Mark's Reading Place: Chapter Eleven

- "Bluebird & Blossoms"- Robert Bateman

Audiobook:



Graphic/Comic:


Books Read So Far...

February:

15) Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson 5 stars (audio)
16) Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan 3.6 stars AAC
17) The Assault by Harry Mulisch 4.4 stars
18) Nine Island by Jane Alison 4 stars ER
19) Silence by Shusaku Endo 4.5 stars
20) The Impossible Fortress by Jason Rekulak 3.6 stars
21) Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace 5 stars (audio)
22) In the Walled City: Stories by Stewart O'Nan 4 stars AAC
23) One Man's Owl by Bernd Heinrich 4.3 stars
24) In the Kingdom of Ice by Hampton Sides 4.6 stars (audio)

March:

25) A Separation: A Novel by Katie Kitamura 3.8 stars (audio)
26) The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston 4.4 stars (audio)
27) The Confessions of Nat Turner by William Styron 4.5 stars AAC
28) Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney 4 stars (audio)
29) My Favorite Thing Is Monsters by Emil Ferris 4.7 stars GN
30) Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah 4.5 stars (audio)
31) Birds Art Life: A Year of Observation by Kyo Maclear 4.3 stars
32) Nobody's Fool by Richard Russo 4.5 stars (audio)
33) The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen 4.2 stars
34) Spain in Our Hearts: Americans in the Spanish Civil War by Adam Hochschild 4.2 stars (audio)
35) Mexico: Stories by Josh Barkan 4 stars
36) Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders 4.7 stars (audio)
37) The Wright Brothers by David McCullough 4.5 stars (audio)
38) Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman 4 stars (audio)

April:

39) Wanderlust: A History of Walking by Rebecca Solnit 3.6 stars
40) The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir by Thi Bui 5 stars GN
41) The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks 3.7 stars (audio)
42) If I'd Known You Were Coming: Stories by Kate Milliken 4.3 stars
43) The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel 4.4 stars (audio)
44) Ill Will: A Novel by Dan Chaon 3.6 stars ER
45) Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 4.2 stars (audio)

Welcome to the AAC IV! It should be another fun year. Some interesting and diverse authors.

January- Octavia Butler Completed Kindred
February- Stewart O' Nan Completed Songs For the Missing, In the Walled City: Stories
March- William Styron Completed The Confessions of Nat Turner
April- Poetry Month
May- Zora Neale Hurston
June- Sherman Alexie
July- James McBride
August- Patricia Highsmith
September- Short Story Month
October- Ann Patchett
November- Russell Banks
December- Ernest Hemingway

The General Discussion Thread: http://www.librarything.com/topic/244600#

^I have been hearing some mighty fine buzz on The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit and this sure sounds like my cuppa. It seems to follow the theme of Into the Wild, which I loved. It will be my next audio book, which I will start on Wednesday.

Hey, nice new thread, Mark. Great pics as always.

Happy new one, Mark!

>5 lindapanzo: Hooray for my first visitor! Glad you like the toppers, Linda. And go Cubbies!

>6 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie!

I've got The Stranger in the Woods near the top of my pile, too.

Hope the Cubbies can turn things around today.

Happy new thread, Mark.
The bluebird is beautiful and with books and a dog in the second picture you can't go wrong ;-)

Love the second image in >1 msf59: Reminds me of both my late great terriers. Miss my little old men dogs.

The Stranger in the Woods sounds really interesting.

Happy new thread Mark. I can't imagine living alone like that for so long.

Happy new thread mate. Love the bluebird topper.

>8 lindapanzo: I hope you can hear plenty of warbling about The Stranger in the Woods, Linda. It is short so I expect to knock out a large chunk tomorrow.

Go Cubs! Go Arrieta!

>9 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita! I don't usually snuggle with my dog like this. He prefers the company of my wife. Smiles...

>10 luvamystery65: Howdy, Ro! We have a King Caviler, Cocker mix, which is similar to a terrier build. He is Sue's dog.

>11 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte. Are you referring to the man reading up there? If you are, that can be me in my Man-Cave. No worries, plenty of life still going on upstairs. Grins...

39) Wanderlust: A History of Walking by Rebecca Solnit 3.6 stars

“The history of walking is an amateur history, just as walking is an amateur act.”

“Walking, ideally, is a state in which the mind, the body, and the world are aligned, as though they were three characters, finally in conversation together, three notes suddenly making a chord.”

“Exploring the world is one of the best ways of exploring the mind, and walking travels both terrains.”

“Walking is, after all, an activity essentially unimproved since the dawn of time.”

^Yes, I love these quotes, but these four all happen, in the first twenty pages. The rest of the narrative, is more hit or miss. I had to keep reminding myself, that this is a history of walking and all the events mentioned here do not fit snugly into, everything I like about this basic mode of transportation, (I am a mailman for crying out loud!). That said, I found much of this history of walking, a bit dry. Yes, I can be selfish. Sue me, but please, do not get me wrong- Solnit is a fine writer, super smart and has really done her homework here, with meticulous precision. She did leave out bird walking, which has really helped spark my interest in strolling through various meadows and woods but there I go again, being self-absorbed.
To her credit, she does close it out, beautifully:

“This constellation called walking has a history, the history trod out by all those poets and philosophers and insurrectionaries, by jaywalkers, streetwalkers, pilgrims, tourists, hikers, mountaineers, but whether it has a future depends on whether those connecting paths are traveled still.”

Happy new thread, Mark. I love your bluebird and blossoms -- and I've been seeing Solnit around here quite a bit. I guess I'll have to pick up one of her books.

>12 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! Glad you like the bluebird!

>15 BLBera: Thanks, Beth! Glad you like the bluebird and blossoms. I was looking for a spring topper and that fit the bill. Solnit has written a few very interesting books. I will have to try her out again.

>1 msf59: - Robert Bateman is my favourite Canadian artist. I have also seen and heard him speak on several occasions. A few years ago, I played hooky from my job to go on a nature walk with him in the ravine behind his childhood home in Toronto. I told the office at school that I had *an appointment* (just didn't say with whom!). Then, when the tv crews arrived, I hid behind people so that I wouldn't be on the news that night, as they followed the walk (it was for a dedication of a park in his name). He is 87 years old and still an incredibly good-looking man (just saying ;-). His talent and his love for the environment are his other calling cards...

http://robertbateman.ca/

I also own several of his gorgeous coffee table art books (and calendars...yep, I am a fan!)

Happy New Thread!

>17 jessibud2: WOW! Talk about a happy accident, Shelley! I had no idea who he was. I will definitely search out more of Bateman's work. How cool!

>18 EBT1002: Thanks, Ellen! Chatty this evening, aren't you?

40) The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir by Thi Bui 5 stars

I adore graphic memoirs, and this one is exceptional. It follows, the author, as she looks back at the lives of her parents, as they grew up in Vietnam, during the tumultuous '40s and '50s, eventually, marrying each other and trying to raise a family in a war-torn country. It also looks at their flight to America, after the fall of Saigon and the difficult adjustments, of living in a new world.
The illustrations are perfectly suited to, the strong writing, making this a memorable read. It will easily be one of the best GNs I have read this year.

Happy new thread, Mark! Nice to see nonfiction getting so much love around here. :)

Happy new thread, Mark! I love both of the toppers that you chose! And looks like you hit me with one right off the bat - I'll check to see if the library has that GN.

>21 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky. We sure love our NF, around here.

>22 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie! Glad you like the toppers and I am I got your attention on the GN. That is a special one. Waves of warbling...

Hey Mark! Lovely new thread!

I just put The Best We Could Do on library hold. I run hot and cold on GNs but I do like graphic memoirs. I just returned Paper Girls without reading it because I just couldn't get into it...

Happy new thread, Mark! Love your blue bird topper and the latest GN sounds really good!

Robert Bateman is such a gifted artist and I just loved the thread topper in >1 msf59:. I have never seen that before. I am so surpised to hear that he is 87.
A few years ago we were visiting the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole and Bateman has two stunning paintings there. One was a massive bison in full power and another was a powerful raven.

Fabulous thread topper , Lone Ranger. Can I " name drop " a little and tell you that some friends of mine have an original Robert Bateman at their place? They got it long ago, sometime in the late 1980's ! :) Today at least 3 flocks of snow geese have flown over our place, making a huge racket. I am hoping they are returning to Russia. They're okay, but they do leave a big , big mess . Go see Putin, snowgeese!

Happy Wednesday and congrats on your shiny new thread, Mark.

>14 msf59: I'm sorry it was a tiny bit disappointing for you, Mark! I still want to read it, such is the power that you hold over my book tastes ;)
I am also interested in the hermit book from >4 msf59:. Fascinating. I read two books about the same family living a few hours walk from the nearest road here in NZ. A Life on Gorge River: New Zealand's Remotest Family, and the book the man's wife then wrote (almost in retaliation to his version of events, I thought) called A Wife on Gorge River. That lifestyle is very appealing sometimes, but....small doses for me. As in a few weeks maximum, I think.

I put in a request with the library for them to consider getting The Best We Could Do in, but they've said there are no plans to add it at present, so I shall head on over to Amazon and add it to my wishlist! I might still have some money from a gift voucher, and it sounds the ideal thing to use it on :).

>25 Copperskye: Thanks, Joanne. I can not praise The Best We Could Do high enough. Lovely edition too. I have also been focusing more on GN nonfiction. There is so much that can be done there. I did like Paper Girls, though.

>26 Berly: Thanks, Kimmers! And hooray for bluebirds and GN memoirs.

>27 mdoris: >28 vancouverdeb: It is funny, how I picked a random image, (although, it was very striking) for my topper and it opened a door, and a beloved door at that. I will be seeking out more of Bateman's work.

>28 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deb. Putin geese?? Nooooooooooooooo!!!

Happy new thread, Mark! This one's filled with amazing-looking books already, I see. Shocking.

>29 Ameise1: Thanks, Barb! Happy Wednesday.

>30 LovingLit: Wanderlust is probably a perfect fit for you, Megan. You will appreciate her deep intellect. Thanks for the 2 NZ recs- A Life on Gorge River: New Zealand's Remotest Family sounds really interesting. And I am with you, I could only deal with hermit life, in small doses, although I would have to make sure I have plenty of books and beer too.

>31 lunacat: Sorry, your library can't acquire The Best We Could Do, but I will say, that it would look mighty fine sitting on your shelf.

Morning Mark! Happy new thread! Lovely spring topper :0)

>33 scaifea: Thanks, Amber! I was waiting until I started the new thread, before posting the reviews, otherwise they sometimes get lost in the shuffle.

>35 Carmenere: Morning, Lynda! And thanks!

