Joe's Book Cafe 3 2021

Welcome back to the cafe! Street art by various artists

I had to start a thread unconnected to the last one, so please star this new one.

2020 Favorites

Book of the Year: Caste by Isabel Wilkerson

Nonfiction

Deep Creek by Pam Houston (memoir)

The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson (WWII nonfiction)

Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe (The Troubles nonfiction)

Hope in the Dark by Rebecca Solnit (essays)

The Yellow House by Sarah Broom (memoir)

The Library Book by Susan Orlean

In the Shadow of the Mic by Jesse Welch and Adriana Ramirez

Fiction

Simon the Fiddler by Paulette Jiles (novel)

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson (novel)

Beautiful Ruins by Jessica Walter (novel)

Sabrina and Corina by Kali Fajado Anstine (short stories)

Deacon King Kong by James McBride

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

The Awkward Black Man by Walter Mosley

A Girl is a Body of Water by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V. E. Schwab

Big Girl, Small Town by Michelle Gallen

Temporary by Hilary Leichter

Illustrated Books/Graphic Novels

Almost American Girl by Robin Ha (graphic memoir)

Poems to See By by Julian Peters (poetry+ graphic)

Today is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life by Ulli Lust

Are You Listening by Tillie Walden

Plain Janes by Cecil Castelucci

When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson

Science Fiction and Fantasy

Network Effect by Martha Wells (sci-fi)

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

Mystery

Blanche Among the Talented Tenth by Natalie Berry (mystery)

Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith

Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

Into the Fire by Gregg Hurwitz (thriller)

Poetry

Postcolonial Love Poem by Natalie Diaz

Whale Day by Billy Collins

2020-21 Books Read

December 2020

146. The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab
147. Serpentine by Phillip Pullman
148. Big Girl, Small Town by Michelle Gallen.
149. Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev
150. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
151. The Neuroscientist Who Lost Her Mind by Barbara Liska
152. Temporary by Hilary Leichter
153. The Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz
154. In the Shadow of the Mic by Jesse Welch and Adriana Ramirez

January 2021

1. The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist by Adrian Tomine*
2. The Dreaming by Simon Spurrier*
3. Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
4. The Time of Green Magic by Hilary McKay
5. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
6. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
7. Poems 1962-2012 by Louise Gluck
8. Lady Mechanika by Joe Benitez*
9. Catwoman Friend or Foe by Joelle Jones*
10. Jack by Marilynne Robinson
11. Bone Rattler by Eliot Pattison
12. The First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder
13. Slam by Pamela Ribon*
14. Mezo by Tyler Chin-Tanner*
15. Be More Chill by Ned Vizzini*
16. The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
17. Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude by Ross Gay
18. Shadow of the Batgirl by Sarah Kuhn*
19. Prodigal Son by Greg Hurwitz
20. Bodega: Poems by Su Hwang

February 2021

21. Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore
22. Books of Magic by Neil Gaiman*
23. Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
24. Human Voices by Penelope Fitzgerald
25. Mortal Instruments The Graphic Novel Vol. 4 by Cassandra Clare*
26. Wicked Enchantment by Wanda Coleman
27. The God of Nothingness by Mark Wunderlich
28. Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer
29. Blood Grove by Walter Mosley
30. Bookshop of the Broken-Hearted by Robert Hillman
31. Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis
32. The Dreaming Vol. 2 by Simon Spurrier*
33. Faithless in Death by J.D. Robb
34. Pride by Ibi Zoboi
35. The Sunflower Cast a Spell by Jackie Wang
36. The Dreaming Vol. 3 by Simon Spurrier*
37. House of Whispers by Nalo Hopkinson*
38. The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles
39. Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls
40. Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor
41. Punisher Max Omnibus Vol. 1 by Garth Ennis
42. Becoming by Michelle Obama
43. Heaven, My Home by Attica Locke
44. Stay Safe by Emma Hine

* Illustrated/Graphic Novel

This year I'm just going to list the illustrated/GN books with the others

I was inspired to write this poem after reading Louise Gluck's collected poems followed by Ross Gay's Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude. What a contrast.

Reading Poetry

I wonder how many people will
Read Louise Gluck's 600+
Page collected poems, 1962-2012.
Stephen Hawking's "A Brief History of Time" is
Famous for being bought and
Not read (I read it).

LG comes from a subdued,
Almost never happy place,
Enthusiasm damp, love
Waiting to end, childhood endless
Disappointment, her fragile
Sister needing protection.

Meanwhile, unsubdued Ross Gay effervesces
About buttons, for gods' sake,
While buttoning a shirt, can you
Believe it, even though, he tells
Us, buttons are sometimes bone, and
Somewhere a car bomb just went off.

How much is choice, or fate
A gift from sensei or sensate
A hand at the shade, coping
Pulling it down, or snapping it open

Grandkids Fina on her first birthday, and Rafa, who'll be 3 in April

Kids must love this one

>7 jnwelch: Kids, heck! I think it's amazing!

Happy new thread, Joe.

Happy new thread, Joe. Fina looks so much older than in the last thread! :-)

Fabulous art!!

*Starred*

Happy new thread, Joe!
Your adorable grandkids grow up way too fast ;-)

Lovely toppers and the colors in >6 jnwelch: are amzing.

Happy new thread!

>1 jnwelch: Wow!

>5 jnwelch: And again WOW!

Happy new one, Joe. I enjoyed your Gluck inspired poem especially the last verse.

Happy new thread, Joe. You have some adorable grandkids.

HA! I caught you at the beginning of the thread rather than 70 posts in.

Lovely/stunning toppers. Happy new one :)

Happy new thread Joe!

>1 jnwelch: Loved the toppers, and the Little Free Library made me smile.

Your grandkids are still adorable.

Happy New Thread, Joe!

>5 jnwelch: Fina's got that Debbi look--can't quite pin it down, but it's there.

I can't believe that's Fina up there! She's grown so much! And Rafa is button-cute, as usual.

Happy new one, friend.

Hi Joe, Great toppers! Love the grandkids! They are adorable!

>8 richardderus: Ha! You're right, Richard. It's amazing for all ages. :-)

>9 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley! Yeah, they're both becoming little people. She's really something. I'm glad you like that street art.

>10 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita! Aren't those colors in >6 jnwelch: something else? Those two kids are growing by leaps and bounds, aren't they.

>11 quondame: Thanks, Susan! It's a better day when you get a couple of wows!, right?

>12 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. I'm glad the poem grabbed you. It was the contrast of Gluck with Ross Gay that got me.

>13 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. We of course find those grandkids totes adorbs, but it's fun to have you and others think the same.

>14 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita! I know the problem. I just wished someone Happy New Year in February. :-)

Aren't those toppers stunning? I love well done street art.

>15 EllaTim: Thanks, Ella! Yay for the toppers and the LFF, and those adorable grandkids. We miss being in your part of the world.

>16 kac522: Thanks, Kathy! Ha! Debbi will like that Fina has her look. What a cutie.

>17 scaifea: Hiya, Amber. They're growing so fast! Thanks, my friend.

>18 connie53: Hi, Connie. Thanks! We love those adorable grandkids, too. I've got a new one of them I'll try to post later today.

Happy new thread Joe!

>23 NarratorLady:. Thanks, Anne! I finished and enjoyed Human Voices. Thanks again for the tip. What an abrupt and surprising ending, with Sam about to run off with Annie, and Jeff mistaking the large curbside bomb for his taxi!

Hello Joe! Happy New Year! I hope all is well with you and the family. The pictures are fantastic as usual as well as the artwork.

Late 2020 and early 2021 have been a bear for me, but I am hoping things will look up soon. I have Prodigal Son, the latest Orphan X audio and can't wait to get going on it.

I have also started reading Light of the Jedi, which the first in the new Star Wars High Republic publishing venture. Not bad so far. I'm reading that one in print. ;-)

I hope to have a page up soon.

Have you seen any good tv or movies in the in between? Money Heist on Netflix is something else!

Loving the toppers, and those cheeky grandee's Joe. Fina has definitely come on leaps and bounds.

Someone else had problems with the create a new thread link I remember. Always a glitch or two when changes have been made.

Greetings Josephus, and a happy weekend's reads ahead. Speaking of which: If you haven't read Jeannie Suk Gersen's cautionary take on 45's Senate trial here https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/the-risks-of-trumps-impeachment-tr... I strongly recommend it.

Happy new thread! Great street art, as usual.

>5 jnwelch: Your grandchildren are adorable. The startling blue eyes of Rafa and incredible.
>1 jnwelch: I love the opening image, particularly the first one!

>5 jnwelch: Grands are just the best. Yours are so sweet looking and so beautiful ~

>24 jnwelch: So glad you enjoyed Human Voices Joe! I loved the atmosphere she created. In Hermione Lee’s excellent bio Penelope Fitzgerald: A Life we learn that though she began writing in middle age, she took notes all her life so much of her fiction contains real people and events. Could it be that Edward R. Murrow is the inspiration for one of the more dashing characters? Hmmm...

>25 brodiew2: Hello Brodie! I wondered where you were. Welcome back!

Sorry times have been on the tough side. I hope life improves for you. You're going to love Prodigal Son. Lots of good action, and more personal evolution for our friend Evan.

The Star Wars books go onto the bestseller list on a regular basis; I'm not invested enough in the story for that, but our son sure is. Sounds like excellent pandemic reading.

I'll have to look for Money Heist. Like a lot of folks, we got bowled over by The Queen's Gambit and Bridgerton. Recently, I've been watching HBO Max's "Warrior", set in 1870s San Francisco, with the Chinese tongs and Irish gang battling it out while the police try to keep a lid on it and racism affects everything. It's based on a screenplay Bruce Lee wrote, and if you like martial arts, the fight scenes are special.

The Mandalorian and Star Trek Discovery were treats for us, too.

>26 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks, Caroline. I told Debbi you thought R & F were cheeky; we love that word. :-)

I remember someone else having trouble like mine creating a new thread, too, but I can't remember who the heck it was. I got an automated message, so it's happening enough to warrant one of those. I'm glad people have found this, apparently with no trouble.

>27 richardderus: Hi, Richard. I haven't read that linked article, and didn't see it in the most recent New Yorker, so thank you for posting the link. I still haven't seen the Literary Cartoons one, either, so I'll do both via your links.

>28 drneutron: Thanks, Jim! I'm glad you like the street art. I love collecting it, as you can tell.

>29 Whisper1: Hi, Linda. Thank you! We'll get a close-up at some point, but Fina has those startling blue eyes, too. I'm the one in the family with blue eyes (one of my sisters, too), so we figure that's where it came from. For both of them, we thought maybe they were baby blues that would change color as they got older, but it didn't happen.

Isn't that first topper something else? What a creation.

>30 mckait: Grands are the best, aren't they, Kath. Your latest is such a cutie. Thanks re ours. They weren't sure whether they'd go for another one after Rafa, and we're so glad they did.

>31 NarratorLady: Hi, Anne. Yes, she created such an atmosphere within that BBC building. Ha! Yes, Mac. Somewhere I saw that Edward R. Murrow was the inspiration for him. I saw ERM in my mind whenever Mac took the stage. Her taking notes all her life - thanks for the background. I wondered, because I knew she started writing late in life. Some people have great memories, but taking notes along the way was a smart idea.

It's been below zero wind chill here; this helps.

>34 jnwelch: The pink not-seagulls are very scenic indeed. Are you sure that's not Lake Michigan?

Happy Saturday, Joe! Happy New Thread. Love those street art toppers and Fina is just absolutely gorgeous. I would also love to see a flamingo but I think they can only be found in the Everglades and I am not sure I want to go down there.

I just finished The Only Good Indians. I enjoyed it. Strong writing, but very dark and violent. Not sure it would be your cuppa. I think I may dip into Consider the Lobster. I have not read a DFW in quite awhile. Have you read this one?
I would also recommend "Cardinal: Poems" by Tyree Daye which I also just finished. A touchstone doesn't come up for some reason.

>35 richardderus: Oh, I wish that was Lake Michigan, mon frere. Palm trees and warm clear water. Mmm-mmm. Those pink guys look well-dressed, don't they.

>36 msf59: Happy Saturday, adventurer! Thanks re the new thread. I'm glad you like those street art toppers. I think SA has caught on well enough around the world that we'll keep seeing cool ones. Yeah, wait for the Lincoln Park Zoo in the summer and get your flamingo fix there. I know it ain't the same as in the wild, but Florida isn't worth it right now.

Yeah, I think The Good Indians misses my sweet spot, but I'm glad you enjoyed it. Consider the Lobster was my first DFW, given to me by Adriana, and I loved it. You made a great pick.

I'll make a note of Tyree Daye and Cardinal: Poems. Thanks for the tip.

>37 jnwelch: ...but climate change...? The pink guys have been spotted around there, I've heard:

>37 jnwelch: And there you are wishing for global warming. Flamingos in Lake Michigan and palm trees on the shore. It may happen.

>38 richardderus: I should have known you'd get there first and with pictures!

>36 msf59: & >37 jnwelch: Soon, I'll find out where is my sweet spot because I bought that one today.

>38 richardderus: I'm impressed that you remember the Calder Flamingo sculpture downtown, Richard. That one landed even before climate change became an issue.



>39 quondame: It has crossed our minds here, Susan, that we might actually be beneficiaries of global warming. But it's not worth the cost, is it.

That RD is a clever and quick guy, isn't he.

>40 PaulCranswick: :-) Good luck, mate.

Today's Bargain: A Gentleman in Moscow is $1.99 for e-readers. Wow! I loved this popular one.

>41 jnwelch: It's memorable, that item. I asked my then-resident sister to see that as my one "I gotta do that"on my first visit to her and her family in 1984. I move fast...as I always say, "Progress is nothing but the victory of laughter over dogma."

(Actually, I just learned that Benjamin De Casseres phrase today, but I like it so much I'm using it a lot to fix it in my memory.)

ETA You should read this piece in The Point about man's obsession with Buddhist sutras: https://thepointmag.com/forms-of-life/consult-the-sutras/

>43 richardderus:. That is a great Benjamin de Casseres quote. I’m sure you can work it into a lot of conversations.

Thanks for the linked article. That writer has the kind of irreverence I can appreciate. I will say, reading Wang Wei’s poetry doesn’t really require knowing all the sutras.

>41 jnwelch: I noticed that Russians may well have a different view of global warming than we do - but they have large regions which haven't enough moisture as well as vast colder lands, so it would be hard to predict what their new normal would be on balance.

