Mark's Reading Place: Chapter Fifteen

-Adam Young- Newfoundland artist. (In honor of The Colony of Unrequited Dreams)



-Northern Flicker. My backyard.

“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:



August:

66- Time Is a Mother by Ocean Vuong 3.6 stars P
67- Afterlife by Julia Alvarez 3.7 stars (shared read)
68- This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger 4 stars (audio)
69- Putin's Russia: Rise of a Dictator by Darryl Cunningham 5 stars GN
70- Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart 4.3 stars
71- Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks 4 stars
72- Ask the Dust by John Fante 4.3 stars
73- Strange Piece of Paradise by Terri Jentz 3.8 stars (audio)
74- The Con Artist by Luke Healy 4 stars GN
75- Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner 4.8 stars (shared read)

September:

76- Rogues: Grifters, Killers & Rebels by Patrick Radden Keefe 4.3 stars (audio)
77- Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra 4.2 stars
78- Kaddish: Before the Holocaust and After by Jane Yolen 4.6 stars P
79- Post Office: A Novel by Charles Bukowski 4 stars
80- Sentient by Jeff Lemire 4 stars GN
81- Blank Pages: And Other Stories by Bernard MacLaverty 4.2 stars
82- Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain 4.5 stars (audio)
83- Us Against You (Beartown Series) by Fredrik Backman 3.8 stars w/Stasia
84- Flung Out of Space: Indecent Adventures of Patricia Highsmith by Grace Ellis 4.2 stars GN
85- Sugar Street by Jonathan Dee 3.6 stars

October:

86- To Hell on a Fast Horse: Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett by Mark Lee Gardner 3.7 stars (audio)
87- Hostage by Guy Delisle 3.8 stars GN
88- The Ski Jumpers by Peter Geye 4.3 stars
89- Waltzing the Cat (stories) by Pam Houston 4.2 stars
90- The Waiting by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim 4 stars GN
91- Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt 4 stars (audio)
92- The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias 3.8 stars
93- The Book of Jonas by Stephen Dau 3.6 stars
94- The Crossover Graphic Novel by Kwame Alexander 4 stars GN
95- Courting Mr. Lincoln by Louis Bayard 4.2 stars
96- The Mosquito Bowl: A Game of Life & Death in WWII by Buzz Bissinger 3.3 stars (audio)

November:

97- Shutter by Ramona Emerson 3.8 stars
98- Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton 4.5 stars GN
99- Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout 4 stars
100- We Others: New & Selected Stories by Steven Millhauser 3.8 stars
101- The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery 4.3 stars (audio)
102- State of Wonder by Ann Patchett 4 stars w/ Kim & Stasia
103- Women Talking by Miriam Toews 4.2 stars w/Benita
104- Without You, There Is No Us (a memoir) by Suki Kim 4 stars (audio)
105- Gentlemen of the Road by Michael Chabon 4 stars

December:

106- Trust by Hernan Diaz 5 stars
107- The Family Outing: A Memoir by Jessi Hempel 4 stars
108- Follow Me Down: A Reckless Book by Ed Brubaker 4.2 stars GN
109- Weaving Sundown in a Scarlet Light: Fifty Poems by Joy Harjo 4.3 stars P
110- The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man: A Memoir by Paul Newman 4.6 stars (audio)
111- The Colony of Unrequited Dreams by Wayne Johnston 4.8 stars
112- The Western Star: A Longmire Mystery by Craig Johnson 4 stars (audio)
113- In the Presence of Absence by Mahmoud Darwish 3.6 stars
114- Woodsburner by John Pipkin 4 stars
115- Reef Road: A Novel by Deborah Goodrich Royce 3.7 stars
116- Good Girls Don't Make History by Elizabeth Kiehner 4.5 stars GN
117- Pieces for the Left Hand: Stories by J. Robert Lennon 3.8 stars
118- Trailed: One Woman's Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders by Kathryn Miles 4.3 stars (audio)

^ I was able to do some shared reading, with a few of my book buddies recently and really enjoyed it. I would like this to continue. Primarily, I would like to read books off shelf, but I am still catching up with a few titles that I missed reading last year. I will list some titles and if you are interested, we will set a firm date.

The Singapore Grip w/Benita winter?
Ordinary Thunderstorms Benita, Bill winter?
The Winners January w/Stasia
Demon Copperhead w/Stasia January

Jesus What?

Jesus spat
In someone’s hat
What’s the meaning of that?

Jesus insulted the useless poor
Later shooed them out the door
Why would he do that?

Jesus avoided the downtrodden
Hoping they’d be forgotten
Losers make the world more rotten?

Jesus would’ve admired Adolph
So rough, so tough
Even the best need time off
To play some golf

Jesus liked money
Chased it with cunning
The best are always hunting

Jesus hated talk-back women
Grabbing beauties when they let him
They were lucky to have met him

Jesus shunned people of color
He was whiter than any other
Not everyone’s your brother

When children died
He didn’t mind
Guns are more beloved
Than being kind

But the unborn
Must be kept warm
Punish the gals, never the fellas.

Wealth always has merit
The meek shouldn’t inherit
The poor should grin and bear it

You wonder how I always knew
What I’m saying is true.

It’s not Jesus, it’s you.

- Joe Welch (Yep, our very own Joe). Posted by permission.

Hello?? Great Horned Owl chicks.

^As a big Kingsolver fan, I can't wait to read Demon Copperhead, especially with the glowing reviews it has been getting. I would like to kick off the New Year with this novel. Would anyone like to join me? I will be requesting a copy from the library and this being a popular title, the timing may vary- between Jan 1-15th. I plan on doing more shared reads in 2023. I had a good time with it this year.

I also wouldn't mind doing a shared read of this one:

Hey did I sneak in first?

Wow, Happy New Thread!

>1 msf59: Beautiful painting by Adam Young! Happy new thread Mark. My fav. Newfoundland artist is Mary Pratt 1935 - 2018. . Her work is amazing!

>7 msf59: If Santa comes through, I would love to read Demon Copperhead along with you, Mark, and whoever else joins in.

Wonderful toppers, Mark!

To answer your question from last thread, no, I have not read any more of Johnston's books though I own at least 3 or 4 more.

>8 mahsdad: Thanks, Jeff. Yah, for being number one!

>9 mdoris: Thanks, Mary. I will have to check out Mary Pratt's art work. I am sure she is amazing.

>10 laytonwoman3rd: That would be great, Linda. I will add you to the list.

>11 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley. I am loving Unrequited Dreams.

"In this widely acclaimed novel, Johnston has created two of the most memorable characters in recent fiction: Joey Smallwood, who claws his way up from poverty to become New Foundland's first premier; and Sheilagh Fielding, who renounces her father's wealth to become a popular columnist and writer, a gifted satirist who casts a haunting shadow on Smallwood's life and career."

Normally when Bonnie highly recommends a book, I jump on it. She rarely disappoints but this time I seriously dragged my feet on reading The Colony of Unrequited Dreams, (it has taken me over a decade to get to it). Anyone else a fan of this novel or of the author?

I am a 100 pages in and I am loving it.

Happy new one, Mark.

Very striking topper!

Thanks for showcasing our own Joe!

Happy new thread Mark!

>1 msf59: Two impacting images.

>7 msf59: It's just possible that one of my libraries will have Demon Copperhead ready for me in January.

Happy new one, Mark. I love the painting up top!

>1 msf59: I have that bird feeder!!! But not the bird. LOL. Love the painting.

Happy new one!

>7 msf59: I was just reading about Demon Copperhead -- sounds really interesting and I love Kingsolver. : )

Kool Nu Thred, Mark. Jackson looks, in that second photo, ready for night-night. Just a polite wave as he fades from consciousness. Love it.

You are really rattling the bars of your cage, aren't you. I'm quite intent on avoiding both "scheduled" reads and group reads. I look back, even before LT and see that I've never been an "on demand" reader. Why would I tarnish my long record, now that my Golden Years (heh heh) approach?

I am, at least for now, embracing shelf construction as soulcraft. I created 30 feet of shelf space and immediately filled all but 1 of them them with fictions authored by As, Bs, and Cs. So I picked a half-dozen places in the house for bookcases.

HAppy new one!

Happy new thread, Mark.

‘Morning, Mark, and happy Saturday to you.

>1 msf59: I love the piece by Adam Young and your photo of the Northern Flicker.

>2 msf59: Sweet pics.

>5 msf59: Wow. Thanks for posting, and thank you, Joe.

Happy new thread, Mark!

>1 msf59: What a beautiful painting!

>2 msf59: And some Jackson, always good to see :-)

>14 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. As soon as I read Joe's poem, I asked him if I could also share it here. He hardily agreed.

>15 quondame: Thanks, Susan. I hope a copy of Demon Copperhead comes in. Love for you to join us.

>16 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie.

>17 Berly: Thanks, Kimmers. I love my enclosed suet feeder. The birds love it too but the squirrels don't. If you can acquire a copy of the new Kingsolver, you are welcome to join us.

Happy new thread, Mark! Hope you have a wonderful weekend planned.

>18 weird_O: Howdy, Bill. That photo of Jack was taken on one of our walks. He had just woke up from a long nap and was still pretty sleepy. I understand not wanting to be committed to a certain read and rather read what you want, when you want. I just enjoy doing a shared read now and then, especially with my book buddies over here. It is also a good way to read books off my shelf, which is always a main objective.

You are doing a fantastic job on those bookshelves, my friend and I am not surprised at all, that you are filling them up so quickly.

>19 figsfromthistle: >20 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Figs & Meg.

>21 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Glad you like the toppers and Joe's poem. He did a "spot-on" job!

>22 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita and hooray for Jackson.

>24 bell7: Thanks, Mary. We are going to the zoo today for their holiday lights extravaganza. It will be Jackson's first time.

