Weird_O Bill's Bookish Whatchamacallit...2
Dette er en fortsættelse af tråden Weird_O Bill's Bookish Whatchamacallit.
Denne tråd er fortsat i Weird_O Bill's Bookish Whatchamacallit...3 (Three).
Snak75 Books Challenge for 2021
Bliv bruger af LibraryThing, hvis du vil skrive et indlæg
1weird_O
Our daughter posted a Mother's Day homage:
I'll continue to celebrate my mama on Mother's Day, even on this first without her. Today I will play in our garden, wear a striped shirt, eat some seafood, and have a beer in your honor. And wish you were here ❤
Taken at the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in northern Berks County, PA, in 2008 by Son the Elder.
ETA: Mark suggested this photo as a topper when I posted it on my previous thread. It works. Thanks, Mark.
3weird_O
Covers of books read, May thru December 2021
# 62.
# 61.
# 60. 
# 59. 
# 58. 
# 57.
# 56. 
# 55. 
# 54. 
# 53.
# 52. 
# 51. 
# 50. 
# 49.
# 48. 
# 47. 
# 46. 
# 45.
# 44. 
# 43. 
# 42. 
# 41.
# 40. 
# 39. 
# 38. 
# 37.
# 36. 
# 35. # 34. 
# 33. 
# 62.
# 61.
# 60. 
# 59. 
# 58. 
# 57.
# 56. 
# 55. 
# 54. 
# 53.
# 52. 
# 51. 
# 50. 
# 49.
# 48. 
# 47. 
# 46. 
# 45.
# 44. 
# 43. 
# 42. 
# 41.
# 40. 
# 39. 
# 38. 
# 37.
# 36. 
# 35. # 34. 
# 33. 
4weird_O
Books Read, May thru December 2021
July (9 read)
62. A Coyote's in the House by Elmore Leonard (7/29/21)
61. Freddy and the Perilous Adventure by Walter R. Brooks (07/27/21)
60. Thank You, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse (7/25/21)
59. Demon Box by Ken Kesey (7/23/21)
58. Millennium Philadelphia Updated & Expanded by the staff of The Philadelphia Inquirer (7/22/21)
57. The 101 Most Influential People Who Never Lived by Allan Lazar, Dan Karlan & Jeremy Salter (7/22/21)
56. Walker Evans: Photographer of America by Thomas Nau (7/13/21)
55. Here Is New York by E. B. White (7/12/21)
54. The Adventures of Tintin, Vol. 5 by Herge (7/11/21)
June (11 read)
53. The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin (6/25/21)
52. The Hot Rock by Donald Westlake (6/23/21)
51. The Ballad of the Sad Cafe and Other Stories by Carson McCullers (6/21/21)
50. Instant Replay by Jerry Kramer and Dick Schaap (6/18/21)
49. Kid's Book Trio (6/17/21)
The Amazing Bone by William Steig
Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman, Illus. by Gustaf Tenngren
Sesame Street See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Smell No Evil by Anna Jane Hays, illus. by Joe Mathieu
48. Abel's Island by William Steig (6/15/21)
47. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (6/14/21)
46. The Devil and Dr. Barnes: Portrait of an American Art Collector by Howard Greenfield (6/6/21)
45. Bangkok: City of Angels by Bill Wassman (6/5/21)
44. Bangkok 8 by John Burdett (6/5/21)
43. The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody by Will Cuppy (6/2/21)
May (9 read)
42. The Ponder Heart by Eudora Welty (5/30/21)
41. Black Orchids by Rex Stout (5/29/21)
40. Circe by Madeline Miller (5/27/21)
39. The Beginner's Goodbye by Anne Tyler (5/20/21)
38. If It's Not Funny It's Art by Demetri Martin (5/19/21
37. Midnight Rising by Tony Horwitz (5/18/21)
36. The PreHistory of The Far Side: A 10th Anniversary Exhibit by Gary Larson (5/17/21)
35. Kid's Book Medley (6/15/21)
Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin
Night Creatures by Gallimard Jeunesse
Madeline's Rescue by Ludwig Bemelmans
Madeline and the Bad Hat by Ludwig Bemelmans
Just a Dream by Chris Van Allsburg
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
Seal by Eric S. Grace, photos by Fred Bruemmer
Pigsty by Mark Teague
Red Ranger Came Calling by Berkeley Breathed
34. Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell (5/13/21)
33. Summer Lightning by P. G. Wodehouse (5/7/21)
July (9 read)
62. A Coyote's in the House by Elmore Leonard (7/29/21)
61. Freddy and the Perilous Adventure by Walter R. Brooks (07/27/21)
60. Thank You, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse (7/25/21)
59. Demon Box by Ken Kesey (7/23/21)
58. Millennium Philadelphia Updated & Expanded by the staff of The Philadelphia Inquirer (7/22/21)
57. The 101 Most Influential People Who Never Lived by Allan Lazar, Dan Karlan & Jeremy Salter (7/22/21)
56. Walker Evans: Photographer of America by Thomas Nau (7/13/21)
55. Here Is New York by E. B. White (7/12/21)
54. The Adventures of Tintin, Vol. 5 by Herge (7/11/21)
June (11 read)
53. The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin (6/25/21)
52. The Hot Rock by Donald Westlake (6/23/21)
51. The Ballad of the Sad Cafe and Other Stories by Carson McCullers (6/21/21)
50. Instant Replay by Jerry Kramer and Dick Schaap (6/18/21)
49. Kid's Book Trio (6/17/21)
The Amazing Bone by William Steig
Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman, Illus. by Gustaf Tenngren
Sesame Street See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Smell No Evil by Anna Jane Hays, illus. by Joe Mathieu
48. Abel's Island by William Steig (6/15/21)
47. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (6/14/21)
46. The Devil and Dr. Barnes: Portrait of an American Art Collector by Howard Greenfield (6/6/21)
45. Bangkok: City of Angels by Bill Wassman (6/5/21)
44. Bangkok 8 by John Burdett (6/5/21)
43. The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody by Will Cuppy (6/2/21)
May (9 read)
42. The Ponder Heart by Eudora Welty (5/30/21)
41. Black Orchids by Rex Stout (5/29/21)
40. Circe by Madeline Miller (5/27/21)
39. The Beginner's Goodbye by Anne Tyler (5/20/21)
38. If It's Not Funny It's Art by Demetri Martin (5/19/21
37. Midnight Rising by Tony Horwitz (5/18/21)
36. The PreHistory of The Far Side: A 10th Anniversary Exhibit by Gary Larson (5/17/21)
35. Kid's Book Medley (6/15/21)
Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin
Night Creatures by Gallimard Jeunesse
Madeline's Rescue by Ludwig Bemelmans
Madeline and the Bad Hat by Ludwig Bemelmans
Just a Dream by Chris Van Allsburg
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
Seal by Eric S. Grace, photos by Fred Bruemmer
Pigsty by Mark Teague
Red Ranger Came Calling by Berkeley Breathed
34. Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell (5/13/21)
33. Summer Lightning by P. G. Wodehouse (5/7/21)
5weird_O
Covers of books read, January thru April 2021
# 32
# 31
# 30 
# 29 
# 28 
# 27
# 26 
# 25 
# 24 
# 23
# 22 
# 21 
# 20 
# 19
# 18 
# 17 
# 16 
# 15
# 14 
# 13 
# 12 
# 11
# 10 
# 9 
# 8 
# 7
# 6 
# 5 
# 4
# 3 
# 2 
# 1 
# 32
# 31
# 30 
# 29 
# 28 
# 27
# 26 
# 25 
# 24 
# 23
# 22 
# 21 
# 20 
# 19
# 18 
# 17 
# 16 
# 15
# 14 
# 13 
# 12 
# 11
# 10 
# 9 
# 8 
# 7
# 6 
# 5 
# 4
# 3 
# 2 
# 1 
6weird_O
Books Read, January thru April 2021
April (8 read)
32. How Music Works by David Byrne (4/29/21)
31. Humans by Brandon Stanton (4/28/21)
30. The Italian Secretary by Caleb Carr (4/22/21)
29. Freddy and the Bean Home News by Walter R. Brooks (4/19/21)
28. Freddy the Magician by Walter R. Brooks (4/17/21)
27. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (4/14/21)
26. The Snows of Kilimanjaro by Ernest Hemingway (4/10/21)
25. Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson (4/9/21)
March (8 read)
24. The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins by Dr. Seuss (3/27/21)
23. This Is a Bad Time: A Collection of Cartoons by Bruce Eric Kaplan (3/27/21)
22. Maigret and the Killer by Georges Simenon (3/25/21)
21. Some Buried Caesar by Rex Stout (3/21/21)
20. Andy Warhol Was a Hoarder by Claudia Kalb (3/20/21)
19. The End of the Alphabet by CS Richardson (3/14/21)
18. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster (3/12/21)
17. The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson (3/9/21)
February (9 read)
16. The Five Red Herrings by Dorothy L. Sayers (2/28/21)
15. Gone Fishin' by Walter Mosley (2/19/21)
14. Home Truths by David Lodge (2/18/21)
13. A Promised Land by Barack Obama (2/15/21)
12. Art at Work: The Chase Manhattan Collection by Marshall Lee (2/12/21)
11. Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers (2/8/21)
10. The Library Book by Susan Orlean (2/7/21)
9. Pretty Good Joke Book, 5th Edition by Prairie Home Companion (2/5/21)
8. One of Our Thursdays Is Missing by Jasper Fforde (2/3/21)
January (7 read)
7. The Brinksmanship of Galahad Threepwood by P. G. Wodehouse (1/30/21)
6. Obama: An Intimate Portrait by Pete Souza (1/26/21)
5. New York From the Air by Antonio Attini (photog) and Peter Skinner (intro) (1/18/21)
4. The Golden Spiders by Rex Stout (1/15/21)
3. The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben (1/7/21)
2. One Story by Gipi (1/4/21)
1. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah (1/1/21)
April (8 read)
32. How Music Works by David Byrne (4/29/21)
31. Humans by Brandon Stanton (4/28/21)
30. The Italian Secretary by Caleb Carr (4/22/21)
29. Freddy and the Bean Home News by Walter R. Brooks (4/19/21)
28. Freddy the Magician by Walter R. Brooks (4/17/21)
27. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (4/14/21)
26. The Snows of Kilimanjaro by Ernest Hemingway (4/10/21)
25. Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson (4/9/21)
March (8 read)
24. The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins by Dr. Seuss (3/27/21)
23. This Is a Bad Time: A Collection of Cartoons by Bruce Eric Kaplan (3/27/21)
22. Maigret and the Killer by Georges Simenon (3/25/21)
21. Some Buried Caesar by Rex Stout (3/21/21)
20. Andy Warhol Was a Hoarder by Claudia Kalb (3/20/21)
19. The End of the Alphabet by CS Richardson (3/14/21)
18. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster (3/12/21)
17. The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson (3/9/21)
February (9 read)
16. The Five Red Herrings by Dorothy L. Sayers (2/28/21)
15. Gone Fishin' by Walter Mosley (2/19/21)
14. Home Truths by David Lodge (2/18/21)
13. A Promised Land by Barack Obama (2/15/21)
12. Art at Work: The Chase Manhattan Collection by Marshall Lee (2/12/21)
11. Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers (2/8/21)
10. The Library Book by Susan Orlean (2/7/21)
9. Pretty Good Joke Book, 5th Edition by Prairie Home Companion (2/5/21)
8. One of Our Thursdays Is Missing by Jasper Fforde (2/3/21)
January (7 read)
7. The Brinksmanship of Galahad Threepwood by P. G. Wodehouse (1/30/21)
6. Obama: An Intimate Portrait by Pete Souza (1/26/21)
5. New York From the Air by Antonio Attini (photog) and Peter Skinner (intro) (1/18/21)
4. The Golden Spiders by Rex Stout (1/15/21)
3. The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben (1/7/21)
2. One Story by Gipi (1/4/21)
1. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah (1/1/21)
7weird_O
European Pied Flycatcher. Too bad the .gif format doesn't support sound. I'd like to hear its song, wouldn't you?
8weird_O
2021 Reading Stats
Jan–Apr
Books read: 32
Authors read: 29
Single-read Authors: 26
Multi-read authors: 3
New-to-me authors: 14
Reads/month
January: 7
February: 9
March: 8
April: 8
Rating
Meh: 1
OK: 2
Good: 11
Very Good: 17
GREAT!: 1
Author gender
Male: 24
Female: 4
Author Birthplace
Germany: 1
South Africa: 1
France: 1
Canada: 1
Italy: 2
UK: 5
US: 21
Dead or alive
Currently breathing (afaik): 20
R.I.P.: 8
First published
>1800: 0
1800–1925: 0
1926–1950: 7
1951–1975: 4
1976–2000: 4
2001–2010: 5
2011–2020: 12
Binding
Hardcover: 21
Paperback: 7
Mass-market paperback: 4
Other: 0
F/NF
F: 21
NF: 11
Age group
Adult: 29
YA: 1
MG: 2
Kids:0
Source
Acquired new in 2021: 0
Acquired used in 2021: 9
Gift: 9
ROOT: 20
Library: 0
Loaner: 2
Reviews posted: 0
Pulitzer winners: 0
Booker winners: 0
Jan–Apr
Books read: 32
Authors read: 29
Single-read Authors: 26
Multi-read authors: 3
New-to-me authors: 14
Reads/month
January: 7
February: 9
March: 8
April: 8
Rating
Meh: 1
OK: 2
Good: 11
Very Good: 17
GREAT!: 1
Author gender
Male: 24
Female: 4
Author Birthplace
Germany: 1
South Africa: 1
France: 1
Canada: 1
Italy: 2
UK: 5
US: 21
Dead or alive
Currently breathing (afaik): 20
R.I.P.: 8
First published
>1800: 0
1800–1925: 0
1926–1950: 7
1951–1975: 4
1976–2000: 4
2001–2010: 5
2011–2020: 12
Binding
Hardcover: 21
Paperback: 7
Mass-market paperback: 4
Other: 0
F/NF
F: 21
NF: 11
Age group
Adult: 29
YA: 1
MG: 2
Kids:0
Source
Acquired new in 2021: 0
Acquired used in 2021: 9
Gift: 9
ROOT: 20
Library: 0
Loaner: 2
Reviews posted: 0
Pulitzer winners: 0
Booker winners: 0
10weird_O
for my younger grands…
Thanks to the timely Scranton Public Library sidewalk book sale on Saturday, I was able to economically collect a bagful of kids books to force on my younger son's three daughters. Olivia, 10, read Carl Hiaasen's YA novel Hoot, and pronounced it good, so I found two more YAs from Hiaasen: Scat and Flush. I doubt she'll dive right into them. She's currently reading The Lord of the Rings.
Lia just turned 7, and she's beginning to read chapter books. Lots of books here she can read. She seized The Enchanted Castle, and her mom and dad can see whether it is a read she can manage.
I didn't get a photo of the books. You'll have to trust me.
Thanks to the timely Scranton Public Library sidewalk book sale on Saturday, I was able to economically collect a bagful of kids books to force on my younger son's three daughters. Olivia, 10, read Carl Hiaasen's YA novel Hoot, and pronounced it good, so I found two more YAs from Hiaasen: Scat and Flush. I doubt she'll dive right into them. She's currently reading The Lord of the Rings.
Lia just turned 7, and she's beginning to read chapter books. Lots of books here she can read. She seized The Enchanted Castle, and her mom and dad can see whether it is a read she can manage.
Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin (pbk)
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren (pbk)
Night Creatures by Gallimard Jeunesse (pbk)
The Enchanted Castle by E. Nesbit (pbk)
Minerva Clark Goes to the Dogs by Karen Karbo (pbk)
Arthur's April Fool by Marc Brown (hc)
Madeline's Rescue by Ludwig Bemelmans (hc)
Madeline and the Bad Hat by Ludwig Bemelmans (pbk)
Just a Dream by Chris Van Allsburg (hc)
Clocks in the Woods by Leon Steinmetz (hc)
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig (pbk)
Seal by Eric S. Grace, photos by Fred Bruemmer (pbk)
Pigsty by Mark Teague (pbk)
Red Ranger Came Calling by Berkeley Breathed (hc)
Cross-Sections Castle by Stephen Biesty and Richard Platt (hc)
The Fantastic Cutaway Book of Giant Machines by Jon Kirkwood and Alex Pang (hc)
Scat by Carl Hiaasen (hc)
Flush by Carl Hiaasen (pbk)
The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White (hc)
I didn't get a photo of the books. You'll have to trust me.
12jessibud2
I do, I do! Happy new thread, Bill! Lovely topper, glad you brought it over from the last one. And nice haul for your girls! (who are adorable!!)
13lauralkeet
Nice new thread, Bill. I love that photo up top. It's worth framing, IMO. The grands are very sweet too.
14karenmarie
Hi Bill! Happy new thread. I loved your topper photo when you posted it on your last thread and am glad to see it on this new one in pride of place.
From your last thread – I loved the photo of the book cases and the book haul.
>9 weird_O: and >10 weird_O: Lovely photo of the 3 grands. I especially like the three hair clips and pacifier. And congrats for coming through with so many books for them.
From your last thread – I loved the photo of the book cases and the book haul.
>9 weird_O: and >10 weird_O: Lovely photo of the 3 grands. I especially like the three hair clips and pacifier. And congrats for coming through with so many books for them.
15katiekrug
Happy new thread, Bill! I love the photo of you and Judi, and of your adorable granddaughters.
16SandDune
>9 weird_O: That’s a lovely photo of your grandchildren.
17PaulCranswick
>1 weird_O: Lovely tribute, Bill.
>9 weird_O: Lucky guy to have those three lovely young ladies to keep you occasional company. The pacifier reminded me so much of my eldest when she was roughly that age too - gosh I have been missing her so much recently.
Happy new thread, dear fellow.
>9 weird_O: Lucky guy to have those three lovely young ladies to keep you occasional company. The pacifier reminded me so much of my eldest when she was roughly that age too - gosh I have been missing her so much recently.
Happy new thread, dear fellow.
19laytonwoman3rd
>10 weird_O: Oh to be 10 and reading The Lord of the Rings for the first time! I didn't get to it until I was in my 20s, but the magic still worked pretty well. That's a good list of books for the young'uns. I didn't think the selection was tremendous in the grown-up stuff -- a lot of discards from the popular fiction shelves of the library itself, and not enough of the eclectic stuff you get from donations.
20benitastrnad
Your granddaughter will enjoy both of the Carl Hiasen books when she gets around to them. Hoot and Flush have both been used in our Children's Literature classes for their group discussion books. I keep telling myself that I should get them read. One Saturday afternoon would knock one out, but I keep finding other books call to me louder and more vociferously.
I have read your current read America America and enjoyed it. I read it when I was planning my first trip to upstate New York. I also read Joyce Carol Oats book on the Niagra area The Falls for that trip. I thought that The Falls was the better book, but both were worth reading. I have Circe on the bedside table. Just haven't gotten to it yet.
I have read your current read America America and enjoyed it. I read it when I was planning my first trip to upstate New York. I also read Joyce Carol Oats book on the Niagra area The Falls for that trip. I thought that The Falls was the better book, but both were worth reading. I have Circe on the bedside table. Just haven't gotten to it yet.
21weird_O
>12 jessibud2: Glad you like the topper, Shelley. We've been sharing photos on line, our children and me, and Becky picked that one for her Mother's Day remembrance. I discovered that it really moved me. I feel all weepy-teary. Mark suggested it be a topper, and I thought, "Oh... Yeah... Why didn't I think of that."
>13 lauralkeet: While that shot of the girls isn't framed, Laura, it is stuck to the fridge door. The topper, well, yes. I should get a quality print and have it framed.
>14 karenmarie: I'm glad you like the various photos, Karen. (It was nice to see the photo of Jenna on your thread.) Picking books for kids is kind of daunting, at least to me. I kinda picked books that had some appeal to me. And when I got 'em home, I selected nine of them to read quickly before I had to part with them.
>15 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie.
>13 lauralkeet: While that shot of the girls isn't framed, Laura, it is stuck to the fridge door. The topper, well, yes. I should get a quality print and have it framed.
>14 karenmarie: I'm glad you like the various photos, Karen. (It was nice to see the photo of Jenna on your thread.) Picking books for kids is kind of daunting, at least to me. I kinda picked books that had some appeal to me. And when I got 'em home, I selected nine of them to read quickly before I had to part with them.
>15 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie.
22weird_O
>16 SandDune: >18 drneutron: Thanks, Rhian. Thanks, Jim.
>17 PaulCranswick: Becky's tribute still churns up my emotions, Paul. I know I am a lucky guy, all things considered.
>17 PaulCranswick: Becky's tribute still churns up my emotions, Paul. I know I am a lucky guy, all things considered.
23LovingLit
>9 weird_O: Each of their three smiles suits them so well, what a sweet picture.
Your top one is lovely too, a tough milestone for your children, for sure. But what a lovely tribute.
Your top one is lovely too, a tough milestone for your children, for sure. But what a lovely tribute.
24weird_O
>19 laytonwoman3rd: I still haven't gotten to The Lord of the Rings. But Olivia has thrown down the gauntlet, meaning I have to move the books onto the preferential heap. Overall, I'm thrilled with the books I found. Those from Linda's private garage stock are first rate, in my estimation.
And of course the library is marvelous. Thanks for showing me around.
And of course the library is marvelous. Thanks for showing me around.
25weird_O
>20 benitastrnad: Great to hear from you, Benita. I've read quite a few of Hiaasen's stories, though not his YA books. I keep telling myself that I should get them read. Me too. Me too.
I haven't gotten too far into America America; it didn't grab me by the shoulders and shake me and implore me to read on, faster, FASTER. It's on the back burner just now. I'm being wary of Circe, having scanned the list of characters. I'm counseling myself to just read it, for God's sake.
>23 LovingLit: Aren't they keepers? I was so happy to actually see them on Sunday. First time, I think, since Thanksgiving 2019.
I haven't gotten too far into America America; it didn't grab me by the shoulders and shake me and implore me to read on, faster, FASTER. It's on the back burner just now. I'm being wary of Circe, having scanned the list of characters. I'm counseling myself to just read it, for God's sake.
>23 LovingLit: Aren't they keepers? I was so happy to actually see them on Sunday. First time, I think, since Thanksgiving 2019.
26msf59
Happy New thread, Bill. You know I LOVE the topper photo. It is perfect. Do you remember seeing any memorable raptors? I hope you are enjoying Circe. I had a good time with that one.
>9 weird_O: I love the granddaughters photo! Beautiful girls.
>9 weird_O: I love the granddaughters photo! Beautiful girls.
28FAMeulstee
Happy new thread, Bill, love the picture at the top.
>25 weird_O: I was so happy to actually see them on Sunday
That is great, so strange these kind of visits became a big thing...
>25 weird_O: I was so happy to actually see them on Sunday
That is great, so strange these kind of visits became a big thing...
29richardderus
>25 weird_O: Heaven on a plate! Seeing the lights o' love in their little fleshes!
>27 weird_O: Lovely. Just...lovely.
>27 weird_O: Lovely. Just...lovely.
30weird_O
I'm reading The Beginner's Goodbye by Anne Tyler. It's one of the books I got in the Scranton hullaballoo. Focuses on a man's reactions to the sudden death of his wife when a huge tree falls onto their house.
Too true. Too true.
That was one of the worst things about losing your wife, I found: your wife is the very person you want to discuss it all with.
Too true. Too true.
31weird_O
Hey, speaking of the Scranton sidewalk sale hullaballoo, here's that list of what I found for the growed-up kid:
The Liars Club by Mary Karr (pbk)
Tough Sh*t by Kevin Smith (pbk)
Man's Fate by Andre Malraux (pbk)
An Unfinished Season by Ward Just (pbk)
Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu (pbk)
If It's Not Funny It's Art by Demetri Martin (pbk)
Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horwitz (pbk)
Sandra Nichols Found Dead by George V. Higgins (pbk)
The Liar by Stephen Fry (pbk)
Disturbing the Peace by Richard Yates (pbk)
Caramelo by Sandra Cisneros (pbk)
The Unconsoled by Kazuo Ishiguro (pbk)
The Ponder Heart by Eudora Welty (pbk)
Bee Season by Myla Goldberg (pbk)
From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg (pbk)
Bloodline: Five Stories by Ernest J. Gaines (pbk)
At End of Day by George V. Higgins (pbk)
Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges (pbk)
The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell with Bill Moyers (pbk, oversize)
The Prehistory of The Far Side: A 10th Anniversary Exhibit by Gary Larson (pbk, oversize)
Instant Replay by Jerry Kramer and Dick Schaap (hc)
The Toughest Indian in the World by Sherman Alexie (hc)
Freddy Goes to Florida by Walter R. Brooks (hc)
Great Books by David Denby (hc)
The Ground Beneath Her Feet by Salman Rushdie (hc)
Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett (hc)
Handcrafted Journals, Albums, Scrapbooks & More by Marie Browning (hc, oversize)
Cottage: America's Favorite Home Inside and Out by M. Caren Connolly and Louis Wasserman (hc, oversize)
American Cinema: 100 Years of Filmmaking by Jeanine Basinger (hc, oversize)
London From the Air by Felix Barker, photos by Jason Hawkes (hc, oversize)
Colonial Williamsburg by Philip Kopper, photos by Langdon Clay (hc, oversize)
Mary Cassatt by Sophia Craze (hc, oversize)
Brief Answers to the Big Questions by Stephen Hawking (hc)
Marley by Jon Clinch (hc)
Tearing the Silence by Ursula Hegi (hc)
A Burning by Megha Majumdar (hc)
Dark Corners by Ruth Rendell (hc)
The Beginner's Goodbye by Anne Tyler (hc)
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco (pbk)
The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana by Umberto Eco (pbk)
The Key to the Name of the Rose, Including Translation of All Non-English Passages by Haft & White & White (pbk)
The Short Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald by F. Scott Fitzgerald (pbk)
An Open Life by Joseph Campbell (pbk)
In Depth: Essayists for Our Time by Carl Klaus et al. (pbk)
Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin (pbk)
The Lives of the Muses: Nine Women & the Artists They Inspired by Francine Prose (pbk)
A Summons to Memphis by Peter Taylor (pbk)
The Gap of Time by Jeanette Winterson (pbk) (The Winter’s Tale Retold) Hogarth Shakespeare series
32benitastrnad
>31 weird_O:
Uh-Oh! I took a Book Bullet off of your list. Lives of the Muses caught my eye. I looked and sure enough our library has that title on our shelves. Added it to the library list of books to read.
Uh-Oh! I took a Book Bullet off of your list. Lives of the Muses caught my eye. I looked and sure enough our library has that title on our shelves. Added it to the library list of books to read.
33ffortsa
Great haul. But if I were you I'd discard The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana. We went through it for a book club long ago, as far as we could, but found it unreadable. Conversely, The Name of the Rose is terrific.
34weird_O
>32 benitastrnad: Just one, Benita? Bugger. I thought there was enough lead flying about you'd get three or four wounds. Just one, huh? I'll take it. Hope you heal soon.
>33 ffortsa: Thanks for the heads up on Queen Loana, Judy. I probably won't discard it, but there's little chance I'm going to be confronted with it as the LAST TBR and thus be compelled to try reading it.
-----------------
I did my retail therapy Saturday. Read 8 of the kids' books I bought that night, and have since read 3 adult books: The Prehistory of The Far Side: A 10th Anniversary Exhibit by Gary Larson, If It's Not Funny It's Art by Demetri Martin, and The Beginner's Goodbye by Anne Tyler. Really starting Circe today. No, I mean really. As in, really.
>33 ffortsa: Thanks for the heads up on Queen Loana, Judy. I probably won't discard it, but there's little chance I'm going to be confronted with it as the LAST TBR and thus be compelled to try reading it.
-----------------
I did my retail therapy Saturday. Read 8 of the kids' books I bought that night, and have since read 3 adult books: The Prehistory of The Far Side: A 10th Anniversary Exhibit by Gary Larson, If It's Not Funny It's Art by Demetri Martin, and The Beginner's Goodbye by Anne Tyler. Really starting Circe today. No, I mean really. As in, really.
35laytonwoman3rd
>33 ffortsa: Oh, shoot...you've given away my secret. Thanks for not squealing until I'd managed to unload it onto poor unsuspecting Bill! My boss's wife gave that one to me years ago, I strongly suspect SHE didn't read it, and I gave up on it as well.
>34 weird_O: Circe is wonderful. REALLY. 5 star wonderful.
>34 weird_O: Circe is wonderful. REALLY. 5 star wonderful.
36weird_O
>35 laytonwoman3rd: Oh, so you knew all along this particular Eco is a stinker. Well, I strongly suspect I won't ever read it.
I see that Circe is engaging.
I see that Circe is engaging.
37mahsdad
I just finished The Song of Achilles, thought it was very good. I've had Circe on the shelf for a couple years. Got it from Ellen (EBT1002), I think for a Christmas Swap. I'll probably start it either next or the book after next.
38jnwelch
Happy Newish Thread, Bill. I love the photo of your grandgirls. Good for you for encouraging their reading.
Wasn't The Song of Achilles good? i think you'll also like Circe.
Wasn't The Song of Achilles good? i think you'll also like Circe.
39laytonwoman3rd
>36 weird_O: Just because I didn't love it doesn't mean SOMEBODY wouldn't love it.
40benitastrnad
I thought Song of Achilles was outstanding. I plan on reading Circe this summer - before things heat up too much.
41weird_O
They made it: GREECE! My favorite twins: Claire (l) and Helen (r) at the Areopagus in Athens. Claire is staying for a month to participate in an archeological dig at the site of a temple of Apollo on an island in the Aegean Sea. Helen and their dad, who took the photo, will return home by the weekend.
42richardderus
>41 weird_O: How wonderful! Claire will have the time of her life, I'll bet. I hope so, anyway! Greece in the summer isn't in any way chilly. Best she have a lot of fun to make up for the heat.
43msf59
>41 weird_O: Hooray for your favorite twins! What a wonderful opportunity and a lovely photo, to boot.
Happy Wednesday, Bill. I hope you are having a good time with Circe.
Happy Wednesday, Bill. I hope you are having a good time with Circe.
44weird_O
Yes! I completed my read of Circe. Excellent, just as I was promised it would be. By Mark and Linda, and, I think, Joe. Jeff, I will search out a copy of The Song of Achilles. You read Circe. You too, Benita.
It's 3 a.m., so I won't begin another book. Have to select something after the sun's up.
It's 3 a.m., so I won't begin another book. Have to select something after the sun's up.
45karenmarie
Hi Bill!
>31 weird_O: An amazingly eclectic haul. I’ve read four of ‘em. The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana has been sitting on my shelves since 2011. Based on all the comments, that’s where it will stay.
>41 weird_O: Excellent photo. How exciting for Claire to actually participate in an archaeological dig. I was on an island in the Aegean Sea in 1977, Andros, and it’s an absolutely spectacular part of the world.
