klobrien2 Karen O's Book-It List Part Two

I just read an article about the restoration of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris (Archaeology March/April 2022). "The rebuilt Notre Dame cathedral will look exactly the same" (CNN).



Welcome to my 2022 reading thread, Part Two!

I've been with the 75-bookers for many years now, and I enjoy so much the camaraderie and book talk that happens here. I'm very glad to join with you all again!

The year 2022 has started out to be a terrific time for reading. I find myself reading pretty much as the spirit leads. I participate in the American Author Challenge, and plan to continue with them. A long-term project of mine is to accomplish reads from the "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die" book, so that may guide my reading a little. Current 1001 Books count: 215.

What directs my reading more are my friends here on LT, so keep those recommendations coming!

This is my thirteenth year participating in the 75 Books Challenge. In 2009, I read 94 books; in 2010, I made it to 148!; 153 in 2011; 160 in 2012; 114 in 2013; 92 in 2014; 109 in 2015; 145 in 2016, 210 in 2017, 200 in 2018, 180 in 2019, 225 (3 x 75!) in 2020, 242 in 2021. In 2022? Maybe I'll shoot for 243?

In addition to reading books, I've also discovered the world of Great Courses DVD lifelong learning courses. I love them! Below is a list of the courses I've completed, and I will try to always have at least one course going all the time.

A list of the Great Courses I have done can be found here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/331920

I've also begun some serious magazine reading, using my public library as source once again. I keep track of and read some fifteen magazines, on a range of topics: science, quilting, nature, birding, cats, news, etc.

I read three newspapers, two daily (St. Paul Pioneer Press and the Minneapolis Star Tribune), and one more on Sundays -- the New York Times).

Here's where I'll list the books I read (the number at the end of each line represents the post number where I listed the book).

The books I read in January:

1. The One Thing You'd Save by Linda Sue Park -- 2
2. Baking With Dorie: Sweet, Salty & Simple by Dorie Greenspan -- 19
3. The Midwest Survival Guide: How We Talk, Love, Work, Drink, and Eat...Everything with Ranch by Charlie Berens -- 20
4. Good Bones by Maggie Smith -- 21
5. The Colour of Milk by Nell Leyshon -- 26
6. In Memoriam, A. H. H. by Alfred Lord Tennyson -- 30
7. Hench: A Novel by Natalie Zina Walschots -- 36
8. My Friend Dahmer: A Graphic Novel by Derf Backderf -- 37
9. Cove by Cynan Jones -- 39
10. Fauci: Expect the Unexpected: Ten Lessons on Truth, Service, and the Way Forward by Anthony Fauci and National Geographic -- 41
11. La Mere Brazier: The Mother of Modern French Cooking by Eugenie Brazier -- 45
12. Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr -- 46
13. Cat Kid Comic Club: Perspectives (Cat Kid Comic Club #2) by Dav Pilkey -- 50
14. Murakami T: The T-Shirts I Love by Haruki Murakami -- 51
15. How Did I Get to Be 40 & Other Atrocities by Judith Viorst -- 52
16. Hana's Suitcase by Karen Levine -- 65
17. Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead -- 68
18. When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson -- 71
19. When Did I Stop Being Twenty (And Other Injustices) by Judith Viorst -- 74
20. Some Buried Caesar (Nero Wolfe #6) by Rex Stout -- 77
21. Dune: The Graphic Novel, Book 1 by Brian Herbert -- 78
22. Train Dreams by Denis Johnson -- 80
23. Maus I: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman -- 86
24. On Tyranny Graphic Edition: Twenty Lessons From the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder, illus. Nora King -- 87

The books I read in February:

25. It's Hard to Be Hip Over Thirty by Judith Viorst -- 89
26. Bird by Bird: Some Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott -- 91
27. Forever Fifty and Other Negotiations by Judith Viorst -- 93
28. Suddenly Sixty and Other Shocks of Later Life by Judith Viorst -- 105
29. I'm Too Young to Be Seventy and Other Delusions by Judith Viorst -- 106
30. Unexpectedly Eighty and Other Adaptations by Judith Viorst -- 107
31. Nearing Ninety and Other Comedies of Late Life by Judith Viorst - 108
32. Foster by Claire Keegan -- 112
33. A Month in the Country by J. L. Carr -- 119
34. The Rose Code by Kate Quinn -- 129
35. The Annotated American Gods by Neil Gaiman, annotated by Leslie S. Klinger -- 130
36. The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave -- 154
37. Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman -- 160
38. Recitatif: A Story by Toni Morrison -- 166
39. The Maid by Nita Prose -- 178
40. The Book Rescuer by Sue Macy -- 182
41. Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright: An Animal Poem for Each Day of the Year, selected by Fiona Waters, illustrated by Britta Teckentrup -- 188
42. Moon Crossing Bridge by Tess Gallagher -- 192
43. How to Listen To and Understand Great Music (Great Courses) by Robert Greenberg -- 193
44. Raise High the Roof Beams, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction by J. D. Salinger -- 202
45. Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh -- 204
46. Over My Dead Body (Nero Wolfe #7) by Rex Stout -- 205
47. Bone, Vol. 1: Out From Boneville by Jeff Smith -- 207

The books I read in March:

48. The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells -- 209
49. 5 Ingredients: Quick and Easy Food by Jamie Oliver -- 216
50. Matrix: A Novel by Lauren Groff -- 222
51. The Princess Mononoke: The First Story by Hayao Miyazaki -- 236
52. The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa -- 237
53. Bones, Vol. 1: The Great Cow Race by Jeff Smith -- 238
54. Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened by Allie Brosh -- 247
55. The Inexplicable Universe: Unsolved Mysteries (Great Courses) by Neil deGrasse Tyson -- 248
56. Poems to Learn By Heart, ed. Caroline Kennedy -- 256
57. Bones, Vol. 3: Eyes of the Storm by Jeff Smith -- 257
58. Bones, Vol. 4: The Dragonslayer by Jeff Smith -- 257
59. Bones, Vol. 5: Rock Jaw by Jeff Smith -- 257
60. Sonnets from the Portuguese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning -- 259
61. A Deadly Affair: Unexpected Love Stories from the Queen of Mystery by Agatha Christie -- 260
62. Return of the Pharaoh by Nicholas Meyer -- 266
63. On the Bus With Rosa Parks: Poems by Rita Dove -- 273
64. Bone, Vol. 6: Ghost Circles by Jeff Smith -- 274
65. Bone, Vol. 7: Old Man's Cave by Jeff Smith -- 274
66. Bone, Vol. 8: Treasured Hunters by Jeff Smith -- 274
67. Bone, Vol. 9: Crown of Horns by Jeff Smith -- 274
68. Rose: A Graphic Novel (Bone Prequel) by Jeff Smith, ill. Charles Vess -- 274
69. The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz -- 296
70. Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman -- 299

Now we're in Thread Two:

71. Watercress by Andrea Wang, illus. Jason Chin -- 14
72. The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk -- 26
73. Where There's a Will (Nero Wolfe #8) by Rex Stout -- 32
74. Nine Stories by J. D. Salinger -- 38
75. The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger -- 42
76. Franny and Zooey (1001 Books #215) by J. D. Salinger -- 44
77. Black Orchids (Nero Wolfe #9) by Rex Stout -- 47

The books I read in April:

78. Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff: Declutter, Downsize, and Move Forward with Your Life by Matt Paxton -- 51
79. Stupid Things I Won't Do When I Get Old by Steven Petrow with Roseanne Foley Henry -- 61
80. Marvel 1602 by Neil Gaiman -- 62
81. An Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett -- 65
82. Instant Lives by Howard Moss, illus. Edward Gorey -- 66
83. National Geographic Photo Ark Wonders: Celebrating Diversity in the Animal Kingdom by Joel Sartore -- 68
84. The Rime of the Modern Mariner by Nick Hayes -- 78
85. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot, drawings by Edward Gorey -- 79
86. Not Quite Dead Enough (Nero Wolfe #10) by Rex Stout -- 82
87. Nicholas Meyer's The Seven-Per-Cent Solution by David Tipton -- 87
88. An American Sunrise: Poems by Jo Harjo -- 92
89. Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow -- 93
90. Macbeth (Shakespeare Classics Graphic Novels) by Gareth Hinds -- 97
91. Riots I Have Known by Ryan Chapman -- 100
92. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff -- 103
93. The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scholzi -- 108
94. Emily, Alone by Stewart O'Nan -- 109
95. National Geographic The Photo Ark Vanishing: The World's Most Vulnerable Animals by Joel Sartore -- 111
96. In Search of Lost Time: Swann's Way: Graphic Novel by Marcel Proust, adapted by Stephane Heuet, trans. by Arthur Goldhammer -- 115
97. Birds of the Photo Ark by Noah Strycker -- 126
98. In Search of Lost Time: In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower: Graphic Novel (Vol. 2) by Marcel Proust ,adapted by Stephane Heuet, trans. by Laura Marris -- 132
99. The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera -- 141
100. Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips -- 148
101. Resident Alien Omnibus Volume 1 by Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse -- 155
102. She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders by Jennifer Finney Boylan -- 161
103. Amphigorey: Fifteen Books by Edward Gorey -- 163
104. The View from Split Rock: A Lighthouse Keeper's Life by Lee Radzak with Curt Brown -- 171
105. Resident Alien Volume 4: The Man With No Name by Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse -- 181
106. Resident Alien Volume 5: An Alien in New York by Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse -- 181
107. Resident Alien Volume 6: Your Ride's Here by Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse -- 181

The books I read in May:

108. Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio (graphic) by Derf Backderf -- 188
109. Love in the Time of Bertie: 44 Scotland Street #15 by Alexander McCall Smith -- 190
110. The Mystery of the Jeweled Cross (A Shadwell Rafferty Adventure by Larry Millett -- 191
111. The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff -- 199
112. Severance: Stories by Robert Olen Butler -- 200
113. Sherlock Holmes and the Red Demon by Larry Millett -- 213
114. Amphigorey Again by Edward Gorey -- 214
115. Amphigorey Too by Edward Gorey -- 218
116. The Windsor Knot (Her Majesty the Queen Investigates #1) by S. J. Bennett -- 219
117. Amphigorey Also by Edward Gorey -- 231
118. I Need a New Butt! by Dawn McMillan -- 232
119. Call Us What We Carry: Poems by Amanda Gorman -- 233
120. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan -- 237
121. Silent Speaker (Nero Wolfe #11) by Rex Stout -- 245
122. The King by Donald Barthelme -- 253
123. Mastering the Art of French Cooking (Volume 1) by Julia Child -- 254
124. Let There Be Light: The Real Story of Her Creation by Liana Finck -- 262
125. Plaid and Plagiarism (Highland Bookshop Mysteries #1) by Molly MacRae -- 266
126. The Selected Poems of Emily Dickinson -- 268
127. Our Country Friends by Gary Shteyngart -- 270
128. My Butt is So Silly by Diane McMillan -- 278
129. The Last Bookseller: A Life in the Rare Book Trade by Gary Goodman -- 279

Here is where I'll list the authors selected for the 2022 American Authors Challenge, the books I will read, and if I complete them (here's hoping!)

2022 AAC

JANUARY Graphic novels, comics and/or non-fiction:
My Friend Dahmer: A Graphic Novel by Derf Backderf -- COMPLETED
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder, illus. Nora King -- COMPLETED
Dune Book 1 by Brian Herbert and Frank G. Anderson, illus. Raul Allen -- COMPLETED
Maus, Vol. 1 by Art Spiegelman -- COMPLETED

FEBRUARY Tess Gallagher Moon Crossing Bridge: Poetry -- COMPLETED
MARCH Bernard Malamud -- gave up on The Fixer
APRIL Jennifer Finney Boylan -- She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders -- COMPLETED
MAY 19th Century American Author of your choice -- Selected Poems of Emily Dickinson -- COMPLETED
JUNE John Dos Passos -- Manhattan Transfer -- Reading
JULY Gish Jen
AUGUST Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
SEPTEMBER Pulitzer Prize Winners
OCTOBER John McPhee
NOVEMBER Native American authors, themes and history
DECEMBER Martha Gellhorn

My 2003 "Books Read" list (casually kept, and probably incomplete): http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2003-reading-list.html
My 2004 "Books Read" list (see above caveats: things get better!):
http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2004-reading-list.html
My 2005 "Books Read" list (most pathetic list yet): http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2005-reading-list.html
My 2006 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2006-reading-list.htm
My 2007 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2007-reading-list.html
My 2008 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2008-reading-list.html
My 2009 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2009-reading-list.html
My 2010 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2010-reading-list.html

Here is a link to my last thread from 2011: http://www.librarything.com/topic/122919

Here is a link to my last thread from 2012: http://www.librarything.com/topic/138897

Here is a link to my last thread from 2013:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/156012

Here is a link to my thread from 2014: http://www.librarything.com/topic/163564

Here is a link to my thread from 2015: https://www.librarything.com/topic/186139

Here is a link to my thread from 2016: http://www.librarything.com/topic/211096

Here is a link to my last thread from 2017: http://www.librarything.com/topic/268142#

Here is a link to my last thread from 2018: https://www.librarything.com/topic/298557

Here is a link to my one-and-only thread from 2019: https://www.librarything.com/topic/301738

The books I've read in the first half of 2020 (115 of them) are here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/314888

The books I read in the second half of 2020 are here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/322010#

The books I read in the first half of 2021 are here:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/328372#

The books I read in the second half of 2021 are here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/333390#

The books I read in the first quarter of 2022 are here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/338204#n7791489

Good reading to you!

Friday Reading Roundup Time (from yesterday, removing the two books I finished today)!

Why I do this "Round Up": Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (and do so much eBook reading), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly.

Karen's current reading (03/18/2022):

Actively reading

The Plot by Jean Hanff Karelitz -- p. 243 of 320 (so close to done, and so exciting!)
Riots I Have Known by Ryan Chapman -- p. 11 of 119
Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman -- p. 218 of 326 (this, too, almost done)
Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger -- p. 69 of 277
The View From Split Rock: A Lighthouse Keeper's Life by Lee Radzak -- p. 11 of 157
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor -- p. 25 of 299
Stupid Things I Won't Do When I Get Old by Steven Petron with Roseanne Foley Henry -- p. 0 of 257

AAC (American Author Challenge) for March: Bernard Malamud: I'll be reading The Fixer. TIOLI #5! -- p. 20 of 335

My current Great Course(s): A Guided Tour to Ancient Egypt -- 4 of 24 lectures

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still-Want-to-Get-to-Them (so, these are readily available to me although I might not be reading them quite yet or may have had to return them to the library; some are my own books.

1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric H. Cline
The Archimedes Codex
The Writing of the Gods: The Race to Decode the Rosetta Stone by Edward Dolnick
The Ravenmaster: My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London by Christopher Scaife
Tevye's Daughters by Sholom Aleichem (my own)
Billy Summers by Stephen King (my own)
State of Terror by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny (my own)-- 394 pages
The Hidden Palace: A Novel of the Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker -- p. 0 of 472
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Red Clocks by Leni Zumas -- p. 14 of 314
Emily, Alone by Stewart O'Nan -- -- p. 1 of 241
The Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boutley
Space Opera (Catherynne M. Valente) p. 9 of 212
In the Woods (Tana French) -- p. 17 of 431
Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips -- p.

May I jump in here? Well, I'm doing it. So there.

Happy new thread, Karen.

You're almost to 75!

Happy new thread!

Hi Karen and happy new thread. Wow. 70 books already. Fantastic.

From your last thread: How’s Catcher in the Rye coming along? I’ve read seven of the Nine Stories, inspired by your reading Raise High the Roofbeam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction.

Happy Sunday, Karen. Happy New Thread. I love the Notre Dame topper. How is The View From Split Rock coming along? That one sounds interesting.

70 books? Impressive...

Another admirer of your topper, and not a hunchback in sight!

