Joe's Book Cafe 8 2021

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Joe's Book Cafe 8 2021

1jnwelch
Editat: jul. 29, 2021, 5:51 pm









My favorite street artist, Alice Pasquini

Welcome back to the cafe!

2jnwelch
Editat: ag. 23, 2021, 4:15 pm

January 2021

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

February 2021

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

March 2021

45. Monstress Vol. 5 by Marjorie Liu*
46. The Way of the Househusband by Kousuke Oono*
47. The Lefthanded Booksellers of London by Garth Nix
48. Slam! The Next Jam by Pamela Ribon*
49. The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths
50. A Portable Paradise by Roger Robinson
51. Mary’s Monster by Lita Judge*
52. Trader’s Leap by Sharon Lee
53. Soft Science by Franny Choi
54. Alex Rider Ark Angel by Anthony Horowitz*
55. A Wealth of Pigeons by Harry Bliss*
56. Injection Vol. 1 by Warren Ellis*
57. inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
58. New Lone Wolf and Cub Vol. 5 by Kazuo Koike*
59. The Sheriff of Babylon by Tom King*
60. Dr. Strange/The Punisher Magic Bullets by John Barber
61. Butch Geography by Stacey Waite
62. New Lone Wolf and Cub Vol. 6 by Kazuo Koike*
63. The Undertaking of Lily Chen by Danica Novgorodoff*
64. Manazuru by Hiromi Kawakami
65. The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson
66. Dark Sky by C. J. Box
67. Murderi in an un-sound Mind by Anne Cleland
68.

April

68. Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
69. First person Singular by Haruki Murakami
70. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah Maas
71. Cluny Brown by Mathery Sharp

May
72. Fugitive Telemetry by Nartha wells
73. Home, Habitat by Martha Wells
74. New Lone Wolf and Cub vol. 6
75. New Lone Wolf and Cub Vol. 7 by Kazuo Koike
76. New Lone Wolf and Cub. Vol. 8 by Kazuo Koike
77. The Galaxy and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers
78. Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse
79. The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin
80. And Shall Machines Surrender by Benjanun Sriduangkaew
81, Chaos on Catnet by Naomi Kritzer

June

82. Incense and Sensibility by Sonali Dev
83. Dear Mrs. Bird by AJ Pearce
84. Reckless by Ed Brubaker
85. Friend of the Devil by Ed Brubaker
86. I’ll Fly Away by Rudy Francisco
87. Men Explain THings to Me by Rebecca Solnit
88. Sandman Universe Lucifer by Neil Gaiman*y
89. Catwoman Soul Stealer by Sarah J. Maas*
90. Americanah by CHimanda Ngozi Adichie
91. Habitat Threshold by Craig Santos Perez
92. Patience and Esther by SW Searle
93. The Devil in the Dark Water by Stuart Turton
99. The Spill Zone by Scott Westerfield*
100. The Girl from the Other Side Vol. 8 by Nagabe*

July

101. Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell
102. Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths
103. Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
104. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas*
105. M by Jon J Muth*
106.. Personal by Lee Child
107. The Hard Way by Lee Child
108. Ghettobirds by Bryant O’Hara
109. Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
110. To the Bright Edge of the World! by Eowyn Ivey
111. The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar
112. A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
113. Long Bright River by Liz Moore
114. The Girl from the Other Side by Bilal*
115, The Secret Garden A Graphic Novel by Mariah Marsden*
116. Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
117. World of Wonders by Aimee Nezhukumatathil
118. The Body Factory by Heloise Chochois*

August

119. The Bookseller of Florence by Ross King
120. Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert
121. Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
122. Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Tallia Hibbert
123. The Authority by Ed Brubaker*
124. You can only yell at me for one thing at a Time by Roz Chast
125. Yours, Cheerfully by AJ Pearce

* Illustrated/Graphic Novel

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

3jnwelch
Editat: ag. 23, 2021, 4:27 pm

Favorites of the Year So Far

Cluny Brown by Margery Sharp

Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls

The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson

The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin

The Galaxy and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers

Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Long Bright River by Liz Moore

Dear Mrs. Bird by AJ Pearce

4jnwelch
Editat: jul. 29, 2021, 5:37 pm



5jnwelch
Editat: ag. 23, 2021, 4:17 pm

Darryl

1. Mario Vargas Llosa (Peru)
2. Juan Gabriel Vasquez (Colombia)
3. Javier Cercas (Spain)
4. Jenny Erpenbeck (Germany)
5. Ngugi wa Thiong’o (Kenya)
6. Antonio Lobos Antunes (Portugal)
7. Jorge Eduardo Agualusa(Angola)
8. Mia Couto (Mozambique)
9. Alain Mabanckou (Republic of Congo)

Joe

1. Kent Haruf
2. Marilynne Robinson
3.. John Steinbeck
4. Walter Mosley
5. Edith Wharton
6. Mark Twain
7. Toni Morrison
8. James Baldwin
9. Cormac McCarthy
10. Raymond Chandler

Darryl's list of favorite not-American fiction writers, and Joe's list of favorite American fiction writers. What do you think?

6jnwelch
Editat: jul. 29, 2021, 5:45 pm

7jnwelch
Editat: ag. 23, 2021, 4:18 pm



Alice Pasquini

8jnwelch
jul. 29, 2021, 6:04 pm



Nina's Jasper

9richardderus
jul. 29, 2021, 6:10 pm

Pasquini, poochie, bambini...life's good.

10jnwelch
jul. 29, 2021, 6:15 pm



Long Bright River is a pretty grim book about a female cop who is surrounded in her life by and profoundly affected by drug addicts. Oof. Tough territory. So why is it one of my favorite books of the year? Because author Liz Moor brings us inside Mickey (Michaela) the cop's life, so that we understand her obsession with finding her missing addict-prostitute sister, while also pursuing a serial killer of prostitutes who might be the reason her sister is missing. I found it well-written, nerve-wracking in a good way (is the killer someone close to Mickey?) and cleverly done with its 'Now" and "Then" back and forth explaining Mickey's hard road growing up and her dangerous present.

11jnwelch
jul. 29, 2021, 6:18 pm

Hi, RD. Agreed. I figured Jasper only joined us late in the last thread, so he deserved to be here in the new one.

12quondame
jul. 29, 2021, 6:25 pm

Happy new thread!

>1 jnwelch: Happy streets that have such artists on them!

>4 jnwelch: How did you co-ordinate those fabulous photos with >1 jnwelch:!?!

13Caroline_McElwee
Editat: jul. 29, 2021, 6:32 pm

>4 jnwelch: How the grandee's grow Joe.

>5 jnwelch: Interesting lists. I've read all of yours, and only two from Darryl's. I'll have to think of some lists of my own.

14msf59
jul. 29, 2021, 6:31 pm

Happy New Thread, Joe! I like the Pasquini toppers! Fina is getting more beautiful every day. Hooray for Long Bright River. I loved it too and glad to hear you felt the same.

BTW- I finally had to abandon Everyday Mojo Songs. I sure didn't want to, after enjoying several of the newer poems. He is a fine poet but he soars mostly over my head and I just could not connect with much of his earlier stuff. I definitely gave him a try though.

15jnwelch
Editat: jul. 29, 2021, 6:59 pm

>12 quondame: Thanks, Susan! I'd love to see her pieces on the streets where they live. Happy indeed.

Aren't those great photos of the wee ones? Their parents have gradually become ace photographers.

>13 Caroline_McElwee: Hiya, Caroline. We water those grandees every day, and they've been thriving.

I'd love to see your list of favorite British fiction authors. Even harder than picking the Americans, I imagine. So many to choose from. I had the same experience with Darryl's - I'd read two (Vargas Llosa and Thiong'o). He's certainly given me new ones to try.

>14 msf59: Thanks, Mark! I'm glad you like the Pasquinis. I love her art. Isn't Fina something! Jeez, I wish we lived down the street from them. You're going to love living near to Bree and her little player to be named later.

Kudos to you for trying Yusef Komunyakaa. He ain't easy. At least you gave it a go. There are plenty of other poets swimming in the sea.

Wasn't Long Bright River great? If you hadn't already read it, I was going to recommend it. It has the spice of darkness I know you love in your reading.

16Caroline_McElwee
jul. 29, 2021, 7:14 pm

>15 jnwelch: my UK and US lists are now on my thread Joe, though no doubt I've missed a few.

17PaulCranswick
jul. 29, 2021, 7:57 pm

Happy new one Joe.

>5 jnwelch: As you would guess the lists caught my attention.

Darryl's list throws up some surprises for me and in particular the absence of Amos Oz who has always been a big favourite of his. I will be interested to see whether the list changes over the next years as many of the Portuguese language authors (who I like very much too) are the mainstay of his present reading. I could have chosen Vargas Llosa and Ngugi Wa Thiong'o though - the latter of whom was introduced to me by Darryl.

Four from your list McCarthy, Haruf, Baldwin and Stienbeck would definitely be on my own list and I will need to ponder the rest.

I will go and think over three lists - USA, British Isles and Rest of the World.

>6 jnwelch: Love Yeats.

Also must mention the grandkids, Joe, who are as cute as always.

18jnwelch
Editat: jul. 29, 2021, 8:13 pm

>16 Caroline_McElwee: Great, Caroline, thanks. Do you mind id I copy them over here? Maybe we can get some discussion in both places. (Feel free to copy mine).

>17 PaulCranswick: I did think the lists might catch your attention, Paul. Thanks for stopping by. Maybe Darryl will join us and respond regarding Amos Oz. Ditto for me re Vargas Llosa and Thiong'o.

I'm glad you're a fan of those four authors, and I look forward to the fruits of your pondering. As I mentioned on the last thread, mine lacks some of the usual suspects: Hemingway, Fitzgerald and Melville, among others.

Caroline is doing a Brit and USA list, too.

You and I love Yeats, and I'm glad of it. I hope he still speaks to others, too. This one gets me, as I grow older with Debbi.

Those grandkids!

19weird_O
jul. 29, 2021, 8:18 pm

>5 jnwelch: Joe. I see you forgot William Faulkner.

Actually, I find most of the American writers you named most favorite-able. I'd demote Wharton and Robinson, though.

20m.belljackson
jul. 29, 2021, 8:41 pm

Hi Joe and Debbi - I saved CHICAGO Storytellers From Stage to Page for this month's City Book Challenge,
then sent my copy and LT Review to an old Chicago friend who now does standup comedy in San Francisco.

She also loves it!

21Whisper1
jul. 29, 2021, 8:41 pm

I simply adore the images of your incredibly beautiful grandchildren!

22drneutron
jul. 29, 2021, 8:44 pm

Happy new one! That's some seriously good street art.

23lauralkeet
jul. 29, 2021, 8:50 pm

>10 jnwelch: I thought Long Bright River was excellent too, Joe. I'm glad to see another fan.

24Whisper1
jul. 29, 2021, 9:36 pm

>23 lauralkeet: Hi Laura. I agree! I read this when it first came out. I hope you are well. I have such fond memories of interactions with you during the Philadelphia meet up!

25jnwelch
Editat: jul. 30, 2021, 2:35 pm

>19 weird_O:. You’ll be glad to hear that William Faulkner wasn’t forgotten, Bill. I just don’t like reading his books.😅. Actually, my antipathy to reading Faulkner is what started the back and forth between Darryl and me that led to the two lists.

Wharton. and Marilynne Robinson have both really impressed ne. They earned their spots, as far as I’m concerned. Who are favorites of yours you would list instead?

>20 m.belljackson:. Hi, Marianne. Thanks for letting me know. That’s great. I’ll let Debbi know. I’m glad your friend also took to From Stage to Page.

26jnwelch
Editat: jul. 29, 2021, 9:46 pm

>21 Whisper1:. Thanks, Linda! You can imagine how objective and unbiased I am, and I completely agree. They’re sweet as the dickens, too.

>22 drneutron:. Thanks, Jim! Isn’t Pasquini good? She’s my favoritest. (Autocorrect does not approve of that word).

>23 lauralkeet:. Oh good, Laura. I surprised myself with how much Long Bright River drew me in. I usually have trouble reading addiction stories. But this was different, and so well done.

>24 Whisper1:. Good to hear it also was a winner for you, Linda. I hope to get to Philadelphia some day and maybe see you two. There was a time pre-LT when I was there a lot for work.

27FAMeulstee
jul. 30, 2021, 6:43 am

Happy new thread, Joe!

>5 jnwelch: Interesting lists.
From Darryl's list I have read (and loved) Jenny Erpenbeck. Mario Vargas Llosa and Javier Cercas are somewhere at Mount TBR.

From your list I have read Marilynne Robinson, John Steinbeck, Mark Twain and Toni Morrison. Of those four Steinbeck is my favorite. James Baldwin resides also at Mount TBR, I might go look for Kent Haruf.

28lauralkeet
jul. 30, 2021, 7:25 am

>24 Whisper1: that was a fun meetup, Linda.

>26 jnwelch: Philadelphia is a great place to visit, Joe. You won't find me there anymore, since we moved to Virginia in April. But it's well worth a trip anyway (!!) for historic sites, museums, and gardens.

29jessibud2
jul. 30, 2021, 9:12 am

Happy new thread, Joe. As always, great topper art. And those kids! The photo of Fina perfectly captures the combination of her charm and impishness. And Rafa - from dismantling gates (and possibly tractors) to a chess phenom at what, 3? Watch out, world! ;-)

30PaulCranswick
jul. 30, 2021, 9:38 am

Is it your birthday today, Joe?

If so Happy birthday, buddy. You are one of the most loved mainstays of this group and it just wouldn't be the same here without your warm, wise and welcoming presence.

31jnwelch
jul. 30, 2021, 9:49 am

>27 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita! Jenny Erpenbeck is probably the next author I will try from Darryl's list. I'm glad you're a Steinbeck fan. I became one after LT's Steinbeckathon better acquainted me. I hope you do try Kent Haruf. He's a particular favorite of mine. Try Plainsong.

>28 lauralkeet: I'm sorry we won't see you in Philadelphia, Laura, but maybe in DC? I've met up with Dr. Jim there. I was a big fan of the Barnes collection out in that Philadelphia suburb (started with an M) and want to see it in its relocation at the museum.

>29 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley. I'm glad you like the Pasquini toppers and the R & F photos. FIna is an imp! And Rafa continues to surprise us with his acquisitive mind. His dad's good chess player, and I imagine once Rafa gets some more patience, he will be, too.

32jnwelch
jul. 30, 2021, 9:54 am

>30 PaulCranswick: Hi, Paul. It is indeed my birthday today. Thanks for you birthday wishes and kind comments. This one feels special, not the least because I'm here to celebrate and appreciate it, when that wallop to the head could've meant otherwise!

33jessibud2
jul. 30, 2021, 9:56 am

Happy, happy, Joe! I hope you celebrate well!

