Mark's Reading Place: Chapter Nine

-Messenger Woods. A favorite.



Great-Horned Owl chick.

“We need the tonic of wildness... At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature.”

~ Henry David Thoreau

Audiobook:



Graphic/Comic:



March:

26) Restless: A Novel by William Boyd 3.8 stars
27) Red-Tails in Love by Marie Winn 4 stars
28) Network Effect (The Murderbot Diaries, 5) by Martha Wells 3.8 stars (audio)
29) Wrecked (IQ 3) by Joe Ide 3.7 stars E
30) History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund 3.6 stars
31) The Yellow Wall-Paper: A Graphic Novel by Charlotte Perkins Gilman 3.8 stars GN
32) Humiliation: Stories by Paulina Flores 4.2 stars
33) Bright Wings: Illustrated Poems About Birds by Billy Collins/D Sibley 4 stars P
34) Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted by Suleika Jaouad 4.3 stars (audio)
35) City of Bohane by Kevin Barry 4 stars
36) Breakwater by Katriona Chapman 4 stars GN
37) The Story of More: How We Got to Climate Change by Hope Jahren 4.2 stars (audio)
38) The Committed by Viet Thanh Nguyen 3.6 stars E

April:

39) Old Baggage by Lissa Evans 3.8 stars E
40) The UnAmericans: Stories by Molly Antopol 4.3 stars
41) A River Called Time by Courttia Newland DNF
42) Eleven Sooty Dreams by Manuela Draeger 3.7 stars
43) Shooting Midnight Cowboy by Glenn Frankel 4.8 stars (audio)
44) The Invisible Circus by Jennifer Egan 3.6 stars
45) A Common Person and Other Stories by R. M. Kinder 3.8 stars E
46) Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong 4.2 stars (audio)
47) An Enchantment of Birds: Memories from a Birder's Life by Richard Cannings 4 stars

May:

48) The Missing American by Kwei Quartey 4 stars
49) Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics by Dolly Parton 4 stars (audio)
50) Hard Light (Poems) by Michael Crummey 4.4 stars P
51) First Person Singular: Stories by Haruki Murakami 2 stars
52) Train by Pete Dexter 4 stars
53) My Body in Pieces by Marie-Noëlle Hébert 3.8 stars GN
54) The Jungle by Upton Sinclair 5 stars (audio)
55) Children of the Land: A Memoir by Marcelo Hernandez Castillo 3.8 stars (audio)
56) Anxious People by Fredrik Backman 3.6 stars
57) Poetry Will Save Your Life: A Memoir by Jill Bialosky 4 stars
58) Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro 4.2 stars E
59) And Now I Spill the Family Secrets: An Illustrated Memoir by Margaret Kimball 4.5 stars GN
60) The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin 4 stars

June:

61) Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu 4.3 stars
62) The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna by Walter Isaacson 4.5 stars (audio)
63) Strange Pilgrims (Stories) by Gabriel García Márquez 4.2 stars
64) Recollections of My Nonexistence: A Memoir by Rebecca Solnit 4.3 stars (audio)
65) The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem 3.6 stars
66) Taking Turns: Stories from HIV/AIDS Care Unit 371 by MK Czerwiec 4.4 stars GN
67) Dancing Fish and Ammonites: A Memoir by Penelope Lively 3.7 stars
68) Fat City by Leonard Gardner 4 stars

"Willis Wu doesn't perceive himself as a protagonist even in his own life: he's merely Generic Asian Man. Every day, he leaves his tiny room in a Chinatown SRO and enters the Golden Palace restaurant, where Black and White, a procedural cop show, is in perpetual production."

I have had Interior Chinatown on my list since it came out early last year. Ellen & Janet recently warbled about it and that was enough for me to finally grab a library copy. I am 60 pages in and enjoying it.

Happy new thread, Mark!

>1 msf59: The GHO chick is still adorable, and the view in the first picture so beautiful. Great choice as toppers.

59) And Now I Spill the Family Secrets: An Illustrated Memoir by Margaret Kimball 4.5 stars

" Margaret Kimball’s illustrated memoir begins in the aftermath of a tragedy. In 1988, when Kimball is four years old, her mother attempts suicide on Mother’s Day—and this becomes one of many things Kimball’s family never speaks about. Using old diary entries, hospital records, home videos, and other archives, Margaret pieces together a narrative map of her childhood"

Yes, this graphic memoir is dark and difficult to read at times but it is also expertly put-together. It is also nicely illustrated in black & white. A real labor of love, with the full cooperation of her family.

Checking into your new thread early, Mark, and looking forward to following all your adventures - be they of the avian or literate kind.

Happy New Thread!

New thread orisons, Birddude. Love the toppers! Wherever did you find them?

>6 msf59: Oh hey, ya know, it's gettin' on for bedtime, gotta be making my move....

>6 msf59: I haven't read a graphic novel in a while, although I used to enjoy them. Do you have a favorite or two that you would recommend?

Actually Charles Lindbergh had three (3) secret families. Anne Lindbergh never knew about the two families. One of the families lived in Munich, Germany, the other in Switzerland. All of the children were born after WWII and are much younger than Lindbergh's children with Anne. Two of the women who were mothers of two sets of children were sisters. And you guessed it - blond, German women. The third woman was a Prussian aristocrat who was Lindbergh's European secretary with whom he had two children.

The DNA tests that confirmed the paternity of the German children was done after 2003.

I read the A. Scott Berg biography (well listened to the recorded version of it) and I don't recall that he said anything about the secret families. His biography of Lindbergh was published in 1998 so I think he probably didn't know about the other families. I just read about it this spring in an award winning YA book about Lindberg titled Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh by Candace Fleming. I was shocked because I had been raised that with Anne Morrow Lindbergh placed on a pedestal because of her Christian writings. I keep thinking that she knew about the secret life of her husband, but her children are certain that she didn't. They were blindsided when the German children came out of the woodwork and insisted on DNA tests. It is a very amazing story. The stuff of novels - not real life.

Happy new thread!

HI Mark, Wonderful quote and pics for your new thread. All the best!

>5 FAMeulstee: Hooray, Anita! You are my first visitor. How can you not love the GHO chick.

>7 DeltaQueen50: Thank you, Judy. Can can count on me for avian and literary adventures. No plans to slow down.

>8 mahsdad: Thanks, Jeff.

>9 richardderus: LOL, RD. Yep, I really went deep for those toppers. Thanks, my friend.

Happy new one, Mark. Love that owl!

>10 labfs39: Hi, Lisa. There are a lot of favorite GNs: Fun Home, Local, Complete Essex County, The Best We Could Do, March & The Arrival. I could go on and on...grins.

>11 benitastrnad: Hi, Benita. Thanks for chiming in on Lindbergh. I want to read Berg's bio. Have you read Lindbergh's The Spirit of St. Louis or Anne's Gift From the Sea? I have added both to my TBR list. According to the author of The Aviator's Wife in the afterword, stated that she could never find proof that Anne knew about the other families but had a feeling she did know. She did include this in the novel.

>12 quondame: Thanks, Susan.

>13 mdoris: Thanks, Mary. Glad you like the toppers and quote.

>15 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley. I had to include the GHO chick, right?

-Scarlet Tanager. From today's birding jaunt.

Happy new thread, Mark!

Glad you're enjoying Interior Chinatown. I really enjoyed that one, and I've got his How to Live Safely in a Science Fiction Universe on my list as well now. Looking forward to your thoughts on that one and The Code Breaker when you finish that chunkster up.

Beautiful scarlet tanager photo!

>16 msf59: Thanks for the suggestions, Mark. I requested The Best We Could Do from the library.

>1 msf59: Happy new thread, buddy. Love the sylvan glades that you have been starting off your threads with.

Good morning, Mark.
The only Lindbergh I have read is Gift From the Sea though I have 2 other titles by her, unread, on my shelf: North to the Orient and Locked Rooms and Open Doors. However, I did read 3 books by her youngest daughter, Reeve Lindbergh and really loved all three: Under a Wing, No More Words, and Forward From Here. She is a good writer and very insightful.

>20 labfs39: I think that is a good choice, Lisa. I hope you enjoy it.

>21 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. " sylvan glades"? Ooh, I like the sound of that.

>22 jessibud2: Morning, Shelley. Thanks for chiming in on the Lindbergh books. I want to read Gift From the Sea and the Reeve Lindbergh books sound good too.

‘Morning, Mark! Happy Wednesday and happy new thread.

>18 msf59: Beautiful bird, excellent photo. We are on the boundary of their migration/breeding range but I’ve never seen one here. We do have Summer Tanagers during the breeding season and I usually see one per season.

Morning, Mark! Happy new thread!

Happy new one!

I read How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu about a year ago and I really struggled to finish it. It was a total washout as far as I was concerned. For that reason I didn't even add Interior Chinatown to my TBR list. I did add it when it won the Pulitzer but I have no plans to read it in the future unless some reader gives it glowing praise. I think that Yu is a writer that the critics love and readers are going to be left scratching their heads over wondering why he gets such good reviews.

>11 benitastrnad: Benita is of course correct that Berg's bio of Chas does not mention his "secret family".I shoulda checked the book first rather than after. Don't know where I read of his secret family; probably at Wikipedia.

>28 weird_O:
I read the Berg biography soon after it came out - I think sometime around 2000 and didn't know anything about the secret families until this year. That is hard to believe. Since Lindbergh is such a controversial figure the news of his secret life should have been all over the news. But it wasn't.

>16 msf59: How could so many people, media and others, give Lindbergh such a long pass on these three other families?

Gift From the Sea is lovely.

Sure wish Anne Morrow had been able to read THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA - after reading it awhile back,
I removed Charles Lindbergh from the files my 4th grade classes used for Wisconsin Historical Person research.
He was present here briefly.
Geez.

>27 benitastrnad: I ***LOATHED*** that twee, self-congratulatory tripe-bowl.

>18 msf59: Gorgeous! I am deeply enamored of the scarlet tanager. Somehow, like the pied oystercatcher, it makes noises that make me happy. And looks good doin' it.

>24 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen. Glad you like the scarlet tanager. I also like the summer tanagers. I am starting to see them a bit more often after targeting them for 2-3 years. They are even more shy than the scarlets.