-Harry Bliss

Love your thread topper, Mark. Our wall calendar for 2023 is a collection of Adam Young's art that we picked up on our trip to Newfoundland in the fall. I really love his style and am considering getting one of his prints at some point.

>28 MickyFine: Hi, Micky. Happy Saturday. Great to see you. Adam Young is completely new to me. I was browsing through Newfoundland artists and he caught my eye. I will have to browse through more of his work. I bet the calendar is great.

^In regard to Newfoundland artists, Mary suggested Mary Pratt, another artist I had not heard of. I checked out some of her artwork and I especially like her landscape paintings. She also does lovely paintings of birds.

Happy new thread, Mark!
I'm going to go all in on the books I already own with an occasional side step, like RL book groups or a shared read now and then. That said, I put in a request for Demon Copperhead. If the Karma is right, I'll have it in hand sometime in January.

I have been having computer problems this last week so haven't been around like I am normally.

I finished Women Talking on Monday and I liked the book. It has a hopeless bleak kind of feel to it, and it maintained that throughout. On-the-other-hand, it is very optimistic in some ways. I lived among and worked with many Mennonite women and I realize that my experiences are not those described in this book. There are many sects of Anabaptists and several different sects of Mennonites, but in my opinion, this novel is not representative of that religious group. I think the situation described by Toews falls into the category of cult. The women in this novel were clearly being repressed as the Mennonite groups I am familiar with educate everybody up to 8th grade, or as in the state of Kansas to the age of 16. I know that this is not the case in other Mennonite colonies, but I felt like as popular as this novel is, that generally people are going to think that this kind of backwards repression is the norm for Mennonites, when it isn't.

I liked the detailed details of the discussion the women had. Using this method to tell the story left big gaps in the narrative that the author never filled in. That bothered me because I kept wanting her to explain more. I think she wanted the reader to think and fill in the gaps with their own imagination, but for me it was not enough information. This is the first book I have read by Toews and I doubt it will be my last, but somehow I don't think this was representative of her work. Overall, I found this to be just an average book that is getting great publicity that I think might be undeserved given the quality of the novel.

I do plan on reading other books by Toews, as her work is getting as many accolades as Margaret Atwood was getting 20 years ago. Those Canadians just love their women authors! For good reason. I hope the authors appreciate all the support that their Canadian resources are providing.

>31 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda. Great to see you. Reading OTS, will be also be a priority for me next year, like it was this year. I hope you can snag a copy of Demon Copperhead so you can join us.

>32 benitastrnad: Happy Saturday, Benita. I hope you have your computer issues solved. I enjoyed your comments on Women Talking. It was a novel that quietly grew on me. Ultimately, I think she pulled it off. I want to reread Puny Sorrows and try a couple more of her works, to get a better feel of what kind of an author she is. I am a big fan of those Canadian writers, male and female.

Hi Mark, seems like computer problems are affecting a few of us! I am happy to have mine back even though there are so many changes to learn. I did get a lot of reading done during the week it was gone, so there was an up side! I am going to be seriously working on my TBR next year so not too many newer books for me. I am planning on reading Demon Copperhead at some point but it will be some time before I get to it.

>27 msf59: LOLOL

>1 msf59: Oooo gorgeous art!

Happy new thread, Mark! Love all the toppers and artwork here.

Have a great Sunday--at least it's one Sunday that the Bears can't lose 🤣

>34 DeltaQueen50: Happy Sunday, Judy. Glad to hear you finally got your computer issues resolved. Good luck moving forward. It looks like plenty of us are focusing on our TBR stacks next year. I am sure you will be watching for our thoughts on Demon Copperhead.

>35 richardderus: Hey, RD. Glad you like the topper. Do you think that represents the Northern Lights?

>36 kac522: Thanks, Kathy. Great to see you. Other than gloomy and cloudy, our weather hasn't been that bad. And hooray for the Bears not playing today. We can safely watch football and not even get mad.

106- Trust by Hernan Diaz 5 stars

I read In the Distance earlier in the year. This was his debut (2017) and it was impressive. Lo and behold, his second novel Trust came out in May and I knew I wanted to read it. Now, I don’t have a head for finance, other than balancing our checkbook and taking care of some minor investments, so I am surprised how much I loved his novel about the financial world and the people that sit at the top of it. This is due to this author’s mighty storytelling and craftsmanship. For a 400-hundred-page book, the pages flew.
This is a tough novel to describe, without spoiling the wonderful story structure that Diaz has built here. It begins with Benjamin Rask, following his rise in the financial world, in the 1920s, to become a Wall Street Tycoon. Cool and a bit ruthless. This is presented as a novel in a novel, called “Bonds”. Okay, what follows will have to be up for the reader to discover and it is brilliant. The title is perfect because “Trust” permeates nearly every page, in it’s many different forms. It might be my favorite book of the year.

Hi Mark.
We have snow. So far, just very light but it is sticking. Feeder report saw a hairy woodpecker and a red breasted nuthatch sharing time at the feeder. Juncos continue to show up and my goldfinches are back! Otherwise, just the regulars: nuthatches, house finches, sparrows, cardinals. And one persistent dumb pigeon. At least he is not bringing his friends, family and neighbours!

>39 jessibud2: Morning, Shelley. Thank you so much for the feeder report. I love those. Yah, for the hairy and red-breasted. Boo to the dumb pigeon. Mine have been quiet, early this AM. A couple of juncos and a chickadee.

^Early last week, I was out with my birding buddy Mike and I spotted a pileated woodpecker. Even though they are common here, they are still elusive, especially considering how large they are- nearly crow-size. I consider them my favorite local bird, excluding owls. I did not have my camera on this particular stretch but Mike did (he is stellar photographer), so he took these wonderful shots. The large woodpecker was very cooperative.

‘Morning, Mark, and happy Sunday to you.

>27 msf59: Yikes.

>41 msf59: Yes to Pileated Woodpeckers! Lucky you to see them, thanks to Mike for capturing great photos of them.

I had a Downy at the suet feeder a while ago. The usual suspects are in the Crepe Myrtle, but nobody on any of the feeders.

>42 karenmarie: Happy Sunday, Karen. Hooray for the pileated! Have you ever seen one? My feeders have been eerily quiet. That may change...

Excellent review of Trust, Mark. I hope to get to that one soon. And hurray for the Pileated sighting. They are marvelous birds and spotting them is such a treat.

>40 msf59: - I just put a pic on my thread, Mark, of the 2 birds from yesterday. Quite a contrast of size!

Hi Mark! I am excited to read the new Geraldine Brooks, so I might be up for a shared read, but not sure when I will get to it.

Hi Mark!

I have Demon Copperhead requested from the library, but there's no telling when I'll get it.

Perhaps I'll reread David Copperfield while waiting, although people have commented that the Kingsolver stands fine by itself.

>41 msf59: That fellow is positively showing off what a fine hole he made!

>37 msf59: It's the usual far-northern sunset, I think. The amount of yellow makes the northern lights unlikely...they're greenish and reddish, but not yellow or blue.

>44 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura and Happy Sunday to you. I hope you feel the same way about Trust, when you get to it. Hooray for the pileated. Yep, they are certainly "marvelous birds"!

>45 jessibud2: I will stop by, Shelley.

>46 banjo123: I would love to do a shared read of Horse with you, Rhonda.

>47 streamsong: Hi, Janet. It would be nice if several of us could read Demon Copperhead sometime in January. I have no plans on rereading David Copperfield but it is one of my favorite Dickens novels.

>48 quondame: He sure was proud of that hole, Susan. LOL.

>49 richardderus: You may have nailed that, Richard. I haven't researched it yet.

I haven't gotten too much book reading in several days, but I do want to wrap up the book I'm reading for last month's AAC, about the Lakota version of the Little Bighorn fight. So far, I've learned a lot I didn't know about the tribal society and culture.

But I want to be ready for the delivery of a Martha Gellhorn authored book on Wednesday. She had the bad judgment to marry Hemingway and that—being the wife of Hemingway—overshadowed everything she wrote before and after. I checked a few local libraries and learned the only hits on "Martha Gellhorn" stemmed from the Paula McLain novel Love and Ruin (two copies of it on my shelves already).

Hey, did I mention that I hit a deer the other night? No taillights ahead of me. No headlights behind me. Dark dark, darkity dark. And a coven of white-tail does, standing on the centerline, staring. Just, you know, staring. So I'm okay, but my car needs some fixing up. Booger!

ETA: By-the-bye, the Eagles pretty much manhandled the Giants.

Happy new one, Mark!

Mark - daedalusbooks.com

has I LOVE BIRDS : 52 Ways to wonder, Wander, & Explore Birds with Kids

on sale for $4.98 (from $15.95).

>51 weird_O: If you want to sample some of Gellhorn's reporting (her strength) you can find some of it in Library of America's Reporting World War II and Reporting Vietnam series. Your libraries may have those.

I have to say I loved In the Distance Mark, but Trust just blew me away. I can't wait to see what he does next. Great review!

‘Morning, Mark, and happy Monday to you.

>43 msf59: I’ve seen a Pileated Woodpecker on our property one time. Flying over the pastures. That’s it, unfortunately. I hope your feeders perked up.

I ended up watching the second half of the 3rd quarter to the end of the Panthers/Seahawks game. Panthers won, at Seattle, their first road win since November 2021. Even with a 5-8 record they're apparently still in contention to win their conference. Go figure.

>51 weird_O: Howdy, Bill. The Lakota/ Little Bighorn book sounds interesting, as well as the Gellhorn. I remember her from The Paris Wife. Bummer about the deer accident. Glad you were okay. A lot of damage? Yep, the Eagles have been tearing it up this season.

>52 drneutron: Thanks, Jim.

>53 m.belljackson: Thanks for the heads-up on the bird book, Marianne. You always are looking out for me.