^Perfect segue from Wanderlust, eh? Happy Walking, kids. You know I'll be pounding the pavement today, despite the crappy weather. Hey, at least I'll have my books along.

>4 msf59: I am reading that one right now. Thus far, it has been very good.

Happy Wednesday, Mark!

Happy new thread!

>27 mdoris: - A few years ago, Mary, I was at a Bateman Retrospective exhibit at the McMichael Gallery north of Toronto. One of the features was a short documentary with Bateman talking about his art. The film actually showed (as he explained) how he made that bison picture. He threw sand on the picture for that effect! If you click on the link I included in my post >17 jessibud2:, then click on the tab that says *Art*, you will see him in front of that bison picture. It is really so impressive and is huge!

Good morning, Mark!

Happy new thread and I love your topper art!

I hope that your 'pounding the pavement' goes well today. I have problems with my feet, so a book about walking and National Walking Day don't particularly appeal to me.

I went to bed it was raining. I left for work, it was raining and now as I pound the pavement and the grass, it is still raining. National Walking Day...harrumph.

>38 alcottacre: Morning, Stasia. I am loving Stranger in the Woods. It fits right in my wheelhouse.

>39 drneutron: Thanks, Jim.

>40 jessibud2: Big, wet waves to Shelley. No birding today...

>41 karenmarie: Morning, Karen and thanks. Kick those feet up and enjoy the books.

Happy New Thread, Mark!

Beautiful bluebird up there.

I requested The Best We Could Do from the library. Sounds great.

Saga Vol. 7 is out! I'm about halfway through, and it's another good one.

I'm also starting Just So Happens, a GN that I have high hopes for.

Eesh, more lousy weather. Hope it goes okay for you today.

Happy new thread, Mark! I stopped by yesterday afternoon when there was only one post (and may I say I love the bluebird topper!), so I didn't post a comment as I knew you were going to be posting a few more before you were "open for business."

Hope the rain ends soon and the rest of the week is dry and warm and full of sunshine!

>40 jessibud2: Shelley, thank you. I will look that up. Sand, that's interesting! The bison is a stunning, captivating painting never to be forgotten. The Batemans live on the next island south of us (Saltspring) and their beautiful garden is shown in the book
Beauty by Design: Inspired Gardening in the Pacific Northwest by Bill Terry. Have a peek if you get a chance. It 's a gorgeous book!
AND agree, "incredibly good looking man" (for any age I might add!!) Just saying too........

I popped into a place that I think you'd love, Mark:





Such a good shop for beer lovers. Of course, my town has a strong history of beer, being a monastic town with a huge abbey, and now it has one of the biggest breweries in the UK, along with a couple of independent breweries. But Beautiful Beers is a great addition.

Alas, I don't like beer! Though I was tempted by some of their fruit ones. Maybe I'll splash out next time. I simply picked up a couple of ciders, which are much more to my taste.

>44 jnwelch: Hi, Joe! Yes, it was another messy one out there today. Fortunately, there was a dry period for a couple of hours. I am sure you will LOVE The Best We Could Do. As good as it gets, with a GN memoir.

I better request the latest Saga and I'll watch for your thoughts on Just So Happens. I had not heard of that one.

>45 Storeetllr: Thanks, Mary. Good to see you. It is supposed to warm up quite a bit for the weekend, so we have to muddle through a couple more days.

>46 mdoris: The Bateman love continues...

>47 lunacat: Ooh, Beautiful Beers! I am completely sold, Jenny. Thanks, for thinking of me. Does the abbey have a brewery? And what is the biggest brewery in the UK? I NEED to know these things.

>48 msf59: Alas, the Abbey was torn down in the Reformation, though it was beginning to decline before then, for a multitude of reasons. It had had a turbulent time before that - the townspeople attacked and tore down parts of it in the 14th century, not once but twice!

The town itself is famous for being the resting place (supposedly) of St. Edmund, the one-time King of England (or at least East Anglia - the east of England). The legend goes that he had his head chopped off by the Vikings for being a Christian in 869AD. For some unknown reason, his head didn't go with his body to be buried, but his followers were lead to the head by a wolf, and when they discovered it, the head spoke to them. It seems unlikely, but who am I to suggest that such events didn't take place! It is certain that he was King of the Angles, and that he was killed by the Danes.

Then Beodricsworth (a Saxon town with strong Roman origins, as shown by the amount of Roman stuff that gets found around these parts) became a shrine to St. Edmund, was renamed St. Edmund's Bury, and an extremely early monastery was formed, that then became the Abbey.

Its later claims to fame are that King John was forced to sign The Charter of Liberties in the Abbey in 1214, which was the major influence leading to the Magna Carta, which then dramatically reduced the power of the King and began the democratic process in England. We have also had a Christmas Fair since 1235.

Not much happened after the Reformation, although King Henry VIII's sister, Mary Tudor, is buried in one of the churches next to the ruins of the Abbey.

The brewery, Greene King, was founded by Benjamin Greene in 1799, and it merged with Frederick King's brewery which was immediately opposite, in 1835 to become Greene King. They were leading lights of their time, providing a huge amount of housing stock for their workers, and ensuring that when people retired, they were still well cared for. A large amount of the property surrounding the brewery is still owned by them, including the only surviving Regency playhouse in the UK that still does a full years performance timetable, though at one point it was used as a barrel store by the brewery!

Greene King is now criticised widely, as it has taken over vast swathes of independent pubs and brewerie, to become the biggest pub and brewery business in the UK. But, still, it is in my home town and they do a lot for the local community. Also, the brewery still operates in the same site as the 1799 brewery because it is placed over a natural spring, so they pump their own pure, natural water. Any excess goes to local houses in the area.

It has a nod to the Abbey heritage of the town with a lot of its beer names:

Abbot Ale (a traditional 5% bitter) and Abbot's Reserve (6.5% bitter)
St. Edmunds (a golden ale of 4.2%)
Patron Saints Ale (new for 2017 and a nod to the calls for the patron saint of England to be changed to St. Edmund)

There is also another brewery in the town, called the Old Cannon Brewery, which is a brewpub with a 7 barrel brewplant situated in a room above the bar, immediately beside the bar and dining area (so you get to sit right next to the beer brewing) and in the pub cellars, and has excellent food.

And a second brewpub which has been brewing since 2011 and says "What do you do if you own four pubs, love good beer and have an empty shed? We think there is only one answer so we brew our own beer. Our once empty shed houses a 5 barrel craft brewery. Our Pale Ale, Best Bitter, American Blonde and seasonal beers are available at all our four pubs...

We're thrilled that you can buy bottled Dark or Pale cocoa bear, brewed by us in Bury St Edmunds, from Hotel Chocolat (a nationwide chocolate chain) online and in selected outlets." It also serves good food.

There is also a strong brewing tradition in the whole county, with lots of local breweries and interesting beers on offer. But now I've waffled far too much, so please accept my apologies!

Unfortunately.............I don't like beer :/.

Mark, when I read about The Stranger in the Woods at the top of your thread I was hit by a massive BB. I decided to heck with my reading plans, I would order this one right away from the library. Unfortunately, 34 people are in line ahead of me. Oh well, I guess I can wait a couple or more months for this one.

I had a unexpected day off as the University was closed because there might be bad weather. This is bad for me and the students because in the Teacher Education Program there is block scheduling. That means that classes meet only once a week for three hours. Classes that met today missed a whole weeks' worth of classes and there is no way to make up those lost hours. This kind of over cautious behavior results in a subpar education.

So what did I do today? Went out to lunch with a friend, mixed up a batch of bread dough and spent two hours at Starbucks.

Strange, that the University closed, but the Indian resturant and Starbucks didn't.

>49 lunacat: WOW!! It looks like I NEED to visit Bury St Edmunds. I would be in all my beery glory. Thanks, for all the detail and history, Jenny. I can understand the criticism directed at Greene King, but as long as they are producing some fine ale and I live several thousand miles away, I am okay with it.

Ooh, I like the sound of Patron Saints Ale...

>50 DeltaQueen50: Hi, Judy. The Stranger in the Woods has been fantastic and worthy of all the buzz. It is a quick read too. I am almost done with it. I hope your turn comes up quickly.

>49 lunacat: Chocolate beer is a thing? (OK, that's not the only thing I took away from Jenny's wonderfully informative post, but - CHOCOLATE?

I hope you're drying out, Mark.

Dropping by to note that the Twins are off to a 2-0 start against the Royals no less. It won't hold but after a historically bad season we are cheering any progress.

Walking day? Nice. I did a lot of walking at work.

Happy new thread, Mark! Beautiful thread-topper art.

Mark, It doesn't weem like there has been much in the way of "monthly themes" this year (or else I just missed it). I just put up my annual Autism Awareness thread, which got me to thinking about monthly themes . . . is there going to be a May Murder and Mayhem theme this year? I have the perfect two books picked out for it, and have just been waiting to read them.

The group read and message threads have been pretty quiet here in this year's 75ers and the group wiki just has monthly themes as "coming soon."

I ask here because you always seem to know about these things. I recall you being active on those May threads in past years. (Did you host it?) And practically everyone visits your threads.

>51 benitastrnad: Hi, Benita! It sounds like you took advantage of the day off. Hope that included plenty of reading.

>53 Storeetllr: I have tried a couple of brews, with the hint of chocolate and if it is done right, it is pretty good.

>54 BLBera: Hi, Beth. It stopped raining, after lunch and then picked up again later in the afternoon. The break was much appreciated. Are you expecting any snow tomorrow?

>55 Oberon: It sounds like the Twins are off to a good start, Erik. Let's hope it continues. My Cubs were rained out today. They are going to try and make up the game tomorrrow.

>56 The_Hibernator: Hi, Rachel. I got my walking in today too but it wasn't very fun, although my current audio kept me distracted.

>57 tymfos: Hi, Terri and thanks! Glad you like the toppers. I was just going to stick with running the AAC, this year. I will ask the group if someone else wants to lead the way. Are you busy? Grins...

And yes, I have hosted it, in the past.

>34 msf59: that book was indeed interesting, but the author was a tad self-obsessed and didn't really get into the nitty gritty of daily life. His wife clearly saw a gap in the market for that and wrote her book!

>53 Storeetllr: I had a great chocolate stout a while back, it can confuse the palate initially, but then the alcohol kicks in ;)

Happy new thread, Mark. I love the Bateman topper.

I had to laugh at, >42 msf59: I went to bed it was raining. I left for work, it was raining and now as I pound the pavement and the grass, it is still raining. You just described the whole month of March here. Looks like April is going to be more of the same.

Morning, Mark! I'm glad you survived the soggy slog yesterday, friend.

Good morning, Mark, and Happy Thursday!

We're supposed to have rain and "potentially severe thunderstorms" this morning and we're currently under a tornado watch until 1 p.m. Not an auspicious start to the first day of the Friends of the Library Book Sale. I'll brave it, though.....