>25 scaifea: >26 drneutron: Thanks, Amber & Jim.

>27 benitastrnad: I am enjoying Interior Chinatown but I will reserve my decision on How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe, when I am finished with my current one. Sorry to hear that you disliked it so much.

>28 weird_O: >29 benitastrnad: I find that fascinating that the story of Lindbergh's "other families" didn't break until the 2000s. That is a well-kept secret and of course, appalling behavior by Lucky Lindy.

>30 m.belljackson: I just found this out myself, Marianne but completely agree with you. His lofty reputation should take a serious blow from this. The Nazi and anti-Semitism should have delivered these blows in the 30s & 40s. Glad to hear you enjoyed Gift From the Sea.

>31 richardderus: You are referring to How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe, correct? I know you love the scarlet tanagers too. I am also a big fan of the oystercatchers but rarely get to see them, landlocked, like I am.

-Eastern Kingbird



-Eastern Bluebird

^Birds from my recent walks. The migrants have mostly moved through but now we can enjoy our summer residents.

-Mike Luckovich

'Morning, Mark, and happy Thursday to you!

>35 msf59: 👍

Happy new thread, Mark, and a sweet Thursday to you. You got me with a BB for the graphic novel and my library has it. Yay!

>36 karenmarie: Happy Thursday, Karen.

>37 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. Glad I landed a BB. Look forward to your thoughts on And Now I Spill the Family Secrets.

Ways to Disappear

In the dark
Down a stairwell
Through the doorway
Gone west
With a new wish
In daylight
Down the sidewalk
In a wool coat
In a white dress
Without a name
Without asking
On your knees
On your stomach
Gone silent
In the backseat
In the courtroom
In a cage
In the desert
In the park
Gone swimming
On the shortest night
At the bottom of the lake
In pieces
In pictures
Without meaning
Without a face
Seeking refuge
In a new land
Gone still
In the heart
With your head bowed
In deference
In sickness
In surrender
With your hands up
On the sidewalk
In the daylight
In the dark

-Camille Rankine From Poem-A-Day

Happy New(ish) Thread!

>1 msf59: The GHO chick is really cute!

>34 msf59: We have both Eastern Bluebirds and Eastern Kingbirds nesting near us. The Bluebirds have a nest box about 20 feet from our back door. I'm not quite sure where the Kingbirds are nesting, but I see them multiple times a day.

>40 SilverWolf28: Thanks, Silver. Glad you like the GHO chick. He/she has been popular around here. Lucky you, to have both bluebirds and kingbirds nesting nearby. They both seem to like open spaces, so you must have plenty of that around you.

>41 msf59: We do. We have a big pasture on one side of us, most of the times I see the Kingbirds they're perched on the fence posts or wire.

>42 SilverWolf28: I am jealous. I am a lowly urban dweller. TN, right?

"In these twelve masterful short stories about the lives of Latin Americans in Europe, García Márquez conveys the peculiar amalgam of melancholy, tenacity, sorrow, and aspiration that is the émigré experience."

I only read one story collection in May and that happened to be a stinker too, (thanks, Murakami) so I had an itch to read more short fiction. I plucked Strange Pilgrims off the shelf. I have only read Love in the Time of Cholera. I hope this kickstarts me into reading more Marquez. I still have One Hundred Years of Solitude waiting on shelf.

I did read the first story this afternoon and it was excellent. Yah!

Any Marquez fans? Thoughts?

Hi Mark, I couldn't get through the two Marquez I tried but that was years ago. I hope you enjoy it. I need to push up some short fiction. I'm lacking in that department lately.

>44 msf59: If your experience is like mine, you'll enjoy the read. There's one, "Light is Like Water", that is haunting and beautifully surreal.

It's been 20 years since I read it, though, and the stories are all from the 70s and 80s...somehow between now and the turn of the century, that became a *really* long time ago. Maybe they've aged well, a lot of his stuff feels to me like it will.

Love your bird pics as always, Mark! I lurk here a lot but after your comment on Karen's thread, I thought I'd better say hello!!

>44 msf59: I have read four books by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, my favorite was One Hundred Years of Solitude. It's been a long time, but I loved it back then. If you do read it, I would recommend keeping a list of characters, or finding one online, as there are many characters, and different generations can have the same or similar names.

My second favorite was Memories of My Melancholy Whores, followed by the nonfiction piece, Story of a Shipwrecked Sailor, and in last place was Love in the Time of Cholera, which I did not like. I did read all these decades ago, so I might have a different impression now.

>45 brenzi: Hi, Bonnie. Funny, I would have thought you would have loved Love in the Time of Cholera. Go figure! I hope you can line up some short fiction soon.

>46 richardderus: I love your memory, Richard. Much better than the sieve I have between my ears. I am looking forward to delving deeper into this collection. Have you read any of his collections?

>47 lauralkeet: LOL. No problem, Laura. Glad you like the bird pics. I plan on keeping those going.

>48 labfs39: Hi, Lisa. Thanks for chiming in on Marquez. I have a beautiful copy of One Hundred Years of Solitude. Maybe, I will finally bookhorn it in, this year. I was not familiar with Memories of My Melancholy Whores, so thanks. I will add that one to the list.

^I just finished The Father. Terrific film. A perfect showcase for Hopkins but Colman was pretty damn good too. Anyone else see the movie?

>51 msf59: ooh, I want to see that, Mark. Where did you stream it?

>52 lauralkeet: It is on DVD now. Redbox. It is also streaming on Prime for 6 bucks.

>49 msf59: I've only read two collections of his work: that one, and No One Writes to the Colonel and Other Stories. Again, there's a stand-out story, the title one; it's a 1950s effort, so very much in the vein popular then. Absolutely nothing happens.

But it's the same kind of nothing, the type of void that the Grand Canyon is: stand on the edge, look into the space, take in the odd forms and the garish, muted, brilliant colors. All in that big ol' hole.

>53 msf59: thanks Mark!

>43 msf59: Yes, we have a beautiful place with lots of birds and wildlife.

>51 msf59: Looking forward to seeng this soon Mark. Glad it was a hit with you.

>54 richardderus: Thanks, Richard. I will add No One Writes to the Colonel and Other Stories to the list. I like your Grand Canyon analogy. It fits.

>56 SilverWolf28: You lucky, lucky woman. Smiles...

>57 Caroline_McElwee: I hope it is available in your area, Caroline.

^This little guy has been a frequent visitor. At first I thought it was a black squirrel, but it is either a hybrid or a grey squirrel with blackish fur. He also does not bother the feeders but dutifully forages underneath the feeders. My favorite kind of squirrels.

That squirrel is a beauty, Mark. Ours have been fairly well-behaved as well, foraging around the feeders. But then, those who have attempted feeder access have been thwarted by baffles and such.

Do you have chipmunks? We have a bunch, and have discovered little holes/tunnels that they've dug in the garden.

HI, Mark. Love the toppers!

I remember that Ellen loved Interior Chinatown. Can't wait to hear what you think. Now I spill the Family Secrets - sounds like a great find.

At least we're getting some long overdue good weather. Hope some birds show up at Mark's Feeder & Bar.

>51 msf59: I saw it last year at the Toronto Film Festival.( on my computer in my kitchen!) It is a brilliant film with excellent work by Hopkins and Colman!

Good morning, Mark! Happy Friday and happy B²A to you (birding buddy adventure).

>44 msf59: I have 3 by García Márquez on my shelves, all tbr. Sigh.

>48 labfs39: You’ve been peeking at my shelves, Lisa – the three fiction ones I have are the three you mentioned. I’ll flag One Hundred Years of Solitude for this year – we’ll see if that actually happens.

>51 msf59: Hmm. I usually can’t watch Anthony Hopkins because of The Silence of the Lambs, but Olivia Colman makes this tempting.

Good morning, Mark, and Happy Friday! I requested And Now I Spill the Family Secrets, but I've got 32 people ahead of me. I guess that's a good sign for the book's success. I can recommend Reckless and Reckless: Friend of the Devil by our pal Ed Brubaker. Both are topnotch graphic noirs.

We're slowly getting back on top of things, working out and extending the length of our walks. My goal is to make it to the library and back, a pretty hefty walk, but one I used to do routinely.

My latest book is Land of shadows, by an author who's being compared to Walter Mosley. You can imagine that caught my attention! It's really good so far.

>59 msf59: - I never saw a black squirrel until I moved to Toronto. Montreal has reds and grays. I did learn, though, that black and gray squirrels are in fact, the same species. Toronto is filled with them and let me just say, your visitor looks rather scrawny compared to the well-fed Toronto black squirrels! Ours are huge!

I really want to see the new Anthony Hopkins film. I listened to a wonderful interview with the filmmaker, Florian Zeller. I can try to find the link for you, if you are interested.

I hope you're in out of that nasty, punishing heat! Me, I'm not up for an outing when it's foggy...too stifling. Even though it's 67°.

I'm really hoping García Márquez works his magic on you. Music for Wartime is keeping me in short-bursts-of-goodness for now, though I might finish it soon. But the review will have to come in July...being Pride Month, I'm really focussing on my QUILTBAG reviewing.

>60 lauralkeet: I am glad you like the scruffy black squirrel, although I prefer the solid black ones, that I have seen in Michigan. Yes, we have had chipmunks but not in the past year or so. Of course, they are cute but also can be destructive. We had them get into our shed, chew into the plastic seed bucket and make a mess. One got trapped in one bucket and died. I hope they do not return.

>62 torontoc: Hi there, Torontoc. Great to see you stop by. Glad to hear, that you also enjoyed The Father.

>63 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. Hooray for B2A! It was another good jaunt today, but it started heating up at the end. Hopkins will really surprise viewers in The Father. He is very animated and lively. He is also cranky and bitter too. Pretty impressive for an 80 year old.

>61 jnwelch: >64 jnwelch: Happy Friday, Joe. I would love to hear your take on Interior Chinatown, which I finished yesterday. It was a 4.5 star read. There is some activity at Mark's Feeder & Bar but I haven't had a chance to watch it for any length of time.