>54 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks for that Gellhorn info, Linda. Very interesting.

>55 brenzi: Thanks, Bonnie and I could not agree with you more onTrust. BTW- I am thoroughly enjoying The Colony of Unrequited Dreams. Another easier than it looks read. Why did I wait so long?

>56 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Hooray for your Panthers and I was able to watch the end of that game too. They looked good. Hopefully, you can see another pileated woodpecker one of these days.

^We went to Brookfield Zoo Holiday Lights on Saturday night. Of course, our first time with Jackson. He is still a couple of years away from enjoying the zoo but all the adults and the older kids had a good time.

>7 msf59: I would not mind doing shared reads of either of those, Mark. Just let me know!

>13 msf59: Read that one earlier this year and do not regret it at all.

Anyhow, I am not going to try and catch up on everything here, I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate you and your continuing to visit my thread.

>58 msf59: Gellhorn is our December author in the AAC, Mark. Pop over and pipe up!

I am getting ready to head for Kansas and the Prairie Redoubt in the next couple of days. I plan on taking some 2 big books with me and listening to one other big book on the way. The two big books are the epic fantasy Memory of Souls by Jenn Lyons and the other is a biography of Beatrix Potter. Beatrix Potter:A Life in Nature by Linda Lear. I plan on listening to Winners the last of the Beartown series by Fredrick Backman on the 19 hour drive home. I also am going to listen to Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo on the drive back.

I don't have my clothes or the gifts packed, but I do have my books picked out. I think my priorities are in the right place.

>59 msf59: What a happy night! I'm glad y'all got to go and enjoyed it so much.

>59 msf59: Lovely pic at the zoo, Mark. Quite the family photo with Jackson and the grands. The pink fellow in the background adds a little je ne sais quoi.

>60 alcottacre: Hi, Stasia. Good to see you. I plan on reading Demon Copperhead in early January. Just depends on when a copy comes in at the library. I am loving Unrequited Dreams. At the halfway point.

>61 laytonwoman3rd: Good to know, Linda. I will try to stop by.

>62 benitastrnad: Safe travels, Benita. Looks like you have all your vacation books all in a row. I am interested in your thoughts on the Potter memoir. I will also be reading Winners early next year.

>63 richardderus: Hey. RD. We had a good time with our holiday boy.

>64 Familyhistorian: Glad you like the photo, Meg. We were standing in front of a psychedelic giraffe, which was right in front of the actual giraffe enclosure. It was too dark to see any of the animals though.

‘Morning, Mark! Happy Tuesday to you.

>59 msf59: Nice pic – you all look so happy.

Lots of bird activity this morning, but 'only' the usual suspects.

>66 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. We had a good time at the zoo. Still a bit gloomy in my backyard. I think I saw a couple of chickadees.

>57 msf59: The Bird book has a funny OWL on the cover!

>68 m.belljackson: I like funny owls. Straight owls and everything in between. Grins...

^As most of you know, I don't stick with many crime series, with just a few exceptions and the Walt Longmire series is one of them. I still find it irresistible, especially on audio with George Guidall narrating. I read An Obvious Fact just over 3 years ago and thought it was time to visit book 13, The Western Star. How many of you are still reading this series?



-George Guidall

-Tom Gauld (He sure nails it here)

>71 msf59: - I don't know what he is talking about... :-D

>71 msf59: I feel attacked by this cartoon.

I am powerless in the face of my biblioholism.

Must I be shamed, too?!
(yeah, yeah, get in line)

I have Ninth house on my side table....was not sure if I should put it on the shelf or get to it soon. I haven't read anything by this author before.

There are some great bird pics here included with other delights.

>71 msf59: He does nail it, doesn't he?

>70 msf59:
I am still reading the Longmire series and am current. Western Star is a good one. A return to the Longmire I love.

>74 figsfromthistle:
Leigh Bardugo is the author of the Shadow and Bone series that is hot on Netflix. Season two of this series is about to start. Shadow and Bone is the first in a YA fantasy trilogy. Ninth House is the first in an adult fantasy series that she is writing. Book 2 in the Ninth House series is about to come out, so I decided I had better get book 1 read so I would know what is going on. Bardugo has a very flashy website for the Grishaverse series (AKA Shadow and Bone) so check that out so you will know what kind of books Bardugo writes.

>72 jessibud2: Me and you both, Shelley. 😁

>73 richardderus: "I am powerless in the face of my biblioholism." As usual, Gauld knows us very well. I am still waiting for his latest...

>74 figsfromthistle: She is sure a popular and prolific writer. I have only read Shadow and Bone.

>75 quondame: Thanks, Susan, I will check it out...

>76 bell7: Yep. Happy Wednesday, Mary.

>77 benitastrnad: Hooray for Longmire! Glad you are staying current with him. I have only read Shadow and Bone, which I liked. Just not reading much fantasy these days. Not sure I read anything this year.

-Clay Bennett

‘Morning, Mark. Happy Wednesday to you.

>70 msf59: I watched the series and read the first book. I have the first 14 on my shelves, and am disheartened to see that there are another four that I don’t have. There will be a right time to power through this series.

>71 msf59: Ah, Gauld has the right of it. Book acquisition doesn’t always have much to do with book reading.

>80 msf59: I know, I know… Wow. 10 Republican Senators joined in to break the filibuster. This included the two members of the Gang of Psychos from my state, Tillis and Burr. Burr’s a lame duck, but Tillis isn’t.

>80 msf59: It's a step forward in a war I'd hoped not to fight this way. Oh well.

Just put up a review of Nothing but the Night: Leopold & Loeb and the Truth Behind the Murder That Rocked 1920s America over on my thread. King and Wilson did a pretty good narrative nonfiction, thought you might be interested. I'll be reading more of their books.

>81 karenmarie: Happy Wednesday, Karen. I hope something sparks you to continue the Longmire books. They are very consistent. You got all the books! Come on! " Book acquisition doesn’t always have much to do with book reading." You sure got that right, although it is always the intention. Hooray for the Marriage Act!

>82 richardderus: Hey, RD. It is looking like the right is realizing how popular this law is. May it continue...

>83 drneutron: Thanks, Jim for thinking of me. You know I love NNF and this looks like a worthy rec.

Happy Thursday, Mark!

I just finished The Snow Leopard, no review on my thread yet, but I think you would like it.
It is a a travelogue, mixed with thoughts abouth buddhism. Only the classification of some animals is dated, DNA sequencing has changed a lot since this book was published in 1978.

>85 FAMeulstee: Sweet Thursday, Anita. Thanks for coming by and letting me know you finished and enjoyed The Snow Leopard. I WILL get to it one of these days.

“I could say grace was a woman with time on her hands, or a white buffalo escaped from memory. But in that dingy light it was a promise of balance. We once again understood the talk and animals and spring was lean and hungry with the hope of children and hope.”

“So I look at the stars in this strange city, frozen to the back of the sky, the only promises that ever make
sense.”

"Remember the earth whose skin you are:
red earth, black earth, yellow earth, white earth
brown earth, we are earth.
Remember the plants, trees, animal life who all have their
tribes, their families, their histories, too. Talk to them,
listen to them. They are alive poems..."

“When we fell we were not aware of falling. We were driving to work, or to the mall. The children were in school learning subtraction with guns."

^A few quotes from the latest Joy Harjo collection. The last line is particularly haunting.

'Morning, Mark, and sweet Thursday to you. Good luck with Trail Watch duties today. My feeders are very busy, with all the usual suspects.

>87 msf59: I'm glad you are enjoying it.

I've actually five-starred a graphic novel.

I don't know who I even am anymore.

>88 karenmarie: Morning, Karen and thanks. I need to take a better peek out at my feeders. At least the rain has moved on.

>89 richardderus: "I don't know who I even am anymore." LOL. Ooh, I will have to stop by and see what caused this self-reflection.

>87 msf59: I just requested the new (out in 2023?) Jo Harjo. Thanks for the heads-up!

Karen O

>91 klobrien2: You will not be disappointed, Karen and it is a very good sampling of her work. Have you read her before?

-Harry Bliss

>87 msf59: Ouch. That's quite the last line. *big round eyes. Powerful.

Is she native? I was thinking of reading native writers for 2023, but I think I'll focus on my already-owned collection and try to whittle that down a bit. Though I am currently reading a book called To Shape a Dragon's Breath which is kind of a Native American Harry Potter. It's cute.

Have a good Thursday and upcoming weekend!

>92 msf59: I've read An American Sunrise but that's it (so far). And that read was due to your recommendation, I am sure.

Karen O

>71 msf59: He nailed it with that one!

>80 msf59: I didn't have a clue what that cartoon was about so had to look it up. Ignorance is bliss?

‘Morning, Mark, and happy Friday to you.

>93 msf59: I’ve been watching the squirrels running around storing hickory nuts and black walnuts, knowing that I’ll see some of them as volunteer trees in the spring. I’ve never seen a drunk squirrel. *smile*

>94 The_Hibernator: Happy Friday, Rachel. Yes, Joy Harjo is native and she is an amazing poet. I hope you can track down some of her work. Ooh, To Shape a Dragon's Breath sounds interesting.

>95 klobrien2: You have a lot more of Harjo's work to enjoy. Lucky you. Her memoir Crazy Brave is excellent too.

>96 Familyhistorian: Happy Friday, Meg. Biden recently signed the "Respect for Marriage Act", which protects the LGBT community, so it made the perfect stocking-stuffer.

>97 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. I have not seen a drunk squirrel either. I also cannot not see much out my back window at the moment. Dark and winter quiet.

Question:

I am looking for more creative ways to read and select books to read Off Shelf. Would the TIOLI Challenges fit this bill? I have never participated. Where do you sign up? I know there is a ROOT challenge too but that seems to be more of a support group. Any suggestions would be welcome.