>31 weird_O: An amazingly eclectic haul. I’ve read four of ‘em. The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana has been sitting on my shelves since 2011. Based on all the comments, that’s where it will stay.
>41 weird_O: Excellent photo. How exciting for Claire to actually participate in an archaeological dig. I was on an island in the Aegean Sea in 1977, Andros, and it’s an absolutely spectacular part of the world.
46mahsdad
>44 weird_O: Yes, Song of Achilles is a must read, especially if you liked Circe. I definitely will read Circe, more than likely it will be the next book. I went for a couple palette cleansers first, after Achilles. Read a Nick Hornby collection and am now reading Christopher Moore's Shakespeare for Squirrels... Monty Python, mixed with Terry Pratchett mixed with a crime thriller. Its hilarious.
47weird_O
Thanks for all the good wishes. Claire has been pumped about the dig for months. Her Gram would be sooo jealous of her month in Greece.
I must confess to another book sale, this one in a local church on behalf of an area christian school. I didn't have even medium-high expectations, but was surprised. Came away with 17 books for only $9 (yes, nine dollars). Gaiman, Faulkner, Vidal, Sartre. Who'd a thunk it?
I must confess to another book sale, this one in a local church on behalf of an area christian school. I didn't have even medium-high expectations, but was surprised. Came away with 17 books for only $9 (yes, nine dollars). Gaiman, Faulkner, Vidal, Sartre. Who'd a thunk it?
48weird_O
Last night I read the Rex Stout mystery Black Orchids, which is two different stories linked by the appearance in each of apparently unique black orchids. As I breezed through the second yarn, my attention was seized by a swap of a drug called Argyrol for iodine (really a tincture of iodine), which has long been a household antiseptic. Argyrol, I remembered, was the drug that made Dr. Albert Barnes a rich rich man and financed his extraordinary art collecting. In the story, a simple cut, though seemingly treated with tincture of iodine, allowed tetanus to develop and kill the victim.
So now I must look for a biography of Barnes, who had an eye for great art, the money to buy it, and a grim commitment to limit access to it.
So now I must look for a biography of Barnes, who had an eye for great art, the money to buy it, and a grim commitment to limit access to it.
49weird_O
Okay, so... I did complete Black Orchids. I did read a couple of more chapters in Bangkok 8. But I also took up a copy of The Ponder Heart by Eudora Welty and plan to read it straight through. Promoted on the cover as "a comic masterpiece". I sure hope so.
50karenmarie
Yay for finishing Black Orchids and reading more of Bangkok 8. I've only read one by Welty - The Optimist's Daughter but have Delta Wedding on my shelves. I hope The Ponder Heart is a good'un.
51lauralkeet
>48 weird_O: Barnes, who had an eye for great art, the money to buy it, and a grim commitment to limit access to it.
I assume you've been the the Barnes in Philadelphia? We visited its original location on the Main Line but never made it to the new one. It was interesting, if rather eccentrically curated. I like your words about his "grim commitment." As you undoubtedly know, the effort to relocate the collection was a long, drawn-out struggle.
I assume you've been the the Barnes in Philadelphia? We visited its original location on the Main Line but never made it to the new one. It was interesting, if rather eccentrically curated. I like your words about his "grim commitment." As you undoubtedly know, the effort to relocate the collection was a long, drawn-out struggle.
52richardderus
>49 weird_O: I love Welty and her works...The Ponder Heart isn't full of LOLs and knee-slappers, but it is pretty much my model for "wryly funny". YMMV, of course, but I suspect it'll pleasse and amuse you.
53weird_O
>50 karenmarie: Again, I thank you, Karen, for the Stout novels. This book (maybe you remember it) has a portrait of Nero Wolfe on the back. I've never pictured him distinctly in my mind, so this is as good a picture of the guy as any. (I see he's got Scotch tape securing his jacket lapel to his vest. Oops.) A meal just consumed. An orchid in hand.
>50 karenmarie: >52 richardderus: I finished Miss Welty's tale and it was very enjoyable. As Mr. Derus pointed out, it is wry humor. I too have read The Optimist's Daughter and I have Delta Wedding and a volume of her short stories still to read. Her works are a pleasure to read.
>51 lauralkeet: I haven't been to the Barnes, Laura. Pretty soon, though; it is high on my list. I've read an assortment of news stories and features about it over the years. Just the other day, I followed a link from Wiki to a blog by an art-loving lawyer from Rochester, recounting his last visit to the old, original Barnes and scattering a little Barnes history, along with some opinions on old Doc Barnes' failings in setting up his foundation. I think it was difficult, back in the late 1940s, to foresee the challenges that the ensuing decades would present.
>50 karenmarie: >52 richardderus: I finished Miss Welty's tale and it was very enjoyable. As Mr. Derus pointed out, it is wry humor. I too have read The Optimist's Daughter and I have Delta Wedding and a volume of her short stories still to read. Her works are a pleasure to read.
>51 lauralkeet: I haven't been to the Barnes, Laura. Pretty soon, though; it is high on my list. I've read an assortment of news stories and features about it over the years. Just the other day, I followed a link from Wiki to a blog by an art-loving lawyer from Rochester, recounting his last visit to the old, original Barnes and scattering a little Barnes history, along with some opinions on old Doc Barnes' failings in setting up his foundation. I think it was difficult, back in the late 1940s, to foresee the challenges that the ensuing decades would present.
54laytonwoman3rd
This is one of my favorite images of Mr. Wolfe:
However, the late Maury Chaykin brought him to life in impeccable fashion in the A&E series in the early Oughts, thus:
However, the late Maury Chaykin brought him to life in impeccable fashion in the A&E series in the early Oughts, thus:
55weird_O
Well, okay. Plausible both. The illustration guy seems too young, well, to me. Mr. Chaykin seems too svelte. My imagination goes to Orson Wells. As in:
Here's a guy that genuinely looks like standing and walking is a challenge.
Here's a guy that genuinely looks like standing and walking is a challenge.
56laytonwoman3rd
I will grant that Chaykin probably did not approach Archie's estimate of Wolfe's 1/7 of a ton. But don't forget Archie was a smartass, prone to cleverness and exaggeration. And Wolfe would never have looked so un-neat as Orson does in that photo. Not even in his PJs.
57lauralkeet
>53 weird_O: I hope you enjoy the Barnes whenever you get there, Bill.
58jnwelch
Hi, Bill. What a great photo of Claire and Helen in >41 weird_O:. My better half still hopes to do an archaeological dig some day. What a beautiful location. They must be having a grand (oops) time.
,I'm glad you had a good time with Circe. I join those who say, if you liked that one, you'll like Song of Achilles. I also hope that Madeline Miller's books inspire some readers to go back and read Mary Renault, e.g. The Last of the Wine and Persian Boy.
,I'm glad you had a good time with Circe. I join those who say, if you liked that one, you'll like Song of Achilles. I also hope that Madeline Miller's books inspire some readers to go back and read Mary Renault, e.g. The Last of the Wine and Persian Boy.
59weird_O
>56 laytonwoman3rd: Will the REAL Nero Wolfe please stand up? (Yeah, I know it is difficult.) By the bye, what about John Dickson Carr's gargantuan mystery-solver, Dr. Gideon Fell?
>57 lauralkeet: I know I'll enjoy the Barnes, Laura. I got caught up in the subject and ordered two books about Doc Barnes. One should arrive today, along with The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller and Nothing Personal by James Baldwin. The Barnes book is The Devil and Dr. Barnes: Portrait of an American Art Collector by Howard Greenfeld. Next week I should get Art Held Hostage: The Battle over the Barnes Collection by John Anderson.
Binging on Barnes and on the Greeks. (My son and his twins have been posting photos of Greece.)
>57 lauralkeet: I know I'll enjoy the Barnes, Laura. I got caught up in the subject and ordered two books about Doc Barnes. One should arrive today, along with The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller and Nothing Personal by James Baldwin. The Barnes book is The Devil and Dr. Barnes: Portrait of an American Art Collector by Howard Greenfeld. Next week I should get Art Held Hostage: The Battle over the Barnes Collection by John Anderson.
Binging on Barnes and on the Greeks. (My son and his twins have been posting photos of Greece.)
60weird_O
>58 jnwelch: Joe! So good to see you strutting your stuff. Aren't those girls grand? Hee hee. The travelers have been posting photos on FB, and when they return home, I expect to scroll through well-organized but under-captioned albums of the temples and museums and sights (of sites).
I'm sitting on the side porch, well, squirming more than placidly sitting, waiting for the Amazon fairy to bring me my books (see >59 weird_O:).
I'm sitting on the side porch, well, squirming more than placidly sitting, waiting for the Amazon fairy to bring me my books (see >59 weird_O:).
61benitastrnad
I have known about Dr. Barnes for a long time and want to see it. I even wanted to see it when it was in its old location. However, I just never did get there. I really became interested in it last fall when I read the book Shocking Paris: Soutine, Chagall and the Outsiders of Montparnasse by Stanley Meisler. I knew nothing about Soutine and Dr. Barnes made a major purchase of Soutine's work in the 1920's that rescued him from ignominy. Most people who saw the Soutine's that Barnes purchased thought he was crazy, but the worth of those purchases have proved themselves over time. That book has made me even more curious Dr. Barnes and his life.
63lauralkeet
I know almost everyone has told you this already, but The Song of Achilles is soooo good.
I also look forward to hearing more about your dive into Doctor Barnes' world.
I also look forward to hearing more about your dive into Doctor Barnes' world.
64laytonwoman3rd
>59 weird_O: I have to admit I have not met Gideon Fell. Don't know why.
65msf59
Sweet Thursday, Bill. Looking forward to your thoughts on The Song of Achilles. It is soooo good. I also have Nothing Personal on my TBR list.
66karenmarie
Hi Bill!
>53 weird_O: You’re welcome. I love this pic of Wolfe. I also like >54 laytonwoman3rd: because of the bolder yellow of his shirt and pocket handkerchief. I also just watched a few minutes of S01E01 of the Maury Chaykin The Doorbell Rang and was favorably impressed. Now I’ll have to watch the whole thing.
>55 weird_O: Okay. Ditch the cigar and beard and I’ll grant you Wells, except as Linda points out in >56 laytonwoman3rd:, Wolfe is fastidious.
>53 weird_O: You’re welcome. I love this pic of Wolfe. I also like >54 laytonwoman3rd: because of the bolder yellow of his shirt and pocket handkerchief. I also just watched a few minutes of S01E01 of the Maury Chaykin The Doorbell Rang and was favorably impressed. Now I’ll have to watch the whole thing.
>55 weird_O: Okay. Ditch the cigar and beard and I’ll grant you Wells, except as Linda points out in >56 laytonwoman3rd:, Wolfe is fastidious.
67weird_O
>63 lauralkeet: The Song of Achilles? Yeah, I heard it was pretty good. An indicator might be the used-book market. After looking and finding few copies available, I opted to buy a new copy. So I've got it, but I've pitched into Ol' Doc Barnes right away. I also got out Great French Paintings from the Barnes Foundation, which was published in 1987, before many of the strictures that Barnes tried to impose in perpetuity were broken down.
Cool, huh?
>64 laytonwoman3rd: In Dark of the Moon, Carr introduces his mystery-solver:
According to the Wiki, Fell was supposedly based in physical appearance and personality on G. K. Chesterton. He's a corpulent man who wears a cape and a shovel hat and walks with the aid of two canes. I've read only the first (Hag's Nook) and the second to last (Dark of the Moon) of 23 Fell mysteries that Carr wrote.
>65 msf59: I'll get there, Mark. While I'm anxious to read Miller on Achilles, I was sucked into the story of one-of-a-kind art collector Dr. Albert Barnes. That, then Achilles.
Cool, huh?
>64 laytonwoman3rd: In Dark of the Moon, Carr introduces his mystery-solver:
Mountainously piled into the back, too large to be accommodated by the bucket seat beside the driver, was his friend, Dr. Gideon Fell.
According to the Wiki, Fell was supposedly based in physical appearance and personality on G. K. Chesterton. He's a corpulent man who wears a cape and a shovel hat and walks with the aid of two canes. I've read only the first (Hag's Nook) and the second to last (Dark of the Moon) of 23 Fell mysteries that Carr wrote.
>65 msf59: I'll get there, Mark. While I'm anxious to read Miller on Achilles, I was sucked into the story of one-of-a-kind art collector Dr. Albert Barnes. That, then Achilles.
68weird_O
>66 karenmarie: I like getting various images in Wolfe together. Orson Wells presents the girth I envision for Wolfe. Mr. Chaykin (in the photo) displays the vintage of man I think Wolfe is. And the guy with the yellow shirt doesn't convey what I imagine Wolfe's sedentary character is.
69weird_O
There those students are, digging in the shadow (so to speak) of the Temple of Apollo. They probably haven't noticed how blue and inviting that water is. The dirt under their feet is more enticing.
70richardderus
>69 weird_O: ...until 3pm, maybe, then that water beckons or I don't remember Greece's climate properly!
The Nero Wolfe images...>53 weird_O: is my own mental vision of him, though I've never seen that'un before.
I'm so pleased to learn of your taste for Miss Welty's wiseacre-words. "Why I Live at the P.O." is probably the story of hers I know the best because I've read it so many times! Someday when time hangs heavy go listen to the lady read it herself. It's just magical!
The Nero Wolfe images...>53 weird_O: is my own mental vision of him, though I've never seen that'un before.
I'm so pleased to learn of your taste for Miss Welty's wiseacre-words. "Why I Live at the P.O." is probably the story of hers I know the best because I've read it so many times! Someday when time hangs heavy go listen to the lady read it herself. It's just magical!
71laytonwoman3rd
>70 richardderus: I love that voice, and that story, so much. I have a pair of lamps just like hers...
One of mine:
One of hers:
One of mine:
One of hers:
72weird_O
>70 richardderus: >71 laytonwoman3rd:
From Hold Still: A Memoir with Photographs by Sally Mann
From Hold Still: A Memoir with Photographs by Sally Mann
The writer Lee Smith, who once had a New York copy editor query in the margin of her manuscript "Double-wide what?" tells a perfectly marvelous, spot-on story about Eudora Welty when she came to Hollins College, where Smith was a student. Welty read a short story in which one female character presents another with a marble cake. In the back of the audience Smith noted a group of leather-elbowed, goatee-sporting PhD candidates, all of whom were getting pretty excited. One started waving his hand as soon as she stopped reading and said, "Miz Welty, how did you come up with that powerful symbol of the marble cake, with the feminine and masculine, the yin and the yang, the Freudian and the Jungian all mixed together like that?"
Smith reported that Welty looked at him from the lectern without saying anything for a while. Finally she replied mildly, "Well, you see, it's a recipe that's been in my family for some time."
73richardderus
>72 weird_O: ...
...
...yankees...you just never know where they'll pop up next...
>71 laytonwoman3rd: How wonderful, Bill! Great lamp, too.
...
...yankees...you just never know where they'll pop up next...
>71 laytonwoman3rd: How wonderful, Bill! Great lamp, too.
74karenmarie
Appreciating the Welty discussion. I just listened to the short story and love the anecdote about the marble cake.
75weird_O
Tried to hear the story just a minute ago, RD, but the link took me to a blank page so I could start a new topic. Did I wait too long? Linda and Karen got to hear it. *sniff*
Finished Bangkok 8 today, the first of a series featuring Royal Thai Police detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep. I paired it with a photo book of Bangkok sites and sights. I was stationed by the U. S. Army in Bangkok for nearly a year in 1967-68, but John Burdett's crime tale was set in the current century. While a few street names sounded familiar, the book of touristy photos confirmed that Bangkok is very different from my experience of it.
Burdett's book is a good'n. I have the third in the series among the TBRs. I don't know if reading the books in order is advisable.