Ooh, I am glad I got your attention with And Now I Spill the Family Secrets. It is a good one and hopefully the wait is not an extremely long one. You returned the favor by delivering a BB with Restless, the Brubaker. I have wanted to return to him, since he is one of my favorites.

I am glad to hear the workouts are going well and I hope you make that walk to the library soon. Wow, that Mosley is sure a prolific author. Enjoy!

>65 jessibud2: Hi, Shelley. I agree that this black squirrel is scrawny and scruffy. The ones I see in Michigan are like yours- big and fully black. I hope you get a chance to see The Father. It is out on DVD now. I would like to hear the interview. Thanks.

>66 richardderus: Hey, RD. We got out on the trails at 7am and it was a bit cloudy then too but it began to gradually heat up and by 10, it was getting hot. I am safely in the cool, Man-Cave now. I hope you are enjoying Music for Wartime as much as I did. I can't wait to get back to the Marquez collection.

Hi Mark - didn't see any Dancing Lemurs on today's drive into Madison, but an open field held a stately Sand Hill couple.

Here ya go, Mark: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/writersandcompany/florian-zeller-explores-family-memory...

Judi planted a lot of tulip bulbs several year ago, and those cute lil chipmunks located almost all of them and ate 'em. Those buggers.

I'm plowing through the story of Dr. Albert Barnes, art collector extraordinaire and disagreeable crank. Then I want to schedule a visit to see his collection in Philadelphia.

Son the Elder escorted his twins to Greece, where one of them is taking part in an archeological dig at a Temple of Apollo on an island in the Aegean. He's been posting photos. https://pics.cdn.librarything.com//picsizes/5a/43/5a4304a85371aa8636b4a767941415...
The water is extraordinarily blue. Can't wait to see his entire take; I think he and Helen are coming home this weekend. Claire comes home at the end of the month.

>70 m.belljackson: Dancing lemurs? Now, that would be a treat but I bet the "stately" sandhills are a treat too.

>71 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley. I will check out the interview a little later.

>72 weird_O: Howdy, Bill. Bad chipmunks! Don't let the cute looks fool ya. I know nothing about Dr. Albert Barnes. Glad you are enjoying the bio.

I bet Son the Elder is having a lovely time with the twins in Greece. What a very cool opportunity. The one photo I saw looks gorgeous.

-Dave Whamond

>73 msf59: Mark - check online for the newly arrived Dancing Lemurs at the UK Chester Zoo - guaranteed to make everyone's day better!

Oh hey...apparently wrens are psychic!

Glad to hear that you liked Now I Spill the Family Secrets as much as I did! I know you are fan of Fun Home, so I am sure you are going to pick up The Secret to Superhuman Strength. I thought it was terrific.

I have had Interior Chinatown for a while. But so many other books keep popping up, like my weekend reads We Are What We Eat and The Other Black Girl, my reads for this weekend.

>59 msf59: I've never seen a black squirrel before, we have gray squirrels and fox squirrels. The fox squirrels are beautiful.

>75 m.belljackson: Did check out the dancing lemurs, Marianne and it did make me smile. Thanks for sharing.

>76 richardderus: I had not heard of plain-tailed wrens before but I have now. What a fascinating study and some very cool singing.

>77 alphaorder: Happy Saturday, Nancy. I didn't realize you had read and enjoyed Family Secrets too. Nice. I will have to request The Secret to Superhuman Strength. I am a Bechdel fan too. I hope you can find time to bookhorn in Interior Chinatown.

>78 SilverWolf28: It looks like fox squirrels are the main squirrel around here, followed by the greys.

'Morning, Mark, and happy Saturday to you.

Our squirrels are gray and although they can't actually get the suet, they've been trying to get into the suet feeder for 3 days now.

>80 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. I keep my suet in a caged feeder, otherwise the squirrels here would never leave them alone. Funny, I have not seen many woodpeckers at the feeders lately. Must be on the nest, along with several other birds.

-Dickcissel. (I love these guys and they sure love to sing).

Our birding jaunt went a bit haywire on Wednesday, with my Explorer breaking down and it had to be towed 30-plus miles. We did see a couple of good birds, though, including a few dickcissels, which love wide open spaces.

Morning, Mark!

Dickcissel sounds like a Shakespearean insult...

I totally gave up on suet feeders because of the squirrels. No matter what style of suet feeder I tried (including cages), they managed to crack them open and after picking up suet and feeders from the lawn a few too many times, I finally waved my white flag of defeat.

We also have little red squirrels who are small, very cute and surprisingly loud.

>83 scaifea: LOL, Amber. You are right, it sure does. I was waiting for a comment from Richard. I am sure he will supply a good one.

>84 jessibud2: Bummer, about the squirrels and the suet feeders. Mine can not get into the caged one, so they don't even try.

From several years ago. The suet robber, and then, checking to see if the coast is clear. I even used those twist ties to hold the cage shut. Didn't matter to him:

>86 jessibud2: That is a nice looking squirrel, Shelley but I can also see that he is a very bad boy. They are stinkers!

Hi Mark! Happy Saturday and good birding to you!

Interesting stuff about Lindbergh - I had no idea.

Now I Spill the Family Secrets sounds great! Unfortunately, it's not available at my library yet. I'll have to add it my 'later' list. Although my library is a happy family of 26 or so rural libraries that share books, recently libraries have decided not to share their newest books. :( I understand the POV of the libraries that often buy the newest and most popular; my library buys few new books which seems to be a function of not having room to expand their collection, rather than a lack of money.

>88 streamsong: Happy Saturday, Janet. I learned a lot about Lindbergh too. I guess, this is why we read, my friend. I am glad I got your attention with Now I Spill the Family Secrets. It is a good one. It seems to be a fairly popular title here. Joe said there are 32 people ahead of him at the library. Hopefully your library picks it up. Do they do ILL, there?

"An electric portrait of the artist as a young woman that asks how a writer finds her voice in a society that prefers women to be silent."

I am a Solnit fan, A Field Guide to Getting Lost is one of my top reads of the last few years. I am looking forward to Recollections of My Nonexistence: A Memoir which came out last year. I am starting the audio today. Solnit narrates.

>89 msf59: Mark, our library does do ILL, but it's a much bigger deal than the casual sharing between the libraries. I've actually never done it, but I may give it a shot with the newest Murderbot. :) Not that I short of reading matter, you understand.

There's a joke in the fact that "dickcissel" birds were named after the onomatopoeia of their call, I just *know* there is...

>91 streamsong: I love our ILL service, Janet. It always comes through for me.

>92 richardderus: You are correct, Richard- like many other birds the dicksissel is named after the sounds that it makes.

>90 msf59: Although there are bits of repetition with her earlier works Mark, I enjoyed this memoir.

>94 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks, Caroline. I have only read 2 of her other books. Looking forward to this one.

57) Poetry Will Save Your Life: A Memoir by Jill Bialosky 4 stars

“Poets and artists work in solitude and by intuition. They have the same mission: to capture and fathom the reality beyond appearances, the world invisible to the eye.”

The author chronicles her life, showcasing certain poems that helped shape the person she became, along with poems that helped her get through some difficult times. I enjoyed this memoir, along with discovering some “new” poetry.

58) Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro 4.2 stars

Klara is an Artificial Friend, designed to be a companion to a child. The novel is told through Klara's eyes and she is an absolute delight. Ishiguro delivers once again. There is something magical about his writing. He writes in such a deceptively simple way, that the reader doesn't realize how deep these waters go, until later in the book. That is something special.

60) The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin 4 stars

The Aviator's Wife turned out to be a nice surprise and I ended up learning a lot about the enigmatic Charles Lindbergh, the good, the bad and the ugly. I really didn't know much about Lindbergh, other than the obvious and had been intending to read a bio on him. This was a good well-written primer.

Hi Mark! I am glad you liked Interior Chinatown. I liked it, and the cover is awesome, isn't it?

>97 banjo123: Happy Saturday, Rhonda. Hooray for another Interior Chinatown fan. Yes, I also love the cover.

>44 msf59: Hey Mark, I'm glad to see you're giving Strange Pilgrims another go. Marquez always transports me to the location of which he writes. Besides his better known books, I'd say my favorite is The General and his Labyrinth. I very much enjoyed Living to Tell the Tale. It is his first of an intended series of autobiographies, sadly also his last as he was diagnosed with dementia and passed away before I could tell more of his tale.
Ya know, I ought to re-read his canon, I'd love to escape to his worlds again. Hmmmm.

>90 msf59: I really want to read this, and although my library says it has it available as a downloadable audiobook, neither of the phone apps which provide access to audiobooks show as having it. I think I may have to have it as an MP3 and listen on my pc or phone another way. Either way, I have requested it :) So thanks for the rec (not that you are necessarily recommending it, but you certainly gave me the heads up about it!).
I was desperate to listen to something to go on my walk yesterday, and ended up choosing Richard Flanagan's First Person, which is OK so far, but I hope I get properly hooked soon.

>99 Carmenere: "Marquez always transports me to the location of which he writes." That is a perfect description, Lynda. I am glad to hear from a Marquez fan. I will add The General and his Labyrinth. It looks like I have plenty of his to read. Thanks for chiming in.

>100 LovingLit: Hi, Megan. I hope you are able to listen to Recollections of My Nonexistence: A Memoir. It has been good so far with Solnit doing a fine job narrating. I had not heard of First Person, but I loved Flanagan's The Narrow Road to the Deep North.

>99 Carmenere: & >101 msf59: Marquez always is deserving of full attention - he is not a writer that is easy to skim and still enjoy. I have read four of his books and 100 Years is still by far in a way my favourite but I do need to read more.

>102 PaulCranswick: Thanks for chiming in on Marquez, Paul. I hope to get to 100 Years later this year. Glad to hear it is a favorite.

"The Fortress of Solitude is a 2003 semi-autobiographical novel by Jonathan Lethem set in Brooklyn and spanning the 1970s, '80s, and '90s. It follows two teenage friends, Dylan Ebdus and Mingus Rude, one white and one black, who discover a magic ring."

I have only read one Lethem, Motherless Brooklyn which I loved. I have had The Fortress of Solitude on shelf for a few years and felt it was time to finally yank it down and crack it open. I do not recall much LT activity on this one or much of any Lethem, for that matter. I know Joe is a fan of his early work. An acquired taste, perhaps?