Happy new thread, Karen!

>6 karenmarie: Hi, Karen! Re: Catcher in the Rye, I stalled because I was engrossed in a couple of other books. Now "Catcher" is at the top of the stack. I've got Nine Stories in the queue, as well as Franny and Zoey and Nine Stories. Still considering a research project for all of the magazine stories Salinger wrote.

Thanks for stopping by!

>3 weird_O: Hi, weird_O! And welcome!

>4 BLBera: >5 figsfromthistle: Hello there, BLBera and figsfromthistle! Welcome to my lovely new thread!

>7 msf59: Hi, Mark! The article in Archeology was amazing--the restorers are taking the sad opportunity to learn about the cathedral and its history.

Part of the problem with reading several books at one time (image of a person juggling open books!) is that some books might get shunted aside temporarily. But The View From Split Rock is coming due, so I'll have to focus in on it a little, I guess. I hate having overdue books, although my libraries don't charge overdue fees anymore.

Thanks for stopping by!

>8 PaulCranswick: Hi, Paul! Thanks for stopping by!

71. Watercress by Andrea Wang, illus. Jason Chin



Lovely book about family values and parent/child relationships. Thanks again to Whisper1 for bringing a book to my attention!

Lucky guess gave it to me in three today…

Wordle 274 3/6 Irate, store, renew

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>14 klobrien2: I loved that one when I read it earlier this year! Glad to see it has another fan.

>16 alcottacre: Watercress is a quiet book, but just lovely!

Wordle 275 3/6 Train, tulip (stupid guess, but I’m thinking spring), their

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>14 klobrien2: This does look lovely.

I have an appointment with the dentist tomorrow. My reward for keeping that appointment will be shopping at a used bookstore at the other end of town from the dentist's house of horrors. Nicholas Meyer books are at the top of my WANT! List™.

>17 klobrien2: Yes, it is. One of the things I appreciated about the book was that both the author and artist are Chinese-American. I think their perspectives helped fuse the text and the artwork.

>20 weird_O: Yay! Good way to reward yourself! I’m still waiting for my copy of “7%” to come in.

P.s. Hope the dentist wasn’t/won’t be too horrible!

>21 alcottacre: I think you’re right. That brought the cultural significance of the events of the book. The atmosphere of the book is still with me, days later—it’s like I can feel the heat of the summer day, hear the insects, smell the green growth everywhere. Thanks for sharing, Stasia!

Took me a little longer today—I’ve never had a first word miss entirely!

Wordle 276 5/6 Train, smoke, spool, slobs (ha!), slosh

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...sooo close to 75...!

72. The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk



Loved everything about this book! It's a book-about-books (my favorite), has great characters, locations, and plot. It kept me hooked until the very end, and I could barely stand to stop reading.

Fun one today—took my time.

Wordle 277 3/6 train, rower, purge

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>23 klobrien2: No problem!

>26 klobrien2: Adding that one to the BlackHole! Thanks for the recommendation, Karen!

>28 alcottacre: Hope you like it as much as I did, if you get the chance.

>28 alcottacre: Thanks! I hope so too.

Location, location, location! stone, tires, blest, chest

Wordle 278 4/6

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73. Where There's a Will (Nero Wolfe #8) by Rex Stout



One of my favorites of the Nero Wolfe books so far. Well-paced, big cast of characters (as usual), lots of conflict and motives flying all over the place.

>31 klobrien2: I got it in four as well...AEONS--MIRTH--THESE--CHEST

Friday Reading Roundup Time!

Why I do this "Round Up": Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (and do so much eBook reading), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly.

Karen's current reading (03/25/2022):

Actively reading

*Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff by Matt Paxton -- p. 69 of 310
*The Last Quentista by Donna Barba Higuera -- p. 67 of 320
*Stupid Things I Won't Do When I Get Old by Steven Petron with Roseanne Foley Henry -- p. 59 of 257
Riots I Have Known by Ryan Chapman -- p. 29 of 119
Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger -- p. 148 of 277
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor -- p. 51 of 299
Nine Stories by J. D. Salinger -- p. 36 of 135 (2 of 9 stories)
Franny and Zooey by J. D. Salinger -- p. 31 of 201
Black Orchids (Nero Wolfe #9) by Rex Stout -- p. 16 of 163

AAC (American Author Challenge) for March: Bernard Malamud: I'll be reading The Fixer. TIOLI #5! -- p. 29 of 335 -- might change my mind on this one...

My current Great Course(s): A Guided Tour to Ancient Egypt -- 4 of 24 lectures

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still-Want-to-Get-to-Them (so, these are readily available to me although I might not be reading them quite yet or may have had to return them to the library; some are my own books.

Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente -- p. 21 of 212
In the Woods by Tana French -- p. 17 of 431
Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips -- p. 20 of 235
1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric H. Cline
The Archimedes Codex
Tevye's Daughters by Sholom Aleichem (my own)
Billy Summers by Stephen King (my own)
State of Terror by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny (my own)-- 394 pages
The Hidden Palace: A Novel of the Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker -- p. 0 of 472
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Red Clocks by Leni Zumas -- p. 14 of 314
Emily, Alone by Stewart O'Nan -- -- p. 1 of 241
The Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boutley
The View From Split Rock: A Lighthouse Keeper's Life by Lee Radzak -- p. 11 of 157

Goof in the middle probably cost me irate, muted, detox, depot

Wordle 279 4/6

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Catching up after a week away, so a belated happy new thread, Karen!

>36 FAMeulstee: Thanks! I've enjoyed reading about your travels! And thank you for visiting!

I find myself in the middle of a J.D. Salinger-fest of a kind; he wrote only four books, so it isn't difficult to read them all! I've got my reread of The Catcher in the Rye and my first read of Franny and Zooey to finish up.



74. Nine Stories by J. D. Salinger



The stories in this collection were such a mix, but most featured "innocent souls"--children or young adults--trying to figure out life, or to impart what they had figured out in their short lives to others. I can very well see rereading this, and searching out the uncollected stories.

Wordle 281 4/6 Aeons (thanks, Richard), night, nubby, nymph

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>38 klobrien2: I have never read a single J.D. Salinger book. I am not sure why. I really need to rectify that.

Don't forget to get to The Uncommon Reader soon :)

Happy Sunday, Karen!

>40 alcottacre: I’ve got “Uncommon” requested!

I’m really enjoying the Salingers. I imagine he’s not to everyone’s taste, but Catcher in the Rye and Franny and Zooey are on the “1001 Books” list, which must count for something, methinks.

Happy Sunday to you, too!

Third book of my J.D. Salinger-fest! Also my 75th book of the year! Now, I will finish up Franny & Zooey and the festival will be over.



75. The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger



This was a reread for me, but I read Catcher in high school, so it was a totally new experience to me as a grown-up. I remembered so much of the events of Holden's wild weekend, but I forgot how messed up he was, and the cause of his emotional upset--the death of his brother. I'm glad I reread this!

I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around--nobody big, I mean--except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff--I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going, I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I'd do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all.

Interesting to not have any right-letter-wrong-spot guesses! irate, snaky, small, shall

Wordle 283 4/6

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Fourth and final book of my J.D. Salinger-fest! I'm so happy that Franny and Zooey was last, because it was my favorite. It is the second book of the Glass family; I read that Salinger might have planned a third book about them. Franny and Zooey is not a single novel; Franny is a short story, Zooey is novella-length.



76. Franny and Zooey by J. D. Salinger



The Glass family siblings were famous for being part of a radio show featuring "wise" children, unusually smart and knowledgeable. These children were born into a vaudeville family, and the show was a large part of their childhoods.

"Franny" (the first work in the book) is about Franny, the baby of the family, now a college student struggling to find her way. "Zooey," the main part of the book, is about Zooey (a famous and handsome actor), second youngest in the family, Franny, and the mother, Bessie. The Zooey novella is narrated by older brother Buddy, who is a writer of short stories, or as he refers to them, "prose home movies," though he tells us early on that we will be reading third-person narrative.

