Berly's Bookin' It! #9

Happy Fourth of July!!

There are more books coming in than going out and I am making but a small dent in the TBR piles, but I haven't given up hope yet! I can't because books are everywhere. Some are under the window in my bedroom, some are stacked by my night table, in the study, downstairs in the bookcases, and then there is the Kindle....I know you all understand. Of course, the conundrum is I wouldn't have it any other way. ; )

Oh! About me? I am a mom of 3, married to a great guy (he introduced me to LT) and besides books, I love TKD, working in glass, and chocolate. I have had an eclectic "career" in nerve regeneration research, advertising, the NBA, and editing. Now I work with my husband cleaning industrial processed water and stormwater, getting it up to EPA standards. I do the marketing and the financial stuff.

Reading Now
Death and Judgement (Commissario Guido Brunetti Series) (K) by Donna Leon
The Masked City (Invisible Library Series #2) (K) (381 pages) by Genevieve Cogman
Magical Thinking by Augusten Burroughs

Read in August
64. The Soul of an Octopus (254 pages) by Sy Montgomery 4.0
63. Third Grave Dead Ahead (368 pages) (A) by Darynda Jones, Narrated by Lorelei King 4.25
62. We Were Eight Years in Power (367 pages) Ta-Nehisi Coates 4.5
61. The Second Grave on the Left (336 pages) (A) by Darynda Jones, Narrated by Lorelei King 4.5

Read in July / 4,904 pages / 17,665 total read
60. Loving Frank (L) (K) (402 pages) by Nancy Horan-- RL Bookgroup (Frank Lloyd Wright) 3.5
59 Forever is the Worst Long Time (K) (read 100) by Camille Pagan DNF
⭐️58. First Grave on the Right (315 pages) (A) by Darynda Jones 4.5
57. The Invisible Library (K) (L) (351 pages) by Genevieve Cogman 3.5
56. The Snow Child (386 pages) by Eowyn Lvey 3.5
55. "D" is for Deadbeat (320 page) (A) by Sue Grafton 3.75
54. The Singularity Trap (release data 10/18, pages 350??)(A) by Dennis E. Taylor of Bobiverse Fame! 4.25
⭐️53. Beartown (432 pages) by Fredrick Backman 4.5
⭐️52. The Eye of Zoltar (405 pages) by Jasper Fforde 4.5
51. The Front by Patricia Cornwell (304 pages) 3.5
50. The Song of the Quarkbeast (290 pages) by Jasper Fforde 3.75
49. Howl's Moving Castle (438 pages) by Diana Wynne Jones 3.75
48. A Secret History of Witches (515 pages) by Louisa Morgan 3.75
47. The Last Dragonslayer (296 pages) by Jasper Fforde 4.0

Read in June / 1034 pages / 12,761 total read / 1 off the shelf
46. Search Inside Yourself (268 pages) by Chade-Meng Tan 3.0
⭐️45. A Gentleman in Moscow (462 pages) by Amor Towles 4.0 *
44. The Autobiography of Gucci Mane (304 pages) (A) by Gucci Mane 3.5

Read in May / 2,171 pages / 11,727 Total Read
43. Ten Women (50 pages) by Marcello Serrano DNF 2.5
42. Hello Universe (313 Pages) by Erin Estrada Kelly
⭐️41. The One and Only Ivan (307 pages) by Katherine Applegate 4.5
40. The Light of the Fireflies (329 pages) by Paul Pen
39. Dressed for Death (287 page) (K)(L) by Donna Leon 3.0
38. The Gray House (K) (110/728 pages) by Mariam Petrosyan -- DNF
37. No Time Like the Past (332 pages) (A) by Jodi Taylor 3.75
36. Monsoon Mansion: A Memoir (235 pages) (K) by Cinelle Barnes 3.0
35. The Neuroscientist Who Lost Her Mind (208 pages) by Barbara K. Lipska 4.0

Read in April / 2,320 Pages / 9,554 Total Read / 2 Off the Shelf
34. Norse Mythology (299 pages) by Neil Gaiman 3.0
33. Start Without Me (278 pages) by Joshua Max Feldman *
⭐️32. The Hounds of Spring (160 pages) by Lucy Andrews Cummin 4.5
⭐️31. How to Get Run Over by a Truck (294 pages) (A) by Katie C.McKenna 4.5
30. I Feel Bad About My Neck (137 pages) by Nora Ephron 3.5 *
29. Neighborly: A novel (313 pages) (K) by Ellie Monago 3.5
28. The Ladies Room (220 pages) (A) by Carolyn Brown 4.0
27. The Jekyll Revelation (493 pages) (K) by Robert Masello 3.5
26. ...And the Earth Did Not Devour Him (126 pages) by Tomás Rivera

Rating System
You probably won't see many below three because I am less afraid to use the Pearl rule now, but "Anathema" tickled me. So many books, so little time!

Masterpiece 5.0
Stunning 4.5
Excellent 4.0
Very Good 3.5
Good 3.0
Average 2.5
Eh 2.0
Don't Bother 1.5
Bad 1.0
Anathema 0.5

*=Off the Shelf
A=Audio
L=Library
GN=Graphic Novel
IR=Indiespensable Readers
K=Kindle
LT=LibraryThing Early Reviewer

Read in March / 2,156 Pages / 7,234 Total Read / 1 Off the Shelf
25. C is for Corpse (K) (320 pages) by Sue Grafton 3.5
24. Digging in: A Novel (241 pages) (K) by Loretta Nyhan 4.0
23. Alias Grace (468 pages) by Margaret Atwood 3.5
22. A Time of Love and Tartan (K) (247 pages) by Alexander McCall Smith 4.0
⭐️21. Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body (320 pages) (A) by Roxane Gay 5.0 *
20. Death in a Strange Country (272 pages) by Donna Leon (K) (2 Guidos) 4.0
19. The Last Black Unicorn (288 pages) (A) by Tiffany Haddish 4.0

Read in February / 2,928 Pages Read / 5 Off the Shelf
18. The Slow Regard of Silent Things (176 pages) by Patrick Rothfuss 4.0 *
17. Killman Creek (348 pages) by Rachel Caine 4.25
16. Salvage the Bones (271 pages) by Jasmyn Ward 3.75 *
15. Raisin in the Sun (151 pages) by Lorraine Hansberry 4.0 *
14. Princess Diarist (A) (272 pages) by Carrie Fisher 2.5
13. B is for Burglar (K)(320 pages) by Sue Grafton 3.5
12. A is for Alibi (K)(224 pages) by Sue Grafton 3.5 *
⭐️11. Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike (A) (400 pages) by Phil Knight 4.5
10. Parable of the Talents (422 pages) by Octavia Butler 3.5
⭐️9. The Dead House (500 pages) by Harry Bingham 4.5 *
8. The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes--And Why (266 pages) by Amanda Ripley 4.0

Read in January / 2,150 Pages Read / 3 Off the Shelf
7. Black Swan Green (OTS) (294) by David Mitchell, ColourCAT Challenge 4.0 *
⭐️6. Parable of the Sower (345) by Octavia Butler 4.0
5. Vittorio, The Vampire (OTS) (288 pages) by Anne Rice 2.5 *
4. The Power (387 pages) by Naomi Alderman 3.75
3. God Stalk (271 pages) (K) by P.C. Hodgell, GR led by Roni 3.75
2. Talking As Fast As I Can (OTS) (209 pages) by Lauren Graham 3.0 *
1. Death at La Fenice (356 pages) (K) by Donna Leon, Two Guidos GR 3.75

⭐️ Favorites

Longer Plans for Reading


RL Book Club #1
February - Evicted by Matthew Desmond
April - The Oregon Trail by Rinker Buck - DNF
June - A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles ✅
August - Loving Frank by Nancy Horan ✅
October - Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
December - Choose books!!

RL Book Club #2
January - The Power by Naomi Alderman ✅
February - Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood ✅
March - Alias Grace continued ✅
April - I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron ✅
May - The Hounds of Spring by Lucy Andrews Cummin ✅
September -
October -
November -



The Guidos Murder Mystery Thread
January - Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon ✅
March - Death in a Strange Country by Donna Leon ✅
May - Dressed for Death by Donna Leon (originally published as Anonymous Venetian in 1994) ✅
July - Death and Judgement by Donna Leon (originally published A Venetian Reckoning in 1995)
September - Acqua Alta by Donna Leon (also published as Death in High Water)
November - Quietly in Their Sleep by Donna Leon (also published as Death of Faith)

I am hoping these challenges will help me choose books I already own.



ColorCAT Challenge
Black - Black Swan Green by David Mitchell ✅
Brown - Raisin in the Sun Lorraine Hansberry ✅
Green - Neighborly: A Novel by Ellie Monago ✅
Yellow - I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron ✅
Blue - Bear Town by Fredrick Backman ✅
Purple - We are the Ones We have Been Waiting For by Alice Walker (The jacket cover is purple and, of course, Walker wrote The Color Purple, which I also have) or The Lady and the Peacock about Augn San Suu Kyi of Burma, by Peter Popham
Pink - Fever at Dawn by Peter Gardos
Grey - The Disappearing Spoon Sam Kean or Consider the Fork Wilson
Metallic -The Silver Star by Jeanette Walls
Orange -The Burning Girl Claire Messud or My Life in Orange Tim Guest
Red - Scarlet Marissa Meyer or Consider the Lobster DF Wallace
White - Search Inside Yourself by Chade-Meng Tan ✅

And for color backup, Travic McGee by John D. MacDonald (thanks Joe!)