34jnwelch
jul. 30, 2021, 9:56 am



Alice Pasquini

35katiekrug
jul. 30, 2021, 9:57 am

Happy Birthday, Joe! We're all glad you're here too :)

36FAMeulstee
jul. 30, 2021, 9:59 am

Happy birthday, Joe!

37Caroline_McElwee
Editat: jul. 30, 2021, 10:05 am

Happy birthday Joe. I hope there is cake....

So much to celebrate this year after powering through your health challenges.

38jnwelch
Editat: jul. 30, 2021, 10:21 am

>35 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie!

Hey, did you recommend Get a Life, Chloe Brown to me? It's a steamy romance, not exactly my usual fare. But great banter, and lots of fun.

>36 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita!

>37 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks, Caroline. I've dropped no-very-subtle hints about this being an excellent day for carrot cake.

Yes - what a year. Glad to be here!

39jnwelch
jul. 30, 2021, 10:29 am



Jesse with the little ones

40katiekrug
jul. 30, 2021, 10:36 am

>38 jnwelch: - Hope, that wasn't one of my recs. Though I have it on my Kindle...

41m.belljackson
jul. 30, 2021, 11:55 am

>5 jnwelch: Joe - Best wishes for a Great Fun Carrot-topped Birthday!

Re: Your Book List - have you ever read Benjamin Alire Saenz?

and here's one from Teddy Roosevelt for your Henry James enjoyment:

"What a miserable little snob Henry James is!
His polished, pointless, uninteresting stories about the upper class in England
make one blush to think he was ever an American."

42lauralkeet
Editat: jul. 30, 2021, 12:29 pm

>31 jnwelch: DC is definitely a possibility for me, Joe. We're about an hour's drive from Union Station. There used to be a regular DC meetup to coincide with the National Book Festival. Hopefully that will be possible again someday.

Happy birthday!!

43scaifea
jul. 30, 2021, 12:38 pm

Happy birthday, Joe! We're so glad you're here.

44richardderus
jul. 30, 2021, 2:10 pm


...being as you're going to need to eat a healthier diet, avoiding fats and gluten and sugar, here's a teensy little vegan gluten-free carrot cake for you to nosh on.

45quondame
jul. 30, 2021, 2:28 pm

>39 jnwelch: The best!

46SandDune
jul. 30, 2021, 3:39 pm

Happy Birthday Joe!

47NarratorLady
Editat: jul. 30, 2021, 4:26 pm

Happy Birthday dear Joe!💕

48msf59
Editat: jul. 30, 2021, 4:57 pm



Happy Birthday, Joe! I went to the archives for this photo. I believe it was at Spiteful Brewery. Our only visit there. I hope you are having a fantastic day. It is a beautiful one.

49ffortsa
jul. 30, 2021, 6:09 pm

Joe, how ephemeral are the Alice Pasquini murals?

50quondame
jul. 31, 2021, 12:12 am

I hope you had a great birthday!

51magicians_nephew
jul. 31, 2021, 9:38 am

Happy Belated B-day, Joe!

I share your antipathy for Faulkner - i get what he's doing, but I just can't read him

As Dorothy Parker once said

About the work of Savage Landor
I am not equipped to speak with candor
If you read him, well and good
but as for me I never could

52richardderus
jul. 31, 2021, 11:34 am

Welp. Saturday. Yessiree sure nuff is. And tomorrow begins Women In Translation Month! Have you got the ornaments out and the lights strung up yet?

53weird_O
jul. 31, 2021, 12:14 pm

Well, I guess I just better keep my Faulkner admiration in that lockbox with my Philip Roth appreciation. Open the box (Pandora has the mate) only in a secure cubical, shielded from prying eyes. Keep my voice down, too.

54jnwelch
jul. 31, 2021, 2:23 pm

>33 jessibud2:. Thanks, Shelley!

>41 m.belljackson:. Hi, Marianne. It was a great birthday with a carrot (cake) on top.

We were just talking about one by that author: Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the Universe. Yes, I read that one and loved it. It’s become a family favorite.

Ha! That Teddy Roosevelt comment about Henry James suits me well, although I always remind myself that HJ wrote the very good Turn of the Screw.

55jnwelch
jul. 31, 2021, 2:35 pm

>42 lauralkeet:. Cool, Laura. I’d love to have a visit coincide with the National Book Festival. Is that a big book fair with lots for perusal? Anyway, good to know for next time.

Thanks re my birtthday!

>43 scaifea:. Thanks, Amber! I’m glad to be here.

>44 richardderus:. Yum! Thanks, RD. I’ve learned how good vegan gluten-free baked goods can be. You’ll be glad to hear that Madame MBH found a delicious carrot cake for me. Handsome last night after a delicious Mexican meal from El Jardin, and some for breakfast this morning. There’s one piece left if your travels bring you nearby.

>45 quondame:. Isn’t >39 jnwelch: the best, Susan. Those two wee kiddlies love books, I’m glad to say. Another ace job by their parents.

>46 SandDune:. Thanks, Rhian!

>47 NarratorLady:. Thank you dear Anne!❤️ It was a beaut.

56jnwelch
Editat: ag. 1, 2021, 3:56 pm

>48 msf59:. Ha! I love it, Mark. Thanks, buddy.
Spiteful Brewing. Yeah, it’s been a while. We should make a revisit. I forgot to tell you - Becca’s best friend Claire is a craft beer fancier and wants to join us on the next safari. She says she knows some breweries we’d like.

>49 ffortsa:. Good question, Judy. One answer is they’ve been memorialized. Debbi gave me a gorgeous collection of Pasquin’s work called Crossroads: A Glimpse into the Life of Alice Pasquini. Browse it at the Strand or wherever. It immediately became my favorite art book. So beautiful.

Another answer is a lot of her work now is commissioned and protected in major cities. There’s one in Brooklyn. She’s Italian, so there are a lot of cool ones in Rome and other cit Italian cities. London and Paris have works of hers, too. We’re going to try to track down the London ones.

Another answer is foolish, insensitive graffiti artists sometimes spray over hers, and we lose them. Other street artists have that happen, too. So sad. LLondon has put many of Banky’s under plexiglas for that reason.

57RBeffa
jul. 31, 2021, 2:54 pm

Happy Birthday Joe, slightly late. Thanks for your FB post about the cat named Bob in London. I did not know he had been killed by a car last year. I do hope you get to see the memorial someday.

58jnwelch
jul. 31, 2021, 3:07 pm

>52 richardderus:. Jeez, thanks for the reminder, Richard. We need to get the Women in Translaton decorations out of the attic. I know we have a floating-in-the-air Hiromi Kawakami somewhere.

>50 quondame:. Thanks, Susan! I did!

>51 magicians_nephew:. Thanks, Jim! Ah, it’s a relief to have a fellow Faulkner no-reader. Let’s have a beverage and discuss the authors we do enjoy.

That’s a new Dorothy Parker witticism for me, and a good one. “What fresh hell is this?”😀

59jnwelch
jul. 31, 2021, 3:14 pm

>53 weird_O:. No,this is an era of transparency, Bill. You should trumpet your Faulkner and Roth appreciation. You’ll find their are many fellow appreciators in you tribe, I’m sure. They teach courses on those two, for goodness’ sake. And if not, who the heck cares? Your opinion makes life more interesting. I briefly considered putting James Crumley on my list, to which I imagine a lot of people would say “who?!” Buckle on your Tough Guy belt and try The Last Good Kiss.

60jnwelch
jul. 31, 2021, 3:17 pm

>57 RBeffa:. Thanks, Ron. Islington is the area we stay in in London. Unfortunately, we did not know Bob, but we love his story. My wife is determined to find his statue next time we visit. I’m glad you’re interested, too.

61jnwelch
Editat: jul. 31, 2021, 3:34 pm



This is the book about the street cat Bob that Ron mentioned. Quite a story. There's a movie adaptation, too.

62jnwelch
Editat: jul. 31, 2021, 3:45 pm

>40 katiekrug: Huh. I'm mystified, Katie. Well, I think you'd like Get a Life, Chloe Brown. Interesting (she has fibromylagia), funny and steamy (may outdo Bridgerton on that score).

63jnwelch
Editat: jul. 31, 2021, 3:44 pm

Today’s Bargain: Shuggie Bain. For those who wanted to read it, it’s $1.99 on Kindle today.

64Berly
jul. 31, 2021, 4:20 pm

>63 jnwelch: Hello, there! Hopelessly behind on LT, I come for a quick visit and now you've added another book to my TBR mountain!! LOL. (But thank you!)

65lauralkeet
jul. 31, 2021, 4:56 pm

>55 jnwelch: National Book Festival. Is that a big book fair with lots for perusal?

I'm new to these parts and have never been to the festival, Joe. I know it's one that lots of authors attend, and give talks and such. And surely there must be books for sale?! Maybe someone else has specifics.

66kidzdoc
Editat: ag. 2, 2021, 3:58 am

Paul is absolutely right; Amos Oz from Israel is unquestionably on my list of ten best authors who write in languages other than English. I'm on call for hospital admissions until 8 pm, but hopefully I can revise and repost my list here soon.

I've been remiss at getting to Shuggie Bain, but everyone I know who read it loved it.

I'll get started on the 2021 Booker Prize longlist next week.

67kidzdoc
Editat: ag. 3, 2021, 5:00 pm

Here's my new, and much more accurate, list of favorite authors who write in languages other than English, using my usual criteria for Favorite Authors in LibraryThing, ones who I've given at least 4 stars to at least 3 of their books:

Top 10:
José Eduardo Agualusa (Angola)
António Lobo Antunes (Portugal)
Albert Camus (France)
Javier Cercas (Spain)
Mario Vargas Llosa (Peru)
Alain Mabanckou (Republic of the Congo)
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o (Kenya)
Amos Oz (Israel)
José Saramago (Portugal)
Juan Gabriel Vásquez (Colombia)

Honorable Mention:
Mia Couto (Mozambique)
Jean Echenoz (France)
Shusaku Endo (Japan)
Annie Ernaux (France)
Jenny Erpenbeck (Germany)
J. M. G. Le Clézio (France)
Naguib Mahfouz (Egypt)
Haruki Murakami (Japan)
Amélie Nothomb (Belgium)

Unfortunately that's a very male dominated list, unlike my list of favorite non-American authors who write in English, which includes Aminatta Forna, Hilary Mantel, Sarah Moss, Tahmima Anam, Edwidge Danticat, Jamaica Kincaid, and Kamila Shamsie.

68jnwelch
Editat: jul. 31, 2021, 7:26 pm

>65 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura. I know author appearances are a big draw for a lot of people, but a chance to mingle with lots of books is what draws me to book fairs and conferences like ALA. Regardless, it would be fun to check out the National Book Festival and have a meetup.

>66 kidzdoc:, >67 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl. I was hoping you'd stop by. Your revised list will give us plenty of food for thought. Thank you for not including Patrick Modiano (France). What a disappointment to read that guy. Did I ever mention (more than a 100 times) that I'm a Murakami fan? Even though his last book was, as Mark put it so concisely, "a dud."

Debbi asked me to say hi, and tell you we miss seeing you in person.

For Ammies, we should be thinking about Louise Ehrdrich and Barbara King solver, shouldn't we.

69figsfromthistle
jul. 31, 2021, 9:36 pm

Happy new one!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend.

70Berly
jul. 31, 2021, 9:44 pm

Oh sure, I haven't been here in weeks and I finally post (although not much of anything) and you skip me!!!
: P
: )

71jnwelch
jul. 31, 2021, 11:33 pm

>64 Berly:, >70 Berly:. Ah, Jeez Louise Kim, I thought for sure I had responded! In my head I did, anyway. Sorry about that! I was congratulating myself on helping you make your TBRmountain the highest in all of LT-land. And LT-land has some high ones!

>69 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita! Today was great, and I’m hoping for more of the same tomorrow. I hope you’re having a wonderful one, too.

72richardderus
ag. 1, 2021, 10:47 am

Sundae, Yummy Sundae:

Didn't Bono sing that forty years ago?

73karenmarie
ag. 1, 2021, 11:39 am

Hi Joe, and happy new thread.

>4 jnwelch: Exuberant and sweet. Great pics.

>32 jnwelch: Belated Happy Birthday!

>59 jnwelch: The Last Good Kiss is on my shelves, just waiting for its time in the sun.

74johnsimpson
ag. 1, 2021, 3:31 pm

Hi Joe, mate, Happy new thread dear friend.

75bell7
ag. 1, 2021, 5:08 pm

I'm a little on the later side wishing you a happy new thread, Joe, but I'm finally a bit more caught up. I love the photos of your grands, and the one with Jesse reading to them is absolutely adorable. Hope you're having a good weekend!

76Caroline_McElwee
ag. 1, 2021, 6:31 pm

>39 jnwelch: Great photo Joe.

>48 msf59: I'd forgotten you two had birthdays so near together.

77jnwelch
ag. 1, 2021, 8:08 pm

>72 richardderus:. Thanks, RD. Mmmm. That’s my kind of Happy Sundae!

>73 karenmarie:. Thanks, Karen. Oh good. Let me know what you think of Last Good Kiss. I’ve liked all of his books, but that one’s his best, IMO.

>74 johnsimpson:. Thanks, John. I hope you and the family are doing well, buddy.

78jnwelch
ag. 1, 2021, 8:13 pm

>75 bell7:. Thanks, Mary. I know it can be tough to keep up. I’m glad you like the photos. It feels so good to have two more little book-lovers in the family.

>76 Caroline_McElwee:. Isn’t >39 jnwelch: a great one, Caroline? Yeah, Mark and I are close in time, and another good friend was born the day after me in the same year.

79PaulCranswick
ag. 2, 2021, 12:21 am

>67 kidzdoc: I like the look of that list, Darryl! I have one book on the shelves by Alain Mabanckou and I hope to get to it next month.

80jnwelch
ag. 2, 2021, 8:50 am

>79 PaulCranswick: OK, there we go. Your Amos Oz comment caused Darryl to rethink the whole list. try Murakami, too.:-)

81jnwelch
Editat: ag. 2, 2021, 1:25 pm



I spent an exceptionally pleasant afternoon reading this gem by acclaimed poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil, World of Wonders. Is there a "nature memoir" book category? She lovingly praises parts of nature that have struck her fancy.

"It is this way with wonder: it takes a bit of patience, and it takes putting yourself in the right place at the right time. It requires that we be curious enough to forgo our small distractions in order to find the world.

“How can one even imagine us getting back to a place where we know the names of the trees we walk by every single day? A place where “a bird” navigating a dewy meadow is transformed into something more specific, something we can hold onto by feeling its name on our tongues: brown thrasher. Or that “big tree”: catalpa. Maybe what we can do when we feel overwhelmed is to start small. Start with what we have loved as kids and see where that leads us.”