>102 PaulCranswick: You are absolutely spot on, Paul. His novels, especially those containing magical realism, puts off many readers but if read slowly and savoured rather than skimmed they will open doors.

>105 Carmenere: I will read something of his this year, Lynda, and it will almost certainly be The General in His Labyrinth!

>104 msf59: I have a couple of Lethem's books on the shelves but I have never felt sufficiently impelled to read one of them yet!

'Morning, Mark! Happy Sunday to you.

>96 msf59: Nice lightning round. I managed to dodge all three, but have moved One Hundred Years of Solitude into my tag '2021 read'.

>105 Carmenere: I love hearing from fans of Marquez.

>106 PaulCranswick: Maybe I can spark something with my current Lethem read.

>107 karenmarie: Happy Sunday, Karen. Maybe we could do a shared read of One Hundred Years of Solitude later in the year.

-Mike Luckovich

>109 msf59: - Good grief.

>109 msf59: ...into prison...

>104 msf59: He's a niche-appeal author indeed. I like his Gun, with Occasional Music a lot; Motherless Brooklyn a little less. Haven't read that one, though.

Great-Grandpa here has just today posted his 99th review of 2021!

*woot*

I should hit my goal of 190 this year easy if I can keep up this pace.

Now back to finish the one for tomorrow....

>110 jessibud2: He will just NOT go away...

>111 richardderus: Congrats, Great-Grandpa on 99 reviews! That is impressive. I have a copy of Gun, with Occasional Music on shelf. Yah!

Hoping this is new to you, you owlish ol' birdman you.

>113 weird_O: HA!! I love that!!

>112 msf59: Thanks! I'm shootin' high this year with 190 total reviews posted on my blog. My prior record was 185 in 2016. Musta been eatin' my Wheaties that year....

>113 weird_O: I love it, Bill. Thanks for making me smile.

>114 richardderus: I am sure you will be able to pull it off, RD! You go boy!

-Two American Goldfinch sitting in a tree...

‘Morning, Mark! Happy mumbledy-mumble day to you.

>108 msf59: A shared read sounds good.

>109 msf59: Fortunately, there’s no constitutional provision for a 'reinstatement', but I absolutely don’t trust the Gang of Psychos led by t**** to not try another insurrection. I hope I’m wrong.

>113 weird_O: Makes me smile, Bill.

Hi, Mark. I join Karen in wishing you a Happy Mumbledy-Mumble Day.

I thought Interior Chinatown was brilliant. What a smart way to set up the racist categorizing of Asians against what we do with Black and White - in a cop show! And the struggle to make a living while somehow breaking free of (overcoming) the stereotypes. I didn't know that historically we had so much anti-Chinese legislation. Another shameful chapter in our history. This is timely, isn't it, given recent domestic terrorism against Asians. The more things change, the more they don't. Anyway, great book.

>118 jnwelch: Hey, Joe. I am so glad you loved Interior Chinatown but I am not at all surprised. It felt like it would be a good fit for you. It would be a perfect companion piece with the essay collection, Minor Feelings, which I also highly recommend.

Totally agree with Joe about Interior Chinatown.

>118 jnwelch:, >119 msf59:, >120 streamsong: Thanks for the hot tip on Interior Chinatown. i have put a hold on it at my library. You have to love LT for the hot tips!

Looks like the ol' warbler is up to his tricks - I will have to give Interior Chinatown a look.

Come visit my thread...see what my amazing YGC sent me as a surprise gift! He is so sweet.

>120 streamsong: The Interior Chinatown Fan Club is growing. B.A.G.

>121 mdoris: Hooray for hot tips, Mary. Hope to see you join the fan club.

>122 DeltaQueen50: Yep, the Ol' Warbler has not lost his touch. Grins...

>123 richardderus: I will be in a moment, RD.

Perseverance

We’ve landed on the planet named after the god of war and the power’s
out all over Texas my mother’s buried under her grandmother’s
quilt while they’re looking for signs of life on the surface of the long-dried lake-
bed my cousins huddling around the clay pot heaters they’ve rigged
from overturned geraniums and the candles they keep lit
for the dead the heatshield reaching extreme temperatures in the final moments
of descent ice-sleeved branches cleaving from their trunks and downing
communication lines and lines and lines down the block for what’s left
of clean water in the ancient river delta the rover arriving to drill down
as scientists cheer in control towers oil men feast and fatten
their pockets craters across the desolate expanse early
transmission from the hazard avoidance camera can't help
but capture its own shadow darkening the foreground.

-Deborah Paredez 18 February 2021 From Poem-A-Day

^Wow! This one lands perfectly.

Somehow, Interior Chinatown is now on my Overdrive list, Mark.

>73 msf59: I know nothing about Dr. Albert Barnes. Ah ha. And today, Mark, I learned why you don't know about Barnes. It's because you didn't borrow the copy of Art Held Hostage, which is subtitled "The Battle Over the Barnes Foundation", from the Downer's Grove Public Library. That library had a nice copy of said book, but you didn't sign it out. So the library sold it down the river and now I have it.

>126 brenzi: Nice, Bonnie. Now, you will be able to join the Fan Club.

>127 weird_O: That is a HOOT, Bill. Downer's Grove Public Library is my home away from home. Sorry, I missed checking out that copy. Bad Mark!

-Clay Bennett

>129 msf59: - There are several other words I can think of where that illustration could be the *definition*...

>130 jessibud2: That is an excellent point, Shelley. Grins...

'Morning, Mark! Happy Tuesday to you. Enjoy your birding. Are there other Bs for today?

>129 msf59: hehe. The only 'good' re T-rump are the satirical cartoons.

Hiya, Mark! Just cruising through to stay caught up :)

>129 msf59: A more timely representation of "delusion" is Sen. Joe Manchin.

Morning, Mark. Good to see the interior Chinatown enthusiasm, isn't it. Nice Poem-a-day.

Now I"m trying Dictionary of Lost Words, recommended by RD and others. Have you heard about this one? A natural for word-lovers, seems like.

Another hot one. Aren't you glad you aren't out on your route?

Mark, I finished Migrations last night and it was a five-star read for me. Wow, what a writer and what a visionary. Scary, heartbreaking, beautiful.

Also, this past Sunday Prudence and I went to the Turnbull Wildlife Refuge about 75 minutes from our house. We had the best bird day ever! White pelicans, trumpeter swans, Cinnamon Teals, Buffleheads, Mallards (of course), Western Bluebird, and more.... it was a cool and cloudy day and we just had a blast. I thought of you, of course.

I'm now reading The Cold Millions and I can tell I'm going to like it.
Also, I'm glad to see the love for Interior Chinatown on LT. I thought it was a creative and memorable novel.

Happy Tuesday to you!

>132 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. A good walk this morning but it quickly got HOT, so we wrapped it up before 10. Yes, books and a couple of beers will be on tap for this afternoon.

>133 Caroline_McElwee: Amen to that, Caroline.

>134 katiekrug: Good to see you, Katie. Thanks for the wave!

>135 weird_O: You got that right, Bill. A real thorn in democracy's side.

>136 jnwelch: Hi, Joe. Hooray for the ever-growing interior Chinatown Fan Club! Ain't that poem a dandy? They feature some real gems on that daily feature. Have a good time with Dictionary of Lost Words. Sounds like a fun one.

Yes, I am very glad to be not working in this heat. We did get out for a bird stroll earlier but finished by 10.

>137 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen. Always good to see you. 5 stars for Migrations? That is awesome and echoes my feelings about the surprise novel. Ooh, your trip to Turnbull Wildlife Refuge sounds fantastic. Glad you were able to identify a few of them. I finally saw my first Cinnamon Teal on my last Oregon trip. They are marvelous looking ducks.

I LOVED The Cold Millions and expect you will too. Hooray for interior Chinatown! I appreciate your assistance on getting that on my radar.

^Has anyone else been watching The Underground Railroad on Prime? I am now 5 eps in and it continues to be excellent. Great stuff, although I still prefer spacing out those episodes. You need time to savor and ponder.

>140 msf59: Rob continues to be jittery about this series...halfway through ep1 he had to call a halt so we're going to be at this until 2022 it seems.

I'd strongly prefer he take care of himself so I will wait until he's ready, and accept it if he just can't.

>135 weird_O: Amen.

Reading day is packed...I got notes on a review I wrote and need to edit it before I post it, still hoping for tomorrow though since it's a book that published today: The Queer Principles of Kit Webb.

>133 Caroline_McElwee: Psst, Randy Rainbow! I guess you could consider his videos as musical cartoons.

>142 quondame: I think I saw one Susan, and you are right. Very entertaining. Must check out more.

>142 quondame: I think I saw one Susan (fiddler on the roof), and you are right. Very entertaining. Must check out more.

>141 richardderus: The Underground Railroad is a tough watch. Nothing glossed over here, so I understand Rob being reluctant to start it. I hope you get to check it out for yourself at some point. Did Rob read the book?
Good luck with the review.

>142 quondame: >143 Caroline_McElwee: Not familiar with Randy Rainbow. Should I be?

>145 msf59: Not familiar with Randy Rainbow Mark??? Seriously lol

>145 msf59: Oh, yes. Stop by YouTube. He's the reason some of us can pretend to be sane after 2017-2020. For a current offering check out Clang, Clang, Clang Went Josh Hawley!

>146 brenzi: I guess I am not as informed as I thought, Bonnie. I blame the birds...

>147 quondame: Thanks, Susan. I will check it out.

After a bookish drought, I finally have incoming books landing at my doorstep. Obviously, the highlight is the upcoming novel by Colm Toibin, The Magician. This is an advanced copy from the publisher. It comes out in September. Sparrow Envy is a poetry collection from the library. What a fantastic cover. I may buy a copy just for that. Swimming to the Top of the Tide is an Early Reviewers title, which also sounds promising.

>140 msf59: We keep saying we're going to watch that one, and we will. I like your suggestion of spacing out the episodes a bit.

Yay Colm Toibin!!!

>51 msf59: I very much want to see ‘The Father’ but it doesn’t seem to be on our streaming platforms to rent as yet.