Salinger has such a gift for location, for people, for philosophy, even. There is quite a bit of humor here, sharp and sweet, and terrible heartbreak, as well.

The J. D. Salinger-a-thon: I am so glad I did my Salinger reading, and I can very well see revisiting the books. Although Salinger might not be to everyone's taste, I suspect that divided opinions are a mark of the greatness of a book. I'm with the five-star crowd.

Congrats on hitting 75, Karen! I have never read either Nine Stories & Franny and Zooey but you sure gave me a nudge in that direction.

>44 klobrien2: Thanks, Mark! All of the Salinger books are short reads, and easy to read in installments.

Thanks for stopping by to chat!

77. Black Orchids (Nero Wolfe #9) by Rex Stout



Good reading! Actually a special value, because there are two shorter novels (novellas?) here-- "Black Orchids" and "Cordially Invited to Meet Death." What the two works have in common is the presence of the extremely rare Black Orchid.

Pleased to get it in 3 today! train, spout, stove

Wordle 284 3/6

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>42 klobrien2: Congratulations on reaching 75, Karen!

>49 FAMeulstee: Thank you!

78. Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff: Declutter, Downsize, and Move Forward With Your Life by Matt Paxton



I've been involved in two major house clean-outs; one, my MIL's; the other, my mother's. Both were women who had been children during the Great Depression, and both of them were collectors, of everything.

This book would have been a perfect guide to the whole process. Helping people clear out is what Paxton does for a living. The book provides a wealth of practical advice and resources, but it starts with the psychology of clearing out. The author is sensitive to, and understanding of, the propensity of people to hold on to things; he uses the example of his own major move to illustrate.

I just love this book! I read a library copy, but will be getting my own. Recommended highly!

Friday Reading Roundup Time!

Why I do this "Round Up": Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (and do so much eBook reading), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly.

Karen's current reading (04/01/2022):

Actively reading

*The Last Quentista by Donna Barba Higuera -- p. 134 of 320
*Stupid Things I Won't Do When I Get Old by Steven Petron with Roseanne Foley Henry -- p. 136 of 257
Riots I Have Known by Ryan Chapman -- p. 29 of 119
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor -- p. 68 of 299
Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Love in the Time of Bertie (44 Scotland St #15) by Alexander McCall Smith -- p. 5 of 276
The Wall by Marlen HausHofer -- p. 14 of 211
Not Quite Dead Enough (Nero Wolfe #10) by Rex Stout -- p. 15 of 139
Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente -- p. 23 of 212
Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips -- p. 24 of 235
The Good Kings by Kara Cooney
V for Vendetta by Alan Moore
Marvel 1602 by Neil Gaiman

AAC (American Author Challenge) for April: Jennifer Finney Bowlan: I'll be reading She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders.

My current Great Course(s): A Guided Tour to Ancient Egypt -- 4 of 24 lectures

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still-Want-to-Get-to-Them (so, these are readily available to me although I might not be reading them quite yet or may have had to return them to the library; some are my own books.

In the Woods by Tana French -- p. 17 of 431
1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric H. Cline
The Archimedes Codex
The Lais of Marie de France
Tevye's Daughters by Sholom Aleichem (my own)
Billy Summers by Stephen King (my own)
State of Terror by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny (my own)-- 394 pages
The Hidden Palace: A Novel of the Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker -- p. 0 of 472
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Red Clocks by Leni Zumas -- p. 14 of 314
Emily, Alone by Stewart O'Nan -- -- p. 1 of 241
The Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boutley
The View From Split Rock: A Lighthouse Keeper's Life by Lee Radzak -- p. 11 of 157

Unbelievable! But I finally got it! Adieu, stout, shout, spout, scout, snout

Wordle 286 6/6

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My first “2” ever! Total luck! irate, trope

Wordle 287 2/6

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YAY FOR 75!!

Congrats!

>55 richardderus: >56 drneutron: thank you both! No slowing down now!

Weekly librar(ies) run brought many lovely books my way:

An American Sunrise: Poems by Joy Harjo
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi
She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders by Jennifer Finney Boylan
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett (reread for me)
Instant Lives by Howard Moss
Macbeth (Graphic Novel) by Gareth Hinds
Photo Ark Wonders by Joel Sartore
The Rime of the Modern Mariner by Nick Hayes

My preferred olio of styles and genres!

irate, sense, revel, fewer

Wordle 288 4/6

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Slightly late to do so but I want to give my congrats on passing 75 already. On target for 300 books!

>60 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! Reading up a storm!



79. Stupid Things I Won't Do When I Get Old by Steven Petrow with Roseanne Foley Henry



Petrow addresses the cold, hard facts of aging with humor and intelligence. He includes himself in the mass of humanity nearing, or smack-dab in, the ages where a little truth-telling and advice would be beneficial. Good read!

80. Marvel 1602 by Neil Gaiman



Fun and interesting graphic novel, posing an alternate history between 1602 Europe, the Marvel universe, and a shift in the time/space continuum. I found the plot difficult to follow, or I'd have rated the book a little higher, but the graphics were amazing; this is a beautiful book.

I believe it was MickyFine who brought this to my attention; if so, thanks!

Whew; close one!irate, spacy, slash, shall, shawl

Wordle 289 5/6

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Train, nasty, natch, natal

Wordle 290 4/6

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81. The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett



'Who knows,' said the Queen cheerfully, 'it might stray into literature.'

'I would have thought,' said the prime minister, 'that Your Majesty was above literature.'

'Above literature?' said the Queen. 'Who is above literature? You might as well say one is above humanity.'

Loved my reread of this classic book! A true example of "short and sweet"!

82. Instant Lives by Howard Moss, illus. Edward Gorey



I just loved this little gem--giggled all the way through. Howard Moss has "a keen ear and a sense of the absurd" (inside book cover) and Edward Gorey's perfect and hilarious drawings make this book one that I'll come back to again (I plan to try to find my own copy to keep).

The bios at the back alerted me to the "Amphigorey" series of anthologies, and I've got the first volume requested. Thanks to weird_o for bringing Instant Lives to my notice!

>42 klobrien2: Congratulations on hitting the magic number!

83. National Geographic Photo Ark Wonders: Celebrating Diversity in the Animal Kingdom by Joel Sartore



Blazingly beautiful photographs from Sartore's ongoing project to document all the thousands of animal species who receive care from humans. The book is a physical monster to view (so large and heavy), but the pictures are worth it! Each photo is described and explained. Truly a feast for the eyes!

>68 klobrien2: I will have to see if I can get my hands on that one!

>68 klobrien2: Photo Ark Wonders is well worth it, Stasia! And thank you for the jumping guy congratulations! I remember that gif from way back; it's a good'un!

Hey ho, Karen O.! I'm still hot-spotting for wifi. I do not know when/if the scum who run the place will do anything about it....

Happy Wednesday, Karen. Congrats on hitting #75! I am not even close to half of that. Sighs...

National Geographic Photo Ark Wonders sounds like one, worth seeking out.

>66 klobrien2: I hit someone with a book bullet! And she liked it.

You are where I hope to be in late October, early November. Jealous is what I am. In a mild sort of way. :-)

Wow, you've been reading up a storm! Congrats on absolutely blowing through 75.

>71 richardderus: What a treat to get here and see all the lovely messages! Richard, hope you get your wifi back soon!

>72 msf59: Mark, how are you doing? I have a plethora of time to spend reading, and I seem to be reading smaller books!

>73 weird_O: LOVED Instant Lives, thank you so much! Now it seems I’m on a Gorey quest—he did a lot of book illustrating!

>74 bell7: Reading has been treating me well the last few years!

Thanks to you all for stopping to chat!

And here’s my go at today’s Wordle (it was fun!):

Train, aloud, cocoa, comma

Wordle 291 4/6

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From today’s Poem-a-Day:

Nine Spice Mix by Zeina Azzam

This spice mix is featured in many of the dishes in this book, lending them a uniquely Palestinian flavor.
—Reem Kassis, The Palestinian Table

First they tango on my tongue,
nimble couples careening,
then together
form an Arab-style line dance
stepping, stomping, swaying.