AlphaCAT Challenge
A - Magical Thinking by Augusten Burroughs -- reading
B
C - The Front by Patricia Cornwell ✅
D
E
F - Start Without Me by Joshua Max Feldman ✅
G - A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles ✅
H
I
J - Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward ✅
K - Killman Creek (348 pages) by Rachel Caine ✅
L
M
N
O
P - Shoe Dog by Phil Knight ✅
Q - The Song of the Quarkbeast by Jasper Fforde ✅
R
S
T
U
V - Vittorio the Vampire by Anne Rice (love a double V!) ✅
W - Go, Went, Gone by Jenny Erpenbeck
X
Y - Y, U - Search Inside Yourself by Chade-Megn Tan ✅
Z - Swing Time by Zadie Smith

RandomCAT Challenge
January - Read a Book Bullet: Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls ✔ ✔
February - Unusual Holidays (Portland Rose Festival): A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton (rose-colored cover) ✔ ✔
March - Something that relates to "Headlines in the News": C is for Corpse ✔ ✔
April - Related to April (Published): The Hounds of Spring by Lucy Andrews Cummin ✔ ✔
May - book with a flower or other plant in the title or on the cover: Hello Universe by Erin Estrada Kelly ✔ ✔
June - Unusual Narrators: The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate ✔ ✔
July - Getting to Know You:
August - Mountains:



Bingo Completed
1. Famous Person in Title - Talking As Fast As I Can by Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls)
3. Originally in a Diff Language - The Light of the Fireflies by Paul Pen
4. New to You Author - God Stalk by P.C. Hodgell
7. Published 2018 - The Hounds of Spring by Lucy Andrews Cummin
9. >500 Pages A Secret History of Witches by Louisa Morgan
10. Set During a Holiday - Start Without Me by Joshua Max Feldman
11. LGBTQ Major Character - Less by Andrew Sean Greer
14. Number in the Title - We Were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates
15. Humorous Book - Digging in: A Novel by Loretta Nyhan
18. Pacific Ocean Related - The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery
21. Autobio or Memoir - Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight
22. Poetry or Play - Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
23. Longtime TBR - Vittorio the Vampire by Anne Rice
24. Story Involves Travel - Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
25. Rank in Title - Princess Diarist by Carrie Fischer

Bingo Ideas
2. Published >100 msf59: years - Nickolas Nickelby
5. Relative Name in Title
6. Money in Title
8. X in the Title
12. See Below
13. Read a CAT
16. Unread 2017 purchase
17. Something in the Sky in Title

19. Fits at Least 2 KIT/CATS
20. Beautiful Cover

12. 1001 Books ??

I have read 170 of the first 200 listed in 1001 Books You Should Read Before you Die with LT as the source. That's 85% and I'm feeling pretty proud!

Still TBR ** likely candidates

Heart of Darkness
Rebecca by Daphne DeMaurier
Foundation Isaac Asimov
Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe
Atonement Ian McEwan
Murder of Roger Ackroyd Agatha Christie ??
Sidhartha Herman Hesse ??
Stanger in a Strange Land Heinlein
Woman in White Wilkie Collins
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep PK Dick
Spy Who Came In From the Cold LeCarre
God of Small Things Arundhati Roy
Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
The Big Sleep
Watchmen Alan Moore
The Reader Bernhard Schlink
**Faucault’s Pendulum Umberto Eco
The Thirty-Nine Steps John Buchan
Neuromancer William Gibson
Midnight’s Children Salman Rushdie
Possession AS Byatt
Brideshead Revisited
**Alias Grace Margaret Atwood
Day of the Triffids John Wyndham
Cold Comfort Farm Stella Gibbons
**Far From the Madding Crowd Thomas Hardy
Dick Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency Douglas Adam
Bleak House Charles Dickens
Jude the Obscure Thomas Hardy

Last year I read 47 out of the 85 new books I acquired. This year I am trying to read more off my shelves. We'll see how I do!!

✅ 32/61 so far....

New Books in 2018
✅ Princess Diarist (A) by Carrie Fisher
2) Not Perfect (K) by Elizabeth LaBan - Free Amazon First*
✅ We Were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates
✅ A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
5) Magical Thinking by Augusten Burroughs
6) Go, Went, Gone by Jeremy Erpenbeck (Beth's Fault!!)
✅ The Soul of the Octopus by Sy Montgomery
8) Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
✅ Alias Grace (K) by Margaret Atwood
✅ Killman Creek (K) by Rachel Caine, (Stillhouse Lake Series #2)
✅ Neighborly (K) by Elllie Monago - Free Amazon First*
✅ The Last Black Unicorn (A) by Tiffany Hadish - Free Amazon First*
✅ ...And the Earth Did Not Devour Him by Tomás Rivera
✅ A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
✅ B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton
✅ C is for Corpse by Sue Grafton
17) Poldark by Winston Grahman
✅ The Jekyll Revelation by Robert Masello
✅ A Time of Love and Tartan by Alexander McMall Smith
✅ Bear Town by Frederick Backman
21) The Empath's Survival Guide by Judith Orloff, MD
22) A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
23) Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
24) Your Duck is My Duck by Deborah Eisenber, LT INDIEspensable Reader #72
25) Census by Jesse Ball, LT INDIEspensable Reader #72
26) Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
27) The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey by Rinker Buck
✅) No Time Like the Past #5 (A) by Jodi Taylor
✅ The Hounds of Spring by Lucy Andrews Cummin
✅ Norse Mythology by Neil Gaimon
31) The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon
✅ The Neuroscientist Who Lost Her Mind by Barbara K. Lipska
✅ Forever is the Worst Long Time: A Novel by Camille Pagán
34) The House by the River by Lena Manta
35) Still Waters: Sandhamn Murders, Book 1 by Viveca Sten
36) The Great Passage by Shion Miura *
37) The Question of Red by Laksmi Pamuntjak *
38) Last Train to Istanbul: A Novel by Ayse Kulin *
39) The Gray House by Mariam Petrosyan *
✅ The Light of the Fireflies by Paul Pen *
✅ Ten Women by Marcela Serrano *
42) Never Stop Walking: A Memoir of Finding Home Across the World by Christina Rickardsson, Tara F. Chace - Free Amazon First*
43) Conversations on Writing by Ursula K. Le Guin, LT INDIEspensable Reader #73 N
44) The Flame Throwers by Rachel Kushner, LT INDIEspensable Reader #73 N
45) The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner, LT INDIEspensable Reader #73 N
46) There There by Tommy Orange, LT INDIEspensable Reader #74 N
✅ The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
✅ Hello, Universe by Erin Estrada Kelly
✅ The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde (of Thursday Next fame, #1 in series)
50. Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh
✅ Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
✅ Loving Frank by Nancy Horan
53. Less by Andrew Sean Greer
✅ A Secret History of Witches by Louisa Morgan
✅ The Eye of Zoltar by Jasper Fforde (Dragonslayer #3)
56. The Night Watch by Sarah Waters
✅ The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
58. Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen (Another series Twin talked me into!!)
✅ The Song of the Quarkbeast by Jasper Fforde (Dragonslayer #2)
60. There, There by Tommy Orange LT INDIEspensable Reader #75
✅ Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones *
✅ Third Grave Dead Ahead by Darynda Jones *

*=Free

Favorites from this year:
The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate 4.5
Hounds of Spring by Lucy Andrew Cummins
Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight

Favorites from 2017:
Fiction
Kafka on the Shore by Murakami
The Girl with all the Gifts by M.R. Carey
This Thing of Darkness by Harry Bingham
The Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) (Bobiverse#1) by Dennis E. Taylor
Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie
LaRose by Louise Erdrich
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

Non-Fiction
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert
Radium Girls by Katie Moore
Entwined: Sisters and Secrets in the Silent World of Artist Judith Scott Joyce Wallace Scott
Bad Feminist by Roxanne Gay
Dr. Mütter's Marvels by Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz

Series I want to continue...

#6 The Deepest Grave Fiona Griffiths by Harry Bingham
#4 Lethal White Cormoran Strike by Robert Galbraith, Fall 2018?
#1 44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith
#4 E...by Sue Grafton
#6 Jodi Taylor
#4 The Chronicles of Kazam by Jasper Fforde, 2019??
#3 Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet by Darynda Jones
#2 THe Masked City by Genevieve Cogman

No Way! I am never first…and probably won't be this time either as I usually ramble on a bit because I am always so far behind on your threads, Kim.

From the last thread…Belated congratulations on your son's graduation, thanks for the laughs about losing your "soul" on a contaminated work site (and be careful out there!), and loved the meetup pictures. Also, it looks like I need to look up the Mohson Hamid podcast as I am currently reading Exit West for next week's Book Group.

Happy New Thread!

Happy new thread, Kim.

>11 Donna828: You are first Donna but you wouldn't have been except that you distracted me with your new thread. LOL

>11 Donna828: You are first!!! And you get points for astuteness, noticing on my last thread that I lost my "soul" on the job. I did? Horrors!! Thank goodness I actually lost my shoe's sole and not my actual soul. Phew! I got a laugh out of that.

I hope you enjoy the Literary Arts podcast by Mohsin Hamid--let me know what you think! And have fun at bookclub. : )

>12 Familyhistorian: Dirty underhand tactics, right? LOL Hi!

Happy New Thread, Kim!

You did marry a great guy. Say hi to Walt for us.

Happy new thread :)

So, yesterday I had Jury Duty and I was desperately hoping that I wouldn't get picked because I didn't want to miss cocktails with SuziQoregon (Juli) and my Twin (BLBera, Beth). At 9:55am, they announced that ALL the pending trials had settled and we were free to go!! Whoohoo! Fastest release ever! Now my string of 6 jury summons and NEVER making it out of the waiting room and into the courtroom remains unbroken. LOL. Someday I would actually like to serve on a jury, just not yesterday. ; )

>15 jnwelch: Thanks! And vice versa! I will say Hi! to Walt if you say Hi! to Debbi. : )

>16 figsfromthistle: Thank you! Do you have a thread I can visit...?

So, onto cocktails! Twin (BLBera/Beth) was in town and we met at Portland City Grill which is 30 floors up and has a great view of downtown Portland and the river and bridges.



L to R -- Juli (SuziQOregon), me, Beth (BLBera otherwise known as Twin because everyone mixes our LT names up)

Then Juli had to go, but Rhonda showed up and we had dinner at Deschutes Brewery and enjoyed dessert (books) at Powell's.



L to R -- Beth, me, Rhonda (banjo123)



The Eye of Zoltar by Jasper Fforde (Dragonslayer #3)
The Night Watchby Sarah Waters
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen (Another series Twin talked me into!!)
The Song of the Quarkbeast by Jasper Fforde (Dragonslayer #2)

I'm so glad you got sprung from jury duty in time to meet us. Sounds like the rest of your evening was fun.

>20 SuziQoregon: Me, too!! The rest of the evening was fun and I wish you could have been part of it. Have a great time at your family gathering this weekend.

Happy new thread Kim!

>19 Berly: Ah. I was finally going to get up the courage to ask, but you’ve explained the Twin reference.

Nice meet up photos, thank you (just another excuse for book acquisition, right?). Look at the ‘calories’ on your desserts!

Happy new thread Kim my dear, hope you had a great day celebrating the 4th.