She uses these small starts to lead her to musing about their relationship to her life - as a child, as a mother, as a wife and as a poet. some of my favorite chapters were about potoos (little birds that eat mosquitoes), dragonfruit (a childhood delicacy) and fireflies, which take her in several directions. Flamingos remind her of nights joyfully dancing as a teen, and the fear of encountering a bad guy on the dark walk home. Some things remind her of her experiences as a brown girl among whites.

“I began scribbling in notebooks and notebooks, trying to write my way into being since I never saw anyone who looked like me in books, movies, or videos. None of this writing was what I would remotely call poetry, but I know it had a lyric register. I was teaching myself (and badly copying) metaphor. I was figuring out the delight and pop of music, and the electricity on my tongue when I read out loud. I was at the surface again. I was once more the girl who had begged my parents and principal to let me start school a whole year early. And I was hungry.”

This is one worth owning. Kudos to my bride for giving it to me.

82jessibud2
ag. 2, 2021, 9:33 am

>81 jnwelch: - This is my kind of category! Thanks for this review, Joe

83jnwelch
ag. 2, 2021, 10:57 am

>82 jessibud2: You're welcome, Shelley. Good! Me, too!

84johnsimpson
ag. 2, 2021, 4:30 pm

>77 jnwelch:, Hi Joe, mate, we are coping OK at the moment and taking it day by day but are trying to get back into the day to day normality.

85jnwelch
ag. 2, 2021, 4:56 pm

>84 johnsimpson:. Good to hear, John, thanks.

86jnwelch
ag. 2, 2021, 5:01 pm

Today’s Bargain: Fools Crow by James welch at $1.99 in e-readers.I thought this one about a young Blackfeet warrior protecting his land from white settlers was really good. This Native American author is one worth reading, too.

87richardderus
ag. 2, 2021, 5:32 pm

>86 jnwelch: Already beKindled, thank the goddesses.

>81 jnwelch: ...oh look...a glitch...completely blank! Weird.

*fast-paced race-walk away*

88EllaTim
ag. 2, 2021, 6:29 pm

>81 jnwelch: Nice review, Joe! I think I’d love this book.

And happy new thread, street art wonderful as always. Photos of grandkids really getting very good!

We now have street art on our way to the allotment, a group of colorful birds. Sometimes we see graffiti sprayed on top, but it gets removed as fast as possible and I think the art has been covered by a protective layer, until now there has been no real damage.

89msf59
ag. 2, 2021, 6:55 pm

Hi, Joe. Another beautiful August day and I enjoyed a casual stroll with a couple of my birding buddies. Thanks for the warble on Diane Seuss. I have requested her latest, along with Still life with two dead peacocks and a girl: poems. I had not heard of her but she seems to be very well-received. World of Wonders also sounds promising. You go boy!

>86 jnwelch: You always like those Welch books, don'tcha?

90connie53
ag. 3, 2021, 4:18 am

Happy (very) Belated Birthday, Joe!

91kidzdoc
ag. 3, 2021, 8:58 am

>68 jnwelch: Patrick Modiano was one of the worst choices as a Nobel Prize for Literature laureate in recent memory, IMO. I've read three of his books, and the only one I liked was Missing Person. I bought three of his other books, but I highly doubt that I'll waste any of my time on them.

You may be the biggest Murakami fan I know! I haven't read anything by him in a long while, but I'm not inclined to read any of his newer books unless someone, especially you, gives one of them a glowing recommendation.

>79 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul!

>80 jnwelch: That's true, Joe. Paul's sharp observation that I had omitted Amos Oz from my initial list did cause me to recreate it.

92jnwelch
Editat: ag. 3, 2021, 11:32 am

Today’s Bargain: The classic Lost Horizon is available for $1.99 on e-readers.

93jnwelch
Editat: ag. 3, 2021, 11:48 am

>87 richardderus:. Oh good, let us know what you think of Fools Crow, Richard. I think World of Wonders will continue to haunt you when your race-walking is done. . .

>88 EllaTim:. Thanks, Ella. I think you’d love World of Wonders, too.

I love the idea of putting a protective layer over the street art. How great that you have some you like nearby.

>89 msf59:. Yes! Another gorgeous day, Mark. We just got back from a long walk through a nearby park. I’m recovering with a cold drink on the porch. It’s still taking a while for my endurance to come around, but we’re working on it.

I’m glad you’re inspired by Diane Seuss. I can tell I’m going to have to go back and read some of her older collections, too.

World of Wonders is definitely a Mark book. I thought of you with her brown thrasher comment in the review.

The name Welch is always an assurance of high quality, isn’t it. I wish I could say he’s a close relative.

94jnwelch
ag. 3, 2021, 12:43 pm

>90 connie53: Thanks, Connie. I'm trying to convince my family that it's still "birthday week", but they're not going along.

>91 kidzdoc: hey, buddy. I'm with you on Modiano. How did that even happen?

if 1Q84 is a "newer" one for you, yes, read it. I personally liked Killing Commendatore, but if you're not a fan, take a pass. And his previous short story collections are all great, but the most recent one is inexplicably, as mentioned, a dud.

i like your revised list even more. Erpenbeck is probably my next one.

95richardderus
ag. 3, 2021, 1:27 pm

Hey Joe, happy Tuesday, and as always it's the drop day for a zillion and fifty new books. Three of 'em I'm even reviewing this week.

No pressure there, of course.

Radiant Fugitives is one you should most definitely check out...I think it will click with you on so many levels. Family story...interesting choice of narrator...cultural communication gaps...and very evocative prose.

96benitastrnad
ag. 3, 2021, 2:38 pm

>94 jnwelch:
I would second that recommendation for 1Q84. I really enjoyed it. Weird as windup Bird ... and Kafka on the shore. I have Killing Commendatore on my shelves but it hasn't called to me yet. I am sure it will. I thought that Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki was good but not the same quality as some of his previous work. I certainly didn't think it was awful. It just seemed "normal" compared to what I have come to expect from Murakami.

97kidzdoc
Editat: ag. 3, 2021, 4:47 pm

>94 jnwelch: I'm with you on Modiano. How did that even happen?

It may be a bit of an exaggeration to describe the previous Nobel Prize in Literature panel of judges as corrupt, but that group did make some grevious decisions in choosing its previous laureates. Modiano, Elfriede Jelinek and Bob Dylan were particularly bad choices, and I'm admittedly still bitter that Amos Oz wasn't given that honor before he died, and that Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o hasn't had his name called yet. Hopefully the newer judges can restore the prize's honor and prestige, which was severely damaged by the previous lot.

I gave 4½ stars to the last two novels by Murakami that I've read, 1Q84 and Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage. I was completely enamored with him after I read The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and Norwegian Wood roughly 20 years ago, but I don't know that either book would have the same impact on me now than they did then. It wouldn't take much for me to reread either book, but I have an overflowing plate of books to read this year, and I suspect that I won't enjoy either book nearly as much the second time around.

Jenny Erpenbeck is a fabulous writer who is deserving of wider attention. She falls barely short of my criterion for favorite authors at the moment, as I gave 4½ stars to Visitation and 5 stars to Go, Went, Gone, but only 3½ stars to The Old Child & Other Stories. I recently purchased her newest book, Not a Novel: A Memoir in Pieces, and I still have to read The End of Days, and I suspect that I'll rate at least one of those books highly enough to make her eligible for my list of favorite authors.

98kidzdoc
ag. 3, 2021, 5:03 pm

I just realized that one other writer deserves at least honorable mention, the Nobel Prize laureate J. M. G. Le Clézio from Mauritania and France, as I've given 4 or more stars to five of his books. He would rank no lower than 11th on my list.

99jnwelch
Editat: ag. 4, 2021, 8:34 am

>95 richardderus:. I’ll look for those reviews, Richard. Your output is prodigious.

Radiant Fugitives, eh? I’ll take a look. Sure sounds good.

>96 benitastrnad:. I’m with you on your Murakami comments, Benita. I’ll be curious to hear what you think of Commendatore when the time comes.

The Wind-up Bird Chronicle is an amazing book. Colorless Tsukuru came in a cut below for me, too. If you haven’t readKafka on the Shore yet, I highly recommend it. It’s his best, IMO.

>97 kidzdoc:. Thanks, Darryl. I’m heartened by your calling that Nobel Prize panel “previous” - what a hash they made of it. Bad decisions diminish the prestige of the prize.

By golly, I have read Erpenbeck! I thought Go, Went, Gone was excellent. I forgot it was hers.

If you haven’t read it yet, Kafka on the Shore is aces, his best, IMO. At the risk of overdoing it, Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World and Sputnik Sweetheart are great, too. The former may be his weirdest, which is saying a lot.

>98 kidzdoc:. Another author new to me,?thanks.

100kidzdoc
ag. 3, 2021, 10:28 pm

>99 jnwelch: I'm glad that you also loved Go, Went, Gone, Joe. I attended her talk about the novel at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, probably in 2018, and was looking forward to her thoughts about it and her experiences with African migrants in Germany. Unfortunately her English isn't very good and she seemed uncomfortable speaking the language, so it was a somewhat disappointing experience, although her English is infinitely better than my German.

My LT library tells me that I've read Kafka on the Shore, but I think he's lying. I'll get to it one of these days. I loved Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, but I don't seem to have read Sputnik Sweetheart yet.

I was on a huge Le Clézio kick a little over a decade ago, after he won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2008. Much of his work has been translated into English, and my favorite books by him are his novels Onitsha and Desert, and his short story collection The Round and Other Cold Hard Facts.

101weird_O
ag. 3, 2021, 11:11 pm

You and Darryl and Benita have me now thinking Murakami. I have a half-dozen of his books lurking in dark corners. Only have read Kafka on the Shore. I'm booked for the next several weeks, but I want to tackle Murakami.

102jnwelch
ag. 4, 2021, 8:45 am

>100 kidzdoc: Hi, Darryl. Too bad about the Erpenbeck author appearance. I would've been interested in hearing her talk about Go, Went, Gone, too.

You're actually quite well read when it comes to Murakami. Have you tried hi short stories? If you skip his most recent collection, they're really good. the first MUrakami I ever read was his After the Quake stories, after seeing a play adaptation of it at Steppenwolf.

Good tip on Le Clézio , I'll look for Onitsha and Desert for starters.

>101 weird_O: Given your affinity for weirdness, Bill, you're a natural for Murakami.

103jnwelch
Editat: ag. 4, 2021, 9:13 am



Given its subject of how a Florence bookseller helped bring about the Renaissance, I was looking forward to reading The Bookseller of Florence by Ross King. I'd even liked previous books by him, like Brunelleschi's Dome, Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling, and The Judgment of Paris. What a disappointment this was. I was fine with learning about how classics from the Greek and Roman eras were found, often in monasteries, and then recopied with illumination by hand and sold by the bookseller, and how Gutenberg's printing press affected cost, dissemination and access (only the rich could afford the hand-copied ones), but King got way off track with feuds and wars and the Medicis. There was way too much tedious detail to wade through to get to the promised story. He fell in love with his research and seemed to give us everything he came across. Frustrating. He never does really explain how artists and others in the Renaissance obtained and were inspired by these classics.

104weird_O
ag. 4, 2021, 9:18 am

Too bad about that King book. I read his book Leonardo and the Last Supper and liked it.

105scaifea
ag. 4, 2021, 9:23 am

>103 jnwelch: Boy, that *is* disappointing. It sounded so promising. *sigh*

106kidzdoc
Editat: ag. 5, 2021, 9:47 pm

>101 weird_O: I'm glad that we've encouraged you to give Murakami a try, Bill!

>102 jnwelch: Right, Joe. Jenny Erpenbeck seemed very uncomfortable during her talk, which I've attributed to a relative lack of fluency in English, although it could have been combined with a sense of strange fright, although her talk was held in a relatively small setting with a half full audience. The Norwegian author Karl Ove Knausgaard was much more comfortable in his 2017 and 2018 appearances at the Edinburgh International Book Festival's largest venue with standing room only crowds, even though his English wasn't fluid or polished.

I'm certain that I've read more books by Murakami than any other author. My LT library says that I have 19 books, and by my count I've read at least 17 of them, all but Kafka on the Shore and Sputnik Sweetheart. I read most of them in a flurry before I joined LibraryThing in 2006. I have read his short stories, and I also saw the play after the quake, in 2007 at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in the Bay Area after it premiered at Steppenwolf. I particularly liked the segment based on his short story "Super Frog Saves Tokyo".

I suspect that you'll probably find copies of Desert and Onitsha in your local library system. The Fulton County Library System in Atlanta apparently doesn't have any of his books in English translation, but the Emory Libraries does. I can borrow books with my Emory Alumni Association membership card, but I haven't done so in years.

107torontoc
ag. 4, 2021, 9:58 am

Murakami- I would recommend his book Absolutely on Music Conversations with Seiji Ozawa- it is a collaboration with the conductor who was head of the Toronto Symphony many years ago although he is known as the conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. If you like classical music.. this book is wonderful.

108kac522
ag. 4, 2021, 12:15 pm

>107 torontoc: I'll second that--I loved this book.

109jnwelch
ag. 4, 2021, 12:49 pm

>104 weird_O:. That’s the one Of his I haven’t read, Bill, but I bet it shares the virtues of the ones I have. I was a fan up until this one. I’ll be approaching his next one with caution.

110richardderus
ag. 4, 2021, 1:21 pm

>103 jnwelch: Oh, that's so disappointing. I was eager to read it...but it sounds like it's less about the MSS and more about the ASSes who made the world more difficult. Hiss. Boo.

But the next read will be gorgeous, right?!

111benitastrnad
Editat: ag. 4, 2021, 3:28 pm

I checked and I have read 8 books by Haruki Murakami. There was a time when I tried to read one of his books every year, but recently I have not done so. I also tried to read one Margaret Atwood per year and one of the Poldark books each year as well. I haven't been so disciplined for a couple of years. I should try to get back to that practice just so that I can stay well versed on these authors works. However, I have to say that recent Atwood publications jut don't interest me as much as some of her other work did.

I have read two of the early short story collections of Murakami and I really liked them. The one that stays in my mind is After the Quake and that seems to be the case with both Joe and Daryl as well. I have not read any of Murakami's nonfiction and I do have them on my list of books to read.

112msf59
ag. 5, 2021, 8:13 am

Morning, Joe. Sweet Thursday. We are getting ready to pack up for our camping trip and head to WI. The place is called Devil's Lake State Park. It looks like an absolutely beautiful location. Our first adventure with the new truck too, although I wish we had our new camper, instead of tenting. Not much to report on the reading front, but I am enjoying The Last Town on Earth, a timely read about a pandemic.

113ffortsa
ag. 5, 2021, 9:40 am

Ha! I was able to pick up Fool's Crow from Amazon at the sale price. Thanks for the rec.

