Joe’s Sixth Book Cafe 2024

Illustrations by Beatrice Alemagna

BOOKS READ 2024

January 2024

1. Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman
2. Karibaby Daniel Clarke (Thank you, Richard)*
3. Crude by Pablo Fajardo(Thank you, Mark)*
4. Cosmic Detective by Jeff Lemire*
5. The Mysteries by Bill Watterson*
6. Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey
7. Last Call at the Local by Sarah Grunda Ruiz
8. Holiday in Death by J.D.Robb
9. The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson (really good)
10. Mother Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon
11. The Door to Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn (charming; thank you, Nancy Quinn)
12. Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood
13. Pym by Matt Johnson (did not like)
14. The Little Books of the Little Brontesby Sara O'Leary (ARC; okay)
15. Glowrushes by Roberto Piumini (lovely Italian fable - good gift book)
16. Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey
17. Parker Girls by Terry Moore*
18. Strangers in Paradise Ever After by Terry Moore*. I love his Strangers in Paradise books with Francie and Katchoo

February 2024

19. Almost an Elegy by Linda Pastan. A very good poet that I’m just now catching up on.
20. Clementine Two by Tillie Walden* (thanks, Mark). The author is so good that I enjoyed this despite the worn-out Walking Dead context.
21. The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher (good novel about Sylvia Beach, James Joyce, and the Shakespeare and Company Bookstore)

22. Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher(Hugo winner; very good fantasy)
23. I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai
24. Lone Wolf by Gregg Hurwitz (Orphan X thriller with interesting AI elements)
25. Wildful by Kengo Kurimoto (beautiful, quiet nature-filled graphic book reminiscent of The Secret Garden)*
26. Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoya Yagisawa. (Beguiling story of a girl who learns to appreciate life while working at her uncle’s bookshop)
27. The Girl from the Other Side 11 by Nagabe*. There’s a melancholy mood to the story and drawings that very much appealed to me. But by the end the story seemed too drawn out.
28. Dirty Thirty by Janet evanovich. At least there’s a major relationship development (finally!)

March 2024

29. Murder in Reproach by Anne Cleeland (good entry in the Acton-Doyle series, with a cliffhanger)
30. Foster by Claire Keegan ( another beautiful book (long short story?) from the author of Small Things Like These).

31. Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene luan Yang.* Disappointing book from this talented GN author. Twice as long as it needed to be.

32. Babel by R.F. Kuang. Well- crafted anti- colonialism fantasy; I ended up respecting it more than liking it. A writer to watch, for sure.

33. Red Dust by Yoss. An okay sci-fi tale featuring a noir positronic android. The noir aspect was fun. I got lured in by the phrase “noir space opera”. I’m inclined toward both, particularly noir.

34. A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher. A fun fantasy featuring Mona the (humble) Wizard of Baking, by the author of Nettle and Bone.

35. Murder in Reproach by Anne Cleeland

36. AyaThe Claws Come Out by Marguerite Abouet*. Interesting graphic slice of life in middle class Ivory Coast. The Aya series is exceptionally popular internationally, and I find the illustrations very appealing

37. Country of the Blind by Andrew Leland. An engaging blend of the author writing about gradually losing his eyesight via retinitis pigmentosa; a history of how blind people have been (mis)treated over time; the effects of disability advocacy; and technological advances in helping blind people.

38. Anita De Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez. Even better than her lauded Olga Dies Dreaming. A novel featuring the obstacles brown (Cuban) women face in the modern art world still dominated by white males and the dangers of falling in love with one. Just my cuppa. What a writer!

39. The Rattle Bag by Seamus Heaney and Ted Hughes. Inspiring poetry anthology from two master poets, full of idiosyncratic choices. Not your father’s anthology. From Ogden Nash to Ferlinghetti toYeats to Wordsworth to Anonymous, lots to enjoy and chew on.

April 2024

40. Sharpe’s Command by Bernard Cornwell. Another fully satisfying Napoleonic era adventure with sharpe and Harper and their band of Rifles, with Sharpe’s wife La Aguja (The Needle) saving their butts at one point. This time Wellington has sent them to destroy a French bridge in Spain, and take over nearby French forts. Exhilarating.

41. Three Inch Teeth by C.J. Box. A grizzly bear appears to be _targeting locals in Saddlestring, Wyoming.. How is that possible? And the nemesis of game warden Joe Picket’s family, ex- rodeo star Dallas Cates, has been released from prison without their knowing. Joe needs the help of his dangerous, reclusive friend Nate Romanowski. Another solid outing in this series.

42. Lake of Souls by Ann Leckie. I was surprised to be left feeling pretty meh about this one. The stories were fine, but no great shakes. Unfairly, I thought of what Ray Bradbury did with his short stories in comparison.

43. Wake The Hidden History of Woman Led Slave Revolts by Rebecca Hall.*. The author of this GN RESEARCHED 400 years of slave trad with more than 36,000 slave ships, one in ten of which experienced a slave revolt. Finding any useful history of the revolts, much less womens’ role in them, was an imposing task, often resisted by private archives like the ship insurer Lloyds of London. As a result, Hall often has to extrapolate and imagine the stories. Her work brings home the horror of this era of our history. The illustrations are crude but effective.

44. Watership Down The Graphic Novel by Richard Adams, James Sturm and Joe Sutphin. Superb graphic rendering of the famous book. Beautiful illustrations, and as endearing and exciting as the original. It’s a great way to Visually re-experience the original.*

45. Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz. Another extravagantly fun mystery, maybe his best yet. The author has found a fun groove in which he is a character in these. As an amateur detective helping the professional Hawthorne, he struggles like the reader to recognize the salient clues, and combine them to solve the case. A politically adept Inspector Kahn keeps thinking he’s figured it all out, only to have Hawthorn persuade him otherwise. With the main action taking place among bickering neighbors in the isolated, expensive Riverview Close, this one is premier entertainment.

46. The 6 Voyages of Lone Sloan by the celebrated French graphic artist Philippe Druillet. Baroque space opera with the kind of dramatic, ornate illustrations for which he is renowned. Kind of like watching an earnest, hilarious Saturday afternoon B movie set in outer space.

47. Table for Two by Amor Towles is a superb collection of short stories, the best I’ve read in many a book. The longest last one is a tour de force, featuring the unfathomable, unstoppable Evelyn Brooks treating LA as her own playlot. All the stories have that wonderful quality of carrying you beyond the last sentence, as you imagine what comes next. Best in class, five stars.

48. This is the Honey: Black Contemporary Poets edited by Kwame Alexander. An excellent anthology that is compelling from beginning to end. No top black poet is missed, and my copy (from the library) bristles with post-its marking particularly striking poems. The range and quality of Alexander’s selection is impressive. There are thematic divisions like “The Language of Joy” and “Where I’m From” that beneficially juxtapose different poetic approaches.

May 2024

49. Alison by Lizzy Stewart.* Recommended by Mark. An appealing graphic book that reads like an author memoir. In the beginning Alison is a sedate housewife. An art class leads to an affair with the accomplished artist teacher and the end of her marriage. As she learns to draw and paint, and with the help of her sculptor friend Tessa, she begins to transform into someone with a strong belief in herself and her work. Part of me wishes more of the book was in color, but the black and white illustrations are eye-catching and memorable. The story of her evolution feels quite real.

50. What You Are Looking For is in The Library by Michiko Aoyama.Stories about people who’ve reached an impasse in their lives and somehow find their way ro the Community House Library, with its somewhat mystical librarian, Mrs. Komachi. She talks a bit with each character, prescribes some unexpected reading, and gives each a different felt toy she makes. The characters all learn something critical and resolve their impasses. A clever and heartwarming book. I read somewhere it’s a good pick for those, like me, who liked Before the Coffee Gets Cold, and I agree.

51. I Survived the Battle of D-Day, 1944 by Lauren Tarshis. A surprisingly good graphic retelling of this monumentally historic battle, featuring a French boy helping the French resistance sabotage German weapons. _targeted at 8-12 year olds, this worked well for your cafe owner. I’m going to look for more in this author’s “I Survived” graphic series.

52. Happy Hour by Elissa Bass. Fun romance featuring a menopausal woman and a much younger man.

53. Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley. A good time travel yarn. Didn’t quite reach the heights I had hoped for, but a fun read. Not sure I ever did figure out what the recruiting was all about.

54. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. A YA mystery in which high schooler Pippa believes kind-hearted Sal must be innocent of his girlfriend’s murder, and she sets out to prove it as a school project. The more she digs, with the help of Sal’s brother Ravi, the more complicated it all becomes. But her persistence pays off. A fun page-turner our daughter recommended.

55. James: A Novel by Percival Everett. Wow, this book is going to win some awards. Beautifully written, it builds on the Huckleberry Finn story, this time from the POV of the slave Jim. Humorous, charming, scathing, exciting, filled with truth. An unsparing depiction of the worst chapter in our racist history, with James as our realistic but far-seeing guide. A new classic.

56. Light It Shoot It by Graham and Chaffee.* Pretty good graphic novel about filming a Hollywood B movie in the ‘70s. Some humorous hardbitten actors and nefarious types involved, along with naive wannabes.

57. What Doesn’t Kill You Makes you Blacker by Damon Young.

58. Marie Howe New and Selected Poems.

59. A Great Improvisation by Stacy Schiff.

60. A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat.*

61.My Favorite Thing is Monsters Book Two by Emil Ferris.*. What an unusual genius this author and graphic artist is. The book continues the story of 10 year old Karen Reyes trying to solve the murder of her neighbor Anka, a Holocaust survivor. There are lots of related stories, many involving her dangerous and connected older brother Deke. Her graphics are so idiosyncratic and fascinating! Like the first book, there is a visit to Chicago’s Art Institute, where she gets to show us how high level her drawing skills can reach. This is brilliant, eccentric (in the best sense) work. And to me there’s a clear indication a third book will be needed. I can’t wait.

62. Midnight Library by Matt Haig.

63. Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy by Faith Erin Hicks

64. First Frost by Craig Johnson

65. A Secret History by Donna Tartt.
A Secret History was very good, although I wasn’t as affected by it as many others seem to have been. I had one guy tell me he couldn’t get it out of his head, even many years later! The implication was he wished that he could. It was quite the vivid book, as college age youngsters commit murder and labor to stay united and not get caught.

66. Farewell Amethystine by Walter Mosley.

67. The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson

68. Rachel Rising by Terry Moore.*

69. Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff

70. The Bookstore Sisters by Alice Hoffman. A short story/novella about two alienated sisters getting back together and running their late parents’ bookstore after one gets laid up and needs help. Charming; reminded me a bit of a favorite author, Sarah Addison Allen.

71. Bookstore Wedding by Alice Hoffman. A charming follow-up to The Bookstore Sisters. A third one comes out next February. I can imagine these eventually being gathered into a sorta novel.

July 2024

72. 🎩Is Love the Answer by uta Isaki. * A manga about an awkward college girl who learns about the sexual spectrum and asexuality, and begins to have a greater acceptance of herself and others.

73. First Time for Everything by Dan Santat.*

74. Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohammed.* The title means “Your Wish Is My Command”. In this Muslim tale, wishes can be bought and sold but, as always, using them is tricky. The Arabic folktale setting is interesting, but I found this graphic work only so-so, and too often a bit of a yawn.

75. The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave. A woman’s new husband disappears, leaving her with his 16 year old rebellious daughter and instructions to “Protect her.” Together they try to find him, while learning that nothing in their lives was what it seemed. I hugely enjoyed this one, racing through the pages. There’s a Jennifer Garner tv movie of it, for after my much better half finishes the book.

76. Fountains of Silence by Tuth Sepetys. Read this one in honor of our late LT friend Anita (FAMestee), from her Favorites list. Sepetys is the author of Salt to the Sea, the outstanding novel about four teenage refugees in the last year of WWII. This one is set in Franco’s suffering Spain after the war, which has just started encouraging tourism and investment to obtain much needed money. I learned sa lot about this dark period in Spain’s history, and the widely effective relief when Franco finally died and King Jua Carlos began successfully transitioning to a democracy. Today the country is thriving, although the Franco era problem of children being stolen and sold for adoption apparently continues. Here is a stark warning about the tragedies of a dictatorship.it also features a fancy hotel with American tourists, one if whom is a 19 year old talented photographer who falls for a Spanish girl from an impoverished village. As in Salt to the Sea, the reading pace is quick and enjoyable, with short, tight chapters.

77. Friends with Boys by Faith Erin Hicks.* She’s become a go-to GN author for me, but this one is pretty light and slight. A home-schooled girl with older brothers becomes a public school student and has some trouble making friends at first.

78. Winter Lost by Patricia Briggs. Okay but no grest shakes entry in Mercy Thompson coyote shapeshifter series.

79. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. Even better the second time around. Covering an amazing breadth of storytelling, featuring a fine line (or jello-like wall) between dreams and reality.

80. The Littlest Library by Poppy Alexander. After her beloved grandma dies, a shy self-restricting librarian moves to a coastal England town and buys a lovely, if rundown, cottage. As she begins to meet the village’s inhabitants, her life and heart begin to open up. A relaxing charmer; a cozy without the mystery.

81. Ride On by Faith Erin Hicks.* A solid YA GN story set at a horse-riding stable. The new girl is standoffish after a bad experience at a different stable, but gradually learns to trust the other teens and enjoy their shared fandom of
a space opera tv show.

August 2024

82. The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton. Well-done post-apocalyptic story by the author of Evelyn Hugo.

83. The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey. A steamy story abou Burgess Abraham ( what a name for a pro hockey player) and Tallulah (what a name for anyone) after she’s hired to take care of his 12 year old daughter. Not War and Peace or Lincoln in the Bardo, but a fun way to spend a couple of hours if a lot of hetero sex doesn’t bother you.

84. The Triangle by Ruth Bass. Features a love triangle between mid-thirties Sylvia and two 70-ish men who give her money to help her get by and to maintain her interest. Stanley is a sweet man, but Gino is a thug, with a criminal background. When jealous Gino finds out about Stanley, look out. Frankie the bartender sees it all playing out in front of him, and can’t think of how to help Sylvia and Stanley. Very realistic as we grime along; the author covered crime for her newspaper in an earlier life. Thank goodness for Sylvia’s loyal and sensible friend Patsy, who helps get their canoe through some metaphorical white water. I particularly enjoyed the characters in this one.

85. I Survived the Battle of D-Day 1944 by Lauren Tarshis. * A fast-moving graphic treatment of the WWII Allied invasion of France from the POV of a boy whose mother and teacher both are in the French resistance. I’m heartened that this is a middle grade/YA bestseller, and that lots of young ones are reading this slice of history. It’s part of an”I Survived” series that I like very much.

86. The Rose Code by Kate Quinn. A very good story of three female friends who meet working at Bletchley Park, the famous site of WWII decoders like Alan Turing. Many women worked at BP among the men, breaking German and Italian encoded messages to benefit the Allies in the war. It all was a closely held secret and the information had to be used judiciously so that Hitler’s Axis forces didn’t suspect that their messages were being read. The author does a rewarding job of taking us behind the scenes and into the lives of those involved, with friendships and romances inevitably affected by a violent, uncertain world. Her characters are based on real people, including a traitor betraying them to England’s Russian ally.

87. The Book of Elsewhere by Keanu Reeves and China Mieville. I wanted to like this one but it put up too strong a resistance. A pulseless plodding panegyric on persistence, pursuing a plot pressed too deep into the pedantic to be pried loose from the padding before the persevering peruser pulled the plug. If it were edited down to half its length, this tale of an immortal warrior being studied by scientists while pursued by zealots might’ve been a thought- provoking novella. Instead, I hope the authors had fun together writing it, because reading it was a snooze.

88. All My Bicycles by Powerpaola. A charming graphic memoir consisting of vignettes centered around bicycles she’s owned. Black and white sketches with occasional yellow highlights. Her friendships, romances, musings. Modest and quiet, set in Colombia, Ecuador and Argentina, it cast a lovely spell on me.