>99 msf59: - I used to do the TIOLI challenge, but they started getting more complicated and unhelpful (to me) so I stopped. Plus, I don't want to have to faff around with a wiki. You could do a stealth TIOLI where you use some of the prompts to help you choose books but don't bother with the admin-y stuff. What I've started doing in its place is picking an "outside" reading challenge - ReadHarder has one, I think Book Riot might - but my favorite is the Goodreads Around the Year challenge - it has fun prompts and I don't worry about finishing it. I just use the prompts to help me pick books when I'm at a loss as to what to start next.

The 2023 list of prompts is here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/22329697-the-52-topics-of-the-2023-aty-read...

I've also had some success using the LT Roulette thingy on my home page, but that would require you to have all your unread books catalogued...

>99 msf59: I'm planning to use dice next year to add some more books from my own shelves to my reading. Number the shelves, borrow a D20 from my husband, and pick a book from the corresponding shelf. We'll see how it goes.

>100 katiekrug: - Ooo, thanks for that link. I printed it out, just in case I manage to try to follow it and read! lol This year has been such a write-off for me.

>99 msf59: - I have decided to try to do a house rotation: a book from the living room (shelves, coffee table), basement (shelves, rubbermaid bins), bedroom (bookshelf 1, bookshelf 2, bookshelf 3, night table), computer room (bookshelf 1, pile on floor, basket), etc. Repeat. We'll see how that goes. If successful, it should only take me around 500 years to get through them all. Providing I don't add any... ;-)

>102 jessibud2: I'm trying that "rotation" system lately. So many of my unread books are in rooms I don't spend a lot of time in---the "spare" room (formerly our daughter's bedroom, which now has bookshelves on three walls), and the downstairs rooms, one of which is the TV room (usually only visited in the dark) and the other my husband's work/play area in which there are several bookshelves as well. I tend to make great finds down there, particularly, when I look around for something to read.

Good luck with your hunt for a way of shaking up your reading in 2023. I believe it is Stasia who described picking a shelf of unread books, then reading those books, in no particular order but focusing on that limited pool of titles. The GoodReads challenge prompts are interesting. (Thanks to Katie from me!)

>103 laytonwoman3rd: - Ha! I forgot the guest room. 3 bookshelves in there as well as another basket of books and a few piles on the floor....I'm in trouble if I have a guest visit who needs a place to sleep... hasn't happened since BC (before covid). It's amazing how books seem to sprout in, and fill up, *empty* space....

I hope some of the ideas you're getting work out well for your 2023 choices.

Sitting stock still, paralyzed by choice. is a place I've been so long that it feels like Reality to me!

>100 katiekrug: I guess I'm not the only one thinking about next year's reading! I need something to guide my selections, whether they are from my shelves, the library, or a new acquisition. Otherwise I will just fall back on my series list and read nothing but those, and then burn out.

I like those GoodReads prompts!

>99 msf59: I like the LT AlphaKit challenge--two letters each month--can be the author's first or last name, or in the title, or really however you want to use it: https://www.librarything.com/topic/345098#n8000166

I'm thinking about a challenge I heard about: "Read or Rid." For 2023 I've chosen about 24 books (2 per month) that have been on my shelves for ages and that I basically picked up at a library sale on a whim ("what a cool cover!"; "oh, yeah, I heard of that one"; "hmm, looks interesting"; etc.). I'm committed to reading at least the first 50 pages of each book and if I'm not into it within those 50 pages, it goes into my donation box. It will at least make me *open* these books that have been around here forever.

>100 katiekrug: Thank you, Katie. This gives me some good ideas. I like the prompts idea on Good Reads but when I clicked on the link, it doesn't seem to be an active thread. I may start with the TIOLI but the stealthy sort.

>101 MickyFine: I like your dice idea, Micky. I hope it works for you.

>102 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley. My books are contained to one floor and I only have a few bookshelves to select from, so the rotating idea won't work. Yes, I am a slacker. LOL.

>104 weird_O: Thanks, Bill. I am just looking for some fun and creative ways to read off shelf. I will do it one way or another. Unlike you and a few others, I am not adding many new titles these days. That makes things easier.

>106 richardderus: "Sitting stock still, paralyzed by choice. is a place I've been so long that it feels like Reality to me!" You could not have expressed it better, RD.

>107 lauralkeet: Hi, Laura. Thanks for chiming in. I have been keeping a side list of new books to get to. Of course, it is hard to get to everything, but I have been slowly chipping away at it and I will carry this list into the New Year. I may share this list and see if anyone wants to read any of them with me.

>108 kac522: Hi, Kathy. Thanks for chiming in. It looks like I am not alone in finding different ways to read Off Shelf. The LT AlphaKit challenge sounds promising and so does the "Read or Rid" challenge.

ETA- I joined the AlphaKit Challenge and have already picked 2 books for January. Yah!

>99 msf59: I've read both great books and stinkers by being lazily obsessive about TIOLI, but each month does produce new lists of books members of this group are planning on reading. I usually go through the challenges looking for books I have checked out from the library or on short holds, but I also go through each challenge to see if there is anything up my alley that I haven't read already - or want to read again.
So yes, it's a pretty decent way of seeing what others are reading, though I very much recommend checking on ratings, particularly by people sharing your taste.

>111 quondame: Thanks for chiming in on TIOLI, Susan. Since, I will be using this, along with other challenges, for reading books off my own shelves, I shouldn't run into many stinkers. I seem to have pretty good taste. Grins...

^A future techie...Funny, we have toys and books scattered across the family room and this is where he wants to sit. At least he was scrolling through my bird pics. ❤️

‘Morning, Mark, and happy Saturday to you.

>99 msf59: I have become extremely successful at failing challenges – they’ve started feeling way too much like homework to me. What I do is tag books on my shelves that I either want to read or feel like I should read while trying NOT to think of them as homework. My ‘2022 toberead’ tag currently has 83 books in it. I’m going to pare it down and change the tag to ‘2023 toberead’ since I’m still in a frenzied contemporary fiction mode and don’t see it ending any time soon. I also like Katie’s idea of using your Home Page’s Go To a Random “Book of Yours” and keep going through it until you find an unread book.

>109 msf59: Unlike you and a few others, I am not adding many new titles these days. Guilty as charged. Happily guilty as charged. 348 books so far this year, with two more due by year's end. *smile*

>110 msf59: I hope the AlphaKit challenge works out for you for 2023.

The birds have already had first brekkie and nobody’s on the feeders. I need to put out more sunflower seed and probably a new suet cake.

edited to add:

>113 msf59: Gads. Where did the baby go?

>114 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. 348 books? Wow. I think I have added less than 30 and I usually read most of the newly acquired books, since I put them on a different shelf, for better visibility. I think I will sample various challenges, including the AlphaKit, to select books off my shelves. My yard is still dark. I just realized that I am completely out of bird seed, (hungry buggers) and I will have to make a Costco run.

"This week-long celebration is an international census of birds undertaken by birdwatchers in the Western Hemisphere. They have been doing it for over a 100 years."

^I will be participating in the Christmas Bird Count today. I think this will be my third year. I will be joining a different group in a different area. I know and admire several of these people, so it should be a good time. I will be bundled up. Currently low 20s, with a few inches of fresh snow on the ground. Come on, birdies!

>116 msf59: Have a great time adding to the urgently needed data about birdlife. It's such a massive job but there are so many hands lifting, it doesn't feel like a weight at all.

>110 msf59:, >108 kac522: "Read or Rid" sounds *perfect* to me! Yay!

...now which ones to pile up...

Happy weekend ahead's reads!

>109 msf59: - That thread is "closed" because it's just a list of the prompts. There are lots of active threads within the group, including ones with suggestions for each prompt.

But anyhoo, I'm sure you'll find something that works for you.

I love the idea of the "Read or Rid" challenge and might do something similar. I have entirely too many books I bought decades (!) ago that just seem to sit around, being overlooked...

"Where did the baby go?" Really...that was my thought too.

>118 katiekrug: I do a version of "read or rid". Every once in a while I look at a book that's been on my shelves a while and think "I'll bet if I pick that up I'll read 20 pages and toss it, and then I'll have an empty slot. And if not, I'll be reading a good book!" Win Win.

>117 richardderus: Hey, RD. The Bird Count went well, despite the bitter cold. It did take some work to find some birds. I guess they are smarter than we are. And yep, my books are treating me well.

>118 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie. The prompts will come in handy. I just need little nudges.

>119 laytonwoman3rd: We ask ourselves that Jackson question all the time, Linda. Hard to believe he is only 16 months.

"A riveting deep dive into the unsolved murder of two free-spirited young women in the wilderness, a journalist's obsession, and a new theory of who might have done it."

After finishing and enjoying my Longmire audio, (Guidall Rocks!!) I decided to switch to true crime. I snagged Trailed: One Woman's Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders on an Audible deal awhile back. I think I made a good choice.

Mark, I'm adding many of your reads to my TBR pile for 2023. Retirement is good for you...more chance to be with Jackson, more time to read, and more time to be with family.

>113 msf59: Is Jackson printing out labels for your holiday cards? He is such a lovely child!

>122 Whisper1: Happy Sunday, Linda. Yes, life has been good and with Jackson in the mix, it could not be better. Looking forward to another year of good books and chatting about them right here- my home away from home.

No, Jack has not figured out the printer yet. Whew!! 😁❤️

-Clay Bennett

^Ain't that the truth.

>113 msf59: Scrolling through your bird pictures!
Not only a future techie, also a future birder :-)

--
>99 msf59:
The TIOLI challenges were very good in helping me getting through all my children's and YA books.
At the moment I am less succesful with reading my own books, as library books have taken over.