>46 jnwelch: Oh yeah, there's a country that could use some warming, Susan. Maybe all the melting would help provide moisture? You know what, let's not find out! :-)

It was Madame MBH's birthday yesterday. She'd wanted these wonderful Frog and Toad yarn sculptures she'd seen, but didn't suspect she'd actually get them. My cousin Nancy is an adept, and made these for her. Callooh Callay!

Frog and Toad

Today’s Bargain: Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok for $1.99 on e-readers. From Hong Kong to Brooklyn, where she navigates school and a Chinatown sweatshop. I enjoyed this one.

Morning, Joe. I hope Debbi had a lovely birthday. I requested God of nothingness : poems due to your warbling. I am enjoying Consider the Lobster, nearing the halfway point. I may alternate it with Bluebird, Bluebird, which I know has been a favorite around here. Have you read it?

That Super Bowl game was a bit of a letdown. My God, is that T.B "D" ferocious? To be able to completely shutdown Rodgers and Mahomes, in back to back games? Wow!

>42 jnwelch: Hooray, for The Count!!

>47 jnwelch: How completely adorable! I'm glad Debbie enjoyed the day.

>47 jnwelch: So adorable. One of the women in my virtual craft circle is making these as well.

>49 msf59: Hiya, Mark. Workout's done. I enjoyed your news. Debbi did have a lovely birthday. She wept when she opened the Frog and Toad present (she's a sweet one). She enjoyed the Super Bowl commercials, and I enjoyed the game, although it wasn't the shootout I'd hoped for. That Tampa Bay defense was much stronger than I realized. As you say, they stopped Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, and now the high octane KC offense. We all thought the Weeknd's halftime show was just so-so; I know he has his fans, but I don't think he was a good choice for this venue.

Yay for God of Nothingness; his style should work well for you. And yay redux for Consider the Lobster; that remains my favorite of his that I've read so far. Yes, I did read Bluebird, Bluebird after all the warbling (insert bird pun here) around our group. Liked it a lot.

Hooray for the Count! I hope anyone who hasn't read A Gentleman in Moscow takes advantage of that bargain.

>50 richardderus: Aren't those two totes adorbs, RD? Debbi had a grand time yesterday. She spread out her present-opening through the day; one she got was a Kamala Harris action figure.

>51 MickyFine: Hi, Micky. Thanks. I'm glad that you've got someone trying to make them. My cousin says the directions are helpfully very precise. I can't remember whether you're on Facebook, but she (my cousin) is going to post photos of the stages of making them, now that we're past Debbi's birthday. Amber was very nice and volunteered, but I know how busy she is. And a friend of our daughter's (and ours) did, too, but my cousin was the first. She did such a great job in a short amount of time - she had to get the yarn and other materials, and then make it tout suite. (Yes, I paid her and then some).

When Judy and I first met I took her to see "A Year with Frog and Toad" a short lived but charming musical version of the two friend's adventures.

We worked out that Judy was Frog and I was Toad.

Smiling to see the little figures again

I am listening to Nnedi Okorafor on a crowd cast from Macmillan publishers right this very minute. Okorafor's new book Remote Control was published in January. It appears that it is not one of the Binti books. Somehow I thought it was. Oh well - it will be on my TBR list.

>47 jnwelch: What a lovely gift for Debbi, and belated happy birthday!

>47 jnwelch: Belated Happy Birthday to Debbi! Frog and Toad are very cute.

>53 magicians_nephew:. I remember that musical, Jim, and we had hoped to but didn’t see it. I’m glad you and Judy did. I remember they were great pals from the books, and I can imagine you and Judy fitting with that. :-)

>54 benitastrnad:. Thanks for the reminder about the new Nnedi Okorafor book, Benita. I tracked it down and now plan to read it soon. She’s so good, isn’t she. Please let us know what you think of it.

>55 FAMeulstee:. I’ll tell her, Anita! Thanks; she had a good one.

>56 EllaTim:. Thanks, Ella. Aren’t they cute? They’re from wonderful children’s stories that I hope show up where you are. Frog and Toad.

Happy Impeachment trial day, Joe. Now we see just how far down Crazy Street the Senators have gone. I seriously doubt there will be 17 Repulsivecans who vote to convict 45 of his actual, demonstrable crimes.

>58 richardderus:. Right. Not going to happen, is it. They’ve sent their own party into the pits, without a collective bit of common sense, common decency, or true patriotism.

Today’s Bargain: I just got Susan Vreeland’s Luncheon of the Boating Party for $1.99. I liked her Girl in Hyacinth Blue a lot.

>60 jnwelch: - I also liked GiHB, Joe. Did you read Life Studies? That was another I enjoyed.

I have Luncheon... on my shelf, along with a couple of others still to read.

>61 katiekrug:. Life Studies does look good, Katie; thanks for the tip. I’ll add it to the WL. I enjoy reading stories about the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists and those around them in that amazing time and place.

>60 jnwelch: I loved that book! I love her writing and have read (I think) everything she has written. The one advantage the hard copy has that probably your e-copy won't, though, is full colour reproductions of not only the title painting but other Renoirs.

Her book, Clara and Mr. Tiffany was also a good one. And for a person who generally does not like short stories, I also really liked Life studies

>64 jnwelch:. Thanks, Shelley. Good point re the Renoir reproductions. If I like it enough, I may seek out a hard copy. I do have Renoir reproductions in other books, and I may keep them handy.

Good to hear another vote for Life Studies, and I’ll keep Clara and Mr. Tiffany in mind.

Funny story. I had purchased Luncheon of the Boating Party in hardback when it was on sale. I loved the prints in it. Then I saw it on audio at the library so I borrowed that, figuring it would go faster and I could just follow along. I am a big fan of audiobooks so this was a no-brainer for me. However, I didn't last till the end of the first disc as the narrator was so awful, just butchering the French pronunciations of EVERYTHING, that I simply returned the audio and hunkered down with the book. That doesn't happen often, thankfully, but this was one I just couldn't listen to.

>6 jnwelch: I was at that lake in Glacier in the mid 80's but I never saw beautiful stones like that. Unlucky me

I have read several Susan Vreeland books. (3 of them.) I have a copy of Luncheon of the Boating Party. Mine is an autographed copy. One year when ALA was in Washington, D. C. she was there. She got on the same conference bus that I on. We were headed for another hotel. We had a very nice conversation, but I don't remember what it was about. However, I noticed that she was going to be in the conference exhibit hall signing books, so I showed up while she was signing. I got a free copy of Luncheon. I also have a copy of Lisette's List I haven't read either of them yet. I keep putting it of - I think because I know there won't be anymore of them since Vreeland died in 2017.

I read Clara and Mr. Tiffany and I would vouch for it. It is good solid historical fiction. One of my colleagues read it and said that it was one of the best books she had ever read. It always amazes me how much technical information fiction authors can pack into a book, and Vreeland is no exception. There was so much in Clara and Mr. Tiffany about the art of the period and how they produced and created all that art work. When I visited the Corning Glassworks museum in Corning, New York I was amazed at how much I knew about what I was looking at because I had recently read that book. When I got back my colleague and I discussed stained glass artwork and both of us remarked about how it had changed the way we looked at that art form.

>67 benitastrnad: - I read Lisette's List and it was ok but not one of my favourites of hers. I really loved Girl in Hyacinth Blue. That may be one of my faves, along with Clara and Mr. Tiffany. I own What Love Sees but I haven't read it yet. I was also very sad when she passed away as she is an author I really enjoyed. Historical fiction at its best, comes alive and Vreeland was very talented at making that happen. Two other authors who do that for me are Marie Benedict and Hazel Gaynor. Really excellent and well-researched historical fiction.

Morning, Joe! Happy Wednesday! I am at least getting out today for an oil change and a neck and back adjustment. We are still stuck in the deep freeze, so I don't think this outing will include any birding. The upside is, I am getting tons of reading in. They are all clickin'!

>65 jessibud2: Ah, too bad it was a lousy audio, Shelley. I had that happen with the Montalbano mysteries; the narrator they chose I found grating and unlistenable. It's a shame when that happens.

>66 RBeffa: How great to have a free signed copy of Luncheon of the Boating Party, Benita, and to have some time to talk to Susan Vreeland. I wish she was still with us.

Good to have the additional nudge for Clara and Mr. Tiffany. The subject is a bit outside my Impressionist/Post-Impressionist wheelhouse, but I'll add it to the WL. I did watch, with Madame MBH and our daughter, some of that glass-blowing tv series everyone's talking about, and it was fun to watch them create. One episode's prize was a workshop at that Corning Glass museum.

>68 jessibud2: Yeah, I loved The Girl in Hyacinth Blue, too, Shelley. I don't know Marie Benedict and Hazel Gaynor, so I'll take a look.

>69 msf59: Morning, Mark! Happy Wednesday, buddy. Is it one-stop shopping for the oil change and neck and back adjustment? :-) We're going to run a couple of errands this afternoon in this deep freeze, but that's it for us, too. It is good for reading, and I'm glad yours are clickin', I finished the really good new Easy Rawlins, Blood Grove - part of the fun is his other series characters Fearless Jones and Charcoal Joe make appearances - and that Mark Wunderlich collection was really good. Now I need to track down a new poetry book. Hmm.

P,S, I'm also reading a good "bookshop" novel, The Bookshop of the Broken-Hearted. Tom and Hannah - great characters.

As Heather Cox Richardson has said, this is not a trial of Trump; it's a trial of the Republican Party. I suspect the ramifications will echo through many years to come.

70> Clara and Mr. Tiffany sounds like a good 'un. I remember being in Prague and going to a big glassworks outside of town. Fascinating. It gets so hot that they have a special "glassblowers beer" to cool them off while they work. It's hot work. It's pretty good beer, too!

>72 magicians_nephew: What Jim said. Heather Cox Richardson's daily posts on Facebook have become required reading for me.

>72 magicians_nephew: The problem is that the jury's got 50% the very people who made the Repulsivecans what they are, and benefit from the status quo.

No group of rich people in the entire history of this species has ever voluntarily given up on tiny shred of power and/or money that they are not forced to at the point of a sword or gun. There is no upside for them in convicting 45 for his demonstrable crimes. So they won't.

All we can do is be sure they feel the sting of outrage in 2022, and that takes...what else...MONEY. Dig deep and donate to leftists everywhere in the US.

>70 jnwelch: I like a good historical fiction as well, and it seems you all like Susan Vreeland, I must try one of her books.

A glass-blowing tv series, Joe? What's it called? Marc loves glass-blowing and would probably love to see a bit more about the craft of it.

I have several of Marie Benedict's novels, but I just haven't read them yet. I did read Dear Mrs. Bird last year, and Mistress of the Ritz that I thought were well done historical fictions. I also have a couple of Melanie Benjamin historical fiction novels on my TBR list. I thought Mistress of the Ritz was well done and so want to read more of Benjamin.

In YA historical fiction, Jennifer Donnelly is a very good author, but even among adult authors, nobody beats Ruta Sepetys. All of her works of historical fiction are outstanding. I was blown away bey Salt to the Sea and I have Out of the Easy sitting on the bedside stack, so as soon as I get done with Book Woman of Troublesome Creek it will be one of the next ones I read.

I just finished reading Island of Sea Women by Lisa See and enjoyed it greatly. It is historical fiction set in Korea among the matriarchical culture of the sea diving women of Jeju Island. It gives the reader a picture of what live was like in Korea from 1930 to the present. The main character is one of the divers and there is great detail about the years after the defeat of Japan and living under the military dictatorship of Korea of that period. It was a very different view of Korea than what we think of as Korea of today. This is a work of historical fiction that I highly recommend. Most of the time Lisa See's novels get classed as "women's Fiction" and so they tend to get ignored. I have liked all of her novels.

>70 jnwelch: - A few years ago, on my last road trip, we stopped at the Corning Museum of Glass and I took a couple of workshops. I have detailed photos in my gallery (as well as some other photos of some of the amazing exhibits there. Such an amazing place.

>75 EllaTim: It's called Blown Away, and is a Canadian-produced competition series. There is also a YouTube channel from the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York, that has many multi-hour videos of glass artists creating strange and wonderful things.

>76 benitastrnad: - Two of Marie benedict's books I have read and really liked were The Other Einstein and Lady Clementine. She tends to write the back stories of the unsung women behind famous men. I also have 2 others that I haven't yet read, The Only Woman in the Room (about Hedy Lamarr) and her newest, The Mystery of Mrs. Christie (about Agatha).

A couple of titles by Hazel Gaynor I really liked were The Girl Who Came Home about a survivor of the Titanic (based on true events), and A Memory of Violets, about the flower girls of London, also based on true events and people. Both these authors do a ton of homework and research and make these historical fictions really good reading.

>72 magicians_nephew: Hi, Jim. Yeah, the Republicans seem to be screwed. Trumpism is a disaster, not a winning strategy. Starting a new Republican Party seems too challenging, and would split the vote. So what do they do? They never should've gone down this road, but here we all are.

I'd love to get to Prague some day. We've seen some glassblowing in Massachusetts, but it was pretty low key. I can see why people enjoy doing it.

>73 kidzdoc: Hiya, Darryl. I get Heather Cox Richardson's posts, but I shamefacedly admit they're often so long that i don't read them. Elaine Soloway is a big HCR fan, and I usually read her take on what HCR said. Bad Joe, as Mark would say. I'll try to do better with HCR.

>74 richardderus: Right. There are some wealthy philanthropists, but these yahoos aren't going to give up power without being voted out. Several Republicans have had enough and will be retiring, but too much Trumpishness remains.

Yes, big battle in 2022. For now, we need to keep states from suppressing voting as best we can, and then we've got to treat 2022 like the 2020-21 elections and mobilize everywhere. Money, as you say, and grass roots connecting like we all did in Georgia.

>75 EllaTim: Oh good, Ella. I think you can see that The Girl in Hyacinth Blue is beloved by all her readers. It's really good historical fiction, as are her others, it seems.

The glassblowing series is "Blown Away", and we get it on Netflix. Two seasons so far. Marc would appreciate it, no doubt.

>76 benitastrnad: I second your recommendation of Jennifer Donnelly, Benita, and Ruth Sepetys. Like you, I was blown away (no glassblowing, though) by Salt to the Sea. My sister recommended Island of Sea Women, and I've got it here somewhere. Thanks for your take on it.

>77 jessibud2: Oh, that's great, Shelley, that you got to do workshops at the Corning Glass Museum. Have you watched this "Blown Away" show? You'd get a kick out of it, I expect.

>78 richardderus: Right, Blown Away, and thanks for the tip on the Youtube channel. So many good things are on Youtube these days! The grandkids like the animal shows (a rare treat - they don't get to see much tv).