89. North Woods by Daniel Mason. A string of stories playing out over time and tethered to a woods and apple orchard in Western Massachusetts. I enjoyed most of it, although a long section involving a schizo-phrenic boy had me yawning. Lovely ending, as a plantologist and woods enthusiast takes stock of what has been and what is. There are ghosts, two of whom are sisters and one of whom finds amorous satisfaction in the afterlife. The man can write, and except for the schizophrenic boy, the stories are novel, engaging and often spiced with a wry humor. I can see why the book and author are praised.

90. Hack Slash Back to School by Zoe Thoroughgood.* The newest entry in a funny, gorey horror series in which Cassie and her slow-thinking but supremely loyal thug Vlad chase after and kill monsters and kiilers. This one is particularly noteworthy because the author is a rising comics star who created the unusual and poignant memoir It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth (five stars) and the nearly as highly regarded Impending Blindness of Billie Scott. The art in this one is very good, but the story is convoluted. I’m sure she must be a fan of this series.

91. Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood. A couple of remarkably high sex drives meet amid corporate takeover shenanigans. While on opposite sides, the protagonists can’t resist each other but one in particular keeps trying. The truth behind the shenanigans comes out, and the two realize they have more than sexual attraction.

92. Jane Austen An Illustrated Biography by Zeyna Alkayat.* A slim, conversational biography with modest, charming illustrations. A nice gift for an Austenite.

September 2024

93. The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christoper Murray. An exceptionally well done historical novel. Set in the early 20th century, about Belle da Costa Green, a mixed race woman who passed for white and became the high profile curator for J.P. Morgan’s famous NYC library of ancient books. Part of the job involved meeting the city’s wealthy and elite, often at high society affairs. While concerned every day that her black ancestry would be discovered and her career and life ruined, she decided to hide in plain sight, by wearing colorful high fashion clothing and being vivacious and flirtacious in high society. She figured no one would guess a black woman would be so bold. What a well-researched, pleasurable read, with fascinating comments by the two authors in the end notes.

Top Five Favorite Books in 2024:

If you haven’t identified them before here, I’d love to hear what your top five favorites are so far this year. Mine are:

James A Novel by Percival Everett
Table for Two by Amor Towles
This is the Honey, the anthology of contemporary black poets edited by Kwame Alexander
My Favorite Thing is Monsters Book Two, the graphic novel by Emil Ferris
The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict (historical novel)

Rafa and Fina in Columbus, Ohio

Joe - "non-urgent" yet with a long wait - sending Peace to you both and your Family.

Skunk Hour
By Robert Lowell

(For Elizabeth Bishop)Dedication Lowell’s poem is modeled on Elizabeth Bishop’s poem “The Armadillo,” which Bishop had dedicated to Lowell.

Nautilus Island’s hermit
heiress still lives through winter in her Spartan cottage;
her sheep still graze above the sea.
Her son’s a bishop. Her farmer
is first selectman in our village;
she’s in her dotage.

Thirsting for
the hierarchic privacy
of Queen Victoria’s century,
she buys up all
the eyesores facing her shore,
and lets them fall.

The season’s ill—
we’ve lost our summer millionaire,
who seemed to leap from an L. L. Bean
catalogue. His nine-knot yawl
was auctioned off to lobstermen.
A red fox stain covers Blue Hill.

And now our fairy
decorator brightens his shop for fall;
his fishnet’s filled with orange cork,
orange, his cobbler’s bench and awl;
there is no money in his work,
he’d rather marry.

One dark night,
my Tudor Ford climbed the hill’s skull;
I watched for love-cars . Lights turned down,
they lay together, hull to hull,
where the graveyard shelves on the town. . . .
My mind’s not right.

A car radio bleats,
“Love, O careless Love. . . .” I hear
my ill-spirit sob in each blood cell,
as if my hand were at its throat. . . .
I myself am hell;
nobody’s here—

only skunks, that search
in the moonlight for a bite to eat.
They march on their soles up Main Street:
white stripes, moonstruck eyes’ red fire
under the chalk-dry and spar spire
of the Trinitarian Church.

I stand on top
of our back steps and breathe the rich air—
a mother skunk with her column of kittens swills the garbage pail
She jabs her wedge-head in a cup
of sour cream, drops her ostrich tail,
and will not scare.

Wishing debbi all good luck with her surgery

The photo Debbi posted of me on my birthday that Paul Cranswick liked.

>9 jnwelch: It took me a couple of stanzas to realize Lowell had rhymes in this poem. I need poetry practice. Thanks for this.

As Jim said, all good wishes for Debbi's surgery and recovery. Non-urgent is good, but the need is worrisome.

And the picture of you above that beer glass is great.

Joe, Marianne Jackson let me know that Debi is facing open heart surgery. I'm so sorry I haven't visited threads lately.

Please know I am thinking of you and Debi and sending all positive wishes. The medical field has made such wonderful strides in surgical procedures.

I know this loving, care group cares about you and Debi deeply. i send prayers and alll good wishes.

And, 70 looks good on you! I'll be 72 in September. It is hard to wrap my mind around living that many years.

Happy new thread Joe!

>1 jnwelch: Somehow these seem to make the ordinary very strange and decorative.

Good wishes for Debbi and I hope they schedule the surgery soon so that the stress of waiting is relieved soon.

Congratulations on your latest thread, Joe.

I did love the photo. A great man with a great looking pint.

Gentle hugs to Debbi and you my dear fellow, both on the loss of your brother in law and her health. If love can overcome the latter, she will be fine. x

>8 m.belljackson:. Thanks, Marianne. Debbi was very happy about the non-urgent delay, as it gives her time to organize for the event and recovery period.

>10 magicians_nephew:. Thanks, Jim. She reads this and will see your good luck wishes.

>12 ffortsa:. Hi, Judy. Yeah, the rhymes are a bit “hidden”. Such a good poem, isn’t it.

Thank you for the good wishes. All will be well.

I’m glad you like the photo. Debbi took it in Savannah.

>13 Whisper1:. Hi, Linda. Thanks for stopping by. No worries. I wish I was better at visiting, too.

Thank you for all the good wishes. You’re right, they’ve made great strides in doing surgery. The technology and visuals and knowledge involved in explaining the surgery were themselves impressive.

Thanks re looking good at 70.😀. We got in an elevator for a play yesterday with some peers who were struggling. It seems a little heartless to say it, but we both felt quite young beside them. We’re very lucky, and put in the effort to stay that way.

This age is hard for me to wrap my mind around, too. I didn’t envision getting this far- Debbi’s family is full of long-livers, but mine isn’t.

>14 quondame:. Thanks, Susan! Yes, she has a wonderful touch for making “normal” scenes whimsical, doesn’t she. I’ll put another one of hers up later today. Yesterday we had to leave before I finished.

Yes, Debbi is glad to have some time to organize, but I’d feel better with at least a date certain.

>15 PaulCranswick:. Thanks, Paul. I knew that was the photo you were talking about. Ha! I think the great-looking pint improves my looks.

Thank you for the hugs. What a time to lose her brother. They were very close, and now she’s the only one in her family still standing.

The surgery eventually will leave her healthier and feeling better, so we’re looking on the bright side. The doctors called her “young” more than once, so she got a kick out of that.

>17 jnwelch: I know what you mean about the comparison with other people of our nominal ages. Sometimes I am so aware of how lucky I am to be relatively active, with minimal health problems at 75, while other people I know are struggling much more. We all need to play the hand we are given, as well or ill as we can, but really, sometimes I wonder how I feel so much younger than the number.

>17 jnwelch: Hi Joe - I teased my latest ex (a Michael Jackson, no less) that I lived to be 80
because I don't take elevators. He lives in a 7th floor apartment.

This morning, I hauled two enormous garbage cans to the Road for tomorrow's pick up,
dug a bit more of a hole in near solid clay soil for potatoes that had started to grow,
weeded,
flattened a bunch of cardboard boxes,
pulled an 8 foot plastic toboggan overflowing with cardboard over an acre or two
to a path I'm making with recycled bags full of paper and wood chips,
and
tried to take a photo of our Doe who came with Twin Fawns!

Not bad for 80 and a half years, eh...

>17 jnwelch: I feel on both sides of the condition-for-age divide. On the one hand I don't have any diagnosed major conditions such that I'd die within 1/2 a year if I stopped my medications, and I haven't lost any teeth or had any joints replaced - no major surgeries,

but -

I can't walk very far at a shot without my back/hips screaming at me and am so overweight that the idea of sitting in an airplane horrifies me - though I know wider people who fly regularly.

I absolutely encourage people in self care that supports their physical fitness. The other sort too, being me.

Happy new one, Joe!

>19 ffortsa:. Right, Judy. I’d say being active is the key, but those hobbled folks in the elevator had gotten themselves out to see a play (been active) just like we had. We do pay attention to working out and exercise and eating well and keeping our minds lively, but for all I know so do the hobbled folks. Maybe it is luck, I don’t know. I might’ve mentioned that out of all my several college roommates, only two of us are still alive. Jeesh. Count our blessings, I guess.

But there is more…. I’ve met you and had a good time with you on LT. You are young, you and Jim both. You think young, your mind is young, there is so much to be enjoyed out there. We’re lucky not to live in dire straits, but we could be thinking old and just playing out the string, right?

P.S. We just spent the afternoon with a young couple, our Spanish tutor and her boyfriend. It was delightful and easy - they made us brunch at our place. No need to think of ourselves as oldsters or limit the experience with preconceptions.

>20 m.belljackson:. Ha! Good for you, Marianne. Working those stairs is great exercise.

Man, you sound strong and active for any age! I can hear Debbi cautioning - don’t over do it! But you obviously know your self well. What a pleasure to be able to do all that with the wisdom and appreciation of 80 years! So cool.

Yeah, there are inevitable physical limitations, aren’t there. My days of running around and playing sports are behind me. But I can still walk and enjoy plenty with Debbi.

You do what works for you. You’re still here, having fun on LT and enjoying your reading, and appreciating life.

Jeez Louise - we’re all being very philosophical today!

>21 quondame:. I know what you mean, Susan. Your 1/2 year comment reminds me of my mother telling us a couple of days after Christmas that she had 6 months to live (cancer). She hadn’t told us anything before because she didn’t want to bother us (!) and most recently hadn’t wanted to ruin the holiday. Ah, hers was a different generation.

A lot of what I said to Marianne in the post before this I would say to you - you’re obviously living a sharp, with it life, having fun on LT and with your reading, and appreciating what life has to offer. We have to deal with the physical limitations, but to me the mental benefits of experience and making it this far are worth every twinge, ache and frustration. Dementia/Alzheimer’s is the one I want to avoid. People in my life have had it, especially my big, athletic favorite uncle who became a befuddled child, but I guess the silver lining was they didn’t really know what was going on. Instead the losses hurt everyone around them.

Ah well, as I said, counting our blessings, being grateful for what we’ve been given, makes the most sense to me. From my POV, grumping about is just a waste of time.

>22 drneutron:. Thanks, Jim! Any sci-fi you recommend? I was disappointed by Ann Leckie’s short story collection, but our son tells me he’s enjoying her newest novel, Translation State.

>25 jnwelch: Yes, dementia is an awful specter. My dad got to 94 with a good deal of his mind left & my sister and older brother (6.5 & 4 years older) are serving as favorable bellwethers.

>26 jnwelch: I did enjoy Translation State.

>27 quondame:. My role models are Debbi’s uncle and aunt. He lived to 95 and was as sharp and funny as could be, and she at 90 has a weekly newspaper column and finished writing the pretty darn good crime novel I’m reading. My dad at 95, not so much, but we loved him dearly.

3 out of 4 of my grandparents were gone by the time (6 years old) i started getting a grasp on the world. The last, Nonnie (sigh) died when i was 12. We’re hoping to hang around a long time so Rafa and Fina can know us well (and us them) before we head on to the next adventure.

That’s encouraging re Translation State, thanks. It’s in my future.

>28 jnwelch: Rafa and Fina are blessed to have you and Debbi, and I'm certain will cherish every year they share with you.

>29 quondame:. 😀. Thanks, Susan. We’d say the same of them. Looking forward to many more years of them amazing us (Rafa did his first Sudoku today) and cracking us up.

Happy New Thread, Joe. I love the toppers and your birthday pic. I am home, from our recent camping adventure and slipping back into my usual routine. Thanks again for keeping me in the loop, on your family matters. 😀

>31 msf59:. Hey, buddy. I’m sure that was a great camping trip. Jeez, I was so focused on those family matters that I forgot you were off on a break. Sorry about that. I’ll look on FB and your thread for more photos.

I’m glad you’re loving the toppers and the birthday photo. We’re off and running - or maybe sitting and quaffing?

Today’s Bargain: The Secret History by Donna Tartt for $1.99 on e-readers. I put off reading this for years - secret doings and college students? - even though it’s a favorite of our daughter’s. But I liked The Goldfinch, and this one kept appearing on Top 100 lists. Well, I’m glad I came around. It’s definitely readworthy, and I can see why it gets the props it does.

Happy Tuesday, Joe. Here is the link to the James Baldwin August Read: https://www.librarything.com/topic/362111#

Maybe you can select one to read for this month and we could do a shared read of a few others down the road. I am going to read Going to Meet the Man. Thanks for the reminder. I may have forgot about it.

Today’s Bargain: The Lost City of Z by David Grann for $1.99 on e-readers. About a British explorer lost in the Amazon rainforest. Not one I’ve read, but highly acclaimed.

>34 msf59:. Hiya, Mark. Thanks. Good idea to post the link here.

As I mentioned, I feel I’ve under-read Baldwin. Way back when I read Go Tell It on the Mountain (excellent) and maybe Notes from a Native Son. I want for sure to read The Fire Next Time and Giovanni’s Room ( which Darryl rates highly). I’ll check out the link.

I’ve started The Rose Code by Kate Quinn. I’m already caught up in her storytelling.

Want to say only that I'm roughly halfway through Emil Ferris's My Favorite Thing Is MONSTERS, Book One. Whoa! as they say. Thanks for the tip.

>37 jnwelch:. 😂. Love that whoa! Thanks for letting me know, Bill. I’m glad you’re enjoying Favorite Monsters. I hope news of its coolosity spreads.

>2 jnwelch: Happy new thread and congrats on reaching 75 books!

>37 jnwelch: Funny, while on my recent trip to Cleveland, over several fine brews, a friend recommended The Rose Code. I also enjoyed her novel The Alice Network. I will watch for your thoughts.

>40 ocgreg34:. Thanks, Greg! It’s a good reading year.

>41 msf59:. I loved The Alice Network, Mark, and like you I’ve heard good things about The Rose Code. I’ve been seeing enthusiasm for her new one Briar Club, too.

Today’s Bargain: The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune for $1.99 on e-readers. What a charmer! The popular book for a bargain price.

Happy new thread!

>26 jnwelch: Haven't seen Leckie's latest, but it's good to hear he liked it.

I haven't died as much into sci-fi over the last few months and ones I did were mostly average. I should probably take a harder look. 😀

We have such a stark choice between Harris/Walz and Trump/Vance, don’t we?

>44 foggidawn:. Thanks, foggi!

>45 drneutron:. Agreed on being glad she liked Translation State, Jim. My sister, a sci-fi aficionado, just gave me These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs. I started it, so I’ll report back.

P.S. A new military sci-fi-er by Keanu Reeves and China Mieville, called The Book of Elsewhere, is #2 on the NYTimes bestseller list. I’ve got it, and will be reading it.

>20 m.belljackson: Marianne -- Good for you!!! Accomplishing all those tasks. I think our generation has an entire look at being older. Medical strides have helped us live longer, and my experience in finding and keeping a few good friends has helped me tremendously.

Because of my spine fusion from C1-T2, I developed a lot of arthritis in my spine. I own a two story home and I vow to walk up the steps to the second floor at least ten times a day. At times, pain takes over and then I am so very glad I am a reader because being sedentary doesn't feel lazy.