West Indies allspice dazzles,
berries tangling with cinnamon sticks,
while cloves, Indonesian natives,
lead with a spirited solidarity solo.

Coriander seeds offer greetings in Hindi
as others toast comrades in languages
beyond borders and blockades.

Lifting up sisterhood, sun-wizened nutmeg
starts a sibling dance with mace.
Cumin demurs, then surprises
with subtle exultation.

Queen of spices cardamom,
host of the party, gives a nod to flavors
in hiding: lemony, sweet, warm,
fragrant, nutty, pungent, hot.

Encouraged, feisty black peppercorns
shimmy center stage, organizing
the unique union of nine
for a vivacious global salute.

Another fun one (or, was it fun BECAUSE I was able to solve it?) irate, spray, foray

Wordle 292 3/6

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84. The Rime of the Modern Mariner by Nick Hayes



A strange but compelling adaptation of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Coleridge. "Hayes has chosen to update this masterpiece,...turning the fantastical voyage into an urgent timely story of environmental disaster" (back cover notes). The many victims and causers of our world's ecocide of plastic, petroleum, and litter are illustrated--it's quite horrific.

This is not your typical graphic novel--besides the message, the illustrations are not glossy, but read as wood block prints. The words are spread throughout, often sparsely, so that sometimes you wait a few pages to complete a rhyme (that's disconcerting!) I think I'll reread this one, although I wasn't sure I'd finish it at the start. It's one-of-a-kind, in my experience. Give it a look!

85. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot, illus. by Edward Gorey



The latest book on my Gorey-a-thon, this one is a reread for me. Poetry for April Poetry Month, drawings by Edward Gorey, and CATS! What's not to like?!

>78 klobrien2: Adding that one to the BlackHole.

>79 klobrien2: Dodging that BB as I have already read it - although it was a lifetime ago!

>80 alcottacre: Hi, Stasia! Both books are little treats! Thanks for stopping by!

86. Not Quite Dead Enough (Nero Wolfe #10) by Rex Stout



Two whodunits in one: first, the story of the title; second, Booby Trap. Both are set during the time of Archie's service with the army. In the first, he is pulled back to his civilian life to try to enlist Wolfe's help; in the second, Nero and Archie work together to solve mysterious deaths involving corporate espionage in the military. Not the usual for Stout, but the war is always present in the books.

Still liking this series very much!

I'm also a Salinger fan, Karen. I was always hoping that when he died, they would find piles of more Glass stories, but, oh well.

I also loved An Uncommon Reader; that would be a nice reread.

>82 klobrien2: One of these days I will read through all of Rex Stout. I think I have only read one.

Happy Friday, Karen!

Just made it!train, board, swarm, sharp, scarf, scare

Wordle 293 6/6

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>83 BLBera: >84 alcottacre: Hi, you two! Thanks for visiting!

87. Nicholas Meyer's The Seven-per-cent Solution by David Tipton



I'm waiting for a copy of Nicholas Meyer's The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (had to ask ILL for a copy!) and found this graphic version for the meantime. I thought the adaptation was great, and the illustration is pretty darn good, too.

Note: The "seven per cent" of the title refers to the cocaine concentration in Holmes's drug of choice.

Very fun read, with lots of action and back story for the main characters.

p.s. had to double-check this: My 87th read, in my 87th post on this thread!

Friday Reading Roundup Time!

Why I do this "Round Up": Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (and do so much eBook reading), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly.

Karen's current reading (04/08/2022):

Actively reading

*The Last Quentista by Donna Barba Higuera -- p. 134 of 320
*Riots I Have Known by Ryan Chapman -- p. 40 of 119
*An American Sunrise: Poems by Joy Harjo -- p. 28 of 116
*Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi (TIOLI #5)
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor -- p. 68 of 299
*Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (pp 57-115; 58 pp, on p. 13 of 58)
The Wall by Marlen Haushofer -- p. 14 of 211
Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips -- p. 41 of 235
*The Good Kings by Kara Cooney -- p.29 of 345
*Macbeth (graphic) by Gareth Hinds -- p. 46 of 144
The View From Split Rock: A Lighthouse Keeper's Life by Lee Radzak -- p. 11 of 157

AAC (American Author Challenge) for April: Jennifer Finney Bowlan: I'll be reading She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders.

My current Great Course(s): A Guided Tour to Ancient Egypt -- 4 of 24 lectures

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still-Want-to-Get-to-Them (so, these are readily available to me although I might not be reading them quite yet or may have had to return them to the library; some are my own books.

Love in the Time of Bertie (44 Scotland St #15) by Alexander McCall Smith -- p. 5 of 276
Hoot by Carl Hiassen
In Search of Lost Time: Swann's Way: A Graphic Novel by Marcel Proust, Stephane Heuet
In Search of Lost Time: In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower: A Graphic Novel by Marcel Proust, Stephane Heuet
The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford -- p. 10 of 200
In the Woods by Tana French -- p. 17 of 431
1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric H. Cline
The Archimedes Codex
The Lais of Marie de France
V for Vendetta by Alan Moore
Tevye's Daughters by Sholom Aleichem (my own)
Billy Summers by Stephen King (my own)
State of Terror by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny (my own)-- 394 pages
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Emily, Alone by Stewart O'Nan -- -- p. 1 of 241

>87 klobrien2: Thanks for the graphic story alert. I'll have to look for that. I did inquire at the nearest used book store about Meyer's four Holmes stories that follow 7%, but got four nopes. Perhaps I should look on line.

>89 weird_O: I didn't think they'd be that hard to find. I had to use interlibrary loan to get "7%"--what you say makes me think I should start looking for the others, as well.

>90 klobrien2: Ditto.

Heads up, ye poetry-averse! Two book reports coming, both of them poetry!



88. An American Sunrise: Poems by Joy Harjo



Harjo is a Poet Laureate of the U.S. "Harjo is a visionary and a truth sayer, and her expansive imagination sweeps time, interpolating history into the present." (Elise Paschen). Harjo interposes pieces of prose, bits of history, to frame and bolster the poetry. Here are a few of my favorite poems:

FIRST MORNING (for Shan Goshorn, December 3, 2018)

This is the first morning we are without you on earth.
The sun greeted us after a week of rain
In your eastern green and mountain homelands.
Plants are fed, the river restored, and you have been woven
Into a path of embracing stars of all colors
Now free of the suffering that shapes us here.
We all learn to let go, like learning how to walk
When we first arrive here.
All those you thought you lost now circle you
And you are free of pain and heartbreak.
Don't look back, keep going.
We will carry your memory here, until we join you
In just a little while, in one blink of star time.

MY MAN'S FEET

They are heroic roots
You cannot mistake them
For any other six-foot walker
I could find them in a sea of feet
A planet or universe of feet

They kicked the sky at birth
In that town his great-grandfather found
My man's feet left childhood
Past the mineral grit of an oil flush bust
To these atomic eastbound lands

His feet are made of his mother's spiritual concern
And of his father: historic, and mindfully upright
What walkers--
From mound builder steps that led to the sky maker
Past Spanish galleons, stage coach, and railroad snaker

One generation following another
No other feet but these could bare
The rock stubborn loyal bear
Towering intelligence and children picker upper
That is the one who owns these feet

What an anchor his feet provide
For his unmatched
Immensability and get up againality*

I've danced behind this man in the stomp dance circle.
Our feet beating rhythm together
Man, woman, boy, girl, sun and moon jumper.

My man's feet are the sure steps of a father
Looking after his sons, his daughters
For when he laughs he opens all the doors of our hearts
Even as he forgets to shut them when he leaves

And when he grieves for those he loves
He carves our valleys enough to hold everyone's tears
With his feet, these feet
My man's widely humble, ever steady, beautiful brown feet.>

* Bolding is mine. I just love this line!

89. Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow



Story of Evangeline and her true love and the village of Grand Pre in Nova Scotia. This poem is based on a true historical event, the expulsion of the Acadians from Nova Scotia in the mid 18th century by the English. Epic love story that is heart-breaking but vibrant.