I'm down to the final 50 pages of The Devil and Dr. Barnes. And that one I'm pairing with Great French Paintings from the Barnes Foundation. Both books were published in 1987, 36 years after Barnes's death, when the foundation was still bunkered in Merion, just west of Philadelphia.
Finished Bangkok 8 today, the first of a series featuring Royal Thai Police detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep. I paired it with a photo book of Bangkok sites and sights. I was stationed by the U. S. Army in Bangkok for nearly a year in 1967-68, but John Burdett's crime tale was set in the current century. While a few street names sounded familiar, the book of touristy photos confirmed that Bangkok is very different from my experience of it.
Burdett's book is a good'n. I have the third in the series among the TBRs. I don't know if reading the books in order is advisable.
I'm down to the final 50 pages of The Devil and Dr. Barnes. And that one I'm pairing with Great French Paintings from the Barnes Foundation. Both books were published in 1987, 36 years after Barnes's death, when the foundation was still bunkered in Merion, just west of Philadelphia.
77laytonwoman3rd
>75 weird_O: I didn't listen to Miss Eudora read her story through that link. I happen to have a *gasp* cassette tape from long ago where I first heard her voice. However, you can catch her rapid-fire reading Here on YouTube, with text to follow along.
78weird_O
>76 LovingLit: Ha. I kept reading posts about Circe on here. Visiting a local new-used bookstore, I bought a copy. I set it on a table to let it breathe. Letting it mature, don't you know. Finally read it. Had to get a copy of The Song of Achilles, which I may begin reading this week. And, and, and...I'm eying a boxed set of The Iliad, The Odyssey, and The Aeneid. You know, you have to be very wary here on LT. All those nice people writing about books? They are all, ALL, pushers...dealers...feeding your addictions with their "Oh, you should try this!" and "If you liked that, you absolutely MUST try this!" Heh heh.
>77 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks for the YT link, Linda. I see that there are several vids of Ms. Welty reading her stories. As RD would say, "Maybeperhaps I should root out the volume I have of her stories." Thanks for the push.
>77 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks for the YT link, Linda. I see that there are several vids of Ms. Welty reading her stories. As RD would say, "Maybeperhaps I should root out the volume I have of her stories." Thanks for the push.
79richardderus
I clicked on the link and went right there...weird. Well, y'all got it handled.
You're safe in my thread today, Bill. I posted my 99th review...of a gay romance...fourth in the series. No worries!
You're safe in my thread today, Bill. I posted my 99th review...of a gay romance...fourth in the series. No worries!
80weird_O
Finished The Devil and Dr. Barnes. The postman hasn't come through with a second book on Barnes I ordered. Maybe this week.
Great French Paintings from the Barnes Foundation is a big undertaking. Pictures, yes, but a lot of words. I'll get 'er read.
Started The Song of Achilles.
What are y'all reading?
Great French Paintings from the Barnes Foundation is a big undertaking. Pictures, yes, but a lot of words. I'll get 'er read.
Started The Song of Achilles.
What are y'all reading?
81katiekrug
Morning, Bill!
I'm reading Outlawed by Anna North, which is an alternate history/feminist take on a Western. I'm enjoying it a lot. And on audio, I just started Michelle Obama's bio.
I'm reading Outlawed by Anna North, which is an alternate history/feminist take on a Western. I'm enjoying it a lot. And on audio, I just started Michelle Obama's bio.
82ffortsa
The Fagles translations of the Iliad, Odyssey and Aeneid are very readable, although there have been subsequent ones and I know Amber loves the Lombardo versions. My poetry group has read the first two out loud (that's what we do) and we are now nosing our way into the Aeneid.
Both the Odyssey and the Aeneid have gotten new and interesting translations by women. One of them, Shadi Bartsch, has a youtube presentation of the Aeneid and variants of the Aeneas stories that is very interesting.
Both the Odyssey and the Aeneid have gotten new and interesting translations by women. One of them, Shadi Bartsch, has a youtube presentation of the Aeneid and variants of the Aeneas stories that is very interesting.
83weird_O
>81 katiekrug: Hi Katie. Outlawed must be interesting. I'll check it out, but the Touchstone links to The Duke Who Outlawed Jelly Beans, which is intended for children with gay parents. Both books are about alternatives, I guess. Anyway, I got to the correct book. Sounds interesting. Might be a BB, but I've got my armor on. :-)
>82 ffortsa: Good info, Judy. Thanks. I'm not in any particular rush. My granddaughter the Classics major is in Greece (!) until the end of the month. Your info makes me want to hear what she has to say. She's only two years in, but Gramps wants to hear from her nonetheless. You've given me things to check out in the interim.
>82 ffortsa: Good info, Judy. Thanks. I'm not in any particular rush. My granddaughter the Classics major is in Greece (!) until the end of the month. Your info makes me want to hear what she has to say. She's only two years in, but Gramps wants to hear from her nonetheless. You've given me things to check out in the interim.
85msf59
I am so glad you enjoyed Bangkok 8. I read the first 4 in the series and I would suggest reading them in order.
86FAMeulstee
>80 weird_O: I have read The Song of Achilles recently, Bill, and I am reading now Circe, Anniversaries and Volunteer in Spain.
87richardderus
So glad you're reading The Song of Achilles, Bill. Miller did a beautiful job with the world the heroes inhabit.
I'm digging deep into Ann Cleeves's Matthew Venn mysteries. It's the first time she's had a gay protagonist, and so far The Long Call is good but The Heron's Cry is even better.
I'm digging deep into Ann Cleeves's Matthew Venn mysteries. It's the first time she's had a gay protagonist, and so far The Long Call is good but The Heron's Cry is even better.
88weird_O
Vowing to somehow pull myself from this here slough. I'm invited to the Philadelphia Flower Show tomorrow, and I don't have to drive.
89weird_O
So the 2021 Pulitzers have been announced (Friday) and I'm chagrinned that I don't know about any of the winners and finalists except for The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich. But Ms. Erdrich's novel surely must be read.
90laytonwoman3rd
>89 weird_O: Yes, I'm ashamed to say that book has been on my shelves unread for much too long. Erdrich is a favorite of mine.
91msf59
Happy Saturday, Bill. DUH! I didn't even see the Pulitzer announcement. Hooray for Erdrich! I am a big fan but sadly I have not yet read The Night Watchman, although it languishes on shelf. I NEED to remedy that.
92weird_O
No shame, Mark. Point at me and snicker. I've got six Erdrich novels on the shelves but have read only one, The Plague of Doves, which I liked and admire. (She was a finalist for the Pulitzer in 2009 for that book. That year, Elizabeth Strout won for Olive Kitteridge.) Cheap thrill: I read The Plague of Doves for the 2015 AAC, hosted by some postman (heh heh). I joined LT in March of that year, and signed on to the AAC in May. I know you'll recall that Ms. Erdrich was the author for April. I finished it 09/06/15.
>90 laytonwoman3rd: >91 msf59: The announcement was a surprise for me. I was scanning the Times on-line whilst savoring my second cuppa of the day, and it jumped out at me. (Didn't spill a drop though).
>90 laytonwoman3rd: >91 msf59: The announcement was a surprise for me. I was scanning the Times on-line whilst savoring my second cuppa of the day, and it jumped out at me. (Didn't spill a drop though).
93Berly
>78 weird_O: Circe? Oh yeah. I read that one. Praised it highly. NOT that I am a pusher or dealer. Nope not me. : )
>92 weird_O: You might want to read another Erdrich though....just saying.
Happy weekend!
>92 weird_O: You might want to read another Erdrich though....just saying.
Happy weekend!
94msf59
“The truth is, she's a weirdo. Just like you were. Are. A glorious, perfectly weird weirdo. Like all kids before they forget how to be exactly how weird they really are."
-Interior Chinatown
...that is all.
-Interior Chinatown
...that is all.
95karenmarie
Hi Bill!
>88 weird_O: If I had epilepsy that would bring on a seizure, for sure.
>92 weird_O: Thanks for reminding me about The Plague of Doves. It’s hiding out on a shelf upstairs but I really need to read it this summer.
>88 weird_O: If I had epilepsy that would bring on a seizure, for sure.
>92 weird_O: Thanks for reminding me about The Plague of Doves. It’s hiding out on a shelf upstairs but I really need to read it this summer.
96richardderus
>88 weird_O: what >95 karenmarie: said *ngong*
I was extra-special pleased that the Pulitzer committee agreed to give Darnella Frazier a Special Citation.
I was extra-special pleased that the Pulitzer committee agreed to give Darnella Frazier a Special Citation.
97m.belljackson
>95 karenmarie: Migraineurs also had to tear past those gears!
98Berly
Dang. I posted last night, but is it here? NO! Oh well. Happy Sunday and you definitely should read another Erdrich. Just saying. : )
99weird_O
>98 Berly: I do believe your Saturday evening post is here @ >93 Berly:. Not only have I finished Circe, but I just finished The Song of Achilles. Woot, as Amber loves to blurt. Give each of them a rating of GREAT! Also, I will read another Erdrich novel in the near term.
>94 msf59: Doggone it, Mark. Is that a quote that's carefully contrived to get me to seek out a copy of Interior Chinatown. Hmmm? Might just work. You evil... Aw, never mind.
>95 karenmarie: >96 richardderus: Yow! Never thought of that. Sorry. But, Karen, read The Plague of Doves and I'll forgive you.
Richard, I agree with you on the Special Citation awarded by the Pulitzer committee. I even knew who Darnella Frazier is. In the same vein, I note that a Pulitzer was awarded to Mitchell S. Jackson of Runner's World magazine for a “deeply affecting account” of the death of Ahmaud Arbery. RW was published for years by Rodale Press, where I worked (but never ran).
>97 m.belljackson: Oooo. Migraines. Marianne, I shoulda remembered that, for my beloved would occasionally avert her eyes from the TV, saying something like, "AWWWK! That'll give me a migraine!" And she would have said exactly that if she was still around for me to show those spinning gears to. My bad indeed.
>98 Berly: So Powell's of Portland came up in weekend conversation with my older son and his in-laws. He proposed whisking his father (me) and his father-law to shop at Strand Books in NYC on Father's Day. Powell's came into the chat because Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon issomehow connected to the ownership a customer of Powells and is married to the owner of the Strand. But you knew that.
ETA: ...Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon is somehow connected to the ownership of Powells... Sorry; NOT true. He's connected with Powell's owners only as a customer. Oh, but he DID meet Strand owner Nancy Bass for the first time at Powell's.
>94 msf59: Doggone it, Mark. Is that a quote that's carefully contrived to get me to seek out a copy of Interior Chinatown. Hmmm? Might just work. You evil... Aw, never mind.
>95 karenmarie: >96 richardderus: Yow! Never thought of that. Sorry. But, Karen, read The Plague of Doves and I'll forgive you.
Richard, I agree with you on the Special Citation awarded by the Pulitzer committee. I even knew who Darnella Frazier is. In the same vein, I note that a Pulitzer was awarded to Mitchell S. Jackson of Runner's World magazine for a “deeply affecting account” of the death of Ahmaud Arbery. RW was published for years by Rodale Press, where I worked (but never ran).
>97 m.belljackson: Oooo. Migraines. Marianne, I shoulda remembered that, for my beloved would occasionally avert her eyes from the TV, saying something like, "AWWWK! That'll give me a migraine!" And she would have said exactly that if she was still around for me to show those spinning gears to. My bad indeed.
>98 Berly: So Powell's of Portland came up in weekend conversation with my older son and his in-laws. He proposed whisking his father (me) and his father-law to shop at Strand Books in NYC on Father's Day. Powell's came into the chat because Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon is
ETA: ...Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon is somehow connected to the ownership of Powells... Sorry; NOT true. He's connected with Powell's owners only as a customer. Oh, but he DID meet Strand owner Nancy Bass for the first time at Powell's.
100weird_O
Finished The Song of Achilles. Epic!
101richardderus
>100 weird_O: Truly, gloriously epic! The ending...well...wow.
102Berly
>99 weird_O: I did not know that!! Fun facts. : )
103weird_O
>102 Berly: Well, as I edited >99 weird_O:, Wyden's connection to Powell's is fun, but not fact. He's a customer only. He IS now married to the former Nancy Bass, owner of Strand, and they must accumulate frequent-flier miles like we wouldn't believe.
By the way, I just finished Abel's Island, a Newbury Honor Book by William Steig.
By the way, I just finished Abel's Island, a Newbury Honor Book by William Steig.
104LovingLit
>78 weird_O: you are right about the pushers on here :)
I also have a copy of the Iliad, but am slightly wary about that one! I feel it could challenge me to within an inch of my life. Maybe I need to save it for when I have the time to make a project of it, with plenty of complementary reading and studying!
I also have a copy of the Iliad, but am slightly wary about that one! I feel it could challenge me to within an inch of my life. Maybe I need to save it for when I have the time to make a project of it, with plenty of complementary reading and studying!
106ffortsa
Bill, I hear you are coming to visit the Strand on Father's Day. I don't know your schedule, but we (magician's_nephew and I) live only a few blocks away. If time permits, perhaps we can witness the half-ton truck of books you extract from the premises. Or at least have a cup of coffee.
107FAMeulstee
>105 weird_O: Oh yes, that is such a cool book, Bill. Once in a while I browse a bit through it, Escher made amazing things.
We went to an exhibition of his work a few years back.
We went to an exhibition of his work a few years back.
108benitastrnad
>103 weird_O:
Back in the day when I was a school teacher/librarian I was an Abel's Island pusher. It is a wonderful book and William Steig is a wonderful author. It is hard to believe that such a slim book as Shrek could have produced all those Shrek movies when the book came from one persons inagination. Once kids read Abel's Island they loved it. It is also a great read-aloud.
Back in the day when I was a school teacher/librarian I was an Abel's Island pusher. It is a wonderful book and William Steig is a wonderful author. It is hard to believe that such a slim book as Shrek could have produced all those Shrek movies when the book came from one persons inagination. Once kids read Abel's Island they loved it. It is also a great read-aloud.
109karenmarie
>99 weird_O: my beloved would occasionally avert her eyes from the TV, saying something like, "AWWWK! That'll give me a migraine!" When my Bill fast-forwards through commercials on DVR stuff I look away.
110weird_O
>106 ffortsa: Sunday I will be Strand-ward bound, yes. And a meetup would be grand. But I suspect all will be ad lib. That is, I know who I'm riding with, but I don't know the timetable. I don't know what beyond book-shopping is on the agenda. I'll PM you with contact info.
>107 FAMeulstee: I'm glad I'm not alone in admiring Escher, Anita. I have to admit that I haven't recently cracked the cover on that book, but I've read a few very intriguing facts about the man, and I should get the book out of hiding and read about him.
>108 benitastrnad: Hi Benita. Steig's work is sooo good. Talked to my daughter about Abel's Island and she told me that the copy of The Amazing Bone that she loved as a kid was in my house. I found it and discovered it was autographed! It must have gotten it signed at the American Bookseller's Association show in 1976, the year it was published. Cool. I didn't realize that Steig was strictly a cartoonist and illustrator until he was about 60. He did drawings for The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody by Will Cuppy, which I read only a month ago. But at 60, he dropped whatever he HAD been doing and worked exclusively on children's books thereafter.
>109 karenmarie: I guess. FWIW, I cut the satellite just this week. Nobody ever ran cable up the hill a mile to our little subdivision, so we had DirecTV. $150 monthly. Well, no more. Think of all the BOOKS I'll be able to buy!
>107 FAMeulstee: I'm glad I'm not alone in admiring Escher, Anita. I have to admit that I haven't recently cracked the cover on that book, but I've read a few very intriguing facts about the man, and I should get the book out of hiding and read about him.