Here's to us, the older generation who have a completly different outlook on aging!!!

Joe, over the years of being a member of this group, I've grown to gravitate to the threads of those who are caring, loving and positive.

I write to tell you that you are one of those people. Simply reading your responses on this thread confirms your very kind, sensitive and caring nature.

You always have good comments. Never negative, your provide inspiration to so many.

Thanks for being the loving, special person you are!!!

>49 Whisper1: I second that! Joe is a true gem of a gentleman.

Hey, Joe, just speaking up instead of lurking. Love your illustrations but bummed that the family photos aren't showing on my browser.

>49 Whisper1: He is okay but lets not give him a big head, Linda. 😜

>48 Whisper1:. 😀. Hi, Linda. Debbi and I talk about how different these advanced ages are now from what they were like when we were growing up. Thank goodness.

>49 Whisper1:. What kind words, Linda, thank you. Pay no attention to the mashugana who posted after you at >52 msf59:.

Caring, loving and positive are three of my favorite words. The more of us the better. In my mind I do think of this as a cafe, where you can come and relax and talk about books or whatever. A safe space in a difficult world.

Back atcha about being a loving, special person. It’s always a treat to gab with you here or on your beautifully illustrated thread.

Happy new thread, Joe!

>50 NarratorLady:. Thanks, Anne. Wonderful to hear from a true gem of a lady.😀

>51 ronincats:. Hi, Roni. Thanks re the illustrations. I need to post more of hers this weekend. Sorry about the non-showing photos. It’s the FB effect. Check back this weekend. I’ll try to repost.

>52 msf59:. Hey, what’s it to you, bub?! Jeesh. I may buy you one less beer next time. I’ve had a big head since I was a baby, anyways. I’ll show you the photo some day. A large head with two little feet attached, in the arms of grandpa.

>54 alcottacre:. Good morning, Stasia. Thanks!

>56 jnwelch: I hope you and Debbi have a wonderful weekend!

I keep wondering why the Orange Disaster still has so many followers. While a lot of it likely is White Nationalists and Evangelicals, I think all of it likely is: they’re afraid of the future. What freedom and equality and justice means for them -they don’t see themselves as better off in that scenario. And don’t care enough about the rest of us. And think it’s okay that they don’t.

>57 alcottacre:. Thanks, Stasia! I hope you have a wonderful weekend, too.

Debbi’s off to Columbus, Ohio, to take care of the grandkids there for the weekend while son Jesse and DIL Adriana participate in a poetry slam and spend time with old friends. I’ll be taking it easy, reading and trying to stay out of trouble. I’ve got The Rose Code and The Book of Elsewhere going, plus the Olympics, so I should be in good shape.

We have a weekly tradition of not discussing or interacting with politics after the lighting of candles Friday night (until Sunday), so I’ll take a break from that, too, in these referendum on decency times.

>58 jnwelch: I think you are right in that fear has a lot to do with it Joe. That some of his supporters are well educated has me a bit baffled. And I never understand when people vote against their own interests, as in they are at the bottom of the pile but vote for someone who has no intention of lifting them up, rather than voting in a way that may benefit others differently, but would also benefit themselves. I have to explain the need of voting the second way sometimes.

Enjoy your weekend retreat Joe.

>60 Caroline_McElwee:. Thanks, Caroline. Good thoughts. As Isabel Wilkerson says in Caste, even if there are some at the bottom of the pile, as long as they have others below them, they’ll vote to keep them there even if a change would benefit them both. Not rational.

>61 jnwelch: I have had Caste in the tbr mountain a while, I need to get to that and her earlier volume.

>61 jnwelch:
The Alabama historian Wayne Flynt said the same thing in his book Poor But Proud.

Happy newish thread, Joe and a belated happy birthday. Best of luck staying out of trouble now that your better half is away.

>62 Caroline_McElwee:. You’ll be happy when you get to them, Caroline. She’s most excellent.

>63 benitastrnad:. Good for you, Benita. This way of looking at our fellow human beings is beyond me.

>64 Familyhistorian:. Thanks, Meg. Well, I did call off the kegger I had planned, so that’s a good start on staying out of trouble.

Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy for $2.99 on e-readers. Unless this author isn’t your cuppa, or violence is a trigger, this one is a powerful, unmissable read. His best, IMO, with a creepy, unforgettable villain.

I plan to read Blood Meridian again this month, Joe, as I didn't quite get along with it first time around.

Have a good weekend and I hope Debbi is doing ok.

>67 PaulCranswick:. Good for you, Paul. I hope Blood Meridian works better for you this time around. Debbi just spent the weekend taking care of the grandlittles in Colombus, Ohio, and says they all had a great time.

I didn’t get arrested, if that’s what you were wondering.😀

Some musings: I feel Trump is on the downslide. He’s getting old, and his schtick is getting old. He’s just recycling b.s. It’s all reactive; he has no ideas other than more for him and his cronies, keep those immigrants out, and enjoying the cult worship.

I’m glad to finally feel this way. Instead of watching a nightmare getting fed and pampered, so it can be more awful, more threatening. Normality is coming back, and so many people are realizing how exceedingly valuable it is, and how lucky we are not to live in the world Trump wants to create.

It’s also very much a matter of knocking on wood and not counting our chickens before they hatch. We’re not past Nov. 5 yet, or its aftermath, which could be bad. Our democracy requires constant reinvention and fresh attention, constant watching over like an ignorant child. It requires us all to vote, and many of us who could still don’t. Too much hassle? Imagine the “hassle” of living under a Trump regime. I agree with those who compare it to The Handmaid’s Tale. If we don’t fight and vote, we’ll lose all that we gained.

>69 jnwelch: he has no ideas other than more for him and his cronies, keep those immigrants out, and enjoying the cult worship. Trump has always appeared to me as little better than a 3-year-old having a temper tantrum. Everything is "Mine! Mine!" and the world revolves around them. I would not vote for him were he the only candidate running. It makes me physically ill even to see the man, so I have kittens show up instead. I like kittens.

Have a marvelous Monday, Joe!

>69 jnwelch:, >70 alcottacre: - I am not sure of the spelling, but I will accept that this is schedenfreude on my part, this pleasure I am getting from watch trumpelstiltskin unravel in public. He deserves at least this. Your analogies to a spoiled child having a meltdown tantrum are spot on. He has been so rude and disrespectful to so many all his life, just to get what he wants, it is almost embarrassing to watch him be unable to accept defeat at all. *Grace* and *respect* are not words that will ever appear in a sentence with his name.

He is a true menace to the world, much as I hate to admit and accept that one person can have that much power. But Joe Biden will go down in history as having been the catalyst for this and history will grant him the honour he deserves for that.

But you are also right, Joe, as we learned in 2016. No one should count their chickens before they hatch, but this time feels different. This time it feels as if a corner has been turned and that the ship will finally right itself.

>69 jnwelch:, >70 alcottacre:, >71 jessibud2: Agree with everything said here. What I've noticed is that he has significantly deteriorated since the assassination attempt on his life. His public appearances are getting fewer and fewer; I think it's actually had a psychological effect upon him, as much as that "fist-pumping" photo when he went down appeared to show otherwise. He's probably heavily medicated to make it through each day.

I don't think he really wants to be president any more; he's just going through the motions.

He just doesn't want to be a loser.

Who you calling a "mashugana"? 🙃

Hey, Joe. I saw Debbi with the grandkids on FB. I thought you might be with her. Enjoying some quiet time? I started the audio of The Rose Code. I am also enjoying my Baldwin story collection. The guy could certainly write.

>69 jnwelch: It certainly feels as if a heavy weight has been lifted. But we can’t be sanguine yet. Trump himself is a menace but there are plenty of smarter people than he, with deep pockets, determined to use him to force their agenda.
But should he lose, watch all those spineless GOPers who willingly kissed the ring run for cover.

I don't know how to feel about the political scene. I tried to stay calm in 2016, telling all and sundry that this too shall pass - and it did. I stuck by Joe because I kept telling people that the attacks on Joe's age were merely a smoke screen for an anti-feminist agenda - which it was. I was not worried about his age. We have a Constitution in this country that provides for succession and removal of a medically impaired President. I kept my confidence in the Rule of Law (in this case the Constitution) but those around me couldn't. That makes me doubt that we are out-of-the-woods. Either people don't know what is in the Constitution or they don't care. That worries me.

I also have my doubts that people will vote for Harris/Walz. I don't think that this country is enlightened enough to vote for a woman. I will keep talking to people about the upcoming election, but I have no confidence in the American voter. They are sheep and Trump makes a great shepard.

I love the topper. Happy Tuesday, Joe. As you requested, I have posted a recent photo of my grandsons.

>70 alcottacre:. Ha! Thanks, Stasia. A three-year-old throwing a tantrum - yup. Just hearing his voice makes me want to throw something at the tv or device. Substituting kittens is a grand idea.

I hope your week is off to a most excellent start.

>71 jessibud2:. Hi, Shelley. There’s definitely a shared pleasure in watching him unravel. Rude, disrespectful, heartless, crude, no grace, no humor. We’ll be studying for years to come how he ever got to a position ofprominence, much less President.

I tink Joe Biden will go down as one of our greatest presidents ever. Not only did he bring back sanity and stability, but he got important things done. But for blocking of the bill by the Orange Idiot, that would’ve included the border.

Yeah, there’s no choice but to keep fighting. So much that we love (everything?) remains in danger.

>72 kac522:. Hi, Kathy. Interesting thought - the failed assassination may have accelerated his deterioration. It certainly didn’t give him a sympathy boost in the public eye, which it might have.

His narcissism means he has to win, in his own mind, but he’s unraveling and losing the ability to rationally campaign - and like you, I think he knows it. It’s a strain on my Buddhism, but it’s very hard to feel any compassion. Instant Karma is coming to get him.

>73 msf59:. There’s that mashugana. (Oops). Our favorite mashugana if that helps any.

That was a quick weekend for Debbi with the grandlittles. She had a blast. Post-stroke traveling wears me down, and it takes about a day to recover. Didn’t make sense for me to join her for a trip that short.

Oh, I’m glad you’re listening to the Rose Code. That should make for an excellent audio book. I’d love to hear the story performed with a Brit accent,

>74 NarratorLady:. It does feel as if a heavy weight has been lifted, doesn’t it, Anne. I guess it’s his worn out schtick and inability to rescue himself from ongoing developments?

As you say, we nonetheless can’t be sanguine. There are a whole lot of MAG-gots still out there striving, including some with unimaginable wealth. We’ll probably still be dealing with hangovers, surges and events of awfulness for years to come.

I so hope Harris gets in with a Democratic Congress. So much needs to be fixed, the right to choose foremost.

I can’t wait for those who sold their integrity, sold their souls for this fraud, to run for cover. Not very Buddhist of me, but that’s the way it is. Forgiving what they’ve done is going to take a long, long time.

>75 benitastrnad:. I have to admit I was worried about Joe’s age, Benita. My dad started to fade right around that age. All the good intentions in the world can’t fix that right now. I figured he was surrounded by good people who could help carry his Presidency, and that VP Kamala would be ready to step in if needed. But I’m glad he withdrew, and I think the grace and success of that withdrawal will just add to history’s beloved view of him.

I’m more optimistic about Harris/Walz, but we all should be worried after what happened to Hillary. As I mentioned, Kamala was my pick before Biden got the 2020 nomination. I think Kamala has the right weapons to fight the Orange Disaster, just like Obama did. We weren’t ready to elect a black male President when Obama rose, but we did.

>76 Ameise1:. Hi, Barbara! Good to see you. I’ll visit your thread soon - it’s a bit hectic on my end as we go though more hoops for Debbi’s operation. (More tests(!) to help them and another meeting(!) to go over the details with the surgeon). Step by step. We greatly appreciate their being careful, but it’s a strain. Tests all tomorrow. Can’t wait to see your grandsons. I posted another photo of our grandlittles up top, and another illustration by that topper artist.

>80 jnwelch: I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the tests go well. It's good to hear that Debbi has good doctors. That is very reassuring.
I love the photos of your grandchildren.

>81 Ameise1:. Thanks, Barbara. Yes, we’re very happy with Debbi’s doctors. It’s been an impressive, if difficult, experience. Medical progress has been galloping while we’ve all been distracted. I was just talking to a guy whose wife’s rare form of cancer is getting intelligent treatment.

Today’s Bargain: Lost Horizon by James Hilton for $1.99 on e-readers. I enjoyed this chestnut when I read it.

>78 jnwelch: - Forgiving what they’ve done is going to take a long, long time. . I am a believer that there are some things (and people) which are simply not forgiveable. trump is one of them (Hitler, another and I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to compile a long list but I won't). The most important thing is to learn from the past. NOT allowing him to be reelected is the first step. As you said, unfortunately, he has a very large contingent of goons behind him, lemmings, actually, and it will take a mighty effort to keep them at bay. But, at this point in time, there is hope, for the first time in a long time, it feels like.

>84 jessibud2:. Right, Shelley. What I follow teaches anger and hate poisons the angry and hating person, not the intended _target. I believe by and large that is true. It also doesn’t help the problem; it may however provide the energy to persist. As Marvin Gaye sang, and others have preached,Only love can conquer hate

But to me this is the Hitler exception- somebody so awful, and followers so awful, that normal rules don’t apply. We’ll be trying to figure out for a lot of years why the MAGAs departed so bizarrely from reality and normality.

Maybe Trump’s behavior and disastrous impact - so many killed during the worst of the pandemic, for example, while he dithered and pooh-poohed and suggested injecting bleach- is unforgiveable.

I think he’s his own worst punishment, although he’s so delusional that he may never realize it.

Yes, a bit of hope is so refreshing. As someone said, it’s like Mom and Dad have come to take care of the bully.

>85 jnwelch: I read somewhere recently that we should look back to Hitler and Germany of the 1930's

for clues as to how trump and his toxic twisted supporters similarly came to power -

fear exploded in many unexpected dimensions.

>85 jnwelch: Shelley, Normally I try not to post regarding politics, but the situation is so dire that I cannot sit back and be quiet. I recently read articles from intelligent people who noted Trumps sociopathic, delusional, angry and far out crazy rantings are a sign of two things -- beginnings of dementia and a continuation of a very psychologically damaged man.

I laughed out loud regarding the Mom and Dad coming out to take care of the bully comment. Though, because I was bullied both in middle and high school by silly, sad girls, I know the long-lasting hurt of being picked on. It's not fun, and particularly unhealthy in a grown man who cannot keep his mouth shut. It seems the only words that come out of him are nasty, anger-filled rants.

Interestingly, on a positive note, one of the girls who picked on me, tracked me down via the internet and visited me at my office at Lehigh University to apologize. To think that after all these years, this person felt the need to reach out, was so very beautiful. I keep her apologetic comments in my mind and heart and am exceedingly grateful for them.

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng for $2.99 on e-readers. Wish it was a buck less, but this sounds like a really good one that I haven’t read. Has anyone here? I scooped it up.

>86 m.belljackson:. Right, Marianne. I suspect that it’ll be the rare historian who doesn’t have at least one mention of Hitler while discussing Trump. We already know that Trump feels a close kinship with Hitler. The allure of the authoritarian. Here it seems that half the country believes the Emperor is wearing clothes, while the rest see he is no emperor, and prays he keeps his clothes on. (I think it’s trending toward only a third of us believing the con).

I haven’t read up on it, but it seems that many people are drawn to what appears to them a strong figure who they can trust to make decisions for them, and to make simple and understandable a complicated, worrisome and challenging life. It relates, I guess, to how con men keep finding willing victims.

>87 Whisper1: Thanks for weighing in, Linda. I do think he’s at the beginning of dementia. I’m wondering whether he’s going to show even more deterioration in the days leading up to the election.

