Weird_O Bill's Bookish Whatchamacallit...3 (Three)
Esto es una continuación del tema Weird_O Bill's Bookish Whatchamacallit...2.
Este tema fue continuado por Weird_O Bill's Bookish Whatchamacallit...4 (and probably final for 2021).
Charlas75 Books Challenge for 2021
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1weird_O
Our daughter posted a Mother's Day homage:
I'll continue to celebrate my mama on Mother's Day, even on this first without her. Today I will play in our garden, wear a striped shirt, eat some seafood, and have a beer in your honor. And wish you were here ❤
Taken at the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in northern Berks County, PA, in 2008 by Son the Elder.
AN-tic-ipation
4weird_O
Covers of books read, August thru December 2021
# 92.
# 91. 
#90.
#89. 
#88. 
#87. 
#86.
#85. 
#84. 
#83. 
# 82.
# 81. 
# 80. 
# 79. 
# 78.
# 77. 
# 76. 
# 75. 
# 74.
# 73. 
# 72. 
# 71. 
# 70.
# 69. 
# 68. 
# 67. 
# 66.
# 65. 
# 64. 
# 63. 
# 92.
# 91. 
#90.
#89. 
#88. 
#87. 
#86.
#85. 
#84. 
#83. 
# 82.
# 81. 
# 80. 
# 79. 
# 78.
# 77. 
# 76. 
# 75. 
# 74.
# 73. 
# 72. 
# 71. 
# 70.
# 69. 
# 68. 
# 67. 
# 66.
# 65. 
# 64. 
# 63. 
5weird_O
Books Read, August thru December 2021
October (6 read)
92. The Acts of King Arthur and his Noble Knights... by John Steinbeck (10/24/21)
91. Not Quite Dead Enough by Rex Stout (10/21/21)
90. Slapstick by Kurt Vonnegut (10/20/21)
89. Junkyard Planet by Adam Minter (10/17/21)
88. Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things by Randy O. Frost and Gail Steketee (10/8/21)
87. Time's Arrow by Martin Amis (10/2/21)
September (13 read)
86. Holy Cow by David Duchovny (9/28/21)
85. Jefferson's Children by Shannon Lanier (9/27/21)
84. Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers (9/26/21)
83. Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House by Eric Hodgins (9/21/21)
82. The Best of Connie Willis by Connie Willis (9/18/21)
81. Timbuktu by Paul Auster (9/15/21)
80. Lord Arthur Savile's Crime by Oscar Wilde (9/13/21)
79. ...and then we'll get him by Gahan Wilson (9/12/21)
78. The New Yorker Book of Kids Cartoons edited by Robert Mankoff (9/11/21)
77. The Bird Artist by Howard Norman (9/7/21)
76. America, America by Ethan Canin (9/5/21)
75. The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman (9/1/21)
74. Nothing Personal by James Baldwin (9/1/21)
August (11 read)
73. Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton (8/31/21)
72. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (8/28/21)
71. A Judgement in Stone by Ruth Rendell (8/23/21)
70. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde (8/20/21)
69. Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (8/19/21)
68. All Clear by Connie Willis (8/18/21)
67. Blackout by Connie Willis (8/14/21)
66. Nathan Coulter by Wendell Berry (8/11/21)
65. The Round House by Louise Erdrich (8/8/21)
64. How the South Won the Civil War by Heather Cox Richardson (8/6/21)
63. The Great Halifax Explosion by John U. Bacon (8/3/21)
October (6 read)
92. The Acts of King Arthur and his Noble Knights... by John Steinbeck (10/24/21)
91. Not Quite Dead Enough by Rex Stout (10/21/21)
90. Slapstick by Kurt Vonnegut (10/20/21)
89. Junkyard Planet by Adam Minter (10/17/21)
88. Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things by Randy O. Frost and Gail Steketee (10/8/21)
87. Time's Arrow by Martin Amis (10/2/21)
September (13 read)
86. Holy Cow by David Duchovny (9/28/21)
85. Jefferson's Children by Shannon Lanier (9/27/21)
84. Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers (9/26/21)
83. Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House by Eric Hodgins (9/21/21)
82. The Best of Connie Willis by Connie Willis (9/18/21)
81. Timbuktu by Paul Auster (9/15/21)
80. Lord Arthur Savile's Crime by Oscar Wilde (9/13/21)
79. ...and then we'll get him by Gahan Wilson (9/12/21)
78. The New Yorker Book of Kids Cartoons edited by Robert Mankoff (9/11/21)
77. The Bird Artist by Howard Norman (9/7/21)
76. America, America by Ethan Canin (9/5/21)
75. The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman (9/1/21)
74. Nothing Personal by James Baldwin (9/1/21)
August (11 read)
73. Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton (8/31/21)
72. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (8/28/21)
71. A Judgement in Stone by Ruth Rendell (8/23/21)
70. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde (8/20/21)
69. Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (8/19/21)
68. All Clear by Connie Willis (8/18/21)
67. Blackout by Connie Willis (8/14/21)
66. Nathan Coulter by Wendell Berry (8/11/21)
65. The Round House by Louise Erdrich (8/8/21)
64. How the South Won the Civil War by Heather Cox Richardson (8/6/21)
63. The Great Halifax Explosion by John U. Bacon (8/3/21)
7weird_O
Covers of books read, May thru July 2021
# 62.
# 61.
# 60. 
# 59. 
# 58. 
# 57.
# 56. 
# 55. 
# 54. 
# 53.
# 52. 
# 51. 
# 50. 
# 49.
# 48. 
# 47. 
# 46. 
# 45.
# 44. 
# 43. 
# 42. 
# 41.
# 40. 
# 39. 
# 38. 
# 37.
# 36. 
# 35. # 34. 
# 33. 
# 62.
# 61.
# 60. 
# 59. 
# 58. 
# 57.
# 56. 
# 55. 
# 54. 
# 53.
# 52. 
# 51. 
# 50. 
# 49.
# 48. 
# 47. 
# 46. 
# 45.
# 44. 
# 43. 
# 42. 
# 41.
# 40. 
# 39. 
# 38. 
# 37.
# 36. 
# 35. # 34. 
# 33. 
8weird_O
Books Read, May thru July 2021
July (9 read)
62. A Coyote's in the House by Elmore Leonard (7/29/21)
61. Freddy and the Perilous Adventure by Walter R. Brooks (07/27/21)
60. Thank You, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse (7/25/21)
59. Demon Box by Ken Kesey (7/23/21)
58. Millennium Philadelphia Updated & Expanded by the staff of The Philadelphia Inquirer (7/22/21)
57. The 101 Most Influential People Who Never Lived by Allan Lazar, Dan Karlan & Jeremy Salter (7/22/21)
56. Walker Evans: Photographer of America by Thomas Nau (7/13/21)
55. Here Is New York by E. B. White (7/12/21)
54. The Adventures of Tintin, Vol. 5 by Herge (7/11/21)
June (11 read)
53. The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin (6/25/21)
52. The Hot Rock by Donald Westlake (6/23/21)
51. The Ballad of the Sad Cafe and Other Stories by Carson McCullers (6/21/21)
50. Instant Replay by Jerry Kramer and Dick Schaap (6/18/21)
49. Kid's Book Trio (6/17/21)
The Amazing Bone by William Steig
Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman, Illus. by Gustaf Tenngren
Sesame Street See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Smell No Evil by Anna Jane Hays, illus. by Joe Mathieu
48. Abel's Island by William Steig (6/15/21)
47. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (6/14/21)
46. The Devil and Dr. Barnes: Portrait of an American Art Collector by Howard Greenfield (6/6/21)
45. Bangkok: City of Angels by Bill Wassman (6/5/21)
44. Bangkok 8 by John Burdett (6/5/21)
43. The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody by Will Cuppy (6/2/21)
May (10 read)
42. The Ponder Heart by Eudora Welty (5/30/21)
41. Black Orchids by Rex Stout (5/29/21)
40. Circe by Madeline Miller (5/27/21)
39. The Beginner's Goodbye by Anne Tyler (5/20/21)
38. If It's Not Funny It's Art by Demetri Martin (5/19/21)
37. Midnight Rising by Tony Horwitz (5/18/21)
36. The PreHistory of The Far Side: A 10th Anniversary Exhibit by Gary Larson (5/17/21)
35. Kid's Book Medley (6/15/21)
Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin
Night Creatures by Gallimard Jeunesse
Madeline's Rescue by Ludwig Bemelmans
Madeline and the Bad Hat by Ludwig Bemelmans
Just a Dream by Chris Van Allsburg
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
Seal by Eric S. Grace, photos by Fred Bruemmer
Pigsty by Mark Teague
Red Ranger Came Calling by Berkeley Breathed
34. Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell (5/13/21)+
33. Summer Lightning by P. G. Wodehouse (5/7/21)
July (9 read)
62. A Coyote's in the House by Elmore Leonard (7/29/21)
61. Freddy and the Perilous Adventure by Walter R. Brooks (07/27/21)
60. Thank You, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse (7/25/21)
59. Demon Box by Ken Kesey (7/23/21)
58. Millennium Philadelphia Updated & Expanded by the staff of The Philadelphia Inquirer (7/22/21)
57. The 101 Most Influential People Who Never Lived by Allan Lazar, Dan Karlan & Jeremy Salter (7/22/21)
56. Walker Evans: Photographer of America by Thomas Nau (7/13/21)
55. Here Is New York by E. B. White (7/12/21)
54. The Adventures of Tintin, Vol. 5 by Herge (7/11/21)
June (11 read)
53. The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin (6/25/21)
52. The Hot Rock by Donald Westlake (6/23/21)
51. The Ballad of the Sad Cafe and Other Stories by Carson McCullers (6/21/21)
50. Instant Replay by Jerry Kramer and Dick Schaap (6/18/21)
49. Kid's Book Trio (6/17/21)
The Amazing Bone by William Steig
Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman, Illus. by Gustaf Tenngren
Sesame Street See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Smell No Evil by Anna Jane Hays, illus. by Joe Mathieu
48. Abel's Island by William Steig (6/15/21)
47. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (6/14/21)
46. The Devil and Dr. Barnes: Portrait of an American Art Collector by Howard Greenfield (6/6/21)
45. Bangkok: City of Angels by Bill Wassman (6/5/21)
44. Bangkok 8 by John Burdett (6/5/21)
43. The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody by Will Cuppy (6/2/21)
May (10 read)
42. The Ponder Heart by Eudora Welty (5/30/21)
41. Black Orchids by Rex Stout (5/29/21)
40. Circe by Madeline Miller (5/27/21)
39. The Beginner's Goodbye by Anne Tyler (5/20/21)
38. If It's Not Funny It's Art by Demetri Martin (5/19/21)
37. Midnight Rising by Tony Horwitz (5/18/21)
36. The PreHistory of The Far Side: A 10th Anniversary Exhibit by Gary Larson (5/17/21)
35. Kid's Book Medley (6/15/21)
Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin
Night Creatures by Gallimard Jeunesse
Madeline's Rescue by Ludwig Bemelmans
Madeline and the Bad Hat by Ludwig Bemelmans
Just a Dream by Chris Van Allsburg
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
Seal by Eric S. Grace, photos by Fred Bruemmer
Pigsty by Mark Teague
Red Ranger Came Calling by Berkeley Breathed
34. Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell (5/13/21)
+33. Summer Lightning by P. G. Wodehouse (5/7/21)
9weird_O
Covers of books read, January thru April 2021
# 32
# 31
# 30 
# 29 
# 28 
# 27
# 26 
# 25 
# 24 
# 23
# 22 
# 21 
# 20 
# 19
# 18 
# 17 
# 16 
# 15
# 14 
# 13 
# 12 
# 11 # 10 
# 9 
# 8 
# 7
# 6 
# 5 
# 4
# 3 
# 2 
# 1 
# 32
# 31
# 30 
# 29 
# 28 
# 27
# 26 
# 25 
# 24 
# 23
# 22 
# 21 
# 20 
# 19
# 18 
# 17 
# 16 
# 15
# 14 
# 13 
# 12 
# 11
# 10 
# 9 
# 8 
# 7
# 6 
# 5 
# 4
# 3 
# 2 
# 1 
10weird_O
Books Read, January thru April 2021
April (8 read)
32. How Music Works by David Byrne (4/29/21)
31. Humans by Brandon Stanton (4/28/21)
30. The Italian Secretary by Caleb Carr (4/22/21)
29. Freddy and the Bean Home News by Walter R. Brooks (4/19/21)
28. Freddy the Magician by Walter R. Brooks (4/17/21)
27. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (4/14/21)
26. The Snows of Kilimanjaro by Ernest Hemingway (4/10/21)
25. Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson (4/9/21)
March (8 read)
24. The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins by Dr. Seuss (3/27/21)
23. This Is a Bad Time: A Collection of Cartoons by Bruce Eric Kaplan (3/27/21)
22. Maigret and the Killer by Georges Simenon (3/25/21)
21. Some Buried Caesar by Rex Stout (3/21/21)
20. Andy Warhol Was a Hoarder by Claudia Kalb (3/20/21)
19. The End of the Alphabet by CS Richardson (3/14/21)
18. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster (3/12/21)
17. The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson (3/9/21)
February (9 read)
16. The Five Red Herrings by Dorothy L. Sayers (2/28/21)
15. Gone Fishin' by Walter Mosley (2/19/21)
14. Home Truths by David Lodge (2/18/21)
13. A Promised Land by Barack Obama (2/15/21)
12. Art at Work: The Chase Manhattan Collection by Marshall Lee (2/12/21)
11. Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers (2/8/21)
10. The Library Book by Susan Orlean (2/7/21)
9. Pretty Good Joke Book, 5th Edition by Prairie Home Companion (2/5/21)
8. One of Our Thursdays Is Missing by Jasper Fforde (2/3/21)
January (7 read)
7. The Brinksmanship of Galahad Threepwood by P. G. Wodehouse (1/30/21)
6. Obama: An Intimate Portrait by Pete Souza (1/26/21)
5. New York From the Air by Antonio Attini (photog) and Peter Skinner (intro) (1/18/21)
4. The Golden Spiders by Rex Stout (1/15/21)
3. The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben (1/7/21)
2. One Story by Gipi (1/4/21)
1. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah (1/1/21)
April (8 read)
32. How Music Works by David Byrne (4/29/21)
31. Humans by Brandon Stanton (4/28/21)
30. The Italian Secretary by Caleb Carr (4/22/21)
29. Freddy and the Bean Home News by Walter R. Brooks (4/19/21)
28. Freddy the Magician by Walter R. Brooks (4/17/21)
27. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (4/14/21)
26. The Snows of Kilimanjaro by Ernest Hemingway (4/10/21)
25. Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson (4/9/21)
March (8 read)
24. The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins by Dr. Seuss (3/27/21)
23. This Is a Bad Time: A Collection of Cartoons by Bruce Eric Kaplan (3/27/21)
22. Maigret and the Killer by Georges Simenon (3/25/21)
21. Some Buried Caesar by Rex Stout (3/21/21)
20. Andy Warhol Was a Hoarder by Claudia Kalb (3/20/21)
19. The End of the Alphabet by CS Richardson (3/14/21)
18. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster (3/12/21)
17. The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson (3/9/21)
February (9 read)
16. The Five Red Herrings by Dorothy L. Sayers (2/28/21)
15. Gone Fishin' by Walter Mosley (2/19/21)
14. Home Truths by David Lodge (2/18/21)
13. A Promised Land by Barack Obama (2/15/21)
12. Art at Work: The Chase Manhattan Collection by Marshall Lee (2/12/21)
11. Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers (2/8/21)
10. The Library Book by Susan Orlean (2/7/21)
9. Pretty Good Joke Book, 5th Edition by Prairie Home Companion (2/5/21)
8. One of Our Thursdays Is Missing by Jasper Fforde (2/3/21)
January (7 read)
7. The Brinksmanship of Galahad Threepwood by P. G. Wodehouse (1/30/21)
6. Obama: An Intimate Portrait by Pete Souza (1/26/21)
5. New York From the Air by Antonio Attini (photog) and Peter Skinner (intro) (1/18/21)
4. The Golden Spiders by Rex Stout (1/15/21)
3. The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben (1/7/21)
2. One Story by Gipi (1/4/21)
1. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah (1/1/21)
12weird_O
2021 Reading Stats
These stats are kind of weird. (Could you expect something normal? From me?)
One evening (the evening of 5/15/21, in fact), I read 9 children's books I intended to give to my granddaughters. It would be cheating/unfair to give the same "heft" to a 32-page picture book and a 350-page novel. Well, at least in my mind. And never mind that I've equated E. B. White's 56-page Here Is New York with David Mitchell's 571-page Utopia Avenue. It's weird, ok? I'm weird.
Anyway, I count those 9 kid's books as 1 "reported" read. Same with a batch of 3 kid's books read 6/17/21. Three counting as 1.
Except the stats form asks about authors—gender, nationality. So some of the following stats aggregate the data about each individual kid's book author.
May–July
Books reported read: 30 1st Report: 32 Year-to-Date: 62
Books really read: 42 1st Rpt: 32 YtD: 74
Authors read: 40 1st Rpt: 29 YtD: 69
Single-read Authors: 37 1st Rpt: 25 YtD: 62
Multi-read authors: 4 1st Rpt: 3 YtD: 7
Multi-author books: 7 1st Rpt: 0 YtD: 7
New-to-me authors: 29 1st Rpt: 15 YtD: 44
Reads/month
January: 7
February: 9
March: 8
April: 8
May: 10 Really 18
June: 11 Really 13
July: 9
Rating
Meh: 1 1st Rpt: 1 YtD: 2
OK: 5 1st Rpt: 2 YtD: 7
Good: 12 1st Rpt: 11 YtD: 23
Very Good: 20 1st Rpt: 17 YtD: 37
GREAT!: 2 1st Rpt: 1 YtD: 3
Author gender
Male: 35 1st Rpt: 24 YtD: 59
Female: 10 1st Rpt: 4 YtD: 14
Author Birthplace
Belgium: 1 1st Rpt: 0 YtD: 1
Germany: 0 1st Rpt: 1 YtD: 1
South Africa: 0 1st Rpt: 1 YtD: 1
France: 0 1st Rpt: 1 YtD: 1
Canada: 0 1st Rpt: 1 YtD: 1
Italy: 1 1st Rpt: 2 YtD: 3
UK: 5 1st Rpt: 5 YtD: 10
USA: 30 1st Rpt: 21 YtD: 51
Unk: 1 1st Rpt: 0 YtD: 1
Dead or alive
Currently breathing (afaik): 23 1st Rpt: 20 YtD: 42
R.I.P.: 17 1st Rpt: 8 YtD: 25
First published
>1800: 0 1st Rpt: 0 YtD: 0
1800–1925: 0 1st Rpt: 0 YtD: 0
1926–1950: 7 1st Rpt: 7 YtD: 14
1951–1975: 9 1st Rpt: 4 YtD: 13
1976–2000: 9 1st Rpt: 4 YtD: 13
2001–2010: 6 1st Rpt: 5 YtD: 11
2011–2020: 6 1st Rpt: 12 YtD: 18
2021: 1 1st Rpt: 0 YtD: 1
Binding
Hardcover: 17 1st Rpt: 21 YtD: 38
Paperback: 19 1st Rpt: 7 YtD: 26
Mass-market paperback: 2 1st Rpt: 4 YtD: 6
Other: 2 1st Rpt: 0 YtD: 2
F/NF
F: 29 1st Rpt: 21 YtD: 50
NF: 11 1st Rpt: 11 YtD: 22 >
Age group
Adult: 23 1st Rpt: 28 YtD: 51
YA: 0 1st Rpt: 0 YtD: 0
MG: 4 1st Rpt: 3 YtD: 7
ER: 13 1st Rpt: 1 YtD: 14
PB: 0 1st Rpt: 0 YtD: 0
Source
Acquired new in 2021: 5 1st Rpt: 0 YtD: 5
Acquired used in 2021: 20 1st Rpt: 9 YtD: 29
Gift: 0 1st Rpt: 1 YtD: 1
ROOT: 13 1st Rpt: 20 YtD: 33
Library: 0 1st Rpt: 0 YtD: 0
Loaner: 2 1st Rpt: 2 YtD: 4
Reviews posted: 0 1st Rpt: 0 YtD: 0
Pulitzer winners: 0 1st Rpt: 0 YtD: 0
Booker winners: 0 1st Rpt: 0 YtD: 0
Nobel laureates: 0 1st Rpt: 0 YtD: 0
These stats are kind of weird. (Could you expect something normal? From me?)
One evening (the evening of 5/15/21, in fact), I read 9 children's books I intended to give to my granddaughters. It would be cheating/unfair to give the same "heft" to a 32-page picture book and a 350-page novel. Well, at least in my mind. And never mind that I've equated E. B. White's 56-page Here Is New York with David Mitchell's 571-page Utopia Avenue. It's weird, ok? I'm weird.
Anyway, I count those 9 kid's books as 1 "reported" read. Same with a batch of 3 kid's books read 6/17/21. Three counting as 1.
Except the stats form asks about authors—gender, nationality. So some of the following stats aggregate the data about each individual kid's book author.
May–July
Books reported read: 30 1st Report: 32 Year-to-Date: 62
Books really read: 42 1st Rpt: 32 YtD: 74
Authors read: 40 1st Rpt: 29 YtD: 69
Single-read Authors: 37 1st Rpt: 25 YtD: 62
Multi-read authors: 4 1st Rpt: 3 YtD: 7
Multi-author books: 7 1st Rpt: 0 YtD: 7
New-to-me authors: 29 1st Rpt: 15 YtD: 44
Reads/month
January: 7
February: 9
March: 8
April: 8
May: 10 Really 18
June: 11 Really 13
July: 9
Rating
Meh: 1 1st Rpt: 1 YtD: 2
OK: 5 1st Rpt: 2 YtD: 7
Good: 12 1st Rpt: 11 YtD: 23
Very Good: 20 1st Rpt: 17 YtD: 37
GREAT!: 2 1st Rpt: 1 YtD: 3
Author gender
Male: 35 1st Rpt: 24 YtD: 59
Female: 10 1st Rpt: 4 YtD: 14
Author Birthplace
Belgium: 1 1st Rpt: 0 YtD: 1
Germany: 0 1st Rpt: 1 YtD: 1
South Africa: 0 1st Rpt: 1 YtD: 1
France: 0 1st Rpt: 1 YtD: 1
Canada: 0 1st Rpt: 1 YtD: 1
Italy: 1 1st Rpt: 2 YtD: 3
UK: 5 1st Rpt: 5 YtD: 10
USA: 30 1st Rpt: 21 YtD: 51
Unk: 1 1st Rpt: 0 YtD: 1
Dead or alive
Currently breathing (afaik): 23 1st Rpt: 20 YtD: 42
R.I.P.: 17 1st Rpt: 8 YtD: 25
First published
>1800: 0 1st Rpt: 0 YtD: 0
1800–1925: 0 1st Rpt: 0 YtD: 0
1926–1950: 7 1st Rpt: 7 YtD: 14
1951–1975: 9 1st Rpt: 4 YtD: 13
1976–2000: 9 1st Rpt: 4 YtD: 13
2001–2010: 6 1st Rpt: 5 YtD: 11
2011–2020: 6 1st Rpt: 12 YtD: 18
2021: 1 1st Rpt: 0 YtD: 1
Binding
Hardcover: 17 1st Rpt: 21 YtD: 38
Paperback: 19 1st Rpt: 7 YtD: 26
Mass-market paperback: 2 1st Rpt: 4 YtD: 6
Other: 2 1st Rpt: 0 YtD: 2
F/NF
F: 29 1st Rpt: 21 YtD: 50
NF: 11 1st Rpt: 11 YtD: 22 >
Age group
Adult: 23 1st Rpt: 28 YtD: 51
YA: 0 1st Rpt: 0 YtD: 0
MG: 4 1st Rpt: 3 YtD: 7
ER: 13 1st Rpt: 1 YtD: 14
PB: 0 1st Rpt: 0 YtD: 0
Note: YA = Young Adult
MG = Middle Grade
ER = Easy Reader
PB = Picture Book
Source
Acquired new in 2021: 5 1st Rpt: 0 YtD: 5
Acquired used in 2021: 20 1st Rpt: 9 YtD: 29
Gift: 0 1st Rpt: 1 YtD: 1
ROOT: 13 1st Rpt: 20 YtD: 33
Library: 0 1st Rpt: 0 YtD: 0
Loaner: 2 1st Rpt: 2 YtD: 4
Reviews posted: 0 1st Rpt: 0 YtD: 0
Pulitzer winners: 0 1st Rpt: 0 YtD: 0
Booker winners: 0 1st Rpt: 0 YtD: 0
Nobel laureates: 0 1st Rpt: 0 YtD: 0
15PaulCranswick
Happy new thread, Bill.