'Morning, Mark, and happy Wednesday to you. I hope yesterday afternoon's books and beer were satisfying.

Randy Rainbow is fantastic. Cheeto Christ Stupid-Czar and Sedition are among my favorites.

>150 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen. There were also a couple of articles about "not bingeing" The Underground Railroad. Like a fine complex bourbon, it is meant to be sipped not gulped.

>151 SandDune: Hi, Rhian. With Sir Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman in the cast, I am surprised The Father isn't available there. Good to see you, BTW.

>152 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. It was a good, lazy afternoon but The Fortress of Solitude has been a slow read, although I am still enjoying the bulk of it.

I guess I missed the boat, with Randy Rainbow.

>142 quondame: >147 quondame: >152 karenmarie: I watched "Clang, Clang, Clang Went Josh Hawley!" It was a HOOT! I will be watching more.

>154 msf59: I can't say I've watched very many of his videos, but he's a hoot that's for sure.

I still want to get to The Underground Railroad but we have a hard time juggling more than one dramatic series and currently we're working our way through Line of Duty. We mix things up with gardening and nature programs, as well as cycling races, so it takes a while to finish a series. Last night we watched two LoD episodes back to back, which is unusual for us, but they were the last two in a season and we wanted to see how things wrapped up.

>155 lauralkeet: Morning, Laura. Randy Rainbow is also clever and biting, which is what I like. Taking your time with The Underground Railroad is a perfect approach to that series. I am glad it is on the dock. I usually juggle 2 or 3 shows, depending if I can find one I like. I also LOVE Peaky Blinders. I finished 3 seasons of that one. I have not heard of Line of Duty. Good?

Hi Mark. Randy Rainbow is the best! After watching him for the first time, I could not stop. I haven't seen his latest but will seek it out. I love that he says exactly what not only needs to be said but what we are all thinking. And in such a clever way. He is a treasure and a talent, for sure.

>158 msf59: - LOL!

>156 msf59: Line of Duty is excellent Mark. It's a British crime series where the investigators are part of an Anti-Corruption unit, so they're always investigating "bent coppers," as their Superintendent likes to say (American English translation: corrupt police officers). The plotting is intricate and there are unexpected connections from one season to the next. We just finished Season 4 of 6.

>160 lauralkeet: That sounds really good, Laura. I may have to check it out. Thanks.

>149 msf59: Excellent re Colm T Mark. Lucky to have an advance copy.

>158 msf59: Tee hee.

>158 msf59: HA!! I love that one. Who is John Atkinson? I've never run across the name before!

>160 lauralkeet: Line of Duty is next up for me, Laura. I'm with you about doing one series at a time, and right now I'm in the middle of "A Place To Call Home." It's a multi-generational Australian drama set in the 1950s with great acting. (Sorry for the thread hijack, Mark!)

>160 lauralkeet: Line of Duty is next up for me, Laura. I'm with you about doing one series at a time, and right now I'm in the middle of "A Place To Call Home." It's a multi-generational Australian drama set in the 1950s with great acting. (Sorry for the thread hijack, Mark!)

Great to hear about the next Toibin.

>163 richardderus:



^I had not heard of John Atkinson before either but I am now a fan. There was a John Atkinson Grimshaw, back in Victorian England but he died in 1893. I think I prefer the comic version, anyway.

>162 Caroline_McElwee: >165 vivians: I am also glad I snagged the Toibin, Caroline & Vivian. I will probably save it for August.

>164 vivians: I am also looking forward to Line of Duty. A Place To Call Home also sounds promising.

>153 msf59: Fortunately Randy is still merrilly rowing along!

>165 vivians: Ha! That's just great...I'll have to go look into his stuff. Thanks for bird-doggin' him, Birddude.

Hey Mark, blasting thru to catch up. I did catch a glimpse of you going to read Fortress of Solitude. I read it about 5 years ago and really enjoyed it, if I recall. I'm a big fan of Lethem.

I've read a bunch of his stuff

Motherless
A Gambler's Anatomy
Fortress
Gun, with Occasional Music
Men and Cartoons (collection of short stories)

>168 quondame: I plan on checking out more of Randy's videos, Susan.

>169 richardderus: Not as good as Tom Gauld but who is, right?

>170 mahsdad: Hey, Jeff. Thanks for chiming in on Lethem. I am just over 300 pages into The Fortress of Solitude. It is a bit rambling at times and I wish it would stick more closely with the main characters but I am glad I am hanging in there.
I have Gun, with Occasional Music on shelf. How is his short stories?

>166 msf59: So, Mark Freebird, is that guy making fun of you? I think it's a perfect capture of your warbling.

>171 msf59: I read the story collection in 2014 and don't have a real sense of it anymore. I gave it 3.5 stars and here's a good reason to write "reviews" however much crap you think you are at it. I wrote...

This is the second book of Lethem's that I've read. I'm finding that he has an odd sensibility that I like. This is a collection of short stories that hover on the edge of science fiction and Twilight Zone.

From "Access Fantasy", where the have nots are stuck in a world of the perpetual traffic jam and one of the only ways to get out is to be advertising for the "haves", to "The Glasses", a customer comes to a standoff with his optician over his new glasses, to "Interview with the Crab", a send up of TV and fame culture where Lethem goes to interview a giant crab who was the star of a sitcom and reality tv show.

Out of the 11 stories, only a couple were a miss for me. Would recommend, if you enjoy odd, slightly bent tales.

And to answer your question from my thread, no I haven't started UR yet, but thanks for the reminder, I'll just have to do that.

>153 msf59: "Like a fine complex bourbon..."
Well, then! That sounds right up my alley!

Loving the John Atkinson cartoons. Yeah, Freebird!!!

I also try to do just one series at a time Mark and am ready to start season five of Line of Duty if I can untangle the ridiculous streaming conundrum. But more and more series are releasing just one episode a week like Mare of Easttown on HBO which just finished up. That stretches the series out but sometimes I get impatient. I will get to The Underground Railroad eventually because I loved the book.

>172 weird_O: A few of my fellow soldiers called me Freebird in my early years in the Army. I guess it fit...

>173 mahsdad: Thanks for your review of Lethem's story collection, Jeff. I think it was a good description. That said, I think I will take a pass until I catch up on some of his other titles.

>174 EBT1002: Look forward to your thoughts on The Underground Railroad, Ellen. And hooray for Freebird!

>175 brenzi: Another fan of Line of Duty? I am in. I also enjoyed Mare of Easttown. Fairly basic crime drama but a terrific cast elevated it.

-Gray Catbird. They nest here for the summer, so we have been seeing and hearing them everywhere on our walks. I have never seen one at my feeders though. Funny, I never remember seeing one, before I took up birding.

>178 msf59: We have catbirds here too, Mark, and a pair visited our feeders yesterday for the first time. We know there's a nest on our property. Chris was clearing some brush and came across a nest. He left the clearing task to be completed another day. We have no shortage of outdoor projects. The other day he took a peek and saw baby birds! I hope to get out there and see them for myself soon.

>179 lauralkeet: Thanks for the backyard report and hooray for the catbird visitors. They are very vocal too, so you must hear them. It is funny when they do the "cat" sound. Do you know what bird has the eggs in the nest?

I have never seen a catbird and don't think I'd have recognized it if I had!

'Morning, Mark! Happy Thursday to you. I've seen Catbirds out here but not one so far this spring. Right now I've got a male Downy chowing down on the suet and saw a Tufted Titmouse earlier.

>178 msf59: I wouldn't be able to tell you two seconds after I saw one that I *had*! It's the epitome of dull coloration, uninteresting shape, and undistinguished size.

Which is why, I'll wager, they're successful!

Spend a splendid Thursday.

>178 msf59: Catbirds have nested in our orchard the last two summers. I haven't seen them yet this year, but I'm sure I will when they start feeding babies.

>182 jessibud2: I don't know how far north the catbirds range, Shelley. As an urban dweller, it they are there, they may be hard to spot.

>183 karenmarie: Sweet Thursday, Karen. Glad you get to see a gray catbird from time to time. Hooray for the tufted titmouse!

>184 richardderus: I will have to beg to differ on this one, Richard. I think catbirds are nice looking birds, even with their gray coloring. My slightly blurry photo may not be a good representation. I agree with your descriptions, as far as, they are nearly invisible in the wild.

>185 SilverWolf28: Hi, Silver. I didn't know how extensive the catbirds range is, so I am glad you get to see them in your area. I am sure you get to see Northern Mockingbirds regularly too. We rarely see them here.

>187 msf59: Yes we see (and hear) Mockingbirds year round.

Hi Mark, I'm so far behind...

Not sure if I've ever seen or heard a Mockingbird.

Underground Railroad is on my watchlist as is the new season of Line of Duty. Mare of Easttown was v. good and Mosquito Coast a bit uneven but ended the season well. Hacks is a lot of fun!

Chris is a fan of Interior Chinatown but I've only gotten as far as buying a kindle copy cheap. I just finished The Plot and now I'm digging around for my next book.

>188 SilverWolf28: I would like to get my first mockingbird in Illinois. They are seen here from time to time.

>189 Copperskye: Hi, Joanne. Mockingbirds are very common in the south and in the east. We are just north of their range. I just started Line of Duty and I am enjoying it. Looking forward to your thoughts on The Underground Railroad, once you get to it. I hope you can also find time to get to Interior Chinatown. Plenty of room in the Fan Club. Grins...

On the subject of TV series we have also enjoyed Line of Duty - I think we are up to Season 4. Things that we are really enjoying at the moment are ‘Shtisel’, set in a very orthodox Jewish community in Jerusalem and ‘Call My Agent’ set in an film star agency in Paris. Both on Netflix. Also the new series of Fargo.

>191 SandDune: Happy Friday, Rhian. I just started Line of Duty and I like it. I loved the first 2 seasons of Fargo but it tapered off after that, I did not pick it back up.

^Thanks to the warbling from my LT buddies, I started Line of Duty last night. It is off to a good start. Unfortunately, it looks like I will have to pay for it though. The first week of Brit Box is free and then it will be 7 bucks, a month. I am watching it through Amazon Prime. Any other suggestions?