I’m sorry to hear that you got bullied when young. Debbi also got bullied as a young kid, although you’d never guess given how strong she is. (And I’d say the same for you). Hurts a long time - yes, she feels that it was just recently that she freed that poor scared young girl.
I’m so sorry you had to go through that. It’s a societal problem that i hope we’re getting better at addressing. Both our kids went through it, I’m sad to say. (I was too big when young). I’m glad that you got a big laugh about parents Kamala and Tim coming to take care of little bully Donnie.

That is a lovely story about the grown woman tracking you down to apologize for her bullying you as a child. Would that that kind of thing happened more often- and that the attraction to bullying for some would dissipate.

P.S. From Facebook today: “Best line I’ve heard: who better to take on a bully than a prosecutor and a high school coach”.

Debbi had a good day of tests yesterday; they sent tiny cameras on wires through her to map out what’s needed for the operation. Took all day; she’s exhausted today and has movement restrictions.

The pre-op meeting with her heart surgeon is set for 9/10, at which time I assume we’ll set the operation date. I’m impressed with how careful and detailed they are - this the motor for the whole miracle we all are - but it’s wearing to be patient with the step by step. In the end this’ll be a major performance upgrade for her, so that’s the prize we’re keeping an eye on.

P.S. We’ve both been struck by how caring and kind every single team member and doctor has been. Somehow we’ve not just been units moving along on a conveyor belt, even though they go through situations like ours every day. As I said to Debbi, I’ve grown cynical over the years as we’ve encountered emotion-deaf doctors, nurses and others. This experience has really opened my eyes. Maybe they’re being taught better, maybe many have realized on their own how to better empathize with patients. We laughed and heard others laugh in the room of beds; they were kind, sympathetic and good-humored, doing all they could to make a difficult day more tolerable. It’s been that way since this adventure started. We’re very grateful.

We also just had a close friend lose her thirty or so old son to a drowning accident off Nantucket, leaving his young bride and three month old girl behind. Wow. You just never know in this world of ours. We think about the parents every day.

I was encouraged just before I left Kansas to head back to Alabama. I attended a monthly meeting of the Democrats of Republic County the night before I left. There were 45 people in attendance. All were very concerned about the possible reelection of Trump. That number seems small but when you consider that the entire population of the county 4,677 that number is a good showing for a core group. We had a presentation on Project 2025 and next month they are going to have a presentation about what the proposed cuts in the Nutrition budget portion of the Farm Bill will mean for the local school districts. I am disappointed that I won't be there for that presentation. Both of the school districts in the county have approximately 40% of elementary students on free or reduced lunches. I had asked the question of what the impact of the proposed changes would be on our local schools. Without those subsidies lunches how many children in our county would be affected? I said to the group that we need to find out these numbers and get them out to the public because we have a great public school system and we need to keep it strong and healthy. To do that we need strong and healthy children.

As I said, I was impressed with the concern and the desire of the group to get this kind of knowledge out there to the public. I was also surprised because a high school classmate of mine, who I have not seen for years was there. She was not the kind of person I would have thought would be interested in politics. However, she told me that she decided it was time to get politically involved because Trump was clearly a schoolyard bully and had done nothing for the working poor. She went on to say that she has worked in minimum wage jobs all her life and at the age of 68 there will be no retirement for her because her low wages will keep her social security payments to low to live on. I was blown away by her articulate way of describing the problems that the Republicans are visiting the lower income people of this country.

>90 jnwelch: Joe - So welcome to see that Debbi's progress has been handled by caring professionals!

It sounds like they are also familiar with how hard it is to deal with a long wait...

All the best to Debbi and going forward. Sounds like you guys hit the jackpot with her team. Joe, I am currently reading a really good and interesting - and very readable - book called Elderhood about just what you are talking about: the attitude of doctors particularly in the field of geriatrics, a field that is relatively new, in the grand scheme of things. I borrowed it from the library but just the other day, I ordered it from a local indie bookstore because there were just too many passages I wanted to mark so I could go back to, and you just can't do that in a library book so I wanted my own copy!

So sorry to read about the devastating loss for your friends. I can't even imagine...

Adding my best wishes for the progress of Debbi's treatment. Yes, it sounds like you have a good team.

Nice to hear that the examinations went well. It's so great that you have a good team to guide you through this procedure.

>91 benitastrnad:. Hi, Benita. You probably heard what Biden said yesterday was our (Democrats’) Project 2025: “Beat the hell out of ‘em”. I like the simplicity of that.

As a young guy I worked with a friend on a summer lunch program, delivering nutritious lunches to 2000+ kids at sites around Ann Arbor. I agree with you on the importance of nutrition. I’m still taken aback that this is a so often neglected issue in this country of abundance.

I’m glad that people like your friend are getting politically and community involved because they see how dire the Trump threat is. That’s our best hope of turning the tide - all hands on deck.

I’m worried about all the people reaching retirement age without the financial wherewithal to sustain themselves. I suspect this is going to be a big issue in coming years.

>92 m.belljackson:. Hi, Marianne. Caring professionals can make such a difference, can’t they. I don’t know about you, but I’m receiving a lot more email post-visit surveys these days. “Callous treatment” probably is the #1 complaint, and caring treatment the #1 compliment. Maybe the message is finally getting through.

They’ve been very matter of fact about the long wait. They’ve made sure we understand that we understand that Debbi’s situation is not urgent, but rather a long-term concern, and we do know they’re continuously seeing a zillion patients. I do think we’re chronically under-staffed in the medical fields. Those looking for reliable employment should give that some thought and investigation.

>93 jessibud2:. The excellence of the team and care is a comfort as we go forward with this worrisome adventure, Shelley.

Thanks for the tip on Elderhood. I remember how helpful Being Mortal was when my parents were getting close to dying. Good for you for digging into this one.

Yeah, our friends’ loss of their son in the drowning accident is just devastating. So many are scrambling to commiserate and help, but there’s never going to be enough. What a tragedy. The mother said the only thing worse would be your child killing himself on purpose. This was a bright funny guy who was just embarking on his life with his wife and new baby. Arggh.

>94 ffortsa:. Thank you, Judy. The good team has been the most comforting thing about this. We’ve had plenty of experience with arrogance and unpleasantness before this. My son and wife kicked an insufferable cardiologist out of my care after my stroke, and my neurologist was very sympathetic to our doing so.

>95 Ameise1:. They did go well, thanks, Barb, and Debbi is feeling much more recovered today. When anxiety starts to creep in, we remind ourselves of what a good team this is.

>90 jnwelch: I am hoping that Debbi is recovering well today, Joe! I am glad to hear that her surgical team has caring, attentive members.

Hang in there!

>97 jnwelch: Joe - it is impossible to imagine anything worse than your child's death. So very sad.

>98 jnwelch: Always at the top of my list of great inventions. Along with beer.

>100 alcottacre:. Thanks, Stasia! She’s doing much better today. I think the body invasion and anesthesia is traumatic, so recovery time is needed. Yes, thank goodness we have a great team for such an important procedure. We’re hanging in there! It seems like it’s been an awfully eventful month. Poor Debbi is still mourning her brother’s death, too.

>101 m.belljackson:. Agreed, Marianne. I unrealistically wanted our two right here, right now when we heard the news. Our rabbi called the loss “unfathomable.”

>102 quondame:😂. Ha! Yes. Good idea to add beer, Susan.

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn. A very good story of three female friends who meet working at Bletchley Park, the famous site of WWII decoders like Alan Turing. Many women worked at BP among the men, breaking German and Italian encoded messages to benefit the Allies in the war. It all was a closely held secret and the information had to be used judiciously so that Hitler’s Axis forces didn’t suspect that their messages were being read. The author does a rewarding job of taking us behind the scenes and into the lives of those involved, with friendships and romances inevitably affected by a violent, uncertain world. Her characters are based on real people, including a traitor betraying them to England’s Russian ally..

The Triangle by Ruth Bass. Features a love triangle between mid-thirties Sylvia and two 70-ish men who give her money to help her get by and to maintain her interest. Stanley is a sweet man, but Gino is a thug, with a criminal background. When jealous Gino finds out about Stanley, look out. Frankie the bartender sees it all playing out in front of him, and can’t think of how to help Sylvia and Stanley. Very realistic as we grime along; the author covered crime for her newspaper in an earlier life. Thank goodness for Sylvia’s loyal and sensible friend Patsy, who helps get their canoe through some metaphorical white water. I particularly enjoyed the characters in this one.

Happy Saturday, Joe. It looks like those books are treating you just fine. I am enjoying The Rose Code but still have a long way to go. The Triangle sounds good too. I am thoroughly enjoying The Meadow. Keep this one in mind. I get a Kent Haruf/Wallace Stegner vibe here.

>98 jnwelch: WORD!!

>107 msf59:. Happy Saturday, Mark. That must be the wrong touchstone for The Meadow? I bet yours is by James Galvin, yes? That one looks good. A Kent Haruf vibe gets my attention; surprisingly, I’m not as much of a Wallace Stegner fan, although I have a lot of respect for his writing.

I was thinking of you with The Rose Code. It should make for a very good audio experience? Anyone I’d know performing it?

i DNF'ed The Alice Network but quite liked The Huntress

Maybe I'll give The Rose Code a try.

The women of Bletchley Park were never quite allowed into the code-breaking huts, but their work on correlating and analysing bits of pieces of intelligence truly saved lives during the war.

I'm sure you've seen The Bletchley Circle from PBS - sounds like The Rose Code is looking at some of the same people back in the day.

>109 magicians_nephew:. Thanks, Jim. I hope you and Judy are having a good weekend.

I’m surprised that you DNF’ed The Alice Network. It sure caught my fancy.

The Huntress does sound good. I think my next from her will be the new one, The Briar Club.

I didn’t watch the PBS Bletchley Circle, although now you put it on my radar. The one I saw was the very good Imitation Game.

If you do read The Rose Code, you may end up quarreling with the author. She very much has women in the code-breaking huts, with one of the main characters (purportedly based on someone in real life) an ace at it. One of the intriguing aspects of the story was how egalitarian Bletchley was, dedicated totally to the task, and welcoming all sorts, including some on the autism spectrum.

Hi Joe - saw this in a Madison newspaper and thought of you all:

"The Welches have reserved East Park shelter, 225 S. Lynn Street,
for a book swap on Saturday, September 14.

The public is invited to participate beginning at 1:00 p.m."

>111 m.belljackson:. Ha! Ah, the Madison branch of the Welch clan, one which i never knew about before. Back in the old country, the Welches would gather, from far off and from hidden places, beneath every full moon, and read books together. It is said that a book from a Welch can open a door to the Kingdom of the Fae. It may be worth finding your way to that book swap, Marianne.

Who knows, you may find all of us there, quietly attending.

>90 jnwelch: I think I missed that Debbi has an op ahead of her. It sounds like she has a good team (and you) supporting her. Being a patient can be exhausting. Give her my love Joe.

Agreeing with all the convo about the orange idiot, however I agree it's best not to count chickens. I have everything crossed.

Good luck to Debbi, great that she has a good team, but such a worry.

I really liked The Rose Code, and the audio was excellent.

>113 Caroline_McElwee:. Thanks, Caroline. I’ll let Debbi know. Being a patient can be exhausting, indeed.

>114 banjo123:. Thanks, Rhonda. I’m not much of an audio book guy, but part of me would love to hear The Rose Code done that way. I can imagine it was excellent. I’m glad you liked the book. She (KQ) has a knack for this, and it’s important that we learn more about how women experienced the war and contributed to the Allies’ success.

Today’s Bargain: Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris for $1.99 on e-reader. Scariest book I’ve read. Add on his Red Dragon if you’re in the mood for more.

Hmm. Unfortunately, the Keanu Reeves/China Mieville book The Book of Elsewhere is boring me. It’s got an interesting if not novel premise, of an immortal warrior and his interactions over thousands of years with those idolizing him, those determined to eliminate him, and those loving him. But the storytelling has become plodding and ponderous. I want to like it for Keanu’s sake, and I’m realizing it’s been a long time since i’ve really been grabbed by a China M book, maybe since The City and the City. Too bad. I now want to finish it asap and move on.

North Woods by Daniel Mason, on the other hand, is excellent. I’m currently with Osgood the Apple Man and his two daughters.

Today’s Bargain: Big Sky by Kate Atkinson for $2.99 on e-readers. Another page-turning Jackson Brodie mystery, this time while he’s on a break with his dog in an English coastal village.

Joe - The Democratic Convention, Chicago 1996!

My then husband, Jerry Levy, immediately took off downtown to join the alarming fray.
He returned to our house in Woodlawn, slightly battered, but okay.

I waited a night and day, then joined Dick Gregory downtown to march to his Southside home -
got turned back by police. Hello, Mayor Daley!

>105 jnwelch: I get to dodge that BB as I have already read it.

>106 jnwelch: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thanks for your thoughts on the book, Joe.

>118 jnwelch: I am slowly making my way through the Jackson Brodie series again but since I own hard copies of all the books, I will give that one a pass.

Thinking of you and Debbi. . .

Joe, I write to thank you for your recent post on my thread. I'll write more tomorrow, but wanted to stop by here to say how much I appreciated that you took time to write about the recent loss of such a young person who is leaving behind a small child. Your thoughts, as always, are so very special.

Your heart is pure!!! No doubt about it my friend!

I am disconsolate. I have no TV and no radio so that means no Democrat convention. At least until Wednesday night, so I will still get to see Kamala.

When I got back to Tuscaloosa my TV had the blue screen of death and the gray box that said "no signal." It took me until Friday afternoon to get somebody from technical troubleshooting at Comcast/Xfinity. They determined that my cable box was fried and needed to be replaced. Since there is a Xfinity store 5 blocks from my house they told me to go there and exchange it for a new one. I did so, but the store was closed when their web site said they didn't close until 7 PM. I went back the next morning and waited 2.5 hours in line to get service, only to find out they didn't have the cable boxes at the store.

The reason for the long wait is that it is move-in weekend here at the University and every student, and their parent, needs their internet - RIGHT NOW! I went back home and waited until 7 AM on Sunday morning to call the 800 number for Comcast/Xfinity and to my surprise got a person on the phone with the first try. I explained what had happened and asked for them to schedule a technician to come to the house and fix the problem. The earliest appointment I could get was Saturday the 24th at 1:00 PM. I took it, and then filed a complaint about the store. The technician then happened to recheck my appointment time and found that there was an opening on Wednesday at 8 AM, so I will get cable back on Wednesday morning. I hope it happens so I can see the speech on Thursday.

Then on Friday night I was laying in bed reading with the local NPR radio station classical music show on the radio when all of a sudden it went silent. Saturday morning when it was still silent I checked the web site and found that the radio transmitter quit and they have no idea when it will be fixed.

I didn't realize that I was such a media hog, but I have discovered that I like my music on so that I can hear it all around the house and I love my evening TV watching and knitting sessions. I had canceled my newspaper subscription due to my eminent moving and I confess that right now I feel cut off from the world.

The Book of Elsewhere by Keanu Reeves and China Mieville. I wanted to like this fantasy about immortality but it put up too strong a resistance.

A pulseless plodding panegyric on persistence, pursuing a plot pressed too deep into the pedantic to be pried loose from the padding before the persevering peruser pulled the plug.

If it were edited down to half its length, this tale of an immortal warrior being studied by scientists while pursued by zealots might’ve been a thought- provoking novella. Instead, I hope the authors had fun together writing it, because reading it was a snooze.

>120 alcottacre:. Hi, Stasia. Wasn’t The Rose Code good? I’m looking forward to reading the next one. I’m glad The Triangle caught your eye. I’m also glad you like the Jackson Brodie books. Thank goodness she keeps writing them, even after her literary success. Did you ever see the tv adaptation with Jason Isaacs as Brodie? We tend to like anything with Jason I in it, and that was no exception.

Thank you for thinking of Debbi and me. What a strange time we’re in. Disorienting.