>22 humouress: Hi There! Glad I explained away the Twin confusion. ; ) Berly and BLBera--people mix us up!!

It is a perfect equation. Powell's draws in the visitors and then the visitors draw me into Powell's, too! I think we all win.

Book calories are just my kind!! And think of all the energy we use up turning all those pages and holding up the heavy books! Kindle reading is far less calorie consumptive. It's just a small tap or swipe. ; )

>23 johnsimpson: Hello, John! So nice to see you here, as usual. I hope you have a grand weekend ahead. I think I will be glued to my TV watching either soccer or tennis!!

Lovely meetup pics.
Book haul looks like good work there - I've just finished the first Dragonslayer and my finger is hovering over the buy now button on the kindle for book two! Thanks for the recommendation.

>25 charl08: Wasn't Dragonslayer a fun, easy read? Made me smile a lot. I am tempted to put down my current read to go pick up number 2....

Happy Friday! Happy New Thread, Kim. Hooray for another lovely Meet Up! 2 in one week! I am so glad that Beth made it to Portland, (although, Chicago is much close. Hint, hint...) and I am glad you clarified the "twin" thing because I could never tell you two apart! Grins...

I am also happy that Rhonda could join the proceedings too. Yah!!

>27 msf59: Happy Friday, Mark!! I think two Meet Ups in one week must be some kind of record, right? They were both wonderful occasions. Now, I am glad you understand the Twin thing. Maybe you will be able to differentiate between us from now on. One can only hope! LOL

I am headed out to MN in September. I wonder if a layover in Chicago might be possible...

I think I have it straight now, Beth. No problem...

"I wonder if a layover in Chicago might be possible..." Hell ya! Love to have you on our stomping grounds!

>29 msf59: Steve--I am definitely NOT coming to visit if you can't figure out who I am! LOL

Glad your plans didn't get messed up by jury duty.

Another meet-up. You are one Lucky Lady. Nice pictures. I am still glowing from my award of One Million Brownie Points for being first here…and tricking Meg with my own shiny new thread. Perhaps I shall share a few Brownie Points, though I would never share real brownies. Haha.

Happy new thread!

Happy New Thread, my friend (from the woman who missed most of your prior thread....).

I saw pics on FB of your two recent meet-ups. Sigh. I am happy to have made this move (at least, I expect to be) but I am SO bummed that I missed meet-ups with Joe and Beth! We'll just have to work hard at implementing additional meet ups. You know I will be coming to PDX, just not when I'm in the middle of moving across the state.

I finished Go, Went, Gone a couple of days ago and gave it 4.5 stars. Then I read a Walter Mosley even though I'm not attending to Mark's AAC at all this year. It was a decent and quick read.

Today I worked on the tedious blue tape part of my painting project. I want to cover the dark pink in my study with a sort of olive/sage green. I listened to the first couple of chapters of So Lucky by Seattle author Nicola Griffith. It's off to a good start. On my kindle I started reading The Overstory which my sister has highly recommended. I have it on loan from the Seattle Public Library. :-)

So tomorrow I do the primer, then put swatches of two sample color on the walls since I can't decide based on the 2" square chips. I'm looking at Sherwin-Williams' Cool Avocado or Dusty Olive. Who makes up these names? I may not get the actual painting done until next weekend. I need to get it done so I can put my bookshelves in place and start unpacking boxes marked "books"!!!

>31 thornton37814: Me too! Although I really would like to actually serve on an actual jury trial at some point. Maybe next time...

>32 Donna828: I am a lucky lady!! I am glad you are enjoying your Brownie Points and I totally understand not wanting to share actual edible brownies though. LOL

>33 drneutron: Hi back atcha!! I have to come over and check up on the latest NASA progress. And your books. ; )

>34 EBT1002: She's back!! And I certainly expect that there will be future meet-ups. Where and when are the only questions.

I still have to get to Go, Went, Gone but I am deep into my YA fantasies at the moment and enjoying them immensely. I just started The Song of the Quarkbeast which is book #2 in the Dragonslayer series. Love it!

Have fun with the paint selecting. Cool Avocado sounds better, but how does it look on the wall? You might try them on more than one wall because the lighting changes on each wall and during different times of the day. But then you probably know that. : ) Good luck!

Literary Arts just put up a link to the tribute for Ursala LeGuin. I really enjoyed the event live, so take a look!

http://www.literary-arts-tribute.org/?utm_source=Literary%20Arts%20News%20July%2...

>30 Berly: I like it when you call me, Steve. Wink...wink.

Happy Saturday, Kimmers! Have a great weekend.

Happy new thread, Kim!
So good to see you with the other LTers at the meetups, always nice to see the faces behind the names.

>37 msf59: : P Have a great weekend, too, Mark. : )

>38 FAMeulstee: Since I am horrible at names, seeing people's faces always helps a lot! Glad you enjoyed the pictures, too.

I am really enjoying my Sci-Fi audio of The Singularity Trap by Dennis Taylor. Again, space exploration, seeking and mining for valuable metals. Unfortunately one of the rocks infects one of the guys, right through his space suit! Love Ray Porter as the narrator. Filled once again with a great sense of humor while exploring what it means to be human.

Also loving book #2 in the Dragonslayer series, The Song of the Quarkbeast. A footnote on the subject of flying carpets: "Since carpets cover the whole floor and rugs only part of it, a 'flying carpet' is misnamed...A carpenteer is correctly called a Rugeteer, or, if you're French, a Tapisigator."

or

"Miss Strange?" said the secretary again. "The King's Useless Brother has become bored and will see you early."

Ooh, thanks for that Le Guin tribute link, Kim. I'll be sure to check it out.

Some people find Jasper Fforde too cute or precious, but I do love his writing. I think you said you've read the Thursday Next books; have you read the Nursery Rhyme books?

I just posted on your thread! LOL I have never read the Nursery Rhyme books...did you enjoy them? Are they truly for young kids?

No, not at all for young kids. They are crime mysteries featuring characters from the nursery rhymes.

Ha! Good thing I asked. Also, in that case, I am interested. ; )

Hi, Kim! Many thanks for the meet-up pictures. I'm always thrilled to match a face to a familiar name.
I'm afraid I must be counted among those who can live without Jasper Fforde, but I really enjoyed The Night Watch, my first Sarah Waters.

>35 Berly: "You might try them on more than one wall because the lighting changes on each wall and during different times of the day." exactly what I plan to do. I splurged on samples of each and I plan to put a swath of each on at least two of the walls in the room. Then I'm going to live with them for a few days (partly because the actual painting can't happen until next weekend). Cool Avocado is definitely the front-runner.

Dragonslayers. Hmm. The only thing I've ever read in this territory is the Dragonriders of Pern series. I read the trilogy in college at my boyfriend's urging and I must say that I fully enjoyed them! I'm not sure why the Fantasy bug bite didn't really take.

Once the room is painted I can unpack boxes of books! Eight Years in Power, here I come!

Fforde's Nursery Rhyme series is good, Kim. In fact the only book I have read by him is The Big Overeasy. I wanted to start with something I would be able to get the references to and I did. Fun!

>19 Berly: Yes, there's a striking similarity between you and Beth.

>37 msf59: Somethin' going on?

>40 Berly: Oh that initial BB for Dragonslayer is starting to twinge.

>17 Berly: Now my string of 6 jury summons and NEVER making it out of the waiting room and into the courtroom remains unbroken. LOL. Someday I would actually like to serve on a jury, just not yesterday. ; )

Now you've done it. It's never a good idea to taunt the jury call gods. Unless you make amends ASAP you'll be certain to be placed on a jury for a year long trial.

(I haven't had to serve on a jury, either, despite receiving at least half a dozen summons. Shh...)

>19 Berly: Nice meet up and book haul photos!

Hi Kim, returning the visit.

You've got me with some BB's here. Jasper Fforde (had to look up that spellings), and We were eight years in Power.

Nice meet-up pictures up there. And wouldn't mind that book haul either.

Have a nice Sunday!

>49 kidzdoc: Aren’t doctors exempt from jury duty? My mum was, though she did serve, as an expert witness, a few times.

>24 Berly:, Hi Kim, I have had a lovely birthday weekend, out on the day to Whitby on the Yorkshire coast, a steady day yesterday and then watching England beat Sweden before taking Karen to work and then I was out at a reunion of pits lads. A good evening was had a few beers were sunk and then today we had family around for a bit of a BBQ.

>45 LizzieD: To each his/her own and no worries if Jasper is not your cup of tea. I loved Fingersmith by Sarah Waters so I am excited to read The Night Watch!

>46 EBT1002: I eagerly await your paint verdict!! : ) Jasper Fforde is ridiculously, intelligently, humorous. I love him! The latest book I just finished, The Song of the Quarkbeast has these magical beast, Quarkbeasts, which procreate by dividing into mirror images, but not exactly, as they vary slightly depending on whether they are Up, Down, Strange, Charm, Top or Bottom versions. These same six names, whimsical as they may sound, are the actual pairings of a quark, an elementary particle and a fundamental constituent of matter. Quarks combine to form composite particles called hadrons, the most stable of which are protons and neutrons, the components of atomic nuclei. Physics!!

>47 Familyhistorian: I am probably going to read the next Dragonslayer book and then I will keep an eye out for The Nursery Rhymes! Thanks for the idea. : )

>48 humouress: BB twinge!! Ha! Gotcha.

>49 kidzdoc: Oh, good point. Sorry Jury Duty Gods! I was not taunting you in any way. At all. Ever. I have the greatest respect for our jury system. (Darryl--Do you think that's enough to make amends? I hope?!?)

Hi Kim! It was so great to hang out with you and Beth. And I am happy that you are enjoying your reading.

>50 EllaTim: Hi there! Thanks for dropping in. Sorry/not sorry to hit your with book bullets, and two such different titles, too! I hope you had a great Sunday. I spent most of mine, reading, napping and watching Wimbledon. Perfect!

>51 humouress: Are they exempt?

>52 johnsimpson: So glad you had a nice birthday, John. Followed by a wonderful weekend from the sounds of it. : ) I hope you have a wonderful year.

>53 Berly: Quark! :-)
Will get to this one soon.

>57 charl08: Quark!

>53 Berly: Mr Men! >57 charl08: >58 Berly: ...or possibly ducks.

>56 Berly: Now you’re making me wonder. I thought doctors were exempt. Maybe in UK, not in USA? Or maybe I’m wrong?