I hope your weather day is uneventful.

>60 LovingLit: "but then the alcohol kicks in..." Eureka!! The Stranger in the Woods has been fantastic.

>61 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. It looks like Bateman was the right choice for the topper. Sorry, to hear about all your rain too. We are finally going to dry out and warm up, starting tomorrow.

>62 scaifea: Morning, Amber! A soggy slog is a perfect way to describe it. Damp and cold again today but at least I have the day off.

>63 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. It looks like many of us are having a wet, early April. I see that Georgia was getting hit pretty hard too. Hope the tornado watch stays a "watch", so you can get safely to your book sale. Hope you find some goodies.

^I was fortunate enough to snag a copy of Dan Chaon's latest, Ill Will, from E.R. I will start it today. It is hefty boy. I have read and enjoyed two other books by him. He excels at short fiction but this is one of his novels. Any other Chaon fans out there? I don't see him mentioned much on the threads.

>65 msf59: I've never heard of him! I'm interested to see what you think of this one, then.

>66 scaifea: I read Await Your Reply & Stay Awake: Stories a few years ago. I think they both were E.R. selections, if I remember correctly. I liked them both.

>42 msf59: I finished the book last night. It was right in my wheelhouse too!

>68 alcottacre: Morning, Stasia! And hooray for The Stranger in the Woods! With our collective warbling, we should get this one plenty of well-deserved attention.

Sweet Thursday, Mark!

I'll remind Becca about The Stranger in the Woods. Sounds like quite a book.

Glad you've got today off. At least we didn't wake up to snow!

>65 msf59: - I only heard of him once I joined LT and now I have three of his books to read on my shelf, including Ill Will. Look forward to hearing what you think of it!

Mark! don't say the "s" word.

>49 lunacat: Unfortunately.............I don't like beer :/
LOL Jenny, I am the same. As my husband loves beer, I know quiet a lot about beer, but rarely drink it myself.
Beer knowledge also come from some friends who are REAL beer-geeks, all members of PINT, a Dutch association for Promoting and Informing Traditional Beer.

Hi Mark :-)

>70 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! The Stranger in the Woods is a knockout. More warbling to come on that one. No snow and it stopped raining. Good signs.

>71 katiekrug: Hi, Katie! His early short fiction is supposed to be stellar. I still want to try some of that too.

>72 BLBera: Morning, Beth. Dry here...just windy and overcast. Whew!

>73 FAMeulstee: I'd join that organization in a heartbeat. :)

>73 FAMeulstee: That's such a great acronym - knocks CAMRA (the UK version) into a cocked hat. My dad and I once bumped into a guy who was assessing a pub for some kind of pub ranking system.
Or that was what he claimed to be doing, anyhow...

>65 msf59: Mark I've not heard of this author at all, will be interested to hear more! Let the warbling commence...

> Book bullet with A Life on Gorge River: New Zealand's Remotest Family :-)

I also loved Stranger in the Woods. I hope author Michael Finkel appears at the Montana Book Festival this fall.

And another book bullet with The Best We Could Do, but it's not yet in the library system. I'll wait a bit if see if one of the member library acquires it.

I'm really enjoying Born a Crime, which I know you recommended a while back. His childhood stories of growing up in South Africa as a mixed race kid, are both funny and sad. His sense of humor got him through some amazing situations.

I need to zoom through it, since it's due back at the library and has a huge waiting list, so no chance of renewing.

#57
I agree with you that there is a dearth of "themed" reads this year. I wanted to do Fantasy February, but ... However, Suzanne (Chatterbox), another 75'er, has a themed read that is going strong. This month the theme is Hobbies, Pastimes and Passions. You can find this themed read here. https://www.librarything.com/topic/253621

Everybody over there would be happy to have another reader. On the surface this topic doesn't seem like a very interesting one, but the group has had lots of fun with this topic, and we are up to 85 posts and it is only the 6th day of the month!

There is another themed read titled President Obama's Reading list. https://www.librarything.com/topic/250137 It seems there are several people on this list who are reading, or are going to read, Three Body Problem by the Chinese author Cixin Liu.

>57 tymfos:, >78 benitastrnad: Group reads need a champion to make them work well and no one has championed a monthly theme prior to April. I've planned on doing something for October if no one else does.

In general, posting is up this year over the last two or three, and we really have quite a lot of group reads and challenges going on. That may have contributed to the lack of attention to the monthly themes and also the What Are We Reading threads.

I read Dan Chaon's collection, Stay Awake: Stories and gave it 3.5 stars. I don't remember it much at present.

Last night I started reading the poetry collection you sent me a while ago, Witch Hunt by Juliet Escoria. So far I have very much liked a couple of them and others less so.

Hi Mark! Chatty Ellen signing off now. :-)

>73 FAMeulstee: >75 drneutron: B.A.G.

>76 charl08: I managed to read the first 50 pages of Ill will and I really like it. It is intricately plotted, but an easy narrative, which helps on a 450 page whopper.

>77 streamsong: Hi, Janet. The Stranger in the Woods has been terrific. I will easily finish it tomorrow. I hope your library picks up The Best We Could Do. I am sure you will love this GN.

Isn't Born a Crime engaging? What a gift for story-telling he has.

>78 benitastrnad: >79 drneutron: I am just focusing on running my AAC this year and that seems to be plenty for now. I haven't even participated in the other challenges either. I do miss them but it also is liberating too and keeps me focused on my current stacks, which never seem to deplete.

>79 drneutron: I am not surprised to see posting up this year. It has been tough keeping up with the threads. We are a chatty bunch, no question.

...taking my daughter to lunch and then a couple of errands. I'll be back...

Presented, Mark, for your consideration. Take a road trip to drink the best beer in the US.



Flowing Data took the list of the top breweries in the US from RateBeer’s annual review and mapped them out for the most efficient route possible. There are 70 top rated breweries on the map (but a total of 1,414 breweries if you stop at the many others along the way), you’ll stop in 28 states (passing through a total of 40), and drive 12,299 miles if you follow Flowing Data’s course.

They estimate it would take about 20 days if you just sample the beers at every top brewery. It goes without saying, but add in time to sober up—don’t drink and drive.

http://flowingdata.com/2015/10/26/top-brewery-road-trip-routed-algorithmically/

Back to The Birds - saw my first Red-winged Blackbird and whistled (in the ballpark of) his tune.

He merely stared, as if to say,
"Are you kidding?
- it's too blanking cold out here for any SANE female to want to hear MY mating call!"

I have Born a Crime on my Kindle. I need to get to it!

>80 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen! A bit chatty today, aren't you? Grins... We may have read Stay Awake: Stories around the same time. I am enjoying his latest novel, Ill Will in the early going.

I hope you like Witch Hunt a bit more than I did. It was a bit hit or miss, for me.

>83 weird_O: Howdy, Bill! Thanks for the kick ass map. That would be a helluva road trip. Obviously, I have heard of most of the Midwest breweries.

>84 m.belljackson: Hi, Marianne! Hooray for seeing your first red-winged blackbird. Once you hear that song, you remember it.

>85 EBT1002: I am sure you will have a good time with Born a Crime, Ellen. It is a super enjoyable memoir.

^Lots of activity at the feeders today, but the highlight is the brown-headed cowbird, that paid a visit. Good looking bird. I think this is a first timer and definitely the first time I have seen one of these guys at my feeders.

>87 msf59: - I have a funny (or maybe not!) story about my first time seeing one of these characters. You know that cowbirds lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, causing smaller birds to raise them, poor things, often at the cost of their own offspring. Well, several years ago I noticed a sweet little chipping sparrow feeding this much larger but obviously very young chick, who was following the chippy around all across my lawn. It was a baby cowbird! I even have a photo of them somewhere on this computer. Poor Mrs. Chippy! Chipping sparrows, by the way, are easy to ID as they are rust coloured on top of their heads, while the rest of them looks like a regular sparrow.

Speaking of birds, one of the Denver LT meetup crew came over to meet my girls, and afterwards we went out to have Thai for lunch. Next door to the Thai place is a Wild Birds Unlimited store, so I went in, "just to look around." Oh, man! So much stuff I wanted! Plus they're having a 20% off bird feeder sale through 4/15. I didn't buy anything because I really don't want to have to move more stuff, but I may have to go back and get this really strong-looking pole system. And a squirrel baffle. And a heated bird bath. And...well, you understand, right?

Nice Cubs win today. That Matt Szczur strikeout, where the ball stuck to catcher Molina's chest protector was amazing. I've never seen that before. Illegal pine tar, perhaps?

Turned out to be a key play since the next guy walked and then Schwarber homered to put the Cubs ahead.

I am off again tomorrow. Last day off til mid May or so.

>88 jessibud2: Thanks, for the great cowbird story, Shelley! I thought it was funny but poor Mrs. Chippy. I have heard of chipping sparrows but have not seen one. So far, in my short birding life, telling different sparrows apart has been the most challenging.

>89 Storeetllr: "Speaking of birds..." I love that expression, Mary. It is right up there, with speaking of books or speaking of beer...

I think we have a Wild Birds Unlimited location here too but I have not visited. I hope you return to take advantage of that sale.

>90 lindapanzo: Go Cubbies! I was off today, Linda, so I was able to catch some of the game. What a crazy series it was and how cool that Schwarber won it, with a three run blast. Only 3 games in and we are all ready giddy.

Enjoy, that 3-day weekend and the Meet-Up is right around the corner.

>91 msf59: Yep, next Sat, right? What time? I'll have to get my GPS cranked up, though I think I remember how to get there, basically. I'll need to drive past where I had my flat tire, on 88.

I took my lunch outside and sat in my car and listened to a few innings on the radio. I actually love listening to the Cubs on the radio but rarely do so.

>92 lindapanzo: We will start it at one, Linda. It works out a bit better for Amber, if we kick it off a bit earlier.

No flat tires, okay? Deal?

>93 msf59: Thanks for the info, Mark. I think the travel time between my town and yours, outside of rush hour, is probably about an hour.

Hopefully, no flats or low pressure. I got that one fixed about 3 months ago and still hanging in there.

I'm about halfway through Jane Austen's Persuasion and I am liking it.

>90 lindapanzo: That had to be pine tar on Molina's chest protector. Those no-good cheating Satanic Red Fowl! I guess Schwarber put them in their place, though. Ha!

>83 weird_O: That is a road trip quite possibly to die for!

>94 lindapanzo: Traffic should be nice and easy at that time on a Saturday and remember there will be Home Run Inn pizza on the menu. Smiles...

>95 rosalita: Satanic Red Fowl! Nicely put, Julia. LOL.

>96 PaulCranswick: You would have to bring your driver along, Paul. Grins...