>121 Whisper1:. Hi, Linda. You’re welcome, and thank you for the sweet response. I’ve been working on getting this poor old heart purified, and I’m glad you see some success. I thought you were someone who’d particularly appreciate the tale of gone-too-soon Nathaniel, and his bereaved wife Lucy, and their newborn (three months old) daughter Phoebe. What an unfathomable loss; I’m sure I mentioned that I wish I had known him better. I think all of us non-family or close friend felt that way. He sounded like the kind of guy we’d like more, more, more of in the world. Wow, was he beloved. We think every day of him and all of those who loved him and are grieving.

I hope lots of good books and other good things come your way this week. The way you are and the way you live, I imagine they will.😀

>123 jnwelch: Loved all that funny alliteration! Sorry to hear about your blackout status, and at what a time! Of course, youtube will oblige once you have your cable box back. In the meantime, you might try the student union?

>122 benitastrnad:. Hiya, Benita. Sorry to hear about the abrupt disconsoling funk ups of your electronic connections to music and news and the rest of the world, right as the DNC is starting.

It can be so frustratingly slow and arduous to get a glitch remedied by Comcast/Infinity. Fingers crossed that your efforts are timely rewarded without additional hassle. Kamala made a couple of short but energy-filled appearances last night which you can probably pick up on the Internet. She and Biden are so uplifting together. Biden got a well- deserved and rousing reception. What an amazing job he did after heeding the call that he was needed to heal us and get us going in the right direction, and how gracefully he has handed the reins over to Kamala. There were a lot of inspiring remarks at the DNC, including AOC and Hillary, and the UAW Prez who wore his “Trump is a Scab” t-shirt. I always enjoy hearing from former Chicago Bulls player and U.S. Olympic coach Steve Kerr, and he was on point and funny.

I hope your connections get re-established quickly and your enjoyment of them resumes.

>125 ffortsa:. Ha! I’m glad you got a kick out of the alliteration, Judy! It was fun to think up all those P words.

Good suggestions for Benita. What a lousy time for her radio and tv to conk out.

>123 jnwelch: Thanks for taking one for the team Joe. I have read a little Meiville, but suspected this one might not be up there so to speak.

>128 Caroline_McElwee:. Thanks, Caroline. I don’t read many clunkers , but this one certainly qualifies. I’ve had some great times with Mieville, esp. The City and the City, and I’m a Keanu Reeves fan ( it doesn’t hurt that he seems to be a prince of a human being), so I had my hopes up. I read and read and read until I realized - pfffft. The ending had some interest; if only the book was a short story or novella, it would’ve been okay. Still no great shakes, but okay.

Howdy, Joe. Sorry, I had the wrong touchstone for The Meadow. Glad you quickly figured it out that it was Galvin. An absolute treasure. I am so glad you are having a fine time with North Woods. It sure made me an instant fan. I am also having a very good time with Sky Full of Elephants.

>130 msf59: Isn’t that cover great?! I adore reading (skimming quite a bit) the New Yorker, and their cartoons are terrific. They also run a top notch crossword puzzle.

Excellent cover illustration!

Karen O

Today’s Bargains: The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov, The Last Remains by Elly Griffiths, A Mind to Murder by P.D.James, and The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman, all for $1.99 on e-readers. The first is a bizarre classic fantasy satire on the Stalin era, in a popular translation, with one of the best cat characters ever. The last three are all mysteries. The Last Remains is an excellent Ruth Galloway mystery, while the second features the author’s famous Adam Dalgliesh detective. The last isn’t for everyone, but The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax lives up to the title, as the intrepid Garden Club member gets involved in an international spy caper at the reqest of the CIA.

>130 msf59:. Love that New Yorker cover, Mark! It says it so well, doesn’t it.

I’ve just gotten through the part of North Woods with Alice and Mary the Osgood Apple Sisters, and the slave chaser who unexpectedly stumbled upon them. Very good indeed so far. Thank you for pushing it.

I just received Bluff, the new poetry collection by Danez Smith, for whom you’ll remember i have high esteem.

I’m looking forward to your final take on Sky Full of Elephants. Fingers crossed it holds up.

>123 jnwelch: Despite loving the alliteration, I am giving that one a wide berth. I hope your next read is an improvement, Joe!

>124 jnwelch: No, I have not seen the TV adaptation although I think Jason Isaacs is a good choice as Jackson.

>132 jnwelch: That is a great collection of e-books! I am a huge Mrs. Pollifax fan. I want to be her when I grow up.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, Joe!

>131 klobrien2:. Agreed on the spot-on great cover, Karen. We also subscribe to the New Yorker and like it a lot. Some articles are too far afield for either of us, and get the skim treatment. The cartoons are always a hoot. I’m always surprised when their reviewer likes a play or movie as much as I do; they take the role of “critic” seriously.

>134 alcottacre:. Good morning, Stasia! I’m glad you enjoyed the alliteration in >123 jnwelch:. What a disappointment the book was☹️. North Woods is reviving my reading momentum.

Yes, Jason Isaacs was a good choice as Brodie. It reminds me of the C.B. Strike adaptations of the Robert Galbraith(JKR) mysteries, with very good actor picks for Cormoran and Robin. I like that series more than the Isaacs/Brodie one.

Should be a good Wednesday here (great weather and the DNC). I hope yours is, too.

Do we have any women in the cafe who like to read Cormac McCarthy?

He seems to appeal mostly to men. A friend is reading Blood Meridian, his uber-violent classic, and we talked about how few women seem to enjoy reading him. Debbi and Becca are both: nope.

>137 jnwelch: Oh that's interesting. I've never tried his books. Violence usually feels like 'guy-lit' to me unless it is very well supported by the story line. Maybe I'll take him off my curiosity list.

>137 jnwelch: - I thought The Road was excellent. I think I read Blood Meridian as a teenager (I know I read *something* by him then and it wasn't All the Pretty Horses or either of the sequels) but don't remember anything about it. I don't mind violence. I haven't read more by him because none of his books sound all that interesting to me.

>137 jnwelch: It is some years since I did Joe, I think I started with All The Pretty Horses, certainly Blood Meridian, which I don't really remember, The Road, though I didn't think it as original as it was puffed, but well written of course. I do have a couple still unread on the shelf, including his final two.

>138 ffortsa:. I’d love to hear your reaction to Blood Meridian (or any of his, but BM is such a wallop of a book), Judy. I do think the violence is the dissuader for many female readers, although our daughter also disliked his use of untranslated Spanish.

>139 katiekrug:. Thanks, Katie. Yeah, The Road was heart-rending but less violent than some of his others. I loved the All the Pretty Horses trilogy. ATPH is the one of his books that seems to be taught in high schools - I certainly could relate to the adventures when I read it.

I’m happy that you’ve read Blood Meridian. If you haven’t read ATPH OR No Country for Old Men, they’re both terrific, IMHO. His last of two, The Passenger, was good but not great, I thought. I didn’t read the Stella Maris follow-up yet.

>140 Caroline_McElwee:. Kudos for reading him, Caroline. Blood Meridian might be worth re-reading some day. It’s not long, and I do think it’s his best. I’ve read one of the last two, The Passenger, and the writing was stellar, of course, but I wouldn’t put it among his best.

Today’s Bargain: The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks for $1.99 on e-readers. Remarkably well-told accounts of patients with neurological disorders. A standout favorite of mine down through the years.

Another Bargain: Bad Blood by John Carreyrou for $1.99 on e-readers. Not one I’ve read, but a highly regarded bestseller on the Silicon Valley Theranos debacle. Esteemed by many 75ers.

Well, Kamala Harris gave a terrific acceptance speech and looked very presidential. She did her part, as did the rest of her appealing family. Let’s get her elected on Nov. 5!

I read the English translation







All My Bicycles by Powerpaola. A charming graphic memoir consisting of vignettes centered around bicycles she’s owned. Black and white sketches with occasional yellow highlights. Her friendships, romances, musings. Modest and quiet, set in Colombia, Ecuador and Argentina, it cast a lovely spell on me.

Mark Twain, in his Life on the Mississippi

By Sue Mcintyre in Amazing World Pictures

>146 jnwelch: - Wow. Sounds almost prophetic. If only....

>148 jnwelch: - Stunning! Do you know where this is?

>149 jessibud2:. Hi, Shelley. Isn’t that Twain quote amazingly appropriate? I don’t know whether Trump’ll ever cut back on the lying and maliciousness, but the quantity will probably diminish eventually after he loses. Wouldn’t it be fun to see him shrink? Is disappearing too much to hope for?

I don’t know more about where that stained glass greenhouse is located. I gave you her name and where the photo is from so those interested could investigate further. It’s a beauty, isn’t it.

Best wishes to you and Debbi on the forthcoming surgery. I am very happy that you have such great doctors for the surgery, emotionally and physically , Joe and Debbi. Yes, I do have a copy of James and plan to read it fairly soon. I hope I enjoy it as much as you did. I did really enjoy The Alice Network and more recently The Briar Club. One day I will get to The Rose Code.

Happy Saturday, Joe. In one week, we will be barreling toward the Badlands. Yah! I had a good time with The Rose Code. I am currently enjoying Zoli about a gypsy poet. Deciding on books for the trip, both print and audio. Enjoy your weekend.

>146 jnwelch: >147 jnwelch: Love 'em! Go MAKA!

>151 vancouverdeb:. Thanks, Deb. We’re slowly getting there. We meet with the surgeon 9/10. The waiting ain’t easy. But Debbi’s using the time to get in as good of shape as possible.

I hope you enjoy James as much as I did, too. I know one LTer who didn’t (magicians nephew).

Good to hear about Briar Club. That’s my next one of hers. If you liked those two, I think it’s a safe bet that you’ll enjoy Rose Code.

>152 msf59:. Good morning, Mark. Happy Weekend, buddy.

Oh, I know you’ll have a great time on that Badlands trip. Isn’t retirement sweet? Looking forward to hearing what books you pick. We’re putting off travel until we get Debbi squared away.

Is MAKA make America kind again? I love it. The MAGAs’ nastiness about emotional Gus Walz is unacceptable, and an example of why they’re going to lose.

Today’s Bargains: Recursion by Blake Crouch and City of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, each for $1.99 on e-books. The first is a page turner centering around False Memory Syndrome by the author of Dark Matter. The second is short stories set in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books by the author of Shadow of the Wind.

Sunday’s Bargain: My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante for $1.99 on e-readers. Debbi (walklover) loved the author’s popular Neapolitan novels, which start with this one.

I’ve been reading Emily Wilson’s translation of the Iliad a few pages at a time, and finally am nearing the end. I’m at Book 23, and Achilles has just finished killing Hector in revenge and dragging his body behind Achilles’ chariot. This is my third translation (Fagles, Lombardo) and once again, as much as I like the other two, hers has worked best for me. Would that I had the training, like Amber, to read it in its original Greek. But it is majestic and amazing, regardless.

I’m always surprised that the Trojan Horse isn’t mentioned in the Iliad. (It is in the Odyssey a couple of times and in Vergil’s Aeneid). It is such a major part of the story from our modern POV. But not so much back in Homer’s time, apparently.

North Woods by Daniel Mason. A string of stories playing out over time and tethered to a deep woods and apple orchard in Western Massachusetts. I enjoyed most of it, although a long section involving a schizophrenic boy had me yawning. Lovely ending, as a plantologist and woods enthusiast takes stock of what has been and what is. There are ghosts, two of whom are sisters and one of whom finds amorous satisfaction in the afterlife. The man can write, and except for the schizophrenic boy, the stories are novel, engaging and often spiced with a wry humor. I can see why the book and author are praised. A tip of the hat to Mark for recommending it.

Hack Slash Back to School by Zoe Thorogood.* The newest entry in a funny, gorey horror series in which Cassie and her slow-thinking but supremely loyal thug Vlad chase after and kill monsters and kiilers. This one is particularly noteworthy because the author is a rising comics star who created the unusual and poignant memoir It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth (five stars) and the nearly as highly regarded Impending Blindness of Billie Scott. The art in this one is very good, but the story is convoluted. I’m sure she must be a fan of this series.

Today’s Bargain: Trust by Hernan Diaz for $2.99 on e-readers. This was recommended to me by an esteemed reader, NarratorLady (Anne), so I snapped it up.

Another Bargain: The Western Star by Craig Johnson for $1.99 on e-readers. A very good Longmire mystery that is an homage to Agatha Christie.

Best wishes for the upcoming surgery! I have James on my list to read in September -- glad to know it got a good review from you. : )

>157 jnwelch: >158 jnwelch: Both in the winter reading pile Joe.

Adriana with a good op-ed on the Democratic campaign strategy vs. the Republican: https://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/adriana-e-ramirez/2024/08/24/ramirez-democr...

Adriana E. Ramírez: A tale of two con­ven­tions

My father, the salesman, has always said that there are two ways to market a product or service: as a cure for what ails you or as a preventative for what might. Comparing the Democratic and the Republican conventions, I couldn’t help but see his assertion embodied.

While the Republican party is selling itself as a fix for a country broken and stretched to its limits, the Democrats are preventing the other team’s peculiar darkness from dominating the nation for four more years, but also demonstrating the excitement and thrill of believing in a nation that forges ahead, setbacks and all.

One message is of terror and fear, of loss and hurt — of the need to revert to what came before. The other is a celebration of a still-successful democracy shielding us from danger and doing better, despite great challenges, than its peers throughout the world.

The biggest difference
And that’s the biggest difference right there — each party is pointing us in a different direction: Do we look backward or forward?

These are the two paths being presented to voters. Republicans play the party of fear, the last hope for restoration in an apocalypse, while Democrats pitch themselves as the party of joy and normalcy, with the ability to improve.

Both conventions have been celebrity affairs. Both conventions have had testimonials and performances. The carnival of politics endures on both sides of the aisle, with plenty of theatrics and excellent production values. There was even an (adorable) animal act in Milwaukee.

But there’s something markedly different in the air in Chicago — is it … hope? That’s what Michelle Obama called it: “A familiar feeling that’s been buried too deep for far too long. You know what I’m talking about. It’s the contagious power of hope, the anticipation, the energy, the exhilaration of once again being on the cusp of a brighter day.

It’s a tight balancing act, to represent both change and the status quo, but the Harris-Walz ticket seems to be doing just that. And it’s not only great marketing, it’s a great show.

If the opposition hawks a return to the past, it behooves the incumbent to sell brightness, especially to a people eager for good news.

Promise and party
Harris is shaping her platform, but policy wasn’t the vibe of the convention. The vibe of the convention was all promise and party (and not the political kind). But Democrats are entitled to some of that. It’s been a year of quietly steeling ourselves for the inevitable return of Donald Trump, and Harris has injected enough youth and energy into the campaign that some suspect witchcraft or political botox.

Harris honored President Biden for his outstanding service to his country, as did the crowd with a two-minute standing ovation when he came out to speak. But in pushing “we’re not going back,” she has been able to pivot slightly from the administration under which she served.

Riding the momentum of one president is not the same as replicating it. Kamala Harris not running as a Joe Biden substitute. This convention has been clear: she’s running as Kamala Harris. And it’s working.

From Oprah to AOC, to the Clintons and the Obamas, it’s been incredible to watch the party coalesce around Harris. And yes, the protests remain. I don’t fault them. They want to pressure the candidate, as it’s easier to extract promises from a candidate than a president. And it’s poignant that no Palestinian Americans were invited to speak.

Still — even the chanting pro-Palestine protesters who broke through the barricades haven’t been enough to drown out the mirth. The Democrats are practically giddy in the Windy City. But it’s not toothless. Or as one friend put it, “we laugh like hyenas, but hyenas kill animals twice their size.”

Ma belle
No one embodied the spirit of danger and charm like the former first lady. Obama, who eight years ago said “when they go low, we go high,” seems to have abandoned the aspirational for something with more teeth. Still — even at her sharpest, she remains more poised and elegant than the man she called “small.”

“And let me tell you this: Going small is never the answer,” she continued. “Going small is the opposite of what we teach our kids. Going small is petty, it’s unhealthy, and quite frankly, it’s unpresidential.”