>79 jessibud2: OH yeah, Lady Clementine! That's the untold story in The Splendid and the Vile; he only captures her spirit when she's young. I want to read that one. I think that Mystery of Mrs. Christie is doing very well, isn't it? A Memory of Violets sounds like another one that may be my cuppa. Thanks, Shelley.

By the fabulous Keith Taylor

>82 jnwelch: - I wish! (and nicely done! ;-)

>82 jnwelch: that's fantastic.

>70 jnwelch: " Is it one-stop shopping for the oil change and neck and back adjustment?" Grins...No, but close. Sue works, (at a chiropractor) just a few blocks away from this auto service.

>82 jnwelch: Priceless. Go Keith!

>82 jnwelch: Oh my. Yes indeed, that's the nail on the head.

>83 jessibud2: Ha! Me, too, Shelley. :-)

>84 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura. He's so good.

>85 msf59: I figured the oil change probably wasn't for you, Mark, but it seemed worth asking. :-)

Another gem from pal Keith.

>86 richardderus: Right, Richard? I hope he is haunting them, since their consciences seem to be on hiatus.

Well somehow you were unstarred all of a sudden Joe. I found you now and I can gaze at those beautiful grandkids of yours all I want lol.

Watching the impeachment stuff makes me wonder how on earth these republicans will vote to acquit. How? This trial has been deadly for Trump but when the jurors are mostly spineless cowards.....

I finished Deacon King Kong and loved it just as you suggested I would.

>88 brenzi: Hi, Bonnie. Yeah, I was afraid that "unstarred" would catch some people. LT couldn't transition from my last one to the next one with starring, so I had to start a new one, and you'll have to star it again. I hope other folks figure it out. I left a message about it on my last one.

Right, spineless cowards as the jury. It is hard to believe, isn't it. Two benefits of the hearing are they're going to go down in history for acquitting him, and their voting area has motivation to oust them. Let's hope they pay a price.

Oh, great to hear re Deacon King Kong. Thanks for letting me know. Such a good book.

I was as frightened as Rinaldo, but he didn't have the great luck of being on the battlefields of World War II. The fear of being huddled in a foxhole with two-hundred-pound shells exploding all around gave the beating heart perspective that no peacetime experience could equal.

Man, it's great to have Easy Rawlins back. There was a time when it seemed possible that Walter Mosley was done with the character. This latest, Blood Grove, maintains the series' high quality, and then some. We're in 1969 Los Angeles, and an injured white Viet Nam war vet wants Easy to find out whether he's killed someone. Really? No evidence, no corpse. But Easy manages to get to the bottom of it, with casualties turning up along the way. A strength of the series is the many-faceted environment Easy moves within, from the lowest to the highest. It is filled with colorful characters, and in this one, two characters from other Mosley books, Fearless Jones and Charcoal Joe, lend a hand. At every step Easy's facing liars and thugs, and the humiliations of always lurking racism, particularly from white cops who want to smite his self-possession. He remains unfazed, and has accrued some helpful admirers along the way. We also get a deeper look at his loving relationship with his adopted daughter Feather, who is approached by a member of her blood family.

“Hannah enjoyed watching as he read; she barely cared what it was she'd given him. Or maybe that wasn't true. She did care. But the way he held a book in his hands, and the frown of concentration on his brow, kindled love in her heart. She wanted to stroke him as he read. The altering expressions on his face were like cloud shadows passing over a landscape.”

I loved Hannah and Tom in Bookshop of the Broken Hearted. Hannah is a 45 year old Holocaust survivor who lost her young son at Auschwitz. Tom is an early 30s farmer/handyman in Australia near Melbourne. She is full of joie de vire and also knows the darkness of life; Tom is a pillar of calm in a windswept world. When he painstakingly helps her build her dream bookstore, their lives come together. We learn about Hannah's past in flashbacks, while Tom tries to help her embrace the day, and also tries to reunite with his adopted son. Fine storytelling, with memorable characters.

Sweet Thursday, Joe. Not much LT time for me today. I was to busy chasing owls and hitting the books. I succeeded on both of them. I finished Consider the Lobster. Like most essay collections, not every one worked for me but the ones that did...WOW! DFW was a master of this form.

"Regina King ’s directorial debut, “One Night In Miami,” is a fictionalized account of what happened before and after that fight that day, when Clay (Eli Goree) and his friends Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge), Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.) and Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir) got together to chill, debate, argue and celebrate."

^If you have not seen this yet on Prime, take the time to check it out. It is excellent!

>91 jnwelch:
Oh!!!!!! That's a library book. And a book bullet. I checked and my public library has it. On the list it went.

>91 jnwelch: *dewy eyes* what a lovely passage! I'll have to check that book out (!).

Hi Joe! I hope your day is off to a good start.

>71 jnwelch: what a wonderfully captivating image. I love it.

>90 jnwelch: Excellent review of Blood Grove, Joe. I never went much beyond Devil in a Blue Dress because I liked the timeframe. As Easy move into 60s pretty quickly, my interest faded. Strange that that is what did it. I enjoyed the first couple.

>78 richardderus: >81 jnwelch: Thanks, Richard and Joe. Netflix, and YouTube. I had a look at the YouTube channel, and I think he will love it!

>92 msf59: I was to busy chasing owls and hitting the books. Ha! It doesn't get much better than that, my friend. Sounds like a perfect day.

Right, for me essay collections are like short story collections - I'm going to like some more than others. But wasn't Consider the Lobster excellent? Yeah, he had the goods, that guy.

>93 msf59: Thanks for the tip on "One Night in Miami", Mark. I've read nothing but good things about it, and I'm really happy for Regina King.

>94 benitastrnad: Oh good, Benita. Can't wait to hear what you think of The Bookshop of the Broken-Hearted. It's still running through my mind, and will for a while, I'm sure. I'm glad to hear that your library has it!

>95 richardderus: Good to hear, mon frere. I'm not great at predicting what you will or won't like, but I hope The Bookshop of the Broken Hearted works for you. Isn't that a beautiful passage?

>96 brodiew2: Hiya, Brodie. The day is off to a good start, thanks. We've got to start working out soon, and then we get the weekend off.

Isn't >71 jnwelch: captivating? Tranquil, suspended . . .

Thanks re the review of Blood Grove. That is intriguing, the change in time periods affecting you like that. I love me some Easy Rawlins.

>97 EllaTim: Oh good, Ella. When you have a minute, I'd love to hear what Marc thinks of it.

>99 wefocusoncare: Thank you.

>101 jnwelch: - Amen.

>102 katiekrug: Right? We've got enough to fill our lives. It's nice to know our country's leaders are working on the big problems, rather than making them worse. Wasn't "Make It Worse" a slogan of the last administration?

>101 jnwelch: Oh yes pleaseplease bore me! Sound sane and hinged and rational! Make my eyes glaze over and my head thunk the pillow!!

>104 richardderus:. Me, too! Me, too!

Hi Joe, mate, somehow i have missed this new thread so a very late happy new thread mate.

>100 jnwelch: I will report back Joe.

>101 jnwelch: LOL.

>106 johnsimpson: Hi John, buddy, no worries. I had to start a new, unstarred one because of an LT glitch. I'm glad you found us. I hope all is well where you are, mate.

>107 EllaTim: Ha! Thanks, Ella.

My sister's dog, Roxy

Happy Saturday, Joe. Just came in from shoveling. About 4 inches of fresh snow and it is still coming down. At least it was light and fluffy. I am really enjoying Mary's Monster. If you haven't read this one, you will love it. Mamie recently warbled about it. I also started Paradise. I love Morrison.

>109 jnwelch: Go Roxy!

>110 msf59:. Hiya, Mark. Happy Saturday, buddy.

You beat me to Mary’s Monster; Mamie convinced me, too, and I’ve requested it from the library. Good for you with the Toni Morrison novel. I finished Faithless in Death, another good one in the Eve Dallas series, and now I’ve started Pride by Ibi Zoboi in advance of her talk about it next week.

We’ve got that snow, too; it’s really starting to pile up around here. Becca and Indy are with us, but the current plan is to get them back home tonight.

Today’s Bargain: No Country for Old Men, a powerful novel from Cormac McCarthy, on Kindle today for $1.99.

If, like me, you’ve enjoyed the “C.B. Strike” tv adaptations of Robert Galbraith/J.K. Rowling’s Cormoran Strike and Robin mysteries, there’s good news: the Lethal White adaptation just became available on HBO Max.

>109 jnwelch: ...wait...for...the...hoominz...to...forget...me...

I have been wanting to read American Street by Ibi Zoboi but just haven't gotten around to it. She has a couple of middle grade books that I would like to read as well. Somehow other books call out to me much louder and I get sidetracked. She is definitely a YA author to watch.

Happy new thread, Joe. I thought I’d have to search for it but it was among my starred threads. You remind me I should get back to the Easy Rawlings series. We have snow here too. All that white stuff looks kind of odd when I was looking for signs of Spring.

>109 jnwelch: No manners, Joe, where's his serviette?!

Today’s Bargain: Has anyone here read A Memory Called Empire? It’s a highly regarded sci-fi-er, and I haven’t read it. I bought it on Kindle for $2.99.

Another e-reader bargain today: The Blessing Way by Tony Hillerman, which I remember as a standout intro to policeman Joe Leaphorn and Navajo culture.

Happy Sunday, Joe. Another perfect day to just snuggle up with the books. Has it broke zero yet? I am enjoying both Paradise and Mary's Monster. You are gonna LOVE the latter.

>114 richardderus:. Ha! She lives in a perpetual state of hope when it comes to the delicious food of the hoominz.

>115 benitastrnad:. Her Pride is pretty good so far, Benita. It’s an urban YA version of Pride and Prejudice, and she’s discussing it this week via Jane Austen and Company as one of their Black History Month programs.

>116 Familyhistorian:. Hi, Meg. Can you tell I love that Easy Rawlins series? There are a couple of so-so ones, IMO, but even those are worthwhile and a cut above.

After months of not much snow here, it feels like we’re getting all of winter in February. We’re also caught in a polar vortex. Today started with a wind chill of -21 F. Ouch.

>117 PaulCranswick:. I’m sure she’d love to eat a serviette (napkin over here), too, Paul. 😀

>119 msf59:. Can’t wait for Mary’s Monster to come in, Mark.

Happy Sunday. Yeah, we got up to -21 wind chill. Yikes! We’ve been reading and writing (after meditating) since then. I thought of you: I’m LOVING The Sunflower Cast a Spell To Save Us From the Void (no touchstone) by Jackie Wang - this is my kind of poetry!

>109 jnwelch: - There is a photograph somewhere of me at about 2 or 3 years old, caught in the act of climbing onto my grandmother's kitchen table with my hand in an Entenmann's danish box... Looks like Roxy didn't quite make it that far :)

Hey Joe, I'm going to assume you know that your niece Amy Landecker is in the new sow Your Honor starring Bryan Cranston. The show is terrific and the finale is on tonight on Showtime. Amy is great in it.

>122 katiekrug:. Ha! Good for you, Katie. We call that “showing initiative” at a young age. As Richard says, poor Roxy had too many humans around to even start doing what she wanted.

>123 brenzi:. Hey Bonnie. Thanks for mentioning that. You’re right! That is our niece Amy.
I’m glad to hear that about the show, and that you think she’s great in it.

We don’t get Showtime, so we’re trying to figure out the timing for doing a 7 week free trial and binge-ing it.

Morning, Joe! Are you all getting hit with this snow storm, too? I'm currently cozied up with my second cup of coffee and watching it come down out my office window...

>125 scaifea: Hi, Amber. Ditto here. First cup of coffee, and a lot of snow coming down outside our bay window. We’re supposed to get another foot of it.

Did you see >47 jnwelch:? It’s that Frog and Toad craft project that came up on FB.

>126 jnwelch: Welp, I'm disappointed. We ended up only getting maybe 3-4 more inches? Mostly ice here. Bah.

And yes to Frog and Toad!

Today is Mardi Gras! It is the first time in five years that I haven't baked a King Cake. Somehow this year I just didn't have time. Even with the day off from work yesterday. But it really wasn't a day off from work. I had three Zoom meetings scheduled and I did two of them because it would have been too much trouble to try to reschedule them. Zoom - it's a horrible thing.

Of course, I had to wonder about the logic of canceling classes and suspending operations. We just did 6 months of "working from home," so why couldn't we do one day of working from home? That was the question the four of us in one Zoom meeting asked. So we met. Then I e-mailed a student and met with him because I told him that it would be really hard to reschedule (which it is.) I have 4 Zoom meeting schedule today. These are all with students so I don't expect them to show, but I sent them e-mail reminders anyway. It will be fun to see who shows up.

Good morning, Joe!

I've got my first cup of coffe, some hash Browns cooking, iand the sizzle of sausage in the skillet.

Did you like season 3 of Discovery? After a great season 2 this season seemed a little overwrought for me.

Happy Cabin Fever Day! Luckily I'm used to it, but it's wearing on so many people. Lots of outbursts around the inmate population here. Old fools.

>127 scaifea: Wish we could ship you some of our snow, Amber. We haven't had this much in 40 years. It's piled up everywhere and snow clearers are having trouble finding places to put the latest. I don't envy you the ice, though. That can be the worst, and more dangerous.

I thought you'd get a kick out of the finished Frog and Toad. They're bigger than I expected. She's told me more than once that she had an absolute blast making them, so I'm starting to believe her.

>129 benitastrnad: I can tell you one thing Zoom can be good for, Benita - performances. We've seen poet Andrea Gibson twice now, performing for an audience all over the world, with those near Paul and Megan often in their pajamas, getting up in the morning. She's yet to perform in Australia, for example, and she gets a big Zoom turnout from there. We've seen other performances during the pandemic like that; the one that stands out for us is a local Zoom performance of Pride and Prejudice, which was clever and tech-savvy; objects would "travel" from one screen to another, for example, via the use of duplicates.

Having said that, I know people like you who have to use Zoom a lot for work experience Zoom exhaustion (our daughter teaches remotely and talks about that). Also, some students and other folks are more suited to Zoom use than others. There's no question in my mind that some students are losing a lot in this time of learning, and I don't just mean socially. But at least they're alive, and it doesn't get more important than that.

I agree with you about, why cancel classes and suspend operations when we can carry on via Zoom. The kids' (and parents', and teachers') complaint here is there are no snow days with remote learning. We're snowed under here, and travel is difficult, but remote learning of course carries on.

>130 brodiew2: Good morning, Brodie! (Actually, it just tipped into afternoon here, but not where you are).

Ah, beginning the day with coffee and good vittles; gotta love that. We're looking forward to being able to get a restaurant breakfast again one of these days. We've done pickup and delivery, but it's not the same.