>97 msf59: I'm glad that your affinity for birds does not extend to flocks of two-legged Cardinals, Mark!

>91 msf59: - Most sparrows do look alike and are almost impossible to tell apart but the chippy is distinctive because of its head, and is really sweet looking:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Chipping_Sparrow/id

>98 rosalita: No, it doesn't my friend. Grins...

>99 jessibud2: Hooray for chipping sparrows, Shelley. Let's hope I see one this year.

Morning, Mark!

^I meant to post this yesterday. Sorry, if the photo quality is off a bit. I finally put up my finchfeeder, (w/the yellow-top). It took a few days but the goldfinch finally made a visit. There is one clinging to the side, in the photo, along with Mr. & Mrs. Cardinal on the ground, (they are a regular couple). There is a downy woodpecker at the suet feeder. House sparrows at the main feeder. Actually the cowbird was on the ground too, just before I snapped the shot.

Happy Friday, Mark! Your bird spot looks like a very inviting place for feathered friends! Have a great weekend.

Good morning, Mark!

Congrats on your cowbird and getting the finch feeder up!

I think our weather blew all the birds away yesterday - very little activity here so far.

>101 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

>103 Carmenere: Morning, Lynda. I need to clean up around the feeder area. It is a bit messy around there.

>104 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. With the migration season starting to heat up, I hope to see some interesting drive-bys at the feeders.

Happy Friday, Mark.

We were just saying the other day that it's about time to get our finch feeder out. We saw our first goldfinches of the season!

Happy Friday, Mark!

Fun to see all the birds. I finished I Contain Multitudes sooner than I expected - it has a bibliography and index at the end, in addition to notes, so it's a good read and not really the doorstop I thought I was reading on Kindle. The connections are surprising, and it's tantalizing how close we're getting to some major answers.

I'm starting The Three-Body Problem for Kim's Obama challenge, and about halfway through the unusual Tender: Stories, which I got as an ER copy.

Happy Friday, Mark. Looks like you have quite the bird set up there.

>106 Ameise1: Big Waves to Barb!

>107 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen! Yep time for the finch-feeders. Our male goldfinch are still getting their summer plumage back. They are slowly making progress. Our your all ready bright yellow?

>108 jnwelch: Happy Friday, Joe. I have I Contain Multitudes in my audio queue. I just started an audio but I think I will make it my follow-up. Glad you had a good time with it. Let me know how Tender: Stories is. You know I am a big short fiction fan.

>109 Familyhistorian: Hi, Meg. I don't have a big space to work with back, behind my house, so I have to make do. Of course, I want to have it in view of our back windows. The hummingbird feeder will go right outside the window.

I think you've got me in place of Meg at >109 Familyhistorian:, my friend.

The one we saw last week was vivid yellow. It seemed early, especially given how late this spring is being. The cherry trees are a full 6 weeks behind last year's bloom date.



Here is a goldfinch on a blooming cherry tree!

>111 jnwelch: And I am completely sober, Joe. LOL. Better work on that...

>112 EBT1002: What a beauty, Ellen. Our goldfinch in the Midwest will catch up soon.

^Yes, I am finally getting to Americanah. My first Adiche. Hallelujah! I don't want to sound like a broken record, (okay, too late!) but I have had this in the audio stacks for a couple of years now and I have really wanted to get to it. Why the foot draggin'? Who the hell knows but I am listening to it now. That counts for something, right?

>114 msf59: Can't wait to hear what you think, Mark. I'm the same; I haven't read it or her yet, and I've want to for some time.

>114 msf59: I hope you love it, Mark.

>115 jnwelch: I think this is going to be a keeper, Joe. Nice, smooth narrative, solid writing. I just have to pay attention to all the character names.

^ We need this day, more than ever, with You Know Who, rattling swords and babbling nonsense. I am doing my part, (Duh!) but ARE YOU?

I saw a goldfinch today on my feeder that was almost fully yellow but not quite. First one showing spring colours! Yay!

Mark, I heard on our evening news tonight that it was exactly 40 years ago today that the Toronto Blue Jays played their first home game ever, April 7, 1977. In the snow (perpetuating every Canadian stereotype, but never mind). That was long before our domed stadium was built. I wasn't yet living in Toronto so I wouldn't have seen it. Apparently, we played Chicago, and won. Just saying.... ;-)

>114 msf59: - I haven't yet read Adichie either but I really want to. I have heard a wonderful interview with her on the radio not long ago and she is delightful to listen to. I have to see whether my library might have any of her works in audio.

>114 msf59: I have not read that one by her yet. One of these days. . .

>83 weird_O: I see Portland, OR, marked so I approve of the route. ; )

>118 msf59: Good thing you pointed this out, especially since it is the cocktail hour here!! Off to participate!

Happy weekend.

>114 msf59: About time! I loved this novel.

>119 jessibud2: Happy Friday, Shelley! Hooray for a goldfinch sighting. I enjoy watching them. Thanks for sharing the Blue Jays story! The Cubs in the late '70s were pretty bad, so no surprise there.

I am glad I am finally getting around to Adiche, but I thought I was one of the only holdouts.

>121 alcottacre: Maybe, I will bring some inspiration, Stasia. Warbling is a specialty of mine...

>122 Berly: Happy Friday, Kimmers! I would have been very disappointed if Portland wasn't on that brewery map. Glad to see you participating in National Beer Day. I am, but I work tomorrow, so I am behaving.

>123 BLBera: "About time!" is exactly right, Beth. Glad I finally jumped in. Have you read anything else by her?

Purple Hibiscus and Half a Yellow Sun are also wonderful, but Americanah is my favorite.

Well, I'm slow to start her books too although Americanah is in a pile close by purchased at the book sale to raise funds for the self sustaining independent library on our little island. I have read her tiny and wonderful book We Should All Be Feminists and IMHO, there is no argument that anyone can make to challenge that!

Very windy here tonight, fir cones falling like missiles and hopefully the hummingbirds are tucked in safely.

>123 BLBera: I am sure I will want to get to both of those too, Beth. Thanks.

>126 mdoris: Happy Saturday, Mary. Thanks for chiming in on the Adiche. I also want to read We Should All Be Feminists.

We had strong winds, a couple days ago but it looks like it will be much calmer this weekend. Yah, for the hummingbirds!

Good afternoon, Mark. I hope your weekend will be good!

Happy Saturday, Mark!

I'm finally listening to Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama, read by him. It is wonderful. It's also depressing to compare a literate, thoughtful, intelligent man to what's in the White House (when he's even there) now. Sigh.

>128 DianaNL: Hi, Diana! Good to see you. Have a nice weekend.

>129 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. I read Dreams from My Father before 2008 and was very impressed. it is quite a contrast I agree.

Off to work, but it is supposed to be a lovely one. 70 and sunny.

>129 karenmarie: - I agree with your sentiments completely. I also listened to him read it to me but I bought a paper copy for my permanent library on my shelf. I listened to him read me his next book, too, The Audacity of Hope and have a copy of that too. The man can write! I hope he is working on a new one, as we speak...

I just ordered a copy of a book called The Stranger: Barack Obama in the White House by Chuck Todd. I ordered it from Book Outlet and it was only available in large print. I think that might be a shock to my system but the price of the book plus shipping came to under $10 and I couldn't resist. It sounds interesting.

I am a bit behind with my reading, Mark, but I am almost done with The Confessions of Nat Turner for last months AAC.

Have a wonderful weekend, buddy.

>131 jessibud2: Morning, Shelley. We should not be surprised that Obama is a very fine writer. The Chuck Todd book does sound interesting.

>132 PaulCranswick: Hi, Paul. I hope you end up really liking Nat Turner.

Morning, Mark!

Morning, Mamie!

Happy Saturday, Mark!

It's a nice one out there, and just getting nicer. Finally!

I'm enjoying The Three-Body Problem; it got off to a very awkward start in terms of writing (not sure whether it's due to the translation or in the original), but it's settled down and gotten much better. I'm also liking the GN Just So Happens.

Happy Saturday, Mark. A beautiful day, today.

After getting some car service done this morning, we went out into the yard to do some yard work and came upon a momma duck sitting on what looks to be 9 duck eggs. She flew off but hovered nearby. We've had plenty of robin's nests but never ducks.

>136 jnwelch: Hi, Joe! Finally home from work. A bit breezy out there today but not bad at all. Glad you are enjoying The Three-Body Problem. I am not sure I am up for this trilogy but I'll see what you think of it, when you are done with it. The GN sounds good though.

>137 lindapanzo: Hi, Linda. Hope you got your yard work done. I will probably do some tomorrow afternoon. I can't believe you have a mama mallard with nine eggs. Wow. We have a mallard couple hanging out behind our house too but if there is a nest, it is well hidden.

Mark! So glad you are reading Adichie!!

And The Best We Could Do looks awesome. We saw a fabulous play last year about the topic, it's called Vietgone, if you ever have the chance.

#114
I finally got around to reading Americanah last fall and enjoyed it. Her views on race and immigration in the U.S. and in Great Britain are very enlightening and often funny. Her critique of politics in the U.S. can be biting and very caustic, but at the same time right on the money.

I read this for our book discussion group and all of us enjoyed it. Some more than others, and I am sorry to say, it was the conservatives among us who didn't think the book was funny. It was predictable but the real victory was that both of them stuck with the book and finished it, so even though they had problems with parts of it, they still read it.

I have Purple Hibiscus on my TBR shelves and will get to that one soon.

>129 karenmarie: Oh, I have had that on my shelves for a while but listening to it as read by the author, that sounds worth one of my Audible credits. I'm in.

I hope you have a wonderful Sunday lined up, Mark!

ETA: Dreams from My Father appears to be abridged.... I'll have to decide whether I can live with that.

>83 weird_O: Eureka!!!
That also settles my issue of whether to do my US road trip across the top or across the bottom. Go all around! And bring a driver...

>139 banjo123: Happy Sunday, Rhonda! I am really enjoying Americanah. It looks like it will be well worth the wait. I hope you can track down a copy of The Best We Could Do. It is a keeper.

>140 benitastrnad: Thanks for your thoughts on Americanah, Benita. I think it would make a fine book club selection. I think I may also have Purple Hibiscus in the stacks.

>141 EBT1002: Happy Sunday, Ellen! I would avoid anything abridged and something that beautifully written...forget about it.

>142 LovingLit: I could easily envision, an LT, brewery-hopping, road-trip, Megan. Books and discussion on the long drives, the nectar of the Gods, waiting at each stop. Swoons...

^The wife is joining me on a organized birdwalk this morning. Hope she enjoys hanging with the bird geeks.

Enjoy the walk! They are lots of fun!

Finally got around to watching last Sunday's CTM. Excellent though I'm thinking that a few will no longer be on the show anymore, which is too bad. I don't like the new nun at all.