Obama stayed on message, as did the rest of the speakers. The vision of America that Democrats sold us this week is a strong one, one that can fight, one that has dignity. It’s markedly different from the failing nation in decline that Trump portends to save.

“For years, Donald Trump did everything in his power to try to make people fear us,” Michelle Obama intoned. “So, why would any of us accept this from anyone seeking our highest office? Why would we normalize that type of backward leadership? America, our parents taught us better than that, and we deserve so much better than that.”

Forward is easier to sell than backward — and Democrats finally got their message on point. Let the party rage on.

>163 jnwelch: - Can't open it. Any chance you can copy the article and post it here?

>162 Caroline_McElwee:. Good for you, Caroline. Excellent choices for while you’re warming your toes.

>164 jessibud2:. Huh. I wonder why, Shelley. It’s the link Adriana posted, and it works swell for me. I’ll take a look.

Oh man, I hope you appreciate me, Shelley. Because of ads, it took me three tries, but I think I pieced together her column below the link in >163 jnwelch: for you.

Rafa started first grade today.

>166 jnwelch: Rafa is quite the handsome one. It does look like he might think he's aged out of the whole starting a new grade fuss.

Thanks, Joe! I sure do appreciate you! I think it's because I have an ad blocker and unless I disable it, it won't let me in. I refuse to disable my ad blocker so there are some things I just miss.

Excellent piece.

Thanks again.

And Rafa - such a big boy! Was Fina a bit sad....?

Oh wow, so much to digest! First of all, Rafa! When did he graduate from cute to handsome? Our Lily enters first grade tomorrow. How the heck did this happen?

Books: Hope you enjoy Trust as much as I did. Your review of North Woods so mirrored my reaction to it that it’s almost eerie. On the other hand, James was a real disappointment for me, although it seems like the rest of the world agrees with you.

And lastly, my reaction to Adriana’s piece was much like my reaction to Mrs. Obama’s speech: both left a knot in my throat. So true and to the point, so poignantly expressed. I do hope she’s writing a book.

>167 quondame:. Thanks, Susan. Isn’t Rafa a good-looking guy? The evolution from toddler to now is mind-boggling. You may be right about the “aged-out.” He looks bemused to me , like he’s humoring his parents.😀. Could you read his chalkboard? He wants to be a “mathematician” when he grows up. The boy loves math.

>168 jessibud2:. You’re welcome, Shelley. I don’t blame you for wanting to keep that ad blocker. I wish I could block them everywhere.

Wasn’t that an excellent piece by Adriana? I know it’s hard to crank out these columns every week, with everything else she does, but she is always brave and so darn good at it. I’ll try to remember to post more of hers here.

Big Boy Rafa - don’t blink, or we’ll be calling him young man Rafa next. Fina is like the Unsinkable Molly Brown. If she’s sad, that inner exuberance comes back pretty quickly.

>169 NarratorLady:. I’ll report back on Trust, Anne. Interesting that you had the same reaction to North Woods that I did. That lengthy section involving schizophrenic Robert aggravated me so much that I’m reluctant to read Daniel Mason again. That’s probably unfair. The first half of NW was really good. Plus he looks young.

My heart is sad that James didn’t work for you. I was thrilled by how clever and well-written it was. You might want read Jim’s (magician’s nephew’s) review. James didn’t work for him either, maybe for the same reasons

Isn’t Adriana a whiz? She gets to me, too. Her new book, last I knew called “The Violence”, comes out next summer. I’m hoping that some day a publisher collects her newspaper columns into a volume.

>166 jnwelch: What a beautiful child. I love the beautiful eyes!

>172 Whisper1: Linda is right as usual, Joe - Rafa is indeed a good looking young fella.

Interesting earlier discussion on the renewed hope of defeating Trump. For what it is worth I think that Ms. Harris is running a pretty good campaign to date by standing back a little and allowing Trump to bluster and implode. He will lose the election she doesn't really need to go and win it IMHO. She just needs to avoid her propensity for word salad and so far she has done fine.

The debates will come up and, honestly, I don't see her getting bested there - I think the Ginger Whinger will fumble and show the side of his self that frankly disqualifies him.

"Forward is easier to sell than backward — and Democrats finally got their message on point. Let the party rage on." Excellent piece by Adriana.

>166 jnwelch: Good luck in 1st grade, Rafa!

I enjoyed your thoughts on North Woods. Glad you got to it. I am also a fan of Thorogood and may have to try out this series of hers.

I am currently enjoying Gumption: Relighting the Torch of Freedom with America's Gutsiest Troublemakers. Have you ever tried one of Offerman's books? They are a hoot and informative too.

Thanks for posting Adriana's article.

There's a long op-ed in this past Sunday's NYTimes about Chris Murphy, and I'd love to get your thoughts (and Adriana's) on it. I think it's an important evaluation of the role of brokenness, hope, and identity in the country today. What to do about it is left for the reader, of course.

Today’s Bargain: The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden for $2.99 on e-readers. I liked her Bear and the Nightingale, and this one, set during WWI, has gotten an awful lot of admiring reviews. Onto the tbr it goes.

That's a great op-ed article by Adriana, Joe. Thanks for sharing it with us.

>163 jnwelch: Strong and inspiring messages from Adriana!

^^^^^

I also hope that someone, somewhere, will address the Democrats flaunting of
3K rich clothes, etc., and the entire Royal Treatment that delivers a stranger message.

Many Americans do not have decent houses, food, jobs, cars, lives...and the comparison
with what they now see from their leaders needs major revision:
All that wasted money could be going to help fund health care...and so much more.

>177 jnwelch: I liked The Warm Hands of Ghosts enough to recommend it to readers who want something dark, but not quite crushingly dark.

>179 m.belljackson:. Thanks, Marianne. Wasn’t that a good one from Adriana?

Your comment made me think of a Jon Stewart DNC observation: lots of criticism of billionaires, but Oprah and others were okay because they’re “our billionaires.” Yes, it’s good to be high-principled but, as you point out, there’s plenty of more help that could be given by the money striding about at the DNC. Good reminder for all of us thinking about those in need.

It also reminds me that the MAGAs think any effort to help those in need is Communist or Socialist. The best insult the Orange Man can muster is to call Kamala a Communist. That’s been a Republican tactic my entire lifetime.

>178 kidzdoc:. Hi, Darryl. Good to see you, my friend.

You’re welcome re the Adriana article. I should share them more often. She’s always good. She did one on Kamala supposedly “sleeping her way to the top” that was a corker.

>180 quondame:. Good to hear, Susan, thanks. Dark is okay by me if it doesn’t go overboard, and I definitely don’t like to be crushed by it.

>176 ffortsa:. Hi, Judy. If you post a link, I’m happy to peruse. Sounds intriguing.

>175 msf59:. Hiya, Mark. I’m glad you enjoyed the North Woods comments. Sounds like Anne had a similar experience with it. He looks young in his photo. Maybe he’ll cure that long blah stretch problem that had me thinking about 86-ing it.

I am a Nick Offerman fan (he and his wife were having a blast in the Umbrella Academy series), but I rarely read books by comedians. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are the exceptions I can think of. They’re on a whole nuther level. I wish they’d host every award show for the rest of our lives. But maybe Nick O should be an exception, too. I’ll mull.

Thorogood only wrote/drew this one in the series - the rest are by others. I do get a kick out of the Hack/Slash books, and can see why she’s a fan.

>174 msf59:. Thanks, Mark. I think Rafa is going to eat up being in school. He wants to know everything, like his dad. Adriana’s a great role model for them both. I’ll try to post more of her columns; they’re all excellent.

>173 PaulCranswick:. Linda is a beacon of good sense, isn’t she, Paul. We love that boy, so compliments are welcome, thanks. It’s going to be something to see those good looks evolve. Adriana is kindly insistent on attributing those blue eyes to me, since no one else in the family has them.

You’re spot on about Trump - the running joke is the Democrat strategy of making him look stupid by letting him speak is working. His theatrics have gotten stale, too. Plus I think he’s heading into dementia - the flubs and slurs seem to be increasing.

An interesting thing about the debate - he’s afraid to debate her. She’s tough and sharp as nails, as she’s shown in Senate Hearings. The funny hang-up now is the debate rules have the mics being muted when the speaker’s time is up. The Dems surprisingly don’t want that - but the reason is what we’ve just been talking about - they think he’ll lose control and make a bigger fool of himself if he’s not restricted. The MAGAs are in the weird position of pushing to keep the rule, because they’re afraid the Dems are right.

>172 Whisper1:. Many thanks, Linda. He is a lovely boy, and not just because of those looks. He and his sister Fina have had those beautiful eyes since the get-go. We thought they might be baby blues that would change over time, but they haven’t.

>183 jnwelch: Interesting take on why the Dems want to turn the mikes on during the debate. I must admit I found this to be a head scratcher - the less heard from the former guy the better. Knew there had to be some reasoning that escaped me.

>185 NarratorLady:. I know, Anne. I was surprised. He was so awful when he roamed the stage against Hillary. But we’re in a different time, and I guess they’re banking on him demonstrating what a baby he is and what an adult she is in contrast.

It did cross my mind that it may be a psychological ploy - to send a message that they expect him to embarrass himself and that Kamala is ready to take him apart regardless. The Dems can always back off and accept the original deal.

P.S. His behavior against Biden in that debate probably did backfire on him and boost Biden.

I actually picked up The Rose Code yesterday from the library, but today a hold came in , a new Jackson Brodie book, Death at the Sign of the Rook, so put The Rose Code aside for now. Oh , how exiting Rafa started first grade today! Our granddaughter , Melissa, starts First Grade Sept 3. She's been attending preschool for several years, so I think she is very ready as well.

>163 jnwelch: Many thanks for the incredible
Adriana E. Ramírez: A tale of two con­ven­tions article.

Interestingly, while I have tried to stay away from politics on the threads, this year is one where it is an understatement to say there is a lot at stake. I simply cannot help myself in stating some of what I feel about Trump. I don't think it fair to take over your thread Joe, so I will post my comments on my thread.

>163 jnwelch: A man named Bill Gresham wrote a book years ago called Nightmare Alley about about working in traveling carnivals. Especially about working fortune telling booths.

He said in that context "You'll never get rich peddling gloom" .

The R's are peddling gloom. The D's are peddling joy. See who come out ahead in the end.

Judy and I (and our book club) really liked Trust. Many rewards in discovering that book. I like a book that constantly surprises you.

Today’s Bargain: Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut for $1.99 on e-readers. One of my two favorite Vonneguts when young - the other being Cat’s Cradle. He even asks what the meaning of life is, and answers it - and the answer is not 42.

<171> I finally tracked down magicians nephew’s review of James and indeed, we had the same issues with the book. I noticed that he also admired Trust and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime and was a fan of the old Topper books which I narrated (and had great fun with) for the Library of Congress many moons ago.

And wasn’t the stage version of Curious Incident a marvel? I think I saw the production via National Theater Live which presents wonderful recorded British plays in movie houses around the country.

>187 vancouverdeb:. Hiya, Deb. I want to read that new Jackson Brodie book, too. You’ll like The Rose Code when you get to it (I imagine).

First grade is such an important one, isn’t it. Big transition. I still remember first grade and my teacher (Mrs. Pew). How exciting for your granddaughter Melissa!

>188 Whisper1: Hi, Linda. Wasn’t that a great article by Adriana? I’ll come over to your place and see your Trump comments. (I’m dying of curiosity). Just know you’re welcome to rant, opine and take over my thread any time. Sometimes it’s fun to be a guest here.😀

>189 magicians_nephew:. Hiya, Jim. “You’ll never get rich peddling gloom.” What a great quote. That is what Drumpf and the MAGAs are peddling, aren’t they. His theory is we’re in horrible shape because he wasn’t re-elected, and only he can save us from that horribleness.

I love what Kamala and the Dems are doing. I’m optimistic that joy is going to be the desireable product for most voters. I’d love to smash the jerk and his jerkettes with a big margin, but I’ve been unpleasantly surprised on that score before. Just kicking him into the dustbin of history will be enough.

That’s great to hear re Trust. I honestly told Anne that I was dubious about reading a financial-themed book, but she convinced me that this one was well worth it. You and Judy’s agreement is welcome news.

You may have seen that Anne also agreed with you about James. I hope my quiet sobbing didn’t disturb either of you.

I’m currently having a most excellent time reading The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict. What a story, based on a real person.

>191 NarratorLady:. Hi, Anne. I’m glad you found Jim’s review. I suspected that the same aspects deep-sixed the book for you. Darn it.

You narrated the Topper books?! What fun that must have been. How do we access Library of Congress audio books. I’d love to hear your narration of those.

That The Curious Incident stage adaptation was one of the great theater experiences of my life. What a miracle that they figured out how to do it, much less do it so well.

It would be fun to get together with you, Jim and Judy some day to discuss Performances We Have Loved. Besides debbi, I imagine kidzdoc, Darryl Morris, would love to join that gabfest. We’ve been to several plays in London with him.

We saw the Cumberbatch/Jonny Lee Miller Frankenstein via National Theater Live in a nearby movie house. A Sondheim revival (Follies), too. I love that they make those available - the more the better.

>163 jnwelch: Nice article by Adriana! Thanks for sharing.

>166 jnwelch: Rafa cuteness!! Or should I say handsomeness? He's grown up so much. And I love the bus with all the info, too. Mathematician, huh?! And Montessori! Both good choices. : )

>169 NarratorLady: Bummed to hear James hasn't worked for a few people. I am starting that one in September.

Enjoy the end of August, Joe!

Happy End of August, Kim!

You’re welcome re Adriana’s article. Go Blue!

Handsome Rafa wants to be a mathematician when he grows up. I forget what his aspiration used to be, but he sure does like math. There are math board games now, so we feed his love that way, and he’s also started doing sudoku. He likes workbooks, too. Keeping up the family nerd tradition. My structural engineer dad would’ve been thrilled.

Last we knew, Fina wanted to be a strawberry when she grows up. Yes, she likes strawberries that much.

We’ve been leery of Montessori, but Adriana went to one when she was young, and it’s hard to argue with the results. (I guess my ignorant worry was too much leeway and not enough structure?). The rest of us are public school kids. The good news (for us) is that this Montessori is part of the Pittsburgh public school system, and that has benefits.

Can’t wait to hear your reaction to James. You may not trip over the flaws that Anne and Jim perceived (I didn’t see them at all), and it’s a worthwhile read regardless. It reminds me of my dislike of Never Let Me Go because of the unrealistic docility of the victims and the failure of any to question or rebel - that just isn’t how any group of humans behaves.. As far as I know, no one shares that particular dislike. The closest I got was my daughter’s, “oh, I didn’t think of that.”

I hope you have a grand time with James, as I and so many others have.

Today’s Bargains: We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro and The Library at the Edge of the World by Felicity Hayes-McCoy for $1.99 each on e-readers. The first is one of the few KI books I haven’t read. Should I? An orphan goes back to Shanghai to solve the mystery of his parents’ disappearance. The second book has earned joy, and is a charmer. Set in a west coast of Ireland village, I picked it up because it sounded good and had “library” in the title. Debbi teases that it’s easy to get to me if library or bookshop is in the title.

>190 jnwelch: Cat's Cradle was the first Vonnegut I was exposed to in college. Liked it a lot and remember thinking "This is good but I bet he can do better".

Then I read Sirens of Titan and thought, "Yeah. He can"

Though my favorite is still Slaughterhouse Five. but wow what a body of work.

>199 magicians_nephew:. Hi, Jim. Yeah, what a body of work. Our son’s favorite is the short story collection Welcome to the Monkey House.

I’m glad that you have a high regard for Cat’s Cradle and Sirens of Titan. I re-read Cat’s Cradle a few years ago and found it a bit .. . ragged. So I get what you’re saying. I hope Sirens of Titan lives up to my memory.

Slaughter-House Five might well be my favorite if it wasn’t the one he’s famous for. Sometimes my contrarianism bites me in the butt. I should re-read that one, too.