>125 FAMeulstee: Happy Sunday, Anita. I will do my best to get Jack interested in birding or at the very least, to enjoy nature and being outdoors. I hope he takes after Grandpa. I am looking forward to sampling some of TIOLI challenges for the New Year.

'Morning, Mark! Happy Sunday to you. Congrats on the Christmas Bird Count.

>124 msf59: Yup. Almost all-exclusive.

>127 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Yep, I think Bennett really nailed it in that cartoon and that goes for that whole damn party too. I will be backyard birding today.

>124 msf59: ^^^what >127 karenmarie: said

It's a happy Sunday indeed when I recall how hard we worked to oust 45 and it took. The supporters, I fear, will be with us for some time to come. But resist we must, and vigilantly.

I hope a hoopoe shows up at your feeder today.

Great pics up top!

>124 msf59: Ain’t that the sad truth.

>113 msf59: So cute Mark.

How is the budgie btw?

Hi Mark. That was quite a teaser of a review of Trust up there. With your enthusiasm and Bonnie's endorsement, I have it requested it from the library. I'm #7 on the list. The library is currently circulating six copies so I should have it withing a week or so. I will probably wait until the new year to read it as I'd like to coast through the end of the year with easy reading. I am also moving up the list waiting for Demon Copperhead so I may join you on your group read.

Dear Friend, I send all good wishes for a wonderful holiday celebration with your family, and that very special little blue eyed boy!

'Morning, Mark, and happy day-after-Sunday to you. National Weather Service says it's 11F at your place, going to a high of 27F. Stay safe and warm.

Birds in the Crepe Myrtle, a brave Downy Woodpecker on the last bits of suet. I will put out a fresh cake later.

>129 richardderus: Hey, Richard. I did not see a hoopoe yesterday, (I WISH!) but we sure had plenty of our regular visitors. They were in a feeding frenzy.

>130 Storeetllr: Thanks, Mary. Good to see you.

>131 Caroline_McElwee: Hi, Caroline. We only had the budgie a day or two. A rescue person came. She said she would have no problem finding it a good home.

>132 Donna828: Hi, Donna. I hope you had a nice weekend. I am looking forward to your thoughts on Trust. I can't imagine you not liking it. I will have to see where I am on the list for Demon Copperhead. I just requested it. I didn't want it to come in too early.

>133 Whisper1: Thank you for the holiday wishes, Linda. We are looking forward to spending our second Christmas with our blue-eyed baby boy.

>134 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Yep, it has been very cold here. I have no birding or volunteer plans today. I will just take Juno for a walk. Hooray for the downy.

"Woodsburner "springs from a little-known event in the life of one of America's most iconic figures, Henry David Thoreau. On April 30, 1844, a year before he built his cabin on Walden Pond, Thoreau accidentally started a forest fire that destroyed three hundred acres of the Concord woods--an event that altered the landscape of American thought in a single day."

Woodsburner is another title that has languished on shelf for a number of years. I decided to make it one of the last novels I will read this year. I start it today. Has anyone else read it? It sure sounds promising.

>121 msf59: You hit me with a BB!

Happy Monday

>138 msf59: I've never heard of it. I think I'd remember a story like that! I hope it's as good as it sounds.

I read a weird novella last night, Helpmeet by Canadian writer Naben Ruthnum...an unsettling book about a very bad man married to a very saintly woman...which then turns into something unexpected. This morning, still grinding that corn in my mental quirn, The Walrus arrived and it's one of their Staff Picks for Best of 2022!

>138 msf59: WALDEN is my current non-fiction reading so I'll look for any mention of that fire.

Junco city up here!

As you are scrolling through your TBR books, look for THE ECHO MAKER by Richard Powers.
(He comes up in February for the American Author Challenge.)

The first two pages of this book were written for a Sand Hill Crane lover, to be read again and again...

>139 figsfromthistle: I am glad I got you with a BB, Figs. Trailed has been very good.

>140 richardderus: The description of Woodsburner is what originally caught my eye too, RD. Not far in, but I am enjoying it. The novella sounds like something I might like. Thanks.

>141 m.belljackson: Well, good Thoreau timing, Marianne. I should bookhorn in a reread of Walden myself. I am surprised I don't own a copy. Juncos are our most reliable winter visitor too. I don't have The Echo Maker on shelf but I am a fan of Powers. There have been several recent reports of large flocks of sandies still heading south. I am sure it has a lot to do with those northerly winds.

>136 msf59: "but we sure had plenty of our regular visitors. They were in a feeding frenzy."

They probably watched the weather forecast for later this week and are stocking up...sheesh...😒

'Morning, Mark, and happy Tuesday to you.

Chickadees and Cardinals on the feeders this a.m.

>143 kac522: Hi, Kathy. It looks like we may get hit hard. Might be the worst storm we have had in a couple of years. It figures it has to hit on Christmas weekend. Hey, at least I am not working in it.

>144 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Nothing outside yet. Too dark.

-Clay Bennett

^Come on DOJ!!

As I read our local weather forecast, Mark, that big snow that's supposed to blanket the midwest will have turned to rain by the time it gets here. Not sure if I'm happy or sad. A big snow would doubtless isolate me 40 miles west of the folks I'm expecting to celebrate with.

Woodsburner could be of interest. I think of Thoreau as a smug bastard, and it could be fun to read about an astonishing gaff in his woodsy, naturalist persona.

So errands to be run, gifts to be wrapped. Housecleaning to be done. Stay warm and dry, BirdDude!

>146 msf59: The J6 Committee tied it all up for the DOJ in a big bow. Now it’s up to Justice to take it and run with it. (Sometimes mixing metaphors actually works.)

>148 weird_O: Howdy, Bill. They are really downplaying our snowfall totals. We should get less than 5 inches but it will be very windy and very cold. Single digit highs for the Christmas weekend.

I think you would enjoy Woodsburner. Thoreau isn't a smug bastard...yet.

>149 Storeetllr: Hi, Mary. Come on, DOJ! You can do it!!

>113 msf59: The tech interest starts young. He looks all set there with mouse and soother.

Good luck with your Christmas snow, Mark. We had that last year and I was stuck away from home for the big day. I hope your day turns out well in spite of the weather and I hope our snow has disappeared by then.

Hi Mark, I love that picture of Jackson at the computer - he probably knows more about computers already than I do!!

I am a challenge addict and I still love the monthly TIOLI challenges, and I also participate in the AlphaKit over at the Category Challenge along with many of our other challenges. I too have a goal of clearing books from my own shelves and Kindles this year so I have added a couple of other challenges to my 2023 plans. You can check them out at my 2023 thread here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/345630

'Morning, Mark! Yikes at the weather heading your way. Stay safe and warm.

No bird report yet.

>151 Familyhistorian: Hi, Meg. I am hoping to get Jack to be more of an outdoorsman. It doesn't look like we will get as much snow for the Christmas weekend but it will be terribly cold. Brrrr...

>152 DeltaQueen50: Hi, Judy. Jack sees everyone on a laptop or a cellphone, so gravitates to that. I want to get him outdoors. I know you LOVE your challenges. I don't quite need them that much. LOL. I really like the simplicity of AlphaKit and will sample the other prompts.

>153 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. It is also too dark here, to check the feeders. Thankfully, they really downgraded the snow totals but it will be frightfully cold and windy through the weekend. Yikes.

-Bill Bramhall

-Great-horned owl (juvenile)



-Long-eared owl

I have not posted any Willowbrook Rehab photos in awhile. Here are a couple of owls. The GHO was from yesterday. She clucked a bit at me, but otherwise just perched there checking me out. The LEO, suffering some kind of collision injury was being kept indoors. I checked on her yesterday and was told she has a long recovery ahead of her but is on track. I have been lucky to have worked indoors the past 5 weeks or so. Yesterday, I helped outside. All the enclosures are covered but there is no heat, (some of the animals have a small heat lamp). All the water bowls are heated and you can't use any water to clean with, because of ice. I feel sorry for the volunteers and staff who have to work this weekend- single digits with a frigid wind chill factor. Yikes!

Owl

In winter, we find her invisible
against the furrows
of cottonwood bark. Her swivel
and lean follow us until
we sit on the old polished log
we call creature. She blinks,
swells her feathers out, shakes and settles.

It’s a good day when I see an owl.
We watch until she drops—a fall
opening to swoop and glide. What is it
with lesbians and owls? Someone
asked. I’ll leave the question
there. There’s a world

the old trees make of water
and air. I like to feel the day
undress its cool oblivion, currents
moving the one mind of leaves,
shadows deeper with the breath
of owls. Just the chance she might
be there watching makes me
love—no—makes me loved.

-Anne Haven McDonnell From Poem-A-Day

>156 msf59: - Beauties! Wow. Thank goodness for rehabbers!

>155 msf59: Ha.

>156 msf59: Even the juvenile looks so majestic Mark. Lovely to get up close to these wonderful creatures. Although a shame it is necessary.

>156 msf59: Lucky owl-ladies to be within doors now that it's going to be so putridly cold. I hope the next shift you work will be warmer than this one.

>158 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley. You know I love my owls.

>159 Caroline_McElwee: Hi, Caroline. I was lucky enough to be just 3 feet away from this juvenile GHO.

>160 richardderus: Happy Wednesday, RD. Hooray for the owl-ladies, (honestly I am not sure what their sex is. Grins...). I am just glad I don't have any Rehab assignments for this weekend. Whew!

'Morning, Mark, and happy Thursday to you.

>156 msf59: Excellent pics, thanks for sharing.

Another early morning before I can see the feeders. Yesterday I did have a male Red-Bellied and a female Downy on the feeders plus all the usual suspects.

>162 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Glad you like the pics. You know I love getting a close look at my owls. I will have to report back on my feeders...

-Harry Bliss

>99 msf59: Hi Mark! I had gotten a bit burned out with the TIOLI but have started back to try and get a few off my shelf. You can start anywhere you like with the challenges and do as few or as many as you like. The wiki is very easy - just edit the section you want and follow what the person above you has done, adding the LT url of your book title.