>108 benitastrnad: Hi Benita. Steig's work is sooo good. Talked to my daughter about Abel's Island and she told me that the copy of The Amazing Bone that she loved as a kid was in my house. I found it and discovered it was autographed! It must have gotten it signed at the American Bookseller's Association show in 1976, the year it was published. Cool. I didn't realize that Steig was strictly a cartoonist and illustrator until he was about 60. He did drawings for The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody by Will Cuppy, which I read only a month ago. But at 60, he dropped whatever he HAD been doing and worked exclusively on children's books thereafter.
>109 karenmarie: I guess. FWIW, I cut the satellite just this week. Nobody ever ran cable up the hill a mile to our little subdivision, so we had DirecTV. $150 monthly. Well, no more. Think of all the BOOKS I'll be able to buy!
111PaulCranswick
Happy Father's Day, Bill
112weird_O
I talked to Daughter Dearest during the week and was somewhat surprised to learn she didn't have The Amazing Bone, probably her favorite Bill Steig book. "I think it's in the closet downstairs." So I looked. I had raided it for books from my kids' childhoods several times in the last year or two. Mary Poppins. Mr. Popper's Penguins. Little Toot. Just favorite books that we'd kept. So I looked and discovered three books, including The Amazing Bone, that made me happy to unearth.
Just above, in reply to Benita's post (>108 benitastrnad:) about Abel's Island, I noted how surprised I was to discover that The Amazing Bone was a freebie I got at a book trade show, and got it signed by the author to Jeremy and Becky, who would have been 5 and 2 at the time. Ha! Cool.
I also found a copy of Little Black Sambo, a Little Golden Book (remember them?) that Judi inherited from her family. (That particular book was her oldest sister's).
And I discovered a Sesame Street book I got for the kids, autographed by Cookie Monster. (The Muppeteer "being" CM was Frank Oz, who was Miss Piggy and so many other Muppet characters.) I remembered getting that book, but I forgot which book it was and I thought it was long gone. Chunks of some of the pages are missing, but the autograph is (mostly) intact.
I've been in that nostalgic mode for most of this year, and these three books were happy finds.
I read all three and decided I want to tag them as read. BUT it didn't occupy me more than an hour. I'm going to note on my reading list "Kids' Book Trio" and count it as a single read. In the same way, I'm inserting a list of the 9 books I read on 5/15/21 before giving them to the younger grands. Nine easily read but thoroughly enjoyable books counting as one.
Just above, in reply to Benita's post (>108 benitastrnad:) about Abel's Island, I noted how surprised I was to discover that The Amazing Bone was a freebie I got at a book trade show, and got it signed by the author to Jeremy and Becky, who would have been 5 and 2 at the time. Ha! Cool.
I also found a copy of Little Black Sambo, a Little Golden Book (remember them?) that Judi inherited from her family. (That particular book was her oldest sister's).
And I discovered a Sesame Street book I got for the kids, autographed by Cookie Monster. (The Muppeteer "being" CM was Frank Oz, who was Miss Piggy and so many other Muppet characters.) I remembered getting that book, but I forgot which book it was and I thought it was long gone. Chunks of some of the pages are missing, but the autograph is (mostly) intact.
I've been in that nostalgic mode for most of this year, and these three books were happy finds.
I read all three and decided I want to tag them as read. BUT it didn't occupy me more than an hour. I'm going to note on my reading list "Kids' Book Trio" and count it as a single read. In the same way, I'm inserting a list of the 9 books I read on 5/15/21 before giving them to the younger grands. Nine easily read but thoroughly enjoyable books counting as one.
113jessibud2
>112 weird_O: - Treasures, indeed! I still have a few school books of my mother's, including a beautifully illustrated edition of Robert Louis Stevenson's A Child's Garden of Verses, a favourite of mine since childhood. I especially loved the poem *My Shadow*.
Good for you for finding those. I'm sure your kids and grands will treasure them!
Good for you for finding those. I'm sure your kids and grands will treasure them!
114msf59
Happy Father's Day, Bill. I hope you have a great day. I am really enjoying The Night Watchman.
115laytonwoman3rd
I believe there is a trove of Little Golden Books in this house somewhere...an old favorite from my younger brother's childhood was Scuppers the Sailor Dog. I'd love to come across that one. LT doesn't seem to recognize it.
116FAMeulstee
>115 laytonwoman3rd: I think you can find it as The Sailor Dog, Linda.
117laytonwoman3rd
>116 FAMeulstee: Oh, thank you, Anita! And it's by Margaret Wise Brown. I had forgotten that.
118weird_O
>113 jessibud2: Isn't it great to have possession of the very copies of books your parents loved as children. I think all three of my kids boosted books from the family bookshelves. Don't know if they'll want anything from the hoard after I pop off. My wife had her maternal grandmother's copy of The Secret Garden, possibly dating back to 1911. She also got my mother's copy of the book, which was given to mom in 1927. You can tell just by looking at them that both were used frequently but kept intact.
>114 msf59: I did have a most excellent Father's Day, Mark. Glad to hear that the latest Erdrich is good. I toyed with buying a copy, but opted for Piranesi instead. How was your FD? Did your fledgling birdies bring their adoptive daddy good stuff?
>115 laytonwoman3rd: The Little Golden Books I have were from Judi's family. We moved several times when I was growing up, and we didn't have the resources to keep the books of our youths. But after Judi and I married, she spirited books that had remained in her family's place to ours. In the last year or so, I came upon a couple of those little books I remembered from childhood at Goodwill and rescued them. Tootle and The Saggy Baggy Elephant. Little Black Sambo was one we had. I don't remember The Sailor Dog; the cover doesn't look familiar.
>116 FAMeulstee: It's so great to get help from a different slice of the globe. Is The Sailor Dog something you remember from your youth, Anita?
>117 laytonwoman3rd: :-)
ETA: I gotta run an errand. Right now. I'll brag about my Father's Day adventures when I return.
Ta-ta.
>114 msf59: I did have a most excellent Father's Day, Mark. Glad to hear that the latest Erdrich is good. I toyed with buying a copy, but opted for Piranesi instead. How was your FD? Did your fledgling birdies bring their adoptive daddy good stuff?
>115 laytonwoman3rd: The Little Golden Books I have were from Judi's family. We moved several times when I was growing up, and we didn't have the resources to keep the books of our youths. But after Judi and I married, she spirited books that had remained in her family's place to ours. In the last year or so, I came upon a couple of those little books I remembered from childhood at Goodwill and rescued them. Tootle and The Saggy Baggy Elephant. Little Black Sambo was one we had. I don't remember The Sailor Dog; the cover doesn't look familiar.
>116 FAMeulstee: It's so great to get help from a different slice of the globe. Is The Sailor Dog something you remember from your youth, Anita?
>117 laytonwoman3rd: :-)
ETA: I gotta run an errand. Right now. I'll brag about my Father's Day adventures when I return.
Ta-ta.
119FAMeulstee
>118 weird_O: I just can't stand if a book can't be found on LT, Bill, so I searched a bit and found the book fairly fast.
There were Golden Books in Dutch translation (called Gouden Boekjes), and we had some at home. Some titles I know for certain we had: Five little firemen (Vijf brandweermannetjes), Little indian (De kleine Indiaan), Little Peewee (Pietepaf het circushondje), Baby animals (Wij zijn nog klein),
and I Can Fly (Ik kan vliegen) was my favorite :-)
ETA to add the cover
There were Golden Books in Dutch translation (called Gouden Boekjes), and we had some at home. Some titles I know for certain we had: Five little firemen (Vijf brandweermannetjes), Little indian (De kleine Indiaan), Little Peewee (Pietepaf het circushondje), Baby animals (Wij zijn nog klein),
and I Can Fly (Ik kan vliegen) was my favorite :-)
ETA to add the cover
120weird_O
My Father's Day introduction to NYC's Strand Books was pretty epic. I had a generous gift card in my pocket, and everyone else in the party was content to lead me into the establishment, nose around a bit, then retire to a coffee shop (or somewhere), letting me poke here and there with my 88-book WantList. Most busy bookstore I believe I've ever been in. You can see what I got, including a tote and a proper sized mug.
121weird_O
FD Books from Daughter Dearest and Son the Younger, left to right. I'm reading Prof. Richardson's book and Mr. Westlake's book. (And also Great French Paintings. America America not so much.)
123lauralkeet
Nice haul, Bill. I haven't been to The Strand in some time, but I do love it. It can be overwhelming, but you're sure not to leave empty handed.
124karenmarie
Hi Bill!
>112 weird_O: We love William Steig books. When Jenna was little, our financial advisor, named Rick DeSoto, sent Dr. Desoto and although they aren’t cataloged, we still have several upstairs.
I read Little Black Sambo and Little Black Sambo and the Elephant this year – I have copies from the 1930s with seriously NOT politically correct covers, but the stories and illustrations are delightful.
>115 laytonwoman3rd: and >116 FAMeulstee: We’ve got that one upstairs, too.
>120 weird_O: Epic book store adventure. Congrats.
>112 weird_O: We love William Steig books. When Jenna was little, our financial advisor, named Rick DeSoto, sent Dr. Desoto and although they aren’t cataloged, we still have several upstairs.
I read Little Black Sambo and Little Black Sambo and the Elephant this year – I have copies from the 1930s with seriously NOT politically correct covers, but the stories and illustrations are delightful.
>115 laytonwoman3rd: and >116 FAMeulstee: We’ve got that one upstairs, too.
>120 weird_O: Epic book store adventure. Congrats.
125katiekrug
Sounds like you had a great Father's Day, Bill! A visit to The Strand is a must, of course, but I do find it rather too much sometimes. I'm glad you got to experience its wonders!
126weird_O
>122 jessibud2: It was a swell day, good company, Shelley. The books I picked please me; some have been on one WantList or another for years.
>123 lauralkeet: Glad I finally visited the place, Laura. It IS overwhelming to a first-time visitor. And for someone accustomed to library book sale pricing, oh my.
>124 karenmarie: I think I've pretty much unearthed all the childhood treasures, Karen. I do want to find some more of Steig's books, though. Dr. DeSoto sounds like one to look for. It's excellent that you got it from someone named DeSoto. I owned a DeSoto in my youth. (One of the books on my shopping list was Mr. Blandings Builds his Dream House by Eric Hodgins, which was illustrated by Steig. Sadly, it's still on the list.)
>125 katiekrug: Katie, I'm glad I finally got to the Strand. It was a swell day.
>123 lauralkeet: Glad I finally visited the place, Laura. It IS overwhelming to a first-time visitor. And for someone accustomed to library book sale pricing, oh my.
>124 karenmarie: I think I've pretty much unearthed all the childhood treasures, Karen. I do want to find some more of Steig's books, though. Dr. DeSoto sounds like one to look for. It's excellent that you got it from someone named DeSoto. I owned a DeSoto in my youth. (One of the books on my shopping list was Mr. Blandings Builds his Dream House by Eric Hodgins, which was illustrated by Steig. Sadly, it's still on the list.)
>125 katiekrug: Katie, I'm glad I finally got to the Strand. It was a swell day.
127weird_O
I'm into the Father's Day trove. Pretty pleased, I am. I started HCR's book (How the South Won the Civil War), and there's a lot to absorb, so I'm going slowly with it. Decided to dip into The Hot Rock by Donald Westlake, which I had pursued because James Mustich listed it in his book 1000 Books to Read Before You Die, and also because I saw the film made from the book (I thought it terrific). Got hooked, and plowed through it straightaway.
Having completed the Westlake, I read another chapter in HCR's book, then picked up The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin. I took a BB somewhere here at LT; it sounded good. Well, not what I expected. I shall finish it. It'll be a "good", better than "ok" but not up to "VG". I shoulda looked at the reviews: the most recent calls it "shallow and formulaic". Bingo!
Having completed the Westlake, I read another chapter in HCR's book, then picked up The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin. I took a BB somewhere here at LT; it sounded good. Well, not what I expected. I shall finish it. It'll be a "good", better than "ok" but not up to "VG". I shoulda looked at the reviews: the most recent calls it "shallow and formulaic". Bingo!
128msf59
>120 weird_O: Love the book haul, Bill. I really liked The Bird Artist and I was a big fan of Westlake, during my crime reading days. Did you ever read his Parker series, under Richard Stark? I think The Hot Rock was part of the Dortmunder series, right? There was also a film version, if I recall correctly.
129weird_O
Hi, Mr. Mark! I picked The Bird Artist to read for the Howard Norman segment of the AAC. I was going to wild-card that segment until I observed that David Bowie had this book on his Top One Hundred Books list. So I think I'm set for that.
Somehow, I missed Westlake. I have/had one of his books, but it's been misplace. Hope not culled. I haven't read any of the books written under pen names. The Hot Rock is the first of the Dortmunder books. There was a film version, which, as I said, was the reason I sought out the book to read. I would read another, should I run across one.
Somehow, I missed Westlake. I have/had one of his books, but it's been misplace. Hope not culled. I haven't read any of the books written under pen names. The Hot Rock is the first of the Dortmunder books. There was a film version, which, as I said, was the reason I sought out the book to read. I would read another, should I run across one.
130laytonwoman3rd
>129 weird_O: I hope you enjoy The Bird Artist when you get to it. I thought it was wonderful. I'm looking forward to reading more of the Norman books on my shelves. And I met Howard Norman in person years ago. He's kind of a funny duck. (See what I did there?)
132richardderus
Count me among The Bird Artist's many admirers, too. An excellent read.
Gorgeous FD haul, Bill, and the Golden Books made me feel nostalgic indeed.
Have a glorious weekend!
Gorgeous FD haul, Bill, and the Golden Books made me feel nostalgic indeed.
Have a glorious weekend!
133jnwelch
Hi, Bill. The Bird Artist is great. I’m happy to see it still being talked about. I think you’ll find it a satisfying read.
I’ve read all of Burdett’s sonchai books, and enjoyed them all. IMO, you have some fun reading ahead of you.
I loved the impressive Barnes’ collection when it was out in a Philadelphia suburb (the name started with an M). I haven’t seen it in its “new” incarnation in the Philadelphia museum.
I’ve read all of Burdett’s sonchai books, and enjoyed them all. IMO, you have some fun reading ahead of you.
I loved the impressive Barnes’ collection when it was out in a Philadelphia suburb (the name started with an M). I haven’t seen it in its “new” incarnation in the Philadelphia museum.
134weird_O
>130 laytonwoman3rd: >131 katiekrug: >132 richardderus: >133 jnwelch: All of you are fans of Howard Norman's The Bird Artist! Geez, now I have to wait until September to read it. I can deal with it, thank you. I have a couple of other good books to occupy my idle time.
>130 laytonwoman3rd: Yes, I did see what you did there. It was most fowl. But lucky you to meet the author.
>131 katiekrug: Had I been paying attention last year when you gave an extensive and laudatory review, Katie, I wouldn't have had to check with David Bowie. (Ah, you DID give it extensive and laudatory review, right?)
>132 richardderus: I'm pleased to have so much company in being nostalgic about the Little Golden books.
>133 jnwelch: I haven't yet put the books of the Sonchai series on my WANT!list, but soon.
So you saw the Barnes collection in Merion. Good for you, Joe. How on earth did you get in there? I've never seen it. Just pictures in books.
>130 laytonwoman3rd: Yes, I did see what you did there. It was most fowl. But lucky you to meet the author.
>131 katiekrug: Had I been paying attention last year when you gave an extensive and laudatory review, Katie, I wouldn't have had to check with David Bowie. (Ah, you DID give it extensive and laudatory review, right?)