>6 weird_O: Boy, are book shelves fascinating! Made larger we have Dick, Dickens, Dos Passos and Dostoevsky etc etc - pretty classy collection.
>6 weird_O: Boy, are book shelves fascinating! Made larger we have Dick, Dickens, Dos Passos and Dostoevsky etc etc - pretty classy collection.
16jessibud2
Happy new thread, Bill. Love the photos, the shelves, the book covers, all of it. Glad you kept that lovely topper. I read a YA book about the Halifax explosion a few years back, called Blizzard of Glass. It was well done and I keep meaning to read more, an adult in-depth accounting but just haven't got around to it yet. 2016 was the 100 year anniversary of the disaster so a lot of books came out then, including the one you cite up there in >2 weird_O:, I believe.
>3 weird_O: - By the way, I put a wooden slug in >3 weird_O: and got in anyhow... ;-)
>3 weird_O: - By the way, I put a wooden slug in >3 weird_O: and got in anyhow... ;-)
17weird_O
>14 drneutron: The good doctor is first! I forgot to secure a trophy, though. How about I give you a magic slug that'll get you in free next time? Only you, Jim, will get in free. Ok. You and Shelley. But you officially get in free, while Shelley is just a cheater.
>15 PaulCranswick: Welcome, Paul. If anyone can talk about books on shelves, it is you.
>16 jessibud2: I certainly hope you won't make a habit of dodging the entry fee, Shelley.
I'm almost done with The Great Halifax Explosion and it's an amazing book, well written, well organized, full of details. Devastating story, yet inspirational.
>15 PaulCranswick: Welcome, Paul. If anyone can talk about books on shelves, it is you.
>16 jessibud2: I certainly hope you won't make a habit of dodging the entry fee, Shelley.
I'm almost done with The Great Halifax Explosion and it's an amazing book, well written, well organized, full of details. Devastating story, yet inspirational.
18laytonwoman3rd
Well, I've paid my entrance fee. I was here waiting patiently before the doors were open, but I had to leave for dinner, and lost my place in line.
19richardderus
Happy new thread! The Great Halifax Explosion sounds very interesting indeed. I'll be on the lookout for it!
20weird_O
Oh thank you, Linda. Now I have some dough so I can buy some...uh...dough. For pizza. Or dinner rolls.
22FAMeulstee
Happy new thread, Bill!
>6 weird_O: Thanks for sharing your shelves. I always like to see the shelves of other booklovers.
Recognised some names on the top row like Umberto Eco, Ursula LeGuin, Salman Rushdie.
>6 weird_O: Thanks for sharing your shelves. I always like to see the shelves of other booklovers.
Recognised some names on the top row like Umberto Eco, Ursula LeGuin, Salman Rushdie.
23msf59
Happy Wednesday, Bill. Happy New Thread. I just added added The Great Halifax Explosion to my audio list. I had this one on my radar after it first came out and then promptly forgot about it, so I appreciate the nudge. I also hope you are able to bookhorn in The Round House. I loved that one.
24weird_O
>23 msf59: Coincidence, Mark. I just fetched The Round House from Weird_O's Hovel of TBR and started reading it. Just 15 minutes ago. I finished The Great Halifax Explosion last night, then picked up How the South Won the Civil War to finish a chapter I had started. It was just so appalling. So I thought I'd try something diverting (??), not recognizing until just now that I was shifting from massacres of Native Americans during the Civil War to an assault on a Native American woman in 1988.
I'll finish them both, nevertheless. Thanks for popping by.
>22 FAMeulstee: Nice to welcome you to this weird place, Anita. That top row is all TBRs. Yes, I've got some reading to do, and I can't match your reading pace. Sure wish I could, though. :-)
>21 charl08: Good to see you, Charlotte. Our intentions are always good, but books are just such sparkly, distracting objects. You charge after whatever glittering title JUST NOW caught your eye.
I'll finish them both, nevertheless. Thanks for popping by.
>22 FAMeulstee: Nice to welcome you to this weird place, Anita. That top row is all TBRs. Yes, I've got some reading to do, and I can't match your reading pace. Sure wish I could, though. :-)
>21 charl08: Good to see you, Charlotte. Our intentions are always good, but books are just such sparkly, distracting objects. You charge after whatever glittering title JUST NOW caught your eye.
25karenmarie
Hi Bill, and happy new thread! I just love that photo. And your daughter’s got it right about honoring her mother.
>2 weird_O: I need to get How the South won the Civil War.
>3 weird_O:
>6 weird_O: Glorious bookshelves.
>11 weird_O: Aww, you guys!
>12 weird_O: I count every single book I read as one entry, but admit that I rarely read children's or YA books anymore. Your weird statistics are weirdly fascinating.
>2 weird_O: I need to get How the South won the Civil War.
>3 weird_O:
>6 weird_O: Glorious bookshelves.
>11 weird_O: Aww, you guys!
>12 weird_O: I count every single book I read as one entry, but admit that I rarely read children's or YA books anymore. Your weird statistics are weirdly fascinating.
26jnwelch
Happy New Thread, Bill! i love seeing all those book covers and your photos.
I hope The Round House works for you. I thought it was excellent.
I hope The Round House works for you. I thought it was excellent.
27weird_O
>25 karenmarie: Welcome, my friend. That's just the coin we're looking for here: the double-eagle $20 gold coin designed by sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens. He had a marvelous home and studio along the Connecticut River in New Hampshire. A friend of Robert Louis Stevenson, Saint-Gaudens had a complete set his books in his studio. Jus' sayin'.
My stats, like that gold piece, are a work of art!
>26 jnwelch: I going to give The Round House my undivided attention, Joe. I'm a month behind on it already. (For the July AAC, don't you know.)
My stats, like that gold piece, are a work of art!
>26 jnwelch: I going to give The Round House my undivided attention, Joe. I'm a month behind on it already. (For the July AAC, don't you know.)
28weird_O
EIEeeeeeeeeee! Almost blew my brains out. (Oh, you're saying, I know, would you have missed them?) Spent an hour in the Ford dealer's service holding pen whilst my pickup was getting an airbag replaced via a factory recall. Fox news. Fox news.
I survived. I'm home, and a cuppa is brewing.
On the other hand, I'm now free to dig into my cheery current reads: How the South Won the Civil War and The Round House. I thought that second one was about working on the railroad.
I survived. I'm home, and a cuppa is brewing.
On the other hand, I'm now free to dig into my cheery current reads: How the South Won the Civil War and The Round House. I thought that second one was about working on the railroad.
29weird_O
Hi, gang!
Tonight's reading began in Wendell Berry's Nathan Coulter, which I agreed to read in August. Wendell's 87th birthday was today, August 5th. So despite being engaged in both The Round House and How the South Won the Civil War, I couldn't NOT read at least a few pages of his writing. So I read the first 9 marvelous pages of Coulter.
I focused mainly on Heather Cox Richardson's incisive history of American racism and classism. If I read one more chapter before lights-out, I may finish it tomorrow.
I worked a bit on a report on The Great Halifax Explosion, which is one of the best books I've read this year. Watch this space!
Tonight's reading began in Wendell Berry's Nathan Coulter, which I agreed to read in August. Wendell's 87th birthday was today, August 5th. So despite being engaged in both The Round House and How the South Won the Civil War, I couldn't NOT read at least a few pages of his writing. So I read the first 9 marvelous pages of Coulter.
I focused mainly on Heather Cox Richardson's incisive history of American racism and classism. If I read one more chapter before lights-out, I may finish it tomorrow.
I worked a bit on a report on The Great Halifax Explosion, which is one of the best books I've read this year. Watch this space!
30Berly
I'm in!! Happy new thread. Love all your cute Mom photos. : ) Have fun with The Round House--it is a good one!
32lauralkeet
>29 weird_O: marvelous pages of Coulter
Looks like you're off to a good start! I've been feeling weirdly nervous, having virtually thrust this book upon you.
Looks like you're off to a good start! I've been feeling weirdly nervous, having virtually thrust this book upon you.
33karenmarie
>28 weird_O: Awful, what crap they show at Ford Dealerships, isn’t it? I usually hide in the sales room where I only have to listen to music and not watch misinformation and political clap-trap.
34weird_O
>30 Berly: Oh good. Nice to see you, Kim. The Round House is now my primary focus. So far so good; I don't really think it'll disappoint me.
>31 jessibud2: I shall stop by and actually reply, Shelley.
>32 lauralkeet: Not to worry, Laura. I read The Memory of Old Jack last year for the AAC, and I've read quite a bit of Berry's non-fiction, so I had a pretty good idea of what I'm getting in to.
>33 karenmarie: It isn't just Ford dealers, Karen. As you know. When you get and read Heather Cox Richardson's book, you'll see her account of the deliberate plan of "Movement Conservatives" to dive into a wholly bogus world. Very disheartening, even frightening. Hey! Have a nice weekend!
>31 jessibud2: I shall stop by and actually reply, Shelley.
>32 lauralkeet: Not to worry, Laura. I read The Memory of Old Jack last year for the AAC, and I've read quite a bit of Berry's non-fiction, so I had a pretty good idea of what I'm getting in to.
>33 karenmarie: It isn't just Ford dealers, Karen. As you know. When you get and read Heather Cox Richardson's book, you'll see her account of the deliberate plan of "Movement Conservatives" to dive into a wholly bogus world. Very disheartening, even frightening. Hey! Have a nice weekend!
35Crazymamie
I'm late, Bill. My apologies, and I might have snuck in behind Karen without paying the toll. I love your topper photo, and the lovely words of your daughter. I still celebrate my Dad, too - every chance I get.
>28 weird_O: This is why I carry headphones with me. I am sorry you were made to suffer.
Loved looking through your "kind of weird" stats and catching up with your reading. I will try to be better about keeping up. Hoping that your Saturday is full of fabulous, oh Weird One.
>28 weird_O: This is why I carry headphones with me. I am sorry you were made to suffer.
Loved looking through your "kind of weird" stats and catching up with your reading. I will try to be better about keeping up. Hoping that your Saturday is full of fabulous, oh Weird One.
36weird_O
Hey, no apologies needed or wanted. Just glad to have you stop by, Mamie. I used to have some of those disposable foam ear plug in my pocket all the time, but I've gotten out of the habit. Shoulda, but sadly no.
Right now I'm on a bit of a tear, two excellent books down this month, and a third nearing completion (certainly by Monday). Have you a great weekend.
Right now I'm on a bit of a tear, two excellent books down this month, and a third nearing completion (certainly by Monday). Have you a great weekend.
37weird_O
I want to report in on my AAC dealing so far. I've been out of sorts this year, reading-wise. So I started some things, and felt put off by others. I hope we're relaxed enough to allow some ex post facto Wild Card declarations. I think we've always been ok with late completions. So. Here's where I am at.
JANUARY All in the Family A Promised Land by Barack Obama.
FEBRUARY Ethan Canin I started America America and I do intend to finish it.
MARCH Roxane Gay
Sorry; perhaps a spiffy Wild Card for this slot, retroactively.
ETA: How about I slot Erik Larson's The Splendid and the Vile as the Wild Card for March. Larson has a respectable body of nonfiction writing, making him a worth AAC honoree. Plus, I read this book in March.
APRIL Americans Who Make Music How Music Works by David Byrne. One of the best reads of this year.
MAY Mary McCarthy Trouble. I just acquired a copy of The Group, but it's not really calling to me. Maybe a Wild Card, retroactively?
ETA: My Wild Card selection for May is Madeline Miller's Circe. While Miller doesn't have many books to her credit, what she has is "cherce".
JUNE Ken Kesey Demon Box. I liked most of the pieces collected in this book. My favorite of the books I read in July (just a month late).
JULY Native American Authors and Themes Currently reading The Round House by Louise Erdrich. Finished it (8/8/21)
AUGUST Connie Willis Blackout and All Clear are in The Green Room, champing.
SEPTEMBER Howard Norman The Bird Artist is booked.
OCTOBER Attica Locke Undecided...Locke or Card?
NOVEMBER Albert Murray Undecided...Murray or Card?
DECEMBER Young Adult Have to see what I have on the shelves. I have quite a few to choose from. No need to decide right now.
JANUARY All in the Family A Promised Land by Barack Obama.
FEBRUARY Ethan Canin I started America America and I do intend to finish it.
MARCH Roxane Gay
Sorry; perhaps a spiffy Wild Card for this slot, retroactively.ETA: How about I slot Erik Larson's The Splendid and the Vile as the Wild Card for March. Larson has a respectable body of nonfiction writing, making him a worth AAC honoree. Plus, I read this book in March.
APRIL Americans Who Make Music How Music Works by David Byrne. One of the best reads of this year.
MAY Mary McCarthy Trouble. I just acquired a copy of The Group, but it's not really calling to me. Maybe a Wild Card, retroactively?
ETA: My Wild Card selection for May is Madeline Miller's Circe. While Miller doesn't have many books to her credit, what she has is "cherce".
JUNE Ken Kesey Demon Box. I liked most of the pieces collected in this book. My favorite of the books I read in July (just a month late).
JULY Native American Authors and Themes Currently reading The Round House by Louise Erdrich. Finished it (8/8/21)
AUGUST Connie Willis Blackout and All Clear are in The Green Room, champing.
SEPTEMBER Howard Norman The Bird Artist is booked.
OCTOBER Attica Locke Undecided...Locke or Card?
NOVEMBER Albert Murray Undecided...Murray or Card?
DECEMBER Young Adult Have to see what I have on the shelves. I have quite a few to choose from. No need to decide right now.
38katiekrug
I can't help but think you're missing out by not reading Roxane Gay. She's a wonderful writer and an important and unique voice.
39weird_O
I hear you, Katie. Thanks to your nudge, I'll check with DiL the Elder to see if she has a Gay book I may borrow.
40Crazymamie
Morning, Bill! I loved The Bird Artist when I read it a few years ago. And I have Mary McCarthy's The Group in the stacks - it was one of the 200 books selected in The Modern Library: 200 Best Novels in English Since 1950, so I snagged it when it was a Kindle deal. I have not read Locke or Murray, so I am no help there. Your approach to the AAC would work better for me that trying to read the author in the correct month - I am a mood reader, so that rarely works for me.
41karenmarie
Hiya, Bill!
>34 weird_O: How The South Won the Civil War is arriving today by 10 p.m. I have no will power.
>37 weird_O: I love your Wild Card approach to the AAC.
>40 Crazymamie: I am a mood reader Me, too, Mamie. Challenges give me the willies. I still need to read book #4 of the 6 book Dick Francis SHARED Read by the end of August – and I’m the one hosting the SHARED Read!
>34 weird_O: How The South Won the Civil War is arriving today by 10 p.m. I have no will power.
>37 weird_O: I love your Wild Card approach to the AAC.
>40 Crazymamie: I am a mood reader Me, too, Mamie. Challenges give me the willies. I still need to read book #4 of the 6 book Dick Francis SHARED Read by the end of August – and I’m the one hosting the SHARED Read!
42Crazymamie
>41 karenmarie: This made me laugh, Karen! I only made it through the first book when Julia started that Dick Francis shared read. I am just no good at reading a book on demand even when it is a book that I want to read. I tend to pick up and put down many a book each month just because it's not what I am in the mood for - I read a bit in it and then set it aside until later when I am in the mood for it, which might be next month or next year or um...never. Crazy, but it's just how I read.
43laytonwoman3rd
I'm a mood reader too, and hosting the AAC has been a challenge for me in more ways than one. I always feel I should read something for each month, since they are my picks (with invaluable guidance from the group). But I think following the challenge and picking up BB's for later is a completely valid way of "doing" it. The rules are, pretty much, there ain't no rules. I'd encourage people who have no interest in reading a given author on demand to drop in to the challenge threads and get some ideas, any time.
44weird_O
>40 Crazymamie: Glad to hear that you liked The Bird Artist, Mamie. I'm encouraged that it's going to be something I enjoy. I read somewhere that David Bowie liked it; maybe on his 100 best books list. As for Mary McCarthy, my personal jury remains out. There's no question that Madeline Miller has earned an AAC star, even if it is a Weird_O Wild Card, so I'm not going out of my way to displace her.
>41 karenmarie: I don't think you'll regret buying HCR, Karen. It's a must read. I'm thrilled you like my Wild Card approach. Works for me. And a Weird Hat Tip to Linda for instituting the Wild Card option.
>42 Crazymamie: You and Karen have perfectly defined and named "mood reading." So amen, ladies. Right now, the mood is just right for the stuff I have just read so far this month, and for the books bouncing up and down in front of the bench, ready to be put in play.
>43 laytonwoman3rd: Your approach to the AAC is refreshingly successful. You've installed some great options—the quarterly themes, the Wild Card option. We mood readers, as you know, do well with options.
-------
By the bye, I have finished The Round House by Louise Erdrich. I thank all who recommended it. 'Twas excellent.
Nathan Coulter starts...right now!
>41 karenmarie: I don't think you'll regret buying HCR, Karen. It's a must read. I'm thrilled you like my Wild Card approach. Works for me. And a Weird Hat Tip to Linda for instituting the Wild Card option.
>42 Crazymamie: You and Karen have perfectly defined and named "mood reading." So amen, ladies. Right now, the mood is just right for the stuff I have just read so far this month, and for the books bouncing up and down in front of the bench, ready to be put in play.
>43 laytonwoman3rd: Your approach to the AAC is refreshingly successful. You've installed some great options—the quarterly themes, the Wild Card option. We mood readers, as you know, do well with options.
-------
By the bye, I have finished The Round House by Louise Erdrich. I thank all who recommended it. 'Twas excellent.
Nathan Coulter starts...right now!
45msf59
Howdy, Bill. I am so glad to hear you loved The Round House. Probably my favorite Erdrich. I also really liked The Bird Artist. I have done poorly on the AAC. Maybe I could rebound?
46Crazymamie
>44 weird_O: I think the fact that The Bird Artist is on David Bowie's list is why I read it (if memory serves) - Kim and Megan were doing shared reads of books from that list and I joined in on a few of them.
>43 laytonwoman3rd: I will have to check out the AAC, Linda - I love your thoughts on how to use it.
It's Monday, Bill, try not to look it directly in the eye.
>43 laytonwoman3rd: I will have to check out the AAC, Linda - I love your thoughts on how to use it.
It's Monday, Bill, try not to look it directly in the eye.
47laytonwoman3rd
>44 weird_O:, >46 Crazymamie: Thanks for the votes of confidence, Bill and Mamie. In fact, I have bailed on this month's author. I Pearl-ruled Connie Willis's To Say Nothing of the Dog and decided to read more non-fiction related to July's Native American theme. It's an endlessly fascinating subject for me, and there is so much history to bone up on.
48weird_O
Oh my, Linda. Bailed on To Say Nothing of the Dog? Your daughter gave me that book for the 2019 Christmas swap that Jeff sets up. I loved it. Oh well, we still have Faulkner. :-)
49weird_O
I'm in a doldrum. But I have a plan. Whether or not I work the plan remains to be seen. Bzzzt.
I am reading Wendell Berry's Nathan Coulter. Only read a few pages yesterday, but...
I am up to 65 books so far. Ten more and I'll be able to kick back and relax until the end of the year. Hotzah!
I am reading Wendell Berry's Nathan Coulter. Only read a few pages yesterday, but...
I am up to 65 books so far. Ten more and I'll be able to kick back and relax until the end of the year. Hotzah!
50laytonwoman3rd
>48 weird_O: Ah, well. Dr. Mayflower was a bit skeptical of my reading Connie Willis...she knows my tastes. I don't read much science fiction at all, and I don't care for Jasper Fforde (who Willis's humor reminds me of), so it was more or less unlikely that I was going to be a big fan.
And yes, Faulkner we always have with us.
And yes, Faulkner we always have with us.
52Crazymamie
Bill, once I make a plan, it's pretty much all over for me. I just like the part about the planning - I am not great with follow-through.
We are twins on the reading front - I also have 65.
I'm glad you and Linda have Faulkner because I don't want him. Although I did like Light in August, so there is that. I have not read any Connie Willis.
We are twins on the reading front - I also have 65.
I'm glad you and Linda have Faulkner because I don't want him. Although I did like Light in August, so there is that. I have not read any Connie Willis.
53weird_O
>51 richardderus: Ok, ok. We've got a path here. Connie is better than Chuckles. She leads him two novellas to none. This is encouraging!! It's a path to peace!
Or not.
>52 Crazymamie: No accounting for taste, is there, Mamie? Maybe you ought to avoid Connie Willis, so she doesn't come between us. I know there are other authors out there whose work you enjoy. So just go ahead, snub Connie.
Or not.
>52 Crazymamie: No accounting for taste, is there, Mamie? Maybe you ought to avoid Connie Willis, so she doesn't come between us. I know there are other authors out there whose work you enjoy. So just go ahead, snub Connie.
54Crazymamie
Your post to Richard cracked me up! Avoid Connie Willis? But I already have Doomsday Book and A Lot Like Christmas: Stories in the stacks.
55richardderus
>54 Crazymamie: Purge! Purge! Purge!
>53 weird_O: Two to one: A Christmas Carol, in all its schmaltzy poorly written overthetopness gets a grudging "you I will not burn" out of me.
>53 weird_O: Two to one: A Christmas Carol, in all its schmaltzy poorly written overthetopness gets a grudging "you I will not burn" out of me.
56Crazymamie
Oh, dear!
I LOVE A Christmas Carol but not much else by him. A Tale of Two Cities used to be one of my favorites, but then I reread it as an adult, and it ruined it for me.
I LOVE A Christmas Carol but not much else by him. A Tale of Two Cities used to be one of my favorites, but then I reread it as an adult, and it ruined it for me.
57weird_O
>54 Crazymamie: What can I say, Mamie? The two Willis novels I've read are The Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog. They are, respectively, the first two volumes of the Oxford Time Travel quartet. I'll got the concluding books—Blackout and All Clear—slotted for reading as soon as I finish Nathan Coulter. It's time travel. What has stood out for me in the first two books is how well a writer from and in Colorado conveys (to me, at least) the British sensibility. There are probably all sorts of gaffs that an English reader will snigger at (maybe even gag on), but I don't recognize them. Here's my review:
Doomsday Book won both the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award when it was published in 1992. It IS of the sci-fi genre. Yet it's a thriller, a medical thriller, with England's Oxford University sliding into quarantine as its students, faculty, and staff, its visitors, and its neighboring communities are threatened by an unidentified flu-like virus. (Does this sound like the Coronavirus?) The first patient has a very high fever and is delirious. He drifts in and out of consciousness. Within a day, more people are hospitalized. From each patient, a list of people they've had some contact with is made. The contacts are asked to come to the infirmary to be tested. The police set up a quarantine perimeter. Those healthy people captured within the perimeter are very put out.
As in every disaster, a diverse cast of citizens shuffle through the hubbub. Dr. Mary Ahrens of the Infirmary. Oxford professors Latimer, Gilchrist, and Dunworthy. Finch, a dormitory functionary overwhelmed by the increasing need for beds and the dwindling supplies of food and toilet paper.
So where does the sci-fi come in? Time Travel. It is 2055 and the science and technology of time travel is being used selectively by the university to enable students and researchers to go back in time and experience life in the period and place they are studying. The first victim of the virus is a Badri Chaudhuri, a specialist who has just overseen the operation that's transported Medievalist Kivrin Engle back to 1320. The viral infection has jumbled Badri's mind and he's punched in numbers that take Kivrin to 1348 instead of 1320. The Black Plague swept Britain in 1348. Kivrin's there now, but Badri is out of his mind and in isolation.
Can Kivrin be brought back? Every trick and surprise and obstacle is deployed to thwart that mission. I recommend this book here. You will like it. (Well, I did.)
58weird_O
>55 richardderus: Don't hold it against me, Richard. I like a lot of Dickens, and I like what I've read of Willis.