Happy new thread! Love your meet-up photos!

>59 humouress: Nope. Quarkbeasts go quark. ; )

>60 ChelleBearss: Hi there! How's the sunburn faring?

My husband was chuckling over this list of Scandinavian words and I just had to post the one:

Pilkunnussija– A great Finnish word, literally: a comma fucker. A pedant; a person who corrects trivial or meaningless things. A person who believes it is their destiny to stamp out all spelling and punctuation mistakes. As in ‘Seriously, don’t be such a pilkunnussija’.

The rest can be found here:

http://www.scandikitchen.co.uk/useful-scandinavian-words-start-using-english/

I"m trying to catch up after two crazy busy weeks. Glad you got out of jury duty in time to make the meet-up. I so much enjoyed the one in April and would love to make it to another Portland one. Hope you're feeling well.

Love the meet up pics from the last thread...also from the last thread. Yes to a Septemberish Obama read (what was the book again???- Anne Tyler?).

>36 Berly: I aim to read an Ursula LeGuin book this year! I am all over the dystopian books at present (Sea of Rust and Station Eleven) so might try after them.

>62 Berly: LOVE it!

And, Twin, I did listen to you and started a new thread. I was thinking we should have both used the meet-up photos as toppers...

I would like to point out to Mr. Mark that the roads between Mpls. and Chicago do go both ways...

See you in September.

>63 RebaRelishesReading: It was so great to have you out here in April and I certainly hope it is not your last trip out this way!!

>64 LovingLit: Obama in September--great! We just have to decide which one. I will try to find that link again...

Love Ursala LeGuin--enjoy! And I haven't read Sea of Rust yet--let me know if it's any good. Station Eleven was!

>65 BLBera: Good girl. Glad you started a new thread and I love your Devil's Tower photo. I wish I had thought to use our latest meet-up photo as the topper! It's NEAR the top. Do I get half credit? Maybe in the fall. : )

>53 Berly: They look like M&Ms....

>65 BLBera: "See you in September."
Is another meet up being planned for September?

>62 Berly: LOVE it. One of my BILs comes to mind....

>69 EBT1002: I was thinking of myself. My excuse is that I’ve got two schoolage boys.

>67 EBT1002: I know. I think Quarks are hard to draw. Or image. How about this (not a real picture, just representation)?



Or this?

>68 EBT1002: Yes, but in MN. I am headed out there in September to see my siblings. It's a group turning 50 celebration.

>69 EBT1002: >70 humouress: I think my son thinks of me when I am trying to help him with his English assignments! LOL

I am so excited that ALL the kids on the soccer team and their coach made it out of the Thai cave alive! What a wonderful example of people reaching across the globe and working TOGETHER with kindness to save others.

>73 Berly: Yes, lovely news. Although apparently Musk's submarine wasn't needed. (I would have been tempted to keep it anyway, personally, but...)

'Down Quark' makes me think of a small animal instruction...

^Ha! Quark Quark Quark makes me think of a duck with a sore throat.

You're right about the Thailand rescue mission, Kim. So great.

Happy new thread, Kim! What a great meet up! 75er's always look amazingly happy! Nice book haul too!
Yes, the Thailand rescue was incredible. The fact they were even found let alone rescued is beyond ones imagination. SEALS rock!!

>73 Berly: That is wonderful news.

>73 Berly: Yay! Such happy news.

>73 Berly: Good News for a change. Yes!!! Wish we had more ways like this for humanity to band together…without the drama of being stuck in a cave like that. My worst nightmare.

>74 charl08: Down Quark indeed! I want to see what Musk's submarine can do, though!! LOL

>75 jnwelch: Duck with a sore throat--That made me laugh!

>76 Carmenere: Seals do rock!! And it was nip and tuck. Phew.

And how could LT meetups not be happy! Fun, intelligent, kind people and lots and lots of books!!

>77 BLBera: >78 humouress: : )

>79 Donna828: Yes, I vote for kindness and caring, humanity, without the emergency!

Well, I just finished The Eye of Zoltar, the third in the Chronicles of Kazam series, (The Last Dragonslayer is book one) and I loved it!! Four and a half stars. More snarky humor, spells gone wrong, dragons and our courageous Jennifer Strange. In this one, there's a little romance and a princess learns how to be noble.

And there are grammar lessons--

"You said 'business' three times in that sentence."
"So?"
"It's bad syntax."
"No, it isn't."
"Yes, it is. It's like me saying, 'You're the dumbest dumb person I've ever had the the dumb luck to meet."
"You're very impertinent for an orphan."

and insider trading tips, too. LOL. (You have to read the book, the passages are too long to quote here.)

The only bad news is it will be a while before #4 comes out, but at least Fforde seems to have lots of books in the works.

Here is the Jasper Fforde update from his website:

"Well, I'm sort of feeling a little embarrassed what with my recent creative hiatus, from which I now seem to be emerging. Rather than give dates, perhaps we'll go with the order in which they will be appearing. I think. All publications are accompanied by Events and tours, hopefully somewhere near you. Okay, This is where we are at present:

Book The First: Thriller set in a world in which humans have always hibernated: Early Riser to be published in the UK in August 2018, and in the USA 'early 2019'

Book the Second: Meet The Rabbits Sort of "District 9" meets "Watership Down". Blatantly unsubtle allegorical novel about Rabbits moving in next door. We live in unsubtle times, and this calls for unsubtle books. I should be done with this by the end of June 2018, so hopefully 2019 for publication.

Book The Third: Dragonslayer IV, where we conclude the adventures of Jennifer Strange: Humans V Trolls. I'll be working on this during the 2nd half of 2018, so again, hopefully late 2019 publication, or early 2020.

Book the Fourth: Shades of Grey II Either a prequel that takes place before the 'Something that happened' or we'll just carry on straight after Eddie's marriage. I'm favouring the latter. I'll be working on this in 2019 and am not sure how long it will take to write.

** This is the one I thought I was buying at Costco but it turned out to be Fifty Shades of Grey--imagine my surprise when I started reading!! LOL

Book the Fifth: Dark Reading Matter We are with Thursday Next again as she journeys into the unobservable Bookworld."

Hurry up Jasper!!

>81 Berly: Hmm, that little excerpt is appealing. Maybe I should find a copy of the first in this series...

>82 EBT1002: Definitely! Find a copy!! Sorry, mine is already spoken for. How was the first day of work? Off to your thread to find out...

>81 Berly: That series is still looking good; but maybe I'll wait until book 4 is out before I start reading it (phew! reprieve).

I suspect the book was named Shades of Grey (hah! guess what touchstone came up first?) to confuse E.L. James fans into buying it - not the other way around :0)

>61 Berly: It's actually turned brown! Rare, that.

>81 Berly: Well, that sounds like one I would like! That cover is quite cool, too!

I think I have the first one in the Dragonslayer series. I might have to pick it and send it to Ellen...

Found you! It was great to meet you in Portland last week (or was it the week before? I've lost track of time, but I've finally returned home from my trip and catalogued all my books, so I'm starting to return to the real world).

I love the word Pilkunnussija!

>84 humouress: OK, wait a bit. But make sure you put it on your TBR list!! And I get credit for the BB. ; )

>85 ChelleBearss: So you're tanned and not pealing!! Wonderful! LOL

The series really made me laugh. So imaginative and fun. Try it! You'll like it! ; )

>86 BLBera: Twin! If you can find it I am sure Ellen would love it.

>87 _Zoe_: Hi there! I'm glad you tracked me down. It was so much fun meeting you; now I can look forward to keeping up with you here.

I know the rest of the US has been dealing with heat waves, but it has been relatively cool here in Portland. Not today! IT's 93˚F!! So, I thought I should read a book to cool me off and I started The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. It was a Pulitzer Prize Finalist and recommended by LT friends at Powell's. So, we'll see!

>84 humouress: Except that Shades of Grey came out two years before the E. L. James book, Nina.

>81 Berly: Glad you are still enjoying these, Berly. I have the first, got the next two through the library. I feel the itch to do a reread of the Thursday Next books soon...

>90 ronincats: Yes! I might have to pick up an old Thursday Next again, just to refresh my memory, before the next in the series comes out. ; )

>89 Berly: I wasn't the one who recommended that book, but I love it too!

Hi Kim, I am a big fan of the Thursday Next series. I think Forbes is incredibly talented. So now I have to tackle the Dragonslayer series. I haven't read any of those. Thanks for the tip. I hope you are keeping cool

>92 _Zoe_: Yay!! Another fan of The Snow Child! I am just 20 pages in. So far it is sad and kinda bleak. I am hoping that means some joy will break things up....but don't tell me!

>93 Oregonreader: Hi, Jan. I missed you at our meetups: hope I get to see you sometime soon! And I hope you enjoy the Fforde series. I finally caved and turned on the AC today. It was 97 outside on my car thermometer. Too warm for me!

>88 Berly: Alright, alright (provided my holey memory still works). Just don't take any more pot shots at me.

>90 ronincats: Ewp. So maybe it was the other way around.

Hey Twin, our book club is reading The Snow Child later in the year. I look forward to your comments.

>93 Oregonreader: Maybe next time I'm in Portland, I'll get to meet Jan.

Another fan of The Snow Child and I also enjoyed her To the Bright Edge of the World. I think she really gives a sense of time and place in her novels.

Happy weekend, Kim.

Hi Kim, just stopping by to see how you are and the family my dear. As I type we are waiting for the nightly visit from our lovely Hedgehogs, I have put the food down and some water for them. Think we might start charging for all this hospitality with the Hedgehogs and the Robins, lol.

Hope you have had a good week and wishing you and the family a really lovely weekend dear friend and send love and hugs to you all from both of us.

>89 Berly: Hooray for the Snow Child, Kimmers! Perfect choice for this hot weather. I loved it.

I sure wish you could make Denver next month. I have visited Colorado many times but this will be my first Meet Up. And we know how fun these events can be. Grins...

>94 Berly: Don't worry, I read it long enough ago that I don't remember the details anyway! Just the general positive impression. I've been meaning to read To the Bright Edge of the World as well.

>100 msf59: Ooh, when is the Denver meetup next month?

>95 humouress: No more pot shots? Ha! I laugh in your general direction. : )

>96 BLBera: Okay. I promise to give a full report on The Snow Child. And I do hope you get to meet Jan next time!