We actually loved the third season of Discovery. We liked them breaking away from feeling obligated to tie back to previous Star Trek lore, and the story lines were strong. I can see why you say overwrought though; they tried to do an awful lot in one season. There was one episode that had enough going on for three. It certainly has us looking forward to the next season. We've enjoyed the new characters, too, particularly Cleveland Booker.

We're also waiting for a new season of Picard to show up!

>131 richardderus: Happy Cabin Fever Day, Richard! I tell ya, the combo of heavy, mobility-impairing snow and the pandemic sure tests the spirit. I'm getting close to being a cranky old fool myself, but I'm trying to keep it to just old fool.

We are getting a lot of reading and writing done, so that's the upside. Did you read A Memory Called Empire? Did you like it? I've got the new Nnedi Okorafor, Remote Control, and I picked up "A Memory . . ." as a bargain. Right now I'm reading The Paris Library, loosely based (I think) on events before, during and after WWII.

>133 jnwelch: I did read about 10% of A Memory Called Empire but I wasn't feelin' it. I'll try again, though. It's clearly a mood mismatch because I remember what I read not even a little bit.

Make this enforced idleness work for you, Joe!

>134 richardderus: You're right about the enforced idleness! Many a time I've wished for a period like this, where options are few, and reading and writing are among them.

Yeah, I'm going to need to time it right with A Memory Called Empire. "Not right now" is all I've got without further encouragement. Maybe our son has read it; I'll check with him.

From "Novel Suspects" on Facebook:



Barbara Neely is best known for her cozy mysteries featuring Blanche White. But who is Blanche?
Blanche White is a housekeeper working for the genteel rich in North Carolina. But when an employer stiffs her, and her checks bounce, she goes on the lam, hiding out as a maid for a wealthy family at their summer home. That plan goes awry when there's a murder and Blanche becomes the prime suspect. So she's forced to use her savvy, her sharp wit, and her old-girl network of domestic workers to discover the truth and save her own skin.
Barbara's books depict everything perfect about cozies—quirky humor, a quick-witted heroine, and at the center of it all, an unforgettable mystery. #BlackCrimeFiction #BlackHistoryMonth

I love the Blanche books. Barbara Neely died in 2020, so as far as I know, the four of them we have are all we're going to get.

Well I can see I did follow you here Joe, then I lost you again, star fell off.

Catching up

>47 jnwelch: Belated Happy Birthday to Debbi, love her new friends.

>71 jnwelch: Stunning.

>82 jnwelch: Like. His visit needed to be before the vote though.

>109 jnwelch: They are just too mean Roxy!

Hi, Joe! Once again, I can not shout this loud enough- I am so glad I retired when I did. These hard winters is one of the main reasons I decided to get out. I feel for my former mail-carriers who have had to trudge through this cold and snow. It has been relentless. I thought I would be more sore, after all the shoveling I did this morning but I feel pretty good. A nap would be nice.

>137 Caroline_McElwee: Hi, Caroline. Yeah, I think that this thread has been playing hide and seek with more than a few of our fellow patrons.

Isn't >71 jnwelch: stunning? What a photo. >82 jnwelch: I wish someone (e.g. Kamala Harris) had a chance to in-person take apart drumpf like the first JNW did McCarthy. That would've had the healing effect we're missing, even though it's great to have drumpf sidelined. (Twitter announced he's not going to be allowed back on, even though he's not in office any more).

Roxy would appreciate what you say, and agree. All she's asking for is a few minutes alone with those scones. Given all the joy she gives us, is that really asking too much?

>138 msf59: A nap would be nice. And now, most of the time, you can go ahead and take one! After a lot of years of late nights and early mornings, and 7 day work weeks, one of the greatest pleasures for me is getting enough sleep. Wow, did I miss that.

It seems like your retirement timing could not have been more perfect. Debbi and I vicariously enjoy your not having to get out there in this hard winter mess, and appreciate our mail carrier that much more. (He's been with us for many years now). I'm glad the shoveling left you feeling pretty good. As I mentioned, I think, Debbi banned me from shoveling about two years ago, but I'm your senior by a good bit. She didn't want to get me into retirement only to have me keel over from shoveling snow. Or, as I've said before, she claims the sole right to kill me for misbehavior; in her view, nothing else gets to for any reason.

"Or, as I've said before, she claims the sole right to kill me for misbehavior." LOL! She has your back, Joe! Gotta love her!

>140 msf59: Ha! You know the story, Mark. She's got my back, but she's also got a knife if I exceed the allotted annoyance level. :-)

By Joe Kelly Sturm

"A family of Xolos, one of the most ancient dog breeds in the world, originally from what is now Mexico. For Native Americans, they were guardians of the night and the underworld, protectors against evil spirits, companions of wizards and witches, and guides of mortals during difficult times and across the land of the dead. The 3,000-year-old Xoloitzcuintli (pronounced "show-low-eats-QUEENT-lee"), the ancient Aztec dog of the gods, is today a loving companion and vigilant watchdog. The alert and loyal Xolo comes in three sizes, and in either hairless or coated varieties."

Morning, Joe!

>142 jnwelch: Oooh, they look like statues! I love it!

>142 jnwelch: They do look like statues, as >143 scaifea: says! Pretty poochies. I've only ever met two of them and they were both the happiest of dogs so I have trouble thinking of how they'd be guard dogs.

Anyway, what a nice way to start the day! Thanks, Joe.

>143 scaifea: Aren't those Xolos great-looking, Amber?

>144 richardderus: I've never met a Xolo, Richard, so to me they look like they'd be good guard dogs. I like hearing the ones you met were the happiest of dogs. That's one of the best features of dogs for me - the joy in life they share with us.

Go have a great day, buddy. You're welcome.

Happy Wednesday, Joe! No snow to shovel! Yippee! I am getting ready to head out on some quick errands and then I will hustle back here, to hunker down with the books. I hope to get out and do some birding tomorrow. I got that itch. I started Bright Wings. It is a gorgeous volume and will definitely be a "keeper".

>146 msf59:. Happy Wednesday/Sweet Thursday, Mark!

I don’t know about you, but we now have more snow coming down now. It looks like another inch or so. Jeesh.

I hope you’re out 🦅 birding right now, and I look forward to hearing more about the gorgeous Bright Wings.

Today’s Bargain: My Sister, the Serial Killer, a favorite of a couple of years ago, for $1.99 on e-readers. It’s a hard book to describe, but I like this from Marie Claire: “Campy and delightfully naughty ... the wittiest and most fun Murder party you’ve ever been invited to.”

>148 jnwelch: pouncing on My Sister, the serial killer thanks for the heads up

>148 jnwelch: Loved this one and yes, it’s hard to describe but such fun!
In the good news department: the huz and I are scheduled for our first vaccine Monday! Yay!

>149 magicians_nephew: Excellent, Jim. Can't wait to hear what you think of it.

>150 NarratorLady: I know, Anne - such a fun one about a serial killer. What?!

Great news about you and the huz getting vaccinated on Monday! I'm hoping we start hearing stories about it being much easier to get, as more gets pumped into the pipelines.

Hello Joe!

>142 jnwelch: I guess I am in the majority thinking that, on first glance they look like statues. They have a natural guardian type presence and a depth in the eyes.

>148 jnwelch: I've had my eye on that one for a while myself. Excellent cover.

Some of the people on my morning Zoom writing sprint are from Chicago and they were talking about the snow falling on top of snow there. More than anyone could possibly need. They were hunkered down for the day as you probably are, Joe.

Our snow here disappeared after two days and signs of spring are showing up again.

Just whizzing through to wish you happy 'new' thread, Joe!

How did this thread get out of my sight, Joe? Happy Friday.

>152 brodiew2: Hello Brodie!

I can see what you all mean about the Xolos in the photo looking like statues. Isn't that a strong cover for My Sister, the Serial Killer?

>153 Familyhistorian: We're supposed to get more snow this weekend, can you believe it, Meg? And they don't think we'll set a record, because it started too late in the season. Darn it! I really wanted that record. (Not).

Oh, signs of spring. What a lovely phrase. Enjoy, my friend.

>154 humouress: Whoosh - who was that masked woman? Thanks, Nina!

>155 connie53: You're not the only one to lose sight of the thread, Connie. I'm glad you found us. There was an LT transition glitch from the last one, so we had to start a new thread without everyone's stars. Happy Friday to you; I hope you have a good weekend.

Rafa and Fina hanging out

>157 jnwelch: - If I had to make a speech bubble above their heads, it would read: "We didn't do it!"

Is Fina walking independently already? Sure looks like it!

>158 jessibud2: Ha! I like that, Shelley. I suspect Fina's not supposed to have that bottle she's holding. She wants to take a look at and play with anything within reach, especially if she's not supposed to have it. Rafa still has some of that quality, although he's more a toys and building blocks guy.

Fina has been walking independently for a while now. She "dances" (spins in a circle), too. :-)

Morning, Joe. Happy Friday. I did get out to do some birding yesterday and it sure felt good. I think I will hang tight at home today. We are going to Bree's for dinner tonight. I am really enjoying Under a White sky & The Floor of Heaven, both NF titles. I am close to finishing Mary's Monster and I sure will hate to let that one go.

>157 jnwelch: LOVE IT!

Great photo of Rafa and Fina

>157 jnwelch: Oh gosh, just *look* at those sweet faces! And Rafa's smile!! *heart melts*

>160 msf59: Morning, Mark, and Happy Friday!

Sounds like good reading you've got going. I'm sure you saw - more snow expected this weekend. I finished The Paris Library and liked it a lot. Based on true WWII events in the City of Light. The Rudy Francisco book came in, so I'll pick that up tomorrow. There was a great seminar last night about Pride, a YA by Ibi Zoboi, which is a "remix" of Pride and Prejudice. She (Zoboi) spoke beautifully about basing a story set in a poorer neighborhood of Brooklyn on the classic, and why she did it. The neighborhood is starting to gentrify, and a wealthy black family moves in across the street from the Bennet-equivalent black family with teenager Zuri in place of Lizzie Bennet. Really well done. This JA series comes out of the U of North Carolina, and the department head professor told us she teaches her college students P & P alongside Pride. Great idea.

>161 magicians_nephew: Thanks, Jim. That photo of R & F immediately became one of my favorites. Debbi likes to frame and display them; I told her we may have to sell some furniture to make room for more favorites.

>162 scaifea: Ha! They both knock me over, Amber. Such cuties!

>157 jnwelch: That's such a funny picture! The perspective is everything - and the socks.

>157 jnwelch: Oh wow, what a perfect capture of two beauties!

>157 jnwelch: Love those faces! They are adorable.

>164 ffortsa: Isn't it, Judy? I love this photo, They always have great socks - their parents, especially their mom, find the best clothes for the two of them.

>165 quondame: Ha! I agree (surprise!), Susan.

>166 connie53: Thanks, Connie! Aren't they adorable? And they never misbehave, at least there's no photographic evidence. :-)

The grandkiddoes

Adorable! And I think I see a white pooch peeking up from the sofa in the background!

Hello Joe!

> Rafa and Mina are so cute. Nice to see the littles playing together.

I picked up Disney+ and started on WandaVision. Strange start, but intriguing. REally gets going in episode three. I started the
Mandolorian as well. Late to that party. LOL

>157 jnwelch:
>168 jnwelch:
Oooohhhhhhhh, they are so cute! And too funny that Fina not only walks but "dances" by spinning circles.

Happy weekend, Joe!

Very cute grandkids. When my youngest started walking (both boys were a bit behind the 'schedule' in the baby books) my husband said 'Have you noticed he never walks anywhere' - of course mum was worried - until he clarified 'He always runs'. I think he was trying to keep up with his brother who is 5 years older than him.

To this day, he (younger son) firmly believes we should put them on an equal footing despite the age difference. *exasperated sigh*

*baaawww* My papaw genes are fully reactivated now that I'm fully vaccinated and well canoodled.

Nice to see them playing together, Joe. That's always such a pleasant thing to see.

>169 jessibud2:. Hi, Shelley. Good eye! The white pooch is Bolita, a mix and about 12 years old. The dark lump of fur on the other side of the pillow is Maleta, a Lhasa Apso, about 3 years old. They spend a lot of time resting, making sure they’re ready when it’s time to eat.

>170 brodiew2:. Hello Brodie! Thanks re the two adorable ones. I think Mina is a character in Dracula.:-) Fina is short for Josefina; her mom says she’s named after me. Rafa is short for Rafael.

We watched the first two episodes of Wandavision and were kinda meh about it, but a friend says it picks up a lot after that, so we’re going to try a couple more. You’re going to love Mandalorian!

>171 bell7:. Thanks, Mary. Fina is so cute spinning/dancing. She of course eventually gets off balance and bumps down on her rump, then bounces back up again for more spinning.

Happy Weekend!

>172 humouress:. Thanks, Nina. Yeah, it’s similar for these two. Fina watches Rafa all the time, and often does (or tries to do) what he does. The spinning was all her own idea, though.

>173 richardderus:. Glad to hear you’re fully vaccinated, my friend. And well canoodled, which I assume has something to do with your YGC. Those wee ones pull on the heart strings, don’t they.

>174 connie53:. I agree, Connie. It’s been a work in progress. Rafa has had to learn to share with Fina, and not knock her over when he’s trying to claim space. In turn, she’s started standing her ground and shoving him back. Now they’re really starting to play well together.

The pandemic of course has meant they spend a lot of time together, so it’s been nice to see them work it out, with their parents’ help. Rafa goes back to school soon, so we’re hoping he can transfer what he’s learned.

>170 brodiew2: just remembering The Vison and Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Comics went through some serious ups and downs - at one point Wanda was the most powerful magic user in the Marvel Universe to be able to stop time and re-shape the universe and have kids and suddenly NOT have kids and other things.

We haven't started in on "WandaVision" but we have Disney and might have a look one of these days.

Surprised to find - even in COVID - how busy this retirement time can be.

Too many streaming services, too little time

>177 jnwelch: My two grands are three years apart (6 & almost 3...I think Rafa and Lily were born the same month if memory serves) and my daughter says an upside of the pandemic is that they have learned to play well together at a much earlier age than she would’ve expected.

BTW Thanks for recommending Fangirl. I’m thoroughly enjoying it. Like you, Rainbow Rowell’s Landline didn’t work for me but I’m a fan of her first book, Attachments.

Morning, Joe. I hope you had a good weekend and I hope you are enjoying those books. I am have been impressed with Driftless, a shared read I am doing with Bonnie. He reminds me of Larry Watson, so keep this in mind. I just put up some raves about Mary's Monster over on my thread and I am continuing to enjoy Bright Wings.

>168 jnwelch: Love it!