>56 Crazymamie: You'll make up your own mind, I know, Mamie. Don't let that provocateur lead you astray. 'K? *snerk*
>56 Crazymamie: You'll make up your own mind, I know, Mamie. Don't let that provocateur lead you astray. 'K? *snerk*
59laytonwoman3rd
>55 richardderus: Do my eyes deceive? You are giving fair marks to a Dickens ouevre? Have you checked your Ovaltine for additives?
60richardderus
>59 laytonwoman3rd:, >58 weird_O: I confess it freely: I love the whole tacky shivaree that is Yule. Sans Chuckles the Dick, we'd not have it in all its gaudy, OTT gloire. So I must perforce allow that, as this work was the one that launched the Season, and as this was created by *gag* Chuckles, it is to him that I owe the bulk of my gratitude for a lifetime's-worth of fu and good memories.
This adulting thing rots on ice! Imma go bash a kid's book or something.
>56 Crazymamie: PURGE! PURGE! PURGE!!
This adulting thing rots on ice! Imma go bash a kid's book or something.
>56 Crazymamie: PURGE! PURGE! PURGE!!
61benitastrnad
>60 richardderus:
shivaree- now there’s a word you don’t see to often. In my neck of the woods a shivaree was something you did to newlyweds. About two weeks after the wedding, or when people got back from the honeymoon a large group of noisy people went to the home of the newlywed and banged on pots, blew cars horns, whistles, etc etc. made huge amounts of noise and forced the newlyweds to feed them and have a big party where all kinds of tricks were played on the newlyweds. It was done to welcome them into the community.
shivaree- now there’s a word you don’t see to often. In my neck of the woods a shivaree was something you did to newlyweds. About two weeks after the wedding, or when people got back from the honeymoon a large group of noisy people went to the home of the newlywed and banged on pots, blew cars horns, whistles, etc etc. made huge amounts of noise and forced the newlyweds to feed them and have a big party where all kinds of tricks were played on the newlyweds. It was done to welcome them into the community.
62RBeffa
>1 weird_O: I like that topper a lot Bill.
63Berly
>57 weird_O: Doomsday Book sounds great, except for that fact that it sounds exactly like what we are already going through and I need a break from it!! LOL. The time travel piece might just save it though....
64weird_O
>62 RBeffa: Thanks, Ron. If I look at it too long, it makes me melancholy. Like right this minute.
>63 Berly: I was having the same reaction last year as I read it, Kim. I kept saying, "This is the way you're supposed to do it! This is the way you're supposed to do it!" (Huh. I don't think we still have the hang of it.) I did like the book, nevertheless.
>63 Berly: I was having the same reaction last year as I read it, Kim. I kept saying, "This is the way you're supposed to do it! This is the way you're supposed to do it!" (Huh. I don't think we still have the hang of it.) I did like the book, nevertheless.
65weird_O
I've completed Nathan Coulter and have a good start into Blackout.
Coulter is an excellent book, but it surely did feed the melancholy I'm experiencing these days. Blackout is, with a vengeance, what Judi would have called a frustration book. Intention and planning is ALWAYS thwarted by a hitch or a glitch or an author's whim.
FWIW, I went to Amazon and ordered Adichie's Notes on Grief—to deliver Friday—and The Best of Connie Willis for Saturday delivery.
Coulter is an excellent book, but it surely did feed the melancholy I'm experiencing these days. Blackout is, with a vengeance, what Judi would have called a frustration book. Intention and planning is ALWAYS thwarted by a hitch or a glitch or an author's whim.
FWIW, I went to Amazon and ordered Adichie's Notes on Grief—to deliver Friday—and The Best of Connie Willis for Saturday delivery.
66benitastrnad
The two Connie Willis books I have read did not frustrate me. They were full of weird humor, and at times had an odd rhythm. I think that is just her writing style. The oddest thing was the names for objects - like Bishop's Bird Stump. What? But OK. I also have Blackout and All Clear I should try to get to them soon, but so many other books call to me that they have to scream fairly loud for me to hear them when they want to be read.
68laytonwoman3rd
>66 benitastrnad: A bird stump is a real thing. I looked that up straight off when I gave To Say Nothing of the Dog a try. It's a style of vase, like this very pretty one.
I really can't say what put me off Willis's writing--I can appreciate weird humor, although a little goes a long way. I'm not usually a fan of sci-fi, but I have loved some works in that genre. I wasn't frustrated either. The book just completely failed to engage my interest.
I really can't say what put me off Willis's writing--I can appreciate weird humor, although a little goes a long way. I'm not usually a fan of sci-fi, but I have loved some works in that genre. I wasn't frustrated either. The book just completely failed to engage my interest.
69benitastrnad
>68 laytonwoman3rd:
I loved the running gag of Three Men in A Boat. A friend of mine told me that the whole book is a parody of Three Men in a Boat. Since I have never read that book I don't know if that statement is true. Perhaps a reading of Three Men in a Boat would make To Say Nothing of the Dog even better? Darn. I think I just put another book on my TBR list.
I loved the running gag of Three Men in A Boat. A friend of mine told me that the whole book is a parody of Three Men in a Boat. Since I have never read that book I don't know if that statement is true. Perhaps a reading of Three Men in a Boat would make To Say Nothing of the Dog even better? Darn. I think I just put another book on my TBR list.
71weird_O
>66 benitastrnad: I'm reading Blackout and All Clear in part thanks to you, Benita, since you gave me the books last Christmas for the Mahsdad holiday exchange.
To Judi, a "frustration book" was one that parsed a simple walk to the corner store into an epic adventure that piled up one ultimately hollow threat after another. She refused to read Three Men in a Boat for that reason. Much ado about nothing. I found a strong cord of that through Blackout.
I warn you that Blackout/All Clear, though packaged as two separate books, is really one 1100+ page novel. Blackout concludes as a collection of cliffhangers.
To Judi, a "frustration book" was one that parsed a simple walk to the corner store into an epic adventure that piled up one ultimately hollow threat after another. She refused to read Three Men in a Boat for that reason. Much ado about nothing. I found a strong cord of that through Blackout.
I warn you that Blackout/All Clear, though packaged as two separate books, is really one 1100+ page novel. Blackout concludes as a collection of cliffhangers.
72weird_O
Finished All Clear at about 4 a.m. today (Wednesday). Connie Willis's strength and weakness are all clear in this epic. Digesting it still.
75LovingLit
>6 weird_O: *drool*
Not much to say this time, but it would be remiss of me not to drop by to say not much...so, there I go.
Not much.
:)
Not much to say this time, but it would be remiss of me not to drop by to say not much...so, there I go.
Not much.
:)
76weird_O
The Grand Gracie just turned 16. She got a new guitar from her parents. Just some local brand.
77weird_O
>74 msf59: Staying out of trouble? More or less, though it sometimes seems to follow me around, Mark.
>75 LovingLit: Excellent. I should drop that more often. I slink through various threads and typically find myself at a loss for words. So I understand. Thanks so much for that.
----------------
I should add that I polished off a couple of shorties: Oscar Wilde's hilarious play The Importance of Being Earnest and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Notes on Grief. I hope to read James Baldwin's Nothing Personal later today. Another shorty.
>75 LovingLit: Excellent. I should drop that more often. I slink through various threads and typically find myself at a loss for words. So I understand. Thanks so much for that.
----------------
I should add that I polished off a couple of shorties: Oscar Wilde's hilarious play The Importance of Being Earnest and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Notes on Grief. I hope to read James Baldwin's Nothing Personal later today. Another shorty.
78lauralkeet
>76 weird_O: "Just some local brand"
Ha! That's a nice gift.
Ha! That's a nice gift.
79Crazymamie
>76 weird_O: That's a great photo! Happy Birthday to your Gracie!
I am wanting to read both The Importance of Being Earnest and Notes on Grief - my tenth Thinga is next month, and Notes on Grief will be one of my picks as next month will also be ten years since my Dad died.
I am wanting to read both The Importance of Being Earnest and Notes on Grief - my tenth Thinga is next month, and Notes on Grief will be one of my picks as next month will also be ten years since my Dad died.
80laytonwoman3rd
>76 weird_O: And a beautiful thing it is, too. I've seen where those are born...a couple have been adopted into our immediate family. Gracie is a lucky young woman. And cute as the dickens, btw.
81m.belljackson
>76 weird_O: A lot of famous folks got their start looking likely that seriously happy and intent!
82Berly
Cute grand you got there! I hope she has lots of fun with the guitar. And I hope you have a great weekend. You should get into a little bit of trouble. It's fun!
83richardderus
Great off-brand guitar Gracie got, for sure.
84weird_O
>78 lauralkeet: Isn't it, though.
>79 Crazymamie: She's good, good, good, Mamie. The Wilde and the Adichie are almost as good. :-)
>80 laytonwoman3rd: Great place, eh, Linda? Do you play?
>81 m.belljackson: Gracie is deceptively passionate about many things, Marianne. She's been taking guitar lessons for a couple of years, though she dropped them this summer to focus on field hockey.
>82 Berly: She's a sweetie alright, Kim. The weekend will pivot around pool parties, one for Gracie tomorrow, the other Sunday for her grandmother. I will have a good time, though I doubt I'll get in real trouble.
>83 richardderus: You bet. :-)
>79 Crazymamie: She's good, good, good, Mamie. The Wilde and the Adichie are almost as good. :-)
>80 laytonwoman3rd: Great place, eh, Linda? Do you play?
>81 m.belljackson: Gracie is deceptively passionate about many things, Marianne. She's been taking guitar lessons for a couple of years, though she dropped them this summer to focus on field hockey.
>82 Berly: She's a sweetie alright, Kim. The weekend will pivot around pool parties, one for Gracie tomorrow, the other Sunday for her grandmother. I will have a good time, though I doubt I'll get in real trouble.
>83 richardderus: You bet. :-)
85laytonwoman3rd
>84 weird_O: No, Bill. The piano is my instrument. My husband and my brother are the guitarists.
86weird_O
>85 laytonwoman3rd: Ahhh...
------------------
Just finished A Judgement in Stone by Ruth Rendell. (Number 71 for the year.) Much better than the first book by Rendell, which I read in 2019. That was End In Tears, an Inspector Wexford entry; I judged it meh and was put off from Rendell. The book I just finished is a stand-alone, and it's the Rendell title I've seen on top crime fiction lists. I got the book less than two months ago.
I'm won over. And it's a good thing I am, because I have eight unread Rendells on the TBR.
------------------
Just finished A Judgement in Stone by Ruth Rendell. (Number 71 for the year.) Much better than the first book by Rendell, which I read in 2019. That was End In Tears, an Inspector Wexford entry; I judged it meh and was put off from Rendell. The book I just finished is a stand-alone, and it's the Rendell title I've seen on top crime fiction lists. I got the book less than two months ago.
I'm won over. And it's a good thing I am, because I have eight unread Rendells on the TBR.
87karenmarie
Hi Bill!
>86 weird_O: Ah. A Judgement in Stone is my absolute favorite by Rendell. I've read it multiple times and finally had to get rid of the ratty tatty mass market paperback and acquire a trade paperback for future re-reads.
Yay for unread Rendell! I've got 21 of her non-Wexford books, 10 of them unread.
>86 weird_O: Ah. A Judgement in Stone is my absolute favorite by Rendell. I've read it multiple times and finally had to get rid of the ratty tatty mass market paperback and acquire a trade paperback for future re-reads.
Yay for unread Rendell! I've got 21 of her non-Wexford books, 10 of them unread.
88weird_O
Such a goin' on I've observed for the last four or five days. I hope it all passes, beginning with the imminent delivery of my lawn tractor from the repair shop, followed by a call from my daughter, letting me know the Boston medical community (and insurers) have extracted the sewing needle from her foot.
I'm also hoping the damn linemen from the electric-a-company have cleaned up the trees that washed out in the absolute deluge of rain we had Saturday night. The trees tangled up the wires and pretty much blocked the road. So the PennDOT crew put up "Road Closed" signs, dusted off their hands, and exited the scene.
I'm also hoping the damn linemen from the electric-a-company have cleaned up the trees that washed out in the absolute deluge of rain we had Saturday night. The trees tangled up the wires and pretty much blocked the road. So the PennDOT crew put up "Road Closed" signs, dusted off their hands, and exited the scene.
89richardderus
>88 weird_O: the PennDOT crew put up "Road Closed" signs, dusted off their hands, and exited the scene
::eyeroll::
::eyeroll::
91weird_O
Uuuhh. The mower just arrived. Huzzah. But regrettably *sad trombone* I have to ride it around and around. Right now.
92msf59
Howdy, Bill. Glad you got the mower back. Good luck with the mowing. How is your daughter doing? Getting lots of reading in?
93Crazymamie
Morning, Bill! Hooray about the mower but sorry about the mowing. Craig recently got a mower that is all electric. He is not allowed to ride it in the rain. Um...so how did your daughter get a sewing needle in her foot - did she step on it?
94karenmarie
Yikes. I'm sorry about the sewing needle attacking your daughter, glad it's removed. Mower - good news that it's back, bad news that you have to use it.
And that sounds about right for a DOT, bless their hearts.
And that sounds about right for a DOT, bless their hearts.
95laytonwoman3rd
Yikes, a needle in the foot? Sounds a bit scary. I hope it was extracted without incident.
We are off today to look at lawn tractors. Himself says he's tired of emptying the ittybitty catching attachment on the push mower when he mulches the leaves. The walking doesn't bother him, it's the repeated bending and dumping. It seems like overkill to me, for the size of the yard we have, but it's not my job, so I will just tag along, nod and smile, unless I see him tending to go really crazy. The thing does have to fit in the shed, at least.
We are off today to look at lawn tractors. Himself says he's tired of emptying the ittybitty catching attachment on the push mower when he mulches the leaves. The walking doesn't bother him, it's the repeated bending and dumping. It seems like overkill to me, for the size of the yard we have, but it's not my job, so I will just tag along, nod and smile, unless I see him tending to go really crazy. The thing does have to fit in the shed, at least.
96weird_O
Greetings to all. >92 msf59: >93 Crazymamie: >94 karenmarie: >95 laytonwoman3rd: I am just now exchanging texts with Becky. Surgery is finally scheduled for tomorrow morning. Oh, ye gods.
Barefoot Becky stepped on the needle Saturday, and of course it broke off below the skin. Not wanting to spend the rest of the day in an ER waiting room, she went to an urgent-care place. Nope. So she spent five hours at an ER, but the ER doc couldn't get it out either. A surgical team could do it, but she needed a referral (you know, insurance). Office bungling adds a day. So tomorrow morning...
The mower works fine now. But the grass is really tall, thanks to excellent growing conditions, and to missed mowing cycles. I actually got out this morning before 9 and rode around for a couple hours while it was relatively cool. I'll see what I can accomplish as the sun sets tonight.
Barefoot Becky stepped on the needle Saturday, and of course it broke off below the skin. Not wanting to spend the rest of the day in an ER waiting room, she went to an urgent-care place. Nope. So she spent five hours at an ER, but the ER doc couldn't get it out either. A surgical team could do it, but she needed a referral (you know, insurance). Office bungling adds a day. So tomorrow morning...
The mower works fine now. But the grass is really tall, thanks to excellent growing conditions, and to missed mowing cycles. I actually got out this morning before 9 and rode around for a couple hours while it was relatively cool. I'll see what I can accomplish as the sun sets tonight.
97Crazymamie
>96 weird_O: Oh, poor Becky! That's awful. Hoping tomorrow goes quickly and smoothly.
Good luck with the mowing - it is a constant battle here, but luckily Craig is in charge of it. I don't do outside.
Good luck with the mowing - it is a constant battle here, but luckily Craig is in charge of it. I don't do outside.
98laytonwoman3rd
Poor Becky is right. I'd be worried about that little metal bit traveling to somewhere even more troublesome in a week's time.
>97 Crazymamie: Our respective Craigs have it tough, don't they Mamie? We went shopping for a Cub Cadet yesterday, and found you can't HAVE one any time soon. Orders from May are still waiting to be filled. Same goes for most of the top brands, apparently. So ride 'em if you've got 'em.
>97 Crazymamie: Our respective Craigs have it tough, don't they Mamie? We went shopping for a Cub Cadet yesterday, and found you can't HAVE one any time soon. Orders from May are still waiting to be filled. Same goes for most of the top brands, apparently. So ride 'em if you've got 'em.
99weird_O
>97 Crazymamie: >98 laytonwoman3rd: I have not yet heard anything from needle central. Soon I hope.
>98 laytonwoman3rd: Hmmm. Your report, Linda, confirms what the John Deere guy told me when he returned my mower. His store has no lawn tractors—used or new—to sell. And don't expect to get any until October. I guess I'm glad I opted to get the one I have repaired.
--------------
Piranesi is weird. Should be my cuppa, ain't?
>98 laytonwoman3rd: Hmmm. Your report, Linda, confirms what the John Deere guy told me when he returned my mower. His store has no lawn tractors—used or new—to sell. And don't expect to get any until October. I guess I'm glad I opted to get the one I have repaired.
--------------
Piranesi is weird. Should be my cuppa, ain't?
100Crazymamie
>98 laytonwoman3rd: Oh, dear! We just got a new mower - all electric, but I don't know what brand it is. We have about two acres, so we need a big boy mower. My Craig would rather mow the lawn than clean a toilet, so it works for us.
Afternoon, Bill! Hoping you hear something soon. Sorry Piranesi isn't working for you - do you ever set books aside or do you just keep going no matter what?
Afternoon, Bill! Hoping you hear something soon. Sorry Piranesi isn't working for you - do you ever set books aside or do you just keep going no matter what?
101weird_O
Big Announcement
The needle is out of the foot. At last. According to Becky's email to family, the prep took longer than the extraction. The doc had no trouble, the patient felt nothing. She was disappointed that the needle was sent to a lab, I guess to ensure it isn't contaminated. So Beck doesn't get it as a souvenir. Bah!
ETA: The surgeon shared a tale from her residency. Her team prepped to remove a possibly cancerous tumor from a man's throat. What they found was a pea that had lodged, then sprouted. Eeeee.
>100 Crazymamie: Mowing vs. toilet cleaning. Lucky me. I get to do both!
I'm ok with Piranesi. Mamie. But it IS strange. I don't think I've read anything to compare it to. A possibly unique experience.
I have abandoned the occasional book. But I often announce that I'm taking a break from the book, putting it on a list of those I'm going to get back too...mañana.
The needle is out of the foot. At last. According to Becky's email to family, the prep took longer than the extraction. The doc had no trouble, the patient felt nothing. She was disappointed that the needle was sent to a lab, I guess to ensure it isn't contaminated. So Beck doesn't get it as a souvenir. Bah!
ETA: The surgeon shared a tale from her residency. Her team prepped to remove a possibly cancerous tumor from a man's throat. What they found was a pea that had lodged, then sprouted. Eeeee.
>100 Crazymamie: Mowing vs. toilet cleaning. Lucky me. I get to do both!
I'm ok with Piranesi. Mamie. But it IS strange. I don't think I've read anything to compare it to. A possibly unique experience.
I have abandoned the occasional book. But I often announce that I'm taking a break from the book, putting it on a list of those I'm going to get back too...mañana.
102richardderus
Piranesi was, unsurprisingly,one of my favorite reads ever. I adored its unapologetic weirdness and his utter, total ensorcelment that prevents him from realizing he's a blinkin' genius!
I'm very pleased that the surgeon made up for her cruel Rape of the Needle (where is Alexander Pope's reincarnation when we need them?) with that unnerving but so schadenfreude-y pea story! So supremely ewww.
I'm very pleased that the surgeon made up for her cruel Rape of the Needle (where is Alexander Pope's reincarnation when we need them?) with that unnerving but so schadenfreude-y pea story! So supremely ewww.
103Crazymamie
>101 weird_O: Ah, Bill. I'm sorry. *Bear hug*
Hooray for the removal of the needle, and EW to the pea story. I would be surprised if they ever let you keep what they remove - I think it is policy in a lot of places. When Daniel shattered his collarbone, they had to repair it surgically which included a plate and screws, but they also had to remove a small piece of bone that had broken off - he wanted to see it afterwards, but they said no they have to destroy it. I totally get them sending an embedded object that has been removed off for culture just to on the safe side. The culture would grow faster than her foot would show signs of infection, so...
I will await your final thoughts on Piranesi.
Hooray for the removal of the needle, and EW to the pea story. I would be surprised if they ever let you keep what they remove - I think it is policy in a lot of places. When Daniel shattered his collarbone, they had to repair it surgically which included a plate and screws, but they also had to remove a small piece of bone that had broken off - he wanted to see it afterwards, but they said no they have to destroy it. I totally get them sending an embedded object that has been removed off for culture just to on the safe side. The culture would grow faster than her foot would show signs of infection, so...
I will await your final thoughts on Piranesi.
104mahsdad
Okay BB on Piranesi. I've seen it a bunch, and I definitely have a penchant for weird books. I have 18 books in my travels that I've tagged as weird. From VanderMeer, to Emily Koon to Jonathan Lethem to Ian McDonald. I think this one is going on the list. To paraphrase the band Disturbed... I'm down with the weirdness. :)
105weird_O
Just a quick update on Piranesi. I'm past the halfway page, and it is really engaging and entertaining, without surrendering its weirdness. A great read so far.
106msf59
Happy Saturday, Bill. Good news about Becky. Glad you are enjoying Piranesi. I am still on the fence about reading that one.
107benitastrnad
>105 weird_O:
I have a copy of Piranesi waiting for me. I liked Clark's previous books so figured this one would be a winner as well. Glad to hear that you are liking it. Perhaps its weirdness is more to your liking than the weirdness in To Say Nothing of the Dog?
I have a copy of Piranesi waiting for me. I liked Clark's previous books so figured this one would be a winner as well. Glad to hear that you are liking it. Perhaps its weirdness is more to your liking than the weirdness in To Say Nothing of the Dog?
108karenmarie
Hi Bill!
>101 weird_O: Ewww. The pea story is TMI.
>105 weird_O: I’m glad that the weirdness of Piranesi appeals to our favorite weird_o.
>101 weird_O: Ewww. The pea story is TMI.
>105 weird_O: I’m glad that the weirdness of Piranesi appeals to our favorite weird_o.
109laytonwoman3rd
>101 weird_O: That pea story, or a variation of it, has come to my attention before. It's hard to believe, but such things have been reported by major network news outlets, including the BBC, so I guess it's possible. So, like someone once said, "Don't put no beans up yer nose!"
110weird_O
>102 richardderus: Having finished the book, I agree with you. Talked to Becky yesterday and she is feeling very fine.
>103 Crazymamie: The needle is out, and soon the whole episode will be mostly forgotten. Becky said yesterday that the doc who finally removed it opined that even if she had immediately gone to a real hospital ER, she'd have had to wait to get it out, that the injury didn't rise to the level of hurt justifying ER surgery.
I better get a report written about Piranesi.
>104 mahsdad: You will like it, Jeff. No need to delay.
>106 msf59: Get OFF that fence, Mark. Piranesi is, as Mamie would say, full of fabulous.
>103 Crazymamie: The needle is out, and soon the whole episode will be mostly forgotten. Becky said yesterday that the doc who finally removed it opined that even if she had immediately gone to a real hospital ER, she'd have had to wait to get it out, that the injury didn't rise to the level of hurt justifying ER surgery.
I better get a report written about Piranesi.
>104 mahsdad: You will like it, Jeff. No need to delay.
>106 msf59: Get OFF that fence, Mark. Piranesi is, as Mamie would say, full of fabulous.
111weird_O
>107 benitastrnad: Piranesi is strange in a different way than Connie Willis's time travel stories, Benita. With Willis, you know where you are and you understand the main thrust of the action. As Piranesi begins, you don't know who the narrator is, the description of the setting is baffling, the narrator's actions seem to be those of a lone person lost in wilderness. Even the timeline is unmoored from what we're used it. Providing those missing pieces is the basis of the story.
Make no mistake, I liked Willis's entire time-travel series.
>108 karenmarie: Fun all around, Karen.
>109 laytonwoman3rd: Now that you point it out, Linda, the sprouted pea does sound like an urban legend.
Now beans in yer nose...