>132 richardderus: I'm pleased to have so much company in being nostalgic about the Little Golden books.
>133 jnwelch: I haven't yet put the books of the Sonchai series on my WANT!list, but soon.
So you saw the Barnes collection in Merion. Good for you, Joe. How on earth did you get in there? I've never seen it. Just pictures in books.
135weird_O
Wanting to share this photo of Claire and her archaeological cohort at the site of the dig they've been working for the last month. She's the third from the left. The guy that's sixth from the left (hat in hand, sunglasses) lives on the next island over and stopped by. He participated in the same dig about 10 years ago, doing the four-week course, digging and sifting and cataloging. Tom Hanks.
136lauralkeet
>135 weird_O: wow! That must have been quite a surprise for the group. Claire will come away with so many interesting memories.
137laytonwoman3rd
>135 weird_O: Woot! Just when you think you're already having a never-to-be-forgotten experience, it gets even better.
138richardderus
>135 weird_O: How exciting! And typical of what I know about Hanks...always interested, always curious. Brava Claire for good luck and wise choices.
139weird_O
>136 lauralkeet: >137 laytonwoman3rd: They knew Hanks had a place on the island where they were housed. We homefolks were kidding her about going to see him. Who knew he was an archaeology buff? Or that he would drop by to see them. He talked to some of them individually—Claire was one—asking where they went to college, what their interests were. He also told them that if in the future they should happen to see him at an airport or restaurant, they should tell him where they met and when, and share with him what they'd been doing since.
Yeah. So coool!
Yeah. So coool!
140msf59
>135 weird_O: I love the photo of Claire with her digging cohorts. And Tom Hanks to boot? This is pretty awesome. Hanks must have an incredible range of interests.
How are those books treating you, Bill?
How are those books treating you, Bill?
141jessibud2
>135 weird_O: - How exciting, to end an already adventurous and exciting month, with TOM HANKS!! Woo! (I did notice not a mask in sight but they are outside so I hope everyone is/remains safe)
And how gracious (and so Hanks) of him to say that, about meeting him in the future and to make sure they remind him of this time so he can catch up. A real mensch...
And how gracious (and so Hanks) of him to say that, about meeting him in the future and to make sure they remind him of this time so he can catch up. A real mensch...
142benitastrnad
>140 msf59:
It shouldn't surprise anybody that Tom Hanks has a wide range of interests. The man is a reader. He reads lots of books and talks about the books he has read. If I recall correctly, he even authored a book. I find that many actors are great readers as well. And that they like to talk about what they are reading. For instance, Conan O'Brian is a noted Abraham Lincoln scholar. And then there are all the actors with book clubs. People like, Reece Witherspoon, Jenna Bush, and Oprah. What about all those late night hosts with reading lists. People like Jimmy Kimmel and Emma Watson also have book clubs.
It shouldn't surprise anybody that Tom Hanks has a wide range of interests. The man is a reader. He reads lots of books and talks about the books he has read. If I recall correctly, he even authored a book. I find that many actors are great readers as well. And that they like to talk about what they are reading. For instance, Conan O'Brian is a noted Abraham Lincoln scholar. And then there are all the actors with book clubs. People like, Reece Witherspoon, Jenna Bush, and Oprah. What about all those late night hosts with reading lists. People like Jimmy Kimmel and Emma Watson also have book clubs.
143laytonwoman3rd
>142 benitastrnad: "If I recall correctly, he even authored a book." Yes, a collection of short stories, Uncommon Type, and they aren't bad. He is also a serious typewriter collector.
144weird_O
Neglecting my own thread. The horror!
>140 msf59: How about that, Mark. One of my sister's sons-in-law works in the movie industry (as a sound technician, usually being the boom operator). He's worked on several films featuring Hanks (most recently News of the World) and is always complimentary of the man. He's just pleasant, engaged, and, I guess, patient. You know: "There's no crying in baseball!"
Books are treating me too well. I gotta whip 'em into submission.
>141 jessibud2: I'm pretty sure everyone in the program is vaxed, Shelley. Claire's dad and twin sister (also vaxed) flew to Greece with her, and the trio visited sites in Athens before Claire reported for duty. Dad and sister haven't shown any symptoms since they returned.
>142 benitastrnad: For sure, Benita.
>143 laytonwoman3rd: I have a copy in amongst all the TBRs, Linda. But not in amongst the current Top Ten TBRs for 07/02/21. :-)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm grappling with Ken Kesey right now. (Ha ha. See what I did there?)
>140 msf59: How about that, Mark. One of my sister's sons-in-law works in the movie industry (as a sound technician, usually being the boom operator). He's worked on several films featuring Hanks (most recently News of the World) and is always complimentary of the man. He's just pleasant, engaged, and, I guess, patient. You know: "There's no crying in baseball!"
Books are treating me too well. I gotta whip 'em into submission.
>141 jessibud2: I'm pretty sure everyone in the program is vaxed, Shelley. Claire's dad and twin sister (also vaxed) flew to Greece with her, and the trio visited sites in Athens before Claire reported for duty. Dad and sister haven't shown any symptoms since they returned.
>142 benitastrnad: For sure, Benita.
>143 laytonwoman3rd: I have a copy in amongst all the TBRs, Linda. But not in amongst the current Top Ten TBRs for 07/02/21. :-)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm grappling with Ken Kesey right now. (Ha ha. See what I did there?)
145laytonwoman3rd
>144 weird_O: "grappling with Ken Kesey" HA! I understand he nearly made the Olympic team back in the day.
146weird_O
>145 laytonwoman3rd: You DID see what I did there. Hooray!
147laytonwoman3rd
>146 weird_O: Another fine American Author, good ole John Irving, is another grappler.
148weird_O
>147 laytonwoman3rd: I knew that, and I was going to mention it. Glad you did after I did not.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Claire's home, and coincidentally, the NYTimes has an article about Greece opening up for tourists.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/01/travel/Greece-visiting-Athens-Paros.html?acti...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The weather is playing games with me. I'm getting lost in the tall grass, but it's raining sporadically. I mowed one yard segment yesterday, but took too long of a break. As I went out to resume mowing, it started to rain. Put the mower away. Rain stopped.
Took a breather from Demon Box and read in How the South Won the Civil War. Also skimmed a few pages in Great French Paintings From the Barnes Foundation. I also plucked Collapse by Jared Diamond from the TBRs atop my chest of drawers. I read about the squabbling amongst residents of the collapsed condo that delayed repairs to known deficiencies, and I recalled that Diamond addresses this kind of paralysis that prevents unified response to crisis (speaking of climate change, specifically). I remember reading his examples of failed societies and feeling unready to confront his assessment of the predicament we're in. I sensed he wasn't/isn't optimistic and just closed the book. I really must confront this fear.
The sun was out for a while, but now it's clouded over once again. Well, this too shall pass.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Claire's home, and coincidentally, the NYTimes has an article about Greece opening up for tourists.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/01/travel/Greece-visiting-Athens-Paros.html?acti...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The weather is playing games with me. I'm getting lost in the tall grass, but it's raining sporadically. I mowed one yard segment yesterday, but took too long of a break. As I went out to resume mowing, it started to rain. Put the mower away. Rain stopped.
Took a breather from Demon Box and read in How the South Won the Civil War. Also skimmed a few pages in Great French Paintings From the Barnes Foundation. I also plucked Collapse by Jared Diamond from the TBRs atop my chest of drawers. I read about the squabbling amongst residents of the collapsed condo that delayed repairs to known deficiencies, and I recalled that Diamond addresses this kind of paralysis that prevents unified response to crisis (speaking of climate change, specifically). I remember reading his examples of failed societies and feeling unready to confront his assessment of the predicament we're in. I sensed he wasn't/isn't optimistic and just closed the book. I really must confront this fear.
The sun was out for a while, but now it's clouded over once again. Well, this too shall pass.
150weird_O
Lost in some books about books. Well, not totally lost. Gearing up for a potential whopper of a book sale.
Yesterday, I borrowed Book Lust by Nancy Pearl, Ex-Libris by Michiko Kakutani, and The Modern Library by Carmen Callil and Colm Toibin from a literate friend. Consequently, I didn't progress in either Demon Box or How the South Won the Civil War. But I will, I will.
How was your 4th?
Yesterday, I borrowed Book Lust by Nancy Pearl, Ex-Libris by Michiko Kakutani, and The Modern Library by Carmen Callil and Colm Toibin from a literate friend. Consequently, I didn't progress in either Demon Box or How the South Won the Civil War. But I will, I will.
How was your 4th?
151richardderus
I love it when the municipal fireworks are the only ones. They have an end-time and they stick to it. This year that was the case, thank goodness!
Apart from that, I finished a really good read in one day, so it was a good day indeed.
Apart from that, I finished a really good read in one day, so it was a good day indeed.
154weird_O
Oooo, oooo. I read that review this morning. I think it might have left a mark. Swell.
Thanks. :-)
Thanks. :-)
155msf59
Howdy, Bill. I hope you had a fine holiday weekend. We enjoyed our trip to MI, despite the uncomfortable HEAT. I am just starting A Room With a View. Have you read this classic?
156weird_O
Julia/Rosalita used this challenge poster as the topper of her current thread (https://www.librarything.com/topic/333461). When I commented on it, she replied, "The challenge helps me focus each month, even if I don't actually read a book that fits. Some months I read more than one, so I figure it all evens out."
I looked at it with fresh eyes, so to speak. Looking at it for the first time in July, I've read books in 2021 that hit 5 of the six.
A book with a color in the title.
Golden Spiders by Rex Stout and Black Orchids, also by Rex Stout.
A book that is also a movie
The Hot Rock by Donald Westlake
A book with a nature word in the title (wind, rain, snow, etc.)
The Snows of Kilimanjaro and other stories by Ernest Hemingway
A book geared towards children/middle grade.
Abel's Island by William Steig
A book with a place in the title.
Bangkok 8 by John Burdett
The sixth is the tricky one for me—The Book that has been unread on your shelf the longest—will have to be selected and read before the year ends.
159weird_O
>155 msf59: I didn't miss you, Mark. I was deliberately ignoring you. I was just at a loss for words, pal.
I saw that you did some volunteering, cleaning up after a disabled owl. Good for you. I did some volunteer work myownself yesterday, working at a book sale rescuing deserving books from unworthy, unsuitable, just depraved and malevolent philistines. I did the best I could. But is a weird thing. I had to pay to do the work; every book I rescued I had to pay for. What the?
I saw that you did some volunteering, cleaning up after a disabled owl. Good for you. I did some volunteer work myownself yesterday, working at a book sale rescuing deserving books from unworthy, unsuitable, just depraved and malevolent philistines. I did the best I could. But is a weird thing. I had to pay to do the work; every book I rescued I had to pay for. What the?
161richardderus
>159 weird_O: ...and...? AND?!
162LovingLit
>112 weird_O: I remember Little Black Sambo as well. Did the tiger run around in circles and turn into butter at the end??! (oops, was that a spoiler?) I toyed with the idea of my cat turning into butter when I was little, as she used to chase the toothpaste cap around the bath!
>135 weird_O: Great payoff from reading to the end of your photo introduction! I love stuff like that :)
>135 weird_O: Great payoff from reading to the end of your photo introduction! I love stuff like that :)
163laytonwoman3rd
>112 weird_O: , >162 LovingLit: I keep meaning to post here about an updated/revised, you might say clarified version of this story, called The Story of Little Babaji, which replaces the stereotypical black characters who do not belong in the Indian jungle with people who do. The tigers still melt into ghi at the end. Charming.
164karenmarie
Hi Bill!
>99 weird_O: Well, I started and abandoned and culled The Plague of Doves. Am I forgiven anyway?
>127 weird_O: How the South Won the War is now on my wish list.
>135 weird_O: Wonderful photo. Everybody looks so happy.
>150 weird_O: Our Fourth was quiet. We did hear some M80s in the distance. Fortunately we don’t have dogs, who were therefore fortunately not traumatized by the explosions.
>157 weird_O: Yay for book sales. Spend lots of money. Find marvelous finds. Report back.
>99 weird_O: Well, I started and abandoned and culled The Plague of Doves. Am I forgiven anyway?
>127 weird_O: How the South Won the War is now on my wish list.
>135 weird_O: Wonderful photo. Everybody looks so happy.
>150 weird_O: Our Fourth was quiet. We did hear some M80s in the distance. Fortunately we don’t have dogs, who were therefore fortunately not traumatized by the explosions.
>157 weird_O: Yay for book sales. Spend lots of money. Find marvelous finds. Report back.
165weird_O
Before I forget: LT got a mention in the WaPo yesterday.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/reading-tools-book-recommenda...
It's a roundup of four websites having "tools that help readers track their books." Litsy, LT, The StoryGraph, and Bookly. Of LT, the article says:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/reading-tools-book-recommenda...
It's a roundup of four websites having "tools that help readers track their books." Litsy, LT, The StoryGraph, and Bookly. Of LT, the article says:
If you obsess over your home library and thrive on organization, LibraryThing might suit your needs.
The platform, available on the Web and as an app, recently dropped its membership fees and is now free. Getting started is easy: Import your books from Goodreads, plug them in manually or scan the bar codes on your physical copies using your phone’s camera. You can also catalogue movies and music.
While sites like Goodreads are convenient for keeping track of what you read, LibraryThing is an excellent place to keep track of what you own. You can organize books into different collections and add tags to note whether you own a certain title or borrowed it. For example, you might categorize books to indicate that they’re on your living room bookshelf or in a box in the basement. (I like that I can also log library books I’d like to own, so if I come across something interesting at a book sale, I can easily confirm I need it.)
LibraryThing’s recommendations are great: Its No. 1 pick for me was “The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett, which I devoured. The site also fosters a nice sense of community: One popular group, called “Name That Book,” is designed to help people remember the name of a book they once read. “Girl sent to island for being sick,” a recent query read. (It turned out to be “The Scourge” by Jennifer A. Nielsen.) On message boards, there is near-constant chatter about every bookish matter you could imagine.
166laytonwoman3rd
>165 weird_O: What an excellent synopsis. Any number of us here might have written it.
167richardderus
>165 weird_O: what >166 laytonwoman3rd: said! That's exactly how the site works. But if you're not interested in being organized, it's not the place for you.
168weird_O
>160 msf59: I'm working on it, Mark. I know I'm embarrassed by the stack and stacks.
>161 richardderus: Stand by, my friend.
>162 LovingLit: That's the one, Megan. The tigers churn themselves into striped butter, which is spread on pancakes.
Isn't that cool? And Tom and I, as well as O. J. and Dr. Oliver Sacks and many other worthies, celebrated our birthdays on Friday. Mixed company, so to speak.
>163 laytonwoman3rd: Nice! And Helen Bannerman still gets the authorial credit. I note that she died in 1946 at 84. Apparently, American rights to the little book were bought in 1900, but pirated editions and versions were widely distributed. I wonder if Mrs. Bannerman played any role in the depictions of Sambo that we are familiar with.
>164 karenmarie: Nothing to forgive you for, Karen. The Plague of Doves didn't strike your fancy and, of course, the loss is yours (*snicker snicker*). Do give HCR's take on the Civil War a try. I presume you've seen and read some of her FB posts, so you know better what you are getting into.
Yes, they all were happy. Claire's home now. She did have a wonderful time.
Now, that book sale... Lordy, may I please recover. It's weird; I just went nuts. Twice.
I'm still cataloging.
>161 richardderus: Stand by, my friend.
>162 LovingLit: That's the one, Megan. The tigers churn themselves into striped butter, which is spread on pancakes.
Isn't that cool? And Tom and I, as well as O. J. and Dr. Oliver Sacks and many other worthies, celebrated our birthdays on Friday. Mixed company, so to speak.