>178 magicians_nephew: Hi, Jim. I didn't follow the Vision and Wanda in the comic books, so that storyline eluded me. I do think you're a prime candidate for watching Wandavision if you have that background.

I know what you mean about busy retirement time. I said to Debbi, I imagine the #1 complaint of retirees is, there's not enough time in the day. :-)

It's remarkable that we've gone from three basic channels, CBS, NBC and ABC, and maybe one or two others (we got a Canadian station) to what we have today.

>179 NarratorLady: Hi, Anne. That sounds right re Rafa and Lily. Your daughter has a very good point, doesn't she. The pandemic probably has caused siblings to spend much more time together than they might've otherwise.

I'm glad Fangirl hit the spot. Her Eleanor and Park is our favorite so far. Pumpkinheads (graphic) is really good, too, and Carry On is better than Landline. Like you, we enjoyed Attachments.

>180 msf59: Morning, Mark. It was a good weekend, and the books were excellent. I'm impressed by Michelle Obama's straightforward, friendly writing style. Debbi and I were laughing about how Barack initially turned her off with the cigarette smoking. No chance she was going out with that guy. Remote Control was another good one from Nnedi Okorafor, and I finished that excellent Jackie Wang collection. If you track down that last one, you may say, there goes Joe again. It reminded me of my affinity for Murakami's weirdness. I'm going to start Mrs. Caliban this morning, which has gotten positive reactions among our LT crew.

I don't know David Rhodes, but Driftless sounds intriguing. I'll look for Bonnie's and your reaction when you're done.

Yay for Mary's Monster and Bright Wings!

Our friend Keith is doing better physically, I'm glad to report.

In Bolivia, by Grafixart Photo

>182 jnwelch: Perfect. The Andes feels, in the super-high plains, exactly as that photo looks. Frigid, focused, utterly solitary spaces so close to Space that you can see the paint on the satellites whishing by overhead.

Oh, happy Monday, Joe!

>183 richardderus: Oh, I envy you the Andes, Richard. Madame MBH gets altitude sickness, so that's probably not on the menu for me, nor Machu Picchu in Peru. Ha! See the paint on the satellites whishing by - I like that. That clarity in the photo is so amazing.

>184 jnwelch: That's tragic, Joe. I'm so sorry for her! Altitude sickness at 10,000ft-plus can be life threatening, and should just not be courted...sadly for you, safely for her.

I packed a few leaves in the corner of my cheek and off I went! Nary a gag. I adored it there, Peru in general really. Iquitos is hotter and humider than a crotch, but fascinating. I so strongly preferred the Andes!

Hi Joe, and a very belated happy new thread!

>5 jnwelch: Absolutely adorable, both of them.

>47 jnwelch: Belated happy birthday to Debbi. And, I love Frog and Toad too.

>70 jnwelch: Richard posted a link a while back about a Venetian Glass Blowing demonstration from the Corning Glass Museum a while back and now I’ve subscribed to their YouTube site and watch stuff all the time.

>78 richardderus: Yup, RD. It’s your fault that I now know all sorts of exciting things about glass blowing.

>82 jnwelch: Perfect.

>157 jnwelch: Sweet pic.

Book references, art, political commentary, cute grandkid pics, etc. Yup, I'm on Joe's thread.

Today’s Thrill: I just found out that Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen do a podcast together on Spotify. I’m not normally a podcast guy, but I’m listening now and finding it thrilling. They’re good friends, and are sitting at Springsteen’s place discussing life, the universe and everything. These are two of the best people on the planet as far as I’m concerned, and I’m stoked that this is really happening!

>187 jnwelch: - Wow! Sounds great. Is there a link you can post?

Hi Joe, I love your toppers and your grandchildren are so cute.

>188 jessibud2: https://newsroom.spotify.com/2021-02-22/president-barack-obama-and-bruce-springs...

There you go, Shelley. I listened on my Spotify app on my phone, so that's another way to go at it - just add Spotify and search it for Obama and Springsteen.

The first two are available right now. I'm agog - what a conversation. The first podcast has more Obama, and the second more Springsteen, and both have Springsteen spontaneously playing some of his music. I never thought there'd be something like this in my lifetime.

>189 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara. Are you still in Davos?

>185 richardderus: Thanks, Richard. I think she'd say it's hard to complain; there's an awful lot of good stuff in her life. We found out at Glacier National Park that she suffers from it; man, she was miserable for a while.

I've read about the value of stuffing a few of those leaves in your cheek! I could handle the cold of the Andes much better than the heat of Iquitos. I'd melt into a puddle in the latter. Our DIL has lots of family in Colombia, and we've talked about going there, but there's no "cool" season, and they're not into air conditioning in her family.

>186 karenmarie: Hi Karen! Thank you for stopping by. Thank you re the kiddoes and Debbi's birthday. I just remember loving the feeling of reading Frog and Toad books. Good pals.

We finished watching "Blown Away", the glass blowing tv show, and enjoyed it - we Facetimed with our daughter for the last three, as we'd all been watching it together before that. I suspect it'll get another season after the viewer response it got.

Isn't that a well done cartoon from Keith Taylor in >82 jnwelch:? He's something else, that guy.

I love that >157 jnwelch: photo. Instantly made my Favorites list.

Book references, art, political commentary, cute grandkid pics, etc. Yup, I'm on Joe's thread. Ha! I love it. All of that should be going on in a good cafe, right?

Ha. Found you.

Back to your prior thread: yes, you should read Sarah Moss. Both Darryl and I count her among our favorite authors.

Happy belated birthday to Debbi and wishing you a wonderful week ahead!

>190 jnwelch: - Thanks, Joe. I will listen tomorrow. I have only ever listened to Malcolm Gladwell's Revisionist History podcasts and even with those, I need to catch up on a few seasons. He has since developed other podcasts, as well. I like Springsteen well enough though I was never a huge fan but I am a huge fan of Obama, so this one appeals a lot. Thanks!

>191 jnwelch: Yes, we're staying until next Saturday.

Hi Joe, your thread is interesting and fun as usual. Love the stories and pictures of your grandkids. Spinning kiddies!

Will try to find the podcast you're talking about.

Hello Joe!

>175 jnwelch: >178 magicians_nephew: Ha! I was going from memory and got the first letter wrong! Fina is a cutie. Vision and Scarlet Witch does pick up after those first two episodes. I have to wonder if the MCU appeal is the only thing that kept people hanging on through the first two.

>182 jnwelch: WOW! Quite a vivid and beautiful image.

Hey Joe, I am way behind but just to add to the enthusiasm for the photos. Talented photographer(s). I've got my Thingaversary coming up, so looking at the new GN listings for some ideas. All too tempting.

>187 jnwelch: My husband had the same thrill yesterday, Joe. It sounds great!

>196 brodiew2: I LOVED the first two episodes. The pastiche of classic sitcoms was well-done in my opinion with only the barest hints of the weird superhero stuff in the offing. A slow but effective build IMO.

>192 EBT1002: Hiya, Ellen. I'm glad you found us!

OK, which Sarah Moss do you recommend I read first? On a quick look at her books, nothing jumped out at me over the others.

Thanks re Debbi and the week. We virtually participated in a storytelling event last night, and her story, taking off from how she so conscientiously weighs herself on the scale every day, was a big hit. It's such a talent to turn something small into something big.

>193 jessibud2: Springsteen just has a great heart, Shelley. I am a big fan, but part of it has always been what he is and what he cares about. His passionate enthusiasm about his music, and his honesty. and his empathy, are so impressive. A live performance of his is like nothing else I've ever been part of. I think I mentioned that he was an opening act for Bonnie Raitt when I first saw him and the E Street Band - never heard of him or them. And they just bowled all of us over with the joy and passion and engagement with the world. He and Obama talk about how you need to have the belief that the whole world needs to hear what you have to say, even when you're playing small bars near Freehold, New Jersey, population 10,000.

I just feel lucky that these two became friends (and Michelle is good friends with Springsteen's wife Patty, as you'll hear), and did these podcasts. I'm still pumped about it! Maybe if two luminaries can talk honestly like this, and people listen to them, maybe there is some hope for us all. There are going to be 6 more, and I can't wait.

>194 Ameise1: Great, Barbara. I thought you must be. I'll stop by to hear new tales and maybe see some more photos?

>195 EllaTim: Hi, Ella. Thanks very much. Spinning kiddies! And apparently their new favorite game is "freeze dancing", where they're gyrating and the parent says, "Stop!" Stopping correctly, as we understand it, is stopping with your legs spread at least shoulder width, and your arms held straight out from your sides. I can just imagine Fina watching Rafa and trying to imitate him. :-)

I hope someone on your side of the pond figures out a way to broadcast Obama and Springsteen. They're both popular enough, and this is unusual enough, that it seems like the chances are good.

>196 brodiew2: Hello Brodie!

Ha! I figured you wouldn't mind a little Fina/Mina teasing. It's not like you see her all the time. And I remember Mina vividly from Bram Stoker - that's a much more interesting book than I had guessed, as was Frankenstein. The movies haven't done them justice so far.

Yeah, I bet a lot of people continued with Wandavision mainly because MCU has developed that good reputation. There are hints in the first two that more is going on than a moronic sitcom, but I'm not sure the hints wouldn't have been enough if so many people hadn't been saying, keep going.

For a quieter, quite engaging series, we've been enjoying BBC's new All Creatures, Great and Small. They've found a great cast for it, and the countryside - oh my.

>200 jnwelch: Re Sarah Moss I would maybe start with Ghost Wall. It’s short and very atmospheric. Other than that possibly Bodies of Light which is a historical novel set in the nineteenth century dealing with some of the first women to become qualified as doctors.

Joe, was it you who posted, awhile back, the meme/pic of a spoof Jeopardy board, with all the categories being related to American history and politics, being, of course, a dig at tRump, who would not have been able to answer a single one? I know I copied and kept it but for the life of me, can't find it and I wanted to send it to a friend. I know I originally saw it here on LT. Somewhere.

>202 SandDune: - Ghost Wall was my first Moss. So good.

Hi Joe!

>197 charl08: Hi, Charlotte. Happy Thingaversary, ahead of time. I'll definitely be looking for what GNs you'll be celebrating with. I've been a little disappointed by Neil Gaiman's newest project, giving direction to and supervising other authors and illustrators basing stories on his remarkable Sandman universe. There are four related story threads - The Dreaming, House of Whispers, Books of Magic Vol. 1, and Lucifer Vol. 1 Infernal Comedy. I've yet to read the first of the Lucifer thread, but the others have been underwhelming. I don't think I'll continue with House of Whispers. The Dreaming and Books of Magic show some potential.

The one I'm most excited about is one I haven't read yet: Mary's Monster, about Mary Shelley and how she created Frankenstein. Mamie and Mark and others have loved it, so if you haven't read that one yet, you may want to take a look.

>198 lauralkeet: Glad to hear it, Laura. Sounds like your husband and I are simpatico! I'll look forward to your reaction to it.

>199 MickyFine: You took those first two episodes of Wandavision in the best possible way, Micky. Hats off to you. We were skeptical, about the laugh track and obvious jokes and all that, but the bare hints of weird superhero stuff gave us hope.

>202 SandDune: Thanks, Rhian. Ghost Wall and Bodies of Light, okay. The latter did catch my eye as a possibility, and the first one, short and atmospheric, sounds like it may be just the thing as a starter book.

>203 jessibud2: Ooh, I'm pretty sure I've seen the Jeopardy board you're talking about, Shelley. No, I reposted one which had my grandfather as the correct question. I'll keep an eye out for yours.

>204 katiekrug: Ah, great to hear about Ghost Wall, Katie, thanks.

What?! This is crazy. Are we supposed to just eat the food?

>187 jnwelch: Ooo, I'll be adding that to my list of things to do this week. Thanks Joe. Big Obama fan, and in the 80s listened to a lot of Springsteen. I don't listen to many Podcasts myself, but once in a while I'll pick up a recommendation.

>207 jnwelch: Haha. That one is for Darryl. I got my wrists slapped for attempting to start my meal before he photographed it!

>208 Caroline_McElwee:. The Obama- Springsteen conversation is so good, Caroline! I think you’ll appreciate. It. I never listen to podcasts, unlike Debbi and both kids, but this one was an immediate exception. Two of my heroes. If Yo-Yo Ma sat in, I think my life would be complete. Then we need Michelle, Kamala and maybe Patti Scialfa in the other room. What would your picks be?

Ha! I immediately thought of Darryl, too. He’d really struggle with that >207 jnwelch: prohibition.😅

...I'll stay out of the Ghost Wall conversation...

Anyway, on to grimmer things. Ferlinghetti died yesterday at 101. Poetry lover that I am *examines skies for signs of Thunderbolt of Doom* I did appreciate some of his A Coney Island of the Mind works, like “Junkman's Obbligato” which you'll have to listen to if you don't have a handy copy of the book (which I don't).

Hi Joe, just popping in to try to keep up with your thread and other fast going threads. That's a challenge!

Morning, Joe. Happy Wednesday. I am loving this warm-up and I love these increasingly longer days. I also like getting out birding regularly. I am enjoying both Driftless & Bright Wings along with a solid audiobook. Have a good workout today.

>210 richardderus: Was that a ghost voice I heard through the ghost wall?

Yeah, hard to complain when our friend Ferlinghetti did at 101. His Coney Island of the Mind was a mind-opener for me, too, as a yute. City Light Books is a wonderful legacy.

>211 connie53: Hi, Connie. Thanks for popping in. I know, it's a festival of treats on LT. I find it a challenge to keep up, too!

>212 msf59: Morning, Mark. Happy Wednesday, buddy. Yes, this warmup is a godsend. We cleared around the downspouts to help with the melting water. I can't believe how fast the icicles disappeared. Ours were starting to get scary-looking. I'm sure this helps with the birding. Spring is coming - you're going to have birds everywhere! Sounds like good reading you've got going on. My GN isn't your cuppa, I don't think. I liked the brutal, gory Punisher tv series, with Jon Bernthal taking one heck of a star turn, so now I'm reading the graphic compilation. Also brutal and gory.

You're right, this is a workout day, goldernit. The trainer is a nice guy at non-workout times, and awful when it's time to work out. Luckily, he's good at putting up with our complaining.

Monet on the waterlily bridge at Giverny

Former home of Gustave Caillebotte, the guy who painted the huge painting of the floor-stripping workmen:

It's now a local event setting in Yerres. But GC loved it like Monet did Giverny:

and painted dozens of views of it with and without people.

>215 richardderus: Nice one, Richard, thanks. I didn't know this about GC, and I like this one you posted. He's my "Rainy Day" guy, the big painting at the Art Institute of Chicago.