When I was just a sprout, I whined to my mother about face and head hurting. Eventually, she took me to a doc, who poke and prodded without results. Finally, I said, "Maybe it's the crayons." "What crayons?" "The crayons in my nose." Yes, I had stuck nubbins of well-used crayons into my nostrils. And when Dr. Ruth managed to extract them, why...miraculously...the pain went away. And a Weird_O legend was born.
Make no mistake, I liked Willis's entire time-travel series.
>108 karenmarie: Fun all around, Karen.
>109 laytonwoman3rd: Now that you point it out, Linda, the sprouted pea does sound like an urban legend.
Now beans in yer nose...
When I was just a sprout, I whined to my mother about face and head hurting. Eventually, she took me to a doc, who poke and prodded without results. Finally, I said, "Maybe it's the crayons." "What crayons?" "The crayons in my nose." Yes, I had stuck nubbins of well-used crayons into my nostrils. And when Dr. Ruth managed to extract them, why...miraculously...the pain went away. And a Weird_O legend was born.
112lauralkeet
>111 weird_O: Bill I just spewed a beverage reading your crayon story. What a hoot!
113Crazymamie
Oh, dear, to the crayons!! I like how you let them try to figure it out for themselves first. When I was a teenager, my first babysitting job was for a little boy named Wesley who would only eat grilled cheese sandwiches for some reason. One day when I got there, the mom was very excited that she had gotten him to eat something else - Fruit Loops, as it turned out. He was still sitting at his booster when we went into the kitchen, and he was smiling. I knew that smile; Wesley, where did you put the Fruit Loops, I asked. Smiling even bigger, he pointed silently to his nose. Yep. Turns out, I didn't have to babysit that day, but Wesley did have to go to the doctor's office.
114weird_O
>112 lauralkeet: >113 Crazymamie: I was a colorful little boy. Well, and a little weird.
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I just want to say that I got the duo of Shit Turd books at Firefly Books in Kutztown. Brand new, full retail. Finished Hollow Kingdom early this morning. It was okay.
Just kidding. It was a lot better than ooo-kay. Of course, I have the follow-up book in hand, but I'm going to hold off on it and read a couple of other things to start the new month. Specifically, I plan to finish America, America, the Ethan Canin novel I started reading for the February episode of the AAC. I have The Bird Artist by Howard Norman on deck for the September episode of the AAC. And I acquired recently (regrettably from Amazon) a collection of Connie Willis short fiction, which I've already sampled by reading Inside Job. Last of the Winnebagos is in the collection.
August has been an absolutely boffo month for me. Not only did I read a LOT of books (for me, for me, 'cause I know for some LTers it is just a piffling number), I read almost all excellent books.
------------------
I just want to say that I got the duo of Shit Turd books at Firefly Books in Kutztown. Brand new, full retail. Finished Hollow Kingdom early this morning. It was okay.
Just kidding. It was a lot better than ooo-kay. Of course, I have the follow-up book in hand, but I'm going to hold off on it and read a couple of other things to start the new month. Specifically, I plan to finish America, America, the Ethan Canin novel I started reading for the February episode of the AAC. I have The Bird Artist by Howard Norman on deck for the September episode of the AAC. And I acquired recently (regrettably from Amazon) a collection of Connie Willis short fiction, which I've already sampled by reading Inside Job. Last of the Winnebagos is in the collection.
August has been an absolutely boffo month for me. Not only did I read a LOT of books (for me, for me, 'cause I know for some LTers it is just a piffling number), I read almost all excellent books.
115richardderus
>114 weird_O: I'm really glad your August was a good reading-loaded month, Bill. I too experienced more way-better-than-expected reads than disappointments.
You got me on Hollow Kingdom...I thought you really found S.T. only okay for a second. Good idea to hold off a minute on Feral Creatures, no sense packing in the fabulous when one never knows about the days ahead.
You got me on Hollow Kingdom...I thought you really found S.T. only okay for a second. Good idea to hold off a minute on Feral Creatures, no sense packing in the fabulous when one never knows about the days ahead.
116drneutron
>115 richardderus: Yeah, he got me too. 😀
117Whisper1
>12 weird_O: Bill. I count illustrated books as those read, and noted in my total. I think of all the children's books that are so very worthy of accolades.
For years, the young adult genre was looked down upon as not really worthy of time spent. When I found this genre, I very much enjoyed these books.
When Barnes and Noble had a new, large area for YA books, I thought YES!!!!
Sadly, even in reading genre's there is snobbishness.
Even though I worked at Lehigh University for 36 years, the snobbishness didn't wear off. I too was a weird-o, and often knew I did not fit in.
I hated the meetings when those who complained about others, smiled and while complimenting the person they said they didn't like!
Each year, after graduation, I sent a note to all our graduates and asked them to please keep in touch, and let the department, and current students know what they were doing since graduation. I thought it might be an inspiration to those seniors now looking for jobs and this might be a vehicle to see what is in the job market.
Every letter received from graduates was posted on bulletin board in the a basement in the U.C. , which is where we were housed for many, many years. I imagine the Journalism Department was there when you were a student.
A co-worker, whom I considered a friend, made a comment when no one was near, and we were walking past the bulletin board. He said: "Someone from the visiting committee asked me why students would write TO YOU!"
Later, another time when no one was around to hear his nastiness he told me people in the department said "I didn't know MY PLACE!" I wish I would have said that those same people said the same about him. Rather, I took the high ground.
Yikes, I thought I was doing a stellar job in advising many successful yearbooks. My credit always went to the students who did the stellar job! Same for the newspaper. I found ways to make it a very financially successful endeavor. I taught students business skills and ways in which to build advertising revenue. To this day, I receive cards and notes, only now they are addressed to my home.
When I retired, at the luncheon, I knew that person was going to smile and say many sugar coated things. When I knew he was going to start talking, I simply looked at him and said NO!
It opened my eyes to the fact that he moved up the ladder quickly, perhaps by stepping on others.
Sometimes weirdo-s take a lot of crap from the "real" weirdo-s.
Keep being who you are! A talented, caring, kind, soul who is grieving after losing someone he loved very much!!!!
I think of you often and send up a prayer.
For years, the young adult genre was looked down upon as not really worthy of time spent. When I found this genre, I very much enjoyed these books.
When Barnes and Noble had a new, large area for YA books, I thought YES!!!!
Sadly, even in reading genre's there is snobbishness.
Even though I worked at Lehigh University for 36 years, the snobbishness didn't wear off. I too was a weird-o, and often knew I did not fit in.
I hated the meetings when those who complained about others, smiled and while complimenting the person they said they didn't like!
Each year, after graduation, I sent a note to all our graduates and asked them to please keep in touch, and let the department, and current students know what they were doing since graduation. I thought it might be an inspiration to those seniors now looking for jobs and this might be a vehicle to see what is in the job market.
Every letter received from graduates was posted on bulletin board in the a basement in the U.C. , which is where we were housed for many, many years. I imagine the Journalism Department was there when you were a student.
A co-worker, whom I considered a friend, made a comment when no one was near, and we were walking past the bulletin board. He said: "Someone from the visiting committee asked me why students would write TO YOU!"
Later, another time when no one was around to hear his nastiness he told me people in the department said "I didn't know MY PLACE!" I wish I would have said that those same people said the same about him. Rather, I took the high ground.
Yikes, I thought I was doing a stellar job in advising many successful yearbooks. My credit always went to the students who did the stellar job! Same for the newspaper. I found ways to make it a very financially successful endeavor. I taught students business skills and ways in which to build advertising revenue. To this day, I receive cards and notes, only now they are addressed to my home.
When I retired, at the luncheon, I knew that person was going to smile and say many sugar coated things. When I knew he was going to start talking, I simply looked at him and said NO!
It opened my eyes to the fact that he moved up the ladder quickly, perhaps by stepping on others.
Sometimes weirdo-s take a lot of crap from the "real" weirdo-s.
Keep being who you are! A talented, caring, kind, soul who is grieving after losing someone he loved very much!!!!
I think of you often and send up a prayer.
118weird_O
>115 richardderus: >116 drneutron: Did you see those jackasses laughing?
>117 Whisper1: Aww, Linda. Hang in there. I get into coulda/shoulda reveries (reveries??!), usually when I'm trying to go to sleep. I tell myself that I can't do anything about it, so I must evict those memories from my brain to make room for happier, more rewarding ones. Doesn't always work, of course.
-----------------
Found out this afternoon that The Grand Claire is quarantining on campus for the next 10 days. Making coffee either yesterday or today, she realized she couldn't smell the beans or the brew. A COVID test was positive, so she was immediately moved into quarantine. She can go outside, but can't mix with anybody. Of course she WAS vaxed in April-May and was tested before going to Greece and when vacationing in Costa Rica with her family. Her parents and sister have just been retested and had negative results.
Aaahhhh. I guess she can get some major reading done.
>117 Whisper1: Aww, Linda. Hang in there. I get into coulda/shoulda reveries (reveries??!), usually when I'm trying to go to sleep. I tell myself that I can't do anything about it, so I must evict those memories from my brain to make room for happier, more rewarding ones. Doesn't always work, of course.
-----------------
Found out this afternoon that The Grand Claire is quarantining on campus for the next 10 days. Making coffee either yesterday or today, she realized she couldn't smell the beans or the brew. A COVID test was positive, so she was immediately moved into quarantine. She can go outside, but can't mix with anybody. Of course she WAS vaxed in April-May and was tested before going to Greece and when vacationing in Costa Rica with her family. Her parents and sister have just been retested and had negative results.
Aaahhhh. I guess she can get some major reading done.
119karenmarie
Glad you liked Hollow Kingdom, Bill. Waiting a while to read Feral Creatures is a good idea, IMO, having just finished it.
Congrats on a boffo August.
Sorry about Claire having to quarantine. I hope she tests negative soon and has no symptoms of Covid in the meantime.
Congrats on a boffo August.
Sorry about Claire having to quarantine. I hope she tests negative soon and has no symptoms of Covid in the meantime.
120msf59
Congrats on having a wonderful reading month in August, Bill. May that trend continue. Hooray for Hollow Kingdom! Nice to have you part of the S.T. Club.
Sorry to hear about Claire. I hope that all ends up okay.
Sorry to hear about Claire. I hope that all ends up okay.
122lauralkeet
>118 weird_O: Hi Bill. Poor Claire! I hope she bounces back quickly. It's good to see the school has a clear plan for dealing with situations like hers.
123ffortsa
Ouch. Sorry to hear about Claire. Another example of how we can't always completely beat Mother Nature. I hope she has no more symptoms and can smell that coffee soon! And reads some good books while she waits.
124richardderus
Well, Claire's news rots. Please tell her the same thing happened to me, and sleeping through it is a great way to get the sense of smell back in under six weeks!
Permaybehaps not as comforting to a college student as an oldster....
Permaybehaps not as comforting to a college student as an oldster....
125Crazymamie
Poor Claire! That is such a bummer and right at the beginning of things.
126weird_O
>119 karenmarie: >120 msf59: >121 PaulCranswick: >122 lauralkeet: >123 ffortsa: >124 richardderus: >125 Crazymamie: Thanks to you all for your concern for our Claire Bear. I was just thinking now, I could read The Greek Plays, which I got last Christmas because it was assigned for one of her courses. We could discuss it; we could Zoom! Or not.
I did like Hollow Kingdom, 'twas very fine. But I have picked up America, America, which I started and set aside several months ago. By Ethan Canin, for February's AAC. It is good but not great.
I read two shorties today.
I did like Hollow Kingdom, 'twas very fine. But I have picked up America, America, which I started and set aside several months ago. By Ethan Canin, for February's AAC. It is good but not great.
I read two shorties today.
127laytonwoman3rd
>118 weird_O: Sorry to hear about Claire's quarantine--I hope she isn't feeling too ill. So many people I'm hearing about with minor symptoms and positive tests. May hers be just a nuisance, nothing worse.
128mahsdad
>126 weird_O: I've always wondered if a Zoom hang out with this bunch might be fun. Not to discuss Greek Plays, that's going to be a hard pass for me ;). Maybe at Christmas, tho coordinating something like that, might be like herding cats, or pushing a wet noodle, with all the different timezones we occupy.
129weird_O
I had a psychotic episode today that made me contrive book-rating icons for my asinine book-ratings. Stars are just a whole lot easier (perhaps...) but why take the easy way. Eh? So here's the August read-list with ratings.
The Great Halifax Explosion by John U. Bacon (8/3/21)
How the South Won the Civil War by Heather Cox Richardson (8/6/21)
The Round House by Louise Erdrich (8/8/21)
Nathan Coulter by Wendell Berry (8/11/21)
Blackout by Connie Willis (8/14/21)
All Clear by Connie Willis (8/18/21)
Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (8/19/21)
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde (8/20/21)
A Judgement in Stone by Ruth Rendell (8/23/21)
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (8/28/21)
Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton (8/31/21)
The Great Halifax Explosion by John U. Bacon (8/3/21)
How the South Won the Civil War by Heather Cox Richardson (8/6/21)
The Round House by Louise Erdrich (8/8/21)
Nathan Coulter by Wendell Berry (8/11/21)
Blackout by Connie Willis (8/14/21)
All Clear by Connie Willis (8/18/21)
Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (8/19/21)
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde (8/20/21)
A Judgement in Stone by Ruth Rendell (8/23/21)
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (8/28/21)
Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton (8/31/21)
130richardderus
>129 weird_O: I think they're very spiffy, Bill!
132richardderus
Normally I am a person who Knows My Own Mind. Startling, I realize, for you to hear this...as I've always been such a soft-spoken crowd-goer-alonger.
Stop laughing.
Anyway. I need help. The wisdom of the crowd is sought to help be decide between two equally strong contenders for Read of the Month. I am simply incapable to unparalyzing myself from the FOMO I get thinking about this problem.
Please vote on the poll or you will be directly responsible for my re-admission to the Goofy Garage this birthmonth.
Stop laughing.
Anyway. I need help. The wisdom of the crowd is sought to help be decide between two equally strong contenders for Read of the Month. I am simply incapable to unparalyzing myself from the FOMO I get thinking about this problem.
Please vote on the poll or you will be directly responsible for my re-admission to the Goofy Garage this birthmonth.
133benitastrnad
Thought I would let you know that I am listening to the recorded version of Born A Crime. It is narrated by Trevor Noah and since I don't watch him on TV I am trying to see if I will get a sense of what kind of comedy show host he would be just from his voice. So far the book is OK, but not outstanding. However, I am only about 50 pages in so things can change - and often do.
134weird_O
>128 mahsdad: Good luck with THAT, Jeff. The time zone spread makes it challenging. You could be authoritarian and select a time and give all the freedom to join in (or not). Rather than trying to accommodate everyone (or even most people) through negotiation.
Attractive idea, that. Seeing and hearing people that are like pen pals.
>130 richardderus: Thanks, Richard.
>131 Whisper1: I'm pretty confident she'll be okay, Linda. It's missing the first classes of the semester that weigh most on her.
>132 richardderus: Well, I voted for the first, Richard. The idea of Nebraska having municipal police forces big enough to have multiple detectives and boonies locales to which to assign them was too much of a stretch for me. Omaha, sure. What I wanted was a write-in option. The Mystery of Edwin Drood would get my vote.
>133 benitastrnad: I recall feeling that Born a Crime was okay, maybe even good, but no more than that.
Attractive idea, that. Seeing and hearing people that are like pen pals.
>130 richardderus: Thanks, Richard.
>131 Whisper1: I'm pretty confident she'll be okay, Linda. It's missing the first classes of the semester that weigh most on her.
>132 richardderus: Well, I voted for the first, Richard. The idea of Nebraska having municipal police forces big enough to have multiple detectives and boonies locales to which to assign them was too much of a stretch for me. Omaha, sure. What I wanted was a write-in option. The Mystery of Edwin Drood would get my vote.
>133 benitastrnad: I recall feeling that Born a Crime was okay, maybe even good, but no more than that.
135weird_O
Fav o' the Month ...So far.
JANUARY: One Story by Gipi
FEBRUARY: One of Our Thursdays Is Missing by Jasper Fforde
RUNNER-UP: Home Truths by David Lodge+
MARCH: The End of the Alphabet by CS Richardson
RUNNER-UP: The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson
APRIL: How Music Works by David Byrne
RUNNER-UP: Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson
MAY: Circe by Madeline Miller
RUNNER-UP: Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell
JUNE: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
RUNNER-UP: The Hot Rock by Donald Westlake
RUNNER-UP: Abel's Island by William Steig
JULY: Demon Box by Ken Kesey
RUNNER-UP: A Coyote's in the House by Elmore Leonard
RUNNER-UP: Thank You, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse
AUGUST: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
JANUARY: One Story by Gipi
FEBRUARY: One of Our Thursdays Is Missing by Jasper Fforde
RUNNER-UP: Home Truths by David Lodge
+MARCH: The End of the Alphabet by CS Richardson
RUNNER-UP: The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson
APRIL: How Music Works by David Byrne
RUNNER-UP: Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson
MAY: Circe by Madeline Miller
RUNNER-UP: Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell
JUNE: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
RUNNER-UP: The Hot Rock by Donald Westlake
RUNNER-UP: Abel's Island by William Steig
JULY: Demon Box by Ken Kesey
RUNNER-UP: A Coyote's in the House by Elmore Leonard
RUNNER-UP: Thank You, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse
AUGUST: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
136karenmarie
You're definitely having fun with your new rating system - lots of good books read in August to rate with it, and I like your Fav o' the month.
137richardderus
>134 weird_O: Hence the absence of a write-in option...some yahoo was bound to recommend Chuckles the Dick.
138weird_O
>137 richardderus: You talkin' ta me?!
139richardderus
I merely comment upon the passing scene.
140LovingLit
>101 weird_O: sprouting pea in lodged in throat. Ew ew ew. (Ew.)
>129 weird_O: Very Good+ does give me good indication of your feelings on a book! I like it!
Re: How the South Won the Civil War by Heather Cox Richardson... I am an avid follower of her Facebook posts/short essays. She is a voice of reason in troubled times. So, I am determined to read something of hers in book form!
>129 weird_O: Very Good+ does give me good indication of your feelings on a book! I like it!
Re: How the South Won the Civil War by Heather Cox Richardson... I am an avid follower of her Facebook posts/short essays. She is a voice of reason in troubled times. So, I am determined to read something of hers in book form!
141weird_O
>139 richardderus: Uh huh. :-)
>140 LovingLit: It is a good book, Megan. But chilling.
-----------------
I finished America, America, so I am now—Holy smokes!—caught up on the American Author Challenge. Okay, so I went with a few Wild Cards. I've just begun my next AAC, for September: The Bird Artist by Howard Norman. I'm all of 10 pages in, and it is a knockout. (Maybe I'm exaggerating.)
I've also started a collection of short stories called The Best of Connie Willis. I got the book because it had two recommended stories—"Inside Job" and "The Last of the Winnebagos". A mixed bag, so far. I went straight to "Inside Job"; it is a hoot! Thanks for spotlighting it RD. Haven't yet gotten to the Winnebagos story, which Ron (RBeffa) recommended. One feature I like is an afterword by Willis for each story.
Book sale comin' up mid-week.
>140 LovingLit: It is a good book, Megan. But chilling.
-----------------
I finished America, America, so I am now—Holy smokes!—caught up on the American Author Challenge. Okay, so I went with a few Wild Cards. I've just begun my next AAC, for September: The Bird Artist by Howard Norman. I'm all of 10 pages in, and it is a knockout. (Maybe I'm exaggerating.)
I've also started a collection of short stories called The Best of Connie Willis. I got the book because it had two recommended stories—"Inside Job" and "The Last of the Winnebagos". A mixed bag, so far. I went straight to "Inside Job"; it is a hoot! Thanks for spotlighting it RD. Haven't yet gotten to the Winnebagos story, which Ron (RBeffa) recommended. One feature I like is an afterword by Willis for each story.
Book sale comin' up mid-week.
142richardderus
>141 weird_O: Isn't Inside Job terrific?! I'm really glad you enjoyed it.
I'll bet cash money you'll end up The Bird Artist as happy as you are now.
I'll bet cash money you'll end up The Bird Artist as happy as you are now.
143jnwelch
The Bird Artist is great. You might even end up happier than you are now for having read it.
144FAMeulstee
Congratulations on reaching 75, Bill!
148msf59
>129 weird_O: Cool look to this, Bill. Weird fits you well. Congrats on 75, my friend.
149Berly
Hi Bill--So many things to comment on...and not in order...
Congrats on 75!!
Love your new rating system!
My son put a marble up his nose, but he did ask for help since he couldn't get it out by himself.
I have Piranisi and am moving it up the TBR pile.
Glad the needle came out okay-yikes!
I loved the audio of Trevor Noah and Born a Crime.
Happy Wednesday!
Congrats on 75!!
Love your new rating system!
My son put a marble up his nose, but he did ask for help since he couldn't get it out by himself.
I have Piranisi and am moving it up the TBR pile.
Glad the needle came out okay-yikes!
I loved the audio of Trevor Noah and Born a Crime.
Happy Wednesday!
150weird_O
>146 drneutron: >147 charl08: >148 msf59: >149 Berly: I'm happy to have gotten 75 books read. I went back through my reading records (I began listing my reads in 2010, 5 years before joining LT). The earliest I reached 75 was 8/23/19; I read 110 books that year. Getting to 75 on 9/1 suggests I'll top 100 for the year. Last year was a disappointing 81.
My own ratings is new for this year, and I've been keeping track on my spreadsheet. I wanted to display them with color. So that's new. I'll make an effort to update the lists in >5 weird_O: and >8 weird_O: and >10 weird_O:.
I finished my September AAC book, The Bird Artist by Howard Norman. I think it's a.
I'll read a few Connie Willis shorts whilst I settle on the next September read.
Book sale tomorrow (well, technically, today. Later today)
My own ratings is new for this year, and I've been keeping track on my spreadsheet. I wanted to display them with color. So that's new. I'll make an effort to update the lists in >5 weird_O: and >8 weird_O: and >10 weird_O:.
I finished my September AAC book, The Bird Artist by Howard Norman. I think it's a
.I'll read a few Connie Willis shorts whilst I settle on the next September read.
Book sale tomorrow (well, technically, today. Later today)
151karenmarie
Congrats on #75, Bill, and what a wonderful book to reach the milestone with.
Another book sale? I envy you.
Another book sale? I envy you.
152weird_O
I'm ba-ack. Book sale was pretty good. Somewhat spendy; I got three relatively current Books—Caste by Isabel Wilkerson, Squeeze Me by Carl Hiaasen, and The Searcher by Tana French—for $5 each. Also, a catalog for a show of Keith Haring works for $9.
And in my inimitable way, I bought 3 dupes of books in my catalog. Akkkkk. OTOH, I did check my catalog via cell and returned to the shelves two books that would have been dupes. Two steps forward, three steps back. (Gotta practice typing on a cellphone.)
Haven't made a list yet. I'm working on it.
And in my inimitable way, I bought 3 dupes of books in my catalog. Akkkkk. OTOH, I did check my catalog via cell and returned to the shelves two books that would have been dupes. Two steps forward, three steps back. (Gotta practice typing on a cellphone.)
Haven't made a list yet. I'm working on it.
154laytonwoman3rd
>152 weird_O: I passed up the most recent Friends of the Scranton Public Library sale....another of the sidewalk variety, and on a very lovely day. I just need to get some books out of the house before tempting myself to bring more in by the bagful.
155benitastrnad
Suzanne Clarke just won the Women's Prize for Fiction for Piranesi. I can tell I need to dig my copy out of the box it is in and read it.
156msf59
I also thought The Bird Artist was VG+! I am sure you had a good time at the book sale. Looking forward to seeing pics of the stacks.
157weird_O
>151 karenmarie: That poem cost 49 cents at GW. It's inscribed from a proud grannie to a girl who graduated with a 4.0. Proud grad dumped it quick-like.
>153 LovingLit: Oh sure, especially if someone else is doing the spending. In this sale, eight books accounted for half my expenditure, while the other half got me 27 books. And of course, 3 of my dollars got me copies of books I already have. So back into circulation they'll go.
>154 laytonwoman3rd: Sorry I missed the Scranton sale. The one today was Bethlehem's first since January 2019. I just might go again on Saturday. Next sale there is between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
>155 benitastrnad: Piranesi is worth whatever awards are awarded to it, Benita.