>97 calm: Another voice I trust speaking up for The Snow Child. Yay! And where was I when everyone was reading this one? LOL

>98 Ameise1: And a happy weekend to you, too! Hope you get your energy back soon.

>99 johnsimpson: I love your Hedgehog visitors. And the robins. You must be a very nice host! I hope you and Karen have a wonderful weekend. Hugs.

>100 msf59: Another reader of TSC. Seriously, how did I miss this one? Oh, well. I am on it now. ; )

We have a nice, sunny, hot weekend ahead. And I am perfectly happy with that. Summer has been a bit cool so far.

How's the camera? Having any fun with it yet?

Denver? Who's all going to be there?

>101 _Zoe_: I hope I like TSC, because then I will have TO The Bright Edge of the World to look forward to as well.

Are you going to see if you can fit in Denver as well? : )

Some of you might remember the I gushed about Dennis Taylor's Bobiverse series. Well, I am absolutely loving another of his space novels, The Singularity Trap. Again listening on audio and it is wonderful. I am trying so hard to find listening time because I can't wait to see where this one is going! Instead of leaving Earth, this time the others are coming to Earth, in a most unusual way. Science, politics, great characters and lots of humor. Awesome!

>102 Berly: Oh, hey! And after I said I’d give you the credit. Sort of.

>105 humouress: It was the "sort of" credit that made me think I will have to REALLY nail you with a book bullet that you can't back out of and then you'll have to give me credit. : )

>103 Berly: Well, I'll be in Denver at the start of the month, so if there happens to be a meetup nearby.... ;)

Hi Kim! That Jasper Fforde book looks excellent. :D

Thank for stopping by my thread and keeping it warm. I have been traveling and working nonstop. Did get a lot of reading done but not the threads. You got a Bingo while I was gone! Congrats!

And...I'm coming to Portland for a conference in early April 2019. Powell's is on my list, of course, as I have never been there and I would love to meet a few LT folks. I've only had one meetup in Denver and it was fun!

>107 _Zoe_: I hope your trip overlaps with the other LT meetup!! You'll have to find out from Mark exactly when it is.

>108 The_Hibernator: IMHO. : D

>109 witchyrichy: Anytime! Yes, I got a Bingo, but it is going to take careful reading selections to fill in the rest of the squares.

Awesome!! I will add you to the Potland Meet Up Thread!! Which can be found here:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/285123

Happy Saturday, Kim. I am really enjoying my camera but it was definitely a reality check. I have a LOT to learn about photography. This isn't taking snapshots with my cell phone.

I hope you are having a lovely weekend.

Well, my crew is going to Colorado, for a week and I plan on meeting Joanne and Anne in Denver. Sadly, it won't work out with Mary and Donna. We are going for the stunning scenery but many breweries will be attended too.

Hi Kim! Sounds like you are really enjoying your reading. Stay cool!

>111 msf59: No, a camera is not like your cell phone. LOL. Have fun with it. Maybe no bird pictures today, though--it looks pretty warm your way. Maybe the man cave?

Well, at least you get to meet up with Joanne and Anne in Denver!! Next time for everyone else, right?

>112 banjo123: Definitely not doing much outside today with the projected 100˚F. Ugh. Reading is going well. Hope you are having a great weekend. : )

Deeply disappointed that none of my favorites (Serena, Federer, Rafa) made it into the finals. Bummer.

I'm with you, Twin. I didn't even watch the men's final.

I have to mow my lawn but will wait until the evening. It's 85 here today.

I watched the Men's. I have the Women's saved but not sure I want to watch it.

Drink lots of water cutting that lawn!

>114 Berly: same! We were away this weekend visiting daughter #1, so at least we didn't have to worry about where/how to watch the finals, having lost interest.

>117 lauralkeet: Hope you had fun visiting numero uno!! You didn't miss anything on the men's side. I can attest.

I have lots of Kindle reads to choose from and I just started "D" is for Deadbeat: A Kinsey Millhone Mystery by Sue Grafton downloaded from the library.

But I only have one downloaded audio left: First Grave on the Right. Not feeling it right now.

Any good audio suggestions for me? I have 3 credits I can use. : )

I am going to pick up the first Dragonslayer book at the library this week. You have me convinced. I also just got the first of the Thursday Next book (No, I haven't read them) for my ereader.

>120 SuziQoregon: Yay!! I hope you like them both and enjoy a laugh or two. Let me know what you think. : )

Hey, Kimmers! For your audio question, if you are in the mood for fiction, I recommend The House of Broken Angels & Circe and on the NF front, Educated, A Higher Loyalty & The Night of the Gun. Come on, you know I like my NF on audio.

If you are in the mood, for crime/mystery, have you ever tried the Longmire series on audio? If not, they are great.

I recommend Matilda read by Kate Winslet for a short, light-hearted listen.

>122 msf59: Mark--Loved the Longmire series. I will check out your NF recommendations. I have enjoyed that genre on audio a lot! Thanks.

>123 katiekrug: Katie--Thanks! I've read Matilda a while ago, but an audio re-read might be perfect.

I just read another Backman, Beartown also released as and the second in the series is Us Against You. I have loved all the books I have read by him and this is no exception. Beartown centers around a small town defined by their love of hockey. It's all blown apart when a crime happens and people take sides. Still filled with his trademark humor and lots of love, but it does explore dark issues. Backman does a masterful job of not giving away the ending even through the book starts with it. Ha!! How's that for a hook? Now I have to get the second in the series... 4.75 stars

>104 Berly: Oh! Oh! Oh! I LOVED the Bobiverse, and I am so happy to hear that he has written more! Going to track this one down in a big hurry! Thanks for the heads up!

Karen O.

I think that Us Against You is actually a follow-up to Beartown (I had to look to make sure). I read the first, will have to look for the second. Thanks!

Karen O.

>119 Berly: I’ve recently discovered that my GPS has Audible on it, so I’ll have to look into seeing how I can download stuff onto it; maybe some classics for the kids to listen to.

I haven’t really explored audio books, but I notice that other LTers like Neil Gaiman books read by Gaiman.

>126 klobrien2: Hi there! My pleasure. Have fun with it. : )

>127 klobrien2: You are right! Us Against You is the second in the series, which I will now HAVE to get! Thanks for setting me right. SO excited there is more to this story. (I fixed my entry)

>128 humouress: How cool that your GPS has Audible. I bet the kids will love the classics on audio. And I love Gaiman, so I will have to track some down. Thanks.

>125 Berly: I really liked Beartown too, and had forgotten about the second book.

Glad to see that you enjoyed Beartown! I have it waiting for me soon as I got the sequel Us Against You from Netgalley and need to read them soon

>81 Berly: Hahaha! What a fortuitous mix up, Kim! Maybe, I'll check it out. I think the cover looks Harry Potterish.

Hey Twin - You've almost convinced me with your review of Beartown; I was not a huge fan of A Man Called Ove. I'll pencil it on my WL...:)

Have you bought your tickets yet?

Hi, Kim.

You remind me that I need to get started with Kinsey Milhone; I've got A is for Alibi, and have never read any of this series.

I also need to get back into the Bobiverse!

I should finish off the Kinsey series. R was the last one I read.

Hi Kim. You are such a kind soul! I haven't visited here in awhile, yet you post on my thread regularly. The world needs more of you.

I hope you are well.

Are you staying out of the hospital?

Your photos of the meet ups make me smile!

I need a smile. A few weeks ago I learned that I need another surgery...number nine. I posted some details on my thread.

I am focusing on happy things. The local library book sale is this weekend. I hope to go. They usually have great selections.

Thanks for your review of BearTown I started this book, but put it aside. Now, your review calls me to revisit this one.

All good wishes to you my friend!

>89 Berly: is The Snow Child a fantastical one? I recall people talking about it too, out also remember being put off for some reason.

>71 Berly: nice science lesson! When I worked at an outdoor equipment retailer, they had a set of add-ons for backpacks (littler zip-on packs etc), and they called them quarks. That was when I first heard of them.

PS It's Megan here, formerly known as Ireadthereforeiam...I have a new title :)

Has it been summer-like for a while where you are, Kim? Our cool rainy weather has been gone for a while now and people are actually complaining about the heat!

So. Far. Behind.

>73 Berly: Me too! It was the only thing I could think about for days.

>125 Berly: I have Beartown on my shelves. I need to get to it. After I read about 10 library books that came in all at once.

>119 Berly: Have you read/listen to the Frieda Klein series by Nicci French? You should start with Blue Monday. Very gripping. I like it very much.
Happy weekend, Kim.

>125 Berly: Glad you enjoyed Beartown. I just bought a copy and I may read it next, after The Little Paris Bookshop that is checked out on my Kindle from the library. And I starred the Portland thread. Thanks for adding me!

Hi Kim, hope you are having a good weekend my dear, the weather here is still very good with no end in sight to the hot weather (by our standards). The chunkster reading is going well if a little slow this month mainly due to the weather and the Tour De France on TV.

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

My new local library has both a dead-tree and an e-copy of The Last Dragonslayer so I will add it to my wish list.

For some reason I am not in favor of reading Fredrik Backman. Some snobby persona that seems to be lodged in behind my usual nonjudgmental self....

I was a Kinsey Milhone addict until about M or so. I keep thinking I'd like to read A is for Alibi again and perhaps wend my way through the series. I liked that she was a 3-miles-every-morning runner. :-)

Behind on my own thread!! What a week. Individual responses tomorrow.

Spent the early morning in the ER with my son because he had all the signs of spinal meningitis (which my oldest daughter had 8 years ago and it wasn't pretty). Luckily he does not appear to have it, just a fever, a headache, nausea and a sore neck. I got no sleep. But we are both back home. I finished The Invisible Library while waiting for all the test results. I wasn't too excited in the beginning, but was a fan by the end. More later....

I also started Loving Frank about Frank Lloyd Wright, the architect, by Nancy Horan for my August RL bookclub.

: )

>144 Berly: Ah, I was starting to wonder where you were. I’m very happy to hear that your son doesn’t have meningitis. I hope your daughter didn’t have too rough a time with it.

Hi, Kimmers. I hope you had a nice weekend. Yah, for Beartown. I really enjoyed that one too and also looking forward to the follow-up. You might also get me to finally Loving Frank, which has languished in the stacks for years.

>144 Berly: Do you want to know how it ends?

Hi Berly!

I'm slowly trying to catch up with folks after being on vacation for 3 weeks. Between the last 66 messages of your last thread and the 147 messages of this thread, I do admit so some skimming.