Good morning Mark!

>180 msf59: The nest I mentioned in >179 lauralkeet: is a catbird nest. Sorry I wasn't clear about that!

>187 msf59: I join you in admiration for the catbird's gray coloring. It's such a deep gray, it's beautiful.

>193 msf59: Bonnie and I were messaging yesterday about streaming LoD. The license rights are insane. It looks like Britbox has the rights to Seasons 1-4 and 6. Acorn and Hulu have Season 5. WTF?!

May I recommend another program to make your Britbox subscription worthwhile? Try the Up series of documentaries, which follow 14 British children starting at the age of 7, and every 7 years thereafter. They are absolutely fascinating. Wikipedia has more info here.

'Morning, Mark, and happy Friday to you.

It looks like the first four seasons of Line of Duty are included with Prime Membership.

>194 lauralkeet: Morning, Laura. Hooray for another catbird lover. Nice that you have a nest to keep an eye on. That LOD line-up is definitely goofy. At least they are only 5 episodes each, so I could fly through them pretty quickly, with out a lot of expense.

I am a fan of the Up series. I remember watching 21-Up & 35-Up but I can't recall if I went any further than that. Outstanding documentary. A true one of a kind project.

>195 karenmarie: Happy Friday, Karen. Line of Duty is streaming on Amazon but you have to pay extra to watch it.

"A stunning feat of reportage that explains one of the central mysteries of the Trump era: the unholy marriage of Trump and the Evangelicals, as officiated by the alt-right."

^You might call me a glutton for punishment but this subject has always fascinated & repelled me. I heard Posner on a podcast a year or so ago, promoting Unholy: Why White Evangelicals Worship at the Altar of Donald Trump and knew I had to visit it at some point. I started the audio today, with Posner narrating and it has been excellent.

I am also close to wrapping up The Fortress of Solitude.

>197 msf59: I recommended an evangelical family member, a strenuous opponent of 45's and an appalled bystander as her church submits its ethics and morality to his cult, read that book. She reported that it was very much a useful analysis, and could understand why a non-evangelical would need to read it...but she wants a how-to on *stopping* the rot's spread.

I so wish I had a clue what to say to that.

Happy weekend, Birddude.

Hi Mark, I loved "Line of Duty"! We watched it on Netflix, I believe they have the first five seasons.

>199 DeltaQueen50: Unfortunately, Netflix US doesn't have Line of Duty.

>194 lauralkeet:, >196 msf59: - I am also a huge fan of the Up series. I have seen them all and they are now done, won't be any more (the last one is 63 Up), partly because several of the participants are feeling that it is enough and partly because Michael Apted, the genius behind the series, is no longer able. I believe I read that he is beginning to develop dementia. If I can find the excellent article I read, I will post it here.

There was also a book published: 42 Up.

I found the article, from the New York Times Magazine; I have it printed out but unfortunately, there is no date on it so I am not sure how to find it online. I just skimmed it and I can't find why I thought he had dementia. Maybe he is just ill and can't do any more. Anyhow, it's just as well. It probably has run its course. Of the original *children*, one had died (I won't say who, for those who still want to see it) and one has a terminal illness. The whole episode had the air of poignancy, but it was not maudlin or anything. Still an excellent series and well worth watching, if you can.

Edited to add, oh no! I was just googling to try to find the article and found this, instead:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/14/movies/michael-apted-up-series-future.html

Aha. Here is the article I had printed out: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/27/magazine/63-up-michael-apted.html?action=clic...

>201 jessibud2: Right, Shelley. Apted is definitely "no longer able," as you found out in the NYT article about the future of the series. That article also indicates his staff might continue, but they also freely admit they are "no longer spring chickens."

I agree 63 Up was poignant and moving.

Ok I am obsessing a bit now. While googling, I found this interview with Apted, in 2019. The interviewer is rather obnoxious but the interview is a good one.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=7+up+series+63+up+documentary&docid=608...

>198 richardderus: Hey, RD. Unholy: Why White Evangelicals Worship at the Altar of Donald Trump is off to a great start. It is filling in some gaps for me and unsurprisingly I am disliking the evangelicals even more. What complete and utter hypocrisy. What would Jesus say? If you believe in him or not.

>199 DeltaQueen50: Hi, Judy. Did you finish all of Line of Duty? It looks like Netflix no longer carries it. Bummer!

>201 jessibud2: >203 jessibud2: Where has time gone, Shelley? I didn't realize they had made it to 63 Up. Wow! That is truly amazing. I bet it has been nearly 30 years since I watched one of the docs. Thanks for supplying the links and interviews. I will check them out. You are great about doing that and we appreciate it.

I also really enjoyed some of Michael Apted's feature films like Coal Miner's Daughter & Gorky Park.

Oh loved Gorky Park the book ages ago Mark.

I watched Seasons 1-4 of Line of Duty on Amazon Prime for free. It looks like I'll have to pay $7 to watch Season 5 then watch Season 6 on BritBox. So stupid.

‘Morning, Mark, and happy Saturday to you!

>196 msf59: Do we have different versions of Amazon Prime?



.

>197 msf59: Evangelicals started veering towards the right before t****. Here's an interesting article about how Reagan co-opted them: Reagan and the Evangelicals

>207 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Yes, LOD comes up on Amazon Prime. You are correct but if you click on season one it directs you to pay for it, since Brit Box owns the rights now.

Yes, the author of Unholy covers the history of the rise of the evangelicals and yes, it did begin in the late 70s and kicked into gear with Reagan. Funny, to learn that the evangelicals were not as enamored with Reagan as the rest of the conservative movement. I guess, he wasn't radical enough.

ETA- Good article.

^Bree has been doing very little riding but now and then she can get up on Vayda and do a few rounds in the arena.

"Memory and history have been Penelope Lively’s terrain in fiction over a career that has spanned five decades. But she has only rarely given readers a glimpse into her influences and formative years."

Ellen sent me a copy of Dancing Fish and Ammonites: A Memoir some time back and I decided to pluck it down off the shelf, (I have been on a damn good roll reading OTS this year and do not plan on slowing down). Sadly, I have only read Moon Tiger, by Lively but I did love that one. Any other Lively recommendations?

>210 msf59: I'm a big fan of Penelope Lively, Mark. Like you, I started with Moon Tiger, and then read How it All Began, which is one of my favorites. After that, anytime I found one of her books in a used bookshop I'd snap it up. Some have been better than others, but all are solid.

I also love Penelope Lively's novels. Cleopatra's Sister was a favorite.

>210 msf59: I've read many of her books over the years Mark. Reread The Road to Lichfield which held up to revisiting.

I have read three of Lively's books. Moon Tiger, Consequences, and Photograph. The last one was a Today Show Book Club selection. Of them all I thought that Moon Tiger was the best but the Photograph has lots of food for thought in it.

Have been a Lively fan since I met / hosted her at the bookshop for Moon Tiger. I have read a number of her books, including the one you are reading now back in 2014. There are a few unread ones on my shelves - maybe I should take one down?

Soooo, Mark. Whaddaya think of 2021 Pulitzer winning novel The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich?

>211 lauralkeet: >212 katiekrug: >213 Caroline_McElwee: >214 benitastrnad: Thanks for the Lively recommendations, Laura, Katie, Caroline & Benita. I will add them all to my TBR list, for future reading. Did anyone of you read this memoir? Or how about The Purple Swamp Hen and Other Stories? That one also sounds good and you know I love my short fiction.

>215 alphaorder: Hi, Nancy. Great to see you. Wow, you have so many wonderful memories working at that bookstore, right? How is Cooper doing?

>216 weird_O: Howdy, Bill. Sadly and surprisingly I have still not read The Night Watchman and I have had a copy on shelf, even before it was published. Bad Mark. It is slated for 2021. Why?

>209 msf59: Isn't Bree's baby bump coming along!

Happy weekend's reads!

>218 richardderus: Hey, RD. We love Bree's Baby Bump. We are fast approaching that 8 weeks to go mark. As usual, the summer is flying by.

^Yep, my 13th Thingaversary crept up on me again. The big day was yesterday. Could I even imagine back in 2008, as just a snot-nosed mailman that liked books, that I would still be hanging around this joint, nearly a decade and a half later? It would have never crossed my mind. I am just so pleased that this community continues to thrive and I hope it does so for another decade or more.

Mark - I am so grateful for this community too, and that you found it! Happy Thingaversary!

Congrats! Lucky 13 and counting!

>210 msf59: I read Dancing Fish and Ammonites Mark. I remember liking some bits more than others. Maybe I will reread it in time.

>220 msf59: Happy 13th Thingaversary. How have you rewarded yourself Mark?

>220 msf59: Thirteen years! Amazing...so, you know the rules, fourteen books in. What're you gonna splash out on?

Happy Thingaversary, Mark!! Looks like you joined LT about 6 months before me.

Not sure if you say but I got an email that a favorite fiction authors, Amor Towles will finally be releasing a new novel this fall. He wrote A Gentleman in Moscow and Rules of Civility will be out with The Lincoln Highway on October 5th.

Mom was released from the hospital on Thursday evening and taking it easy and catching up on her rest since she's been home. She was quite dehydrated plus she has this odd, but apparently common, ailment whereby her BP is high when sitting (so she's on BP meds) but it drops quite a lot when she stands up, making her dizzy and weak. That's when she falls. They've cut back on her BP meds.

Unfortunately, she may also need carotid artery surgery. Needs another test before they decide what to do.

>221 alphaorder: Thanks, Nancy. It is definitely a special place and of course some long lasting friendships have been formed.

>222 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley, Yah, for Lucky 13!

>223 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks, Caroline. Not far into the Lively memoir. Glad you have mostly fond memories. No rewards yet but I am thinking about them.

>224 richardderus: Thanks, Richard. 13 years is pretty amazing. You are about the same time, right? I don't follow the rules that closely but I have my eye on a few books but I will probably spread the rest out, over the next few months.

>225 lindapanzo: Thanks, Linda. It looks like 2007- 2009 were big years for the LT crowd. I did hear that about the upcoming Towles. I am definitely a fan.
I appreciate the update on your Mom. I am hoping for a full recovery.

Are you watching the Cubs game? What do you think of those uniforms?