>156 msf59: I'll break out the tripod, camera, and flash power Thursday, Mark.
I wanted to see Fabian's sketches and paintings. A lot of the birds are unknown to me. (I do have some illustrated bird books I should pull off the shelves. And of course, Google Images and Bing can scare up photos and drawings.
>153 LovingLit: Oh sure, especially if someone else is doing the spending. In this sale, eight books accounted for half my expenditure, while the other half got me 27 books. And of course, 3 of my dollars got me copies of books I already have. So back into circulation they'll go.
>154 laytonwoman3rd: Sorry I missed the Scranton sale. The one today was Bethlehem's first since January 2019. I just might go again on Saturday. Next sale there is between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
>155 benitastrnad: Piranesi is worth whatever awards are awarded to it, Benita.
>156 msf59: I'll break out the tripod, camera, and flash power Thursday, Mark.
I wanted to see Fabian's sketches and paintings. A lot of the birds are unknown to me. (I do have some illustrated bird books I should pull off the shelves. And of course, Google Images and Bing can scare up photos and drawings.
158Berly
>152 weird_O: Well the three books you listed (that aren't dupes) are winners--happy reading lies ahead!
159karenmarie
Hi Bill!
Congrats on the good book sale haul even though we haven’t seen the list yet. I’m glad checking your catalog on your cell phone worked two times.
Were there any restrictions on the number of people? Masking? Social distancing? Enquiring minds and all that… our Friends group cancelled our September sale and we don’t know if we’ll be able to have a sale this year or not. Meanwhile, 17000+ books/audiovisual materials are hanging out in an air-conditioned room at the Library, getting older by the minute.
>157 weird_O: Dumb grad. I bought that book for Jenna when I bought a copy for myself. She may not read it soon, but she’ll at least keep it on her shelves.
Congrats on the good book sale haul even though we haven’t seen the list yet. I’m glad checking your catalog on your cell phone worked two times.
Were there any restrictions on the number of people? Masking? Social distancing? Enquiring minds and all that… our Friends group cancelled our September sale and we don’t know if we’ll be able to have a sale this year or not. Meanwhile, 17000+ books/audiovisual materials are hanging out in an air-conditioned room at the Library, getting older by the minute.
>157 weird_O: Dumb grad. I bought that book for Jenna when I bought a copy for myself. She may not read it soon, but she’ll at least keep it on her shelves.
160weird_O
Mornin', Karen. Yeah, I checked; it IS still morning.
Efforts were made to adapt to Covid, yes. Masks required; I didn't observe any non-compliance and/or any complaints about it. Only fifty shoppers in the room. These measures were listed on the sale website. Once in the room, shoppers were asked to limit themselves to 30 minutes of browsing, so people in line would get a shot at shopping. Being an incorrigible, I managed to suppress my instinct to comply by noting that the checkout line was very long and reasoning that I could continue to shop whilst monitoring the line length. A two-hour limit on parking was more effective at moving me out.
I'm thinking about going back Saturday. But the cons outweigh the pros.
I haven't really mastered typing on the cellphone. I did manage to type Ivan Doig and thereby avoided getting a dupe of The Bartender's Tale. Same with Toni Morrison and Home. Two of the three dupes stemmed from tossing the books in my bag and promising myself to check later. As it worked out, I did! But only after getting home. Crappolas.
Bethlehem usually has six sales annually. They are skipping the next slot and mounting the pre-Christmas sale as the second and last of 2021.
How's that? Did I miss anything?
I'll put up a list shortly.
Efforts were made to adapt to Covid, yes. Masks required; I didn't observe any non-compliance and/or any complaints about it. Only fifty shoppers in the room. These measures were listed on the sale website. Once in the room, shoppers were asked to limit themselves to 30 minutes of browsing, so people in line would get a shot at shopping. Being an incorrigible, I managed to suppress my instinct to comply by noting that the checkout line was very long and reasoning that I could continue to shop whilst monitoring the line length. A two-hour limit on parking was more effective at moving me out.
I'm thinking about going back Saturday. But the cons outweigh the pros.
I haven't really mastered typing on the cellphone. I did manage to type Ivan Doig and thereby avoided getting a dupe of The Bartender's Tale. Same with Toni Morrison and Home. Two of the three dupes stemmed from tossing the books in my bag and promising myself to check later. As it worked out, I did! But only after getting home. Crappolas.
Bethlehem usually has six sales annually. They are skipping the next slot and mounting the pre-Christmas sale as the second and last of 2021.
How's that? Did I miss anything?
I'll put up a list shortly.
161karenmarie
Thanks for all the lovely info, Bill!
162m.belljackson
Hi Bill - I just finished The Bartender's Tale for a second reading,
then recommended it to Mark for the One-eyed Bison story.
then recommended it to Mark for the One-eyed Bison story.
164laytonwoman3rd
>163 weird_O: Some very good choices there...also a couple I'd toss back, but I won't discourage you...
165weird_O
Ah. Very little could discourage me more than I am, Linda. Which would you toss overboard?
166richardderus
>163 weird_O: A terrific haul! I'm most envious.
167laytonwoman3rd
>165 weird_O: OK...you asked. Dune (not my brand of escape, that's all), A Doubter's Almanac (did not impress me, did not finish), and the Auster (haven't tried that one, but in general he's on my "pass" list).
168weird_O
>166 richardderus: A good day's enterprise then, RD.
>167 laytonwoman3rd: I may never around to reading Dune, Linda. But why pass it up? The previous owner of it didn't seem to have read it. Eight hundred plus pages in some desert. A Doubter's Almanac? It didn't have a round tuit inside, so we'll see. I wasn't consistently impressed with America, America; Updike (did you ever read anything by him?) gave it a gracious review in The New Yorker. He was still alive back then. (Updike I mean.) Auster? I liked Timbuktu mucho. I didn't "get" The New York Trilogy first time around, but after some supplemental reading, ahem, I understood it better on the second read.
Thanks for the comments.
>167 laytonwoman3rd: I may never around to reading Dune, Linda. But why pass it up? The previous owner of it didn't seem to have read it. Eight hundred plus pages in some desert. A Doubter's Almanac? It didn't have a round tuit inside, so we'll see. I wasn't consistently impressed with America, America; Updike (did you ever read anything by him?) gave it a gracious review in The New Yorker. He was still alive back then. (Updike I mean.) Auster? I liked Timbuktu mucho. I didn't "get" The New York Trilogy first time around, but after some supplemental reading, ahem, I understood it better on the second read.
Thanks for the comments.
169weird_O
By the way, here's that list I promised (dupes not revealed; sorry).
September 8, 2021: BAPL Sale
1. Dune by Frank Herbert (mmp)
2. Two Years Eight Months & Twenty-Eight Nights by Salman Rushdie (pbk)
3. Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers (pbk)
4. Elsewhere: a Memoir by Richard Russo (pbk)
5. The Guts by Roddy Doyle (pbk)
6. Maigret Gets Angry by Georges Simenon (pbk)
7. The Woman Who Smashed Codes by Jason Fagone (pbk)
8. Journey to Portugal: In Pursuit of Portugal's History and Culture by Jose Saramago (pbk)
9. Life's Journeys According to Mister Rogers: Things to Remember Along the Way by Fred Rogers (hc)
10. The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember by Fred Rogers (hc)
11. Many Ways to Say I Love You: Wisdom for Parents and Children from Mister Rogers by Fred Rogers (hc)
12. This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz (hc)
13. Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead (hc)
14. Lock In by John Scalzi (hc)
15. Patchwork: A Bobbie Ann Mason Reader by Bobbie Ann Mason (hc)
16. The Girl in the Blue Beret by Bobbie Ann Mason (hc)
17. 4321 by Paul Auster (hc)
18. The Zone of Interest by Martin Amis (hc)
19. A Doubter's Almanac by Ethan Canin (hc)
20. Silk Parachute by John McPhee (hc)
21. The Children's Crusade by Ann Packer (hc)
22. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman (hc) Upgrade
23. Love and Ruin by Paula McLain (hc)
24. Holy Cow by David Duchovny (hc)
25. The Boat Rocker by Ha Jin (hc)
26. The Stockholm Octavo by Karen Engelmann (hc)
27. Jeeves and the Wedding Bells: A Homage to P. G. Wodehouse by Sebastian Faulks (hc)
28. American Romantic by Ward Just (hc)
29. The Devil and Webster by Jean Hanff Korelitz (hc)
30. Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson (hc)
31. The Searcher by Tana French (hc)
32. Squeeze Me by Carl Hiaasen (hc)
33. Keith Haring: Heaven and Hell, Museum fur neue kunst (hc, oversize, D•A•P)
170laytonwoman3rd
>169 weird_O: Mostly what I've read of Updike are his reviews...and I appreciate those. But otherwise he's in a box with Philip Roth, and can stay there. It was Timbuktu that underwhelmed me. Having known a lot of dogs in my time, I just didn't think Auster did anything remarkable there. Perhaps wrongly, it put me off trying anything else of his.
171benitastrnad
I went to the local used book store last Saturday and I think that is the most people I have seen inside a store of any kind in months. This used book store is run by the Friends of the Library and up until August 18, they had a 10 person limit and every time I went there I had to stand in line and wait until somebody left in order to get inside. I didn't have to wait this time, but the place was hoppin'. I walked out with $28.00 in purchases and was happy with what I got.
I went in looking for a copy of Purple Hibiscus and Women in the Castle for my real life Book Discussion group. I did find a copy of Women in the Castle and other titles I was interested in. All of them were bargains.
I went in looking for a copy of Purple Hibiscus and Women in the Castle for my real life Book Discussion group. I did find a copy of Women in the Castle and other titles I was interested in. All of them were bargains.
172Crazymamie
Hello there, Bill! I came to check out your haul - most impressive!! I also love that you gave us a photo and a list - so thoughtful because I could not make out all the tiles in the photo.
I loved Dune, so please to read it. And I was happy to see the Maigret in there - I need to get back to him.
I loved Dune, so please to read it. And I was happy to see the Maigret in there - I need to get back to him.
173weird_O
>170 laytonwoman3rd: Uuuuh. I checked my reading log, but it only goes back through 2010. Didn't see Timbuktu on it. So I got out the book and intend to scan through it and see if I still like it "mucho". At any rate, 4 3 2 1 is not a chunkster I'm going to tackle anytime soon. 850+ pages. Oh yeah! Nahhh. :-)
>171 benitastrnad: Couldn't be, could it? Not in 'Bama. I'll rate that protocol.
>172 Crazymamie: I could not make out all the tiles in the photo. That's probably because there are NO tiles in the photo. *snicker into hands* I don't know if I really will read Dune, but now I can if I want to. Couldn't say that before Wednesday.
>171 benitastrnad: Couldn't be, could it? Not in 'Bama. I'll rate that protocol
.>172 Crazymamie: I could not make out all the tiles in the photo. That's probably because there are NO tiles in the photo. *snicker into hands* I don't know if I really will read Dune, but now I can if I want to. Couldn't say that before Wednesday.
174msf59
>163 weird_O: Wow, Bill!! Great haul. I absolutely loved the Junot Diaz collection. Nickel Boys was fantastic too. I have never read Dune.
175karenmarie
>169 weird_O: Lovely haul. Bravo.
176weird_O
>174 msf59: >175 karenmarie: Aw shucks. Books were still on the shelves and tables when I left Wednesday. I had to go back today to straighten out that situation. I missed the opening of the doors, arriving a couple of hours later. But by that time, the pretenders had checked out and shopping was much easier. Naturally, I got more—and, yes, spent more—than I did Wednesday.
Of course, a list and book-stack portrait will follow.
Of course, a list and book-stack portrait will follow.
177RBeffa
I did not have a Sept AAC book but all this Book Artist talk got me interested and I found a nice used copy this morning locally which I came home with. Will get to it soonish.
>163 weird_O: That is quite a haul
>163 weird_O: That is quite a haul
178weird_O
I am very glad I read The Bird Artist, Ron. It's very deadpan, but hilarious.
179richardderus
...oh, don't mind me, I'm just waiting for the book-show.
182karenmarie
Yay Bill! Pictures of books. What a marvelous variety.
Amphigorey! Edward Gorey is one of my favorite authors.
Amphigorey! Edward Gorey is one of my favorite authors.
183weird_O
List of Books Acquired
Bethlehem Area Public Library sale, September 11, 2021
Bethlehem Area Public Library sale, September 11, 2021
1. The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne (mmp) Merde: It's abridged!
2. Three Plays: Desire Under the Elms; Strange Interlude; Mourning Becomes Electra by Eugene O'Neill (mmp)
3. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes (mmp)
4. Colored People by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (pbk)
5. Journey Without Maps by Graham Greene (pbk)
6. Dreaming War by Gore Vidal (pbk)
7. Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett (pbk)
8. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (The Definitive Edition) (pbk)
9. The Cambridge Companion to William Faulkner edited by Philip M. Weinstein (pbk)
10. The Instinct for Cooperation by Noam Chomsky & Jeffrey Wilson GN (pbk)
11. The Body: Photographs of the Human Form by William A. Ewing (pbk, slipcase)
12. The Bible According to Mark Twain edited by Howard G. Baetzhold & Joseph B. McCullough (pbk)
13. Lucy by Jamaica Kincaid (pbk)
14. The Gospel According to the Son by Norman Mailer (pbk)
15. The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen (pbk)
16. Good as Gold by Joseph Heller (pbk)
17. To End All Wars by Adam Hochschild (pbk)
18. Freud for Beginners by Richard Appignanesi & Oscar Zarate (pbk)
19. A Genius for Deception by Nicholas Rankin (hc)
20. Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides (hc)
21. On Desperate Ground by Hampton Sides (hc)
22. Mobituaries by Mo Rocca (hc)
23. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood (hc)
24. When the Going Was Good by Evelyn Waugh (hc)
25. Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species: A Graphic Adaptation by Michael Keller (hc)
26. The New Yorker Book of Kids Cartoons edited by Robert Mankoff (hc)
27. The Little Book of Big Mistakes by Ken Lytle & Katie Corcoran Lytle (hc)
28. The Greatest Stories Never Told by Rick Beyer (hc)
29. Mrs. Paine's Garage by Thomas Mallon (hc)
30. The Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans by Plutarch a.k.a. Plutarch's Lives (ML) (hc)
31. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany by William L. Shirer (hc)
32. The Keys to the Street by Ruth Rendell (hc)
33. Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc by the Sieur Louis de Compte (a.k.a. Mark Twain) (hc)
34. The Mind's Eye: Writings on Photography and Photographers by Henri Cartier-Bresson (hc)
35. The Age of Edison by Ernest Freeberg (hc)
36. Novels 1942–1954 by William Faulkner (LoA) (hc, slipcase)
37. Paine: Collected Writings by Thomas Paine (LoA) (hc, slipcase)
38. Melville: Typee, Omoo, Marti by Herman Melville (LoA) (hc, slipcase)
39. Quilts: A Living Tradition by Robert Shaw (hc, D· A· P)
40. America's Glorious Quilts edited by Dennis Duke and Deborah Harding (hc, D· A· P)
41. Indianapolis 500 by Ralph Kramer (hc)
42. Lord Arthur Saville's Crime by Oscar Wilde (by J. I.'s Story Classics imprint) (hc)
43. Edward Hopper and the American Imagination by Deborah Lyons & Adam D. Weinberg (hc)
44. The Rejection Collection edited by Matthew Diffee (hc)
45. Nephrology: A Photographic History—Disease & Trauma; Pioneers & Educators; Radiology & Surgery; Science & Therapy four volume set by Stanley M. Burns, MD, FACS (hc, slipcase)
46. Jefferson's Children: The Story of One American Family by Shannon Lanier and Jane Feldman (hc)
47. The Complete New Yorker by everyone who wrote for that magazine 8 DVDs (hc)
48. ...And Then We'll Get Him by Gahan Wilson (hc, D· A· P)
49. Fifteen Books AMPHIGOREY by Edward Gorey (pbk, D· A· P)
50. Howard Hughes: His Achievements and Legacy text by Robert Maguglin (pbk, D· A· P)
51. Dream Big Starring Olivia by Ian Falconer (hc, kids)
52. Peter Rabbit Little Learning Book "by" Beatrix Potter (hc, kids)
53. The Wizard of Oz Waddle Book by L. Frank Baum (hc, kids)
54. Night of the Spadefoot Toads by Bill Harley (pbk, kids)
55. Owls: Whoo Are They? by Kila Jarvis and Denver W. Holt (pbk, kids)
184richardderus
Oh! Oh! Oh! There are so many delights and glories! The Hopper book...the LoA slipcases...the fact someone didn't want (!!) their Hampton Sides books anymore...the Gorey, the Gahan...surely The Snow Leopard is a dupe...what exactly *did* Mark Twain have to say about the Bible?...oh! I must sit down.
>180 weird_O: Cunning, ain't it?
>180 weird_O: Cunning, ain't it?
185m.belljackson
Bill - thank you for posting that wonderful variety of books so most titles are clearly visible!
I've read a few - did not know there existed a GN of Darwin's book - I'd love all the rest,
except Waiting for Godot.
I've read a few - did not know there existed a GN of Darwin's book - I'd love all the rest,
except Waiting for Godot.
186RBeffa
>178 weird_O: I started reading The Bird Artist yesterday, just the first chapter, and I am enchanted by it.
By the way, I read Dune and the first couple sequels the summer I turned 21. To use a phrase from the times, it completely blew my mind and I don't think I have ever since had a reading experience quite like it. I unpacked my set of 6 books recently (I never read the 6th book which I picked up about a decade ago) and I have every intention of giving it a go within the next year. I doubt my 68 yo self will have the experience that my 21 yo self did, but I can't imagine not liking it. I really hope you give it a try.
By the way, I read Dune and the first couple sequels the summer I turned 21. To use a phrase from the times, it completely blew my mind and I don't think I have ever since had a reading experience quite like it. I unpacked my set of 6 books recently (I never read the 6th book which I picked up about a decade ago) and I have every intention of giving it a go within the next year. I doubt my 68 yo self will have the experience that my 21 yo self did, but I can't imagine not liking it. I really hope you give it a try.
187weird_O
>182 karenmarie: Several Gorey books were displayed. All of them had "premium" prices (premium for a library sale). I know Gorey only by reputation, so I picked one. Maybe the others will still be available in December's sale. I left an hour or so before closing, and there were not many shoppers there.
>184 richardderus: I'm pleased with what I drug home. I got some nice books for my Jersey Girls, as well as a couple of books just mostly for looking at, and some I can already imagine reading with considerable pleasure. At some point, I gotta stop this nonsense.
Or not.
That chair is...mmmmm...not to my taste.
>185 m.belljackson: It's always a pleasure to dazzle the eyes with stacks of entertainment and knowledge. It's a corollary to supporting a swell community library from which I have never borrowed a book.
I was kind of stunned to discover, as I cataloged these books, that the GN of Darwin's Origins book was published by Rodale Press. I worked there 27 years, being retired (before I was ready) ten years before the GN was published (and about ten years before the business went out of). On the other end of that timeline, the founder of Rodale Press, had a downscale Heritage Press type operation, publishing obscure works under the rubric of "Story Classics." I got a Story Classics edition of Lord Arthur Savile's Crime by Oscar Wilde.
>186 RBeffa: Ron, I expect you'll enjoy The Bird Artist right through to its conclusion. I hope, should I crack the cover of Dune, that I'll take to it. The length of it is awfully daunting, though.
>184 richardderus: I'm pleased with what I drug home. I got some nice books for my Jersey Girls, as well as a couple of books just mostly for looking at, and some I can already imagine reading with considerable pleasure. At some point, I gotta stop this nonsense.
Or not.
That chair is...mmmmm...not to my taste.
>185 m.belljackson: It's always a pleasure to dazzle the eyes with stacks of entertainment and knowledge. It's a corollary to supporting a swell community library from which I have never borrowed a book.
I was kind of stunned to discover, as I cataloged these books, that the GN of Darwin's Origins book was published by Rodale Press. I worked there 27 years, being retired (before I was ready) ten years before the GN was published (and about ten years before the business went out of). On the other end of that timeline, the founder of Rodale Press, had a downscale Heritage Press type operation, publishing obscure works under the rubric of "Story Classics." I got a Story Classics edition of Lord Arthur Savile's Crime by Oscar Wilde.
>186 RBeffa: Ron, I expect you'll enjoy The Bird Artist right through to its conclusion. I hope, should I crack the cover of Dune, that I'll take to it. The length of it is awfully daunting, though.
188msf59
>183 weird_O: Might book haul, Bill. Most of these, I have never read. I did LOVE Ghost Soldiers though. My introduction to Mr. Sides, who has become a NNF favorite.
189laytonwoman3rd
Marvelous haul...just marvelous. LOA Faulkner (just the one???), lots of Hampton Sides, Edward Gorey, Twain....I'm amazed that after days of picking all that good stuff was still there waiting for you. Well done.
190jnwelch
Great book haul, Bill. I'm a big fan of Caste, and envious of your hard cover.
I'm glad The Bird Artist worked well for you.
Have a good week, buddy.
I'm glad The Bird Artist worked well for you.
Have a good week, buddy.
191weird_O
>188 msf59: >189 laytonwoman3rd: >190 jnwelch: Thank you. It's that storybook embarrassment of riches.
--------
Given all the new-to-me books I acquired, it's interesting/nutso that two of first three I "read" were cartoon collections: The New Yorker Book of Kids Cartoons and compilation of Gahan Wilson 'toons from the 1970s. Having some laughs whilst basking in the sin of hoarding. Then I read an Oscar Wilde story, Lord Arthur Savile's Crime. (The touchstone is cracked; it goes to the edition I read, but there's no stories in it other than "Lord Arthur".) Fun story—it's Oscar Wilde, after all—and a quick read.
Now rereading Paul Auster's Timbuktu just to confirm that I wasn't daft in liking it on my first read, about 12 or more years ago.
--------
Given all the new-to-me books I acquired, it's interesting/nutso that two of first three I "read" were cartoon collections: The New Yorker Book of Kids Cartoons and compilation of Gahan Wilson 'toons from the 1970s. Having some laughs whilst basking in the sin of hoarding. Then I read an Oscar Wilde story, Lord Arthur Savile's Crime. (The touchstone is cracked; it goes to the edition I read, but there's no stories in it other than "Lord Arthur".) Fun story—it's Oscar Wilde, after all—and a quick read.
Now rereading Paul Auster's Timbuktu just to confirm that I wasn't daft in liking it on my first read, about 12 or more years ago.
192ffortsa
Wow, Bill. I think I'm glad I don't have a house with room enough for all these books. My TBR is teetering as it is, but I will check out the titles for the future. I even like the quilting books, and I don't yet quilt.
Of course, if I had a house, I'd have room for Richard's purple chair and the necessary hassock to put me feet up on.
Of course, if I had a house, I'd have room for Richard's purple chair and the necessary hassock to put me feet up on.
193richardderus
>192 ffortsa: >187 weird_O: See? See?! JUDY knows quality home furnishings with panache when she sees them! The chair is stellar.
...but your house, your rules...
More in the vein of your preferences?
...but your house, your rules...
More in the vein of your preferences?
194LovingLit
>163 weird_O: David Duchovny has written a book? (He's that guy from the X Files, is he not?)
And, I still haven't read Caste by Isabel Wilkerson...A goodly collection to be sure!
And, I still haven't read Caste by Isabel Wilkerson...A goodly collection to be sure!
195weird_O
I've always coveted this Eames chair, RD. But I'll never have even a cheap knockoff. I think it's comfortable, but having never even seen a genuine Eames, I don't know if it is a comfy chair. Actually, some version of The Comfy Chair is what it'll be for me.
196weird_O
>194 LovingLit: Yes, Fox Mulder. Duchovny's written several books, including Bucky F*cking Dent and Miss Subways.
197msf59
>195 weird_O: Well, that definitely looks comfy.
Happy Wednesday, Bill. With those huge stacks surrounding you, I hope you are getting plenty of reading in.
Happy Wednesday, Bill. With those huge stacks surrounding you, I hope you are getting plenty of reading in.
198karenmarie
>195 weird_O: Not bad. Two members of the Friends Book Sale team have his-and-hers Ekornes Stressless chairs. I wish I could afford one.
199richardderus
>195 weird_O: Actually, >198 karenmarie: hit on the Best of All Possible Chaires, but the old Eames ain't bad at all.