More yardwork this am followed by Cubs and reading in the pm.

Happy Sunday!!

Good morning and Happy Sunday, Mark! I hope you and your wife both enjoy the bird walk this morning.

>136 jnwelch: I have the trilogy on my shelves. I bought The Three-Body Problem new but found the second and third books at the Friends of the Library book sale on Thursday and snagged them right up. The first and third are translated by Ken Liu, but interestingly, the second one is translated by Joel Martinsen.

>141 EBT1002: The audiobook I have is abridged, too, Ellen, and I knew that when I bought it at the Library sale last year. However, I needed to hear his voice and decided that I would break my usual rule of no abridgements.

Morning, Mark! I hope your walk was full of fabulous.

Morning, Mark! Happy Sunday!!

>145 jessibud2: Hi, Shelley! Excellent bird outing. Many first-timers and I think Sue enjoyed it.

>146 lindapanzo: Happy Sunday, Linda. Enjoyed the Cubs game last night. Lots of offense. I will spend my afternoon, alternating my chores, with some reading. Getting the Man-Cave in tip-top shape for the Meet-Up.

>147 karenmarie: Happy Sunday, Karen. Had a terrific time on the bird walk. Many highlights. A nice, big group too.

>148 Crazymamie: Hi, Mamie! The walk is super-fabulous. Thanks!

>149 scaifea: Happy Sunday, Amber!

Hi, Mark - Just stopped by to see what you've been up to and to wish you a happy Sunday. Looks like you've already gotten started on a great Sunday! So glad Sue enjoyed her first (?) birding walk!

^What a great time on the bird walk and I think Sue enjoyed it too. She may have had more fun watching the bird geeks, than the birds, though. We had a nice group and we seen a slew of great birds, many first-timers for me:

field & song sparrows, cowbirds, red-winged blackbirds, coopershawk, great-blue heron, egrets, cormorants, northern flickers, chickadees, yellow-bellied sapsucker, (first timer), downy & red-bellied woodpeckers, red-tailed hawks, golden-crowned & ruby-crowned kinglets, (the ruby was a first timer), nuthatches, tree sparrow, Caspian tern (first-timer), wood ducks, Canada geese, mallards, buffleheads, blue-winged teal, (first timer) and eastern phoebes, (first timer). There were also yellow-rumped warblers, I got a fleeting glance at. Only warblers we saw this early migration season.

Not bad, for 2 hours, eh?



-Caspian Tern



-ruby-crowned kinglet

Where's the yellow-bellied sapsucker?

Last night, we thought all the duck eggs were gone. Turns out that when momma duck leaves to fly over to the nearby lake, she covers up her nest of eggs. We didn't see her leave but we were watching through the window when she came back. This morning, did some yard work in other parts of the yard. We didn't bother momma duck and she didn't bother us.

I'm excited for the start of the hockey playoffs. We have the third home game of the first round so, if neither team sweeps, we will go to a Hawks game at the UC around April 21st.

>153 lindapanzo: Linda, your backyard duck family reminds me of the year a family of ducks made its home at the Water Court, the plaza between two skyscrapers in Downtown L.A. It was pretty cool to see them walking in a line (mama, then babies, then papa) along an inside corridor toward the pool where they would jump in and swim around while all around workers on their lunch hours sat at tables and watched. If I remember correctly, the building's maintenance installed baffles so the little ducklings wouldn't be sucked down into the filtration system.

#141
I think I would advise against an abridgment as well. Especially for a book of this import. However, the exception might be - to hear the author read it. That in itself can be important. Like seeing a famous person give a speech.

Mark & #146

I didn't realize that Call the Midwife had started for the season. How many episodes did I miss? You failed to alert me - and thousands of other LT members. How could you do that!

I looked at my local TV guide and found that it is showing on my local channel at 7:00 p.m. so you know where I will be tonight.

For some reason, the coming and going of characters on TV shows does not bother me. I think it is normal. Like life - people come and go in and out of your life. It may be that working in academe has conditioned me to that kind of life where people come and go with regularity. In my life students, graduate students, and colleagues regularly leave and go elsewhere, so it is a normal part of my life. Oftentimes, the people I like are replaced with people I can't stand to be around.

>156 benitastrnad: There was the Christmas Day special set in South Africa.

Last Sunday was the first episode of the regular CTM season. I watched it on-demand last night. My on-demand system said it'd be available until April 15.

Lots of (potential) character changes and I am not at all a happy camper. In fact, this could be the last season I watch it (and I've never said that before). I dislike the new CTM nun more than any CTM character I've ever encountered.

Happy Sunday, Mark!

Been busy with some deep cleaning in the Man-Cave, laundry and catching some of the Cubs game. At least, I am handling some books and reorganizing a few shelves. I was able to thin out a few but not nearly as much as I hoped. Sighs...

>151 Storeetllr: Happy Sunday, Mary! Good to see you. Glad we had our outing this morning, because it has been a busy afternoon. We have a big Meet-Up coming up soon, you know. B.A.G.

>154 Storeetllr: Like the ducky story, Mary. Awwww....

>153 lindapanzo: There is your yellow-bellied sapsucker, Linda. I am glad for the reminder, I wanted to include it. Also glad mama duck and the eggs are safe.

Hooray for the hockey postseason. The only time I watch. Smiles...

>156 benitastrnad: Hi, Benita! Linda told me about CTM too. LT was quiet about the new season. I have not seen it yet. It can be something I can watch with Sue. Hopefully this week.

>157 lindapanzo: You have me curious about the new season. It has been remarkably consistent so far, Linda.

>158 alcottacre: Happy Sunday, Stasia.

>161 msf59: This new Sister Ursula, I think her name is, totally ruins the dynamic of the show for me. Maybe she won't be as bad in tonight's episode but I'm not holding my breath on that.

Hoping the Cubs can keep it up.

Your bird walk sounds wonderful!!!! Thanks for sharing the spoils with us.

I'm in full agreement about the no-go on an abridged work. In general that goes against my grain and I don't want to short shrift our 44th president. I'll just read it the old fashioned way.

Yay Cubs for starting 4-2. That's a wee bit better than the Mariners' dismal 1-5 start. "We" are up on the Angels right now but I'm not finding myself anxious to purchase tickets to a game.

>162 lindapanzo: It looks like Sue and I will watch the first CTM tonight. Fingers crossed.

Go Cubs! Glad to see Heyward is finally coming around.

>163 EBT1002: The bird walk was amazing. Sue doesn't quite share my enthusiasm, (LOL) but she made the best of of it. Much like hanging out with book people, bird people are very interesting too and I am learning so much each time out. I am planning to go out again Friday and next Sunday.

And yes, very happy with my Cubs. It is very early in the season so I wouldn't write off the Mariners quite yet. Did they make any improvements during the off season?

Chirping by to say hi, Lone Ranger, from a Canadian Whiskey Jack! :) ( Apparently to be our new National Bird) ? It is also known as the Grey Jay, but I've always heard of it as the Whiskey Jack. I dunno. I thought the Canada Goose was our national bird, but I don't think we actually have a National Bird.

> 164 People who are book AND bird people really rock! Especially if you add a little beer. See you next Saturday!

>165 vancouverdeb: Hooray for the Canadian Whiskey Jack, Tonto! One day I will get to see your renowned National treasure. Seeing any other birds on your Poppy walks?

>166 alphaorder: " People who are book AND bird people really rock! Especially if you add a little beer." I knew there was a reason I liked you, Nancy. Grins...

Looking forward to next Saturday, my friend.

Did you see my bird list up there. Have you seen any of those?

> 167

Sounds like such a lovely time. I have seen most of these birds you saw today, but I haven't seen one of your lifers: the yellow-bellied sapsucker. I really haven't been out much this year - looking forward to going birding with my co-workers during warbler migration so they can point out all of the fleeting birds!

>165 vancouverdeb: - We do now, Deb! You are right it's the Gray Jay (note the cover in this article):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Geographic

:-)

That ruby-crowned kinglet is adorable!!! Lucky you, Mark!

>168 alphaorder: I was fortunate to have experienced birders along with me today, otherwise I may have missed the yellow-bellied sapsucker. Their coloring is very similar to a downy or hairy woodpecker. I plan on going on several birding outings in the coming weeks. I plan on going both Friday and Sunday mornings.

>169 jessibud2: The ruby-crowned kinglet was a keep and so was it's cousin the golden-crowned:

OOh, I saw my first Caspian tern yesterday, too. What a pretty bird!

I see mainly waterfowl on my walks with Poppy. Canada Geese, mallard ducks, Great Blue Herons ( which are quite cool ) , wood ducks, Trumpeter swans, Common Golden Eyes ( ducks ) , Barrow's Golden Eye's ( also ducks)., sea gulls, bald eagles, buffleheads, Merganser's - ducks, ducks! There are song birds around here, but we mainly see waterfowl swimming in the Fraser river and Pacific Ocean. We walk along the dyke , so there are a lot of little inlets , ponds and brackish water, so that is where the waterfowl hang out a lot.

>172 streamsong: Hooray for the Caspian tern, Janet. Thankfully, I had people there to point it out to me, otherwise I may have just thought it was an ordinary gull. A beauty, indeed.

>173 vancouverdeb: Wow! Lots and lots of ducks. There were common mergansers out there today too, but I did not get a good look at them. I like the buffleheads. I am sure you see shore birds, as well?

Hi Mark! Wow, what a lot of birds you saw on your walk! And I am happy that Sue had fun, too, even if she was checking out the nerds more than the birds. LOL

I know you are a beer man, but I don't know if you like whiskey as well. When we were out celebrating our anniversary, my Hubby found a new favorite: a single malt scotch whiskey called Auchentoshan by Three Woods.

>175 Berly: Hi, Kimmers! Yep, good time on the bird walk. Very productive. And yes, I like a good bourbon or scotch whiskey. The Auchentoshan sounds good.
I had not heard of it. Thanks.

Morning, Mark!

Trust the Hours (Wait)

"Wait, for now.
Distrust everything, if you have to.
But trust the hours. Haven’t they
carried you everywhere, up to now?"

-excerpt from Galway Kinnell Has anyone read him?

October Fullness

"...I breathed the air of so many places
without keeping a sample of any.
In the end, everyone is aware of this:
nobody keeps any of what he has,
and life is only a borrowing of bones.
The best thing was learning not to have too much
either of sorrow or of joy..."

-excerpt from Pablo Neruda

>177 scaifea: Morning, Amber!!

Happy Monday, Mark!

Happy Monday, Mark! 3 Cheers to Sue who braved the bird geeks and shared a bird walk with you!
Our first gold finch of the year paid us a visit yesterday! Warmed my heart!
>178 msf59: I really enjoyed the excepts you posted of Neruda and Kinnell. I'll look into them!