>163 laytonwoman3rd: Nice! And Helen Bannerman still gets the authorial credit. I note that she died in 1946 at 84. Apparently, American rights to the little book were bought in 1900, but pirated editions and versions were widely distributed. I wonder if Mrs. Bannerman played any role in the depictions of Sambo that we are familiar with.
>164 karenmarie: Nothing to forgive you for, Karen. The Plague of Doves didn't strike your fancy and, of course, the loss is yours (*snicker snicker*). Do give HCR's take on the Civil War a try. I presume you've seen and read some of her FB posts, so you know better what you are getting into.
Yes, they all were happy. Claire's home now. She did have a wonderful time.
Now, that book sale... Lordy, may I please recover. It's weird; I just went nuts. Twice.
I'm still cataloging.
169laytonwoman3rd
"I wonder if Mrs. Bannerman played any role in the depictions of Sambo that we are familiar with."
I think the answer is yes:
I think the answer is yes:
170lauralkeet
That's a great excerpt from the WaPo article, Bill. Thanks for sharing it.
171weird_O
Terribly slow start to July, reading-wise. Not that I don't have excellent candidates for immediate attention. Too many I have. I'm still cataloging new-to-me acquisitions, but I did start and finish a recent buy: The Adventures of Tintin, Vol. 5. Monday, I want to read E. B. White's essay, Here is New York. It too is a recent acquisition.
Then back to Kesey's Demon Box and HCR's How the South Won the Civil War.
Then back to Kesey's Demon Box and HCR's How the South Won the Civil War.
173Whisper1
Hi Bill. I like the post of your wife at Hawk Mountain. Will and I loved that area. In fact, some of his ashes are in Leaser Lake, which was his favorite place. We often would visit the winery nearby. It is such a beautiful area. He very much wanted to live there, except it is too far away from a hospital when we each had health issues.
I think of you and wonder how you are doing. Be kind to yourself.
All good wishes,
Linda
I think of you and wonder how you are doing. Be kind to yourself.
All good wishes,
Linda
174laytonwoman3rd
>171 weird_O: I love Here is New York, and I ought to re-read it. Getting to New York is a dim wish these days. I once thought I might eventually get to take a train in from Scranton. That plan is marginally closer to reality than it was 20 years ago, but probably not close enough to make it a real option for me before I get totally decrepit.
175weird_O
>173 Whisper1: That's home. When we moved from Allentown to Lynn Township, we lived just over the hill from Leaser Lake in Wanamaker's. Then the dam sprung leaks that were a challenge to seal. For several years, the lake was empty. It is a swell place for fishing, wind-surfing, paddleboarding, canoeing and kayaking, and walking. I'm doing okay. Hope you are doing the same. *hug*
>174 laytonwoman3rd: Call Uber, Linda. There's regular bus service between NY and the Lehigh Valley, used to take 2 hours from the Dorney Park area to Port Authority. But the last time I went to NYC—on Father's Day—I rode with my son's in-laws.
=+=+=+=+=+=+=
Survived the pandemic (so far), but I got a rockabutzer of a cold. Hope it cycles through quickly. I got stuff to do!
>174 laytonwoman3rd: Call Uber, Linda. There's regular bus service between NY and the Lehigh Valley, used to take 2 hours from the Dorney Park area to Port Authority. But the last time I went to NYC—on Father's Day—I rode with my son's in-laws.
=+=+=+=+=+=+=
Survived the pandemic (so far), but I got a rockabutzer of a cold. Hope it cycles through quickly. I got stuff to do!
176m.belljackson
Too bad that Sambo evolved into a racial slur...
177weird_O
>176 m.belljackson: Ain't that the truth. But innocent as it sounds, it is awfully hurtful. So drop it.
178Whisper1
>175 weird_O: Bill, I didn't know you live in Lynn Township. It saddened Will when it took so long for the dam to be fixed. Leaser Lake is a gem. I wish we would have moved there when we were younger. It was Will's unfulfilled dream.
Glad you are doing ok. Hug back to you!
Glad you are doing ok. Hug back to you!
179weird_O
I'll just leave this here. Heh heh. First day's buy at the Berks Book Bonanza last week. Sixty-four books.
181karenmarie
>179 weird_O: Sixty-four books. Fantastic, and just one day. Congrats.
182laytonwoman3rd
>175 weird_O: Oh, I can take a bus from Scranton and be at Port Authority in a little over 2 hours, 5 times a day. There used to be a shopper's special at 7:30 a.m. that dropped off and picked up around Times Square, but that has probably gone down the Covid Casualty Chute.
>179 weird_O: I am in awe. And you've got some great vintage editions there. What are the two in slipcases?
>179 weird_O: I am in awe. And you've got some great vintage editions there. What are the two in slipcases?
183weird_O
>178 Whisper1: :-)
>180 drneutron: >181 karenmarie: Crazy, I know. Yes, and weird.
>182 laytonwoman3rd: The slipcased pair are Heritage Press editions of The Iliad and The Odyssey, translations by Alexander Pope.
>180 drneutron: >181 karenmarie: Crazy, I know. Yes, and weird.
>182 laytonwoman3rd: The slipcased pair are Heritage Press editions of The Iliad and The Odyssey, translations by Alexander Pope.
185weird_O
>184 laytonwoman3rd: Not only those two, Linda, I found (and bought) a Richmond Lattimore translation of The Iliad and a Stanley Lombardo translation of Aeneid. Interest sparked by reading The Song of Achilles and Circe, two of the best books I've read this year.
_____________
The heat and a nasty cold have me wobbling. I've got a lot of catching up to do. Happily, the cold's passing, I think.
_____________
The heat and a nasty cold have me wobbling. I've got a lot of catching up to do. Happily, the cold's passing, I think.
186richardderus
>179 weird_O: ...the Wyeth...the Bourke-White...!! What. A. Haul!
Excellent luck and good lookin' out, Search.
Excellent luck and good lookin' out, Search.
187benitastrnad
You will need to find a copy of Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker to read along with Song of Achilles and Circe. Silence of the Girls is another retelling of the Illiad. It is told from the point-of-view of the women. It was one of the best books I read this year.
188msf59
>179 weird_O: 64 books?? Wowza. You are putting Paul to shame, my friend. You are going to have to put the pedal to the metal, just to put a mere dent in these stacks. Just sayin'...
I see all the Rabbit books in there. I really need to get back to those. Also great to see a IQ book on there. Have you read the earlier ones? I have still not read Ward Just. Have you?
I see all the Rabbit books in there. I really need to get back to those. Also great to see a IQ book on there. Have you read the earlier ones? I have still not read Ward Just. Have you?
189laytonwoman3rd
>179 weird_O: Nobody is asking, so I must. "First day's buy"--does that mean there are more?
190weird_O
>189 laytonwoman3rd: Why, yes, Linda. It does.
191weird_O
>186 richardderus: It was a heck of a sale. The "library friends" who organized the sale clearly had a vast bin in which to store books for two years, for the last sale was in 2019. The elves who were restocking the shelves and tables kept telling people that there were more books "in the back" than there were on display.
Luck was on hand, of course, but stamina helped. I got great pleasure being there, and I feel pleasure right now, staring at the stacks and stacks. For me, that's what it's all about. Keeping that smile on my face.
>187 benitastrnad: You have to understand, Benita, that I am a little chary to just buy a book on a whim. I'll have to consider your recommendation. You ARE a reliable book tout, so I may go for it.
Ah hahahahaha...
>188 msf59: Who Paul? Oh, I know who you mean. He's got a substantial lead in the book-hoarding race. No worries there.
The Rabbit books? I bought them in Updike's home territory, in Rabbit's home territory. I was disappointed that a copy of Rabbit, Run with a jacket wasn't available. I have not read anything by Joe Ide, but I've heard some...warbling. I have read Ward Just and it was good; so I pick up his books when I see one.
Luck was on hand, of course, but stamina helped. I got great pleasure being there, and I feel pleasure right now, staring at the stacks and stacks. For me, that's what it's all about. Keeping that smile on my face.
>187 benitastrnad: You have to understand, Benita, that I am a little chary to just buy a book on a whim. I'll have to consider your recommendation. You ARE a reliable book tout, so I may go for it.
Ah hahahahaha...
>188 msf59: Who Paul? Oh, I know who you mean. He's got a substantial lead in the book-hoarding race. No worries there.
The Rabbit books? I bought them in Updike's home territory, in Rabbit's home territory. I was disappointed that a copy of Rabbit, Run with a jacket wasn't available. I have not read anything by Joe Ide, but I've heard some...warbling. I have read Ward Just and it was good; so I pick up his books when I see one.
192benitastrnad
I just finished reading another work of fiction that I put on my Best Books of the Year list. This one was Boat People by Sharon Bala. She is a Canadian author and this book was a darn good work of fiction! Darn Good! Put that title on your TBR list and hope that somebody gifts you with a copy.
193LovingLit
>179 weird_O: whaaaaa??! You got all those books in one haul?
That is impressive :)
That is impressive :)
195laytonwoman3rd
>194 weird_O: Keepin' it weird.
196richardderus
Besties for life, too. You can really sense the camaraderie. Can't be that goofy with just anyone!
197weird_O
At last, a portrait of the second day's selection from the Berks Book Bonanza 2021. I believe this shows 92 books.
198weird_O
>195 laytonwoman3rd:, >196 richardderus: You two got it!
199msf59
Wow! Another hefty haul, Bill. Do I see Going Postal in there? I have not read it, but it could be an apt title. Now, I am actually curious about the titles you are not grabbing. Grins...
200richardderus
>197 weird_O: How wonderful! The Thomas Hart Benton and Frank Lloyd Wright monographs, the catalogs of the Getty and the National Archives, the Weltys and Wodehouses and Elmer Gantry and...
...
...I'm getting dizzy...I need to lie down now...
...
...I'm getting dizzy...I need to lie down now...
201laytonwoman3rd
>200 richardderus: Not to mention Flannery O'Connor, James Baldwin, Carl Sandburg, Wendell Berry, a Faulkner monograph. You're smokin'!
202weird_O
>201 laytonwoman3rd: No, no, Linda. I gave up the smoking thing in March 1983. :-) The sale was, for me, an exercise in getting to YES. But I did get to NO on each of the final three days of the sale. Just worn out. Couldn't even force myself to go to the $5-a-bag finale.
But I am tickled pink by the array of authors and topics I DID get, >199 msf59:, >200 richardderus:, >201 laytonwoman3rd:.
But I am tickled pink by the array of authors and topics I DID get, >199 msf59:, >200 richardderus:, >201 laytonwoman3rd:.
203weird_O
>199 msf59: Of course you see Going Postal, Mark. I'm accumulating Pratchett titles very slowly, but I have not formulated an introductory bid at reading at least one. I am actually curious about the titles you are not grabbing. Accepting the sale team's assertion that 100,000 books were available, I'd say there were 99,850 books I did NOT select. I eschewed the romance realm, religion and inspirational, kids, James Patterson (the only person with an entire table devoted exclusively to his works), horror, DIY (though I did see a couple of my books in that category as I walked by).
204m.belljackson
Impressive collection!
What is the title of the Wendell Berry you have?
I've got five of his books.
What is the title of the Wendell Berry you have?
I've got five of his books.
205lauralkeet
I'm impressed with your book sale hauls, Bill. Over on my thread you mentioned finishing your bookshelves. Thought I might find a photo over here. Did I miss it somewhere? Although all your recent book-sailing has probably filled them up already.
206weird_O
>204 m.belljackson: I now have 10 of Berry's books:
Most are unread, regretfully.
>205 lauralkeet: I guess I did mouth off about finishing bookshelves. I did complete the unit and finished it and rubbed it out, slid it into place, and loaded just the books I got on the 7th and 8th. And yes, there is not much room left. Monday morning, the light will be better and I can shoot a photo or two. It isn't fully completed, but I can do what remains without having to unshelve ALL the books.
Nathan Coulter: A Novel
A Place on Earth: A Novel
The Unsettling of America: Culture and Agriculture essays
The Country of Marriage: Poems
Farming: A Hand Book poetry
What Are People For? essays
A Continuous Harmony essays
The Long-Legged House essays
The Memory of Old Jack novel
Remembering novel
Most are unread, regretfully.
>205 lauralkeet: I guess I did mouth off about finishing bookshelves. I did complete the unit and finished it and rubbed it out, slid it into place, and loaded just the books I got on the 7th and 8th. And yes, there is not much room left. Monday morning, the light will be better and I can shoot a photo or two. It isn't fully completed, but I can do what remains without having to unshelve ALL the books.
207Whisper1
>165 weird_O: Thanks for this information Bill. Thinking of you and holding you in the light. And, you've done quite a good job acquiring such great books. Where do you put them all?
I'm running out of space. I vow to go through all books and alpha. by author. Not right away, I still have some paperwork to complete. I received a $600.00 bill from Easton Hospital for services when Will was there two years ago.
ugh.
I'm running out of space. I vow to go through all books and alpha. by author. Not right away, I still have some paperwork to complete. I received a $600.00 bill from Easton Hospital for services when Will was there two years ago.
ugh.
208lauralkeet
>206 weird_O: No rush on the photos, Bill, but you know we all love looking at bookshelves as much as we do the books themselves!
I really like Wendell Berry's fiction. I haven't read any of his essays yet.
I really like Wendell Berry's fiction. I haven't read any of his essays yet.
209karenmarie
Hi Bill!
>197 weird_O: Wow. And more wow. 92 books. Looks like some good ones and hey! I have that American Furniture: 1620 to the present too. I’ve had it at least since the mid-1980s, as I remember taking it to work for lunch-hour perusal.
>197 weird_O: Wow. And more wow. 92 books. Looks like some good ones and hey! I have that American Furniture: 1620 to the present too. I’ve had it at least since the mid-1980s, as I remember taking it to work for lunch-hour perusal.
211laytonwoman3rd
>210 msf59: So true! I saw the cargo space of his car after a "moderate" haul earlier this summer.
212m.belljackson
>206 weird_O: >208 lauralkeet:
Looks like Wendell Berry could fill your trunk!
My five books are all different:
Why I am Not Going to Buy a Computer
A Part: Poems
That Distant Land
The Selected Poems of Wendell Berry
A Place in Time: Twenty Stories
Looks like Wendell Berry could fill your trunk!
My five books are all different:
Why I am Not Going to Buy a Computer
A Part: Poems
That Distant Land
The Selected Poems of Wendell Berry
A Place in Time: Twenty Stories
215weird_O
When I built the bookcase, it had a small annex against the adjacent wall. It was as wide as I could make it without having to modify the window sill. The new case extends to the baseboard heat unit. So I did after all remove the window sill and apron
The extension still needs the top board and the baseboard across the front to tie the case into the room. It is axiomatic that the "perfect" board for any application is on the bottom of the stack. And that access to the stack is limited by all the valuable "stuff" propped against the stack.
In the photos only books acquired in the recent bookapalooza are on the new shelves. The tall stack on the left is formed of the books I've read in 2021. The books in the row next to the stack were acquired at the Scranton Busted-Out-onto-the-Sidewalk Sale.
The extension still needs the top board and the baseboard across the front to tie the case into the room. It is axiomatic that the "perfect" board for any application is on the bottom of the stack. And that access to the stack is limited by all the valuable "stuff" propped against the stack.
In the photos only books acquired in the recent bookapalooza are on the new shelves. The tall stack on the left is formed of the books I've read in 2021. The books in the row next to the stack were acquired at the Scranton Busted-Out-onto-the-Sidewalk Sale.