This is the forest primeval. The murmuring pines and the hemlocks,
Bearded with moss, and in garments green, indistinct in the twilight,
Stand like Druids of eld, with voices sad and prophetic,
Stand like harpers hoar, with beards that rest on their bosoms.
Loud from its rocky caverns, the deep-voiced neighboring ocean
Speaks, and in accents disconsolate answers the wail of the forest.

My first Wordle-in-2!irate, stair

Wordle 294 2/6

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>95 richardderus: lol, Richard!

Here’s another one:

Wordle 295 5/6 irate, slang, llama (!), flaky, black

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90. Macbeth (Shakespeare Classics Graphic Novels) by Gareth Hinds



This was a reread for me, but this is a great graphic novel, and a great story. Hinds is careful of Shakespeare's play, and describes his decisions in the adaptation, both the words and the illustrations. The book is SO cinematic--even the battle scenes. Warning: there is a lot of blood and gore.

Thanks to Weird_O for reminding me about this one!

Flailed around today, but finally got it!

Wordle 296 5/6irate, handy, guard, aloud, squad

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>98 klobrien2: I got it in 4, but only because the word flashed into being on the fourth try. It could easily have been an X day...it's not a word I use very often!

Happy new-week's reads!

91. Riots I Have Known by Ryan Chapman



Don't have much good to say about this book, except that it was certainly the most extreme stream-of-consciousness book I've ever read. There was some humor, some pathos, but mostly,...ughhh. I could have stopped reading, but it is a small book, and I thought I’d give it a real try.

The author does have a gift of words, but he uses them like weapons (thanks, msf59, for the image: ”sprays words like machine gunfire”).

Not my usual read! But that’s what LT is good for—taking the reader outside our comfort zone every once in a while.

More flailing about, but I got it! irate, found, molar, local, moral, royal

Wordle 297 6/6

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Mid-week library run brought me a stack of new things to read!

Seven-per-cent Solution (the original) by Nicholas Meyer
84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (reread for me)
Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff
The Greatest Invention: A History of the World in Nine Mysterious Scripts by Silvia Ferrara
Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama: A Memoir by Bob Odenkirk
Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou (reread for me after watching "The Dropout")
National Geographic The Photo Ark Vanishing: The World's Most Vulnerable Animals by Joel Sartore
Birds of the Photo Ark by Noah Strycker
Woke Racism: How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black America by John McWhorter
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

Now these books will percolate amongst my existing to-be-reads in a battle to see which will get read first.

I've already finished one!

92. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff



Lovely little epistolary (had to double-check the word) novel, filled with Hanff's wonderful humor and the sense of place (post-WWII England). I've read this tiny book before, but hadn't added it to my list on LT, so that is now emended.

Immediately dove into the second book, Duchess of Bloomsbury Street.

>103 klobrien2: You're rapidly approaching triple digits! And no better book to bring you one closer than 84. What a gorgeous read.

Happy Wordling today, Karen O.! I got this one in three, and was right pleased about it.

>104 richardderus: Hey, Richard! Congrats on the Wordle-in-3: it took me one more, but I’m still v. happy:

Wordle 298 4/6 irate, bound, slung, chunk

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Wordle 299 5/6 irate, poise, niche, wince, mince

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>106 klobrien2: Brava! Mine was four, but shoulda been three. I had three letters after turn 2; thought, "it's either MINED or MINCE," tried MINED first!

93. The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi



Excellent science fiction adventure novel, top notch reading! Reminded me of The Martian and Project Hail Mary in that ordinary people (well, they are pretty intelligent and most have science doctorates) face seemingly impossible tasks with grace and humor. And a VERY exotic location!

I read book acknowledgments religiously, and the one in this book was the best I've ever read. Here's what I mean: "As a writer I feel grateful to this novel, because writing it was restorative. KPS is not, and I say this with absolutely no slight intended, a brooding symphony of a novel. It's a pop song. It's meant to be light and catchy, with three minutes of hooks and choruses for you to sing along with, and they you're done and you go on with your day, hopefully with a smile on your face. I had fun writing this, and I needed to have fun writing this. We all need a pop song from time to time, particularly after a stretch of darkness."

>87 klobrien2: I read The Seven Percent Solution a lifetime ago. I should probably give it a re-read. I think I still own a copy. . .

>103 klobrien2: I absolutely love that one! Have you watched the movie with Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins? The movie is how I discovered the book.

>108 klobrien2: I need to get to that one! Off to see if my local library has a copy. . .

Happy Friday, Karen. Have a wonderful weekend!

94. Emily, Alone by Stewart O'Nan



Lovely story of Emily Maxwell, a lively, intelligent widow, getting older, who is losing friends and loved ones and is feeling the loss more and more. But she is so resourceful and brave in working through her day-to-day life. This is a quiet book, not much happens, but our hero deals with the big questions with grace and strength and comes to know herself a little better. This is, definitely, a character-driven novel, and does a great job of showing Emily to us.

I learned of this book from LT, but so many people whose threads I read have this book listed, so I'm not quite sure about the chicken/egg thing. Thank you to everyone who recommended or "me too"ed this book!

Now, there are other books in the series: Wish You Were Here (actually, the first book) and Henry Himself: A Novel (listed third). I'm sure to be looking for those books now.

95. National Geographic The Photo Ark Vanishing: The World's Most Vulnerable Animals by Joel Sartore



I love these Photo Ark books, and this one has the awesome photographs and backstories that are Sartore's trademark. It is also especially heartbreaking when the backstories include information about how imperiled these animals are. That said, there is also hope, because these books get that information out to us, and compel us to do what we can to help.

>110 klobrien2: Another one I loved! I still need to read the other two books.

ETA: The Touchstone for Wish You Were Here goes to the wrong book.

>111 klobrien2: I know the touchstone is wrong. Jody Picoult's book comes first (well, after Pink Floyd's album of the same name). I don't know how to fix that? Stasia or anybody reading, can you help me out?

>113 klobrien2: When you put in the name of the book with the Touchstone, it will appear over to the right. So, for Wish You Were Here will show up over there --->

If you click on where the title says "Others," a drop down list of all the titles on LT with that same name will appear. Just click on the correct title. Do not click on 'Work" or it will take you to the book's page.

Hope that helps!

96. In Search of Lost Time: Swann's Way: A Graphic Novel by Marcel Proust, Stephane Heuet (adapter), Arthur Goldhammer (translator)



I'm a fan of the translation of classic books into graphic format; they are (in most cases) a good way of providing the classic to those who probably will never read the original (like me!)

The book is beautifully illustrated, with detailed and lovely watercolor drawings. The illustrations get so much information to the reader; the environment, the clothing, the expressions on the faces,...just a beautiful job. The adapter, Heuet, seems to have done a tremendous job of distilling down the lengthy original, providing the framework that is the book.

I am continuing on with the second book, In Search of Lost Time: In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower: A Graphic Novel (wrong touchstone, and the touchstone trick doesn't work here, will follow up).

>114 alcottacre: thank you so much! That works perfectly!

Friday Reading Roundup Time!

Why I do this "Round Up": Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (and do so much eBook reading), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly.

Karen's current reading (04/15/2022):

Actively reading

*The Last Quentista by Donna Barba Higuera -- p. 134 of 320
*Love in the Time of Bertie (44 Scotland St #15) by Alexander McCall Smith -- p. 5 of 276
*The Good Kings by Kara Cooney -- p.29 of 345
*Birds of the Photo Ark by Noah Strycker
*In Search of Lost Time: In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower: A Graphic Novel by Marcel Proust, Stephane Heuet
Seven-per-cent Solution (the original) by Nicholas Meyer
Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor -- p. 68 of 299
The Wall by Marlen Haushofer -- p. 14 of 211
Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips -- p. 41 of 235
The View From Split Rock: A Lighthouse Keeper's Life by Lee Radzak -- p. 11 of 157

AAC (American Author Challenge) for April: Jennifer Finney Bowlan: I'm reading She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders -- p. 51 of 300

My current Great Course(s): A Guided Tour to Ancient Egypt -- 4 of 24 lectures

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still-Want-to-Get-to-Them (so, these are readily available to me although I might not be reading them quite yet or may have had to return them to the library; some are my own books.