>227 msf59: I detest Joe Buck and AJ Pierzynski so I am listening on the radio. I've forgotten how fun that can be and I absolutely love Pat Hughes.

Love those new uniforms. I put the game on TV whenever the Cubs hit a homer.

>220 msf59: Mark-- Congrats and Lucky 13!!! And a great excuse to buy more books. ; ) So nice to have gotten to know you -- absolutely love seeing what you are up to here on LT, whether it is birds, beer or books!! B3!!

>227 msf59: I'm at fifteenth Thingaversary spree-having! *wheeeeee*

>228 lindapanzo: I did not realize who was announcing the Fox game, Linda. No wonder I was not enjoying the play by play. I miss Hughes and Coomer. I don't get a chance to listen to as many games these days.

>230 richardderus: 15 years? Wowza. You had to there right at the beginning. That definitely qualifies as Royalty.

>231 msf59: I think you skipped me since I am definitely not Royalty. ; )

>229 Berly: >232 Berly: And I am not Caroline. LOL. Thanks, Kim. We must have cross posted. Thanks, my friend. You know you have been one of my favorite LTers, from the beginning.

>233 msf59: Ha!! Corrected now in 229. LOL. That's so funny. Big hugs and happy weekend. : )

>234 Berly: Great to see you posting, Kimmers, even if it is for a short while. Enjoy your Sunday.

-John Atkinson

61) Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu 4.3 stars

“You’re here, supposedly, in a new land full of opportunity, but somehow have gotten trapped in a pretend version of the old country.”

“This is it. The root of it all. The real history of yellow people in America. Two hundred years of being perpetual foreigners.”

While growing up in L.A.'s Chinatown, Willis Wu has dreamed about being Kung Fu Guy. His wishes begin to come true when he is offered a role on a TV police show, although he quickly realizes he is still playing Generic Asian Man, the same role he plays in every day life. This inventive, whip-smart novel caught me by surprise. It is presented as a screenplay and appears deceptively simple but it slowly reveals the difficulties and prevalent racism that continue to plague Asian Americans, as they try to build a life in America. This will make a perfect companion piece with Minor Feelings, an excellent essay collection I recently read.

Hi Mark, and happy Sunday to you.

>210 msf59: I’ve got that memoir on my shelves, along with two others by her. So far they haven’t called out to me. *smile*

>220 msf59: Congrats on your 13th Thingaversary! I’ve known you here most of that time and it was a good day when we met here.

>238 karenmarie: Morning, Karen and thanks. I remember we connected in the early days of LT, disconnected for awhile and then reunited. I am glad we did. I enjoy our morning chats.

Not far into the Lively memoir, so the jury is still out on that memoir.

64) Recollections of My Nonexistence: A Memoir by Rebecca Solnit 4.3 stars

“And so there I was where so many young women were, trying to locate ourselves somewhere between being disdained or shut out for being unattractive and being menaced or resented for being attractive, to hover between two zones of punishment in space that was itself so thin that perhaps it never existed, trying to find some impossible balance of being desirable to those we desired and being safe from those we did not.”

“When I read, I ceased to be myself, and this nonexistence I pursued and devoured like a drug”

“Men’s bodies are weapons and women’s bodies are targets and queer bodies are hated for blurring the distinction or rejecting the metaphors.”

Men are scum. After reading books like this and watching current events, where this is played out every moment of every day, this is the only conclusion I can have. Yes, I am a male in America but I have try to be respectful and considerate toward the opposite sex. Probably not perfect but I do try. I love Solnit's writing. She pulls no punches and describing her experiences, as a young woman establishing her self in a male-dominated world, where many of her female friends had been sexually assaulted, or demeaned or ignored, is quite eye-opening. An important book.

*This is also an excellent audiobook, with Solnit narrating.

Morning, Mark! Happy 13th!!

>241 scaifea: Good morning, Amber and thank you. Our LT friendship goes a long way back too, right?

>242 msf59: It sure does! I was just thinking, "June 2008? I was pregnant with Charlie then!" Ha! I just missed my own #14 Anniversary at the end of May. I never think about it until it's passed.

>243 scaifea: This time I only missed it by a couple of days. Last year it was a week. Happy Thingaversary too! 14 years? You were in on it early!

By August, when my Thingaversary comes around, I'll have forgotten about it again. I got here just before LT itself was a year old.

>245 richardderus: You were definitely in on the ground floor, Richard. A true visionary. Grins...I think we first connected on the What Are You Reading Now thread. That seems to be where all the early connections happened.

^Congratulations to Natalie Diaz, who has been awarded the 2021 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry for her book Postcolonial Love Poem! I loved this collection. A worthy choice.

^Congrats, Ms. Erdrich. I am a big fan but sadly I have not yet read The Night Watchman and I own a copy too. Bad Mark!

Added the new Erdrich to my WL!!

>247 msf59: I have this one in the pile Mark.

Happy belated Thingaversary, Mark. I joined LT in 2008 too. You got me with a BB for the Solnit. Sounds like something I could relate to.

Wow, a big 13! And congrats for being such a magnet on L.T. with so many book pals.
>240 msf59: That sounds like quite the Solnit book. I think I had better read it. Daughter #2 and I were just talking today about the difficulties between men and women understanding each other.
(Silly me I already had it on reserve at the library. There will still be a wait 14/19 holds)

>249 Berly: I can send it to you, once I finally get to it, Kim.

>250 Caroline_McElwee: I hope you love it as much as I did, Caroline.

>251 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. 2008 was a very special year. I am sure you will be impressed by the Solnit memoir.

>252 mdoris: Hooray for lucky 13 and LT magnets, Mary! It does not sound like we will be running out of gas, anytime soon. I am glad you have requested the Solnit memoir. It is a keeper.

I'm going to look for the Solnit Mark. I've read her long articles but I need to read some of her books since we all know men are scum. Lol.

Happy Thingaversary my friend. I totally missed my twelfth in February but I somehow managed to accumulate some books anyway.

>253 msf59: If you remember by the time you finish, by all means, send it my way! LOL

>254 brenzi: Thanks, Bonnie. Happy 12th. I am sure you will like the Solnit memoir. Good audio too.

>255 Berly: That will help me to get it faster, Kimmers. No problem.

I just checked and Hulu has seasons 1-5 of Line of Duty.

I joined LT in 2008 too. I heard an NPR story about the new social media for bibliophiles site, LibraryThing, and that's all she wrote.

>257 labfs39: Hi, Lisa. Thanks for the heads up on LOD. I would have to pay for that but at least there would be more on Hulu to watch. See? 2008 was a special year! Grins...

No Murder of Crows

I watched a flock of crows
fly by,
counted forty-two black souls, then up to sixty-five
maybe more.
Not sure whether fish or 'merican
They were silent as coal,
headed to roost I assumed,
a congregation I refused to call a murder
because profiling ain't what I do:
besides,
they was just flyin' by:
No cause to criminalize the corvid kind.

-J Drew Lanham From Sparrow Envy my current poetry collection.

'Morning, Mark! Enjoy your birding adventure. My feeders are devoid of birds and food. I need to remedy the latter to change the former.

Hiya, Mark. Happy start to the week.

Great quotes from the Rebecca Solnit book. I"ll have to add that one to the WL.

Hope you had a good weekend. We had a small early Father's Day celebration (since we'll be gone next weekend), with Becca making delicious French toast for us all. And I made it to the library to pick up those books you recommended.

The TV series we're recommending these days is Mare of Easttown. Kate Winslet is terrific.

Happy week-ahead's reads, Mark, and may your feeders be a-brim with feathered friends from far-away parts.

>260 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. I hope you filled those feeders. I have been keeping up with mine, but just getting a few of the regulars.

>261 jnwelch: Hi, Joe. Solnit rarely disappoints so I think you might like this memoir, although men mostly come across as scumbags. She calls it like she sees it. I am glad you had an early Father's Day breakfast. Go Becca!
I watched Mare of Eastttown and was quite pleased with it. The cast is terrific but it is a showcase for Winslet.

>262 richardderus: Hey, RD. Not much happening at my feeders but you never know- I may get a surprise visitor.

Belated Thingaversary good wishes! My 13th was on May 12 and, of course, I forgot. Every year I think how amazing it was that so many of us started around the same time, found each other, and are still fast friends. :)

My feeders are active in the morning and evening. It’s so hot, I think the birds just try to stay cool during the day! The magpies are active really early. 5:30 wake up call provided by them for the last few days. :(

>264 Copperskye: "Every year I think how amazing it was that so many of us started around the same time, found each other, and are still fast friends. :)" Is this wonderful, Joanne? Happy Thingaversary, my friend.

I saw on the news that the west has been very hot, even to the Canadian border. Keep cool. Thanks for the bird report. Damn magpies! Grins...

-Blue Grosbeak (NMP)

^ I got my best look at a male blue grosbeak yesterday, but it was not long enough for a photo. They do nest in the area but in small numbers, so are much harder to locate. One of my favorites and like the rose-breasted grosbeak, they have the telltale beak.

>266 msf59: Amazing bird, Mark, I hve never seen a bird that blue.

And belated happy 13th Thingaversary. I also joined in 2008 (March).

>266 msf59: What stunning colours!

>267 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita. 2008 was a very fine year. Glad you like the grosbeak. Our indigo buntings are also a vibrant blue.

>268 mdoris: Glad you like the grosbeak, Mary. It is such a treat to see.

66) Taking Turns: Stories from HIV/AIDS Care Unit 371 by MK Czerwiec 4.4 stars GN

"In 1994, at the height of the AIDS epidemic in the United States, MK Czerwiec took her first nursing job, at Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago, as part of the caregiving staff of HIV/AIDS Care Unit 371. Taking Turns pulls back the curtain on life in the ward."

I was visiting a friend a few weeks ago (she works at Loyola Hospital in Maywood, IL), and I saw that she was reading The Great Believers and next to it was this GN, Taking Turns. Of course, I asked her if I could read it and I am glad I did, because it is a terrific read. Of course, like The Great Believers it is a tough read, about a difficult subject and tears will fall but the incredible kind, humanity of everyone involved makes it worth every tissue.