It starts randomly each month - you never know when sneaky Madeline will begin it, but she always adds the first challenge. You can add a challenge or not.

Here is this month's: https://www.librarything.com/topic/346026#n8005113

I decided to read one ROOT using challenge number one. The first month I didn't finish the book (no problem!) so added it elsewhere the next month and also did that month's challenge #1. This month I read ROOTS for challenges 1, 2 and 3 and have added my other library books where they fit in. I chose 3 ROOTS on the odd side that I probably wouldn't otherwise have read.

I have tried so many ways of reading my back log and eventually get frustrated and give up. Of course, part of that is due to all the wonderful LT suggestions and heaps of library books all arriving at the same time.

Weird weather up here in Token Creek - the predicted BLIZZARD has dwindled to just absolutely frigid temperatures
and wind on the way, but hardly any snow. Birds, deer, and bunnies lining up for treats.

I ordered I Love Birds from Daedalus and the Owl cover is perfect for a stocking gift.

>164 msf59: Woof! I mean, yes!

Happy weekend-ahead's reads!

I got a an owl ornament in the Christmas exchange this year!! I totally love it because 1) I am big on Duolingo this year and the mascot is an owl and 2) there is an owl who nests right outside my bedroom window and he hoots me to sleep at night and 3) WHOOOO don't like owls?!?!

>165 streamsong: Sweet Thursday, Janet. Thanks for all the useful info on the TIOLI & ROOT challenges. I am looking forward to sampling each one. I like the AlphaKit one too. I appreciate the simplicity of it.

>166 m.belljackson: Sweet Thursday, Marianne. Currently 3F here and dropping, plus snow and lots of wind. I am glad that we won't get nearly as much snow as originally predicted. Be safe up there. Hooray for "I Love Birds"!

>167 richardderus: Hey, RD. We are in for the night and for all day tomorrow. I should get plenty of reading time in. Yah!!

>168 Berly: Hi, Kimmers. Great to see you. Hooray for the owl ornament and I am jealous that you get to be serenaded every night by a pair of owls. Yah!!

Hi Mark! I'm slow at reading it because I'm me, but, yes, To Shape a Dragon's Breath is fantastic so far. I have a few quips with it, but I am enjoying it despite those.

>156 msf59: I don't blame you for being happy with an indoor gig, Mark. Kudos to the people who work outside in this weather. We've had arctic air for over a week now (-12C is pretty nippy).

Are you going to have a thread on the 2023 ROOT challenge?

'Morning, Mark, and happy Christmas Eve Eve. *smile*

I cannot believe your weather - NWS says you're at -8F going to a high of -2F. So dangerous - stay safe and warm.

It makes me almost laugh at OUR cold weather - a high of 50F right now but going down to 28F at noon and 11F overnight. Still, unusually cold for us. I can hear the winds howling outside, bringing in the cold front.

Merry Christmas to you and yours, Mark! Thanks for another year of enjoyable photos, bird talk and book insights. You really are Mr. 75er! Cheers

Hope you're staying safe & warm in the storm, Mark. We're on the edge of it here, getting rain and wind today and a high of 19 tomorrow.

>170 The_Hibernator: Happy Friday, Rachel. I read very little fantasy these days but I will keep To Shape a Dragon's Breath in mind. It does sound good.

>171 Familyhistorian: Hi, Meg. I have particularly been thinking about my fellow mail-carriers lately, especially in this extreme weather. I don't think I will start a thread on the ROOT challenge but I will check it out.

>172 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Yep, currently 8F here. Thankfully, we didn't get much snow. About 4 inches. Looks like you are going to get hit with some of the weather that just passed through here. 11F overnight? That is pretty cold. We have no plans to venture out.

>173 Carmenere: Merry Christmas to you too, Lynda and thank you. So great to see the 75 still going strong.

>174 bell7: Morning, Mary and thanks. We are staying home today. Are you going to get slammed with this big arctic blast that has been blowing across the country?

^I am so glad I don't have to work in this weather anymore. One of the major factors in me deciding to retire early. A big shout-out to all my fellow mail-carriers and anyone else working in these conditions. It is currently -8 out there and with the blowing winds, closer to -30. It will stay like this through the weekend. The only birds I plan to see, will be through my back window:

With every good wish of the season Mark. I too am glad you don't have to work out in the weather.

It is good to be able to stay in without guilt when the weather is so awful!

>177 Caroline_McElwee: Merry Christmas, Caroline. I like the image but it is a bit big. LOL.

>178 laytonwoman3rd: Happy Friday, Linda. I have been messing around on line, but I am getting ready to hunker down with the books.

^Boy, I miss this man. Such great taste in books. He would have been a perfect 75er! Great seeing Trust, Sea of Tranquility and Ducks on there. All favorites of mine. I still want to read Liberation Day.

I actually put my feeder out for about an hour this morning but have taken it in now because the winds are picking up fiercely and I don't want the feeder to blow down and break. I did scatter seed on the ledge next to my driveway and noticed 2 juncos have found it but I wonder if the ones who usually go just to the feeder (nuthatches, goldfinches, downies) would think to look there.

So happy to be indoors, as I know you are, too. This is going to be quite the storm.

>180 msf59: - I need to get to some of these! I miss him too and he wasn't even *my* leader! I just finished the Michelle Obama book, on audio (she read it to me!) and it was excellent.

I need some help spreading the news... https://www.librarything.com/ngroups/23884/75-Books-Challenge-for-2023

Well Mark it's not quite as cold here....yet but we're in a state of emergency and everything is closed including all the highways around Buffalo. I couldn't go anywhere if I wanted to. I waited too long to decide whether to go and stay with my daughter and these winds plus the snow makes that impossible until at least Sunday or Monday. My son and his wife had their flights cancelled so they won't be here. Oh yeah, and it's Christmas. Oh well, luckily I have stacks and stacks of books and haven't lost power so far. Merry Christmas my friend.

Happy Christmas from my Christmas gnome!

>179 msf59: Sorry mark, not sure how to downsize stuff.

>181 jessibud2: Happy Friday, Shelley. My feeders are swaying out there in the wind but nothing has toppled yet. Birds still visiting though. Glad to hear you enjoyed the latest by Michelle Obama.

>182 drneutron: Hip Hip Hooray, Jim! You know I will be visiting shortly.

>183 brenzi: Merry Christmas, Bonnie. Sorry to hear about your weather and even worse, not being able to spend the holiday with your kids. Sad face. At least you can get cozy and find comfort in all those books.

>184 SandDune: Merry Christmas, Rhian. Love the gnome.

>185 Caroline_McElwee: No worries, Caroline. Just teasing you a bit. After typing in img, put in width=300 just before src. Of course the size can be adjusted up or down.

>99 msf59: I restarted doing the TIOLI challenges, although I tend to find places to put books after I've read them, rather than use the challenges to pick books to read.

The wind is absolutely howling here in Maine and the rain is coming down in torrents. Lots of folks losing power and it's supposed to be 10 degrees tonight...

>186 msf59: yay, thanks, sorted Mark.

>187 labfs39: Happy Holidays, Lisa. Good to see you. Thanks for chiming in on the TIOLI challenges. We will see how it goes. Good luck with this nasty weather.

>188 Caroline_McElwee: Yah! I am glad it worked out. Size is everything on these images. That is perfect.

"When a severed hand washes ashore in the wealthy enclave of Palm Beach, Florida, the lives of two women—a lonely writer obsessed with the unsolved murder of her mother’s best friend and a panicked wife whose husband has disappeared with their children—collide as the world shutters in the pandemic lockdown of 2020."

^I received Reef Road as an ARC from the publisher. Probably a couple of months ago. It comes out in early January, so I thought I would stay ahead of the game this time. Almost 50 pages in and I am enjoying this dark thriller. My kind of Christmas reading...

>180 msf59: Nice! I have read three on that list.

Happy holidays, Mark and Sue. Stay safe, stay warm.

>156 msf59: This juvenile Long Eared Owl really threw me for a loop. Her head is upside down! Then I recalled that an owl's head seemingly rotates 360 degrees. But I downloaded your photo so I could rotate it. Still disorienting to me, but better. The ears are easier to see. Eh, FWIW.

     

>180 msf59: The Ed Yong is under the 'invisible' tree. It's the first time I haven't already read something from the list, though a couple are on my wishlist. Don't know who the Obama woman is though *snicker*.

Hoping you're both snug and warm and powered up, Birddude.

It has been cold here. We had snow a week ago, then it was nice, then it snowed, rained, froze, and then went to positively artic. The high today was 3 degrees. And this morning it was -12. Wind is still blowing a bit. However, on Thursday morning when the temp was -16, I was privileged to see a double sun dog. There was an almost perfect arc and sun dogs on both sides of that arc. It was amazing. The trees here were beautiful that morning as well. Lots of snow and ice combination on them, but not enough to do damage, so when the sun came out it was sparkling. It is amazing to see the yard from our sliding doors that face directly east and out onto the farmland.

The down side of things - the second largest land oil-spill every recorded in the U.S. happened about 15 miles east of our house on Mill Creek. It is a major break on the Keystone Pipeline - 600,000 gallons (14,000 barrels) of bitumen oil tar from Canada and it happened on a high pressure line. There is a media blackout, and so none of the details are known. It is not the first oil spill in this part of the world - but it is the worst. It has fouled 5 miles of the creek it occurred on and is going to cost millions to clean up. No word on why it happened. And then people wonder why the citizens of South Dakota and Nebraska voted against the Keystone Pipeline, but were overruled by the administration of the Great Orange Gasbag.

I have been staying in the house and baking. Saw some kind of eagle today. Roosting in a tree, but wasn't close enough to see exactly what kind it was. It was big, with a white chest, but couldn't see much of the wing feathers to tell what species it was.