200FAMeulstee
>198 karenmarie: We have a Stressless chair, but I must say the >195 weird_O: Eames is more comfortable and way more pleasant for the eye. Before we had a Montis Loge, that was also very comfortable, but more difficult to get in and out.
201benitastrnad
I vote for the Stressless recliner. I have one and I have never regretted spending the money on it. It is perfect for me. That isn't to say that it will be perfect for everybody else, but it works for me.
202weird_O
>197 msf59: I am getting in some reading every day, some days more reading than offers. I zipped through some entertainment reads just after getting the new-to-me books cataloged. New Yorker cartoons, Gahan Wilson cartoons, a short story/novella representative of Oscar Wilde, a reread. I've got three books in play now: The Best of Connie Willis, Jefferson's Children, and Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House.
>198 karenmarie: I had to seek for an image of the Ekornes Stressless chair, and I recognized it. I don't doubt it's comfy, but I can't like the design of the base (it draws too much attention to itself). Of course, at $1,200 and more, such a chair is a financial challenge. The one in the photo below is...ka-ching!!...$2,600 plus shipping, tax, title, and insurance.
But see, that ought-to-be-patented Derus noodge has me doing some googling.
>199 richardderus: Close, RD. But no cigar. I'm looking, however, and will for another day or two. In other words, until some newer sparkly shoots past the corner of my eye.
>200 FAMeulstee: Oh my, Anita. That red chair would take some getting use to. :-)
>201 benitastrnad: A persuasive endorsement, Benita. Happily for me, I'm in no position to be really furniture shopping Bookshelves is priority number one.
>198 karenmarie: I had to seek for an image of the Ekornes Stressless chair, and I recognized it. I don't doubt it's comfy, but I can't like the design of the base (it draws too much attention to itself). Of course, at $1,200 and more, such a chair is a financial challenge. The one in the photo below is...ka-ching!!...$2,600 plus shipping, tax, title, and insurance.
But see, that ought-to-be-patented Derus noodge has me doing some googling.
>199 richardderus: Close, RD. But no cigar. I'm looking, however, and will for another day or two. In other words, until some newer sparkly shoots past the corner of my eye.
>200 FAMeulstee: Oh my, Anita. That red chair would take some getting use to. :-)
>201 benitastrnad: A persuasive endorsement, Benita. Happily for me, I'm in no position to be really furniture shopping Bookshelves is priority number one.
203richardderus
>202 weird_O: It's a sittin' chair, not a lookin' chair like, oh I dunno, >200 FAMeulstee: or the *stunning* beauty in >179 richardderus:. I don't find 'em a pretty visual at all but you're sure sittin' pretty in one. *aaahhh*
204benitastrnad
>202 weird_O:
That happens to be the exact style of my chair. Change that color to Lipstick Red and you got it! When you purchase the chair you have to decide what size of chair you want. You even have to decide what color of base you want. I love my chair, but I have a friend who purchased one and never sits in it. The reason - she got the wrong size. If you ever decide to get one, go to the store and sit in one before you make the purchase. And then be prepared to wait for it. My chair took four months to get here from Norway. It got hung up in a warehouse in New Jersey during Hurricane Sandy. It was damaged so another had to be shipped to replace it. But it did get here.
That happens to be the exact style of my chair. Change that color to Lipstick Red and you got it! When you purchase the chair you have to decide what size of chair you want. You even have to decide what color of base you want. I love my chair, but I have a friend who purchased one and never sits in it. The reason - she got the wrong size. If you ever decide to get one, go to the store and sit in one before you make the purchase. And then be prepared to wait for it. My chair took four months to get here from Norway. It got hung up in a warehouse in New Jersey during Hurricane Sandy. It was damaged so another had to be shipped to replace it. But it did get here.
205weird_O
>203 richardderus: Oh, that chair you love is *stunning* alright, but I wouldn't place the word "beauty" following your descriptor *stunning*. :-) I do fully agree that YOU should have it.
206weird_O
>204 benitastrnad: Good to know, Benita. Buying a chair, especially one costing a thousand or three, without sitting in it is unwise. We had a sofa that I loved and my wife disliked. It was deep enough for me to be comfortable. But too deep for Judi. I miss it still. (And Judi too.) I did note the wait times for chair delivery listed on the website I linked to for the photo. Delivery in late December.
Well, as I said, bookshelves are priority the first.
Well, as I said, bookshelves are priority the first.
207Crazymamie
Love the chair discussion, Bill. I'm with you about the base, but for me, comfort would rule the day. We ordered new furniture for the living room - it's supposed to ship next month, but I am not holding my breath. If it arrives before the year is out, I will be happy. If not, I will wait. *blinks* We ordered two sofas and a chair - one of the sofas has a deeper seat like you are talking about, and I cannot wait to ensconce myself in it.
Hoping your weekend is full of fabulous, Oh Weird One!
Hoping your weekend is full of fabulous, Oh Weird One!
208weird_O
>207 Crazymamie: The first half of the weekend was a nap-out. Kept dozing off...dozing off...dozing off. And of course, wherever I surfed, there were those damn chairs. I'm pretty such they got more expensive as the day wore on.
Meanwhile, I hope you'll get your new furnitures, Mamie. Quickly and fabulously.
I did finish the short stories collected in The Best of Connie Willis. The collection included several top-notchers and a slightly great number of mid-notchers. Now focused on Jefferson's Children and Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (sadly, the movie is better).
Meanwhile, I hope you'll get your new furnitures, Mamie. Quickly and fabulously.
I did finish the short stories collected in The Best of Connie Willis. The collection included several top-notchers and a slightly great number of mid-notchers. Now focused on Jefferson's Children and Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (sadly, the movie is better).
209msf59
Happy Sunday, Bill. I am getting my Jackson time in, along with some birding and reading. I am wrapping up The Magician today. I think you will like this one. I will follow it up with Death in Venice, my very first Mann.
Not familiar with Jefferson's Children.
Not familiar with Jefferson's Children.
210ffortsa
Chairs! I've looked at the Stressless, but as with many recliners, it has that bulbous headrest top that is never in the right place for me. Maybe I should check sizes. In the meantime, I have a sort of knock-off recliner that rocks back on a half-circle cradle and I love it. Completely stressless for me, feet up, no headbump. It needs to be recovered, or at least have the canvas sling that the cushion sits on redone before I end up sitting on the floor.
213benitastrnad
>210 ffortsa:
I am with you about bulbous headrests. I love my Subaru Outback, but I hate the drivers seat. I can't get the bulbous headrest to be in the right place. It pushes my head forward so that my chin is down and because I drive long distances it becomes very uncomfortable. I have even gone back to the dealer to try to get it adjusted and they say there is nothing they can do. On-the-other-hand, they never fail to point out to me that I can lay the driver's seat all the way back so that it becomes a recliner. However, I wonder who does that when they are driving. I might want that on a train or airplane seat, but not on the driver's side seat in a car.
I would guess that you have been sitting in the wrong size of Stressless chair. Stressless recliners come in four sizes. Choosing the right one is the key. If you want one you can snuggle up in then you need to get a size larger than you think. You also HAVE to buy the footrest. The footrest is adjustable. It took about a month of moving it up and down before I got it to the right height for me. You wouldn't think that makes a difference on the headrest - but it does. It also took me about four trips to the furniture store to find the right style and size of chair that fit me best. The style also makes a difference. Stressless makes a chair that looks like the chairs on the Bridge of Star Trek and they also make one that has modified wings like a wingback chair. The size and the style combine to make the leather do what you want it to do. A friend of mine who has a Stressless recliner has a very plain and starkly modern style of chair. I find it a bit uncomfortable to sit in, but mine is so cozy and friendly - just for me.
I am with you about bulbous headrests. I love my Subaru Outback, but I hate the drivers seat. I can't get the bulbous headrest to be in the right place. It pushes my head forward so that my chin is down and because I drive long distances it becomes very uncomfortable. I have even gone back to the dealer to try to get it adjusted and they say there is nothing they can do. On-the-other-hand, they never fail to point out to me that I can lay the driver's seat all the way back so that it becomes a recliner. However, I wonder who does that when they are driving. I might want that on a train or airplane seat, but not on the driver's side seat in a car.
I would guess that you have been sitting in the wrong size of Stressless chair. Stressless recliners come in four sizes. Choosing the right one is the key. If you want one you can snuggle up in then you need to get a size larger than you think. You also HAVE to buy the footrest. The footrest is adjustable. It took about a month of moving it up and down before I got it to the right height for me. You wouldn't think that makes a difference on the headrest - but it does. It also took me about four trips to the furniture store to find the right style and size of chair that fit me best. The style also makes a difference. Stressless makes a chair that looks like the chairs on the Bridge of Star Trek and they also make one that has modified wings like a wingback chair. The size and the style combine to make the leather do what you want it to do. A friend of mine who has a Stressless recliner has a very plain and starkly modern style of chair. I find it a bit uncomfortable to sit in, but mine is so cozy and friendly - just for me.
214benitastrnad
>202 weird_O:
I bought my chair and 6 bookcases when I moved into my house. The first thing I purchased was the bookcases. I did that because I had to unpack the boxes. Three months later I purchased the chair. Since then I have purchased two more bookcases and will purchase another in a few weeks. This one will go in the dining room, when I move out some other furniture that I never use and turn the dining room into a library.
I bought my chair and 6 bookcases when I moved into my house. The first thing I purchased was the bookcases. I did that because I had to unpack the boxes. Three months later I purchased the chair. Since then I have purchased two more bookcases and will purchase another in a few weeks. This one will go in the dining room, when I move out some other furniture that I never use and turn the dining room into a library.
215weird_O
>213 benitastrnad: >214 benitastrnad: If ever I get a Stressless chair, Benita, you should get a commission. :-) I haven't pursued the matter seriously, but does appear to be tough to find a place to try on a chair.
216richardderus
>211 weird_O: I'm depressed...it wasn't until I saw >212 drneutron:'s response that I saw the joke.
*sigh*
*sigh*
217benitastrnad
>215 weird_O:
The only downside to a Stressless recliner is the price - and maybe getting the size correct. The stores that carry Stressless recliner's already know that it takes time to find the right size of chair so they make accommodations. They are accustomed to seeing the same customer come back time after time before they make a purchase.
The only downside to a Stressless recliner is the price - and maybe getting the size correct. The stores that carry Stressless recliner's already know that it takes time to find the right size of chair so they make accommodations. They are accustomed to seeing the same customer come back time after time before they make a purchase.
218weird_O
>216 richardderus: Didn't think it was all that subtle, RD.
>213 benitastrnad: I have even gone back to the dealer to try to get it adjusted and they say there is nothing they can do. I don't know if your dealer's minion doesn't know how to adjust the headrest, or if the range of settings didn't suit you. The headrests on all the Subes I've owned (4) have adjusted. The height of the pad can be raised and lowered. The angle can be adjusted too. It's spring-loaded with 5 stops (I just checked). Not all positions should press your head forward.
>213 benitastrnad: I have even gone back to the dealer to try to get it adjusted and they say there is nothing they can do. I don't know if your dealer's minion doesn't know how to adjust the headrest, or if the range of settings didn't suit you. The headrests on all the Subes I've owned (4) have adjusted. The height of the pad can be raised and lowered. The angle can be adjusted too. It's spring-loaded with 5 stops (I just checked). Not all positions should press your head forward.
219weird_O
Haven't read much today; not yet anyway. Instead, I fiddled with the tee-vee, connecting a digital antenna. The last time I watched anything on said tee-vee was Memorial Day, when I viewed the Indy 500. Late last week, I bought an indoor digital antenna, but when I hooked it up and set the tee-vee to scanning channels, it came up with zippo. Returned that one and got an outdoor antenna. Now I've got a few local-ish channels, but not the CBS affiliate in Philly and not the Philly PBS station. Perhaps when I get it attached to a deck post I can pick up those channels.
I wanted to watch The Grand Gracie's field hockey team face off against the team from my local high school, the school her parents graduated from. Rained Out. Rescheduled to Tuesday.
So I be reading Have His Carcase. About a third of the way in, so it won't be finished until the weekend.
I wanted to watch The Grand Gracie's field hockey team face off against the team from my local high school, the school her parents graduated from. Rained Out. Rescheduled to Tuesday.
So I be reading Have His Carcase. About a third of the way in, so it won't be finished until the weekend.
220richardderus
>218 weird_O: It wasn't, hence the depession...how I missed that...!
222weird_O
>220 richardderus: Maybe you had the sound muted, Richard.
>221 msf59: Hey, Mark, is that Shit Turd back there, giving the orders? Maybe those boidies are there to protect that lady from Frank.
>221 msf59: Hey, Mark, is that Shit Turd back there, giving the orders? Maybe those boidies are there to protect that lady from Frank.
223Crazymamie
Happy Saturday, Bill! Good luck with the surfing for channels - hoping you find what you're looking for and can watch the Grand Gracie's team on Tuesday.
224weird_O
A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar TongueWhilst frittering away the hours, afloat on the Internets, I came across this 18th century reference book offered by Michael Moon's Book Shop in the UK (probably for lots of money). The image shows a first edition, published in 1785 in London. It is a dictionary of slang words, the work of Francis Grose and his assistant Tom Cocking.
According to the post, Grose was one of the first lexicographers to collect slang words from all corners of society, not just the world of pickpockets and bandits. "The Vulgar Tongue" includes words found in earlier "scoundrels" dictionaries but also lists a whole range of mundane slang words such as sheepish (for bashful), carrots (for red hair), or sweet (for expert, dexterous, clever). He records many rude words, such as bum fodder (for toilet paper), or double jugg (for a man’s bottom). And he includes many nicknames for food and drink - words for gin (an enormously popular drink at the time) include: blue ruin, cobblers punch, crank, diddle, frog’s wine, heart’s ease, lightening and drain.
Grose and his assistant Tom Cocking took midnight walks through London, picking up slang words in slums, drinking dens and dockyards and adding them into their 'knowledge-box’. 'The Vulgar Tongue’ was recognised throughout the 19th century as one of the most important collections of slang in the English language, and it would strongly influence later dictionaries of this kind.
Entries include:
Betwattled — to be surprised, confounded, out of one’s senses
Blind cupid — the backside
Bone box — the mouth
Brother of the quill — an author
Cackling farts – eggs
Captain queernabs — shabby ill-dressed fellow
Chimping merry — exhilarated with liquor
Comfortable importance — a wife
Dicked in the nob — silly, crazed
Dog booby — an awkward lout
Duke of limbs — a tall, awkward, ill-made fellow
Eternity box — a coffin
Head rails — teeth
Hickey — tipsy, hiccupping
Irish apricots — potatoes
Jolly nob — the head. “I’ll lump your jolly nob for you”: I’ll give you a knock on the head.
Knowledge box — another term for the head.
Kittle pitchering — to disrupt the flow of a “troublesome teller of long stories” by constantly questioning and contradicting unimportant details, especially at the start (best done in tandem with others)
Knight of the trenches — a great eater
Just-ass — a punning name for a justice (judge)
Paw paw tricks — forbidden tricks; from the French pas pas
Penny wise and pound foolish — saving in small matters, and extravagant in great
Sugar stick — the virile member
Tallywags / Whirligigs — testicles
Whipt Syllabub — a flimsy, frothy discourse
Whipster — a sharp or subtle fellow
225weird_O
>223 Crazymamie: See what my surfing exposed me to (up there >224 weird_O:). I did do some channel surfing on the tellie, but it's on the WWW that I find such interesting fare. I did finish Have His Carcase, a Wimsey/Vane mystery by Dorothy L. Sayers. 'Twas good fun, but got to be a bit much. Kinda spent by the end. I plan to complete Jefferson's Children today and to forge through as much of David Duchovny's Holy Cow as I can. Just for sh*ts and g*ggles. Then on to something serious.
226Whisper1
HI Bill. I'm checking in to see how you are doing.
Fall is near. The mornings and evenings are cool, and leaves are slowly changing color.
>211 weird_O: This image made me laugh right out loud!
Fall is near. The mornings and evenings are cool, and leaves are slowly changing color.
>211 weird_O: This image made me laugh right out loud!
227weird_O
>226 Whisper1: Hi, Linda. Plugging on. Reading a few brain-candy books, and I've got some momentum. Gotta keep it together.
Re: >211 weird_O: Mission accomplished.
-----------------
>225 weird_O: Completed these books (Have His Carcase, Jefferson's Children, and Holy Cow).
Watched the first quarter and part of the second of the Eagles game. That was enough.
Now reading Time's Arrow by Martin Amis. It posits a rewinding of time, as in playing backwards the life-long video of a Nazi doctor's escape to America.
Re: >211 weird_O: Mission accomplished.
-----------------
>225 weird_O: Completed these books (Have His Carcase, Jefferson's Children, and Holy Cow).
Watched the first quarter and part of the second of the Eagles game. That was enough.
Now reading Time's Arrow by Martin Amis. It posits a rewinding of time, as in playing backwards the life-long video of a Nazi doctor's escape to America.
228Crazymamie
>224 weird_O: Well, this is delightful! My favorite is Kittle pitchering.
Look at you reading!! Excellent work. Interesting premise on your current read.
Sorry about your Eagles.
Look at you reading!! Excellent work. Interesting premise on your current read.
Sorry about your Eagles.
229weird_O
I haven't posted one of these this year. Not sure I remember how to do it. But anyway...
# 84. Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers Finished 9/26/21
The Weird ReportTM 
Harriet Vane, a writer of murder mysteries, has escaped from the hubbub of 1930s London to a coastal resort town. One late morning, she hikes away from town along the coast road and descends a cliff to reach the beach, where she eats her picnic lunch. In the shade of the cliff, she naps. Upon waking she spies what appears to be a man sprawled on a large rough rock that's being surrounded by the incoming tide. She wades out to the rock to discover a fresh corpse, drenched in blood, its throat cut. She scans the cliff and the beach, but sees no one. Turning round, she spots a boat with a couple of men aboard, but she's unable to attract their attention. She takes mental notes of the body's appearance, apparent age, the time. And she takes a few snapshots of the body. She finds a straight razor and pockets it. Being entirely alone, she returns to the beach, climbs up the cliff, and begins the hike back to town.
There the police listen to her story and begin an investigation. At the same time, Lord Peter Wimsey is notified of the incident and of Harriet Vane's involvement. Wimsey is an amateur sleuth, legendary in England, highly regarded by police throughout the country. He's also been pursuing Ms. Vane, proposing to her at every opportunity. (She always turns him down.) The immediate conundrum is whether the death is murder or suicide. A neck slashed from ear to ear, a wound penetrating to the spine, is not evidence of murder to the police. They can't imagine how a murderer could get to the isolated rock, dispatch the victim, and depart without leaving a trace. And do it within minutes of Ms. Vane's discovery of the body. Can't be a murder, so it must be a suicide. No one, not one single character, asks if it is even possible for a person to slash his own throat so effectively.
Wimsey and Vane keep the investigation going, focusing on how a murderer could approach a rock that's completely exposed only at low tide, then escape without being seen, without leaving a trail. The approximate time of death, set based on the time the body is discovered, complicates the investigation, but it's only one of many complications.
The victim is a professional dance partner, employed by a ritzy hotel to entertain the single ladies who make up a significant portion of the hotel's clientele. His name is Paul Alexis, a Russian-born, naturalized British citizen. He's betrothed to Mrs. Weldon, a wealthy widow 35 years his senior. She, it seems, is the suitor. Henry Weldon, her only son, is opposed to the marriage.
Can they figure it all out? Of course they can.
# 84. Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers Finished 9/26/21
The Weird ReportTM
Harriet Vane, a writer of murder mysteries, has escaped from the hubbub of 1930s London to a coastal resort town. One late morning, she hikes away from town along the coast road and descends a cliff to reach the beach, where she eats her picnic lunch. In the shade of the cliff, she naps. Upon waking she spies what appears to be a man sprawled on a large rough rock that's being surrounded by the incoming tide. She wades out to the rock to discover a fresh corpse, drenched in blood, its throat cut. She scans the cliff and the beach, but sees no one. Turning round, she spots a boat with a couple of men aboard, but she's unable to attract their attention. She takes mental notes of the body's appearance, apparent age, the time. And she takes a few snapshots of the body. She finds a straight razor and pockets it. Being entirely alone, she returns to the beach, climbs up the cliff, and begins the hike back to town.
There the police listen to her story and begin an investigation. At the same time, Lord Peter Wimsey is notified of the incident and of Harriet Vane's involvement. Wimsey is an amateur sleuth, legendary in England, highly regarded by police throughout the country. He's also been pursuing Ms. Vane, proposing to her at every opportunity. (She always turns him down.) The immediate conundrum is whether the death is murder or suicide. A neck slashed from ear to ear, a wound penetrating to the spine, is not evidence of murder to the police. They can't imagine how a murderer could get to the isolated rock, dispatch the victim, and depart without leaving a trace. And do it within minutes of Ms. Vane's discovery of the body. Can't be a murder, so it must be a suicide. No one, not one single character, asks if it is even possible for a person to slash his own throat so effectively.
Wimsey and Vane keep the investigation going, focusing on how a murderer could approach a rock that's completely exposed only at low tide, then escape without being seen, without leaving a trail. The approximate time of death, set based on the time the body is discovered, complicates the investigation, but it's only one of many complications.
The victim is a professional dance partner, employed by a ritzy hotel to entertain the single ladies who make up a significant portion of the hotel's clientele. His name is Paul Alexis, a Russian-born, naturalized British citizen. He's betrothed to Mrs. Weldon, a wealthy widow 35 years his senior. She, it seems, is the suitor. Henry Weldon, her only son, is opposed to the marriage.
Can they figure it all out? Of course they can.
230LovingLit
>224 weird_O: that is fantastic. Whipster is good, I guess that means there will be whipster hipsters! Tallywags is funny too :)
My lovely younger son who was 9 at the time and who had apparently been learning about the body in health class, came home one day talking about his generals.
Me: huh?
Him: you know, your >generals...boys have them, girls have them.
Me: oooh, your genitals.
Now I will be able to add Tallywags and Whirligigs to that discussion area s(we'll see how that goes!).
My lovely younger son who was 9 at the time and who had apparently been learning about the body in health class, came home one day talking about his generals.
Me: huh?
Him: you know, your >generals...boys have them, girls have them.
Me: oooh, your genitals.
Now I will be able to add Tallywags and Whirligigs to that discussion area s(we'll see how that goes!).
231Crazymamie
Morning, Bill!
>229 weird_O: Excellent review. I'll add my thumb to that if you posted it. I need to get to Sayers. She was one of the women featured in Square Haunting: Five Women, Freedom and London Between the Wars. It was excellent, and I came away from it with a very eclectic reading list.
*back to add that Megan's post made me laugh out loud. Gotta love that Lenny!
>229 weird_O: Excellent review. I'll add my thumb to that if you posted it. I need to get to Sayers. She was one of the women featured in Square Haunting: Five Women, Freedom and London Between the Wars. It was excellent, and I came away from it with a very eclectic reading list.
*back to add that Megan's post made me laugh out loud. Gotta love that Lenny!
232weird_O
Here I am, absent from my own thread.
I got tangled up in Gracie's field hockey games. Anyone ever watched field hockey? I am convinced that Bill Watterson was inspired by field hockey in creating Calvinball. Calvinball has no rules; the players make up their own rules as they go along, so that no Calvinball game is like another. In field hockey, the players don't make the rules, the referees do.
>230 LovingLit: Oooo. Excellent story. A vast spectrum of opportunity lies ahead for young Lennie. He'll have fun.
>231 Crazymamie: I think I'll have that report posted to the book page shortly, Mamie. I followed the touchstone I picked for Have His Carcase, but couldn't find the magic button to click to post the "review". Zzzzt! I don't want to be kittle pitchered here, so just follow this link—only if you want to—to see the review on the book page and leave a thumbprint. I thank you, mam.
I WAS going to write something else, but phttt…
I got tangled up in Gracie's field hockey games. Anyone ever watched field hockey? I am convinced that Bill Watterson was inspired by field hockey in creating Calvinball. Calvinball has no rules; the players make up their own rules as they go along, so that no Calvinball game is like another. In field hockey, the players don't make the rules, the referees do.
>230 LovingLit: Oooo. Excellent story. A vast spectrum of opportunity lies ahead for young Lennie. He'll have fun.