I remember the meaning of life answer in S of I as beautiful and wise, and that should remain true. He was a special one. I hope general interest gets more renewed at some pont.

>197 jnwelch: I can't figure out what book Never Let Them Go is - Could you mean Never Let Me Go? If so, I was very dissatisfied with it. When I reviewed it I didn't have the same reasons for my distaste, but yes, that's certainly (not) there. Mostly I found it pointless except as an expression of dismay at the erosion of the reality we thought we knew.

>201 quondame:. My brain glitch, Susan. Thanks for your persistence. Yes, I meant Never Let Me Go.

Yay! We may be the only kindred spirits on this one, but it sure is nice to have company. “Dissatisfied” is a good word for it. He’s an author I like, but not this one.

>202 jnwelch: Never Let Me Go and Klara and the Sun (nothing new under that sun!) discouraged me from trying further works by Ishiguro, though I liked The Remains of the Day. Possibly I credited my judgement of the last to my lingering recollections of Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins.

>202 jnwelch: otcha, Susan. Remains of the Day is a knockout, and an almost perfect book, IMO. So sleekly constructed and written.

I also liked his Artist of the Floating World and Pale View of the Hills. Klara was interesting and ok by me, but not at the level of his early ones. I like that he is willing to slide into sci-fi and fantasy, which once upon a time was like slumming for “literary” writers. Am I making that up? It seems right.

I was just thinking about how Michael Chabon has never gotten back to the heights of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. We love the great books, and want to experience them again with the author, don’t we?

>204 jnwelch: True, really standout books, wonderful that they are, sometimes overshadow good books by authors.

I have had issues with literary authors slumming in F&SF. The last 50-60 years have seen deep and complex developments as authors create works in close conversations with other F&SF authors. The best works build on and reflect some of these conversations, which are all too often ignored by authors who have devoted most of their reading and writing outside that area. I found this the case for Klara and the Sun which seemed to be forcing emotion from arbitrary aspects of the story's setting, not from characters and the choices they make as they change and grow.

Today’s Bargain: Night Film by Marisha Pessl for $2.99 on e-readers. An engrossing novel about a journalist trying to unravel a mysterious death, by the author of Special Topics in Calamity Physics.

Here's that link from the Times:

here

mainly focused on the failure of neo-liberalism.

>205 quondame:. I like that angle on standout books, Susan thanks. Yes, they can overshadow good ones. Makes methink of Helen Simonson. Her The Summer Before the War and Hazelbourne Ladies motorcycle and Flying Club are both good books, but inevitably are overshadowed by the standout Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand. (What a great book!)

Then there are authors like Austen, where there’s no universal agreement on which is the “standout” book, although I think most would point to Pride and Prejudice. I’ve seen these different books picked as Murakami’s standout by different readers: Kafka on the Shore(my pick), The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Norwegian Wood, Sputnik Sweetheart, Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World and 1Q84. For a lot of readers, 1Q84 is their first Murakami.

I feel like there are more “literary” authors writing good S&SF as a first choice these days - Emily St. John Mandel comes to mind.

It is really hard for authors to produce a great novel every year. I think that the really good author's write slowly and thoughtfully. However, their production is often pushed along by publishers and the public because demand for "another book just as good as the first one" is so high.

I also think that editing is a problem. Publishers have cut editing staff and once an author has a hit publishers tend to not edit subsequent books as much as they do the first one. I have seen this with problem with several authors where the kernel of the book was very good but it needed to be trimmed and edited. A good editor also helps the author focus a book and hone it. That kind of work isn't being done as much nowadays. I recently read a biography of Dr. Seuss and was surprised that he didn't produce a book every year. It was more like every 5 years because he and his editor Bennett Cerf closely edited every page. They worked on illustrations and text. Can you imagine cutting text from a Dr. Seuss book? They are so spare anyway that it seems like there would be nothing to edit in a Seuss book - but there was.

All of these little things effect the quality of book, but probably the biggest problem is our expectations. Readers have standards and often those standards are hard to meet every time. I know that I tend to be very critical of author's work, but the authors I respect the most don't crank out a book every year. Those authors who are very good, work long and hard on books, and sometimes don't publish a book that they have worked on for years because it doesn't meet their standards. This was true of Dr. Seuss. There is a reason why he didn't publish the last two books What Pet Should I Get? and Dr. Seuss' Horse Museum are examples. He hadn't finished them and didn't think they were ready for publication, but they were published anyway. The public is hungry for anything by Dr. Seuss and so publishers and the Seuss Foundation gave it to them.

>206 jnwelch: Good Afternoon Joe. You are finding some incredible deals. I've added Night Film to teh TBR pile.

I hope you and Debi have a lovely day.

>208 jnwelch: Though I own IQ84 I have yet to read anything by Murakami.

As a great, fun, sparkling read, Pride and Prejudice is in the lead. But whether it's the best is much more of a question, and I can see arguments for almost any of the others. Then there is the whole favorite choice.

An F&SF book can clearly have literary merit, and quality, without quite engaging with the more complex elements of the genre culture. Of course, most of the F&SF books published take a tiny subset of the elements and beat it into cliché in nearly endless series. But then there's the literary novel of the white male midlife crisis, or the family saga, or the disadvantaged spouse in the rich family. Some of these can reach greatness, but most are dross.

>209 benitastrnad:. Hi, Benita. Yeah, it’s hard for a great novel author to come up with a second great novel, much less one a year. I thinknof Ken Kesey, with the fantastic One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Although there are fans of his Sometimes a Great Notion, from my point of view he was pretty much one and done.

That’s one of the reasons I’m such a Murakami fan; he’s given us good reason to get excited about anything new from him. (Although Mark and I both his last collection of short stories was a big disappointment).

Adriana’s editors have been very demanding about her book coming out next summer (The Violence: My Family’s Colombian War), and she feels the book is much the better for it. I heard somewhere The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks went through ten years of editors. As you and I have talked about, the situation seems to change once an author is successful; editors are apparently much more deferential. It bugged me mightily with Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. He fell in love with his world-building, and no one reined him in. Plot lines multiplied, with too many ending up nowhere. It’s still a great series, IMO, but it would’ve been so much better with a strong editing hand.

I enjoyed your comments about Dr. Seuss. I sure never thought before about editing in connection with his books!

>210 Whisper1:. Aren’t those deals fun, Linda? I signed up for notifications, and that’s a fun way to start the day. Often old friends show up that I haven’t thought about in a while.

I’m glad you’re going to try Night Film. Our daughter Becca and I both liked that one a lot. She’s a big fan of the author. I can’t wait to see what Pessl comes up with next.

Debbi and I did have a lovely day, thanks. The passing of the heat spell helped. I hope you’re setting up for a nice weekend..

>211 quondame:. Hi, Susan. Although I hide it so well(!), you may’ve figured out that I’m a Murakami fan. I hope that when you get to it 1Q84 takes you on a memorable journey.

Austen is such a great writer. I think she’d be surprised and greatly pleased at how well her books have lasted. She died at 41; what other wonderful ones might she have created?

I’ve been really happy with all the great F & SF coming out. Ann Leckie, N. K. Jemison, Becky Chambers, Martha Wells and many others are turning this into a new golden age.

>214 jnwelch: I think all the F&SF writers you named are well within, though at the leading edge of, that conversation, really multiple ones, that I mentioned. Naomi Novik, Katherine Arden, and Katherine Addison/Sarah Monette, represent the Fantasy portion (though Martha Wells is no slouch there!) Of course I adore Victoria Goddard, and there is something fresh about what she writes, but somehow she is more off doing her own thing - maybe others will adopt it and make it a main branch, her combination of the high political with the cozy. I would like to see it, but it doesn't seem a natural enough combination to support heavy elaboration.

>245 NarratorLady:. Thanks a lot, Susan. This conversation had led me to recognize that I’m not much of a cutting edge fantasy guy; I have a sister who is much more so. I like Susanna Clarke , Neil Gaiman, Sarah J. Maas, Nnedi Okorafor and others in that genre; I’m not familiar with the books of your authors. (Well, except Naomi Novik, but I’m not the fan so many are). I’ll take a look, and make sure to find Victoria Goddard.

P.S. As today’s bargain attests, I should’ve added Jim Butcher to my fantasy author list.

P.P.S. This year I thoroughly enjoyed Fourth Wing and Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros.

Today’s Bargain: Cold Days by Jim Butcher for $2.99 on e-readers. I’m a sucker for the Harry Dresden series, and this is a good one.

I’m in Book 23 of The Iliad and Achilles has initiated funeral games in honor of his slain friend Patroclus, starting with a chariot race. There’s a custom that hasn’t survived. In trying to imagine something similar today, I don’t think of competitive games, I think of something cooperative, like throwing a frisbee or keeping a ball in the air.

I have Jim Butcher's latest Aeronauts Windlass book waiting for me in Tuscaloosa when I get back. It is titled Olympian Affair. I just couldn't wait for it to available at the library. Last weekend Barnes & Noble had their half price book haul and I gave into temptation and ordered it. I also got Dolly Parton's book on her fashion collection - Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones. Apparently she kept all of her costumes and hired her niece to curate and archive the collection. I am very interested in fashion and as a seamstress who sewed her own clothes for years I found the book irresistible - especially when it was half price.

>219 benitastrnad: I liked the first one of those a lot, Benita, and envy you having the second. I hadn’t heard it was out.

Are we some day going to have a Saint Dolly Parton? Seems to me she’d be a good choice. I love her supplying books to so many kids. She’s done it for our nietos.

Sewed your own clothes? How cool is that? Impressive. Wish you could meet our TN SIL some day. She sews quilts, but I’m sure you’d hit it off. What a great skill to have.

Both of my adult daughters are avid readers. The day my youngest called me in a rush from the airport to recite the titles in the bookstore so I could quickly recommend one has remained a high point of parental pride. She just lent me Amor Towles’ Table for Two, Fictions and - no surprise - I’m loving it as much as she did.

My eldest reads more, and quicker, than the two of us combined. Multiple-volumed, world building science fiction series, psychological thrillers, even books on quantum physics … and she’s not a scientist! In other words, everything except the books we like.

But every once in a while, in the venn diagram of books, there is a unicorn of commonality. (I’m looking at you, Harry Potter.) It happened with Klara and the Sun and it was so delightful to talk about and enjoy the same book! Meanwhile, my nine-year-old grandson is reading the second of the Potter books. Too early to tell in which direction he’s headed.

>217 jnwelch: I had started the Harry Dresden books years ago—I think I need to start them up again. Thanks for the TBR poke!

Karen O

>221 NarratorLady:. Hi, Anne. How great that you raised two avid readers, and that your youngest still consults you for recommendations. I remember talking to Debbi early on and worriedly saying about ours, what if they’re not readers? What if they’re dull and boring? What are we going to do? Ha! Turned out not to be a problem.

You may remember that Towles’ Table for Two was my second favorite after James this year. Thank goodness you’re loving Table for Two! The last long story is a knockout, IMO.

I’m going to add The Personal Librarian to that favorites list. Thoroughly enjoying it.

Our daughter, the oldest of the two, is our fastest reader now. She reads over 200 a year - mysteries, thrillers and true crime are her breads and butters. I used to read over 200 a year and be pretty lickety-split, but now I’m in the range of 100 and some. But I’m still enjoying the heck out of them, and that’s the important thing, right? I do miss getting to more.

I wasn’t as put off by Klara and the Sun as Susan was. For me it was interesting and thought-provoking, particularly in terms of choices we’re going to be making, sooner than we think, about gene-splicing and AI. A lesser success, but still . . . I know what you mean about the delight of enjoying the same book as your daughter- most recently for our daughter and me it’s been The Inheritance Games books by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Sort of Westing Game books for grownups.

She and I have much more overlap in our Venn diagrams than you describe. It’s interesting that she has no interest in S&SF, while that’s her brother’s bread and butter, along with a wide range of NF - but not mysteries, not true crime. Why are they so similar but so different? No idea.

How wonderful that your 9 year old nieto is reading Harry Potter to you! Rafa is starting to read younger books to his little sister, and we’re loving that. Debbi read all of the Harry Potter books to the three of us as they came out, even as they got longer and longer and longer. We all got good at evading the spoilers appearing around us.

>216 jnwelch: Naomi Novik took a turn, much for the better, in her Scholomance series. I enjoyed a number of the Temeraire books, I'm into early 19th century naval series, but there was major drag in the middle of that series and it never recovered completely. Sarah J. Mass didn't impress me with the first of hers I read and I haven't been back. I've given Nnedi Okorafor several opportunities. She has something to offer, but there are other suppliers who package it more to my inclinations.

Piranesi was very impressive, and parts of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. Neil Gaiman is his own institution, of course, and given the very mixed reactions to Rebecca Yarros books, I'd have to be more interested in seeing what the fuss was about for them to find a toehold on my reading list. I haven't ever heard mention that the were particularly original or inventive.

Victoria Goddard, once she hit her stride (after Stargazy Pie) can tell a tale in which lots or nothing much happens, and in either case, the writing carries you on a current that makes you oblivious to real world clocks ticking on the shore. Her originality is in the weight she gives to aspects of a story.

I've read lots of Jim Butcher's books. I will read more, as they come out. The Cinder Spires with its talking cats is too cute for me, and has been a bit light on content.

>218 jnwelch: I just purchased e-copies of Emily Wilson's Homer translations, and am looking forward to when they will fit a reading challenge!

Late o the party, but Adriana’s op-ed piece is a good one! Loved the hyena line. 😀

>224 quondame:. Jeez, we’re tracking on Naomi Novik, Susan. I liked the first couple of Temeraire books, then I was turned off enough by what came after that I wasn’t inclined to read her ever again. I’ll have to take a look at her Scholomance books that you mention.

Sarah J. Maas: I liked those Court of Thorns and Roses books. The problem I have with her is all her titles sound the same to me, ss do those of her imitators, and I don’t have enough of an attention span for it to sort out out what’s worth reading that I haven’t already read. The Court of Pigs and Whistles - I wonder whether that’s any good - or did I already read it?

Nnedi Okorafor: i know I like her books more than you do. What supplier/s packages what she offers, but more to your liking? Her new one, She Who Knows, got a PW red star, and I’m looking forward to reading it.

I read Fourth Wing with low expectations, irresistibly curious about its persisting bestseller status. To my pleasure and surprise, I found myself drawn into the story and racing through the pages. Likewise with the next one, Iron Flame, and now I’m eagerly awaiting the third. I don’t think there’s anything notably new here, although the dragon/rider telepathy is well done and cool, and our heroine awfully likeable as she takes on various miscreants and worse. I think Yarros is just a gifted storyteller.

Okay, look for Victoria Goddard post- Stargazy Pie.

I’ve read all the Dresden books and am ready for more. I haven’t read that other fantasy series of his that he keeps promoting and hoping I will. I enjoyed the complexity of the first Cinder Spires book, The Aeronaut’s Windlass, and the talking cats didn’t bother me. Heck, I liked the talking animals in Narnia and Dr. Doolittle, not to mention the cat in The Master and Margarita, so why not here? I hope the second Cinder Spires book doesn’t let me down.

P.S. I’m glad you’re going to try the Emily Wilson translations. E-copies will have one big advantage: those books are hefty!

I’m glad you liked Piranesi so much; me, too. The best part of Jonathan Strange for me was the King’s Road. But the whole book worked for me; the tv adaptation was decent.

>225 drneutron: Thanks, Jim. Adriana is so good! It’s worth a subscription to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette just for her. 😀. Debbi tells me A’s not the only good op-ed writer there either.

I forget Maas's books almost before I put them down. And yes, titles are much of a muchness in the girl mixed up with fae kingdom genre.

Fantasy with African sensibilities, settings, and important elements are was differentiated Nnedi Okorafor from other YA authors. If she had not reversed the consequences of Binti's ill thought actions in the second book, and featured dealing with the loss of her family in the third, I would have thought much better of them. But the, "oh well, they really aren't dead due to your impetuousness", and going off in a non-sequitur, though interesting story, bothered me. The series wasn't bad, and I've rated five of her books 4✭, but none higher and the other six I've read 3-3.5✭, so it's not hate or anything like.