Like Donna, I noticed that you lost your 'soul'.

Thanks for the pics of the meetup, sorry about your son in the ER. You must have been going crazy with worry.

Happy Monday and I hope you have an uneventful week with lots of reading and fun stuff.

Sending healing thoughts to you and your son.

>148 karenmarie: Echoing Karen’s wishes for a calm week.

Hi, Kim. Sad that you got beached in the ER (again!). Glad that your son doesn't have that disease. Oh my.

>130 lauralkeet: Next time I get to Powell's I am going to snag a copy of Us Against You!

>131 ChelleBearss: Let me know when you are on the second one and I'll jump in.

>132 Carmenere: I really enjoyed The Last Dragonslayer series -- you should give it a go, if you are into magic and humor. ; )

>133 BLBera: Beartown is very different from Ove. : )

Also, my trip is up in the air because my brother just found out that his niece is having her wedding that weekend. I mean I am happy for her, but GRRRRR! I will let you know when I figure it out.

>134 jnwelch: I just finished Kinsey Milhone in D is for Deadbeat and I continue to enjoy the series. I think you should plunge in and go for "A"!!

And Go, Bob, Go!! You really should get back in to the Bobiverse. ; )

>135 SuziQoregon: R!!! Wow, you are way ahead of me on the series. Better not let me catch you!

>136 Whisper1: Hi Linda. So glad to see you here and so bummed to hear you need yet ANOTHER surgery. When will they get it right?! Honestly, you are such an inspiration to me, the way you always look for the positive in life, the way you make everyone around you feel valued and happy. You know I am sending lots of good mojo your way. Hang in there!! And please feel free to vent once in a while. You are only human ya know. : )

>137 LovingLit: Yes, The Snow Child has fairy tale undertones. That actually didn't bother me at all, but one of the main characters was kind of a Debbie Downer. It was an OK read, but not one I will be pushing.

Quark backpack accessories--love it!

And I loved your old name, but LovingLit is awesome, too! Thanks for cluing me in to your new identity. : )

>138 Familyhistorian: We are in for a 7-day above 90˚F stretch. So, yes, summer is here in a big way! It's gettin gin the way of my motivation to get my walks in....

>139 nittnut: LOL. I am behind on my own thread!!

And why do all the library loans seem to come in at once?! Good luck!!

>140 Ameise1: Oooh! Great idea. I have read Nicci French's Blue Monday but I don't think I have gotten to any of the other ones....Thanks.

>141 witchyrichy: I have The Little Paris Bookshop somewhere in my TBR pile(s). I want to get to it someday soon.

Happy to add you to the Portland thread!! Can't wait.

>142 johnsimpson: I have not paid much attention to the Tour de France this time. Hope you are enjoying it. Any favorites? Wishing you continued great weather.

>143 EBT1002: Hope you love The Last Dragonslayer! And look at you being all snobby about Fredrick Backman!! LOL So unlike you. Well, you are excused this time. But don't make it a habit.

>145 humouress: Thanks. Jack is not a happy camper today. His fever is up and he basically hurts all over. But its not meningitis, so....My daughter had a rough time and almost didnt make it through the first night in the hospital, but she is fine now.

>146 msf59: I'll let you know what I think of Loving Frank. So far it is well written, but I am having trouble reading the first hand account of an affair. We'll see....

>147 BLBera: NOOOOOO! Don't tell me the end. Oh wait, I know how it ends. ; )

>148 karenmarie: Welcome back!! I will have to check up on your thread and see how your VK went. : )

Yes, I am soulful once again. LOL. Much happier now that my son is back home. He is just going to have to weather this particular bug. Apparently a lot of people have been coming into the ER--it's pretty nasty.

>149 witchyrichy: A calm week would be nice, but last week was a lot of fun. Four of us from work travelled up to Washington state to visit a customer and then there just happened to be a water park 10 minutes away, so we HAD to go check it out. So much fun!! We spent from 2-7pm there and since it was the middle of the week, the lines were short and we got to go on so many rides!!

>150 weird_O: I did miss out on a good night's sleep, but at least I had something to read in ER! And it wasn't me for a change! My son will be fine so it is all good. Phew.

Glad to hear that your son will be fine - hope he feels better soon. A water park sounds lovely: it continues to be very humid here.

Although I have just put the washing outside and it has started to rain. Great.

Kim, sorry to hear about the worry re your son but very happy to hear that it wasn't the dreaded meningitis!

I read Loving Frank several years ago and enjoyed it. She is a good writer. I just picked up another by her last week from a library sale. This one is about Robert Louis Stevenson. I hope it's as good.

I also read The Little Paris Bookshop but though the premise was good and had potential, I ended up being rather disappointed in and annoyed by it. Oh well, win some, lose some.

>154 Berly: So scary. Hoping Jack feels better soon.

You just can't stay away from the ER! It's good to hear that your son doesn't have meningitis but what he has must be pretty miserable. I hope he is better soon. I hear you about the heat. Our temps will be in the low 30's C (so in the 90 F range) for the next 5 days. It must be the same up and down the coast.

>104 Berly: Hi Kim, I'm loving the Bobiverse series, just finished book 2 and ready for book 3 if I can ever get in the car alone again! I am definitely putting The Singularity Trap on my list right this minute!

Hey Twin - I hope all are now well in the Berly household.

>157 jessibud2: The Horan about Robert Louis Stevenson is excellent; I may have liked it better than Loving Frank.

Let me know about your trip - I hope it does happen.

>144 Berly: I had that book, and I wonder if I may have let it go....perhaps somewhat foolishly.

Hi! I am so glad your son doesn't have meningitis. Wow. I hope he's feeling better. It was you who BB'd me with The Last Dragonslayer. I credited AMQS and she had no idea what I was talking about. Lol. Miss M and I are enjoying the series, so thank you!

>156 charl08: Sorry about the rain when you are trying to dry your clothes. You need to get one of these!! LOL

>157 jessibud2: I keep meaning to try The Little Paris Bookshop. I pick it up and then I put it back down. I haven't heard glowing reviews...It may be a dust collector. : (

>158 humouress: Jack is feeling much better now. He even dragged himself to an interview yesterday and he landed a job!! He is very excited. It's a bit of a trek from our house but an easy bike ride and when he starts college in the fall it is a direct route from his dorm room downtown to the restaurant, a very cute burger place. Yay!

>159 Familyhistorian: He was a pretty miserable kid for days. Of course, the day after the ER visit, his temperature started to go down and he is almost back to 100% now.

We still have four more days projected to be in the 90s. Stay cool!!

>160 Dianekeenoy: Yay! Another BOB fan! I hope you get some listening time in soon and I am glad I hooked you with The Singularity Trap, too.

>161 BLBera: I slept in a little this morning, so I am almost over my sleep deprivation. LOL. I will keep my eye out for Horan's book on Robert Louise Stevenson. Do you think that it would be good for bookclub discussion?

I think my sister may come out here instead and then we will reschedule the MN visit sometime next year. I will keep you posted....

>162 LovingLit: Uh oh. Did you take a look and see if you still have Loving Frank? I was really enjoying it by the end!

>163 nittnut: I am so glad you two are enjoying The Last Dragonslayer! I ate that series up and can't wait for the fourth to come out.

First Grave on the Right (A) by Darynda Jones 4.5

Charley is a young PI. She is beautiful, smart and very snarky--her internal dialogue made me laugh all the time. I LOVED her! Oh, and she has a slight advantage when trying to solve her cases--she can talk to the dead. Now, you might think that would mean her work would be easy, but, no. Lot of wrinkles happen. Including a sinister dark cloud that mysteriously appears now and again. But it also saves her life more than once. So why is she so afraid of it? And let's not forget the super hot and sexy ghost Reyes. I also really enjoyed her Uncle Bob, the cop, AKA U.B. A very fun, light read. The audio, read by Lorelei King, is fantastic. I finished book one and I am already on number two: Second Grave on the Left.

Loving Frank by Nancy Horan 3.5

I had trouble with this book initially. I don't enjoy reading about troubled marriages, affairs, and kids being left behind. And the image in my head of Frank Lloyd Wright didn't jibe with the romantic, thoughtful guy here. Nor do I like historical fiction when the dialogue and letters are not based on actual pieces. (Okay the author found like 5 letters from Mamah...)

I used to live a few streets away from one of Wright's houses in MN and I so wanted to hear more about how his mind worked, what inspired him. He is such an influential architect, that I never gave a thought to the ups and down his career must have had. About halfway through this book, I found myself enjoying it. The author clearly researched dates, accomplishments, etc., and there is plenty to learn here about both Frank and his mistress Mamuh Borthwick: their families, schooling, and other influences. I also enjoyed watching the unfolding of women's rights in America. Mamah was rather unconventional for her time and, being fluent in several languages, became a translator for Ellen Key, an ardent feminist in Europe.

An interesting book.

I look forward to talking about this one in my RL bookclub...

>151 Berly: Sorry, I didn't get this and have already finished Us Against You. It was great though :)

Sorry to see your son hasn't been well but glad it didn't turn out to be meningitis!

>165 Berly: Good for him!

>169 ChelleBearss: Dang. You are just too fast! Well, glad to hear you liked it. I hope to get to Us Against You soon. : )

I'm glad he didn't have meningitis, too!

>170 humouress: Yes! My son is psyched about his new job. I think training starts next week.

I'm glad your son is on the mend, and great news about his job! Sounds like a winner. Happy Sunday, Kim!

>164 Berly: Love this! Thanks Kim.

>167 Berly: Intrigued by this. Maybe?! Sounds like fun.

>168 Berly: Sounds like a brilliant choice for a bookclub book, so much to discuss there. I did a walking tour about the local writers in Liverpool, and just that small taster of local architecture made me want to know more.

DO keep me posted about your MN trip. Fingers crossed.

I think we had a good discussion about Loving Frank, but it's been a while. I think the Stevenson one would be a good discussion book; you could have a long discussion about women's sacrifices for men's careers.

I'm happy all are on the mend in the Berly house.

Good for your son going to the interview and getting a job while still recovering. I hope you are doing well too and all caught up on your sleep and reading.

Oh, no...I do hope your son is on the mend. You must tire of the ER.
My local library book club discussed Loving Frank. I really think the man was despicable.

Thinking of you and sending lots of love.

>172 lauralkeet: Happy Hump Day!!! My son actually started training already. He is going to the downtown location and then he will transfer to a brand new restaurant close to home when they open in the next week. They make the best hamburgers and truffle fries!