>231 Crazymamie: I think I'll have that report posted to the book page shortly, Mamie. I followed the touchstone I picked for Have His Carcase, but couldn't find the magic button to click to post the "review". Zzzzt! I don't want to be kittle pitchered here, so just follow this link—only if you want to—to see the review on the book page and leave a thumbprint. I thank you, mam.
I WAS going to write something else, but phttt…
233jessibud2
>232 weird_O: - I played field hockey in high school. One year was enough for me. Nearly had my hand smashed and decided to move on to something tamer.
234richardderus
>224 weird_O: I do not care to think too closely about one's tallywags becoming whirligigs.
Whirling. Oh nay nay nay.
Have His Carcase is a fine read indeed...all Wimseydom deserves our whipt syllabub in service of the sibling of the quill who created it.
Whirling. Oh nay nay nay.
Have His Carcase is a fine read indeed...all Wimseydom deserves our whipt syllabub in service of the sibling of the quill who created it.
235weird_O
>234 richardderus: Oi. You are so adept with the vulgar tongue. Am I surprised? Non. Not at all.
236laytonwoman3rd
Played a little field hockey in gym class in high school. Hated it. Running around with sticks---isn't that one of the things your parents always warned you not to do?
237Crazymamie
I didn't see your review posted on the book page, Bill - did you figure it out yet? It's on the main page under your book information. So right under Member - there is Review which will say not reviewed if you have not posted a review to the book page. You just click on the edit button, and it will let you copy and paste your review into that box and then save it. When you go back to the page the next time, you will see your review on top of all the others. Looks like this:
▾Your book information
Death on the Nile: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Hercule Poirot Mysteries, 17) by Agatha Christie (Author)
William Morrow Paperbacks (2011), Edition: Reissue, 352 pages
Member Crazymamie Rating
Review Not reviewed (edit) Tags None (edit)
Collections edit collectionsYour library, Currently reading, Book, Read multiple times
Your other editions
Death on the Nile: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Hercule Poirot Mysteries) by Agatha Christie; Harper Paperbacks (2011), Edition: Reissue, Paperback, 352 pages
Work details
Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
*I loved your thoughts about Field Hockey and Calvinball.
▾Your book information
Death on the Nile: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Hercule Poirot Mysteries, 17) by Agatha Christie (Author)
William Morrow Paperbacks (2011), Edition: Reissue, 352 pages
Member Crazymamie Rating
Review Not reviewed (edit) Tags None (edit)
Collections edit collectionsYour library, Currently reading, Book, Read multiple times
Your other editions
Death on the Nile: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Hercule Poirot Mysteries) by Agatha Christie; Harper Paperbacks (2011), Edition: Reissue, Paperback, 352 pages
Work details
Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
*I loved your thoughts about Field Hockey and Calvinball.
238weird_O
Here's where the review is posted, Mamie: https://www.librarything.com/work/2663090/book/176196232
In my catalog, the tome containing Have His Carcase is a two-novel omnibus edition from The Mystery Guild. Such a nuisance. Sorry, it's there now.
By the way, I finished Time's Arrow by Martin Amis. First book in October, 87th book in 2021.
Also, I snapped up a book called Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things at a small book sale Friday morning. I'm interested in the topic, despite the fact that it's got thing to do with me. Of course.
239msf59
Happy Sunday, Bill. Looking forward to books and football today. Go Bears! I plan on finishing Great Circle today. It is a big, sprawling adventurous novel and one I think you might like. Have you read Shipstead?
240Crazymamie
Morning, Bill! Like Mark, I am planning on books and football today.
>238 weird_O: I have added my thumb. Thanks for the road map.
>238 weird_O: I have added my thumb. Thanks for the road map.
242weird_O
Another absence from this here thread o' mine.
>239 msf59: >240 Crazymamie: The football games for this week are played, and I believe you two have seen enjoyable games. And productive book stuff too. I am unfamiliar with Maggie Shipstead, Mark. Unfortunately, the touchstone provides no clue as to the story in Great Circle. Yes, I can find out, of course, but I'm not in the market for Book Bullets, thank you.
Thank you, Mamie for the thumb on that review.
>241 richardderus: Oh sure. :-)
>239 msf59: >240 Crazymamie: The football games for this week are played, and I believe you two have seen enjoyable games. And productive book stuff too. I am unfamiliar with Maggie Shipstead, Mark. Unfortunately, the touchstone provides no clue as to the story in Great Circle. Yes, I can find out, of course, but I'm not in the market for Book Bullets, thank you.
Thank you, Mamie for the thumb on that review.
>241 richardderus: Oh sure. :-)
243PaulCranswick
I am impressed by your book additions this year Bill as well as the foxy way you have gotten them at a reasonable sum via library sales etc.
Be interested to see if you pick anything to read from 1976.
Be interested to see if you pick anything to read from 1976.
244weird_O
>243 PaulCranswick: I have picked some qualifying TBRs to read for The October of 1976. I did mention on Richard's thread three titles published in '76 (The Amazing Bone by Bill Steig, The Face of Battle by John Keegan, and The Spectator Bird by Wallace Stegner), but those I've read. Wanted some unread candidates.
I posted this on Richard's thread on Monday.
I'm in for the 1976 Read, Richard. Took me a while to make a list of candidates, but here are my TBRs published/copyrighted in 1976. Not going to read them all, but I expect to enjoy at least two or more.
The three titles I mentioned in >18 laytonwoman3rd: have been read; no longer TBRs. Some others—like those listed by Paul in >47 laytonwoman3rd:—are not on my shelves, in my stacks, nor hiding in the boxes. Most likely to be read are marked with an asterisk.
I posted this on Richard's thread on Monday.
I'm in for the 1976 Read, Richard. Took me a while to make a list of candidates, but here are my TBRs published/copyrighted in 1976. Not going to read them all, but I expect to enjoy at least two or more.
Adolf Hitler by John Toland
Roots by Alex Haley
The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights From the Winchester Manuscript of Thomas Malory and Other Sources by John Steinbeck*
Slapstick by Kurt Vonnegut*
Passages by Gail Sheehy
Interview with the Vampire by Ann Rice
The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins
Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? by Raymond Carver*
On Writing Well by William Zinsser*
The three titles I mentioned in >18 laytonwoman3rd: have been read; no longer TBRs. Some others—like those listed by Paul in >47 laytonwoman3rd:—are not on my shelves, in my stacks, nor hiding in the boxes. Most likely to be read are marked with an asterisk.
245Crazymamie
I have The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights From the Winchester Manuscript of Thomas Malory and Other Sources (what a mouthful!) and Interview With a Vampire in the stacks - I am planning on the vampire one for sure.
Friday happiness to you, Oh Weird One!
Friday happiness to you, Oh Weird One!
246weird_O
I recall starting Interview with the Vampire years ago, when it came out in mass-market paperback. Never finished it. Boooring. My daughter, on the other hand, took to Anne Rice's oeuvre. Until she switched genres, then switched again, and again.
My wife read Steinbeck's version of King Arthur and liked it well enough. I've never read any of that King Art stuff that I can recall. So this'll be a first for me.
Back to the Present: Finished Stuff, about hoarding and hoarders. (Just remember: If it's books, it's NOT hoarding.) Then I looked up George Carlin's routine about "Stuff".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac
And now I'm going to dip into Junkyard Planet by Adam Minter. (One book leads to another. Unexpectedly.)
Why don't cha have a weekend? It's that time, you crazy lady, you.
My wife read Steinbeck's version of King Arthur and liked it well enough. I've never read any of that King Art stuff that I can recall. So this'll be a first for me.
Back to the Present: Finished Stuff, about hoarding and hoarders. (Just remember: If it's books, it's NOT hoarding.) Then I looked up George Carlin's routine about "Stuff".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac
And now I'm going to dip into Junkyard Planet by Adam Minter. (One book leads to another. Unexpectedly.)
Why don't cha have a weekend? It's that time, you crazy lady, you.
247Crazymamie
>246 weird_O: I started listening to it today - I think it will hold my attention since I can do other stuff at the same time. I remember starting it on Kindle a few years ago, and like you, I lost interest - will see if it works on audio for me.
I have not read any Arthur stuff, either, though Craig has read a ton of it.
One of my sisters tends to hoard, and it is a sad and scary thing. I remember that Carlin skit! It is weird how you start out owning your stuff and then eventually it feels like your stuff owns you. We definitely have too much - less would be more, if you follow me.
I will be awaiting your thoughts on Junkyard Stuff. One book almost always leads to another with me. I love that kind of reading journey.
I will have a weekend, thank you! Just getting ready to go make Birdy's birthday dinner - Craig is helping, and I have to keep a careful eye on him or he goes off recipe. He is a free spirit that way.
I have not read any Arthur stuff, either, though Craig has read a ton of it.
One of my sisters tends to hoard, and it is a sad and scary thing. I remember that Carlin skit! It is weird how you start out owning your stuff and then eventually it feels like your stuff owns you. We definitely have too much - less would be more, if you follow me.
I will be awaiting your thoughts on Junkyard Stuff. One book almost always leads to another with me. I love that kind of reading journey.
I will have a weekend, thank you! Just getting ready to go make Birdy's birthday dinner - Craig is helping, and I have to keep a careful eye on him or he goes off recipe. He is a free spirit that way.
248Whisper1
>224 weird_O:, speaking of hoarding, Bill I recently purchased a beautiful book case from Boscov's, not as beautiful as your hand made wonders, still, a lot better than the IKEA bookcase purchased 25 years ago that was replaced by my recent acquisition. .
My goal is to carefully, slowly go thought my books. Those that a purchased during a Bethlehem Library accumulation frenzi, need to be gone through. If I won't read it in the next five years, off they go to the library.
My goal is to carefully, slowly go thought my books. Those that a purchased during a Bethlehem Library accumulation frenzi, need to be gone through. If I won't read it in the next five years, off they go to the library.
249figsfromthistle
Hi Bill!
Just catching up here.
>163 weird_O: Nice book stack! It reminds me that I also have Dune on my shelf. I should really get to that one soon
>183 weird_O: What a great library sale haul. Our library sale has been cancelled for a few years due to covid. I am crossing my fingers that they are back on track this year.
>202 weird_O: I was also looking for a comfortable chair. This similar stressless model is what I found at a local furniture store. However, by the time I found the leather and model that looked more attractive, it would have been 4000! The more I looked at it the more I thought that it really was bulkier than I had imagined. I too, am still looking.
Have a great weekend!
Just catching up here.
>163 weird_O: Nice book stack! It reminds me that I also have Dune on my shelf. I should really get to that one soon
>183 weird_O: What a great library sale haul. Our library sale has been cancelled for a few years due to covid. I am crossing my fingers that they are back on track this year.
>202 weird_O: I was also looking for a comfortable chair. This similar stressless model is what I found at a local furniture store. However, by the time I found the leather and model that looked more attractive, it would have been 4000! The more I looked at it the more I thought that it really was bulkier than I had imagined. I too, am still looking.
Have a great weekend!
250weird_O
>247 Crazymamie: Good luck with those vampires, Mamie. I feel no compulsion to go there.
I did start King Arthur last night, reading the first chapter. As I said, I've never read the King Arthur legends, thought it's hard to avoid the names and various set pieces. So the first chapter had surprises, such as Art's wandering eye. I'd heard the name Mordred without grasping who he was and how he figured in the overall narrative. Interesting.
I also read a couple of chapters in Junkyard Planet. That is compelling (unlike vampires). Hoarding, downsizing the hoard, recycling, very topical for me.
So the weekend's underway. Hope Birdy's birthday was a success.
I did start King Arthur last night, reading the first chapter. As I said, I've never read the King Arthur legends, thought it's hard to avoid the names and various set pieces. So the first chapter had surprises, such as Art's wandering eye. I'd heard the name Mordred without grasping who he was and how he figured in the overall narrative. Interesting.
I also read a couple of chapters in Junkyard Planet. That is compelling (unlike vampires). Hoarding, downsizing the hoard, recycling, very topical for me.
So the weekend's underway. Hope Birdy's birthday was a success.
251weird_O
>248 Whisper1: We're moving on parallel tracks, aren't we, Linda. Mine isn't exclusively book-related, but the books do have impact throughout the downsizing endeavor. Finding a new home for good stuff is being something of a challenge. Good luck with your book-sorting.
>249 figsfromthistle: It's a pleasure having you spot by, Anita. I am challenged by trying to keep up with everything LTers are doing. The library sales are slowly, cautiously restarting in my region. I too hope the sales are able to resume.
Comfy chairs do get pricey.
>249 figsfromthistle: It's a pleasure having you spot by, Anita. I am challenged by trying to keep up with everything LTers are doing. The library sales are slowly, cautiously restarting in my region. I too hope the sales are able to resume.
Comfy chairs do get pricey.
252weird_O
Hey. Did I mention that I'd reading Junkyard Planet. Subtitle "Travels in the Billion-Dollar Trash Trade".
A very obvious part of the story, sort of a background you can't ignore, is how gargantuan Chinese infrastructure growth is. And has been for decades now. The book was published in 2013.
This is an achievement of 16 years ago. How big is it now?
Consider how long transit officials in this country—the United States of America—have been trying to get new tunnels bored beneath the Hudson River to ensure the free passage of workers and goods and services up and down the Northeast Corridor? (Just one example that comes to mind.)
Thought-provoking book.
A very obvious part of the story, sort of a background you can't ignore, is how gargantuan Chinese infrastructure growth is. And has been for decades now. The book was published in 2013.
It's a steamy southern China afternoon in 2005, and I'm stepping into an elevator bound for the top of the control tower overlooking the Yantian International Container Terminals, or YITC, the second largest port in China, and the fourth largest in the world. This is an impressive achievement, especially considering that the YITC is less than a decade old when I visit. However, it's not a surprising achievement. Tantian is a district of Shenzhen, and the YITC is the place where the Workshop of the World exports most of its goods.
This is an achievement of 16 years ago. How big is it now?
Consider how long transit officials in this country—the United States of America—have been trying to get new tunnels bored beneath the Hudson River to ensure the free passage of workers and goods and services up and down the Northeast Corridor? (Just one example that comes to mind.)
Thought-provoking book.
253Whisper1
>160 weird_O: Yeah, great news, a Bethlehem library book sale at the end of December. I'll let Diane Keenoy know. what a hypocrite I am. I posted that I am going through books I purchased at a whim, and carefully wondering if I will ever read them.
Most of those that fit in this category are the ones purchased in a frenzy at the library sale. Yet, as soon as I saw your post, I thought, WOW, about time!
Thanks for letting me know.
Most of those that fit in this category are the ones purchased in a frenzy at the library sale. Yet, as soon as I saw your post, I thought, WOW, about time!
Thanks for letting me know.
254weird_O
What ho? I was sure I had a thread hereabouts, but I didn't get to page two. When I did, well, there it was. I guess I've been away too long. A new week begins tomorrow.
Halloween is coming...
Halloween is coming...
255Crazymamie
I'm glad you found yourself, Bill. How goes it with the Steinbeck? I am enjoying my vampires.
>254 weird_O: This made me laugh!
>254 weird_O: This made me laugh!
256richardderus
>254 weird_O: Priceless, Bill! See you in your new thread when you get there.
257msf59
Happy Sunday, Bill. I got to watch the Bears & Packers game today with Jackson & my SIL and despite the Bears loss against a RED HOT team (the PACK), I had a great visit. And yes, beer was involved. Do you ever have a beer or two at home?
258Berly
>244 weird_O: 1976. I have only read Interview with a Vampire and Roots. There's some diversity for you!! LOL.
>254 weird_O: Hurray for Halloween!!
>254 weird_O: Hurray for Halloween!!
259weird_O
Glad you enjoyed the 'sploding punkin, Mamie, Richard, and Kim. Less than two weeks to go!
>255 Crazymamie: I'm glad too, Mamie. Being lost is for Losers. Oh, now wait...
Glad you are getting on with those Vampires. Ooooooooo. Steinbeck has been mumbling and grumbling whilst I put my seesawing, in-and-out focus on Junkyard Planet. Then in a real dust-up, Kurt Vonnegut elbowed his way past The Nobelist. Hoping to burn, turn, churn through Slapstick, also a 1976 book, so I can pull John out of his snit-fit. And I really want to get to (and through) The Voice at the Back Door by Elizabeth Spencer, as that will be my AAC Wild Card selection for October. (Sorry Attica Locke.)
>256 richardderus: Yes. I must get to that. A new thread. Any day now...any...day...
>258 Berly: I never got through Interview with a Vampire. My 33-year-old self was bored by it. Roots I missed completely. Never read the book, never saw the TV series. Just this year a copy of the book turned up in my tote and pushed its way onto the TBR. Whether it ever gets read is a long shot.
>257 msf59: Don't like Halloween, Mark? I guess your Jackson-o-Lantern has your eye. Good...fine...okay... You did manage to invoke three Bs: Baby, Bears, Beer.
The truth of the matter is that I seldom drink beer. It's not my mugga. Cheers!
>255 Crazymamie: I'm glad too, Mamie. Being lost is for Losers. Oh, now wait...
Glad you are getting on with those Vampires. Ooooooooo. Steinbeck has been mumbling and grumbling whilst I put my seesawing, in-and-out focus on Junkyard Planet. Then in a real dust-up, Kurt Vonnegut elbowed his way past The Nobelist. Hoping to burn, turn, churn through Slapstick, also a 1976 book, so I can pull John out of his snit-fit. And I really want to get to (and through) The Voice at the Back Door by Elizabeth Spencer, as that will be my AAC Wild Card selection for October. (Sorry Attica Locke.)
>256 richardderus: Yes. I must get to that. A new thread. Any day now...any...day...
>258 Berly: I never got through Interview with a Vampire. My 33-year-old self was bored by it. Roots I missed completely. Never read the book, never saw the TV series. Just this year a copy of the book turned up in my tote and pushed its way onto the TBR. Whether it ever gets read is a long shot.
>257 msf59: Don't like Halloween, Mark? I guess your Jackson-o-Lantern has your eye. Good...fine...okay... You did manage to invoke three Bs: Baby, Bears, Beer.
The truth of the matter is that I seldom drink beer. It's not my mugga. Cheers!
260Whisper1
>254 weird_O: I love this image! I hope you are well and enjoying the beautiful area where you live!
263weird_O
So many things need doing, but I'm sittin' and starin'.
Actually, I have been doing a few things most days, like laundry, rearranging the clutter, making to-do lists. Lately, I've been working outside for a couple of hours a day, sawing down weed trees I've let grow in Judi's garden plots and in trees along the property lines. Makes me tired, which is good as well as bad. What I haven't been doing is reading. I'm almost done with Slapstick, Kurt Vonnegut's contribution to 1976's publication list. It's typically bizarro Vonnegut. Steinbeck isn't happy waiting in "the green room", but I will get to him this week.
ETA: >261 richardderus: Yas you did, Richard. Building a new thread is just another thing on that Gotta Do List. (Thanks for reminding me, RD.)
Actually, I have been doing a few things most days, like laundry, rearranging the clutter, making to-do lists. Lately, I've been working outside for a couple of hours a day, sawing down weed trees I've let grow in Judi's garden plots and in trees along the property lines. Makes me tired, which is good as well as bad. What I haven't been doing is reading. I'm almost done with Slapstick, Kurt Vonnegut's contribution to 1976's publication list. It's typically bizarro Vonnegut. Steinbeck isn't happy waiting in "the green room", but I will get to him this week.
ETA: >261 richardderus: Yas you did, Richard. Building a new thread is just another thing on that Gotta Do List. (Thanks for reminding me, RD.)
264richardderus
>263 weird_O:, >262 weird_O: I remember Slapstick as put-down-able, so I empathize. Being in the green room, you're able to tell Steinbeck's shade, is a lot better than most writers can ever hope to achieve. Not that it'll make him shut up, but at least the dynamics are set.
265weird_O
So I did do three good things today.
1) Got a flu shot.
2) Visited my favorite Goodwill Store. Donated a bunch of stuff: a box of dishes, individually wrapped, that've been hidden in the garage for 20 years; a walker; shoes; suitcases; and more. Remarkably, I did NOT enter the store. I did NOT scour the books on offer. What a good boy.
3) Attended a field hockey district playoff game between Moravian Academy, The Grand Gracie's team, and some other palookas. Sadly, those palookas won. And Gracie was thwarted on a shot-on-goal when the goalie sat on the ball, an infraction in field hockey, but in this instance, one that wasn't called.
Also, I finished Slapstick, a Vonnegut novel from 1976 that, as Richard pointed out (>264 richardderus:), was "put-down-able". Attention now on King Arthur and his Band, as translated by John Steinbeck.
1) Got a flu shot.
2) Visited my favorite Goodwill Store. Donated a bunch of stuff: a box of dishes, individually wrapped, that've been hidden in the garage for 20 years; a walker; shoes; suitcases; and more. Remarkably, I did NOT enter the store. I did NOT scour the books on offer. What a good boy.
3) Attended a field hockey district playoff game between Moravian Academy, The Grand Gracie's team, and some other palookas. Sadly, those palookas won. And Gracie was thwarted on a shot-on-goal when the goalie sat on the ball, an infraction in field hockey, but in this instance, one that wasn't called.
Also, I finished Slapstick, a Vonnegut novel from 1976 that, as Richard pointed out (>264 richardderus:), was "put-down-able". Attention now on King Arthur and his Band, as translated by John Steinbeck.
266Crazymamie
Good work with the getting things done, but bummer about The Grand Gracie's game.
I also finished my 1976 read yesterday. I liked it.
What's in tap for today, Oh Weird One?
I also finished my 1976 read yesterday. I liked it.
What's in tap for today, Oh Weird One?
267weird_O
What's on tap? What's on for today? A couple of hours of cutting down those vexing weed trees I allowed to grow in Judi's gardens over the last couple of years. The largest are about the girth of the fat part of a baseball bat. Building up the season's second bonfire. More cleanup in the garage. Maybe a trip to the recycling bin. I've tagged a bunch of stuff for Habitat, not literally, but on a list.
And some reading. Starting the chapter about Morgan le Fay in The Acts of King Arthur. As a palate-cleanser, I am consuming Not Quite Dead Enough, a Nero Wolfe mystery.
I have to say that the King Arthur stuff is quite mind-boggling to me. Guy rides his horse into the countryside and everyone he meets either wants to fight to the death or has just lost such a fight and is soon to die. All are good Christians, but sorcery or witchcraft infect many a story. Nobody's aware of the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount. I should do a tally; an awful lot of heads are whacked off. Lots of Kings, each of whom has a posse of thugs. And each thug is noble and honorable, yahda yahda yahda.
On the other hand, no lawyers.
And some reading. Starting the chapter about Morgan le Fay in The Acts of King Arthur. As a palate-cleanser, I am consuming Not Quite Dead Enough, a Nero Wolfe mystery.
I have to say that the King Arthur stuff is quite mind-boggling to me. Guy rides his horse into the countryside and everyone he meets either wants to fight to the death or has just lost such a fight and is soon to die. All are good Christians, but sorcery or witchcraft infect many a story. Nobody's aware of the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount. I should do a tally; an awful lot of heads are whacked off. Lots of Kings, each of whom has a posse of thugs. And each thug is noble and honorable, yahda yahda yahda.
On the other hand, no lawyers.
268msf59
Sweet Thursday, Bill. I like your updates and I see that you are trying to stay ahead of the Crumb malady. I think I read Slapstick back in the 80s, so I remember nothing about it. How is the Steinbeck? I never read that one.
269weird_O
>268 msf59: Slapstick isn't one of Vonnegut's good ones, far from his best. Don't trouble yourself if you don't remember it, Mark.
So it's Friday. Just another day.
Last night, I completed the palate-cleansing Nero Wolfe mystery, Not Quite Dead Enough. Two 90-page stories, written during World War II, with Archie Goodwin serving in the military. Archie's assignment is to cajole Wolfe to help military intelligence (no oxymoron) solve some mysteries.
I read more of King Arthur too.
So it's Friday. Just another day.
Last night, I completed the palate-cleansing Nero Wolfe mystery, Not Quite Dead Enough. Two 90-page stories, written during World War II, with Archie Goodwin serving in the military. Archie's assignment is to cajole Wolfe to help military intelligence (no oxymoron) solve some mysteries.