216laytonwoman3rd
Very nice indeed, Bill. And after all, who needs a windowsill when there's a bookcase right there. If, for instance, there were a cat who wanted to look out the window, the top of the bookcase would be much more satisfactory that a skinny little window sill. (So sayeth Miss Molly the Queen of All Windows.)
217lauralkeet
Those are amazing Bill! Very nice work. Thanks for posting the pics.
220weird_O
>210 msf59: Smart aleck. Is that your new-to-you truck?
>209 karenmarie: :-) Furniture...
>208 lauralkeet: The first Wendell Berry I read was an essay. Don't know what it was, but I accumulated several essay collections before trying his fiction. I got Nathan Coulter and A Place on Earth in The Big Buy.
>211 laytonwoman3rd: Oh come on, Linda. How you exaggerate!
>212 m.belljackson: I've read Berry's comments on using a computer. :-)
>209 karenmarie: :-) Furniture...
>208 lauralkeet: The first Wendell Berry I read was an essay. Don't know what it was, but I accumulated several essay collections before trying his fiction. I got Nathan Coulter and A Place on Earth in The Big Buy.
>211 laytonwoman3rd: Oh come on, Linda. How you exaggerate!
>212 m.belljackson: I've read Berry's comments on using a computer. :-)
222weird_O
>216 laytonwoman3rd: The top of the bookcase, when I get it in place, will be the windowsill. I'll shorten the old sill to extend to the left. My daughter refers to her cat looking out the windows as Cat TV. I'm content to not have a cat.
>217 lauralkeet: >218 drneutron: >219 msf59: Thanks, Laura, Jim, and Mark.
>217 lauralkeet: >218 drneutron: >219 msf59: Thanks, Laura, Jim, and Mark.
223lauralkeet
>220 weird_O: If you haven't yet read any of Berry's Port William novels, then Nathan Coulter is a good place to start. And now you're making me want to get back to these books ....
224laytonwoman3rd
>223 lauralkeet: I agree. And also....me too.
225weird_O
>223 lauralkeet: >224 laytonwoman3rd: Okay then. We'll all read a book in that there series. I read The Memory of Old Jack for the AAC (whenever). I have had Remembering, and I just added Nathan Coulter and A Place on Earth. I'll start. One of the next books I tackle next will be Nathan Coulter, as Laura suggested.
What will you ladies read?
What will you ladies read?
226lauralkeet
>225 weird_O: I read *mumble mumble* something or other for the AAC as well (can't be bothered to look it up at the moment). Your post prompted me to check my progress on this series (which is a loose series, but somewhat chronological), and based on what I've read so far I'm planning to read A World Lost. Should be able to bookhorn it in during August.
227laytonwoman3rd
Well, I've read Nathan Coulter and Andy Catlett: Early Travels, and A World Lost, plus a lot of his short fiction. So I think I'll pick up the Library of America volume I read those from, and finish the rest of the short stuff. I think there's maybe one more novel in there, too.
228LovingLit
>213 weird_O: looks like you have a stalagmite sprouting from your bookshelf! If you get that pile to the ceiling, and jam that last book in, it will never fall over you know!! ;)
229weird_O
>227 laytonwoman3rd: Cool beans, Linda. I'm going to claim I'll read Nathan Coulter in August, since that's when Laura said she'd read her selected Berry book. I've got unfulfilled reading commitments for July.
>228 LovingLit: That sounds like a plan, Shelley, wedging the stack between shelf and ceiling, but I just know the compression will cause a couple of books midway in the stack will bulge away from the wall, bringing down the tower. I know from experience that it'll collapse in the middle of the night.
>228 LovingLit: That sounds like a plan, Shelley, wedging the stack between shelf and ceiling, but I just know the compression will cause a couple of books midway in the stack will bulge away from the wall, bringing down the tower. I know from experience that it'll collapse in the middle of the night.
230weird_O
I want to share a FB post that an acquaintance put up just yesterday. Karenmarie posted about a long-dormant challenge (ten years dormant, apparently). Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five was cited as an initial challenge, and reading Karen's post reminded me of the FB story. Here's what Jack wrote:
In 1976, my senior year in high school, we were reading Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut in English class. Bernard V. O’Hare, [a well-known attorney in the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton area at that time] who is mentioned several times in the book (and who is alluded to as an inside joke in several other Vonnegut books) came to our class to talk about the book and his experiences as a prisoner in the slaughterhouse during the firebombing of Dresden. He did this as a favor to another teacher in our school. I found out years later that this was very rare as O’Hare never gave interviews about his being a POW in Dresden or his friendship with Kurt Vonnegut (who used to come to Hellertown, Pennsylvania, often to visit O’Hare).
It was amazing to find out how much of that book was real, what was fabricated, and what was a mixture of both.
O’Hare said he asked Vonnegut to come along and Vonnegut tried to get out of a speaking engagement in Vienna to come to our class, but he couldn’t make it.
While leaving the classroom a friend of mine said, “that would’ve been really great if Vonnegut would’ve made it.“ I said, “yes, but there are a lot of people who can say they have met the writer of a science-fiction novel, but how many can say they have met a character from a science-fiction novel.“
231laytonwoman3rd
>230 weird_O: Well, that is about the coolest story I've heard in a long time. And now, despite not being a big fan of Vonnegut, I feel I need to read Slaughterhouse-Five. When I was in high school it was on our recommended reading list, but not required. And I thought at that time that it was about the meat industry, like The Jungle.
232charl08
>230 weird_O: That is impressive stuff. The power of a teacher making an invitation, too.
233weird_O
>231 laytonwoman3rd: >232 charl08: I just knew I had to share the tale.
-----------------
Finished two books today. Yay!
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Finished two books today. Yay!
234richardderus
>230 weird_O: Isn't that just the best way to encounter history...accidentally and tangentially. Less chance of being blown up or arrested this way.
235Whisper1
>10 weird_O: Bill, I have so very many children's , and YA books that I would love to give to someone who appreciates them. I know you don't need more books, BUT if you are looking for books to give to your grandchildren, you are welcome to come to visit my library .
All good wishes.
All good wishes.
236weird_O
>234 richardderus: You bet, RD.
>235 Whisper1: Very kind offer, Linda. Thank you. I'll keep it in mind
-----------------
Been a weird month, hasn't it? Should be just my cup o' coffee (not a tea drinker). I did finish the Kesey book I was reading for the June AAC. Back to HCR's history of racism and the American civil war. And then an indigenous people book for July's AAC. Not to worry: I have a whole week yet.
>235 Whisper1: Very kind offer, Linda. Thank you. I'll keep it in mind
-----------------
Been a weird month, hasn't it? Should be just my cup o' coffee (not a tea drinker). I did finish the Kesey book I was reading for the June AAC. Back to HCR's history of racism and the American civil war. And then an indigenous people book for July's AAC. Not to worry: I have a whole week yet.
237jnwelch
>135 weird_O: So cool! Tom Hanks' range of interest is impressive.
>149 weird_O: Great fireworks!
>194 weird_O: We go to see McKellen and Stewart together on stage in a Harold Pinter play (No Man's Land) in London. it was great to see two pals having fun doing what they love together.
>197 weird_O: !!!
>213 weird_O: Beautiful.
>149 weird_O: Great fireworks!
>194 weird_O: We go to see McKellen and Stewart together on stage in a Harold Pinter play (No Man's Land) in London. it was great to see two pals having fun doing what they love together.
>197 weird_O: !!!
>213 weird_O: Beautiful.
238PaulCranswick
>213 weird_O: & >215 weird_O: Way to go, Bill! I can certainly relate to the teetering pile there too.
>197 weird_O: & >179 weird_O: Make me sooooo jealous and there are lots that I can identify on those stacks that I would love to have too.
>197 weird_O: & >179 weird_O: Make me sooooo jealous and there are lots that I can identify on those stacks that I would love to have too.
239ffortsa
So many books. I need to get some off my shelves so I can put more on my shelves. So many books.
240Whisper1
>230 weird_O: How fortunate to have Bernard V. O’Hare, come to your high-school classroom. I remember that name from a college literature class wherein we read Slaughterhouse Five. Now I am tempted to re-read it as it was quite awhile ago. I think of you often. This group has helped through many happy, and sad events.
I wish you good memories.
>239 ffortsa: How very true Judy! Awhile back I put books in large plastic tubs and on the outside marked A books....and got through to R. It made me realize in a deep way that I will never live to read all the books I collected, and Bill can attest to the collection of good books found at the Bethlehem Library sale. So many books amassed there were spur of the moment finds. Now, as I get older and those small paperback books are difficult to read, I think I am going to donate them back to the library.
Bill, do you still have the L.L. Bean large canvas bag that was big enough to carry many books? You, Diane Keenoy and I would check in with each other to see what we amassed and our favorite finds.
I wish you good memories.
>239 ffortsa: How very true Judy! Awhile back I put books in large plastic tubs and on the outside marked A books....and got through to R. It made me realize in a deep way that I will never live to read all the books I collected, and Bill can attest to the collection of good books found at the Bethlehem Library sale. So many books amassed there were spur of the moment finds. Now, as I get older and those small paperback books are difficult to read, I think I am going to donate them back to the library.
Bill, do you still have the L.L. Bean large canvas bag that was big enough to carry many books? You, Diane Keenoy and I would check in with each other to see what we amassed and our favorite finds.
241weird_O
>237 jnwelch: Nice to have you visit, Joe. Judi and I visited London years ago and took in several plays. One of them featured Maggie Smith and Joan Plowright. We were just getting settled when a tall guy shuffled past us to his seat further along in the row. "That's Jonathan Miller!" I whispered to Judi.
Glad you like The Big Haul, as well as the bookcase. More bookcases in the offing, if I get some energy and focus. Heck, I've always been able to dream. Applying myself to the realization has too often been beyond me.
>238 PaulCranswick: Paul, glad you could stop by. I'll bet you can relate to teetering stacks. You maybe have gotten away from them with your new shelving.
>239 ffortsa: I can understand your plight, Judy, even though I'm not confronting your situation. I won't gloat.
Glad you like The Big Haul, as well as the bookcase. More bookcases in the offing, if I get some energy and focus. Heck, I've always been able to dream. Applying myself to the realization has too often been beyond me.
>238 PaulCranswick: Paul, glad you could stop by. I'll bet you can relate to teetering stacks. You maybe have gotten away from them with your new shelving.
>239 ffortsa: I can understand your plight, Judy, even though I'm not confronting your situation. I won't gloat.
242weird_O
>240 Whisper1: I didn't mean to leave the impression that O'Hare visited my classroom, Linda. In 1976, I was out of college, married, a father of two. My acquaintance Jack M____ is he who shared the story on FB. Sorry for the misunderstanding.
I have quite a few books in boxes, awaiting my shelf-building awakening. I also have a large carton of books awaiting de-accessioning. It'll come, that moment of parting.
Actually, I have (and regularly use) two big totes from L. L. Bean.
I have quite a few books in boxes, awaiting my shelf-building awakening. I also have a large carton of books awaiting de-accessioning. It'll come, that moment of parting.
Actually, I have (and regularly use) two big totes from L. L. Bean.
243msf59
Happy Saturday, Bill. I am a fan of Slaughterhouse Five and Vonnegut in general. I revisted this novel a number of years ago and found that it held up well.
244weird_O
Funny. Just a few hours ago, I was beginning to shift books to spread them out into the new bookcase. I hope to collect all the works I have by select authors in the bookcase. So I just fondled a major portion of my Vonnegut books. My copy of Slaughterhouse Five is very ratty; the adhesive that bound the pages together is defunct, so the pages are loose in the cover, like papers in a file folder. I should buy a durable copy.
So howya bin doin', Mark? Had you a swell time in St. Looie, did you? Hope so.
So howya bin doin', Mark? Had you a swell time in St. Looie, did you? Hope so.
246LovingLit
>245 weird_O: Another in a set of tough days for you, Bill. Still thinking of you, from way down here in the southern end of the world!
247FAMeulstee
>245 weird_O: (((hugs)))
248PaulCranswick
>245 weird_O: And hugs from me too dear fellow. FWIW? Quite a darn lot I reckon - your memories are still treasures even if they feel bittersweet oftentimes lately.
249lauralkeet
>248 PaulCranswick: Well said, Paul. I'm sure it was a tough day, Bill, but I do hope the fond memories sustain you.
250richardderus
>245 weird_O: That's a sad day to live through...memories are wonderful, but not quite the same without her. I'm very sympathetic.
Better reading can only help. AmIrite?
Better reading can only help. AmIrite?
252weird_O
Chaos reigns! Books all over the place. Dust bunnies just out in the open. Dirty pans and pots in the sink. No definite place for trash and recycling. Weeds taking over the yard. Vehicles needing annual state inspections. Books all over the place...Oh wait, I said that already.
It did read two kids books in the last couple of days. A Freddy the Pig yarn borrowed from my brother, and an Elmore Leonard story, apparently the only kids book he wrote, published in 2004.
It did read two kids books in the last couple of days. A Freddy the Pig yarn borrowed from my brother, and an Elmore Leonard story, apparently the only kids book he wrote, published in 2004.
253karenmarie
Hi Bill!
I love your new book cases. When are you going to build more, since those are already filled? *smile*
>245 weird_O: Sad day for you. Hugs from central NC.
I love your new book cases. When are you going to build more, since those are already filled? *smile*
>245 weird_O: Sad day for you. Hugs from central NC.
254weird_O
I have the location for the next project, Karen, and I have doodles with dimensions and all that.
Thanks for hugs.
Thanks for hugs.
255Whisper1
>245 weird_O: I understand, truly I do. Will passed in April of 2019. Still, it hurts, especially when vacation memories arise. Today, I was trying to find order, and while going through items, I found a large plastic bag of cards that granddaughter Kayla made for him when she was a little girl. How she loved him. And, he loved her. They spent hours together playing with her stuffed animals. She was the teacher, and he was the pupil.
I remember listening to their voices. He had a name and voice for each pupil. The bag of cards contained various notations of report card statements, "Handy Manny, you need to pay attention to math." Then Wills, response..."Ok, Ok, I will try, but you know I am not good at it."
He was 74 when he died. It seemed to young.
>215 weird_O: I remember a book that highlighted your marvelous wood working, you showed Diane and I when we had lunch at the Hotel Bethlehem after the library book sale. I am so sorry that politics got in the say. You were right! Donald Trump was and still is an ass.
I remember listening to their voices. He had a name and voice for each pupil. The bag of cards contained various notations of report card statements, "Handy Manny, you need to pay attention to math." Then Wills, response..."Ok, Ok, I will try, but you know I am not good at it."
He was 74 when he died. It seemed to young.
>215 weird_O: I remember a book that highlighted your marvelous wood working, you showed Diane and I when we had lunch at the Hotel Bethlehem after the library book sale. I am so sorry that politics got in the say. You were right! Donald Trump was and still is an ass.
256weird_O
It's the end of July already. After mowing and mowing, which I'll commence to begin momentarily, I need to contrive a new thread.
257msf59
Happy Saturday, Bill. I bet you are enjoying the milder weather. Good luck tackling the books and bookshelves. Sounds like a daunting task.
258weird_O
I am having a good time. The temp is just fine, the sun out. I even saw a couple of those bird things--beaks, feathers, you know...
260weird_O
>259 Berly: So good to have you out and about, Kim. I understand that you've had a tough summer, what with heat and fires and infection. Hope your health has improved.
261weird_O
I don't get around the threads as much or as widely as I'd like. But I'm surprised that no one has noted that Erik Larsen has written some fiction. Here's the story: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/29/books/erik-larson-audiobook-no-one-goes-alone...
Denne tråd er fortsat i Weird_O Bill's Bookish Whatchamacallit...3 (Three).