>175 msf59: Are you going to get slammed with this big arctic blast that has been blowing across the country?
Yes, but mostly tonight and tomorrow. Today was in the 40s and rainy and windy, tonight we get down to single digits and tomorrow we have a high of 19. Which is cold, but not as bad as what you have. I will be venturing out to a couple of parties and try to keep warm otherwise haha.

A grand holiday to you and yours, Mark!

>180 msf59: I am currently reading off Obama's list An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal The Hidden Realms Around Us -- it is absolutely fascinating and I absolutely recommend it. And if that's not enough of a plug, Anthony Doerr also recommended it as one of his current top 3 faves at a recent Literary Arts night. Go get it! : )

Happy Holidays, Mark! And thanks for posting Obama's list. I have to get reading...I want to pick up Trust

>191 figsfromthistle: Merry Christmas, Figs! Hooray for the chickens!

>192 weird_O: Merry Christmas, Bill and thank you. Glad you figured out the long-eared owl. I thought it was a unique shot. Great looking bird.

>193 Caroline_McElwee: I should have mentioned An Immense World. It does sound really good. I have added to my 2023 TBR.

>194 richardderus: Hey, RD. We had a good day yesterday. I was lazier than Sue but we stayed warm and snug.

‘Morning, Mark, and happy holiday Saturday to you. I'm sure you're looking forward to seeing Jackson's excitement over the next day or two.

>180 msf59: I miss him, too.

>195 benitastrnad: Merry Christmas, Benita. Thanks for checking in from Kansas. I hope you are staying warm and snug. Hooray for the double sun dog sighting but BOO to that horrific oil spill. Another senseless environmental tragedy. I wonder if the raptor you saw was just a red-tailed hawk. They can be puffed up in the cold weather and do have a whiter breast.

>196 bell7: Hi, Mary. I am glad you are not getting slammed as bad as we are. It is currently zero, which is better than yesterday morning. Have a good time at your parties.

>197 quondame: Merry Christmas, Susan and thank you.

>198 Berly: Thanks for warbling about An Immense World, Kim. I should have paid better attention when it first came out. I will get to it in 2023.

>199 banjo123: Happy Holidays, Rhonda. Glad you like the Obama list. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on Trust.

>201 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Happy Christmas Eve! We are looking forward to spending all afternoon with our Jackson and the rest of the gang.

-Michael Ramirez

>202 msf59:
This bird was way too big for a hawk. There are several kinds of eagles around here. I couldn't see the head very well so am not sure which it was. We have Bald and Golden eagles. Not in large numbers but enough that people recognize them and talk about it when they are sited. This one was in a cedar tree in a shelter belt that was close to a solidly frozen pond. That is kinda their usual habitat here, but with the ponds frozen I imagine the food supply has been reduced to mice, voles, rabbits, and carrion.

>205 benitastrnad: Merry Christmas, Benita. I think what threw me off, was that you mentioned a whitish, lighter breast. Maybe it was an immature bald or immature golden? Whatever it was- very cool.

Merry Christmas to all my LT buddies! We enjoyed our second Christmas with our precious Jackson. ❤️❤️

Merry Christmas to you too, Mark!

Merry Christmas to you and the whole family, Mark. Great pic!

‘Morning, Mark, and Merry Christmas to you!

>207 msf59: Sweet picture.

I've got a Carolina Wren on the suet feeder and all the usual suspects on the sunflower seed and wild bird seed feeders. There's a hawk being hopeful in the pastures.

Malaysia's branch of the 75er's wishes you and yours a happy holiday season, Mark.

Merry Christmas to you and Sue!!

>204 msf59: Ha! I agree with the fat guy.

Happy ho-ho-ho, Mark and all your family.

Merry Christmas Mark! Hope Santa was good to you!

>208 labfs39: Merry Christmas, Lisa. I hope you are having a great day and have your power back on.

>209 jessibud2: Merry Christmas, Shelley and thank you.

>210 karenmarie: Merry Christmas, Karen and hooray for the Carolina Wren!

>211 PaulCranswick: Happy Holidays, Paul and thanks again for the Swap books.

>212 lindapanzo: Merry Christmas, Linda. I hope you are having a great day with the family.

>213 richardderus: The "fat guy" is all knowing, Richard. I hope you are enjoying your day.

>214 mahsdad: Merry Christmas, Jeff. Yes, Santa has been quite kind. Thanks.

>207 msf59: He's at an age now where Christmas gets exciting Mark.

>216 Caroline_McElwee: Merry Christmas, Caroline. Jackson actually opened a couple of his presents, all on this own. 😁❤️

^ Paul was my Christmas Swap Santa this year and his choices were perfect. I now own 2 lovely poetry collections, along with Pieces For the Left Hand; Stories, a story collection that I have wanted to read forever. Earthlings looks to be a nice surprise too. Thank you, my friend.

Merry Christmas, Mark, to you and all the family.

>219 EllaTim: Merry Christmas, Ella and thank you.

>220 Berly: Merry Christmas, Kim. I hope you had a great day with the family.

'Morning, Mark, and happy day-after-Christmas to you. Brrrr for you - just brrrr. Stay warm and safe.

My birds are happy since they have food at all 3 feeders AND a heated bird bath since I snaked out the extension cord and hooked it up to the heater yesterday. The ice that was in the bird bath is still frozen solid on the ground - we got down to 9F again last night and it's only about 20F now.

It's Boxing Day! *aaahhh* that feels as good as taking off your shoes after a hot day's walking around because it means there's less than a week to go before we get rid of this craptastic year.

So much yay.

Anyway, enjoy your reading today!

>218 msf59: What is the story collection? I can't read the title. Thanks!

>222 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. Hooray for the full feeders and the heated bird bath. I am sure they all appreciate it.

>223 richardderus: Happy Boxing Day, RD. I did get out for a short bird walk and I also got Juno out for a short jaunt too. We have neglected her for the last 3 days. She was pleased.

>224 alphaorder: Merry Christmas, Nancy. Great to see you over here. The collection is called Pieces For the Left Hand; Stories, by an author I not yet read.

Happy holidays to you and your beautiful wife and family! Hope your Christmas was merry and bright and that 2023 brings all good things, starting with >155 msf59:.

>225 msf59:. Ah, I know the author! We hosted him back in my bookselling days, but can't remember for which book. The collection looks interesting!

'Morning, Mark. Yikes to frigid temps. Stay warm and safe.

We're below freezing, too, but 26F, not ~8F.

I need to fill the sunflower seed feeder today, and right now I've only got two birds in the Crepe Myrtle, none on the feeders.

>226 Storeetllr: Happy Holidays, Mary and thanks for the kind wishes. It was a good year.

>227 alphaorder: I have wanted to read J. Robert Lennon for years. He is supposed to be a solid short fiction writer. I may get to it soon, since it is a shorter read.

>228 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. It is currently 5F but we will get up to your 26F today. Possibly 40 tomorrow. Yah! I can't see my feeders yet.

(NMP)

Yesterday, I joined my birding buddies later in the PM to do some owling. We headed to some prairie land/wetlands about 30 miles southeast of here. Our target was a short-eared owl. We saw 5. They were very active, flying & hunting above the grass, all just before dusk. They were all at a distance, so photos were very difficult to take. We also saw a pair of Northern Harriers and a bald eagle. It was cold, about 20F, but with light winds. We then went out for beer and pizza. Yah!!



(NMP)

Howdy Mark! Thanks for BO's best reads of '22. I read Liberation Day but I was underwhelmed and DNF

Lovely pic of adorable Jackson with mom and dad!!

A white throated Sparrow has been visiting our feeder and is a welcome addition.

>230 msf59: Owls, beer, and pizza...I think Warren Zevon missed a trick with "Lawyers, Guns, and Money"!

Happy reading this afternoon.

>230 msf59: With those temperatures the pizza break must have been even more welcome, Mark. I hope your Christmas was a merry one and you’re all set to ring in the new year.

Hey, Mark - just wanted to let you know I have obeyed your command and posted a bunch of pics of the kids over on my thread!

>225 msf59: Its so funny how we feed on each other Wishlist-wise, but also how important our WL's are. I saw the title Pieces for the Left Hand and thought since I'm a lefty, I immediately must add that to the list. But it was already there. Been there for 3 years. LOL.

>231 Carmenere: Howdy, Lynda. I hope you had a nice Christmas. I am a fan of Saunders, so I will be reading Liberation Day: Stories, to see for myself. Hooray for the white-throated sparrow. I do see them now and then on my bird walks but have not seen one at my feeders in a couple of years.

>232 richardderus: "Owls, beer, and pizza."! You are singing my song, Richard. I had a great afternoon with the books. Juno abandoned me and snoozed in her crate. It is her favorite spot.

>233 Familyhistorian: Hi, Meg. We had a very nice Christmas, although Sue had a few bittersweet moments.

>234 Storeetllr: You know I will be stopping by, Mary. 😁

>235 mahsdad: This is what we do best, Jeff. Well, from one lefty to another- once I am done with Pieces for the Left Hand, (I plan on getting to it soon) I will send it your way.

>235 mahsdad: You're too kind. No rush, I've got plenty to keep me busy

>237 mahsdad: No problem, Jeff. Glad it worked out.

^I was currently #200 on the library waiting list for Demon Copperhead so I decided to gift myself a copy and should receive it soon. Stasia has her copy and we decided to start it next week. Anyone else want to join us? I know waiting for a library copy could be hopeless but if you have access to one...Just sayin'.

‘Morning, Mark! Happy Wednesday to you.