>173 charl08: Second Grave on the Left. I think there are 13 in the series so far. 4.5 stars



Loved the second one as much as the first!! More wonderful snarky humor. Charly remains a strong female central character. Great friends and family...except for when they are not. Mystery. Action. Adventure. And ghosts! The surprise ending left me wanting the third...

>174 BLBera: My sister is going to come out here instead and then we will reschedule MN sometime later in next year. I'll keep you posted!

So, more good news! My middle daughter just got a new job, too! She is going to be working at H&M, which is retail clothing store located in the mall closest to us. She starts training on Friday. Yay! Both kids' new jobs are full-time switching to part-time in the fall when they head back to college. They are growing up! : )

>175 Familyhistorian: I have had a killer month reading. Why? Well, a big reason is probably that I have been on the injured reserve list...again. All that prednisone I was on for my allergic reactions at the beginning of the year has messed me up a little and I pulled my hamstring two months ago and the meds are kinda messing with my healing process. So no TKD for me. I only just got permission to start walking! You can imagine how cranky I am without any exercise. Thank goodness for books! I think I have at least another month left before I can get back to the dojang and let me just say, I am soooooo out of shape! I will have to go back to the white belt level so I don't push it too hard. Dang it.

>176 Whisper1: I don't know that I think Frank Lloyd Wright was despicable, exactly, but he is not my favorite either. I think he was stuck in a loveless marriage and divorce wasn't very common back then. Who knows if he would have remained committed to Mamah, or if that would have fallen apart, too, given time. He was a unique, testy, demanding individual. His designs are cool though!

Hope you are hanging in there--I will come see if you have posted the latest treatment plan on your thread -- I haven't been LTing as much lately. Busy, busy at work. I spent last weekend in the office. Hope that doesn't last much longer. Hugs! : )

>178 Berly: Oh, my. Not being able to exercise, or even walk - I've been there, and recently as well. I hope you can build back up to where you were in good time.

>178 Berly:

FLW and Picasso - great artists who weren't exactly the male forerunners for Women's Rights!

Just checking in, Kim. It's a beautiful thing when the children get jobs and start taking care of theirownselves. Ours are out of college and grad school, and doing fine without us - or at least, without our financial resources and being on standby to rescue them. We're kicking up our heels (as you could tell recently).

Hi, Kim. Just looking in on my pal. Congrats to your daughter getting a job. Exciting.

Miss seeing you around, my friend.

>179 ffortsa: Yes, gimpy girl, I know you get it! We should both get over it, and the sooner the better, right? : )

>180 m.belljackson: So true, so true.

>181 jnwelch: Yes, I know it has been making you happy! Me, too. : )

>182 msf59: I have been overwhelmed with RL...stuff. Sigh. But look...I've made it on LT two days in a row!!

How is your new birth year going? : )

Portland set a record Monday for the most 90+ days in the month of July. Monday was the 15th day overall of 90+ degree heat for the month. : P

Oh my, I didn’t realise you were bed/ house bound. I hope you’re better soon. Yay for your daughter getting a job too.

>184 Berly: Welcome to the tropics!

>164 Berly: LOL like it. Sweet Thursday, Kim. It's terribly hot in Poland too.

>184 Berly: Wow, did we luck out. When we visited Portland, Kim, it was in the 70s!

Congrats to both your kiddos on their new jobs!
Sorry to see you are laid up again. Hope you can get back to some exercise soon but try and enjoy your down time/reading time while you can.

>171 Berly: I have a bad habit of reading through whole series when I find something I like. I really should learn to space out the enjoyment instead of just gobbling them up!

Hi Berly!

Adding my congratulations on the jobs for your kids and sorry you've been on the injured reserve list again. Sending healing thoughts your way.

>184 Berly: Whew!

Sorry to hear about your injury. I'm sending healing vibes your way.

:( I have to wait until next year for a Twin visit?

>183 Berly: 'Gimpy Girl' - It has a ring to it. I just hope Jim doesn't start calling me that! I hope you're up and around now.

I cannot believe the heat in Portland. It always appealed to me precisely because it didn't get that hot (and for other reasons, of course) but this is RIDICULOUS. Also climate change evidence. The experts say to prepare for colder winters and hotter summers and more drought and total mayhem if the Gulf Stream stops streaming. I recall James Burke, decades ago, describing just this scenario. He wore leisure suits with wide labels, but I don't hold that against him.
eta: "After the Warming" 1989

15 Days over 90? Wow. That is hot for Portland.

Congrats on two kids with full time jobs. That's awesome.

Sorry about the hamstring. It's not great for exercise, but it sure does help boost the book count. :)

>167 Berly: Well, another one goes on my list! This sounds right up my alley! And, I might as well add the second book too since I just saw that you liked that as well. Your thread is getting a little dangerous for my TBR pile!

Hey Kim! I will by flying into the Portland area on August 27, and out again September 3. I could drive back to Portland from Corvallis on the 28, 29, or 30th. Would any of those days work as a meetup day?

Stay cook, Kim! And congrats on your kiddos getting jobs.

>168 Berly: I think I did move Loving Frank on. :(
Which was foolish, as I have an interest in his architecture, and I love the cover! I will file that one under what was I thinking...

>184 Berly: wow, that does sound hot! *goes off to google the degF to degC conversion*
Yep- that's hot!
Meanwhile, in the Southern hemisphere, I have grey grey old drizzle. A good day for the gym to get the blood pumping (yes, the gym is a new thing for me, and it is very hard to read while working out so I'm not sure it will last :))

>185 humouress: Not exactly bed-bound. I could walk, just not GO for a walk. Thankfully that is beginning to change. I went for 1 1/2 miles today, on mostly flat terrain, but everything seems good, so yay!

I am not sure I like the tropics. : ( More 90s coming our way this week....

>186 Ameise1: Europe is getting hit hard by heat this summer! Stay cool. OR find a cool fan, or a nice cold cocktail...just saying.

>187 jnwelch: Joe, did you take all the cool air away with you? Come back!!

>188 ChelleBearss: Ha! I don't usually binge on series, but I have to admit I am on the third Darynda Jones book, Third Grave Dead Ahead. I think there are 13 so far, so I should be good for a while.

>197 Berly: Ha! We'd like to come back, Kim. We're getting a welcome cool-off here tomorrow after a hot weekend.

Just a drive-by, Kimmers. I thought of you SO much yesterday while I was in Portland with my boss and colleague. It wasn't a situation in which I could text you on the sly and have you meet me for 20 minutes at Powell's but I was aware of being so close by! We had fun at the Ben & Jerry's Carnival on Pioneer Square, too.

Now I must go shower and get ready for a full day of meetings at WSU-Vancouver. Next time I visit this campus, I will more likely be on my own and I'll be able to build in a sidebar to connect with you!

I did have fun at Powell's though, even if it was only a 30-minute visit.

Oh, and: Climate change sucks. If you read The Overstory, it will affect you as you think about our beloved Cascade mountains and the direction we're heading. So scary and sad.

>196 LovingLit: Audio books! I listen to lots of books and podcasts on the treadmill and bicycle. They do make the time go faster.

I’m really sorry to have missed the meetup with Beth, Juli and Rhonda (and you). I’ve been very absent from LT these past few months. We’ll be moving to the East Coast next spring and I hope to get at least one more trip down to Portland before then.

>189 karenmarie: Thanks. And I will take those healing thoughts!! Remember how I took my son to the ER because he was so sick? He shared his germs with me. I am on day 4 of misery. SUCH a bad headache with this fever and my throat is on fire. And we are supposed to have house guests this weekend. Maybe not...!



>190 BLBera: Good. More healing vibes. Never mind my hip now. Send them to my head.

I will keep you posted on when we reschedule to Mpls. Yes, it might be a few months. : (

>191 ffortsa: Hi Gimpy Girl!! (I won't tell Jim.) I am very sorry that James Burke appears to be right. This heat is ridiculous--two more 90+ days this week! I am sure we will be breaking the August record if not the all-time record. We are now the sunshine state!

>192 nittnut: Both kids are doing great at the new jobs. Son has finished training and is working at the brand new location. They are giving away free hamburgers on Thursday. 1st 500 visitors! Daughter finished up her training this weekend. Yay!

And speaking of book counts, the injured hamstring definitely bumped my July totals!! I read fourteen books and 4,904 pages !! I am pretty sure that is a record for me. : )

>193 Dianekeenoy: I just finished the third--you should all that one to your list, too. You're welcome. : )

>194 The_Hibernator: I already answered on the Portland thread, but I am free to meet up with you any of those days. Yay! Can't wait to see you. : )

>195 banjo123: What?! I have to cook in this heat? : P

>196 LovingLit: What WERE you thinking? You'll have to Love Frank another time. LOL. And audio books are great for gym workouts. Maybe something a little less analytical? Can you do some pushups for me? I am snuggled in bed trying to stay hydrated.

>198 jnwelch: Joe, come back and visit anytime. And bring Debbi, too! Happy Anniversary!!

>199 EBT1002: Good thing you didn't see me as I was (and am) highly contagious. Cough, cough. But dang, I'd have loved to see you!! Next time for sure.

>196 LovingLit: >200 ffortsa: See?! What Judy said!!

>201 arubabookwoman: Oh, I hope you can squeeze in a trip to Portland before you head out to the East Coast. Any idea what state you are head for? I have lived in NJ, MA and CN.

>202 Berly: Oh no; you too? Youngest son and now husband have been down, over here. Get better soon. Again :0)

Sending healing thoughts to your head now, Twin. Feel better soon.

It was nice of your son to share. ;)

>205 humouress: Ah! You are surrounded by sickies! Hope you emerge unscathed.

>206 BLBera: Thanks. : )

>207 BLBera: Ha! I raised him right. I guess. Maybe I should have taught him how to wash his hands better. I am eating popsicles, not because it is summer and really hot outside, but because I can't swallow!! >: (

Feel better soon, Kim!

Aw Kim, I'm so sorry you're not feeling well. I hope it passes quickly.

>209 kidzdoc: Thank you!!

>210 lauralkeet: Me too!