Hi Mark! I hope you're having a good Tuesday. I was busy with Jenna and a Friends book sale team meeting this morning so never got around to posting on LT until just now.

>270 msf59: Thanks, I'll pass; but it's good that these documents exist to remind and enlighten the many who were not there.

Wow...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-57483562

>271 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. I missed you. LOL. I hope you were able to take a nap after your busy morning.

>272 richardderus: I am not surprised, Richard. I remember your similar feelings about The Great Believers. These events hit too close to home. This GN is beautifully done but it is also emotionally draining at times.

>273 Caroline_McElwee: Wow, is right, Caroline! An Egyptian Vulture? I had not even hear of this bird. I hope it sticks around, so more birders can get a chance to see it.

"Set in an ambiance of glittering dreams and drab realities, it tells of the two fighters' struggles to escape the confinements of their existence, and of the men and women in their world. Fat City is a novel about the sporting life like no other ever written: without melodrama or false heroics, written with a truthfulness that is at once painful and beautiful."

^Keeping up with my trend of reading OTS, I decided on Fat City. I have wanted to read it for years. I loved the film adaptation, directed by the great John Huston, starring a very young Jeff Bridges. That came out in '72. I am 40 pages in and enjoying it quite a bit. Anyone read it or seen the film?

>273 Caroline_McElwee: That's a face I won't soon forget!

>220 msf59: Happy Belated Thingaversary, Mark! Wow Lucky 13! and this Friday it will be my 12th, so just a year behind ya. I've got 7 books on order, so I guess I'm due a few more, right??

Hope you've been getting out in the great weather we've had the past couple of days.

Have you read The Dictionary of Lost Words? I've ordered it from the library and it's "in-transit", so I should have it in a couple of days. I've heard a lot of great reviews on booktube for it.

Happy 13th Thingaversary, Mark! I am getting ready to celebrate my 13th in a couple of weeks. I've been stockpiling some book purchases to count for my Thingaversary as 14 all at once would just about break the bank!

I believe I watched 5 seasons of Line of Duty on Netflix Canada - and as far as I know it's still there. I guess the licensing is different in Canada as I'm sure we don't have as many streaming choices.

>277 kac522: Thanks Kathy and a preemptive Happy Thingaversary to you too. Time sure flies. I spread out my book purchases through the year but I need to start ordering a few more. Yes, I have been getting out on my bird walks regularly and I am trying to start up my bike riding too.

I have not read The Dictionary of Lost Words but I have also heard good things. I know Bonnie recently read and LOVED it.

>278 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy! Another 2008 recipient! Yah! What a great year that was, eh? Like I mentioned to Kathy, I spread out my anniversary books throughout the year, for the same reason, plus my TBR stacks are still overflowing.
Glad to hear you got to watch and enjoy LOD. I hope to start season 2 soon.

^Male common grackle at my platform feeder. looking kind of menacing in the sunny glare. I wonder if the feeder was empty. Oops...

Morning, Mark!

>280 msf59: Ooof, he does look a little irritated, Mark. You'd better have that thing full next time he visits...

'Morning, Mark, and happy Wednesday to you.

>280 msf59: Excellent photo of a clearly irate Grackle.

>281 scaifea: You'd be irritated too, Amber, if you looked in a mirror and saw THAT face looking back at you. :-)

Hi, Mark. You are reading/listening up a storm. I saw on Amazon a listing for Solnit's River of Shadows, a book about Eadweard Muybridge, just yesterday. Your review (>240 msf59:) of her memoir reminded me, so I just now added River of Shadows to my wish list. Thank you, ma man.

Good morning, Mark. Great news about the Natalie Diaz win. That's a well-deserving collection, isn't it.

Taking Turns was one of my library pick-ups and i'm looking forward to it. I started Habitat Threshold; interesting so far.

Dictionary of Lost Words was very good. i had just accepted the existence of the OED; it was great to dive deeply into its creation, and learn more about the largely unreported female participants.

You inspired me to pick up the Solnit I'd been planning to read: Men Explain Things to Me. If you need further confirmation that "men are sumbags", this supplies it. And she convincingly backs it up with facts. Holey Moley. there's a lot that needs to be done. It starts with a pathetically hilarious anecdote of a pompous party host trying to explain her own book to her.

We head out to PIttsburgh tomorrow. Training, reading and packing today. Hope you have a good one.

>284 jnwelch: Joe and Mark - have you read Simon
Winchester's books on the OED?

>281 scaifea: Hi, Amber. I can only put a cup or so of seed in this feeder and they go through it quick. Birds sit in there and crap so I don't want to fill it. It keeps me hopping.

>282 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. Glad you like the irate grackle. The females have been dropping by too, but they are much nicer.

>283 weird_O: "if you looked in a mirror and saw THAT face looking back at you." Thanks for my first big chuckle of the day, Bill. I had not heard of River of Shadows or Eadweard Muybridge, so thank you...again.

>284 jnwelch: Happy Wednesday, Joe. Hooray for a well-deserved Diaz. I am so glad you also picked up Taking Turns. A strong GN. I have added The Dictionary of Lost Words to the list but I am embarrassed to say, I do not know what OED stands for. Come on, I was a mailman!!

I know we are both fans of Solnit and I also want to read Men Explain Things to Me. I am so glad to hear, you are making this trip to PA. I am sure you will have a lovely time with all the "kids".

>285 m.belljackson: No I have not, Marianne. Good?

>287 msf59: Mark and Joe - here goes fun for you!

1. The Professor and The Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of The Oxford English Dictionary

2. The Meaning of Everything: The Story of The Oxford English Dictionary

3. Caught in the Web of Words: James Murray and the Oxford English Dictionary by K.M. Elizabeth Murray

I celebrate O.E.D. Day, February 1st, every year...and Paul has promised to have his photo taken in front of the fabled mailbox.

>287 msf59: - Mark, OED is the Oxford English Dictionary. And I am another who really enjoyed Simon Winchester's 2 books on the OED that Marianne mentioned in >288 m.belljackson:

>288 m.belljackson: Thanks, Marianne. I remember loving The Professor and The Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of The Oxford English Dictionary when I read it a few years ago, but obviously I completely about the OED connection. DUH!!

>289 jessibud2: This is why I try to hang around with the smart folks, Shelley. For the knowledge and the enlightenment. Thanks. Winchester wrote 2 books on the OED? Wow.

>290 msf59: - Yep. # 1 and 2 in Marianne's post, above. Both are great and give different perspectives so you are not reading the same book. Although, beware because I almost DID read the same book since The Professor and the Madman was also published under another title, The Surgeon of Crowthorne. I only realized this when I began to read the second one and realized it was the same book. The Meaning of Everything is not the same book, though. :-)

"The Surgeon of Crowthorne: A Tale of Murder, Madness and the Love of Words is a non-fiction history book by British writer Simon Winchester, first published in England in 1998. It was retitled The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary in the United States and Canada."

What a bizarre day I had today...I actually read poetry I liked. Reviewed, too.

I need to lie down.

>177 msf59: That could have included:

Pick up peanuts in neighbor yard.
Carry peanuts to Ellen and Prudence's yard and bury them.
Repeat.

Mark, I join others in recommending Dictionary of Lost Words. It was a fun read.
I'm just wrapping up The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue. In some ways such a simply constructed novel, but surprising in its weight.
I just started The Kindest Lie today. With only one chapter read, the jury is still out.

Hiya, Mark! The blue grosbeak is very cool, I love the color. I've only ever seen a red-breasted grosbeak, I'm not sure the blue come this far northeast.

Glad to see you enjoyed Interior Chinatown. I still have to get to Minor Feelings.

And I'm enjoying seeing everyone's reminiscences of joining LT. I joined in November 2007 when someone made a presentation on it in grad school, but I never really remember my Thingaversary because it wasn't until the next year that I became really active on the more social side. Like many, I started with "What Are You Reading Now?", as well as the 50 Book Challenge before I migrated over to the more chatty group here.

>291 jessibud2: Thanks for the info on OED and Winchester. I may have to revisit The Professor and the Madman at some point.

>292 richardderus: Say what?? I am glad I was sitting down when I read those words. Hey, good for you. I will have to stop by and see what it was.

>293 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen. I think we can all share squirrel woes. I have been giving them peanuts now and then and I am sure they bury them somewhere else.

The Dictionary of Lost Words is on the list and so is The Pull of the Stars.

>294 bell7: Hi, Mary. Good to see you. Rose-breasted grosbeak are our most common here, as well but the blue grosbeak seem to be expanding their range here and have been spotted in a few places. I also loved the pine & evening grosbeaks that I saw while in MN. Great birds.

Yep, I loved Interior Chinatown. You are also one of the original LTers. Many of us connected through ""What Are You Reading Now?", before the challenges took hold.

>296 msf59: Hi Mark! Add me to the list of those who first became active through the What are You Reading Now group. I joined in October 2006 but didn't enter my first book until December 1 of that year. I remember having an unexpected day off from work and using it to organize my books. Time well spent! My first Talk post was January 7, 2007, in the What are You Reading Now group*. I had just kicked off my reading year with Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath, which blew me away. I joined the 50 Book Challenge group that year and moved over to the 75ers in 2009.

----
* You can find your first Talk post via your profile page. Click on Stats/Memes, then Groups and Talk, then look under Trivia.

'Morning, Mark! I hope you enjoy your birding adventure today.

I've got fresh food out but only a Carolina Chickadee so far this morning.

>297 lauralkeet: Thanks for the reminder about first post, Laura. My first post was 24 days after I joined on the Bookmarks (the ones you . . . er . . . put in your Books) thread. and I'm closer to 3 million words than 2 million words since that date.

Just did a check of my stats. I joined in March 2007 and added a ton of books then. My first post was in June 2007 - it was about a LibraryThing meet-up that I missed at the booksellers' convention.

>297 lauralkeet: This is very cool, Laura. I joined June 10th, 2008 and my first post was on the "What are you reading now" thread. On July 18th. I guess I didn't mess around. I think my first friend was Joanne, followed closely by Donna.

>298 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. It was a good bird outing today but not much seen.

>299 alphaorder: Hi, Nancy. You were an early member too. I wonder when we first made contact?