114jnwelch
Editat: ag. 5, 2021, 2:32 pm

>113 ffortsa:. Great! My pleasure, Judy.

>112 msf59:. Sweet Thursday, Mark! Good for you guys getting back into the great outdoors. Sorry you don’t have the camper to go with it, but I bet you’ll enjoy taking the new truck for a good drive. I lightened up after that trudge-through Bookseller of Florence, and I’m reading a new one by the War that Saved My Life author, called Fighting Words. I look forward to hearing what you think of the Mullen book.

115jnwelch
Editat: ag. 5, 2021, 2:29 pm

>111 benitastrnad: Good for you, Benita! That's a lot of Murakami. I'm glad you got to After the Quake. I hope you find time to read more of his short stories. Their publication in the New Yorker has done a lot to increase his fan base in this country.

I read all the Poldark books, too. I love that core Ross and Demelza story. I need to read more Atwood at some point.

>110 richardderus: You might get less frustrated with all the digressions in The Bookseller of Florence, than me, Richard. Other LT reviewers have noted them and even complained about the slog, but have still given the book high marks. I felt it was not the book I thought I'd been promised. "The Age of Florentinian Prominence" might've been a more accurate title.

Yes, I've moved on to lighter, better fare.

>107 torontoc:, >108 kac522: I agree, Cyrel and Kathy. I like classical music, and I was impressed by and loved Murakami's exchanges with Ozawa in Absolutely on Music. I think of HM as knowledgeable about jazz, but his sophistication and breadth of knowledge about classical was a pleasant surprise.

Among his NF, I also recommend Underground, about a cult's assault on the Japanese train system.

If it has his name on it, I'll read it.

116jnwelch
ag. 5, 2021, 2:18 pm

>106 kidzdoc: Right, Darryl, I'm glad we encouraged Bill to read more Murakami, and I hope we've encouraged others, too.

Good for you for attending the author appearances at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. I'm glad Knausgaard was pretty good and wish Erpenbeck's English was better. I will say, I regularly feel lucky that English is a must-have language for so many Europeans and others in the world.

At the Fringe festival, we loved the musical and theatrical performances, and the street entertainment, but didn't attend author appearances.

I'm happy that you read and saw the performance of After the Quake. I agree that the Super frog segment stood out. I was so struck that it convinced me that I had to read this author. It started me on a months-long Murakami binge (starting with After the Quake) that has never really stopped.

I'll try Onitsha first in our system.

>105 scaifea: As I said to Richard, Amber, you might tolerate better and get more out of The Bookseller of Florence than I did, but I sure can't recommend the book.

117jnwelch
ag. 5, 2021, 2:27 pm



Venice by Sarit Rolnik

118richardderus
ag. 5, 2021, 2:32 pm

>117 jnwelch: Such a beautiful city!

I re-read Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands. It is as magical as I remembered it to be.

119jnwelch
ag. 5, 2021, 3:16 pm

>118 richardderus: Right, RD?

i loved the Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands movie, and I remember liking the book, but not much more. Given your re-read reaction, I may do the same.

120jnwelch
ag. 5, 2021, 3:21 pm

Today’s Bargain:Native Son by Richard Wright on Kindle for $2.99. Terrific classic for a low price.

121Familyhistorian
ag. 5, 2021, 5:30 pm

Happy newish thread, Joe, and a happy belated birthday. Too bad you didn't get a week's celebration out of that!

Back to your previous thread, interesting that you attended Expo '67 in Montreal. Somewhere around here I still have my passport for that Expo which I saw many times.



I did take a photo of it. Too bad they didn't have similar passports for Expo '86. I lived in Vancouver for that one.

122jnwelch
ag. 5, 2021, 6:26 pm

>121 Familyhistorian:. Hi, Meg. Cool to see the passport. Yeah, I was 13 and my dad took us across from Ann Arbor. We had a blast, I remember that much. I was probably chasing teen girls around.

123jessibud2
ag. 5, 2021, 6:38 pm

>121 Familyhistorian:, >122 jnwelch: - Memory Lane! I was in grade 7 during Expo. We used to go there on class trips. I had an older cousin (4 years older than me) who drove one of those pedicabs as his summer job. They were sort of like rickshaws, with a bench seat at the front of his bike. Me and my friends used to make a game of looking for him and if he didn't have any customers, sometimes he'd give us a ride. I think that most of the time, though, he avoided us!

I wish I still had my passport from Expo!

124jnwelch
ag. 5, 2021, 6:41 pm

>123 jessibud2:. :-). That’s a nice memory, Shelley.

125quondame
Editat: ag. 5, 2021, 7:56 pm

>117 jnwelch: Possible only one household into plants, but that makes an amazing difference. Gorgeous!

>121 Familyhistorian: That's the only Expo I've ever attended. One afternoon, coming down with laryngitis, my spare time before catching a boat to Scotland to start my pre-college tour of Europe. It was the 60s, I remember nothing.

126weird_O
ag. 5, 2021, 8:01 pm

Judi and I visited the Expo site in the summer of 1970. Part our honeymoon. I think we had fun.

127kidzdoc
Editat: ag. 5, 2021, 9:27 pm

>121 Familyhistorian: OMG, I remember that passport! My mother and her older sister, who died a few weeks ago, took me and my oldest cousin to Expo '67 in Montreal, traveling on a Greyhound Scenicruiser from Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan. My mother bought one of those for me, but I'm sure she threw or gave it away years ago.



I remember that bus trip fondly, especially since I was obsessed by buses, subways, trains and planes as a kid. Unfortunately I don't remember anything about Montreal, even though I was six years old then, and I don't think they took any photos.

128laytonwoman3rd
ag. 5, 2021, 9:29 pm

For a man technically still recovering from a cerebrovascular accident, you're moving at a hard pace to keep up with, Joe! Sorry I missed your birthday, but I'm sure it was an especially meaningful celebration this year. Those grand-babies continue to be ridiculously adorable.

Great book talk here. I need to get back to Murakami; I have a couple of his on the shelves that I haven't read. May I throw in a recommendation for Desert. I thought it was a starkly beautiful book. I have more LeClezio around too. I need to push myself a bit to read more non-American/non-British works. Oh, and >53 weird_O: Bill, you know you can exercise your admiration for Faulkner over on my thread any time.

129jnwelch
ag. 6, 2021, 9:44 am

>128 laytonwoman3rd: This thread is moving at quite a pace, isn't it, Linda. it was a special birthday his year, after all that's happened. Those grand-babies get me every time.

I'm glad you've enjoyed the Murakami discussion; always one of my favorite topics. Good to hear the recommendation for Desert; it's on its way to my nearby library.

>127 kidzdoc: That sounds like a great trip with your mother, aunt and cousin, Darryl. A bus from Philadelphia to Montreal should be about the same amount of time as from Chicago to Pittsburgh - not bad.

>126 weird_O: Lo those many years ago, Bill. Yeah, I know, it's hard to remember details from that far back. Sounds like it would've been an interesting honeymoon with Judi.

>125 quondame: Hi, Susan. Yeah, the window plantings add to the beauty in >117 jnwelch:, don't they. Wow, a boat to Scotland for a pre-college tour of Europe. That must have been exciting,

130jnwelch
Editat: ag. 6, 2021, 9:47 am



My kind of Olympics.

131drneutron
ag. 6, 2021, 10:03 am

132Berly
Editat: ag. 6, 2021, 11:26 am

>99 jnwelch: Another huge Murakami fan here. I read 1Q84 in a Lit Arts class--first exposure to him and I have read a few more since then. Love them all!! I have read The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle: A Novel, 1Q84 (my favorite), Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage: A novel, Kafka on the Shore (another winner), A Wild Sheep Chase: A Novel, and Wind/Pinball: Two novels. And I have Killing Commendatore waiting for me in my bedside TBR pile. : )

>130 jnwelch: Yes!!!

133streamsong
Editat: ag. 6, 2021, 12:39 pm

Happy Friday, Joe!

>103 jnwelch: Darn on the King book. I had heard him give a talk on zoom and thought he was interesting and that the book had possibilities.

I attended Expo 74 in Spokane when I was in high school. I went first with my friend and her parents and they were utterly not interested and bored. We left after a few hours to camp and fish in the mountains. Came back a few weeks later with my parents and brother. We all loved every minute of it. I remember I was working on a black and white photography project and did all sorts of (to my 17 year old mind) artsy shots- I probably still have those photos around somewhere.

I've only read Kaftka on the Shore and wasn't enamored. Guess I should try another one.

>130 jnwelch: ❤️

134richardderus
ag. 6, 2021, 1:10 pm

>130 jnwelch: A wonderful sporting innovation. Let me know when the Olympics introduce it.

I agree with >128 laytonwoman3rd:...your brain's ability to heal is amazing! Thank goodness it didn't turn you into a Faux-News-watchin' anti-vaxxer or something.

Happy weekend's reads!

135richardderus
ag. 6, 2021, 2:05 pm

PS do you know anyone writing in/about Chicago, Joe? There's a $25K prize a-waitin' fer 'em:
https://publishingperspectives.com/2021/08/newberry-library-announces-a-25000-ch...

136weird_O
Editat: ag. 7, 2021, 4:28 pm

>127 kidzdoc: I remember those Scenicruisers, Darryl. Rode on them from Pittsburgh to NYC, from NYC to Pgh when I was a teen, living in PGH, going to prep school on Long Island.

>128 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks for the invitation, Linda. Right now I'm focused on several overdue AAC reads and a Wendell Berry; I know you like the Berry books. I maybe ought to should slip an unread Faulkner tome into the Fall reading. Oh, and maybe a Roth and an Updike. On second thought, I won't say anything at your place about anything I would happen to read of Phil or John. Just forget I mentioned it.

>129 jnwelch: I do have color photos of the Expo and of Montreal, but I think they are behind some books.

And yah, I believe I'll add a Murakami to the Fall Short List. (Hope I don't fall short, heh heh.)

137Caroline_McElwee
ag. 6, 2021, 4:47 pm

>130 jnwelch: I could get a gold in that Joe.

138jnwelch
Editat: ag. 6, 2021, 9:51 pm

>131 drneutron:. :-)

>132 Berly:. Hi, Kim. Yay for huge Murakami fans! You’ve read some of his earliest ones, too. Isn’t A Wild Sheep Chase a heckuva lotta weird fun? Dance Dance Dance is the follow up to it ( one of his few connected books) if you haven’t read that one yet. Looking forward to your comments on Killing Commendatore when you get to it.

>133 streamsong:. Happy Friday, Janet!

I’ve been a Ross King fan prior to this one. I really wanted to like it. It was sort of a can’t see the forest for the trees problem. He was so fascinated by all his research he forgot what the book was supposed to be about (seems like).

Jeez, if you find and can show us any of those b&w photos, I’d sure love to see them. I should ask my sister ( the family archivist) whether she has any Expo 67 photos.

For Murakami, I suggest trying one of his short story collections, like After the Quake, The Elephant Vanishes or After Dark. That should give you a sense of whether he’s an author for you or not.

I’m a dreamer, so his weirdness and dream-like writing suits me. He does have several more straightforward books, with Norwegian Wood being the most famous.

139jnwelch
ag. 6, 2021, 9:33 pm

>134 richardderus:. We probably won’t get the “Book, Bath, Nap” triathalon as an Olympic sport, Richard; the new ones are mostly “good tv” ones like skateboarding and surfing. Too bad, because I know we have people here who have been doing serious training for years and years, like Dr. Jim.

Ha! My brain’s doing well and my politics and common sense remain unaffected. I hope your weekend reads go well; I am indeed enjoying mine.

140jnwelch
Editat: ag. 6, 2021, 9:54 pm

>135 richardderus:. That’s a good prize from the Newberry Library, isn’t it? Eve Ewing and Alex Kotlowitz seem like naturals for it, and I’m sure many others here are thinking about what Chicago-related stories they could write.

>136 weird_O:. Hiya, Bill. Most of that post ain’t for me, but I hope you find the Expo photos, and I’m glad you’re planning to read another Murakami book in the Fall. It’s getting to be time for me to do some re-reading. I have a soft spot for Sputnik Sweetheart; that might be a good pick.

>137 Caroline_McElwee:. LOL! I bet you could, Caroline.

141LovingLit
ag. 6, 2021, 11:41 pm

>130 jnwelch: me too! Although, NZ is big on triathlons, so I do like to watch them from time to time.

142jessibud2
ag. 7, 2021, 8:00 am

Joe, I have another funny memory from Expo 67. Do you remember the Bell Telephone pavilion? It had a movie theatre in the round, the first of its kind, I think. A 360 degree film, no seats. You had to stand and hold the railings that were in there for people to line up next to. Well, we went to this pavilion as part of one of our class trips. We were, of course, reminded NOT to sit on the railings, just to hold on as we stood. I, being a rather short five feet tall, worried I wouldn't be able to see over the heads of the other people so when the lights went out, I hopped up onto the railing. I did hold onto a friend's shoulder but, as the airplane in the film banked to one side, so did I. I then understood why we were told not to sit on the railings! No damage done but after picking myself up off the floor, I remained standing. The film was spectacular, though, as I remember. You could actually turn yourself in a full circle and experience it as if you were actually in it. Very cool!

143jnwelch
Editat: ag. 7, 2021, 10:04 am

>141 LovingLit: Hi, Megan. I'd watch Madame MBH do the >130 jnwelch: triathlon, but she'd probably ask me to leave her the heck alone.

>142 jessibud2: Great story, Shelley. I can see why that'd remain a vivid memory. I do remember that movie, but the memory is a lot dimmer than I'd like. I should've climbed up on the rail and fallen off. Given the way I was at that age, I"m surprised I didn't.

144jessibud2
ag. 7, 2021, 10:18 am

>143 jnwelch: - I believe we are the same age, Joe but I was shorter than you, I am quite sure, so it was a no-brainer that I'd do that, lol!

145jnwelch
ag. 7, 2021, 3:06 pm

>144 jessibud2:. At that age, Shelley, I doubt I was much taller than you. I remember entering 7th grade at around 5 feet tall. Then the growing started, and kept going through the first year of college. At 13, according to my sister, I was also hyperactive. So climbing the rail to sit would’ve fit me, too. Did you see a red-headed guy who thought he was the cat’s pajamas?

146jnwelch
Editat: ag. 7, 2021, 8:20 pm



The author of The War the Saved My Life takes on the difficult topic of sexual abuse in this one, Fighting Words. She is thoughtful and tactful about it, letting Della, a fourth grader, first tell us about happier times and then alert us that she'll be telling us about "a bad thing" later. Della and her older sister Suki, who has taken care of Della since a young age, are abandoned by their meth-addicted mother and scooped up by acquaintance Clifton, who feeds them and gives them a place to stay. Suki takes an incriminating photo of Clifton starting to molest Della, and gets it to a neighbor, who intervenes. Della and Suki end up with a blunt and practical, but kind-hearted foster mother and a new school. Both are psychologically damaged and will need help. Della is a fierce spirit, ready to stand up to a class bully, but she can't understand why her beloved Suki is behaving the way she is. There are people who help them as they try to craft the "normal life" they've never had.