So, my eclectic reading so far this month has included:



64. The Soul of an Octopus (254 pages) by Sy Montgomery 4.0
Octopuses are such cool beings! So not like us. I know they have eight arms and a beak for a mouth, but I had no idea they could taste through their suckers or see a broader light spectrum than we can, albeit only 8 feet in front of them, or that their brains extend into their arms. Honestly, I learned so many amazing facts about their physical bodies, but the most interesting thing was to meet the many and varied octopus personalities through the author's eyes. Exactly how do we define consciousness and intelligence? Read this book and ponder that question. Oh, and I used to live in Boston and a lot of the "action" takes place there in the New England Aquarium. Loved this one!



63. We Were Eight Years in Power (367 pages) Ta-Nehisi Coates 4.5
Yes, I finally finished this one! I am too far behind to react individually to each essay as I started off doing, but truly, what a beautifully written, thought-provoking look at so many issues facing the US today. Wonderfully told through both previously published articles and current thoughts surrounding the issues of race, class and so much more. Brutally honest. Highly recommended.



62. Third Grave Dead Ahead (368 pages) (A) by Darynda Jones, Narrated by Lorelei King 4.25
61. The Second Grave on the Left (336 pages) (A) by Darynda Jones, Narrated by Lorelei King 4.5
Okay, this series continues to amuse and delight me. The sexy, snarky PI who can see and talk to ghosts -- it gets very high ratings for just plain ol' fun!

Hooray for finishing We Were Eight Years in Power! Which essay was your favorite? I liked the last two, I think.

His Seventh Year: The Black Family in the Age of Mass Incarceration. I don't know that I would call it my Favorite, but it will be the one that will probably stick with me the longest. What have we done and what are we doing?

"The prison boom is not therein cause of inequality between blacks and whites in America, but it did foreclose upward mobility and defeat hopes for racial equality."

and

"If generational peril is the pit in which all black people are born, incarcerations is the trap door closing overhead."

I hear you about the hot weather, Kim. It was 34 C today, didn't quite make the 38C predicted but we once again have a drought. I like the sun but we don't usually get heat so A/C is rare in homes here. Good to hear that you are able to go for a walk now. Slow but steady will get you back to where you were.

Edited to add - get better soon. You have had too much down time already!

>215 Familyhistorian: 96F (35.5C) tomorrow. Then we get a break. Then another hot stretch. Sorry you are having the same weather! And I know it is not 100 or anything, but I didn't move to Arizona for a reason. Portland is supposed to be a moderate 80 in between some rain. Nobody here even remembers what rain is.

Sweet Thursday, Kimmers! I hope you are feeling much better today. Fingers crossed.

It looks like I NEED to get to We Were Eight Years in Power soon. I have had it saved on audio for several months.

Sorry about the illness. Being sick in summer is almost as bad as being sick in winter. Or any other time, for that matter. Feel better soon. Popsicles as cure can't be all that bad, though! ;-)

>215 Familyhistorian: - Toronto has been as hot and dry as it is out west, for pretty much all summer, with short breaks of cooler temps in between. Tuesday we had a real sudden deluge of rain here, though. More rain in a couple of hours than we have had all summer. I was very lucky, as we didn't have any flooding. Other parts of the city, not so lucky. One section of the subway line is still closed, as they bail out the water!

Hope you're feeling better, Kim.

I liked The Soul of an Octopus a lot, too. "So not like us". Yeah, it was fascinating how different, but intelligent, they are.

>217 msf59: Thanks, but nope. Woke up at 6 with 101 (38.3) fever. Argh.

Yes, you should read 8!!

>218 jessibud2: Sickness anytime sucks. And popsicles are the highlight of my day!! : )

Glad you didn't have any flooding and I hope Toronto stays cooler!

>219 jnwelch: Ah!! He's so cute! I feel better already.

Now, back to Octopuses, I also did not know that Octopi doesn't cut it:

"The standard English plural of octopus is octopuses. However, the word octopus comes from Greek, and the Greek plural form is octopodes. Modern usage of octopodes is so infrequent that many people mistakenly create the erroneous plural form octopi, formed according to rules for Latin plurals."

Ha! "Octopedes" is so rare, that spell check has it highlighted as incorrect. LOL

Morning, Kim! I hope you woke up this morning feeling a bit better and able to swallow more than popsicles! Sorry I'm just now catching up on your thread but it's plain to see you and your family have been very busy! Could've lowered your resistance and allowed those awful germs to attack.
Lot's of good reads hear, so headed back up to wish list them. Take care :0)

Hi Kim!

I'm sorry your son shared his germs and that you're so sick. My last set of healing vibes obviously didn't work, so perhaps a healing whammy, a la Richard, might help.

Soul of an Octopus is now on my wishlist. Octopuses it is.

>220 Berly: Oh, I can swallow lots of things besides popsicles: Ibuprofin, water and chicken noodle soup! Ha! No. I am kidding. I can eat; it just hurts like a mother!

BTW....where does that phrase come from? I though mothers were kind and compassionate?

So I looked it up...

That is apparently the abbreviated, polite way of saying something "hurts like a mother f**ker" because, of course, the idea of someone messing with your mom would be a painful idea.

I should watch what I am saying!

>222 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen. I'll take that whammy! : )

Hope you enjoy the The Soul of an Octopus!

>221 Carmenere: >223 Berly: Lol! yup, new phrases will get ya every time! I have this
bookmarked and follow on FB too. It's funny how much has seeped into our lives almost effortlessly.

>212 Berly: I just bought Soul of an Octopus! Looking forward to reading it. I certainly hope you feel better soon, it's just not fun to be sick, especially in the summer. And, thanks a lot, I will go ahead and add all the books in Grave series!

Sending more healing vibes your way. I hope you kick this soon.

Also, I hope your weather improves. We're in for a warm spell, too.

Kim I am really sorry for you catching your son's bug - who wants to be sick in summer?

But I am especially sorry for your hamstring injury. I had the same thing happen to me in May and I have been a misery since. The one 'good' thing was that while I was laid up I got a lot of reading done and I've continued that mojo. But, about 3 months for me and although I can walk stiff legged and sometimes almost normal once warmed up I have nowhere near the mobility I should have. My exercise has been totally shut down. I normally do a lot of walking and hikes and gardening and I can't even kneel down to pull weeds even still!

So I know what you have been going through and how painful and frustrating it is. I wouldn't wish this on anyone and I am really sorry it happened to such an active person as you.

>220 Berly: Huh; I was taught it was 'octopi' (but probably not, to be fair, in school). I shall go Greek in future, thank you :0)

>208 Berly: Thank you for your health wishes. I start sneezing every night when my husband turns the air-conditioning on in our bedroom, so I probably have immunity by now.

>225 Carmenere: Thanks for the link to Urban Dictionary! I read through for quite a while and several of them cracked me up!

>226 Dianekeenoy: Oooh! You are book-bullet ridden! Sorry. Not Sorry. ; )

>227 BLBera: Thanks, Twin. I am very bummed because we have family coming in from the East Coast tomorrow and my FIL, who lives here, does not want either himself or my MIL to be exposed to whatever it is I have. Nor does he want to risk it with any of my family members either, in case they are carriers, so I don't know that my kids will get to see their cousins. To be fair, what I have is nasty, but maybe we can arrange some separate time together for the younger generations who seem to be well. I think I am out of luck. Maybe by Sunday...

>228 RBeffa: Another one on the injured reserve list!! Ron--I am so sorry you are going through the dang hamstring thing, too. I did mine the beginning of June, so 9 weeks and counting for me. I am actually, finally, doing OK walking on level ground, but throw any kind of incline in there...not so much. Also, I am only walking. No running, skipping, hopping or TKD still. : / And now I have to skip PT tomorrow. Sigh.

Here's to us healing up sooner than later!!

>229 humouress: I certainly hope that immunity stands up to the test of time! You go girl!

>212 Berly: That is pretty eclectic! It's nice to get in a variety, isn't it?

>220 Berly: I loved that info about "octopuses", too. So many opportunities to correct people saying octopi and to then explain the Greek/Latin aspect. (While they roll their eyes). (Amber Scaife would love that). "Octopodes" is icing on the cake. How funny that spellcheck won't accept it.

>230 Berly: Bummers, Twin. Well, maybe all the bedrest will help with your hammy?

>232 The_Hibernator: Variety is the best!!

>233 jnwelch: : )

>234 BLBera: I decided to go into the doctor today. Since I am on my fifth day of high fevers, he did not think it was viral. I was thinking I had strep throat or something. Nope. Test came back negative. Hmmm. Another bacteria? The blood work and urine test came back stellar. So the good news is I am not contagious!!!

My persistent doctor then had me get a chest X-ray. I have pneumonia. In the middle of summer. What?!?!

It probably started off as virus and then in the middle of coughing and stuff I must have aspirated some of my body's normal bacteria which are not supposed to be in the lungs and voila! Pneumonia. But now that I am declared not contagious, at least my family can see our visiting relatives. And maybe by Saturday or Sunday my fever will have broken and I will have the energy be up for a quick meet-up. Just took my antibiotics...

>235 Berly: I'm sad you are ill, but glad that you have found treatment and can expect to be well soon.

Wow! Hopefully you get over the pneumonia more quickly than I did. Take care of yourself.

Get well soon, Kim! It's rotten to be sick in the middle of the summer.

>235 Berly: oh no, I'm so sorry to hear it's pneumonia but at least there's a silver lining re: the family visit. I'm so glad you went to the doc and hope the antibiotics kick in quickly.

What a drag, Kim!! But good for you, for looking at the good news end of it all! Healing vibes from out my way!

Get well soon, Kim! Summer colds are the worst!

Oh Twin! I'm glad you went to the doctor and hope that the antibiotics work fast. Good that you're not contagious, though.

Your thread is getting a little long, isn't it?

Sorry you have pneumonia, Kim, I hope you get rid of it soon!

>236 quondame: Yes, hopefully I will be feeling better within another 24 hours or so. Then I expect to just be kinda tired for a while.

>237 The_Hibernator: Thanks for that thought--quicker than you would be good! Hope your morning sickness is behaving.

>238 rosalita: You are right! It sucks to be sick, but somehow it feels worse in the summer! Oh well. It is what it is.

>239 lauralkeet: Yay for silver linings and antibiotics!! For sure.

>240 jessibud2: Thanks for the healing vibes. Always happily accepted.

>241 ChelleBearss: Thanks! Working on it. : )

>242 BLBera: Fine, fine, fine! I will work on setting up a new thread. Yeesh. ; )

>243 FAMeulstee: Me too!!

New thread up!!! See? I can take a hint, Twin. : )