Good morning Mark and Happy Monday!

I'm impressed with all the birds you saw on your bird walk and glad you enjoyed the birds and Sue enjoyed the bird geeks! And, I'm envious of your seeing the Caspian Tern. They apparently migrate through NC, but I'd be surprised if I ever saw one.

Morning, Mark!

I'm a Galway Kinnell fan. You'll enjoy him, I'm sure.

The Three-Body Problem is hard sci-fi, and quite Chinese. You might enjoy trying it; it's not one where I can tell it's your cuppa. It's translated by Ken Liu, whose stories you liked in The Paper Menagerie. I'm going to find out whether Jesse has read the other two.

I'm at sixes and sevens about Tender: Stories. It is certainly different!

>178 msf59: 'a borrowing of bones' so lovely.

I think Kinnell did a reading at my university lo those many years ago, but I haven't read him since. Obviously, I need to look again.

Hi Mark! I would not have recognized the Caspian Tern, either, without it being pointed out.

There was a neat bit of trivia in Canoeing With the Cree which I just finished. Sevareid said the Cree word for that grey jay is We-sa-kay-jac which is where 'Whiskey Jack' supposedly came from.

>180 alcottacre: Howdy, Stasia. Hope your Monday is a good one.

>181 Carmenere: Hi, Lynda. Had a good time at the bird walk and Sue MAY join me again.

Hooray for your first goldfinch. We have been seeing them regularly at our finch feeder.

>182 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Very productive bird walk and I learn something different every outing. Honestly, I am not sure if I ever even heard of a Caspian tern before yesterday but now I have seen one.

>183 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. Nice warm start to the day and I am staying dry. Yah! Do you have a particular favorite of Kinnell's?

>185 streamsong: - Interesting tidbit about the origin of the *Whiskey Jack*!

#183
Whenever I have tried to push Three Body Problem the library patrons that I have talked to about it later have not read it. I think there are some problems in the beginning, as Joe mentioned, that keep them from getting into it. I talked with Ken Liu at an ALA and he was delightful. He was signing copies of Paper Menagerie. He has two series of his own, so I don't think the problems with 3-body are in the translation. Joe might be right in that it is a Chinese novel and so hard to get into. I have my own reading agenda set up for this month, which precludes me from getting to 3-body this month. (I am 120 pages into Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakamiand that is enough weirdness for this month.

btw, thanks for the pic of a yellow-bellied sap sucker. I don't think I've ever seen one before.

Whenever we see a cardinal, invariably, we say "all the way from St Louis." Or when we see an oriole, we say "all the way from Baltimore."

I don't pay much attention but do see the occasional cardinal, oriole, or blue jay.

I've still never figured out what those odd birds were that we saw in early Dec. I went past there on Friday and was reminded of that.

Hi, Mark! Lost you for several threads...don't know how. So I'm not really caught up, but I've savored all your toppers, especially the bird-y ones.

>184 ffortsa: Hi, Judy! Good to see you and it will be even better to see you in person...very soon. It looks like Kinnell has been around a very long time. An old-schooler.

>185 streamsong: Perfect explanation, Janet, on the whiskey jack. I was wondering why the jays had that nickname.

>189 benitastrnad: I might just give the Three Body Problem a try, Benita. Joe thinks I might like it, I love Liu, (I was crazy about The Paper Menagerie)and I have it saved on audio. The stars are lining up.

I hope you are enjoying Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. I read and enjoyed it last year. It may not have been one of my favorite Murakami's but a worthy read never the less.

>190 lindapanzo: The sapsucker was my first, Linda. They look similar to our usual woodpeckers, so you might see one and not know it. I have never seen an oriole. Maybe I could entice one to stop by my feeders. They like oranges, I believe.

>191 laytonwoman3rd: Hi, Linda. Things can move pretty quickly around here, so I understand, that it can be no easy task keeping up. Thanks for dropping by and I am glad you like the birdy toppers.

"...I wouldn't write off the Mariners quite yet." Well. They were up 9-4 in the bottom of the 9th last night. With 2 outs. And they lost the game. INcredible.

I'm getting pulled into temptation with The Three-body Problem, too.

>194 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen. Those kind of losses are really hard to take. Hope the Mariners can pull it together. We are having our Cubs home opener tonight, against the Dodgers. Hope it doesn't rain. We are having a banner raising ceremony beforehand, which should be a beautiful and slightly teary event. This town is still buzzing.

I need to get cracking and head home, though the t-storms have been quite strong in Lake County this afternoon.

Drat. The banner raising ceremony will be at about 6:20. Not sure I'll make it home in time. Grrrr.

Mark, I've yet to read Americanah , but I loved Half a Yellow Sun and Purple Hibiscus by the same author. I'd recommend them both. Yes, there must be shorebirds around, like plovers, and others, but I notice the bigger birds, like the ducks, ravens and crows. I'm always walking Poppy and she only gives me an opportunity to notice the big birds and ducks. No lolly - gagging says Poppy, and no binoculars - hang onto the leash! :)

Despite dealing with hail, standing water, and an accident blocking the tollway, I got home and the rain has delayed the banner raising, so at least I'll get to see it.

>196 lindapanzo: Well, it looks like you have plenty of time now, Linda, with this miserable rain delay. Come one Mama Nature, give us a break.

>197 vancouverdeb: Hi, Deb. Since I am really enjoying Americanah, I am certain I will be reading her other books. Glad to hear you were a fan of both.

No lolly-gagging with Polly! That could be the name of your memoir. Grins...

Hi Mark, As always your opening image is incredible. I'm stopping by to say hello. You are doing some impressive reading!

>200 Whisper1: Hi, Linda. Great to see you. Glad you like the topper. That is a new artist for me. I will be posting more of his work.

And yes, I am very pleased with my reading year, in this first quarter.

Mark!

Taking note of The Best We Could Do. I've been reading a lot of graphic novels/memoirs/bios of late. My newest discovery is Isabel Greenberg.

Hey Mark, this thread is just moving too fast for me....miss a day, miss a thousand posts....OK, maybe only 30, but jeez...I have snail junkmail to read...

anyway, did you see the piece tonight (Monday) on Chicago Tonight about the bald eagles in Busse Woods? Check out Jay Shefsky's piece

http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2017/04/10/bald-eagles-spotted-near-o-hare-signal...

Happy Tuesday, Mark. I hope the week goes well. Big waves over the pond.

>202 weird_O: Bill!

>203 avatiakh: Hi, Kerry! Good to see you. I can not recommend The Best We Could Do high enough. I will request The Encyclopedia of Early Earth from the library. Sounds good.

>204 kac522: Hi, Kathy! Yes, this place gets a bit frantic at times. I did not see the eagle piece on Chicago Tonight, so thanks for the link. Busse Woods is just straight north of here, about 10 miles.

>205 Ameise1: Hi, Barb. Hope the week is off to a good start for you.

Morning, Mark!

Morning, Amber!

Morning, Mark! I missed yesterday, but I am here now. I liked the poem excerpts you posted.

Hi Mark and Happy Tuesday.

I finally saw my first Ruby-Throated Hummingbird on Saturday, but I haven't seen her since.

You should start having sightings 'way up north soon. *smile*

Good morning, Mark. I did NOT stay up til the end of the Cubs game. Just only til the 7th inning. I think the game didn't end til 12:30 or so.

>209 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie!

>210 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Hooray for the hummingbird. Hope to see one of those soon.

>211 lindapanzo: Morning, Linda. Nice to see a win on ceremony day. Of course, I was asleep a couple of hours before the game ended. Grins...

I was about to ask whether you were actually at the game but since you were asleep before it ended, I assume that doesn't mean you were sitting snoozing in the stands with a hot dog and beer spilled in your lap....

Your thread is always on the "Hot Topics" list on my LT homepage. I've started just going there and then coming right over to your thread.

I finished the breathtaking My Name is Asher Lev this morning and read some Maya Angelou poetry on my train ride into the office. I'm thinking I'll take Katie's advice and read Exit West next, except I do have two library books that I won't be able to renew, The Refugees and The Master Butchers Singing Club. So we'll see.

Hey, buddy.

Not too bad out there, although adding a few degrees would be welcome.

I finished Tender: Stories, and wish I liked it more than I did. It had all the right ingredients, but just didn't grab me that much - although a couple of the stories did. I'll try to remember to bring it on Saturday. There's a good chance you'll like it more than I did. Very imaginative, and she can write.

It's an ER book for me, so I'll write a review soon.

Happy Tuesday, Mark!

>213 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen. I am so glad I wasn't at that Cubs game and ceremony. The weather was bad, there was a 2 hour rain delay and the game did not wrap up until 12:30am. No, thank you. I did enjoy the ceremony at home. Warm & snug.

I rarely ever check out the Hot Topics, but yes, I am on there and I see Paul right near the tippy-top. No surprise there.

I have been wanting to read My Name is Asher Lev for years. I know it is a LT favorite and I have it on shelf too. Sighs...

>214 jnwelch: Hi, Joe! Yep, much cooler today but it is supposed to be nicer tomorrow, with much more sunshine. Sorry, Tender: Stories did not float your boat more. It does sound good to me and I will gladly take you up on your offer.

>215 alcottacre: Big, loving waves to Stasia!

I never look at talk hot topics but yes, there you are. My thread would be more likely categorized as "cold topic."

Missed that PBS WW1 show last night since I was watching the Cubs. No Cubs and no Hawks tonight so maybe I'll check out part 2 of the WW1 show tonight. It's either 8 to 10 on Milwaukee PBS or 9 to 11 on WTTW.

>218 lindapanzo: Hi, Linda! Yah for Hot Topics! Boo to Cold Topics! Your thread will always be warm to me. my friend.

Let me know how the WW1 PBS series is. It is Ken Burns, right?

>219 msf59: I'm not sure if it is Ken Burns or not. I think his Vietnam War documentaries will be on in the fall.

I've had a really hectic day at work and hope I can stay up late enough for the WW1 show. (It's been a hellish week at work, as I knew it would be.) Reading a cozy mystery with a cup of hot tea is just the thing for tonight, I think.

^For the AAC and for April poetry month, I finished the collections Incendiary Art: Poems & There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyoncé. I really enjoyed both of these but the Smith collection was truly amazing- quite a gut-punch on the current state of race in this country. You will smile, frown and cry, throughout. The Parker collection was somewhat overshadowed but she is also a fine poet and I want to thank Joe for putting her on my radar.

"This is no movie,
In cinematic oceans, white people flail,
pray upward,
shop for late-breaking religions.
Their histories trail listlessly
behind them as credits roll. But here
in Jersey, we go hard.
No otherwordly light,
no storyline beyond this."