As she tells us in an afterword, the author is a survivor of sexual abuse, and puts her heart and soul into the book. It's very good, and important in this day and age. Tough topic for young readers, but as Bradley points out, it's an all too common problem that people don't talk about enough.

147Familyhistorian
Editat: ag. 7, 2021, 8:24 pm

>122 jnwelch: I saw Expo 67 a lot. It helped that I lived fairly close and, strangely, people came to visit us so we got to take them to Expo.

I was 15 that year and took my first solo trip to England. I was allowed to do that even though my mother told my 19 year old cousin not to lend me The Valley of the Dolls which was a shame as I was only a few chapters from the end.

Good to see that the passport jogged some memories!

148karenmarie
ag. 8, 2021, 8:51 am

‘Morning, Joe, and happy Sunday to you!

>130 jnwelch: My kind of Olympics, too!

>146 jnwelch: *shudder* Glad it’s a good book, but *shudder*

149scaifea
ag. 8, 2021, 9:07 am

Morning, Joe!

>146 jnwelch: This one is next up in my audio list - I'm glad you think it's worthwhile!

150jnwelch
Editat: ag. 8, 2021, 1:39 pm

>147 Familyhistorian:. Thanks for getting us going on Expo 67, Meg. Solo in England at 15? Wow. How was that?

I hope you’ve since finished Valley of the Dolls. Those darned mothers!

>148 karenmarie:. ‘Morning and Happy Sunday, Karen! I’m sitting out on our tree-shaded porch having coffee before the day gets too hot.

I’m loving the Olympics. Good to have a fellow fan. The USA women’s volleyball team and USA women’s basketball team - so much fun to watch! It was a big mismatch in the basketball finals. Japan’s team was good, but the USA women were taller and even better.

Fighting Words is good, and an important book, IMO. It reminds me of Speak, about teen acquaintance rape, that my daughter had me read. Tough topic that needs to be brought into the light and into discussion - and a book victims can read and know they’re not alone, parents can read and know to protect their kids, and friends can read and better understand their victim friends.

>149 scaifea: Yes, Fighting Words is worthwhile, Amber. I’m glad you’re reading it. Can’t wait to hear your reaction.

151benitastrnad
ag. 8, 2021, 4:17 pm

>150 jnwelch:
I am also an Olympic watcher. I indulge in a quadrennial love fest with weird and obscure sports. I like to watch things like water polo, triple jump, hammer throw, wrestling, archery, and I love, love, love synchronized swimming and pairs diving. Not a fan of the gymnastics. At one time I called it the little girls gymnastics because the contestants were getting younger and younger and finally they had to but a floor on the age you had to be to compete in the Olympics.

Out here in Mid-America, women's vollyball (not that naked in the sand stuff) is a big time sport with the University of Nebraska winning National Championships in the NCAA finals, so the local TV stations around here often show volleyball games giving them top billing at night and on weekends.

I agree with you about the Women's Basketball in the Olympics, but Japan sure made a good showing. Can you imagine who good they will be in 4 years when some of the potential women players out there find the sport - or the Japanese sports associations find them? They have a coach who showed he wants to work with the team and build a program.

152PaulCranswick
ag. 8, 2021, 9:39 pm

Happy anniversary to you and Debbi, Joe.

I am another lover of the Olympics and impressed at how us Brits have embraced them during this century. 21 Golds is a good haul for us and up to par with the two earlier Games in London and Rio. As an (ex)cyclist, I obviously love that we are the only country to have won Gold medals in every cycling discipline. The Games are always a ray of hope for the world by coming together for the joy of sports.

Of course there are several sports which us Brits don't really do - basketball, baseball, water polo and volleyball to name a few but it is nice to watch them every four years and pretend to understand the intricacies of them. We usually like to cheer on the underdogs but it was too much for me to support the French against your Dream Team and so I was as relieved as many of you no doubt were when your highly-paid boys just about got over the line against them.

153msf59
ag. 9, 2021, 8:43 am

Morning, Joe. We are back a day early, due to weather. Details on my thread. I never opened my book once, so I hope to really hunker down with the books this week. The possibility of rain and the heat will probably keep me off the trails for the next few days too. Boo! How is everything there? I see you celebrated an anniversary?

154Caroline_McElwee
ag. 9, 2021, 8:54 am

Ooo, an opportunity for more cake. Happy anniversary to you and Debbi, Joe.

155jnwelch
Editat: ag. 9, 2021, 9:38 am

>151 benitastrnad: Hi, Benita.

I agree - it's fun to watch some of the top competitors in little-seen sports. I got a kick out of ping pong and badminton this time around. The manic speed in both! Has there ever been a stranger event than the triple jump? Who came up with that craziness?

Top level college volleyball is fun to watch; I'm glad they give it good tv exposure where you are. I also love the beach volleyball. The skimpy outfits may not be necessary, but two people covering the whole court makes for a lot of exciting play. I was very happy for April Ross and Alix Kleinman, the USA team that took the gold.

I admired the way Japan played, but I don't see them catching up any time soon. The height and skill of the USA women was unbeatable, IMO. Griner, Aja WIlson, Brianna Stewart - too much. and that veteran guard duo of Sue Bird and Taurasi - wow. Great team. I wish all the best men's players wanted to play in the Olympics like the women's do. Thank goodness for Kevin Durant.

>152 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. 38 years together, and we're planning on many more.

The Brits had an excellent Olympics. The USA, China and Russia (ROC this year) always garner the most but there are plenty of medals to go around. I agree, the camaraderie among athletes from different nations is heartening.

Yes, on the men's side basketball has changed a lot. There were some very good NBA players on the French team, and 1/4 of the NBA is from other countries now. As I said above, I wish all the best USA men players wanted to play in the Olympics. Having LeBron for this, and Embid, among others, would've made it easier. Hats off to Kevin Durant - and Middleton and Jrue Holliday, who came to Tokyo right after winning the NBA championship.

156jnwelch
Editat: ag. 9, 2021, 9:50 am

>154 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks, Caroline.
>153 msf59: Welcome back, Mark. Looked like a great trip to Devil's Lake. As much as I love reading, I'd forgo it, too, in a beautiful place like that, with pals. I'll get over to your part of LT Town to catch up.

Yes, we celebrated our 38th this weekend. And what a 38 it's been. We're looking forward to many more, which seemed a bit iffy in March.

157jnwelch
ag. 9, 2021, 9:53 am



Lo, those many years ago.

158jessibud2
ag. 9, 2021, 10:15 am

Happy anniversary, Joe and Debbi! Not sure Id recognize either of you from that photo if I didn't already know it was you, but lovely memories.

159EllaTim
ag. 9, 2021, 11:57 am

>157 jnwelch: Happy anniversary Joe. Nice picture!

I did some Olympics watching too . Not much of a sports fan, but i watched some of the sports where we Dutch did well. The BMC cycling competition. Crazy looking. I watched part of the opening ceremony as well and feel a bit sorry that we never get to watch some of the sports, and some of the countries. Synchronous swimming, or diving for instance.

160jnwelch
Editat: ag. 9, 2021, 12:21 pm

I let the flies bite me when I meditate

Nick Demske

because I am a blood abundance
and it is said that when you yield an amplitude
it is right to give
of the surplus
and who among us would not bring forth
an teardrop of hemoglobin
if it would feed a starving beggar
and who among us could not afford
to spare a raindrop in the flash flood

O I saith unto thee,
it is this abundance
which hath bowed our backs
this bounty—

like a price
on our heads,
which hang—

but here have come
mine guardian angels
to alight upon me
and banquet,

to sit at meat
and to make my burden

light

*This guy is serious about meditation! I would not let nine flies bite me. But his larger point is what are we willing to give for fairness.

161jnwelch
ag. 9, 2021, 1:09 pm

>158 jessibud2: Hi, Shelley. Thanks. Yeah, I know, we looked quite different back then. Sigh. If you saw a photo of our black friends back then, you'd say, oh yeah. I recognize them. ("Black don't crack"). But a lot of Caucasians - eesh. Good thing we get wiser with time. I'd love to have that energy and all that hair, but I wouldn't trade. Those are lovely memories, as you say. We had so much fun along the way, along with the tough times.

>159 EllaTim: Thanks, Ella.

I know, it's the most fun to root for your home country. The Netherlands did really well. I remember being particularly surprised by their success in track. Canada, too.

162richardderus
ag. 9, 2021, 2:17 pm

>157 jnwelch: ...I had hair that year, too...

Much happiness shines, and shines, and shines in y'all's lives. It's a lovely lovely gift to give the world. Look at the people you've each and both made happier with it! Here's to as many more as you could ever wish for.

163jnwelch
ag. 9, 2021, 2:32 pm

Today’s Bargain: Montana 1948 for $1.99 on Kindle. Great book that is a 75er favorite, as far as I can tell.

164jnwelch
Editat: ag. 9, 2021, 3:15 pm

>162 richardderus: At least you have a cool beard. Richard. I have people complaining tha the sun’s reflection off my head is blinding them.

I figure that’s a great goal in life that you’ve described - create a life that makes you happy, and help people around you be happy. The first part seems harder to me, as some of us have an awful lot to overcome, like urate crystals. But in my mind , if we pay attention to the second part and are kind to others, it helps the first part and makes for a happier life. Thank you for your kind words.

165jnwelch
ag. 9, 2021, 3:51 pm

More BargainsToday: The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen, and The Binti Trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor.. Each for $1.99. I haven’t read The Bluest Eye and snapped it up. Mathiessen’s book is so unusual and so good. And the Binti books are wonderful examples of Africa-based sci-fi.

166richardderus
ag. 9, 2021, 4:05 pm

167FAMeulstee
ag. 9, 2021, 6:37 pm

>157 jnwelch: Happy anniversary, Debbi and Joe!

168NarratorLady
ag. 9, 2021, 9:02 pm

IMG_0305.jpeg

169jnwelch
ag. 10, 2021, 9:58 am

170jnwelch
Editat: ag. 10, 2021, 10:07 am



Alice Pasquini street art in Rome

171benitastrnad
ag. 10, 2021, 10:31 am

I am heading back to Alabama today. I wanted to let you and Richard know that I started Last of the Wine last night and read 34 pages in it.

172weird_O
ag. 10, 2021, 10:45 am

173jnwelch
ag. 10, 2021, 10:51 am

>171 benitastrnad:. Oh good, Benita. Please let us know what you think of it. Safe travels.

>172 weird_O:. :-)

174magicians_nephew
Editat: ag. 10, 2021, 11:43 am

Lovely to see the wedding photo - you look great.

Also lovely to be reminded of the amazing Peter Mattheissen and his The Snow Leopard which is definitely overdue for a re-

If my book group did non fiction I'd make them do this one.

175m.belljackson
ag. 10, 2021, 12:40 pm

Joe - Moving from your Happy Wedding Celebration to Halloween -

Trick or Treat You're So Sweet will give your grandkids a ton of surprise fun,
notably if paired with the related treats!

176richardderus
ag. 10, 2021, 12:46 pm

>173 jnwelch:, >171 benitastrnad: Yay! Be safe.

>170 jnwelch: That Pasquini...! She's a marvel isn't she.

Tove Jansson illustrated a Swedish translation of The Hobbit!

See them all here: https://lithub.com/take-a-look-at-tove-janssons-illustrations-for-a-swedish-edit...

177jnwelch
ag. 11, 2021, 9:46 am

>174 magicians_nephew: Thanks, Jim. Isn't The Snow Leopard a great book? I envy you your book club discussions, and I'd sure like to hear that one discussed.

>175 m.belljackson: Hi, Marianne. Kids love those lift-the-flap books, don't they. That looks like an excellent one for Halloween.

>176 richardderus: Hi, Richard. The Last of the Wine will make good travel company for Benita. Maybe we need a movie or tv series to cause a big resurgence of interest in Mary Renault's books.

I tell you, Debbi gave me that Crossroads: A Glimpse into the life of Alice Pasquini (no touchstone?!) collection of her art, and it's enthralling. Unfortunately, I doubt many non-Italian libraries will carry it.

Ooo, ahhh. Tove Jannson illustrating The Hobbit? Whose great idea was that? I hope they bring it stateside. Thanks for the link. I shall peruse the others.

178jnwelch
ag. 11, 2021, 9:57 am



I was a big fan of the Oz books as a kid. For a while, my parents gave me one every birthday and Christmas. Exciting!

179magicians_nephew
ag. 11, 2021, 11:10 am

>178 jnwelch: BIG fan of the Oz books here.

180richardderus
ag. 11, 2021, 11:19 am

>178 jnwelch: Wow! Cool cover image.

>177 jnwelch: I can believe Pasquini's got no touchstone. I run into it all the time when I put in books w/o any other members in possession. Once you, unique reader, have entered it into your catalog, a touchstone will generate itself in a few hours...longest I had to wait was overnight once.

Splendiferous Humpday wishes. Go look at my latest review. I expect you and Debbi would like it mos def.

181msf59
Editat: ag. 11, 2021, 11:24 am

Morning, Joe. Happy Wednesday. Storms moving through our area and everything is dark and slightly menacing. I may do a library run, but otherwise I am in for the rest of the day. Nothing wrong with quiet book time, right? I will finish up The Last Town on Earth and will try to finish up the Bechdel memoir. I am enjoying it both.

Good luck with the workout today. You are still doing it remotely, correct?

182jnwelch
Editat: ag. 11, 2021, 4:30 pm

>179 magicians_nephew:. Good to hear, Jim. We Sci-fi/fantasy guys have to stick together. If you’re like me, at the book fairs and used bookstore you look for how much those old Oz books are selling for. Big numbers! My son loved them, too - we used to read them together. Now he has all of my old ones. I told him they’re now worth a lot, and can be sold if he ever goes broke. So far, that hasn’t happened.

>180 richardderus:. Isn’t that a cool cover image, RD? They were bold with covers back in those days.

That’s good info on the touchstones. I’ll follow up on the Pasquini book and keep this in mind for the future.

I will scoot over to peruse your latest review. One that both Debbi and I would like? I’m intrigued.

Hey, btw, I know you liked Dear Mrs. Bird (as did I). I started today the sequel, Your, Cheerfully, and so far it’s another charming time with “plucky” Emma and the gang.

>181 msf59:. Hiya, Mark. Yeah, weird weather day. We didn’t get the darkness, but a good bit of rain and ridiculous heat showed up; we’re hanging in the A/C.