In the Woods by Tana French -- p. 17 of 431
The Lais of Marie de France
V for Vendetta by Alan Moore
Tevye's Daughters by Sholom Aleichem (my own)
Billy Summers by Stephen King (my own)
State of Terror by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny (my own)-- 394 pages
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
The Greatest Invention: A History of the World in Nine Mysterious Scripts by Silvia Ferrara
Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama: A Memoir by Bob Odenkirk
Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou (reread for me after watching "The Dropout"
Woke Racism: How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black America by John McWhorter
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

>108 klobrien2: You'd have gotten me with that one except I reserved it at the library just yesterday!

>118 drneutron: Haha! Synchronicity! You were the first person I thought of with regard to this book. I am sure you will like it!

Thought for sure I had a wordle-in-2, but alas, no. Third word was to narrow down choices for letter 4 irate, shade, plume, shame

Wordle 300 4/6

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>120 klobrien2: Took me all 6. *sigh* Never been so happy to see "Phew" before.

>108 klobrien2: I'm now #20 on the library's list. I love Scalzi at his most playful.

Happy weekend-ahead's reads, Karen O!

Happy Friday, Karen. I love all your book stuff. I also loved An American Sunrise: Poems. Harjo is a favorite of mine. Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup was excellent. Just sayin'...
I have been reading the Macbeth GN but very, very slowly. I will try to hang in there.

>115 klobrien2: I just recently read that one too and very much enjoyed it. I did not realize that the second book was out already. I will have to seek it out.

>116 klobrien2: Glad I could be of help!

irate, cheap, check, cheek

Wordle 301 4/6

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>121 richardderus: I hope the time passes fast until you get your hands on "Kaiju." It reads fast, so maybe people will be quick about it!

Have a great weekend!

97. Birds of the Photo Ark by Noah Strycker



Again, some Photo Ark warbling from me! Amazing, beautiful images of all kinds of birds, with intriguing information and analysis. I know some birdy folks here on LT who would love looking through this tome!

Wordle 302 4/6 irate, alone, apple, ample

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>127 klobrien2: It took me all 6...I was really glad to see "Phew" today.

Happy week-ahead's reads, Karen O.

A two-fer! My usual first word came through for me once again!

Wordle 303 2/6 irate, flair

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And now for almost the opposite success rate:

Wordle 304 5/6 irate, nerds (that would be a good band name!), cower, hover, foyer

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An article in the the PioneerPress on Larry Millett (local author) says that his last “American Chronicles of John H. Watson, M.D.” book is coming. I’ve read a few of the books and am planning to read the rest (I’m lumping in the “Shadwell Rafferty” books as well):

Sherlock Holmes and the Red Demon
Sherlock Holmes and the Ice Palace Murders I read this one, but will reread
Sherlock Holmes and the Rune Stone Mystery
Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Alliance
The Disappearance of Sherlock Holmes
The Magic Bullet: A Locked Room Mystery Featuring Shadwell Rafferty and Sherlock Holmes
Strongwood: A Crime Dossier
Sherlock Holmes and the Eisendorf Enigma
Rafferty’s Last Case (coming soon in 2022)

I’ve also read The Mystery of the Jewelled Cross: A Shadwell Rafferty Mystery. I believe it was a limited edition, but I have a copy somewhere, so I’ll probably read it again just for the completist in me.

AND I’m collecting my Nicholas Meyer Sherlock Holmes books, again for a bingy read, so I guess I know what my reading theme will be this spring!

98. In Search of Lost Time: Swann's Way: A Graphic Novel by Marcel Proust, Stephane Heuet (adapter), Laura Marris (translator)



Repeating my report from the first volume...

I'm a fan of the translation of classic books into graphic format; they are (in most cases) a good way of providing the classic to those who probably will never read the original (like me!)

The book is beautifully illustrated, with detailed and lovely watercolor drawings. The illustrations get so much information to the reader; the environment, the clothing, the expressions on the faces,...just a beautiful job. The adapter, Heuet, seems to have done a tremendous job of distilling down the lengthy original, providing the framework that is the book.

My problem with this series is that I find the characters inane and am bored with the plots. Is the original this boring? I'll continue to read them, if there are more volumes produced, but I have to take the word of commenters that the original novel(s) were masterpieces. As Nero Wolfe would say, "Pfui!"

>132 klobrien2: The original is a lengthy peak in the life of French bougeousie and nobles. All told in beautiful constructed sentences, no real plots, just following our dear writer and his thoughts, as he is looking back at his life, from late 19th century to early 20th century.
Somehow it was addictive once I started. I rated them between 4 and 3½ stars.

Holy moly! I really surprised myself today—I had two letters from my usual first word guess, and took a massive stab at the second word. I’m quite happy!

Wordle 305 2/6 irate, cargo

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>133 FAMeulstee: Thank you for your comments! Because of them, I won’t say I’ll NEVER read Proust. There is a chance :)

Thanks for stopping by!

>79 klobrien2: It's still difficult to believe that Sir Andrew Lloyd Weber was able to write a musical based on these poems...

>134 klobrien2: As well you might be! That's outstanding!

*prepares voodoo-dolly kit*

Two! That's one well-aimed stab in the dark!

*heats joint-pain pins*

>136 ocgreg34: >137 richardderus: Hi, you two! Thanks for stopping by to chat!

Ocgreg34, I love “Cats” and the poems in the Eliot book are pretty musical. Did you see the newish film “Cats”? Unfortunately, it was kind of a mess. Oh, well.

Richard, here’s my Wordle today (quite different):

Wordle 306 4/6 irate, movie, opine, oxide

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>138 klobrien2: Well, we matched our tries today...I got it in 4, as well. I got my 4th one in a flash, though, not by deduction.

>139 richardderus: I couldn't believe they chose that word! It really is an outlier kind of word, I think.

99. The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera



I really enjoyed this one, though after a solid start, I stalled out for a few weeks, then finished in a flash. The science might have been a little weak, but that wasn't the main intent of the book; the main ideas of this book are the story, storytelling, the importance of books, the passing of knowledge from generation to generation, of remembering.

I know I got wind of this book from someone on LT, but I'm not sure who exactly...so thank you to everyone who read this book and mentioned it in your thread!

>132 klobrien2: The original In Search of Lost Time has many worthy descriptions while characters get boring.

More fun for Graphic Novel Lovers is an old Classic by Hunt Emerson Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

>142 m.belljackson: I’ve been looking for that graphic but haven’t foind it at my libraries. I’ll try ILL next.

Thanks for stopping by to chat!

Messed up a tad in word 2, not carrying a found letter forward! Oops!

Wordle 307 3/6 Irate, snaky, plant

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Hi Karen!

>38 klobrien2: I, too, love Nine Stories. I particularly like the ones about the Glass family, but all are very well done.

>42 klobrien2: Congrats on #75, and yay that it’s by Salinger. Your review makes me want to re-read it, after all.

>51 klobrien2: We have a whole house of stuff, but I hesitate to do much with any of it because our daughter is sentimental and she hasn’t been home for a long visit for quite a while.

>65 klobrien2: and >66 klobrien2: Two favorite books, glad you’ve reread The Uncommon Reader, and I’m another serious fan of Instant Lives.

>88 klobrien2: The Wall’s a stunner – I read it in 2000 for my real life book club. I was hostess for that book, and only prepared food mentioned in the book.

>102 klobrien2: I read Woke Racism recently and thought it excellent and quite different from much of what’s been written in the last year or so.

>103 klobrien2: I loved this book, too. I had it on my wish list forever, never realized that it was nonfiction AND epistolary. I would have read it sooner had I realized these two facts.

>108 klobrien2: I’ve just put a request in for this book at the Library – definitely a BB!

>134 klobrien2: Well, congrats! I haven’t ever gotten a Wordle in two.