A couple of small bites from Jackie Wang’s poetry collection The Sunflower Cast a Spell, which I loved:

“Be a little open, will you
To the love that wants to be your coat.”

“How many ways can we be killed by
what we made for ourselves when
we felt weak?”

>168 jnwelch: Super cute grands, Joe!

>218 mckait: Thanks, Kath! Nice to see you here. I hope all is going well.

By Tom Gauld

Give a careful read to the proofreader one. :-)

>220 jnwelch: - Ha! I posted that on my thread last week!

Nice news for fans of Easy Rawlins: A series is finally in development from Spielberg's company. Notably absent is a network on which the series might appear, so the news is mixed but still very welcome...and twenty years overdue.

>221 jessibud2: Oh! I must've missed that, Shelley. I'm a slowpoke. I just saw it on FB yesterday, and got a kick out of it.

>222 richardderus: Oh man, that is nice and great news about the Easy Rawlins series. It's perfect for that. I hope it gets off the ground. Yes- such great characters and stories. Should've happened 20 years ago. Our many-storied time is good enough, though. Fingers crossed!

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

“First because I was happy to have read it. Second because the story was so moving. Third because I’ll never again experience the discovery of it.”

All many of you will need to hear is that the main character, Odile Souchet, in 1939 has memorized the Dewey Decimal System in order to better her chances of getting a position at the library she loves, The American Library in Paris. She succeeds. Kirkus Reviews calls it, "A novel tailor-made for those who cherish books and libraries."

It's set before, during and after the German occupation of Paris, and Odile and others at the American Library do everything they can to keep it open, helped somewhat by a sympathetic Nazi. (An oxymoron? The reader keeps wondering). They smuggle books to their Jewish "subscribers" (library clients), and engage in other acts of resistance. Odile is a teenager, and knows some things she shouldn't, struggling not to blurt them out when the situation moves her. This storyline is alternated with one in the 1980s, in which Odile is in Montana, helping another teenager, Lily, to figure out a challenging home life. That storyline lost its oomph at times for me, but otherwise is well-woven. Paris, romance, books, libraries, and an environment where any misstep could be life-changing or fatal. I enjoyed this one.

Hello Joe! I hope all is well with you.

>205 jnwelch: I read a few issues of Books of Magic back in the day, but it was a single story called The Children's Crusade that I really enjoyed. I never got into Sandman or American Gods, bit I dabbles with Death: the High Cost of Living. I have a couple of issues signed by Gaiman.

>222 richardderus: >223 jnwelch: An easy Rawlins Tv series. Now that is something I could go for. Whom would you cast, Joe? Richard?

Have you seen Lupin? Such a great show. It's clever, whimsical, and light drama. I think you would love it.

Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls

“There, up in the sky, she noticed for the first time a gigantic mounded cloud, as large and elaborately moulded as a baroque opera house and lit from below and at the sides by pink and creamy hues. It sailed beyond her, improbable and romantic, following in the blue sky the course she was taking down below. It seemed to her that it must be a good omen.”

“Sweep everything under the rug for long enough, and you have to move right out of the house.”

Woman falls in love with large humanoid sea lizard. Sounds like the film The Shape of Water, right? This novel preceded the film by decades, and probably was one of the inspirations for it.

Thank you to Katie for the tip. Dorothy has a boring home life with a husband who pays little attention to her, until "Larry", having escaped confinement, comes in her back door and they hit it off. Soon she wants to spend all her time with him, but they have to be careful to avoid discovery. Nights at the beach are loverly, and the ways they hide him chuckleworthy. It's a short book, with its share of somber and moving moments, but it's also funny and wonderfully diverting. It will be one of my tops for the year.

>225 brodiew2: Hi Brodie! All is well here. My wife gets her second shot today, and I get mine tomorrow. Can't wait!

A couple of issues signed by Gaiman?! What treasure. Death is my favorite character in the Sandman stories, with Dream coming next. Death: The High Cost of Living is a good one, isn't it. I can't remember The Children's Crusade, unfortunately; I'll have to look back for it.

I've read Gaiman's Books of Magic, but this is a new series under his aegis, but not written by him. I love the overall concept, but haven't been turned on yet like I was by the original series. American Gods is not my favorite Gaiman novel, but it's good and interesting, and they've done an engaging tv adaptation of it. We don't get Starz, so I'll have to wait for the last season of AG to become more generally available, or do one of those trial periods and binge it.

Lupin: you'd think I'd love it, wouldn't you. I tried it, and no go. I'm just not a theft caper guy, for some reason. No Ocean 11 or some other number for me. Too bad, because Lupin certainly has gotten lots of positive buzz. But I'd rather watch veterinarian James Herriot provide remedies to cows and puppies and so on. Go figure.

Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor

“In Sankofa's years on the road, she'd learned that people were complicated. They wore masks and guises to protect or hide their real selves. They reinvented themselves. They destroyed themselves. They built on themselves. She understood people and their often contradictory ways...”

The author was born in the U.S., the daughter of Igbo parents from Nigeria. She has been a leader in the recent surge of African-based sci-fi and fantasy. Her gorgeous Binti Trilogy features an off-planet story; this one is set in a viscerally alive Ghana.

A young girl, eventually renamed Sankofa, is inspired by the stars to do idiosyncratic sky writing in the dirt, which results via a visitation in her becoming the Adopted Daughter of Death, known and feared in all the villages. Some seek her for release; some seek her for revenge. She's accompanied by a red fox she's named Movenpick, after a local chain of hotels.

This is like a fable, beautifully written as usual by this author. It's set in a near-future Ghana, where shea butter is as important as drones and robots. Sankofa searches from village to village to understand and find the source of her transformation; in the process we're treated to a world full of vivid detail and characters both sad and uplifting. How to be apart, and yet part of the whole? Another excellent outing from this always-interesting author.

So glad you enjoyed Mrs. C, Joe!

>229 katiekrug: I sure did, Katie. :-) Thanks again.

What a mind-upending thing for her to find out about Fred, Estelle and Sandra at the end! I'm glad she had memories of love with Larry to fill her heart.

>217 jnwelch: I love those quotes, Joe. They are beautiful.

>224 jnwelch: Welp, adding that one to the list!

Morning, Joe!

>231 connie53: Oh, good, Connie. Thanks for letting me know. I love them, too.

>232 scaifea: Glad to hear it, Amber. The Paris Library is a good 'un. And who doesn't love the Dewey Decimal System? :-)

Photo by Antony Zacharias

Morning, Joe. Happy Friday! I enjoyed your reviews. The Paris Library & Remote Control are now on my list. Do you think the former would be too "lite" for me? I am birding this A.M. and then the books. This warm-up has been great but it is going to take awhile to get rid of this snow-pack.

>220 jnwelch: >234 jnwelch: LIKE!

>235 msf59: Morning, and Happy Friday, Mark! Thanks re the reviews. I don't think The Paris Library would be too lite for you. It's WWII, and realistic about it. I actually think you'd get a kick out of Mrs. Caliban, too. It has somber and moving parts mixed in with the strangeness. I'm not sure that review did it justice. It's more than funny and diverting, but it's hard to get into it without spoilers.

Yeah, it's taking a while for our snow-pack to melt down. At least the scary icicles left quickly.

I'm off for my second covid shot in a few minutes. Can't wait! How weird to say that about getting a shot.

P.S. I slightly revised my review to refer to Mrs. Caliban's somber and moving moments, so that maybe that gives a fuller view of the book.

Oh, that is great, Joe. I saw that Debbi got hers. Is this Moderna? If so, I hope the side-effects are minimal.

>237 msf59:. It is Moderna, Mark. Debbi’s arm hurts a lot, and she’s fatigued, but so far she says it’s not bad.

I just had mine, and I’m sitting out the prescribed 15 minutes before leaving. Becca got hers yesterday, too,

Pennsylvania unfortunately is messed up when it comes to the vaccine. My older sister and BIL did finally get their first shots, thank goodness.

Ontario is so messed up, that I just found out on the news the other night that I will only be eligible TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT as of June 1. Yep, June 1. For an appointment. It boggles the mind how incompetent our government has been but on the other hand, our premier is so ignorant, that perhaps it really shouldn't be surprising. Very frustrating, really. I am happy that so many LTers are getting/have already received their shots.

>233 jnwelch: And who doesn't love the Dewey Decimal System?

Hoo boy is that a long list. I won't get too inside baseball about all the problems with the Dewey Decimal System but if you want a snapshot of some controversies, here's a Mental Floss article that explains some of the issues for a general audience.

>239 jessibud2: Sorry to hear that, Shelley. It's been a slower rollout here than we'd like, but reasonably well-organized, IMO. In competence at the top shows up starkly when there's a crisis like this - as we saw here with that drumpf doofus. I hope it gets better in Ontario. June 1 just to make an appointment sounds sad and unaggressive.

>240 MickyFine: That shows how much I know, Micky. I assumed our LT librarians would find a Dewey Decimal System memorizing protagonist irresistible. She playfully struggles with how to categorize some books in The Paris Library. I'm sure the System has issues, but I'm nonpartisan enough not to read the Mental Floss article (although I've read lots of good ones in that publication - our son was devoted to it last I knew).

>238 jnwelch: Crossing my crossables that you don't have any nasties! Maybe Debbi-level, that's about bad enough.

What >240 MickyFine: said about Melvil Dui and his system...the article's a real eye-opener, should this weekend present an opportunity to visit it.

>240 MickyFine: >241 jnwelch: I much prefer the Library of Congress system, but Dewey will always have a sentimental spot in my heart, despite its flaws.

>242 richardderus: Thanks, Richard. I'm more worried about Debbi than me, as she's had some very strong reactions to some shots - e.g. the shingles shot. She feels good about it so far, as do I, but we know the side effects can kick in 12-24 hours after the shot.

Well, thanks for the extra nudge about the dewy Dewey article. Maybe I will. I just read one by Robert Morrison about the Regency era in which Jane Austen wrote - it's not Charles Dickens, but you still might dislike it. :-)

>243 scaifea: Ah, I'm glad at least someone has a sentimental spot for the Dewey system, Amber. My highly paid consultants misinformed me about its popularity.

>239 jessibud2: Same here Shelley. The AstraZeneca firm that the EU relied upon for their vaccination strategy has big problems with production and delivery of promised vaccine. Dutch government isn't even giving out expected dates of vaccination.

Have a nice weekend Joe!

Have you and Debbi watched Black Renaissance yet? Very interesting.

>234 jnwelch: Love that too. Is that in France?

>247 connie53:. Hi, Connie. Isn’t >234 jnwelch: beautiful? The only information given is the photographer’s name, unfortunately. I can see why you think it might be in France. I sure would’ve liked to be there at that moment, even though I might be running for shelter soon enough.

>246 richardderus:. We have not, Richard. Thanks for the link. I watched several minutes and liked it. I’ll return to it. I wonder whether they’d charge me to subscribe. Probably.

>245 EllaTim:. Hi, Ella. Oh my. I’m sorry to hear that. Somehow I would’ve expected the Netherlands to be doing better than just about anyone. No expected dates of vaccination?! I hope that changes quickly. You all deserve better.

I hope you all have a nice weekend, too. We humans have always been adaptable, but enough already. This has devastated so many lives, and it’s putting so much pressure on mental health.

Madame MBH and I have now had our second shot, as has our daughter, and so far so not too bad. Madame MBH has probably had it the worst with arm pain, chills and muscle aches, but she’s cheerful and just taking it easy. We’d been warned that the second shot side effects can be much stronger than the first, and that they could take about 12-24 hours to show up. It was about 12 for Madame MBH. I’m doing fine, although I’m not speedy and a strong wind might blow me over. It’ll take two weeks before the vaccine wholly takes effect.

>242 richardderus: Thanks, Richard. I'm more worried about Debbi than me, as she's had some very strong reactions to some shots - e.g. the shingles shot. She feels good about it so far, as do I, but we know the side effects can kick in 12-24 hours after the shot.

Well, thanks for the extra nudge about the dewy Dewey article. Maybe I will. I just read one by Robert Morrison about the Regency era in which Jane Austen wrote - it's not Charles Dickens, but you still might dislike it. :-)

>243 scaifea: Ah, I'm glad at least someone has a sentimental spot for the Dewey system, Amber. My highly paid consultants misinformed me about its popularity.

Nagano Prefecture in Japan

“Blooming peach trees in the rain ”

Photo by @godive2000

.

I went to Nagano last night - for supper that is. It is a little Japanese take out joint with average food. But it was something different.

Hi Joe!

>226 jnwelch: I’m so glad you liked Mrs. Caliban. It’s a marvelous little book.

>248 jnwelch: Yay that all three of you have gotten your second shots. I had about 6 hours of chills, fever, muscle aches, and generally feeling flu-ish starting about 24 hours after my 2nd dose of the Pfizer vaccine. By the next morning, yesterday, I was fine. I hope Madame MBH feels more the thing soon and that you and Becca don’t have any side effects at all.

>234 jnwelch: and >250 jnwelch: So peaceful, so serene! Lovely, vibrant colors, too. Thanks for sharing.

>249 jnwelch: Sorry to hear about Debbi's side effects, but she is taking them in stride. I think it is about 9 weeks before I get my second shot.

>250 jnwelch: What a stunner that mother nature is.

>250 jnwelch: Breathtaking! Wow. Simply magnificent.

Morning, Joe. Happy Sunday. I hope you are enjoying the weekend. I have no birding plans today, despite the milder weather but I plan to get out plenty next week. I just need those trails to be snow-free. I am enjoying Music For Wartime, my story collection. You read her The Great Believers, right? I think my next audio will be Network Effect. For some reason it has taken me a long while to get to this one.

>251 benitastrnad: Good for you, Benita. Traveling around the world via vittles is a fine thing. I wish it was possible to teleport to a place like >250 jnwelch:.

>252 karenmarie: Mrs. Caliban is a marvelous little book, isn't it, Karen. I bet I saw it over on your thread, too. One of the great things about LT is spreading the word about a book like this one, that might get overlooked otherwise.

Thanks re the second shots. We're both feeling okay now, although Madame MBH had a tough time for a while there, with fever, aches and chills. Both of us feel like our bodies have worked hard to make changes based on the vaccine!

You're welcome re >234 jnwelch: and >250 jnwelch:. It's refreshing and calming to see photos like those, isn't it.

>253 Caroline_McElwee: Hi, Caroline. Debbi's much better, thanks. They've kept to a tight schedule for most vaccines here - two weeks to the second shot for Pfizer, three for Moderna. I'm glad you have yours scheduled.

Mother Nature is a stunner, isn't she. Best art out there. :-)

>254 richardderus: Thanks, Richard. I'm glad that transported you. Me, too.