For working out, we’ve gone to a combination. He comes to our place on Fridays, and the other two days are via FaceTime. Debbi’s still not ready to try the gym with the covid resurgence. But he’s in Las Vegas with his girlfriend. She’s a top pool player, and there’s a big time competition going on there right now. He’s a big pool player, too, so he’s happy to be there. We’ve been doing the workouts on our own, and staying on schedule, I’m glad to report. Becca and Indy join us. Indy still hasn’t figured out what we’re doing and sometimes mistakes it for play-with-Indy time.

183kac522
ag. 11, 2021, 4:58 pm

>178 jnwelch: I have that book, Joe, as well as The Wizard of Oz. They were my mom's and they are both a bit beat up, but they remind me of her.

184benitastrnad
Editat: ag. 11, 2021, 10:19 pm

The Oz books are an interesting story. PBS's American Masters did a show on L. Frank Baum last fall and his life is a very interesting story.

At one time most of his Oz books were removed from schools and public libraries (I believe that was in the 1950's) because they were considered to be "Red" literature and Baum a Socialist. The Grade School that I went to was one of the fortunate ones where the books were not removed (Probably because we didn't have a librarian at the school) so I read most of them before I was in 8th grade. Maybe that is why I am a Socialist at heart - it's because I was corrupted by those Oz books back in my tender years.

The series was reissued in the 1990's with different covers by the publisher Books of Wonder.

185quondame
ag. 12, 2021, 12:40 am

>184 benitastrnad: I know there weren't many of them in the school libraries or the base library on the military base where I grew up. I was able to borrow a number of them from the older sister of a friend whose father later became my chemistry mentor for work study high school program. But it wasn't until my 20s that I read through a number of them in order. I don't think I've ever read all of them.

186karenmarie
ag. 12, 2021, 8:41 am

Hi Joe, and happy Thursday!

>156 jnwelch: and >157 jnwelch: Happy anniversary. Wonderful photo. Thanks for sharing.

>178 jnwelch: I knew there were quite a few books, but didn’t realize there were 14! For some strange reason I’ve got 1, 5, and 6.

187jnwelch
ag. 12, 2021, 10:04 am

>183 kac522:. Nice, Kathy. Such a distinctive look that we don’t see these days. What a lovely reminder of your mother.

>184 benitastrnad:. Thanks for this good info, Benita. What a refreshing quality for an old book, being accused of promoting socialism (i.e. compassion for the less fortunate), rather than thoughtless racism. Like you, my liberal leanings probably started with these. Respect to the Munchkins!

188jnwelch
Editat: ag. 12, 2021, 10:19 am

>185 quondame:. I’m glad you found them, Susan. Jeez, it’s like the Harry Potter books being accused of promoting the conjuring of evil spirits. I had no idea some places banned them.

>186 karenmarie:. Hi, Karen. Happy Thursday!

You’re welcome re the wedding photo. Man, that proposal was the smartest thing I ever did.

Yes, the are 14 L. Frank Baum Oz books. A woman named Ruth Plumly Thompson continued the series and did a pretty good job, I thought. I remember The Patchwork Girl of Oz as one of my favorites of hers. No, that was one of his. The Royal Book of Oz was a good one from her.

189Caroline_McElwee
Editat: ag. 12, 2021, 10:56 am

>178 jnwelch: I have a lovely Folio Society edition of The Wizard of Oz, still to be read. Maybe it will go in the Winter reading pile Joe.

190msf59
ag. 12, 2021, 12:05 pm

Sweet Thursday, Joe. I am picking up a bookcase for Bree's nursery, (YAH!!) today, which of course is music to my ears. I then have book time in the afternoon. I am starting Second Place which just made the Booker longlist.

191quondame
Editat: ag. 13, 2021, 8:00 pm

>188 jnwelch: I was sure of at least 3 OZ authors but there are more and even some authorized books published this century without even including the Maguire books.

192jnwelch
ag. 13, 2021, 9:41 am

>189 Caroline_McElwee: Oh man, that sounds nice, Caroline.Does it look like this?



Staying warm in winter and reading Wizard of Oz. there's a good plan.

193jnwelch
ag. 13, 2021, 9:55 am

>190 msf59: Hey, buddy. Shopping for the grandkid-to-be, eh? And so it begins! :-)

I've never read Rachel Cusk. Enjoy Second Place. I'll look forward to hearing about it. I was glad to see Klara and the Sun make the list.

>191 quondame: You know your Oz books, Susan! Yes, the series seems neverending now, with new authors continuing to take it on, with varying success. Actually, one of my favorites was Merry Go Round in Oz by Eloise Jarvis McGraw. TO me, the Gregory Maguire ones belong in a different category, as he's taking an adult angle on the stories in ones like Wicked (which I liked).

194jnwelch
Editat: ag. 13, 2021, 10:08 am



Ozma's riding the Sawhorse.



One of Little Joe's favorites. Mine's in better condition.

195richardderus
ag. 13, 2021, 10:52 am

>194 jnwelch: I'm still amazed at how extremely socialist the stories were! And they got published and into kids' hands! Wow.

Have a great weekend...reading Hench yet?

196jnwelch
ag. 13, 2021, 11:54 am

>195 richardderus:. Ha! I just got your nudge to buy Henchat $1.99, you jughead. My other books would be offended if I skipped out on them.

Btw, Yours, Cheerfully is another corker.

I’m enjoying the heck of belatedly finding out that the Oz books promote socialism. Not crappy racism. Hurrah!

197Caroline_McElwee
ag. 13, 2021, 12:06 pm

>192 jnwelch: That is the one Joe.

198jnwelch
ag. 13, 2021, 12:54 pm

>197 Caroline_McElwee:. Beautiful artwork, Caroline.

199jnwelch
Editat: ag. 13, 2021, 6:49 pm



This is what I just wrote to my fantasy-loving sister about The House in the Cerulean Sea:

"Have you read this one? If not, I urge you to fit it in as soon as you can. Becca described it as a “big warm gay blanket” of a book. She loved it, and Debbi loved it, pushing me to read it. I loved it. It’s a fantasy with magical creatures (very unusual for D & B), and the gay part is heart-warming and decorously handled.

A truly wonderful book."

200quondame
ag. 13, 2021, 8:02 pm

>193 jnwelch: Absolutely Maguire is in a different category, just as Bored of the Rings and Grunts aren't anything like Tolkein's Simarilion. I'm not any sort of expert though I do remember looking for and reading more OZ books in my 20s, then revisited them when Becky was little.

201Berly
ag. 13, 2021, 8:05 pm

>178 jnwelch: I still have my collection at home!! Love the Oz series. I have all 14 and I have read them multiple times. : )

>193 jnwelch: And I am a fan of Maguire. I have and have read five of his Oz takeoffs.

>199 jnwelch: Okay. This is like the fourth time I have heard about this one. You are the one who posted a picture and a mini review, so you get the book-bullet honors.

Happy weekend!

202connie53
ag. 14, 2021, 3:19 am

>199 jnwelch: I loved that book too.

This is what I wrote about is in 2020 when I read it

Wonderful, hopeful and lovely. Linus Barker's life is turned upside down when he is sent by his superior to investigate an orphanage. This orphanage is located on an island in a sun-drenched, sky-blue sea. And Linus comes from the city where it's been raining for months. When he gets on the train with his cat Calliope, the journey of his life begins. Six magical children live on the island, lovingly raised by Arthur Parnassus. Every child has their own magical powers. Linus has 4 weeks to complete his research into the well-being of these children. And to investigate whether this house can continue to exist like this. In the course of these weeks, Linus will get to love these special children. And his view of the world is changing enormously. And when he also finds love in the form of Arthur, he makes a decision.

203msf59
Editat: ag. 14, 2021, 8:02 am

Morning, Joe. Happy Saturday. Like we chatted about yesterday, I will muddle through Ghettobirds but I can't wait to get to the Seuess. Otherwise my other current reads are treating me fine. It looks like I better request The House in the Cerulean Sea. I have not heard that kind of warbling in awhile.

It looks like Bree will have the baby next weekend. Yah!!

204scaifea
ag. 14, 2021, 9:27 am

>199 jnwelch: That's a great one, isn't it? I listened to it, then immediately ordered a print copy for Charlie because I know he'll love it.

205benitastrnad
ag. 14, 2021, 1:30 pm

>203 msf59:
At the last ALA I was able to attend (January 2020 in Philadelphia) I got to here this author speak and he was very engaging. The book House in the Cerulean Sea was getting lots of good press and libraryland was loving the book. It was listed as a Children's Noteable book for 2021 and the reviews for it have just been outstanding. I was lucky to pick up a copy and have it on the bedside table. Just haven't gotten to it yet.

I am now deep into reading Last of the Wine and am finding the style it is written in to be somewhat of a challenge. I also have to go back and do lots of Wikipedia searching to find out the historical background of the major characters. I have just met Plato.

206magicians_nephew
ag. 14, 2021, 6:51 pm

I do like the Oz Books with Ozma and her friends more perhaps then the ones where Dorothy and other outsiders crash in

207jnwelch
Editat: ag. 15, 2021, 10:30 am

>206 magicians_nephew:. Hi, Jim. Ozma was a great character, wasn’t she. I liked those ones a lot, too.

205. I. like that House in the Cerulean Sea is a Children’s Notable Book.
It certainly is gentle and features children. Where Linus works is probably understandably scary in a Wrinkle in Time kind of way. I’d like to hear TJ Klune speak. In his bio he says he’s dedicated to making positive portrayals of gay characters, and he certainly succeeds here.

I’m glad you’re liking The Last of the Wine, if finding it challenging. I used to keep a dictionary nearby while reading; Google is easier. The one thing I kept from my father after he passed was his huge Webster’s Dictionary. He used to send me to it when I had a word question. It’ll probably look prehistoric to our grandkids. One of many reasons to shake their heads over their grandpa.

208jnwelch
Editat: ag. 15, 2021, 10:14 am

>204 scaifea:. Great book for Charlie, Amber. I was impressed with how “complete” it was. All the storylines were thought out and wrapped up in a satisfying way.

>203 msf59:. Happy Sunday, brother. Yeah, I need to remember. to do that “it sucks” review of Ghettobirds. If only it had lived up to its title. Sorry that you had to suffer through it, too.

Yay for Bree and the Freeburg family! Can’t wait for the newest family member to show up.

>202 connie53:. Isn’t The House in the Cerulean Sea a great book, Connie? Good review of it.

209msf59
ag. 15, 2021, 10:08 am

Morning, Joe! Happy Sunday. ^Did you miss me up there?

210jnwelch
Editat: ag. 15, 2021, 10:29 am

>208 jnwelch:. Happy Sunday, Mark. Nope. Patience, man, patience! The cafe is busy right now. Look up above in >208 jnwelch:.

211jnwelch
ag. 15, 2021, 10:27 am

>201 Berly:. Hiya, Kim. Yay for the original 14! As I said to Jim, those are worth a good bit of money these days. Yeah, I used to read them over and over, too.

I should think about trying another Maguire Oz take off. I liked Wicked.

Ha! I’m glad I get the honor of being your Cerulean recommender. My link in the chain was Debbi and our daughter.

>200 quondame:. Hi, Susan. I’ll bet it was fun revisiting the Oz books with Becky. I sure loved doing it with our son. He was a sci-fi and fantasy guy; our daughter was a mystery girl (we read a lot of Nancy Drew together, among others). The other series our son loved was The Magic Treehouse.

212msf59
ag. 15, 2021, 11:01 am

>210 jnwelch: Sorry, Joe. I jumped the gun on that one. I was hitting a couple of threads, while doing some chores and it was kind of a duck & move maneuver. I am still painfully making my way through Ghettobirds, but I did start Any Other World Will Do and I really like his easy style. My favorite expectant mother is coming over for an early dinner, along a couple other family members. It will be great to see her.

BTW- Have you dipped into any of the GNs, I passed onto you? Inquiring minds and all that...

213jnwelch
ag. 15, 2021, 11:33 am

>212 msf59:. No worries, Mark. I know exactly what you mean. I’m probably lucky you didn’t call me “Jim”. I’ve gotten mixed up doing what you describe.

I don’t know Any Other World Will Do, or its author, but I like that title. I like the way “multiverse” has settled in as a concept everyone is familiar with. I remember it being a being a new idea for me when I was reading sci-fi authors like Roger Zelazny. Blake Crouch’s Darl Matter is a more recent one that I thought handled it well.

Please give Bree a hug for us and congratulate her on the impending wee one.

I’ve been reading The Waves GN that you gave me (thanks again), but that néw Alison Bechdel came in at the library and I know I won’t be able to renew it (too many requesters) so it will jump the queue. How are you liking Thirsty Mermaids?

214msf59
ag. 15, 2021, 12:27 pm

>213 jnwelch: I also loved Dark Matter, Joe. I am sure you will LOVE the Bechdel. It will probably be my favorite GN of the year. I am not reading Thirsty Mermaids. Did I give that impression?

215jnwelch
ag. 15, 2021, 12:39 pm

>214 msf59:. You did. My misunderstanding. You were very enthusiastic about Thirsty Mermaids whenI mentioned it, and I assumed you grabbed it.

Good to hear about The secret to Superhuman Strength.

216msf59
ag. 15, 2021, 2:46 pm

>215 jnwelch: I wonder if you might be thinking of Still Life with Two Dead Peacocks and a Girl, the Seuss collection I recently got from the library but have not yet started. If not, then maybe I am a bit batty.

217jnwelch
ag. 15, 2021, 3:23 pm

Not sure about the batty, but the one I have is Frank sonnets.

218jnwelch
ag. 16, 2021, 9:11 am



Rafa and Fina out for a weekend motorcycle ride

219jnwelch
Editat: ag. 16, 2021, 2:49 pm



This was an ARC. Great title, lousy poetry. I was looking forward to this one and it unfortunately sucked. It's supposed to contain "speculative" science fiction poetry; instead it has an unappealing hash of incoherent thoughts broken into 30 pieces. You'd be better off watching paint dry. Too bad.

220karenmarie
ag. 16, 2021, 9:21 am

Hi Joe! Happy day after Sunday to you.

>218 jnwelch: Rafa looks so big compared to Fina in that pic. They are both so photogenic.

221jnwelch
ag. 16, 2021, 9:32 am

Hi Karen! Happy Day Before Tuesday. What a lovely weekend that was.

Rafa is getting big! We notice it, too. Fina's no shrimp - she's in the high 90th percentile for height. They both are so used to phone cameras that they just go on with what they're doing. Thanks for finding them photogenic. Madame MBH is out visiting them in person right now, lucky lady.

222Caroline_McElwee
ag. 16, 2021, 10:20 am

>218 jnwelch: A budding Jimmy Dean there Joe. I think Fina is thinking 'stop posing and look at the road bro'.

That motorcycle always makes me smile when I see it. Beautifully crafted.

>219 jnwelch: Meh. Hate when that happens.

