did a great job putting it together. Also, congrats finishing your puzzle.

>216 richardderus:

The menu for this evening does sound quite tempting. I'm trying to convince myself to go out to Stop'n'Shop today because tomorrow it's going to rain and I need more rye bread. So far no luck. I seem to be willing to run out before Thursday's non-thundery weather. Hell, it's not like I'll go hungry, I'm just being spoiled and wanting what I want when I want it.

This feels like a paragraph Dorothy Parker might have written

>251 katiekrug: LOVE me some Black Labs (Wondering where that expression came from now?). She looks like a sweetie

>272 katiekrug: My sister's expression for any tedious or boring problem or task was always "there's a lot of sky in it"

>273 laytonwoman3rd: - Linda, I had started getting into puzzles before lockdown, but it certainly accelerated my interest :)

I think Leonard and Nuala will end up being fine. She's just a little too hyper sometimes for his taste...

>274 BLBera: - Thanks, Beth. She is a quick study :)

>275 RebaRelishesReading: - Thank you, Reba. We are very happy with it. We also got the new coffee table and chairs set up. I'll share a picture once I've removed the detritus from the space!

>276 magicians_nephew: - Best dogs ever, Jim! And I am definitely stealing you sister's expression. It's perfect.

>276 magicians_nephew:, >277 katiekrug: Also stolen...perfection.

Thanks, Jim!

Time for a new thread....

https://www.librarything.com/topic/321945