-Patricia Smith

43) The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel 4.3 stars

"Silence, it appears, is not the opposite of sound. It is another world altogether, literally offering a deeper level of thought, a journey to the bedrock of the self."

For over a quarter of a century, the people of North Pond, Maine lived in fear of a boogeyman.
An enigmatic thief, that had been breaking into the cabins, of these deep, rural woods, year after year, stealing foodstuffs, clothes and other items. This ghost left no clues and had eluded capture.
In 2013, thanks to the diligence of a park ranger, this mystery was solved. Christopher Knight had been living in these woods, like a hermit for twenty-seven years, having virtually no human contact, living off the spoils of what he stole.
The author befriended Knight while in prison, so was able to get intimate details into what made Knight tick and what drove him into the woods. This is an excellent story of a modern hermit. I love narrative nonfiction and this totally fits the bill.

^The Pulitzer Prize list was revealed. So happy to see Evicted & The Underground Railroad on top. Two of my very favorite reads of 2016. Blood in the Water and The Return: Fathers, Sons, and the Land in Between look very promising. I hope I can get to them this year, along with Olio, which would fit in perfectly with April poetry month.

The cover of the Parker book was, well, disturbing... WTF?

:)

>222 msf59: That one has been getting some solid buzz and has a pretty impressive holds queue at my library. Glad you enjoyed it!

>143 msf59: I could easily envision, an LT, brewery-hopping, road-trip, Megan. Books and discussion on the long drives, the nectar of the Gods, waiting at each stop. Swoons...
I know! It could be a hop on/hop off tour! All LTers welcome at whichever point they choose :) *chuck that on the bucket list*

>222 msf59: mmmmm, silence. Sounds like good book!

Happy Wednesday, Mark.

Hey Mark! A couple of days/weeks/threads ago (I can't keep up), I mentioned to you that I hadn't seen a Kestrel in years. Well, yesterday, one swooped right in front of us on the trail, not 15 feet away and at eye level. Such a pretty bird!

So anyway, I haven't seen a Bald Eagle in a year or so...

The Pulitzer list of winners looks good to me too. I'd like to get my hands on Blood in the Water, will have to see if it is published over here yet.

Glad >222 msf59: was a good read.

>224 drneutron: It is a creepy cover, Jim. Fortunately it is the work inside that really sings.

>225 MickyFine: Hi, Micky. Yes, The Stranger in the Woods deserves all the buzz it has received.

>226 LovingLit: The LT Brewery Road-Trip sounds excellent doesn't it? Hops on, Hops Off! I like it.

I also think you would like The Stranger in the Woods.

Happy Hump Day, Mark. I hope your day goes as smoothly as possible.

Morning, Mark!

>227 Ameise1: Happy Mid-Week, Barb! I got a short work week, so I am a Happy Camper.

>228 Copperskye: Hi, Joanne! Lots to keep up with over here, so I appreciate the visit. Yah, for a kestrel sighting. You should be seeing more migrant birds passing through. Let me know. We have been seeing more and more bald eagles in the Chicagoland area. They have been missing from Illinois for decades.

>229 charl08: Hi, Charlotte. I am also going to keep an eye out for Blood in the Water. Is The Stranger in the Woods available in your area?

^I saw a couple brown creepers yesterday on the route. There is a small park on my route, along a railroad track. You might wonder how I get any work done, through the day but I almost always get back on time. B.A.G.

I should finish, both Americanah & Ill Will today. Both are hefty books but worthy reads.

>231 lunacat: Hi, Jenny! Only two more work days for this guy. Yah!

>232 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

Good morning, Mark, and happy Wednesday!

I've added The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel to my wishlist, sounds interesting.

I've never seen a Brown Creeper. They apparently winter in NC, so they've probably been heading north in the last several weeks.

Morning, Mark!

Oh, I'm glad you liked the Patricia Smith collection so much. I'll have to find that one. I also need to track down Olio, which was new to me. Wouldn't it have been cool if the Ada Limon book had won? You're welcome re More Beautiful Things Than Beyonce. She's getting a lot of buzz.

I'm still working on that Kim Addonizio collection. She is so good, isn't she.

Wish me luck - I've started The Alchemist. I'm glad it has the Moebius illustrations.

>236 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. I am sure you will really enjoy The Stranger in the Woods.

Brown Creepers are small and blend in well, with tree bark. They do have a unique scuttling motion, as they crisis cross the tree trunks. Hope you see one.

>237 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. Hope you an find a copy of the Smith collection. It's actually a collection worth owning.

Good luck with The Alchemist. May be it will work for you.

Sustenance

The sky hangs up its starry pictures: a swan
a crab, a horse. And even though you're
three hundred miles away, I know you see
them, too. Right now, my side
of the bed is empty, a clear blue lake
of flannel. The distance yawns and stretches.

It's hard to remember we swim in an ocean
of great love, so easy to fall into bickering
like little birds at the feeder fighting over proso
and millet, unaware of how large the bag of grain is,
a river of golden seeds, that the harvest was plentiful,
the corn is in the barn, and whenever we're hungry,
a dipperful of just what we need will be spilled...

Barbara Crooker Small Rain

>233 msf59: Me too, my long Easter weekend started today at 3pm. I'll be back to work next Tuesday.

Good morning, Mark! I'm glad to see that you got some bird watching in recently.

>233 msf59: I'll get to Underground Railroad eventually.

>222 msf59: I read The Stranger in the Woods in a great big gulp, as did my husband, and now my brother (who could almost embrace the hermit lifestyle himself, except that he just loves TALKING to people too much!)

>234 msf59: They sound a bit like the tree creeper here - but your description of their tree climbing reminded me of seeing a nuthatch - which us a much brighter bird. I've used only seen one once or twice, but they were striking in how they move so differently from the garden birds I usually see.

My co-workers and I just got back from a little post-lunch hike. Here is what we saw!
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Common Grackle
Red-winged Blackbird
Song Sparrow
Blue-winged Teal
Swamp Sparrow

We've been seeing more and more gold finches, decked out to impress the ladies.

I'm nearing the end of a bio of Billy Faulkner. Impressed. Now I know all the "hidden meanings" in those Yoknapatawpha County books. Hahaha. I'm ready now to dig into some unread books and to reread a few I have read.

Still have to look at some of that poetry stuff.

>222 msf59: There are days when being a hermit sounds like a really good idea. Except, you know, in a sturdy house with a bathroom that has a tub and shower and a kitchen with a stove, fridge, and sink and plenty of good water to drink and food to eat. *And lots of books. And an internet connection.

Actually, I saw a recommendation for The Stranger in the Woods on an email from AudioFile and thought it looked very interesting. Did you listen to it or read it in print?

ETA *

Hi, Mark! I thought of you this morning when someone tweeted a picture of a big flock of pelicans taking a break from their annual migration on a local lake yesterday. Here's a link to the video if you're interested, although I have to admit the pelicans are just sorta sittin' there. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAMBY8V-8V0

See you Saturday!

#192
Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami has really grabbed me. I have been bringing it to work with me so that I can read over lunch. It may not take me as long to knock this one out as I thought.

I am not a big fan of magical realism but for some reason the novels of Murakami work for me. I like them! so it isn't hard work to read them. in three days I have read 150 pages. My least favorite novel of Murakami's is Norwegian Wood and it is the one that has no magical realism in it. It is the book that made him a "star" in Japan, but it is too much about Japan in the late 1960's and full of college student angst. Even if Hard Boiled isn't an easy book to read I think it will be better than Norwegian Wood.

I usually read an Atwood book in April, and a Murakami in March, but I am behind this year.

The following e-books are available today for $3.99. Just follow the link to purchase the books. All of them are Pulitzer Prize winners.

Carry Me Home by Diane McWhorter http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Carry-Me-Home/Diane-McWhorter/978074322648...
John Adams by David McCullough http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/John-Adams/David-McCullough/9780743218290
No Ordinary Time by Doris Kearns Goodwin http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/No-Ordinary-Time/Doris-Kearns-Goodwin/9781...
Lincoln at Gettysburg by Garry Wills http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Lincoln-at-Gettysburg/Garry-Wills/97814391...

>248 benitastrnad: I'm happy to hear that Hard-Boiled Wonderland is working well for you, Benita. I have the same reaction to Norwegian Wood.

>239 m.belljackson: I like the Crooker poem, Marianne. Thanks for sharing. Are you familiar with more of her work or is this just a stand out?

>240 Ameise1: Ooh, you have a nice, long Easter weekend, Barb. I wish I was off Monday. That would have been perfect. Just 3 days for me.

>241 brodiew2: Hi, Brodie. Yes, I am in full bird geek mode. No Worries though, books will always be front and center. I hope you can get to The Underground Railroad sooner, than later.

>242 laytonwoman3rd: " I read The Stranger in the Woods in a great big gulp." LOL! I am glad that book is a hit with your family. I wish I had family members to pass it onto. Sighs...

>243 charl08: Glad you mentioned nuthatches, Charlotte. There are similarities with creepers. Not in appearance but in their jittery movement. The creeper's movements have a more stuttering quality.

> 251 msf59

I never heard of the poet Barbara Crocker until this poem appeared in the small
"Women Artists 2017 DATEBOOK" received for Christmas.

In between the calendar pages a painting or drawing or photograph appears with a poem by a different artist on the reverse side.

This is the first one I've felt close to.

(Just checked her website -really impressive - and she is giving a reading in good old
OAK PARK in November!)

>244 alphaorder: Wow! Nice going, Nancy. It looks like we have been seeing many of the same birds. During our walk on Sunday, yellow-rumped warblers were spotted but I never got a clear look. I have yet to tick off a swamp sparrow from my life list. Sparrows are my nemesis at the moment. Very hard to distinguish them, in my very early birding life.



^yellow-rumped warbler

>245 weird_O: Hi, Bill! Hooray for goldfinches and Faulkner bios. I really NEED to read more author bios. I should make it a personal challenge. I hope you are able to try a little poetry for the AAC.

>246 Storeetllr: "*And lots of books. And an internet connection." LOL. I am with you, Mary. We like our little comforts. Actually, the hermit from The Stranger in the Woods was a big reader but had to settle for the books that he stole. He did find some fine literature but he was forced to read a lot of crap too.

Yes, I listened to it and it was a excellent audio, narrated by Mark Bramhall.

>247 rosalita: Those are American White Pelicans, Julia. They have been spotted here too. I saw my first one last year. I bet it is neat to see such a large flock. These birds are BIG dudes. Thanks, for sharing.

>248 benitastrnad: I am so glad you have locked in to Hard Boiled Wonderland. I hope the connection holds. I am a fan of Norwegian Wood. It is not my favorite but it would be probably make my top ten.

Thanks for sharing the Pulitzer Prize winning deals. I might grab the Goodwin.

>250 jnwelch: Hooray for Hard-Boiled Wonderland. I might be reading Wild Sheep Chase later this month.