223kidzdoc
ag. 16, 2021, 10:39 am

>218 jnwelch: Now that's what I call adorable!

224richardderus
ag. 16, 2021, 11:06 am

>219 jnwelch: Ugh. And whew from me...further evidence, as though millennia of it were not enough, that poetry stinks.

>218 jnwelch: Such adorables! Rafa is huge! But then again, it's hard to process how fast growth occurs when one's past child-raising stage.

225m.belljackson
ag. 16, 2021, 12:00 pm

>218 jnwelch: Hi Joe - Looks like Fina's ready to sit in front where she can see and coast Rafa around.

And, he looks ready for the next model.

226jnwelch
ag. 16, 2021, 1:16 pm

>222 Caroline_McElwee:. Rafa has the look in that sleeveless t-shirt, doesn’t he, Caroline.

That motorcycle made by Debbi’s brother is a family treasure. I’m so glad the little ones like it.

Yeah, there’s one book of poetry you can skip without missing anything. The unusual sci-fi aspect had me looking forward to it.

227jnwelch
ag. 16, 2021, 1:29 pm

>223 kidzdoc:. Hi, Darryl. Aren’t those two adorable? Just like you are, Debbi would say.:-)

>224 richardderus:. I know you’re just hoping to get the poetry-lovers sputtering, RD. Thank goodness The Ghettobirds is, for me, a rare example of a “how did that get published?” poetry book.

It’s been long enough that I’d forgotten how quickly the young ones grow. It’s fun to watch these two sprout up. Fina keeps up pretty well for being only 18 months. They’ll both be going to the same school in a month or so. They’re willing to take young Fina at the Spanish-immersive school. Debbi’s with them in person right now and says Fina is non-stop chatter - which is true of Rafa, too.

>225 m.belljackson:. Hi, Marianne. I’ll bet Fina tried for the front seat and he asserted big brother rights. As soon as he walks away she’ll take over the motorcycle. They’re in a constant tussle over who gets what toy. Parents as referees - I remember those days.

228quondame
ag. 16, 2021, 8:08 pm

>218 jnwelch: Oh he is so tall! And she is so much more grown in appearance. What a great rockin'cycle!

229jessibud2
ag. 16, 2021, 8:19 pm

>218 jnwelch: - And of course, it's his wrist watch that makes his facial expression all the more *tough guy*. If he had short sleeves, I'd half expect a cigarette box to be tucked in it (though, heaven forbid!). And Fina does look grown up. A bit bored, as if to say, alright already, quit your posing and let's GO! ;-)

230humouress
Editat: ag. 17, 2021, 1:21 am

Hi Joe! You moved the café again without telling me. Aren't Rafe and Fina growing fast (I always say that, but that's because I'm always surprised; it's nice to be able to step back and watch kids grow).

I missed you making Jasper a poster boy! Thank you.

And I missed your birthday. Belated birthday wishes - I'm sure you painted the town 'read'.

>34 jnwelch: I think I like this one the best.

>139 jnwelch: My brain’s doing well and my politics and common sense remain unaffected. That's good, right? ;0)

I see you're pulling strongly for your double 75 already. Go for it!

We enjoyed watching the Olympics. Diving is my sport and I was thrilled that Britain got a gold in the men's 10m synchronised diving. I loved the sportsmanship on display in these, as in so many, Olympics.



>218 jnwelch: That one is going to be such a charmer.

231msf59
ag. 17, 2021, 8:01 am

Morning, Joe. I hope the week is off to a good start. The weather has been gorgeous, right? May it continue. I can't believe how I am enjoying Any Other World Will Do. I am saving this copy for you.

>218 jnwelch: I LOVE IT!

>219 jnwelch: DITTO! Still struggling...

232scaifea
ag. 17, 2021, 9:11 am

>218 jnwelch: Aw, look at those sweet faces!

233jnwelch
Editat: ag. 17, 2021, 10:51 am

>230 humouress:. Sorry, Nina. Somehow I thought the 100 person choir singing, “we’ve opened a new cafe!” would do the trick.

Bring your friend Jasper by any time.

Ha! “Painted the town read”. And I thought I was bad about puns.
Yes, that Brit duo was remarkably in sync for the diving gold. What a lot of practice that must take. I loved the good sportsmanship and camaraderie, too. I forget which event that was, but those two friends who elected to each take gold rather than keep battling for a single winner made for a great example of Olympic spirit.

234jnwelch
Editat: ag. 17, 2021, 10:50 am

>231 msf59:. More gorgeous weather today, thank you, Mother Nature.

Hiya, Mark. Great to hear re Any Other World Will Do. I know this is a rare warble for the sci-fi world.

Those two are Born to be Wild, aren’t they.

Right, this is the penalty we pay for taking a chance on an ARC. Have to read a bad one and review it. Sometimes “free” has a cost. In addition to the hangover from reading a bad book, darn it.

>232 scaifea:. :-). Thanks, Amber.

235magicians_nephew
ag. 17, 2021, 1:08 pm

>216 msf59: Still Life with Two Dead Peacocks and a Girl has my vote for most intriguing title of the year anyway. When you said "Seuss collection" I think I thought you meant another Seuss

236jnwelch
ag. 17, 2021, 1:37 pm

>235 magicians_nephew:. Ha! I know, seeing that name (Geisel’s pseudonym) automatically leads to that connection for me,too. His poetry was simpler and better illustrated than hers.

237jnwelch
ag. 18, 2021, 9:43 am

238richardderus
ag. 18, 2021, 10:45 am

>237 jnwelch: I've often wondered if I'm weird...well, weirder than most...well, superduper extra-special weird...because I've never had a test-anxiety dream.

Anyway, onward through the fog, good sir.

239jnwelch
Editat: ag. 18, 2021, 11:34 am

>238 richardderus:. You lucky bucky. It’s a agonizing bad dream. For me, it was preceded by the realization I’d lost track of the class(seemingly in character for me) and forgotten to go to it or study.

The relief of waking up from it certainly was major, but didn’t make up for that anxiety. The only one I can remember like that that was worse was a fever dream (the penicillin hadn’t kicked in) that my friends were trapped in a snowed in ice cave, and there was no way I could save them. Way too realistic. Oof.

240katiekrug
ag. 18, 2021, 11:37 am

I don't think I've ever had a test-anxiety dream, either. I had a real-life nightmare related to testing, though, when I overslept and arrived late for my AP US History exam junior year of high school :-P

241kidzdoc
ag. 18, 2021, 11:52 am

>237 jnwelch: *shudders in horror*

Another recurring nightmare, which I and several medical school classmates shared, was being summoned during a lecture to report to the office of the Dean of Students. She informed me that a terrible mistake had been made, as the school had meant to accept someone with a name similar to mine, e.g., Darren Moore, instead of me, and I would have to withdraw immediately.

242richardderus
ag. 18, 2021, 12:10 pm

>239 jnwelch: Egads! Those sound like awful bad bad bad dreams indeed. My own nightmares are metaphorical. It makes them more fun to chew on than scary.

243jnwelch
ag. 18, 2021, 12:53 pm

>240 katiekrug:. Yikes! I’d rather have the nightmare and wake up from it, Katie. Knowing you, it probably turned out fine.

>241 kidzdoc:. Ha! Oh that’s terrible, Darryl. It reminds me of what was supposedly a widely shared concern at Harvard - that I, or whomever, was the admissions “mistake” they made, and that it would quickly become apparent.

>242 richardderus:. I love the world of dreams, RD. As a friend said, “free movies”. Metaphorical sounds good to me. I’m not fond of the scary ones.

BTW, . Hench girl just got trucked by heroSupercollider, and is obsessively totaling up all the life years he’s taken from people - as bad as a major earthquake.

244katiekrug
ag. 18, 2021, 1:01 pm

>243 jnwelch: - Got a 5 *preens* Funnily enough, I had overslept because I was up late finishing reading the text, as the class had only gotten up to WWII and the exam covered beyond that; lo and behold, one of the essays was about the Civil Rights movement, so things were fresh in my mind :)

245richardderus
ag. 18, 2021, 1:07 pm

>243 jnwelch: I've always said I'm a far better auteur than Tarantino or Spielberg. In my head. *I* don't have to worry about little things like actors perfect for roles being dead or too old or the wrong gender. Infinite flexibility has its perks.

Re: spoiler, this is where the book goes from silly froth to biting, bleeding social commentary. It is a simple thing...an obsession gone viral...that makes her into the heroine she was meant to be.

Enjoy it! I really did.

246m.belljackson
ag. 18, 2021, 1:29 pm

>239 jnwelch: Joe - did you ever visit the Ice Caves along the Going-to-the-Sun Road at Glacier National Park?

I was wondering about that source.

247msf59
ag. 18, 2021, 1:52 pm

Happy Wednesday, Joe. You are probably still reeling from your workout. I watched the first 2 eps of Brand New Dark Cherry last night on your glowing endorsement. I like it, since it is no surprise that I like dark & weird. I am continuing to enjoy Any Other World Will Do.

>235 magicians_nephew: I just started Still Life with Two Dead Peacocks and a Girl. It is a poetry collection and I agree, it is a great title.

248weird_O
ag. 18, 2021, 2:03 pm

>247 msf59: Heh heh, Mark Sounds like "A Blonde with two boobs on a couch".

249jnwelch
ag. 18, 2021, 2:32 pm

Shoot. I lost my post. Wouldn’t you know it. I’ll be back later.

250jnwelch
ag. 18, 2021, 2:38 pm

>244 katiekrug: I would've bet money on it, Katie. You were smart to do that studying - teachers love to test on that last little bit, don't they. Separate those who read all the material from those who didn't.

>245 richardderus: I bet you're the Fellini of the Dream World, RD. "I" find myself playing many parts - more than one different color, a different gender, falling man, flying man, communicator with spirits (my parents) and I don't know what all. Probably due to all those darn books I read. I do write down the most vivid ones.

Hench- cool, it's just starting to happen.

>246 m.belljackson: Hi, Marianne. We went along the going-to-the-Sun road, but I didn't visit any ice caves. I don't know where that scene came from - it was a Ray Bradbury kind of thing. The real problem was the weather was hot (I was camping with some friends) and i was burning with fever. So of course I dreamed of all of us freezing to death in ice and snow.

>247 msf59: I like dark & weird Man, are you going to get a belly-full with Brand New Cherry Flavor! Can't wait to talk to you about it.

I am reeling from that workout. I lost a post! i hate it when that happens. I've broken my own rule and already added Any Other World Will Do to my WL based on your enthusiasm so far. I try to wait until people are done, but this one was too tempting.

Can't wait to hear what you think of that Seuss collection. if it's at all good, I"ll track it down.

>248 weird_O: You'll want to start laying off those martinis, Bill. :-)

251richardderus
ag. 18, 2021, 3:18 pm

>250 jnwelch: Heh...think what would happen if Fellini, Jodorowsky, and Ingmar Bergman collaborated on directing a Hitchcock script of a Stephen King novel.

253magicians_nephew
ag. 18, 2021, 3:59 pm

>251 richardderus: I was told that Walt Disney and Salvador Dali once set out to collaborate on an animated film, but nothing much came of it aside from sketches.

If you like dreamscapes

254weird_O
ag. 18, 2021, 5:17 pm

>250 jnwelch: C'mon, Joe. Fox News. Trump's morning favs.



A blonde, Ainsley Earhardt, and two boobs, Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade, sitting on a couch.

255quondame
Editat: ag. 18, 2021, 5:22 pm

>237 jnwelch: >238 richardderus: Well those weren't near as bad as starting a job with no clue what to do or when I'd be found out.

>254 weird_O: Snork.

256richardderus
ag. 18, 2021, 9:28 pm

>253 magicians_nephew:, >251 richardderus: I'm pretty sure I missed my calling....

257jnwelch
Editat: ag. 19, 2021, 9:02 am

>251 richardderus: I'm with Linda (>252 laytonwoman3rd:) on this one. Too many parameters; my brain's on overload. but please let us know how that one turns out.

>252 laytonwoman3rd: Well said, Linda.

>253 magicians_nephew: It sounded like the start of a joke for a minute there, Jim. "A priest and a rabbi decide to make an animated film". Old-timey Disney and Salvador, what a weird mash-up that would've been. Snow White and the Seven Melting Clocks.

>254 weird_O: Ah, thanks for clearing that up, Bill. It's a fundamental principle of my life to know as little about Fox News as possible. They'll take you into that looney-tunes land where the anti-vaxxers live. I'd still suggest taking it easy on the martinis, and maybe you should change the channel.

258jnwelch
ag. 19, 2021, 9:00 am

>255 quondame: I join you in your snork and raise you a chortle, Susan.

Starting a job with no clue is the ultimate challenge to our improvising skills, isn't it. I did that a fair bit when young and reckless.

>256 richardderus: Well, you wouldn't have had much time for LT if you hadn't missed it, Richard, so I guess we're lucky.

259jnwelch
ag. 19, 2021, 9:05 am



Two water droplets side by side. Captured with ultra-fast photography by Norwegian photographer Ronny Tertnes.

260FAMeulstee
Editat: ag. 19, 2021, 9:28 am

>253 magicians_nephew: I saw that one recently, the result of Dali and Disney's cooperation, Destino, was released in 2003.

>237 jnwelch: I never had those kind of dreams. Frank does have them, and I am sorry for all who do dream that way.

261bell7
ag. 19, 2021, 9:35 am

>237 jnwelch: Ooof, it's been a LONG time since I had that particular nightmare, but I remember the feeling. My dad got them re: law school for a very long time; I'll have to ask him if he still does now that he's retired.

>259 jnwelch: That's very cool!

262jessibud2
ag. 19, 2021, 10:02 am

>259 jnwelch: - Those look sort of like glass mushroom caps, dancing in the wind, to my eye. Synchronized mushroom dancing. Maybe the next Olympic sport! Anything goes, these days, it seems... ;-)

263jnwelch
Editat: ag. 19, 2021, 11:00 am

>262 jessibud2:. Ha! The Olympics does seem wide open these days, Shelley. It all started when they wanted to make sure they continued to appeal to young people, so they added Xgame sports like snowboarding. This year I didn’t think skateboarding or golf were as exciting, but I imagine fans of those sports might disagree.

I know, >259 jnwelch: definitely makes me think of dancing. Little delights are happening all around us all the time. I love that this photographer was able to capture this one.

>261 bell7:. It’s been a while for me, Mary, since I had that forgot to study or go to class fir final exam dream. I bet retirement does affect its occurrence.

I’m surprised I never had a forgot the kids somewhere dream. They were more important than tests for a while there.

>260 FAMeulstee:. You’re lucky, Anita. As Frank has probably told you, those are high anxiety dreams.

So the two really did collaborate?! I’ll have to check whether YouTube has that. Remarkable.a

P.S. it was there! 6 minutes and 42 seconds. I actually loved it. Talk about dreamscapes! Thanks, Anita. That was a good one.