>236 msf59: I’m not sure I realized you were a lefty. Yay lefties. I’m either ambidextrous or was forced out of being a lefty at school because some things I do left-handed (play cards, throw a ball), most things I do right-handed. I unintentionally taught Jenna to play cards left-handed, not knowing any better. In school I’d use a right-hander's baseball glove to catch, whip it off, then throw with my left hand. Not that I was much good at it at all, but throwing a ball in my right hand just felt wrong.

No birds on my feeders right now – but I did see a bird in the heated bird bath when I got up.

>240 karenmarie: Happy Wednesday, Karen. Yep, I am lefty but a bit of a hybrid- I throw righty and bat righty but bowl lefty. Go figure! My feeders have been busy with the usual suspects.

>239 msf59: Santa brought me a copy of Demon Copperhead, as requested. I don't know if I'll get to it in January, but it's pretty close to the top of the TBR pile, I'll tell ya.

Humpday greetings, Mark. Hoping you're snug as a bug in a rug. Enjoy Demon Copperhead!

Another lefty here. Very lefty, I might add. Except for batting, which is odd since, if I played guitar, I would be like Paul McCartney and hold the guitar as he does his left-handed one, which, if you think about it, is exactly the same position that I hold a baseball bat when batting *right handed*. Can't quite figure that one out... I did learn to use right-handed scissors when I was a child, though, probably because there were no lefty ones at the time, back in the dark ages!

I too got Demon Copperhead on Christmas Day. But I've already started The West End Horror, a Nicholas Meyer novel of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson with cameo appearances by real theatrical figures from the 1880s. I've also begun Ducks, which I know you chirped and warble about. (Very tedious scrolling required to get the correct touchstone, by the bye.)

In other words, I don't think I'll begin Demon Copperhead right off the bat. But I will skulk about the group read thread I know you'll launch.

I'm familiar with lefties. Both my mother and father were lefties, my brother, and my daughter. I don't think any of my grands are.

Stay warm, Mark. It's above freezing here, and I think it's supposed to remain above freezing for several days.

>230 msf59: Great owling - congrats!

Did you see we got a new GHO at the center, courtesy of a place in IL? Very exciting.
https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/2022/12/27/welcome-our-new-great-horned-owl-zari/

>242 laytonwoman3rd: Happy Holidays, Linda. Hopefully we can still share thoughts on Demon Copperhead once you get to it.

>243 richardderus: Happy Wednesday, Richard. I did some birding earlier and now I have been reading and then I will meet some pals from the PO for some beers. I would say that makes a good day.

>244 jessibud2: Hooray for another lefty! It seems like many of us have hybrid issues, Shelley. I wonder why that it is? I wonder if it has something to do with mimicking others, while they do things right-handed? I am the only one in my immediate family that is left-handed.

>245 weird_O: Howdy, Bill. I hope we can share some thoughts on Demon Copperhead, once you get to it. I will not be setting up a separate thread for it. If there would have more participation, I would have considered it. I am so glad to hear that you landed a copy of Ducks. It is such a good memoir.

>246 alphaorder: Hooray for Zari! How cool is that? She should make a perfect ambassador. I had not heard of Anderson Humane Society but I am sure the people at the Rehab center where I volunteer know of it.

BTW- I saw a GHO on my bird ramble this morning. I got a couple of photos too...

And if you can't get to Demon Copperhead in January, a few of us are aiming for March. And if Mark would start a thread, we could chime in there later....! : )

Somewhere, Mark, you offered to share with me the copy of Woodsburner you have. I'd like to have it to read, if you care to send it. Please.

Hi Mark, and sweet Thursday to you. Another hybrid! I throw left, bat right, bowl right. We’re … interesting… aren’t we?

Early feeder report – two birds in the Crepe Myrtle, not enough light to identify. Nobody on the bird bath.

>248 Berly: Sweet Thursday, Kimmers. I am glad to hear that several of us will read Demon Copperhead early next year. I will mull over starting a thread...

>249 weird_O: Howdy, Bill. I had not heard any answer from you on Woodsburner but I was planning on sending it to you anyway. 😁

>250 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Hooray for the hybrid lefties! We are definitely a unique bunch. Much too dark out here too but it is 43F. Yah!!

^Just chillin' and watching Sesame Street. I love this kid's fat feet.

These are the best books I read this year. I will have read about 117-118 by month's end, down nearly 20 books from last year. That said, I am completely happy with my reading year and all the quality books that have rested in my lap or tickled my ear.

Fiction:

1- Trust by Hernan Diaz
2- The Unseen by Roy Jacobsen
3- Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
4- Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
5- In the Time of Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

1- The Immortal Irishman by Timothy Egan
2- These Precious Days: Essays by Ann Patchett
3- Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez
4- Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
5- The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery

Graphic Novels:

1- Ballad for Sophie by Filipe Melo
2- Putin's Russia: Rise of a Dictator by Darryl Cunningham
3- Flung Out of Space: Indecent Adventures of Patricia Highsmith by Grace Ellis
4- Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton
5- Good Girls Don't Make History by Elizabeth Kiehner

Love your Best-of selections, Mark!

Have you picked up FOSTER yet? I just read DUCKS too. Eye-opening. I told Shawn that your SEA OF TRANQUILITY was on your top 2022 list. It is in his short stack.

>251 msf59: What a guy! Thanks for your plan. I got plenty to read, so no need to rush.

I'm going to extend my vegging for at least today. Probably for the year. :-)

>253 msf59: Mark - You might REALLY enjoy The Count of Monte Crisco on Audible - spoken with glorious French accent.

>253 msf59: Nice list! Your reading might've fallen in quantity but not quality.

Enjoy this warmth! Feels great after the Arctic blast.

>254 alphaorder: Glad you like the best of list, Nancy. It was a good year. I have not picked up Foster yet but I will get to it in the New Year. Have you read Sea of Tranquility?

>255 weird_O: Sweet Thursday, Bill. I hope you are immersed in your vegetative state.

>256 m.belljackson: I really really want to read The Count of Monte Crisco next year, Marianne. My audiobook time is more limited, since I have retired so I am not sure I want to tackle such a large book in that format. It would probably take me months. I will keep it mind, though.

>257 richardderus: Thanks, RD. I was quite pleased with my reading for 2022. It actually feels balmy outside right now.

Love your Favorites Mark. I read Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands just last week and although I'm not much of a Graphic reader this book was such a punch to the gut. Really well done.

I have The Immortal Irishman and Arctic Dreams on my Kindle so of course with your recommendation I'll have to actually read them. Loved Trust, Small Things Like These, In the Time of Butterflies, and These Precious Days.

>259 brenzi: Hi, Bonnie. We have always had similar tastes in books, so I am not surprised we have so many crossovers. I am glad you got to the Beaton memoir. It did pack a punch. Looking forward to your fiction picks.

‘Morning, Mark, and happy Friday to you.

>252 msf59: I bet those fat little feet get kissed and ticked a lot.

>253 msf59: Congrats on a satisfying reading year. Excellent choices.

>261 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Yep, those fat little feet get caressed and kissed a lot. Grins...

And thanks, it was a good reading year. I hope yours was the same.

>253 msf59: Love your list, Mark, and especially pleased to see Ballad for Sophie up there. I enjoyed that one a lot, too. Ducks and Good Girls are both on my TBR, and as you know I also had These Precious Days on my list. I also want to get to Trust soon.

I have the new collection of Barry Lopez's essays, Embrace Fearlessly the Burning World, out from the library and am looking forward to reading it in January. It's been a few years since I read his works, but Arctic Dreams still stands out for me as an excellent read.

>263 bell7: Happy Friday, Mary. Thanks for chiming in on my Best Books list. I love it that we still get so many ideas and book bullets from each other. I would also love to read Lopez's new collection. I will have to tag it for 2023.

>252 msf59: Oooooh! Those sweet little chubby feet! *meltmeltmelt*

Happy Friday, Mark. Have gou tried the Lazarus GN series by Greg Rucka? He’s the Stumptown author. A consistently good one a bit like Brubaker and Sean Phillips. I’ve enjoyed the post-apocalyptic Lazarus series, and the new one (#7) just came out.

We just had a new set of relatives arrive from Colombia, so Debbi and I are getting to try out our Spanish a bit. We’ve been doing Duolingo and taking lessons, and are getting better with the basics. Quiero un vaso de agua? (Do you want a glass of water).

We’ve got the grandkiddos and everyone else until Jan. 2. The kids are working on puzzles right now with Jesse’s help.

Hope all is well with the Freeburg clan, and that you got some good books for Christmas.

>253 msf59: Nice list of best reads!! I've read Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel, In the Time of Butterflies by Julia Alvarez, These Precious Days: Essays by Ann Patchett, and
The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery and loved them all! No surprise there since I think our reading is so kindred. : ) That means I probably should check out the other ones on your list!

I'm hoping to get to Demon Copperhead sometime early in 2023.

Got Copperhead today!! : )

>266 jnwelch: Happy New Years, Joe. Thanks for dropping in and updating me. It sounds like you have a houseful and I can imagine how much you both are enjoying those lovely grands. That is wonderful. I did read the first volume of "Lazurus" but that has been a few years ago. I think I will read it again, along with the next volume. I always appreciate GN recs.

>267 Berly: >269 Berly: Hey, Kimmers. Hooray for kindred spirits! This is why we get along so well. I will have to check out your best of list. And yah for getting your Copperhead! 😁👍

>268 lindapanzo: Happy New Year, Linda. If you want to join us on Demon Copperhead. Just sayin...

My New Thread is up. Stop by, drop a star and say hello:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/346970#n8015455

Happy New Year, Mark!

My own Marc has brought in the goodies for the evening, oliebollen.
So here a sample for you.

I'll leave holiday wishes here, Mark, and look for you on the other side...ah...next year. Yeah, next year. Thanks for posting the coordinates of your new 2023 thread.

>272 EllaTim: >273 weird_O: Happy New Year, Ella & Bill. I will see you both on the new thread.