>255 msf59: Morning and Happy Sunday, Mr. Mark. It's been a low key weekend as we feel the vaccine working away, but we were prepared to get walloped, so it's been a relief not to. Yes, we're talking about getting out more, too, into the forest preserves, now that the warmup is continuing. Snow-free - it will come, it will come. Yes, The Great Believers was quite a book. I'm glad to hear you're enjoying her story collection. You don't need me to tell you how much you're going to like Network Effect. That one should be pure pleasure, a vacation between covers.

BTW, I'm about halfway through Helium, the Rudy Francisco collection, and having a good time with it. Thanks for the tip. As I'm reading, I'm thinking, wait a minute, these have to be spoken poems! I didn't know him before, but I bet Jesse and Adri do from the Spoken Word scene. He's a thoughtful guy who's gained some wisdom, isn't he.

I thought this was a fun interview with Madame MBH about her storytelling and appearance in Chicago Storytellers From Stage to Page.



Chicago Story Press
·
Weekly Spotlight - Get to know your storyteller: Debbi Welch

CSP: How did you get into storytelling?
DW: I started as a bookstore story reader and then began doing the same at many venues in Chicago (The Art institute, the Chicago Public Library, synagogues, churches and schools). It was suggested that I try performing rather than reading, so I began telling spiritual and folk tales. One night, I watched poets and storytellers telling the same basic story in their own genre while sharing the stage. It sparked something in me and I signed up for my first storytelling/writing class. I was drawn to the experience of writing and sharing my own stories - and here I am.
CSP: What was your most notable moment?
DW: It has to be the first time I performed one of my own stories in front of an audience, which included my husband, children and some very dear friends. None of them had seen or heard the story, which was about a very close relative. This relative is often very unpredictable, which can make time with them awkward. To finish that story and see and hear their positive responses was such a thrill, as was seeing the tears in my children’s eyes as they told me how much my story had helped them understand and appreciate this relative. I realized what sharing my life and experiences could mean for others - and myself.
CSP: How did you find the process of going from stage to page?
DW: I’m a very animated storyteller, and often am told I probably couldn’t speak if I had to sit on my hands. Because of this, I wondered how one of my pieces would translate to the page without my performative interpretation. I’ve worked to enable the reader to be able to interpret the story on their own, to “show” rather than “tell”. I’m very happy with “Delirium”, my essay in the book. I wanted the reader to experience my father-in-law in all his gentleness, confusion, graciousness, anxiety and brilliance. He so deserved it.

>257 jnwelch: Nice interview. And touching that she wrote about your dad.

>258 humouress: Thanks, Nina. So right. He was a quiet and polite man, but he had a big impact on all of us. She really captures him.

>257 jnwelch: *baaawww* It's always lovely to see good people getting some of the attention they merit!

>257 jnwelch: Oh, cool!

Today’s Bargains: A Constellation of Vital Phenomena and Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore are both $1.99 on e-readers today.

>260 richardderus:. Thanks, RD. I let Madame MBH know you said so.

>261 drneutron:. :-). Hey, Jim.

Two tips: The movie Nomadland is really good, and Frances McDormand shows once again that she’s one of our greatest actors. If you liked Three Billboards, you’ll like this one. And the third Obama-Springsteen podcast is up on Spotify, this time talking about music they love.

Hello Joe!

I finished up Prodigal Son yesterday. I'm sorry to say it was my least favorite of the Orphan X series. I just couldn't connect with Evan's mother storyline and the drone element on the action side seemed uninspired. Even Scott Brick's narration couldn't perk it up for me. However, I loved all of Evan's interactions with 'his people'. Brick's narration is great for both Joey and Tommy.

I'm between books now having finished my recent print book as well.

>264 jnwelch: Yes to Nomadland! It's a somber film but we loved it and McDormand is excellent. And I need to listen to that podcast!

>264 jnwelch: Hello Brodie!

Sorry my fellow Orphan X fan didn't like Prodigal Son more. I was there for the action ride, and his mother and the drone elements didn't bother me. I've never listened to an Orphan X audio; I may try that as we begin to travel again.

I forget whether you like Jack Reacher. The latest one, The Sentinel, written with Childs' brother, is pretty standard issue, but there are an awful lot of riveting ones in the series. I usually recommend Orphan X to Reacher fans looking for a new series.

>265 brodiew2: Right, Laura? Nomadland was so different, and so good. I'm thinking about Judi Dench and Helen Mirren and McKellan and so on watching that and thinking about McDormand, so different, and so good.

Yes, dig into that podcast! The two being pals seemed so unlikely, but the more you get into it, the more you see why.

>257 jnwelch: Thanks for the link! I spent a lot of time here in New York with storytellers who work from the Myths and Legends of various cultures, like the Irish and the Greek and others

The Urban storytelling (we see it here in The Moth among other places) is new for me but I am quite liking it.

>264 jnwelch: almost worth it to sign up for Hulu to see NomadLand!

We've got Showtime and HBO and Netflix and Amazon Prime and I think we still have Disney+ and Marquee. Just have to make the time to watch some of the stuff they offer.

I think i had more free time when i was working

Happy Monday!

>228 jnwelch: I have never heard of this author before. I shall have to keep my eye out on my next book buying spree.

Congrats on getting your second shot! The more people who get it, the closer/faster we will get to normalcy.

>257 jnwelch: I love this MBH interview. Thanks for sharing. Someday, I will have to hear her perform, preferably not sitting on her hands.

>262 jnwelch: I loved A Constellation of Vital Phenomena. I think it was the best book I read that particular year.

Hi, Joe. I hope you are having a good day. I am enjoying my afternoon with the books.

>267 jnwelch: I tried a couple different Reachers and I'm am not really a fan.
The Orphan X audio books are really good.

>268 magicians_nephew: Hi, Jim. The best story teller of Greek myths I've heard is Stephen Fry - as I mentioned way back when, we got to see his Mythos show, and the guy got a standing ovation for lecturing on and telling Greek myths. Go figure. He deserved it, too.

I like that genre name "urban storytelling". Debbi isn't a fan of The Moth, and I'm still not sure why. Around here it's sometimes called the "Live Lit" scene. I got to say, I love it. Slices of life with topnotch storytellers - of course, David Sedaris is the epitome of what it can be, as far as I'm concerned. He performed here at Steppenwolf, and we loved his storytelling. But what impressed us the most were his improvised answers in the Q & A - he was even wittier.

Hmm. What the heck were we talking about?

Yeah, we have Hulu thanks to our daughter - lots of sharing going on among family members. I think we get Disney+ from our son. We've got our trainer on Netflix, for goodness' sake. It's almost worth getting Starz for the 3d American Gods season for me, but I'll just be patient.

I think i had more free time when i was working. Ha! You cracked me up! Ain't it the truth. I've been telling people my #1 complaint as a retired guy is not enough hours in the day.

>269 figsfromthistle: Hiya, Anita!

Nnedi Okorafor is one of the hottest sci-fi/fantasy writers now. If you see her Binti on a book excursion, give it a try. It's the first in an outstanding trilogy. If you get hooked like I did, she has a bunch of other good ones. To me the biggest and hottest "I must have the newest one immediately" science fiction writer is Martha Wells with her Murderbot books.

Thanks re the vaccination shots. It's going to be really interesting to see the growing effect as the vaccination numbers climb. But we've got places like the Netherlands (per EllaTim) getting not much at all done. And here we have vax-decliners. It's going to be an uneven situation for a while.

>270 msf59: Isn't that a great MBH interview, Mark? I can't believe you haven't seen her perform yet. We must fix that. Yes, she's a bit demonstrative; you'll want to be careful in not sitting too close. I've got a sister like that, too, and the two of them together is like some kind of happy and enthusiastic martial arts.

Yeah, I thought A Constellation of Vital Phenomena was terrific, too; definitely one of my favorites from that year, and maybe #1.

It's been a good day. Debbi and I got some writing done, and got outside, after that post-vaccination weekend kicked our butts a bit. I'm reading that story collection in >257 jnwelch:, and a Caroline-recommended poet, Roger Robinson, and an oddball book by the Sabriel/Abhorsen author Garth Nix, called The Left-handed Booksellers something, something. I'm glad you've been enjoying your reading. Sure beats hoping a St. Bernard helps you survive the snow and cold, doesn't it.

>271 brodiew2: Thanks for letting me know, Brodie. I'll have to ponder. Do you have another series you recommend to folks who like the Orphan X books?

has memorized the Dewey Decimal System in order to better her chances of getting a position at the library she loves

Ha, well, I may have to move that one up on the list even though Dewey is controversial, as you discovered :) I shelved for eight years and have a certain affinity for patterns, so while I wouldn't say I have the whole system memorized, one of my co-workers will occasionally ask me for the Dewey number of a book she's cataloging because it's faster than looking it up herself. (Mary, what's the number for hairstyles? 646.7. She calls it my Rainman talent.)

Glad to see you enjoyed Remote Control - I think you liked it a little better than I did. I enjoyed it but sometimes felt like I was missing something. I still read anything by Nnedi Okorafor, but it's gonna be hard for her to top Binto imo. I hope you're enjoying The Left-handed Booksellers of London as well. I'm hoping to read it this month myself, I've had it out of the library awhile and its due date approaches.

>273 jnwelch: I just told Mike he had to read Murderbot. I found the Binti series good but not great. Pulling Binti's family out safe after her choices had recklessly endangered them really seemed like a weak choice.

>274 bell7: Who knew the Dewey Decimal System was controversial? Well, I guess a whole lot of people other than yours truly. I thought it was like the Periodic Table of Elements. Librarians! And the next thing you know, left-handed and right-handed ones wield different types of magic.

Hi, Mary. Yes, as you might well surmise, I'm enjoying The Left-handed Booksellers of London. It's always fun to take a chance and have it work out. I'm glad you've got it and plan to read it.

I did like Remote Control. The closest ones of hers so far to the high level of the Binti books, for me, are the two Akata ones. Who Fears Death was good, too, and I saw somewhere they're adapting that one for tv.

I love your Rainman talent! I do think you'll get a kick out of some Rainman moments in The Paris Library.

>275 quondame: Mike should eat up Murderbot. Please let us know how it goes with him.

I loved the world-building and exotic characters in Binti - that school! - and the African underpinnings. I can't disagree with your "weak choice" criticism. It reminds me of coming out of a good movie with a happy ending and feeling a bit let down because, well, of course it had a happy ending..

A notice board in an unnamed bookstore

My plan is to post some poems or portions of poems from recent collections I've liked. This one is the last part of Rudy Francisco's poem "Complainers", which I notice he's published in different forms in different places. This isn't exactly how it goes in his collection Helium. Mark tipped me off to Helium, and I join him in recommending it. Here it is:

Complainers

****

Most people have no idea that tragedy and silence have the exact same address.

When your day is a museum of disappointments hanging from events that were outside of your control, when you find yourself flailing in an ocean of “Why is this happening to me?”, when it feels like your guardian angel put in his two week notice two months ago and just decided not to tell you, when it feels like God is just a babysitter that’s always on the phone, when you get punched in the esophagus by a fistful of life, remember that every year two million people die of dehydration so it doesn’t matter if the glass is half full or half empty, there’s water in the cup.

Drink it, and stop complaining.

Muscle is created by repeatedly lifting things that have been designed to weigh us down. So when your shoulders feel heavy, stand up straight and lift your chin – call it exercise. When the world crumbles around you, you have to look at the wreckage and then build a new one out of the pieces that are still here.

Remember, you are still here.

The human heart beats approximately four thousand times per hour.

Each pulse, each throb, each palpitation is a trophy engraved with the words “You are still alive”.

You are still alive.

Act like it.

"Drink it, and stop complaining."

Yes lawd.

These two are from Louise Gluck's Poems 1962-2012.

Gratitude

Do not think I am not grateful for your small
kindness to me.
I like small kindnesses.
In fact I actually prefer them to the more
substantial kindness, that is always eying you
like a large animal on a rug,
until your whole life reduces
to nothing but waking up morning after morning
cramped, and the bright sun shining on its tusks.

Seated Figure

It was as though you were a man in a wheelchair,
your legs cut off at the knee.
But I wanted you to walk.
I wanted us to walk like lovers,
arm in arm in the summer evening,
and believed so powerfully in that projection
that I had to speak, I had to press you to stand.
Why did you let me speak?
I took your silence as I took the anguish in your face,
as part of the efforts to move —
It seemed I stood forever, holding out my hand.
And all that time, you could no more heal yourself
than I could accept what I saw.

>279 richardderus: Ha! I love that line, Richard - and that for those less fortunate than us, the question of whether the glass is half full or half empty is useless, beside the point. Drink it, and stop complaining. Amen.

>272 jnwelch:

STARZ also just released "Men in Kilts" while many wait for # 6 of OUTLANDER.

The first episode was strange unless you are a staunch whiskey lover.
The second had some fun sports diversions.
We haven't seen the third one yet.

I also enjoyed the Scottish history in the accompany book, CLANLANDS,
but have reservations on how humor was handled.

>282 m.belljackson: Hi, Marianne. Thanks for the comments on "Men in Kilts" and Clanlands. I've been very interested in both, as we loved Scotland, and I've got it in my genes. Did you feel that the two (I think it's two) in 'Men in Kilts" were good company? That's supposedly part of the draw.

Here's the last bit of poetry for today, "Red Planet" from Emma Hine's impressive debut collection, Stay Safe. She's got the goods, and I heartily recommend it. This one hit the spot for me both because of the recent landing of Perseverance on Mars, and for the intriguing light it shines on how we relate to each other.

Red Planet

All Mars can see, bolted in place,
is the sky. She recites red sky at night, sailor’s
delight until her atmosphere shimmers.
She wants to be visible from everywhere,
the brightest storm brewing

in this big wide sea. She converts sensations
into units of distance and units of force,
so that each time a body collides with her,
she can add it to her catalogue of impact:
where, how hard,

how long the tremor. She lifts the oxide dust
gently from a crater and says asteroid
at an oblique angle, seventy-eight miles across.
She does this just by feel. No looking.
Which might be why

she so loves the probes. When they land,
she goes as still as she can, so they won’t startle
and unlatch. She wants them always charting
her shoal plains. When one enters
her gravity too slowly

and bounces away, she wonders what
went wrong. She imagines it lost
out there, how it wanted her, couldn’t
touch her, or stay.

>276 jnwelch: Mike loves Murderbot The side effect is that while I have the *.doc files from the free giveaway of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th novellas on my Kindle, they have a long hold list at the library so he has to read directly from my Kindle. Well, this too shall pass.
Shortly before I read Binti I read Kate Elliott's Passage of Stars which starts with a young woman leaving behind her planet and her interfering repressive family to chase after the teacher/sensei who was able to develop the extraordinary talent she did have, not what her family wanted her to study. So the echos somewhat impeded the intake of the new story.