264richardderus
ag. 19, 2021, 10:52 am

>259 jnwelch: How utterly gorgeous.

>257 jnwelch:, >252 laytonwoman3rd: Heh...

265kidzdoc
Editat: ag. 19, 2021, 11:24 am

>243 jnwelch: I'm no expert on dreams, but it seems as though my worst ones reflect personal anxieties and worries, including bad things that happen to loved ones, or occasionally myself. These dreams were often very realistic, and it often took me a few minutes after I woke up to convince myself that they didn't reflect a terrifying reality.

*checks medical school and residency diplomas*

*whew!*

266magicians_nephew
ag. 19, 2021, 1:31 pm

The "Actors Nightmare" dream is to find yourself out on stage in front of an audience other actors on stage with you and you have no idea what you next line is, or even what play you're supposed to be playing that night.

I've had that one a few times

267msf59
ag. 19, 2021, 1:44 pm

Sweet Thursday, Joe. We saw Bree this morning. She is beautiful and so ready to have this baby. Have a great time with your visiting NY pal and maybe you can see a Cubs win tomorrow. They did win 2 in a row. Whooppee!

268Caroline_McElwee
ag. 19, 2021, 1:45 pm

>259 jnwelch: stunning photo Joe. Off to explore the photographer. Thanks.

269richardderus
ag. 19, 2021, 2:09 pm

>263 jnwelch: Destino is waaay trippy and there are several moments that look like the image in >259 jnwelch:.

Strange in Disney's ouevre but pretty tame for Dalí and makes me wish someone had really doubled down on animation's possibilities back then.

270humouress
ag. 19, 2021, 2:43 pm

>259 jnwelch: They look like two elegant ladies (something like the French girls who visited Hogwarts).

I haven’t had passing-exam anxiety dreams (although it may happen now that my eldest is in his final IB year) but I frequently had what I call ‘traveling dreams’ where I did a lot of navigation around a city - it was usually linked to having to get up on time to get somewhere (I’m not a morning person). It happened less often once I absconded from the work force to focus on the kids.

271jnwelch
Editat: ag. 19, 2021, 3:50 pm

>264 richardderus: Isn't that gorgeous, Richard. You not only boggled my and Linda's mind, you over-boggled them. Criminy.

>265 kidzdoc: That makes sense, Darryl. I know, they can be so real. I remember waking up and wanting to confirm that one wasn't, too.

>266 magicians_nephew: I can see it for actors, Jim. Do you have an acting background?

>267 msf59: Hey, buddy. I'm glad Bree looks beautiful, and I can imagine she's been ready for a while now. That last month can be tough, right? It's so close - maybe Saturday?

My NY pal arrives momentarily. He wants pizza tonight. I think we can manage to find a pizza place in Chicago, don't you think? I'm expecting a lot of runs to get piled up tomorrow, KC produces a lot, and the Cubs give up a lot. Let's just hope the Cubs can outscore them.

272jnwelch
ag. 19, 2021, 3:44 pm

>268 Caroline_McElwee: Isn't that stunning, Caroline? What a good idea - I should investigate that photographer, too.

>269 richardderus: I should provide a link for that waaaayyyyy trippy DIsney/Dali collaboration, shouldn't I. Here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_TlaxmOKqs&t=6s

I'm kind of glad that Dali didn't try to do too much. This is true to his art, but fairly tame, as you say. I was afraid he might veer into campy. Of course, if he had, this collab might be better remembered.

Fantasia is about as adventuresome as we've gotten in long-form films. I had hopes of more adventuresomeness in the days of Fritz the Cat and Ralph Bakshi and Heavy Metal magazine, but that all didn't amount to much. The genius (IMO) Moebius (Jean Giraud) did have his artwork used in a low budget animation movie that I"d like to see some time. It's discussed in this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_TlaxmOKqs&t=6s

Shaun Tan's work might translate well to animation. Any others?

273jnwelch
ag. 19, 2021, 3:52 pm

>270 humouress: The water droplets in >259 jnwelch: look like elegant dancers to me, too, Nina. I like that comparison to the visiting French girls in Harry Potter (Goblet of Fire, I think).

Travelling dreams, eh? Did you get lost?

274richardderus
ag. 19, 2021, 3:55 pm

>271 jnwelch: A person from New York wants Pizza in Chicago.

Where upstate is he from? Utica? Potsdam?

275katiekrug
ag. 19, 2021, 3:56 pm

>274 richardderus: - Snork.

Hi Joe! Hope you get to see a Cubs win tomorrow!

276jnwelch
ag. 19, 2021, 10:25 pm

>274 richardderus:. Lol. Manhattan. He likes Chicago pizza, as all New Yorkers should.

>275 katiekrug:. Thanks,,Katie! There’s almost sure to be a lot of runs, as both pitchers have very high ERAs. Let’s hope the Cubs come up with more than KC.

277humouress
Editat: ag. 19, 2021, 11:49 pm

>271 jnwelch: Dunno, Joe; finding a pizza place in Chicago could be hard.

>273 jnwelch: It's been a while since I had one, but mainly they just involve a lot of walking and navigating. I don't think I've ever got lost.

278humouress
ag. 19, 2021, 11:48 pm

279msf59
ag. 20, 2021, 9:29 am

Morning, Joe. Happy Friday. Have a great time at the Cubs game with your buddy. Keep cool, my friend and bring home a win. We could use those. 4 eps into Brank New Cherry. Liking it...

>278 humouress: LOL.

280richardderus
ag. 20, 2021, 12:42 pm

>276 jnwelch: what >277 humouress: said, only with "decent" interpolated. Wonderbreadza, the bread-with-ketchup thing, isn't really *pizza* – this being self-evident, we really needn't belabor the point.

I hope your Cubs get out of their own way this game.

281Berly
ag. 20, 2021, 12:53 pm

Joe--Gorgeous water photo!!! And the kids on the motorcycle are oh so cute! Sorry the poetry sucked. It does make you wonder how some things get published. At least that's the question I ask myself instead of wonderful whether I am not smart enough to get it. LOL. Have fun at the game!!

282jnwelch
ag. 20, 2021, 1:01 pm

>277 humouress: We did manage to stumble across our favorite neighborhood pizza joint, and had some deep dish outside. Mmm-mmm.

Ok, your travelling dreams have you wandering the highways and by-ways. Seems relatively anxiety-free.

>278 humouress: :-)

283jnwelch
ag. 21, 2021, 9:43 am

>279 msf59:. Hi, Mark. We had a good time (great seats!), but the Cubs did what that do best, and lost. You would’ve enjoyed the post-game libations.

We’re carousing again today, so I won’t be on LT much.

284humouress
ag. 21, 2021, 10:29 am

>280 richardderus: Hey! No twisting my words!

>282 jnwelch: I think it’s my back brain warning me to get up and go, but I’m too laid back to take notice.

285jnwelch
ag. 21, 2021, 1:07 pm

286jnwelch
ag. 21, 2021, 1:37 pm

Today’s Bargain: Claire of the Sea Light for $1.99 on e-readers.. I liked this Edwidge Danticat novel.

287jessibud2
ag. 21, 2021, 1:42 pm

>285 jnwelch: - That's me, today. Well, most days but today for sure. It is just too hot to breathe, out there....

288katiekrug
ag. 21, 2021, 4:09 pm

289richardderus
ag. 21, 2021, 4:32 pm

290drneutron
ag. 21, 2021, 6:28 pm

291benitastrnad
Editat: ag. 22, 2021, 1:24 pm

I finished reading Last of the Wine by Mary Renault during yesterday afternoon's rainstorm. I enjoyed this book, but it did present me with some difficulties. Renault choose to use the Greek spellings of many of the names, while the Latin (Roman) names are the more familiar, so I found myself looking those names up to find out exactly who was the subject of that passage. I also had the same trouble with some of the place names. Once I could find them on a map it was easier to place them. However, many of the places of ancient Athens are now suburbs of modern Athens, so that took a bit of finding. I also found that I had to look up many of the historical events and read about them in order to understand the background of what was happening.

The style of the book took some getting used to as well. It was written in the form of an uncompleted memoir, but the author didn't reveal that until the end of the book.

I can understand why Renault was considered to be controversial when these books were written. Last of the Wine was first published in 1956 and I would think that it would have been a shocker when it came out. Nothing is overt but the implied relationships would have been very controversial at the time. I liked the fact that the author kept everything in the historical context and I suppose that made the whole idea of same sex relationships much more palatable back in the 1950's.

I am not sure how I will rate this book overall. I have to think about that more, but that doesn't seem to me to be that important right now. I am just glad I finally read it.

This novel reminded me of Colleen McCoullough's Masters of Rome series and I WILL be reading more of Renault's work. I thought I knew alot about the history of ancient Greece but this book clearly proved that I don't, so I need to read her other books. Richard has already recommended that I should have started with Bull From the Sea but I had an old yellowed paperback copy of LOW on my home shelves so started with that one instead. I think that BFTS is the first in a trilogy - oh gosh! I would have had to add two more books to my current bedside pile. Not sure the stack could handle that.

Oh - and since this is a cafe - I am baking chocolate chip cookies this afternoon. The recipe is one of those experiments in cooking that I periodically do. I am trying a recipe that uses all whole wheat flour and will see how they turn out and if the recipe is a keeper or not.

292jnwelch
ag. 22, 2021, 4:13 pm

Today’s Bargain:And Then Were None at $1.99 on Amazon. Agatha’s terrific classic.

293humouress
ag. 23, 2021, 12:56 am

>291 benitastrnad: I'd be interested in finding out how the choc chip cookies went. I'm trying to find ways to get the kids to eat more healthily - but if the taste and texture are very different from 'normal' cookies, it wouldn't sell in my house :0/

294msf59
ag. 23, 2021, 7:33 am

Morning, Joe! As you know, it sure feels good to be a grandparent. They should all come home today and I hope to see the little guy again soon. I got no reading in yesterday, due to various distractions but I plan on doing some catch-up today.

I am sure you had a good time over the weekend with your friend.

295karenmarie
ag. 23, 2021, 7:52 am

Hi Joe! Long time no visit. I hope you are doing well.

>257 jnwelch: It's a fundamental principle of my life to know as little about Fox News as possible. Me, too. Sometimes my Bill watches it so as to know what the other side is saying, but I prefer to stay contaminant-free.

>259 jnwelch: They look like angels to me.

296jnwelch
ag. 23, 2021, 9:15 am

>295 karenmarie: Hi Karen! We're doing great, thanks.

They look like angels to me, too. :-)

We have a friend who, like Bill, watches Fox occasionally to see what the other side is saying, but, like you, I prefer to stay containment-free. Seeing the worst of what we can be is not appealing.

>294 msf59: Hey grandpa! So cool! Does the little guy have a name yet? i bet Bree and Sean are on Cloud 9. I'll head over to your thread to see whether there are any photos yet.

Had a great time with our friend. He just left. He was in a band and now is a NYC sound engineer, so there was a lot of music.

>293 humouress: Hi, Nina. I'm a pushover for cookies, and if they're healthy, that's usually fine by me. My favorites actually are fairly healthy - oatmeal raisin.

297humouress
ag. 23, 2021, 9:32 am

>294 msf59: Congratulations Mark!

>296 jnwelch: For some odd reason, Joe, I can't eat instant porridge or muesli and, though I can eat traditionally cooked porridge, it makes me look suspiciously at anything with oats in it :0)

298jnwelch
ag. 23, 2021, 9:32 am

>292 jnwelch: wow, Benita, I'm impressed. You sure went to more trouble with the names, place names, geogra phy and history than I did. I just let (caution: bad pun ahead) it soak in when I read Last of the Wine. Renault is realistic, IIRC, in her books about same sex relationships. It was featured pretty prominently in The Persian Boy. I'm sure it was controversial, and her books, including The Lat of the Wine, did get banned by conservative communities.

I'm glad you're going to read more Renault, and Bull from the Sea is an excellent suggestion for the next one. I loved them all. I remember The King Must Die, about Theseus, as being particularly powerful when I read it.

Mmm. Cookies!

299jnwelch
ag. 23, 2021, 9:37 am

300jnwelch
Editat: ag. 23, 2021, 9:41 am



At Wrigley Field last Friday with friend Phil

301humouress
ag. 23, 2021, 11:07 am

>299 jnwelch: Oops! :0)

302richardderus
ag. 23, 2021, 11:56 am

>300 jnwelch: Is that the Manhattan friend who, doubtless in an attempt to curry favor with you, pretended he wanted to eat that Chicago Wonderbreadza? Looks normal from the photo...no obvious disfigurements...

Happy week-ahead's reads! It's going to be sticky and yucko for a few post-Henri days, but here in my beachside splendor we didn't have any major inconveniences. Not even a floodlet. The streets were *seriously* deep, but nothing got where it shouldn't've. So lucky.

303jnwelch
ag. 23, 2021, 3:58 pm

>301 humouress: :-)

>302 richardderus: That's the Manhattan friend who intelligently wanted some delicious deep dish pizza while he was in Chicago. He's pretty normal, although any friend of mine is bound to have some quirks, like birding or somesuch. I'm glad Henri didn't treat you too badly. I heard the City had epic rain, and there were flooded streets all over the place. No issues here in the heartland, although a passing nasty weather system from the west turned Debbi's 75 minute flight on Saturday into a 10 hour test of endurance. we had a margarita and Mexican food waiting for her when she finally got home, poor thing.

304richardderus
ag. 23, 2021, 4:16 pm

TEN HOURS!! My goodness, she deserves a medal for not opening fire on the ticketing agents. Ten! You should be in London after ten hours. Half-way to New Zealand! Not still in the US.

A fine and noble person, him, for pretending to like that stuff.

305Caroline_McElwee
ag. 23, 2021, 4:44 pm

>303 jnwelch: Miserable journey for Debbi, but I'm sure the welcome home helped Joe.

306jnwelch
ag. 25, 2021, 9:59 am

>304 richardderus: Isn't that awful, Richard. It was the usual suspect that caused all the trouble: weather in Chicago. Her flight got delayed twice, and then cancelled. She said the folks with connecting flights were beside themselves.

>305 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks, Caroline. We also had a dear friend visiting, and she was very happy to be able to spend some time with him.

307humouress
Editat: ag. 26, 2021, 4:43 am

>303 jnwelch: Ye goddesses! I remember a couple of years ago when my eldest was due back from camp with half the year cohort and their flight got stuck in KL due to a regional tropical storm. A half hour flight turned into one of epic proportions and they weren't allowed off the plane but had to sit it out on the runway. The parents in Singapore were hopping - no margaritas for the kids afterwards ... but I think the mums indulged.
En/na Joe's Book Cafe 9 2021 ha continuat aquest tema.