In going through the other authors in that sub-sub-genre, I find that there aren't any I've read that I've liked better, unless you include N. K. Jemisin, which may not be fair. I'll have to beef up my reading in that area.

PW red star?

>226 jnwelch: Oh, Stargazy Pie is required reading. It's just a bit rough when compared to Bee Sting Cake, its immediate sequel. Also its free with Sword & Magic: Eight Fantasy Novels.

Codex Alera is a solid fantasy series.

Yes, the King's Road was the coolest!

This thread has treated me to a survey of S&SF, some of which sounds interesting, although I'm not a fan. Piranesi, for instance, piques my curiosity. Thanks for the chance to eavesdrop on the fan talk.

Today’s Bargain: Portraits by John Berger for $1.99 on e-readers. “‘A rich and lovely exploration of art history’(Slate): Take a tour through centuries of art and the events and cultures that influenced it, from Rembrandt to Picasso and beyond, in this New York Times Editors’ Choice.” I couldn’t resist.

>228 quondame:. Good morning, Susan. It’s hard to argue with your finding Sarah J. Maas’s books forgettable, since I can’t remember them either. I do remember it as pleasant reading. She sure has enchanted a lot of readers. She must have a whole lot of gold stored under her floorboards.

You and I have talked about Binti before. Those are unfortunate flaws that could’ve been thought out better, but I still love the books. What a great character Binti is.

PW red star: Publishers Weekly, in its book reviews, sets apart books it views as outstanding with a red star. I really enjoy its concise reviews.

Stargazy Pie: got it. Thanks for the tip.

Codex Alera: that’s the name. I couldn’t conjure it up. I don’t know why the series doesn’t entice me.

Oh my, the King’s Road. I felt like I was on it. What writing.

>229 ffortsa: i’m glad you’ve been enjoying the F&SF conversation, Judy. Piranesi is entrancing in a most unusual way, and I think there’s a good chance you might love it. Like the King’s Road in Jonathan Strange, I still experience the feeling of being there.

>231 jnwelch: I narrated the first two Court of Thorn and Roses books for the Library of Congress and hardly remember a word. Our studio closed just before the third volume was about to arrive and though I was sad about the end of an era, it was tempered by knowing I’d never have to do one of those books again!

Since this is the second time I have recently referred to being a narrator for the Library of Congress, I feel I should clarify. The program is the National Library Service (NLS) for the Blind and Print Disabled. (In my 22 years narrating for them, the title has undergone some changes, keeping in mind the political correctness of the era.) It’s a free program of braille and audio materials for people who are blind or have a physical disability that keeps them from holding a book, and it has been in existence since 1931. Narrators are chosen via auditions, and I felt very privileged to do this work. None of the 335 books I narrated for NLS are available to the public since the program pays no copyright fee and the recordings are only available to clients of the program using special devices. If you know anyone who is eligible, please have them contact nls@local.gov. All that is required is a doctor’s certification of their disability.

Around 2010 the audiobook market exploded, with almost every published book having an audio version. I, like the great majority of narrators, record from my home studio. The upside? I have the opportunity to choose the books I narrate. So I’ve switched employers from the federal government to Audible. It’s been quite the ride.

Happy September to You and Debbi, Joe!

This morning's fun reading of THE SCOPES TRIAL - a Photographic History yielded:

"But the witnesses against Scopes, three of his students,
aged between fourteen and fifteen years old,
were concerned about getting him into trouble.
So they headed for the woods."

!

>233 NarratorLady: Back in the 50s my mother and, for one summer, my older brother, made a lot of use of the Talking Book program. Detached retinas which then entailed weeks of immobility was my mother's problem. Accelerating myopia my brother's. I sat in the room and listen with my brother, it was all dim and restful.
Decades later I compared eyeglasses with that brother, expecting his sight to be much worse than mine. Nope. I was like 3x more nearsighted, but never had the same issue.

>232 jnwelch:. Got it Anne, thanks. Good for you! I’ve often thought about what I’d have done if the stroke had taken away my ability to read, and audio books of course would’ve been the answer. It’s so wonderful to know that the L of C offers this service.

Ha! Additional confirmation that the Court of Thorns and Roses books are forgettable. It makes me think in contrast of Dandelion Wine, which I’m reading to Debbi right now. We’re struck by how beautiful and memorable every sentence is. I bet you’d have a lovely time narrating that one. Do your daughters have fond memories of your reading out loud to them?

BTW, Debbi says she might have me read her Mary Oliver next. Great choice! (Reading aloud is supposed to be good for my post-stroke lung power).


Do you do a lot of non- L of C audio book narration from your home studio.* It is amazing how their popularity has exploded. The audio book I enjoyed the most was Trevor Noah narrating his Borne a Crime.

*. A close friend is a sound engineer, and masters music recordings from a studio in his NYC apartment.

>234 m.belljackson:. Happy Labor Day, Marianne. (I was reminded that we have the unions to thank for the more reasonable 8 hour day and 40 hour week).

kudos to you for reading The Scopes Trial A Photographic History. What an interesting reading choice.

Ha! Nice quote. Heading to the woods was a good solution.

>235 quondame:. Hi, Susan. Audio books are such a good solution for those with reading impairments, aren’t they? I love the idea of you sitting and listening to one in a dim room with your mother and brother. I’m glad you remained able to read. The one problem with audio books, from my POV, is you can’t get sucked in and fly through the pages like you can with reading.

>237 jnwelch: Since I mostly read for narcotic effect, yes intake by eyeball is much better. Also I can't hear well, so it's pretty much a no go.

>238 quondame:. Ah, good reasons. I hadn’t thought about the narcotic effect. I never took acid, but it might be closer to that for me.😀

>235 quondame: That’s wonderful that your mother took advantage of the Talking Book Program in the ‘50s. I know that the first books were produced on LPs, then came the huge reel to reel tapes, then cassette recordings, then MP3s. Now most books can be downloaded online, again only for those enrolled in the program. It pains me to think there are people who are eligible but aren’t aware of the free service. An excellent use of our tax dollars!

>236 jnwelch: I’ve produced 80+ books from my studio and have a bunch in the pipeline. Ironically, because I don’t have a commute any more, I don’t listen to as many books as I used to.

I loved Born a Crime which was so wonderfully enhanced by Noah’s narration. Also Tina Fey’s Bossypants was a hoot with Amy Poehler chiming in as Hillary Clinton.

My mother also did talking books after her stroke, which was in the early 80's. I always think it's good to have different ways to read, in case I ever need that.

But it's so good, Joe, that you recovered so well from your stroke.

>237 jnwelch: Since deciding to match any new book purchase with a donation to a "charity" (Medicins, the latest),

I've been reading more off my Save Shelves, like THE SCOPES TRIAL - and now into a real antique,

Hamlin Garland's ULYSSES S. GRANT; HIS LIFE AND CHARACTER.

He had a beautiful (farm and horses) early life, followed by the weird experience of West Point.

>239 jnwelch: I do run across books that at least temporarily rewire my brain in interesting ways, though from what I've heard of acid, not that extreme. As a treatment for anxiety though, books are the best.

>240 NarratorLady: If you can imagine a high bed framed with dark wood, 5' pillars at the foot and 9' pillars at the head, a high arched headboard decorated with all the carvings a 19th century Louisiana lady could desire, it does make a good picture. The mattress was regrettable, however, and it took almost 20 years for my mother to take the simple step to replace it - after I had blown my first paycheck on my own double bed. While I was at college she'd nap there and realized how bad her own mattress was.

>209 benitastrnad: Love the comments about Dr Seuss and his writing process.

>211 quondame: You should read Murakami!! I'm a big fan.

And big Hi! to Joe!! Of course. ; )

>243 quondame: Your mother’s bed sounds like a glorious ship! A galleon, maybe?

>236 jnwelch: I’m delighted your stroke didn’t impede your reading Joe. Whenever friends says they wish they could listen to one of my NLS books (I got to narrate some wonderful stuff; also some awful ones) I always say that I hope they never do!

https://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/adriana-e-ramirez/2024/09/02/ramirez-grocer...

Adriana’s column today on grocery store prices

>240 NarratorLady:. Hi, Anne. Yes, I wish that they publicized more the availability of these recordings. It seems like social media could be used to get the word out.

Ha! You have a whole history of our tech advances in that story. Go back far enough in time and present day tech would all seem like magic.

That sounds great with your home studio. No commute! I bet you enjoy that. But I get it about the commute being a good time to listen to audio books. Car trips is when I listen to them.

Isn’t the Born a Crime audio by Trevor most excellent? He’s probably one of those rare people who could dictate a book rather than writing or typing.

>241 banjo123:. Thanks, Rhonda. We often talk about how lucky we are that my stroke wasn’t worse. A scare like that sure ups the appreciation of the day-to-day and anything else.

If it happened again tomorrow, I’d bust my butt all over again in rehab to get back where I am. There was a Brazilian female gymnast named Andrade who won gold at the Olympics - she’d overcome three ACL injuries, with lengthy rehab after each. What determination!

I’m glad your mother was able to take advantage of talking books when she had her stroke, and that reading was that important to her. I suspect a lot of folks resort to tv. Reading is so much better.

Today’s Bargain: Dark Matter and Dinosaurs by Lisa Randall for $1.99 on e-readers. I don’t know this theoretical physicist author, but reviewers are enthusiastic about how she ties together cutting edge scientific findings and theories, and her ability to explain it all in simple terms. I grabbed it.

>242 m.belljackson: Hi, Marianne. I love that you follow it to the unusual places it takes you.

Ulysses S. Grant is a very interesting guy, isn’t he. I’ve thought many times about reading a bio of him, but haven’t yet.

>243 quondame:. Good morning, Susan. Ha! Yes, I’d heard reading is good for anxiety. Makes sense. I often take”trips” when I read, which made me think of acid.

Oof. A good mattress is important . Makes me cringe a bit to read about your mother’s.

>244 Berly:. Hi Kim! I’m glad you’re enjoying the thread, and appreciate your weighing in on Murakami. When I do it here people probably think, “Oh there he goes again.”

>245 NarratorLady:. Sailing through her night’s sleep. It does sound like that, Anne. All she needed was a good mattress!

Ha! I get your point about hoping friends don’t need to make use of your audio recordings. 😀. It’s awfully good to know they’re there if needed, though.

Last year of pre-K for Fina. If you look closely you'll see that she wants to be a farmer when she grows up. I'll bet she grows strawberries, her favorite, on her farm.

>246 jnwelch: excellent article about why prices are rising. While individual stores do have very narrow margins, somehow the parent company makes billions. Odd how that works out.

>233 NarratorLady: I understand that copyright issues mean the books you narrate are only available to qualified readers. Still, there are people who can't hold the books they want to read. How would they qualify?

>253 ffortsa:. Right, Judy? I know Kamala wants to take on the price gouging. Difficult problem. As Adriana implies, unless prices get ridiculous and we boycott, we’re going to buy eggs and other groceries even at high prices. I hope people are starting to understand that the problem goes beyond inflation.

People who can’t hold the books they want to read? Part of me thinks there should be a “tool” solution to that, like a bookholder, and part of me thinks that qualifies as a reading disability. No arms, for example. And why be stingy in considering disabilities?

>252 jnwelch:. Ah ha! I got here while the photo is still viewable. What a treat.

>247 jnwelch: Anne fun to hear about your home studio.

Years ago the sportscaster Howard Cosell did a regular "column" on WABC Radio in New York and quite naturally "phoned it in" from his home studio quite literally from his kitchen table.

But the ON-OFF switch was at the radio station end. Off duty engineers would sometimes listen to Cosell puttering around his home singing to himself, and doing other silly things. Funny and Fun.

>249 jnwelch: Lisa Randall is often heard on the Wonderful World Science Festival web logs talks

Most of them are up in YouTube and all of them are fun and entertaining. They work hard with host Brian Greene to bring complicated stuff down to layman level

>255 weird_O: 😀

>256 magicians_nephew:. Hi, Jim. Howard Cosell puttering about his kitchen, singing? Will wonders never cease. I thought Dandy Don was the crooner.

Thanks for the tip about Lisa Randall. I listen to something similar from Neil deGrasse Tyson. I’ll give her a try. Makes the bargain book more enticing, too.

Today’s Bargain: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston for $2.99 on e-readers. The treasured classic, featuring strong black Janie Crawford trying to find her way to her best self in the difficult South.

I’m reading the graphic work Einstein in Kafkaland, which is pretty good so far.

Apparently both Einstein and Kafka lived in Prague at the same time and attended the same “salons”, so they must’ve met. Although it was two of history’s giants meeting, and I was excitedly wondering how it went, afterwards neither could remember meeting the other! Darn it.

P.S. At that point in time, Einstein wasn’t famous or celebrated at all, and Kafka was an insurance executive, so that probably explains the meeting being forgettable. Still, two geniuses walk into a salon. . .

>246 jnwelch:
This is a very good article. I am against the Kroger/Albertson's merger. It will mean that there are only a few grocery suppliers in this country. The grocery business is already dominated by monopolies. There are only 4 major meat packers in this country and merging the grocery stores will only make a narrow neck narrower.

I am appalled at the Republic party regarding their business policies. Teddy Roosevelt - a Republican - created many of our current Trust Busting government programs and the Republicans of today have gutted them. He was concerned enough in 1904 that his administration aggressively used the Sherman Anti-Trust Act to bust up several Trusts. His administration also created the Department of Commerce and Labor, and the predecessor to the Federal Trade Commission. He was appalled that in 1902 there were only "ONLY" 40 meat packers in the U.S. Today there are 4 huge ones and several other smaller ones. Two of the four are foreign owned. Buying groceries from Walmart isn't the answer to the problem. Allowing Kroger and Albertson's to merge isn't the answer. The answer is to exercise what power the people still have via the Sherman Anti-Trust Act and stop these mergers. Adrianna is correct - they are making huge profits and just keep cranking up the prices. It is greedflation pure and simple. Poor old TR is probably turning over in his grave.

Sweet Thursday, Joe.

>259 jnwelch: It boggles my mind that Kafka was an insurance executive.

>262 ffortsa:. I over-qualified him, Judy (or Krimstein did. It’s more likely me.). In his short life Kafka was an insurance clerk, doing technical reports. Poet Wallace Stevens was the insurance executive.

There has to be some way to pay for the rent and food. I’ve always thought that’s why so many creative types work as teachers. But I agree, thinking of Kafka as an insurance clerk is mighty strange.

Wasn’t T.S. Eliot a bank clerk? He may have been one of the many whom death had undone who were crossing London Bridge on the way to work in The Waste Land.

>261 Ameise1:. Sweet Thursday, Barbara. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you’re having a good one in your pretty part of the world.

>260 benitastrnad:. Hi, Benita. I’m glad you liked that article. Yeah, it’s tougher to go after when food and other corporations are piling on and unjustifiably raising prices to raise profits. I hope Kamala and a blue Congress can have impact on that. Capitalism at its worst.

I didn’t know about the Krogers- Albertson’s merger until this article (my bad). It doesn’t sound helpful on pricing, does it. I wonder whether the DOJ OR FYC will make any noise about it. They’re much more active about this kind of thing in Europe.

Wallace Stevens was an insurance agent? wasn't he?

Here is a status dedicated to Kafka that we found along the river in Prague.

Ha! What an interesting statue of our friend Kafka, Jim. He appears to be riding on the shoulders of an empty suit. I like it. I envy you and Judy having been there. You're both looking good and relaxed.

As far as I know Wallace Stevens was a successful insurance executive. He was a VP at Hartford, and spent his whole adult life working there. It confounded, and still confounds, a lot of people.

The new cafe is open. See you there!

>259 jnwelch: oh, how frustrating is that Joe.

>265 magicians_nephew: Ooo, Prague, lovely city.