>252 m.belljackson: It looks like I should look into Ms. Crocker. I have never been to a poetry author event.

Hey there, I'll delurk to chime in on Murakami.

I read Wild Sheep Chase a couple years ago. I picked it up off the free table at the "Y" on a whim. Loved it. I also read The Strange Library and loved it as well. I have Sputnik Sweetheart on the shelf that I have to get to at some point.

Right now I'm still riding along with the rangers in Lonesome Dove (about 25% in), as well as finishing up, O'Nan's In the Walled City

>256 mahsdad: Hi, Jeff. Good to see you. Yah, for Murakami. I think you sent me your copy of A Wild Sheep Chase. I have Sputnik Sweetheart on shelf too.

How are you enjoying In the Walled City?

^As everyone knows I LOVED News of the World, my very first book by Jiles and upon completion of that terrific novel, I wanted to read all of her books. Obviously, I didn't jump on it right away but I have started Enemy Women, which I have had on shelf for years. Off to a good start too...

>257 msf59: I am liking O'Nan quite a bit. The stories are just nice tasty morsels

And now that you mention it, I think I did send you my copy. :)

>253 msf59:

I am fortunate. My birder co-worker knows is often my hiking partner and guide. She identifies and points out birds to me, especially ones that she knows may be new to me. :)

Hi Mark. Either I am totally unobservant, or there are just not as many cool birds near me. Love all the talk here! The books are not bad either. ; )

>259 mahsdad: Glad you are enjoying the O' Nan collection, Jeff. So much great short fiction out there.

>260 alphaorder: It sure helps to have knowledgeable friends, Nancy. I am going to keep attending these organized bird walks. I learn something every time.

>261 Berly: Grins...no worries, Kimmers, the birds are there you just have to spot them. My head has been on a swivel on the route. Migration season is starting, so you never know what you will find. Happy Birding.

Morning, Mark!

Morning, Amber!

^After wrapping the audio of Americanah, I was ready for some NF, so I started I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life. I had heard some buzz on this one but Joe's recent warbling, sealed the deal. It is fascinating in the early going.

^He is a bit of an British Howdy Doody, isn't he?

>256 mahsdad: Aw, he's adorable! It's on the list!

Went grocery shopping today and picked up some Wisconsin root beer to bring with me on Saturday, since Linda is taking care of the New Glarus...

Morning Mark, and Happy Thursday!

I finally saw a female Goldfinch yesterday on the feeder. Thee must be more them around since there are so many males.

>245 weird_O: Which Faulkner bio are you reading, Bill? (I can't find your thread using the phone app.)

>266 scaifea: Are you saying Jeff is adorable or Mr. Yong? Grins...

>267 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Another damp cool day in the Midwest.

Yah, for goldfinches. We have seen some activity, but only solo appearances or maybe a pair. The level of seed is slowing reducing.

>269 msf59: >266 scaifea: Yeah I was wondering that myself. Tho I'll definitely take it, if its me. :)

>269 msf59: >270 mahsdad: *SNORK!* I got my numbers mixed up. But of course Jeff is adorable - that goes without saying, doesn't it?

Mark - we have a Leucistic Pileated at the Center! I went out with my co-worker hoping we would see it and I could get a picture to show you on Saturday, but it was not there. This would definitely be a lifer for me!

>270 mahsdad: >271 scaifea: I have met Jeff and can confirm he is definitely adorable! Much more so than Mr. Yong. IMHO, of course.

>272 alphaorder:



Say what, Nancy?? This Leucistic Pileated is gorgeous and rare too! Wowza!

>273 msf59: Well shucks, I'm blushing. Thanks guys ;)

>275 mahsdad: We aim to please, Jeff. Grins...

I think the Pulitzer list is pretty interesting this year. I immediately went and put Olio on hold at the library.

I was also persuaded by Joe's warbling about I Contain Multitudes and used one of my Audible credits to purchase it. I might have started it on my train ride this evening (I need to get back to the audio of Hamilton but it's just so darn long!!) but I was finishing an episode of the Podcast "On Being." So, next.

I'll be interested in how you like Enemy Women. I also LOVED News of the World which has been my most frequently recommended book for friends and colleagues over the past couple of months.

Have a great Friday, Mark!

All set for the Easter long weekend, Mark? Sounds like you have interesting plans. I am hoping for some time to catch up with the books. I should be able to finish up a few because I have a four day long weekend as I have Monday off too.

Okay, okay! Joe AND Mark are recommending I Contain Multitudes! I just need next month's audio credit before I get it. : )

Hi Mark, I hope you have have a lovely Easter weekend - do you get much time off? We are hosting the family this year so I will be busy with cooking, cleaning and entertaining!

Morning, Mark! We're heading out for Chicago later this morning - woot!!

>277 EBT1002: I am interested in Olio too, Ellen, but I currently have a stack of poetry to get to first. I am sure you will have a good time with I Contain Multitudes. Good, nerdy fun.

Enemy Women is off to an excellent start. An interesting slice of the Civil War, that is rarely covered. She is a good writer.

>278 Familyhistorian: Hi, Meg. Chores & errands today, Meet-Up tomorrow, Easter dinner with family on Sunday, (thankfully, not here). Hope to squeeze some reading in too. Enjoy the weekend and your books.

>279 Berly: Hi, Kimmers! You'll have a good time with I Contain Multitudes. You will not regret it.

>280 DeltaQueen50: Hi, Judy! We do not get extra time off for Easter. This just happens to be my weekend off. That is why I picked it for the Meet Up. Yah!

Have a good holiday and good luck hosting!

>281 scaifea: Morning, Amber! Happy Friday. Have a safe trip in. I am sure you have a nice day planned.

Happy Friday, Mark. I'm reading The Secret Chord and like it so far.

Happy Friday, Barb! Hooray for The Secret Chord! I failed to review it, (Bad Mark) but I did like it. I hope you feel the same.

Hey Mark! Looking forward to meet up pics! I already know there will be lots of smiling faces!
Yeah, the Microbe book looks really interesting and one I think I need to purchase so I can hi-light and make notes. Good, I think, for a leisurely read so the info sinks in.

Hi Mark and happy Friday!

Louise and I were standing on my front porch yesterday and saw two birds zoom from one side of the trees at the edge of our pastures to another set of trees on her back lot. She said they were Pileateds, but they were too fast for me to see. If so, I'm really pumped.

Happy Friday, Mark!

Do you have today off, too? I hope so.

Great to hear you're loving I Contain Multitudes. What a fine touch he has with what could have been an info dump.

I decided to bite the book bullet, and bought Olio. So I'll read that one next after I finish the Addonizio collection.

Hi Mark! I won't pretend I've caught up with your thread (minus this particular strand), but I'm crossing fingers and toes that tomorrow will be a good day and I'll get to you see you and everyone else! Assuming I'm coming, what can I bring?

I'm so happy you're into birds! It's something my family has always done, so I know my basics, but that's pretty much it. What non-fiction guides are you using (if any) to help identify birds? I've been using my grandmother's edition of Birds of North America by Golden.

Hope you have a great Easter weekend!

>286 Carmenere: Morning, Lynda. Looking forward to the Meet Up. I can't believe it is tomorrow all ready. I am sure you will get a kick out of I Contain Multitudes and having your own copy is not a bad idea.

>287 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. I hope these were pileated woodpeckers and you get a chance to have a longer view. I saw my first hairy woodpeckers today. They were engaged in a mating dance. Pretty cool.

Hope you have a great weekend off - and a great meet up.

>288 jnwelch: Happy Friday, Joe. Yes, this is my 3-day weekend. I will be busy taking care of things, right until the Meet-Up. I want things to be ship shape.

Glad our mutual warbling has garnered interest in I Contain Multitudes. Most of our pals should get a kick out of this one. And congrats on snagging a copy of Olio. Look forward to your thoughts.

>289 LauraBrook: Happy Friday, Laura! Fingers crossed, that you wake up tomorrow feeling fresh and pain-free enough, to make the Meet-Up. You do not have to bring a thing, other than your lovely self.

I have been loving my new-found birding life. I just came back from a walk. I have an Audubon app on my phone and I use a Peterson's Guide to Birds, while at home. It's a good one.

>290 ChelleBearss: Happy Easter, Chelle! Great to see you.

#277
I love Krista Tippett. I have been subscribing to "On Being" for some time. The February episodes by Margaret Wertheim and Alain De Botton were particularly good and stand out in my memory.

Sometimes it gets very philosophical, but like poetry, thinking in this way takes some mulling over, and quiet contemplation - both things for which many people think they don't have the time. I enjoy the quite way that this podcast allows me to do serious thinking in my quiet time about a wide range of topics.

Hi, Mark. I took your advice and posted that poem on the AAC Poetry thread.

>294 benitastrnad: Hi, Benita! I am having a hard time listening to any non-book podcasts and I have been very selective about those too. Audiobooks have crowded everything else out to the fringes. I do try to keep up with All Songs Considered on NPR.

>295 Storeetllr: Happy Friday, Mary. Glad you posted on the AAC Poetry thread. I will stop over there later.

I did squeeze in a bird walk this morning, (more of that on my new thread) but I have been hustling ever since. Mostly chores, inside and out. Getting the Marky-Mark Manor ready for the Meet-Up! Beautiful day in Chicago. Nice to have all the windows and doors open. Trees and other plants are beginning to bud here. I am seeing green. My allergies are also beginning to nag and itch but it will be worth it.

The only reading I have done today, was listening to a bit of an audiobook, while driving on errands. Maybe I can bookhorn in some reading this evening.

Not too long now, Mark. I was thinking I haven't seen you since you and I met at Home Run Inn about a year ago, after Jill's swim meet at DG North.

I know you listen to podcasts. Once I listen to one, can I delete it? I assume I can. I have to put together a developmental goal for work and then find resources to support myself in that goal, whether a training course, a TedTalk, a podcast or whatever. Or, drum roll, even reading a book on a given topic.

My area has long been pensions and benefits but I'm getting pulled into Intellectual Property and don't know very much and would like to develop a crash course for myself. I thought of a few other topics to work on but IP sounds way more interesting to me than the others.

I am looking forward to lots of photos tomorrow. Sorry, the bookmobile you ordered for me to be smuggled in, did not show up. Must have got stopped at the border.... ;-)

>298 lindapanzo: Looking forward to seeing you again, Linda. Maybe, next time I meet Joe on the north side, for lunch & brews, you can join us.

If Laura makes it tomorrow, (fingers crossed) there will be 11 of us, including me & Sue. Not shabby.

Yes, you can delete podcasts, once you listen to them.

>299 jessibud2: That damn book mobile, let us down again, Shelley. I sure wish you could have made it. It should be a stellar time.