I read more of King Arthur too.
270Crazymamie
Fridays always feel special to me. I think Nero Wolfe is an excellent choice of palate cleanser.
You are not making me feel that I need to hurry to get to that particular Steinbeck.
How did the gardening work go?
You are not making me feel that I need to hurry to get to that particular Steinbeck.
How did the gardening work go?
271weird_O
How did the gardening work go? Quite well, thank you for asking, Mamie. I'm doing a couple of hours'-worth of pulling and sawing and pruning most days. Slow and steady.
Vines were strangling the dogwood and rhododendron. Pulled them out.
Weed trees—sumac, mulberry, ailanthus—were taking over a patch with rhubarb plants, daffodils, columbine, and other plants I can't remember. I sawed down a lot of those trees, and have more to cut down. Don't like how they crowd the oak than we planted (20 years ago maybe?).
Vines were strangling the dogwood and rhododendron. Pulled them out.
Weed trees—sumac, mulberry, ailanthus—were taking over a patch with rhubarb plants, daffodils, columbine, and other plants I can't remember. I sawed down a lot of those trees, and have more to cut down. Don't like how they crowd the oak than we planted (20 years ago maybe?).
272Crazymamie
I am tired just thinking about all of it. Good work. And photos, too!! Slow and steady sounds exactly like the right strategy.
273richardderus
What >272 Crazymamie: said. *whew*
274weird_O
Holy guacamole! I made a meat loaf. I loved it. I've always liked meat loaf sandwiches. I'm not confident this will make good sandwiches because of the loaf's iffy cohesiveness. Tomorrow will tell. Tasted great, though.
Good for me.
Good for me.
276PaulCranswick
>267 weird_O: I managed to finish (and enjoy) the John Keegan for RD's 1976 challenge. I think I read Slapstick before, Bill, and I don't remember being overly enthused with it.
>274 weird_O: Bravo on the meatloaf!
>274 weird_O: Bravo on the meatloaf!
277lauralkeet
Mmm ... meatloaf. I haven't had that in ages. Great comfort food. Did you have mashed potatoes with it?
Nice work in the garden. We never saw Ailanthus when living in Chester County PA but they are horribly invasive here in Northern VA. We have a nasty little "grove" that needs to be eliminated. It's hard work!
Nice work in the garden. We never saw Ailanthus when living in Chester County PA but they are horribly invasive here in Northern VA. We have a nasty little "grove" that needs to be eliminated. It's hard work!
278msf59
Happy Saturday, Bill. Great job on the yard work and the meat loaf. I hope you squeezed in some comfort reading too.
279Crazymamie
Morning, Bill! Congrats on the making of the meatloaf. I will be interested in whether or not it makes for a good sandwich. I am on the lookout for yummy meatloaf that makes good for the sandwiching. My mom's recipe made the best sammies, but sadly, I do not have that recipe.
Hoping Saturday is kind to you.
Hoping Saturday is kind to you.
280laytonwoman3rd
Congratulations on the cooking adventure. I think the key to a nice solid meatloaf is to lower the amount of bread/cracker/crumb filler in it, and to compact it when forming it into a loaf. It does solidify a bit after being refrigerated too. At our house, there is rarely enough left over for a sandwich. It's one of those comfort meals we pig out on.
281richardderus
>274 weird_O: Good stuff, Bill, getting yourself fed agreeably is a good thing.
282weird_O
>275 Berly: Thanks, Kim.
>276 PaulCranswick: Glad you enjoyed the Keegan, Paul. I've read two of his books and have four others on the shelf. Slapstick, regrettably, was not a book to be enthused about. The meatloaf IS good; I'm glad I finally made it.
>277 lauralkeet: Comfort, yes. Not mashed potatoes but potato chunks and carrots baked in the pot with the meat. Mmmmm, gooooood. Having just eaten a sandwich, I will give it a thumbs up.
The trouble with weed trees, as you know, is that you have to be diligent about rooting 'em out when they are just sprouts. I let the weeds get way ahead.
>278 msf59: Thanks, Mark. I did do more reading. Finished Slapstick; my judgment on it is, as Vonnegut himself might express it, Ho Hum. Also pushed ahead in The Acts of King Arthur. Probably I'll finish it by Monday.
>276 PaulCranswick: Glad you enjoyed the Keegan, Paul. I've read two of his books and have four others on the shelf. Slapstick, regrettably, was not a book to be enthused about. The meatloaf IS good; I'm glad I finally made it.
>277 lauralkeet: Comfort, yes. Not mashed potatoes but potato chunks and carrots baked in the pot with the meat. Mmmmm, gooooood. Having just eaten a sandwich, I will give it a thumbs up.
The trouble with weed trees, as you know, is that you have to be diligent about rooting 'em out when they are just sprouts. I let the weeds get way ahead.
>278 msf59: Thanks, Mark. I did do more reading. Finished Slapstick; my judgment on it is, as Vonnegut himself might express it, Ho Hum. Also pushed ahead in The Acts of King Arthur. Probably I'll finish it by Monday.
283weird_O
>279 Crazymamie: Great eating, Mamie. A plateful (well, two platefuls) last night, a sandwich for today's breakfast. More for later. I remember my mother always mixing ground beef, pork, and veal for meatloaf. Judi didn't. The butcher usually has a meatloaf mixture of beef and pork, so that's what I used.
>280 laytonwoman3rd: Cooking that meat 'oaf WAS an adventure, Linda. But I got 'er done. Judi didn't leave me a recipe, but she always baked it in a pot with cut up potatoes, carrots and onions. So I did that. If/when I make another, I'll use less bread crumbs. But after a night in the fridge, it's fine for a sandwich.
I always wanted seconds, but also wanted enough left for sandwiches.
>281 richardderus: I agree wholeheartedly, Richard. Soon to be enjoyed is Cottage Pie, which I have made before. And then maybe a stuffed pig's stomach, something Judi wouldn't cook (but her sister had cooked).
>280 laytonwoman3rd: Cooking that meat 'oaf WAS an adventure, Linda. But I got 'er done. Judi didn't leave me a recipe, but she always baked it in a pot with cut up potatoes, carrots and onions. So I did that. If/when I make another, I'll use less bread crumbs. But after a night in the fridge, it's fine for a sandwich.
I always wanted seconds, but also wanted enough left for sandwiches.
>281 richardderus: I agree wholeheartedly, Richard. Soon to be enjoyed is Cottage Pie, which I have made before. And then maybe a stuffed pig's stomach, something Judi wouldn't cook (but her sister had cooked).
284m.belljackson
Hi - hope you saved your Mulberry Tree!
285Crazymamie
Morning, Bill! Is there a recipe, or did you just throw it together? I don't do veal, so no veal is good. You may keep the stuffed pig's stomach when and if that happens.
286richardderus
Can't say I ever *got* veal's appeal. It doesn't have any flavor that I can discern.
Having eaten both menudo and haggis the idea of stuffed pig's stomach doesn't thrill me, but I'd give it a whirl.
Having eaten both menudo and haggis the idea of stuffed pig's stomach doesn't thrill me, but I'd give it a whirl.
287weird_O
EeeeYiiiii! It's all careering away from me. 'Twas another gloomy day here, but I applied myself to a report on Steinbeck's King Arthur adventure. And I finished that in enough time to read a few more chapters in The Voice at the Back Door, Elizabeth Spencer's almost Pulitzer-winning novel. It's my AAC Wild Card for October.
>284 m.belljackson: Sorry, Marianne. All mulberries go.
>285 Crazymamie: There was a recipe, as you've found out. The veal's in limbo. Pig's stomach not a done deal, but it's wooing me. I'll be sure to let you know. One way or the other.
>286 richardderus: 'Twould be an adventure, would that pig's stomach.
>284 m.belljackson: Sorry, Marianne. All mulberries go.
>285 Crazymamie: There was a recipe, as you've found out. The veal's in limbo. Pig's stomach not a done deal, but it's wooing me. I'll be sure to let you know. One way or the other.
>286 richardderus: 'Twould be an adventure, would that pig's stomach.
288weird_O
# 92. The Acts of King Arthur and his Noble Knights... by John Steinbeck Finished 10/24/2021
The Weird ReportTM 
What a good book this might have been. The author's intentions were good, and we know his skills were superior. But for some reason, he lost interest in the project, and what was published, nearly a decade after his death, is sad because of its obvious promise.
As a youth, John Steinbeck says in his brief introduction, he was given Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, with its unfamiliar spellings, its ancient and unknown words, and, not least, its stirring adventures. In 1958, as his final novel The Winter of Our Discontent was published to only so-so reviews, Steinbeck began his version of the King Arthur tales. After two years, he unaccountably stopped, and his editor, Chase Horton, wrote that Steinbeck "did not say why or how he felt blocked, if indeed he was, when he stopped work on it." What we have is Steinbeck's draft, neither edited nor corrected by him.
It is the work of two different writers. Steinbeck the translator presents the stories of Merlin, Uther Pendragon, and Young Arthur, of rival kings, knights loyal and disloyal, of Arthur's half-sister Morgan le Fay. The prose is formal, the pace deliberate, the character portrayals unsatisfying. I never read the Arthurian legend, so the plot with all its details was not simply unfamiliar, it was mind-boggling. Here's what I saw as the essence: Any guy who at least thinks he is a knight suits up in armor, grasps a sword and a lance, mounts a horse, and rides off to have some fun. But everyone he meets either wants to fight to the death or has just lost such a fight and is soon to die. I should have tallied them, for an awful lot of men and women have their heads just lopped off, seldom for good reason. Anyone who can recruit a mob—those guys with the armor, the sword and lance, the horse— can be a king! So the tales feature savagery, buckets of blood, weeping and whining, but, but, with great honor and nobility. Thus, more than half the book is what Steinbeck "translated".
But in the chapters "Gawain, Ewain, and Marhalt" and "The Noble Tale of Sir Lancelot of the Lake", Steinbeck the novelist takes control. These chapters are so much better, so engaging, seasoned with warmth and humor, passages of extended dialogue. Women flourish, demonstrating intelligence, strength, sense, independence. In the first of these chapters, the three knights named in the chapter title set off together on a year-long quest. At a fork in the road, where three damsels wait, each knight chooses one of the three, then departs with her on his own quest. Most entertaining to me was Sir Ewain's adventure. The damsel he's chosen is the oldest and wisest and most experienced. As Lyne, for that's her name, leads Ewain away from the others, she firmly quashes the notion that she's going to be easy.
Ewain's adventure gives way to a course of instruction and training, learning the skills, the mindset, the close and thoughtful observation that endow a true knight. And we marvel as these lessons are drilled into him by–gasp!—a woman.
Steinbeck's failure to carry through, to revise the merely translated chapters and to appraise and retell Malory's remaining tales is a loss for us. Yes, yes; by all means read what he wrote. For me the book merits a "good plus." Five chapters "ok-to-good," two chapters "very good plus."
The Weird ReportTM
What a good book this might have been. The author's intentions were good, and we know his skills were superior. But for some reason, he lost interest in the project, and what was published, nearly a decade after his death, is sad because of its obvious promise.
As a youth, John Steinbeck says in his brief introduction, he was given Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, with its unfamiliar spellings, its ancient and unknown words, and, not least, its stirring adventures. In 1958, as his final novel The Winter of Our Discontent was published to only so-so reviews, Steinbeck began his version of the King Arthur tales. After two years, he unaccountably stopped, and his editor, Chase Horton, wrote that Steinbeck "did not say why or how he felt blocked, if indeed he was, when he stopped work on it." What we have is Steinbeck's draft, neither edited nor corrected by him.
It is the work of two different writers. Steinbeck the translator presents the stories of Merlin, Uther Pendragon, and Young Arthur, of rival kings, knights loyal and disloyal, of Arthur's half-sister Morgan le Fay. The prose is formal, the pace deliberate, the character portrayals unsatisfying. I never read the Arthurian legend, so the plot with all its details was not simply unfamiliar, it was mind-boggling. Here's what I saw as the essence: Any guy who at least thinks he is a knight suits up in armor, grasps a sword and a lance, mounts a horse, and rides off to have some fun. But everyone he meets either wants to fight to the death or has just lost such a fight and is soon to die. I should have tallied them, for an awful lot of men and women have their heads just lopped off, seldom for good reason. Anyone who can recruit a mob—those guys with the armor, the sword and lance, the horse— can be a king! So the tales feature savagery, buckets of blood, weeping and whining, but, but, with great honor and nobility. Thus, more than half the book is what Steinbeck "translated".
But in the chapters "Gawain, Ewain, and Marhalt" and "The Noble Tale of Sir Lancelot of the Lake", Steinbeck the novelist takes control. These chapters are so much better, so engaging, seasoned with warmth and humor, passages of extended dialogue. Women flourish, demonstrating intelligence, strength, sense, independence. In the first of these chapters, the three knights named in the chapter title set off together on a year-long quest. At a fork in the road, where three damsels wait, each knight chooses one of the three, then departs with her on his own quest. Most entertaining to me was Sir Ewain's adventure. The damsel he's chosen is the oldest and wisest and most experienced. As Lyne, for that's her name, leads Ewain away from the others, she firmly quashes the notion that she's going to be easy.
"Lady—there must be adventures nearby," Ewain said.
"Adventures? Oh, yes, adventures. We will see...I willed you to choose me, and you did—you did." Her voice was shrilly gay.
"Did you love me so quickly, lady?"
..."You are Ewain, son of Morgan le Fay, nephew of the king. Love you?" She laughed. "No, I judged you among the others. Marhalt, a good, dependable knight, a superb fighter, and might be great except that he is more good than great. But Marhalt is fixed. Nothing will change in him. Gawain? A temperament, a handsome ugly bachelor who feeds upon himself like those lizards who consume their tails…"
"These are tried knights, my lady Lyne. Why did you choose me?"
"For that very reason. You are not tried and therefore are not fixed. Your knighthood came to you through being the nephew to the king, not as a prize for battle...Because you have not perfected your faults, young sir. You are well made but not hardened. I watched you move—and you use your whole body well as a natural endowment. I have long waited for such material as you…Do you find it unseemly for a lady of my age to go adventuring?"
"I find it unusual, ma'am."
"I will tell you," she said, "and then you must not wonder more or ever ask me again. A little girl, hating embroidery, I watched the young boys practicing...I was a better rider than they, a better hunter...I knew I must forgo knighthood. And bitterly I watched jousting and tournaments. I saw where men made mistakes and were too stupid to correct them. My mind was tuned to fighting, but good fighting; not the clumsy ceremony of carving up bodies like lumps of meat….
Ewain's adventure gives way to a course of instruction and training, learning the skills, the mindset, the close and thoughtful observation that endow a true knight. And we marvel as these lessons are drilled into him by–gasp!—a woman.
Steinbeck's failure to carry through, to revise the merely translated chapters and to appraise and retell Malory's remaining tales is a loss for us. Yes, yes; by all means read what he wrote. For me the book merits a "good plus." Five chapters "ok-to-good," two chapters "very good plus."
289karenmarie
Hiya, Bill!
Yikes. I didn’t realize I haven’t visited since September.
>224 weird_O: What fun! Thanks for posting.
>229 weird_O: But did you like it?
>254 weird_O: Boom! 👍
>265 weird_O: Yay flu shot. Yay for donating to the Goodwill and not straying inside for books. Yay for field hockey, boo for the palookas winning. By cheating, too.
>267 weird_O: Oooh, more Nero Wolfe.
>271 weird_O: Love the pics, and good to get the vines and weed trees out.
>288 weird_O: Lovely report, hard pass.
All this talk of meatloaf makes me want to find a good recipe and make one. I have a great turkey meatloaf recipe, but beef or beef/pork is something my Bill would really, REALLY love. I had a wonderful meatloaf at friend Karen's in Montana in 2018, can't find a copy of it, and have just emailed her requesting it.
Yikes. I didn’t realize I haven’t visited since September.
>224 weird_O: What fun! Thanks for posting.
>229 weird_O: But did you like it?
>254 weird_O: Boom! 👍
>265 weird_O: Yay flu shot. Yay for donating to the Goodwill and not straying inside for books. Yay for field hockey, boo for the palookas winning. By cheating, too.
>267 weird_O: Oooh, more Nero Wolfe.
>271 weird_O: Love the pics, and good to get the vines and weed trees out.
>288 weird_O: Lovely report, hard pass.
All this talk of meatloaf makes me want to find a good recipe and make one. I have a great turkey meatloaf recipe, but beef or beef/pork is something my Bill would really, REALLY love. I had a wonderful meatloaf at friend Karen's in Montana in 2018, can't find a copy of it, and have just emailed her requesting it.
290m.belljackson
>287 weird_O: So many Books feature a Mulberry Tree, the most recent being the Inexplicable Logic of my Life,
and all loving The Mulberry Trees as we love ours!
and all loving The Mulberry Trees as we love ours!
291benitastrnad
I have fond memories of harvesting mulberries, canning mulberries and making jam. All that was before 2-4-D. Mulberry trees are very susceptible to those sprays (and the variant known as Roundup) and the fruit especially harbors that chemical. I still remember the day that Dad told us that we couldn't stop the swather under a mulberry tree and eat mulberries straight from the tree because it was dangerous. He also told us the same thing about eating the wild plums. Of course, the wild plums were the first to succumb to these weed sprays, so that wasn't much of a problem - but the mulberries were a bit tougher and hung on longer.
292weird_O
>289 karenmarie: I'm glad you could find your way here, Karen. I'm not making rounds very well; lots of lurking, but not much to say.
Re: >224 weird_O: I was hoping that word list would provoke some chatter. Not so much.
Re: >229 weird_O: I did give it a. But it hasn't ripened after being out of the counter for a month or more. I'm left with a trailer (video) of Peter and Harriet and Bunter and the police racing hither and yon and puzzling out a nothing sandwich. Incidentally, I just saw a news item, probably in the Times or the Post, reporting that a young woman's corpse was discovered with 20 stab wounds. The coroner ruled her death of suicide (!?!). The decedent's parents are querulous.
Re: >254 weird_O: Ooooo yeah!
Re: >265 weird_O: Well, the palookas earned the win. 'Twas 5-3. Gracie's team lost to them in the regular season.
Re: >271 weird_O: I have done some more. About a hour's work today, until my pruning saw's batteries punked out. More Thursday, then rain predicted for the weekend. Boo.
So you don't want to read about "the clumsy ceremony of carving up bodies like lumps of meat."
Now about meat loaf. Maybe it's too late, but here's the link to the recipe I followed: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/bas-best-beef-bacon-meatloaf
Sadly, it didn't last. Couple of days, pffft, all gone.
Re: >224 weird_O: I was hoping that word list would provoke some chatter. Not so much.
Re: >229 weird_O: I did give it a
. But it hasn't ripened after being out of the counter for a month or more. I'm left with a trailer (video) of Peter and Harriet and Bunter and the police racing hither and yon and puzzling out a nothing sandwich. Incidentally, I just saw a news item, probably in the Times or the Post, reporting that a young woman's corpse was discovered with 20 stab wounds. The coroner ruled her death of suicide (!?!). The decedent's parents are querulous.Re: >254 weird_O: Ooooo yeah!
Re: >265 weird_O: Well, the palookas earned the win. 'Twas 5-3. Gracie's team lost to them in the regular season.
Re: >271 weird_O: I have done some more. About a hour's work today, until my pruning saw's batteries punked out. More Thursday, then rain predicted for the weekend. Boo.
So you don't want to read about "the clumsy ceremony of carving up bodies like lumps of meat."
Now about meat loaf. Maybe it's too late, but here's the link to the recipe I followed: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/bas-best-beef-bacon-meatloaf
Sadly, it didn't last. Couple of days, pffft, all gone.
293weird_O
>290 m.belljackson: >291 benitastrnad: Sorry, sorry. You haven't won me over. I'm not much for any berries, so that doesn't entice me. My enduring memory of mulberries is of birds feasting on a neighbor's mulberry tree, then bombing the laundry my wife had hung out to dry. Nope nope nope. Mulberries are invasive, and, according to Wikipedia, it's illegal to plant them in some jurisdictions as a consequence. If you are are planting a tree for berries, expect it to take ten years for the tree to fruit for the first time.
294karenmarie
'Morning, Bill!
>292 weird_O: Thanks for your responses. Looks like both Mamie and I might make that meatloaf recipe today. I asked her this and will ask you this - what about the bacon? I don't put bacon on anything except Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon, only like to eat it standalone. Do you think it would work okay without the bacon?
>292 weird_O: Thanks for your responses. Looks like both Mamie and I might make that meatloaf recipe today. I asked her this and will ask you this - what about the bacon? I don't put bacon on anything except Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon, only like to eat it standalone. Do you think it would work okay without the bacon?
296msf59
Sweet Thursday, Bill. Good review of The Acts of King Arthur and his Noble Knights. I am a huge fan of Steinbeck but this one really never crossed my radar and reading your comments, I can see why. But as a Steinbeck completist I should get to it one of these days. BTW- I highly recommend reading The Once and Future King. That one will fill you in on King Arthur.
297laytonwoman3rd
>288 weird_O: I think you have convinced me that it's OK to skip Steinbeck's version of the Arthurian legends. I have read many other renderings. Could be Steinbeck found himself thinking what you think about the whole process, and that's why he gave it up?
298m.belljackson
>293 weird_O: Okay Bill - From the 2nd book in a row! comes this message:
"The writer was describing a kind of mulberry tree, known as the Osage Orange in Arkansas,
with branches that were formed of a notably strong and springy kind of wood
and the trees
(this was the sentence that caught his eye)
'when set at a distance of fifteen inches asunder,
make the most beautiful as well as the strongest hedge fence in the world,
through which neither man nor animals can pass.'"
from MAKE ME A CITY, the city being Chicago...
"The writer was describing a kind of mulberry tree, known as the Osage Orange in Arkansas,
with branches that were formed of a notably strong and springy kind of wood
and the trees
(this was the sentence that caught his eye)
'when set at a distance of fifteen inches asunder,
make the most beautiful as well as the strongest hedge fence in the world,
through which neither man nor animals can pass.'"
from MAKE ME A CITY, the city being Chicago...
299benitastrnad
>293 weird_O:
There were lots of problems with mulberries and laundry back in the day. Nowadays, not so much because it is rare to find anybody who hangs their laundry outside. And of course, the 2-4-D took care of lots of mulberry trees, not to mention the birds.
Down here in Alabama it is hackberry trees that cause problems. When the Starlings migrate they come through here and eat hackberry berries. Then they bomb cars. And I mean BOMB! As in covered. People have trouble seeing out of their windshields because they are so covered. This lasts for about 10 days and then the birds are gone and everything is cool again until the next spring migration.
There were lots of problems with mulberries and laundry back in the day. Nowadays, not so much because it is rare to find anybody who hangs their laundry outside. And of course, the 2-4-D took care of lots of mulberry trees, not to mention the birds.
Down here in Alabama it is hackberry trees that cause problems. When the Starlings migrate they come through here and eat hackberry berries. Then they bomb cars. And I mean BOMB! As in covered. People have trouble seeing out of their windshields because they are so covered. This lasts for about 10 days and then the birds are gone and everything is cool again until the next spring migration.
300benitastrnad
>298 m.belljackson:
That is weird because I didn't know that the Osage Orange was related to the mulberry. The Osage Orange is native to the area of Kansas from which I come. Everybody hates them because they are so messy and the fruit STINKS! Add to that the wood is extremely hard even if it is pretty. Many a chain saw has been burned up trying to cut through those hedge trees. They do make great fence posts because the wood is very resistant to rot. The corner posts of our fences were always set with hedge posts because they were strong and would be there for a LONG LONG time.
That is weird because I didn't know that the Osage Orange was related to the mulberry. The Osage Orange is native to the area of Kansas from which I come. Everybody hates them because they are so messy and the fruit STINKS! Add to that the wood is extremely hard even if it is pretty. Many a chain saw has been burned up trying to cut through those hedge trees. They do make great fence posts because the wood is very resistant to rot. The corner posts of our fences were always set with hedge posts because they were strong and would be there for a LONG LONG time.
301m.belljackson
>300 benitastrnad: With a pretty name like Osage Orange, you'd think that not only it wouldn't stink, but would taste great!
Este tema fue continuado por Weird_O Bill's Bookish Whatchamacallit...4 (and probably final for 2021).