I learned story telling from people like Gioia Timpanelli Gioia's web site and Diane Wolkstein who worked out of the Jung Institute here. So they're big on myths and archetypes.

Spent a week with Gioia once and an attentive group telling "Cinderella" over and over everyone had a different version and a different take on it.

Diane was the official storyteller for New York City back in the day and would tell Saturdays in front of the Alice in Wonderland statue in Central Park.Wonder if Deb has heard any of their stuff?

Never gets old

>285 quondame: Oh good - isn't it an excellent feeling when someone new loves Murderbot? Seems to me greater love hath no spouse than giving up her Kindle so her huz can read a treasured book. If it were me, having loaned mine to Madame MBH, I'd be telling her to remember it next time I annoy her. :-)

I can see what you're saying about A Passage of Stars . (Neither of us can get a non-Alis A. Rasmussen touchstone). A Passage of Stars The Highroad Trilogy Book 1. Jeesh. Even that didn't do it.

Kate Elliot never caught fire for me, although I have a sister who likes her books. This one sounds more up my alley than some others of hers - is it one you'd recommend?

P.S. Madame MBH and I actually share our Kindle libraries across our two Kindles, so your dilemma wouldn't have come up for us. I remember that as not being too difficult to implement, for what it's worth.

>286 magicians_nephew: I don't know, Jim, to me it makes perfect sense to talk about story telling nerds on a book nerd website.

I had no idea you've been steeped so deeply in this nerdly cup. I would've loved to hear stories while sitting by that wonderful Alice in Wonderland statue in Central Park. I hadn't heard of Gioia or Diane Wolkstein, but Debbi may have. I'll check with her. One of the beauties of those old fairy tales is the seemingly endless number of versions they inspire. Do you remember what the oddest, or most memorable one was?

>287 jnwelch: Joe there was a Navajo steeped version there was a Sikh version there were several flavors of Jungian analysis of the symbology.

Hard to pick a favorite but spending a week with some of the best tellers in the country the story never got stale.

And every new telling was greeted with enthusiasm.

The Arabian versions were very beautiful. The Arabian princes mean business - they're not Charming

>283 jnwelch: Sam n' Graham are better matched in the video - the book tends to go on...and on...so jokes become tropes.

>287 jnwelch: Such a thrill to see that statue! I climbed on it daily as a kid, as did each of my four children. Now just waiting for this horrible @%#@ pandemic to end so I can take the grandchildren!

>287 jnwelch: Well, I do have other Kindles, and an iPad.
Alis A. Rasmussen and Kate Elliott are one and the same, and A Passage of Stars was written before the KE pseudonym. I've like all her work, though some more than others. She plays differently in the sandboxes others have built and filled. The Highroad and Jaran series are centered around young women and are in slightly varying versions of the same universe. Space Opera, and lighter than Crown of Stars series. Her later stuff is more polished.

I couldn't find what Kate Elliott you've read, so I cant make any prediction as to which you might like. As far as I can tell, all her stories are girl with something extra has adventures in interesting places. I find the girls/women interesting and the places fascinating, but ymmv.

>257 jnwelch: What a great interview Joe! I want to get to Nomadland. I loved the book. But I no longer have Hulu. These streaming services are getting ridiculous even with all the sharing I've done. I had Hulu because my daughter traded her Peloton password for her friend's Hulu password. Then the friend decided to cancel.🤷‍♀️ I still have Netflix, Disney+, Acorn, Prime, Showtime, and HBO Max. Seems like that should be enough lol.

>277 jnwelch: true
.... but, but ....

>278 jnwelch: Thumb

>290 vivians: *gasp of horror* You climbed on it? But shouldn’t that be a national treasure or something?
ETA 😉

>288 magicians_nephew: Thanks, Jim. I hadn't expected all those different cultural backgrounds. That must've been special, with that and premiere storytellers doing the telling. What an experience. Right, I can imagine the Arabian princes being less than charming, given what Scheherazade told us.

>289 m.belljackson: Thanks, Marianne. I'll make the video the priority, once it travels from the Starz.

>290 vivians: How great, Vivian! I was in my 20s when I first encountered that most excellent statue. What a lovely family tradition you have there. I know it's a favorite for kids to climb on.

Morning, Joe. Happy Wednesday. I love the flurry of poetry up there. Hooray for Helium. Somehow I knew you would love that one. I have Gluck's The Seven Ages waiting in the wings. I also really liked the Hines poem and will request that collection. I am really enjoying "The God of Nothingness", which you turned me on to. Spreading the book joy, right? Have you read Restless? If not, I think this might be your cuppa. Echoes of Birdsong.

>291 quondame: Ah, I didn't know Kate was a pseudonym for Alis, or vice versa, Susan. Sorry, LT touchstones. I shouldn't have had doubts. You couldn't find a Kate Elliot in my library because I never finished the one my sister gave me. I think it probably was King's Dragon. That cover looks like the right one. Lighter than that one sounds like a positive. I'll give Passage of Stars a go at some point. I do enjoy space opera.

"Ymmv" was a new one for me. I like it.

>292 brenzi: Isn't that a great interview, Bonnie? I hope you do get to Nomadland. Yeah, I know, even with sharing, there are so many viewing sources these days. It gets a bit irritating to pay subscription fees for what once was free, but it's hard to complain about all the great content we're getting. I sometimes think about the evolution of Netflix, which now is creating original tv and movies, among many other things, versus the nonevolution of Blockbuster. I imagine Blockbuster's leadership just bumbled, fumbled and tumbled, or sat back while the company revenue trickled away.

I love having Acorn.

>293 humouress: Hi, Nina. Ha! Isn't that >277 jnwelch: notice board true? I know; still a great play. Maybe it's a play of youth and passion rather than a love story? I know I had little clue about love at those ages.

I'm glad you like that Rudy Francisco poem about complaining.

That Alice in Wonderland statue is a beauty, but it gets climbed on all the time, as far as I know. Adds to the charm for me, to see kids enjoy it that way. In the photo you can see some of the places it's been burnished by use, like the Mad Hatter's nose and leg.

>295 msf59: Morning, Mark! Yay for all the good poetry! I'm glad you're really enjoying that Mark Wunderlich collection. What a pleasant surprise that one was. I'm trying to find something from it of appropriate length to post here. Ditto re Jackie Wang. Helium was a treat. Emma Hine is impressive at what seems to be a young age. Louise Gluck deserved the award, I'm glad to say. I wasn't sure before I really dug into her stuff.

I haven't read Restless. I will say, I read another William Boyd book, I think it was Any Human Heart, and it was okay, but I wasn't as thrilled as so many were. But I'll keep Restless in mind.

Jasper National Park
Photo by @cathsimard

>296 jnwelch: >293 humouress: Well, to be honest, it does look like it’d be fun to climb - except for the sharp angles. I just wouldn’t dare, myself. I don’t recall seeing the statue in person. When we were in NYC we lived on 66th street so I’m more familiar with the south east-ish corner of Central Park where the zoo, rink and lake are.

>287 jnwelch: Hi Joe - the Alice Statue was recently featured online in the Walks in Central Park which have come up every
Wednesday and are stored on their Central Park Conservancy site for future viewing.

>298 jnwelch: - I have been there. To Jasper. Though not *there*, in that red canoe. Gorgeous photo!

>299 humouress: I wasn't all that far from you in my NYC days, Nina - on west 70th right by the park. It was much cheaper back then for a rent-controlled studio apt. I worked at a bookstore in Soho (New Morning) when Soho was still a beat up area. Columbus by me was beat up, too. It was great. I didn't need much, and had Central Park right there.

>300 m.belljackson: Hmm, that's intriguing, isn't it, Marianne. Thanks. I may have to stop by and say hello to the Alice statue at Walks in Central Park.

>301 jessibud2: I envy you, Shelley. Jasper sure looks beautiful. I've been in the Rocky Mountains, but not in Canada. I've heard the Canadian Rockies are beautiful. A friend/neighbor recommends the cross-country train that goes through them.

>296 jnwelch: King's Dragon leads on to one of the wildest epic fantasies I've ever read, and for all it's darkness, is more at the level of Robin Hobbs than George R.R. Martin.

>302 jnwelch: - In fact, that's what we did. I was 18 and with 2 friends, we took the train from Vancouver, BC back home to Montreal, stopping for 3 days in Banff and Jasper. I had spent the summer in California with my grandfather and other relatives. I took the bus with a friend from Calif to Oregon, then to Vancouver, where my two friends from home (Montreal) met me and we travelled home together. A great and fun trip.

>302 jnwelch: :) I lived at 154 West 70 for 2 years after grad school! I still miss it!

>302 jnwelch: >305 vivians: Not too far, but we lived on the Upper East side (at the corner of 2nd) when my husband's company transferred us there - a month before the Twin Towers went down.

Many years ago,I took the train across Canada but the route was through Calgary and Banff to Vancouver. The mountains were striking. I am gland that I stopped in Banff and went to Lake Louise as well. Travelling on the train-the best views of changeable scenery happened at night!.

I’ll have to come back later for the posts, but Today’s $1.99 Bargains on E-readers are Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley, the first Easy Rawlins mystery, and In Patagonia by Bruce Chatwin, some of the best travel writing ever.

>308 jnwelch: Each worth spending regular price on, no doubt, and so really really great bargains for ereaderers.

>298 jnwelch: Stunning!

>303 quondame: Thanks, Susan. I'm preparing to duck and dodge the Smite of Wrath, but I'm not a Robin Hobbs or George R.R. Martin fan either. I did add Passage of Stars to my sci-fi fantasy WL.

>304 jessibud2: Oh, what a great trip, Shelley. I love the idea of taking those train rides with pals. Madame MBH and I love riding trains, and may do the Canadian part of that some day. I've enjoyed Vancouver with Madame MBH, and Montreal before her. I'd love to go back to both, and do the in-between.

>305 vivians: Near Broadway on 70th, right, Vivian? Pretty close to my old spot east of Columbus. Great location - I'll bet you miss it! I was there way back in the 1970s, when the world was quite a different place. We've visited many times since, of course, but that's not the same as living there. For being single, I might pick NYC. For raising a family, it seems a lot easier in Chicago (I have two friends who did in NYC, though).

>306 humouress: Nice location, Nina. Oh my, what timing. What a day that was with the Twin Towers. You probably wondered what the heck you'd gotten yourselves into.

>307 torontoc: Hi, Cyrel. I'd love to spend time in Banff and Calgary. Hmmm. My wife has plans for us to live an awfully long time and be in great shape throughout, so maybe. I can't tell whether the best views of changeable scenery happened at night!. is tongue in cheek or not. Did they really?

>309 richardderus: Agreed, Richard. Ereaderers who haven't encountered those two books have a treat in store for a mere thruppence or so.

>310 figsfromthistle: :-) Thanks, Anita. That Jasper photo stuns me, too.

>262 jnwelch: A Constellation of Vital Phenomena is one of my all-time favorite novels.

Hi Joe! I don't think it matters which Sarah Moss you read first. Cold Earth was my first and I gave it 4.5 stars. But I think The Tidal Zone and Bodies of Light are probably her more compelling works that I have read so far. Her books are so different from one another, one of the things I appreciate. I still have to read Signs for Lost Children which is on my shelves.

I am about a third into Devil in a Blue Dress, my first Easy Rawlins novel --- finally! I am thoroughly enjoying it and feeling super lucky that I haven't yet read this series. It's one of the very best things as a reader: finding a new author (and a series!!) and knowing you have all their work in front of you. Yay!

Many years ago we took a trip to Banff and Jasper. Absolutely stunning territory. In Jasper we had a cabin, glad for the change from sleeping on the ground in a tent, and I went for a morning run. As I returned, I found myself on the gravel road back to our abode, with a herd of elk blocking my way. I stopped. I stood. I waited. I admired the herd. I wondered if I was simply not destined to have breakfast that day. Then a van full of the housekeeping staff pulled up, loaded me in, and whisked me through the herd to the row of cabins. It is still one of my favorite running memories -- and I have a lot of those.

>314 EBT1002: Great story!

Something similar happened to me while visiting family in Connecticut only it was cows.

>313 EBT1002: A Constellation of Vital Phenomena is a terrific book, isn't it, Ellen. I hope some folks who are new to it take advantage of that bargain. Thanks for the Sarah Moss comments. I think I'll start with Bodies of Light then, as that one stood out to me in looking them over.

Oh, isn't Devil in a Blue Dress great? When you're ready, so is the movie with Denzel Washington as Easy and Don Cheadle as Mouse (what excellent casting, right?)

I am thoroughly enjoying it and feeling super lucky that I haven't yet read this series. It's one of the very best things as a reader: finding a new author (and a series!!) and knowing you have all their work in front of you. Yay! I so agree! I didn't have that with this one, because I got older along with it, but I had it with others, like Jack Reacher and Eve Dallas. It can happen with authors, too. Murakami had a lot of books out when I read my first one (After the Quake), and I read virtually nothing but Murakami for months after that.

>314 EBT1002: How great, Ellen. I love the story with the herd of elk and the housekeeping van, and the idea of a cabin in stunning Jasper. My days of sleeping on the ground in a tent are long gone (oh, how easy it was as a yute). I used to run, too, and imagining doing that in that Jasper landscape - wow. What a lovely memory to have.

>315 magicians_nephew: Nice one, Jim, and that is a great story of Ellen's, isn't it.

Ancient Roman Road, U.K
Photo by Mark Andreas Jones

>317 jnwelch: - Oh, I could live there!

>317 jnwelch: Oh wow. Very Middle Earth. But then Great Britain is, isn't it.

>318 jessibud2: Ha! Ditto, Shelley. I don't know how much credit we should give the Ancient Romans, but it sure is beautiful, isn't it.

>319 quondame: Hee-hee! I like that, Susan. Great Britain is very Middle Earth, now that you mention it. It's easy to imagine the Shire somewhere at the other end of >317 jnwelch:.

>317 jnwelch: That looks like a Samuel Palmer painting Joe.

>312 jnwelch: Actually the views did- the train travelled from Northern Ontario to Manitoba at night- so it was easy to miss the change from very lush green forests to very flat land.
From Banff to Vancouver- the scenery was amazing but the best parts changed at night- there was a car with a glass roof to view the scenery.

>322 torontoc: Sounds wonderful, Cyrel. How smart to have a car with a glass roof.

The new cafe is open. See you there!

I don't know how much credit we should give the Ancient Romans

Excuse me?! *combo eye roll and head shake*

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7tvauOJMHo