>145 karenmarie: Hi, Karen! You are so organized in your comments--thank you! At least one of my "to be reads" was due to your comments. LT is such a great source of new reads.

Thanks for stopping by!

Friday Reading Roundup Time!

Why I do this "Round Up": Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (and do so much eBook reading), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly.

Karen's current reading (04/22/2022):

Actively reading

*Love in the Time of Bertie (44 Scotland St #15) by Alexander McCall Smith -- p. 5 of 276
*The Good Kings by Kara Cooney -- p.29 of 345
*Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips -- p. 105 of 235
*Seven-per-cent Solution (the original) by Nicholas Meyer -- p. 65 of 253
*Amphigorey: Fifteen Books by Edward Gorey
*The Greatest Invention: A History of the World in Nine Mysterious Scripts by Silvia Ferrara
*Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama: A Memoir by Bob Odenkirk
Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor -- p. 68 of 299
The Wall by Marlen Haushofer -- p. 14 of 211

The View From Split Rock: A Lighthouse Keeper's Life by Lee Radzak -- p. 11 of 157

AAC (American Author Challenge) for April: Jennifer Finney Bowlan: I'm reading She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders -- p. 185 of 300

AAC (American Author Challenge) for May: 19th century American author: I'm going to read Selected Poems by Emily Dickinson by Emily Dickinson

My current Great Course(s): A Guided Tour to Ancient Egypt -- 6 of 24 lectures

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still-Want-to-Get-to-Them (so, these are readily available to me although I might not be reading them quite yet or may have had to return them to the library; some are my own books.

In the Woods by Tana French -- p. 17 of 431
The Lais of Marie de France
V for Vendetta by Alan Moore
Tevye's Daughters by Sholom Aleichem (my own)
Billy Summers by Stephen King (my own)
State of Terror by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny (my own)-- 394 pages
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou (reread for me after watching "The Dropout"
Woke Racism: How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black America by John McWhorter
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

100. Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips



This book was such a fun read! The Grecian gods of mythology as you never knew them! The gods are sequestered in an old, rundown house, having to work for a living, and quite the slobs (never thinking that they should have to clean). A spat between Apollo and Artemis leads to two mortals getting caught in the machinations of the gods, and only true love (and the belief of the human race in the gods) can work everything out. Lots of laughs here.

I believe it was Whisper1 who brought this book to my attention, but thanks to whoever it was!

Took me a little while, but it was fun!

Wordle 308 5/6 irate, mince, while, glide, olive (I have a cat named Olive!)

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>149 klobrien2: All six for me...OGIVE before OLIVE is what did me in.

>150 richardderus: So many options!

Today, I almost had it in two, but I guess order counts. Pfui!

Wordle 309 3/6 irate, inter, inert

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>132 klobrien2: I have that one on the way to me already. I am planning on reading through all of the original novels next year, Karen. Care to join me?

>141 klobrien2: That one is already in the BlackHole.

>148 klobrien2: I purchased that one in Joplin about 5 or so years ago and have yet to read it. I really need to remedy that!

Happy Sunday, Karen!

>152 alcottacre: “I am planning on reading through all of the original novels next year, Karen. Care to join me?”

Oh, I’ll have to think about that one, Stasia, but thanks for asking. I’ll be watching!

Wordle 310 5/6 irate, sneak, bakes, asked, askew

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101. Resident Alien Omnibus Volume 1 by Peter Hogan, Steve Parkhouse



I'm a real fan of the Syfy TV show "Resident Alien," so couldn't resist picking up the origin graphic novel. This volume contains the first three novels in the series; there are three more individual novels as of right now.

The plot of the novels is quite different from that of the TV show, but that's okay. The novels read more more like detective stories (Harry is a real fan of classic detective novels).

Beautiful illustrations, exciting stories, and the characters can't be beat. I'm really looking forward to reading the second half of the series.

P.S. Wanted to add this list of the books that Harry (the Resident Alien) used to teach himself English/human. I'm not sure of most of the touchstones. I'm sure Harry found the local public library right away!

3 years ago (had just crashed on Earth): My First Alphabet: An Early Learning Primer
2 years, 11 months ago: Barnaby (picture book, with furry animal on cover)
2 years, 10 months ago: Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
2 years, 8 months ago: An Introduction to Developmental Psychology
2 years, 6 months ago: Gray's Anatomy by Harry Gray
2 years: The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

>155 klobrien2: I never knew that show was based on a GN! I love Alan Tudyk anyway, but he was just so perfect in this role.

>154 klobrien2: I'm at five today, too. *sigh* That'll teach me to Wordle before I have coffee.

I found this one a little tricky today…

Wordle 311 4/6 irate, cloud, eight, heist

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>153 klobrien2: No worries. I will not hold your feet to the fire :)

Happy Tuesday, Karen!

>156 richardderus: Isn’t Alan Tudyk great?! I’m anxious to read the second three books to see if the show matches them a little more closely. But I’m enjoying both in their own rights.

Always good to see you here!

Complete strikeout with my usually helpful first word! Fun one, however.

Wordle 312 4/6 irate, lousy, spoon, shown

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102. She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders by Jennifer Finney Boylan



Moving story of one person's struggle to attain their true gender identity. Very well-written, with a mixture of honesty and humor that kept me involved all the way through.

Finney Boylan is an excellent writer, and I'm sure to look up other of her books. Thanks, once again, to the American Authors Challenge for bringing this author to my attention!

Just treated myself to a watch of "84, Charing Cross Road," with Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins. I had seen the movie, but it was years ago. Lovely to see the movie again.

In other TV news, I am finishing up with "Julia" (hbomax), based on Julia Child's life during the startup of "The French Chef"; "Outlander" (Season 6, on Starz, and I have 3 episodes to watch before I lose Starz on 4/30); and "Call the Midwife" (Season 11(!), on PBS). Just a few episodes left on each, but "Grace and Frankie" (last episodes) is coming in a few days. Definitely a richness of things to watch right now! Unfortunately, TV takes time away from reading. Pfui.

103. Amphigorey: Fifteen Books by Edward Gorey



"They're creepy and they're kooky; Mysterious and spooky; They're altogether ooky...Amphigorey books!"

There are four Amphigorey books, each a gathering of smaller, classic Gorey books. In this first volume, the Gashlycrumb Tinies was a known quantity, but the other content is always Gothic, often spooky, sometimes very funny, sometimes shocking. The drawings invite even my non-artistic eyes to examine and evaluate. The drawings are quite amazing.

So I will pursue the other three books: Amphigorey Again, Amphigorey Too, and Amphigorey Also. I'll give my library's ILL staff a little work!

I've added this list above, to message 155, for Resident Alien Omnibus Volume 1:

P.S. Wanted to add this list of the books that Harry (the Resident Alien) used to teach himself English/human. I'm not sure of most of the touchstones. I'm sure Harry found the local public library right away!

3 years ago (had just crashed on Earth): My First Alphabet: An Early Learning Primer
2 years, 11 months ago: Barnaby (picture book, with furry animal on cover)
2 years, 10 months ago: Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
2 years, 8 months ago: An Introduction to Developmental Psychology
2 years, 6 months ago: Gray's Anatomy by Harry Gray
2 years: The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

Getting a little worried there, but pulled it out. Great word!

Wordle 313 5/6 irate, snowy, pesky, testy, zesty

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Hi Karen!

>149 klobrien2: My maternal grandmother had twin cousins – Oliver and Olive. We never dared name a cat with those names, but my mother named a boy kitty George and told us to never, ever tell anybody in the family what his name was because that was her grandfather’s name. Fortunately, they lived in Iowa and we lived in California, so it never came up.

>154 klobrien2: I see that your starting word is irate. Mine is adieu. Lots of folks use a variety of words, but for me the statistics are more meaningful with the same starting word.

>155 klobrien2: We just watched episode 2 of season 2 of Resident Alien last night. We really like the series, and especially Alan Tudyk as the alien. First saw him in A Knight's Tale, then fell in love with him in Firefly.

>163 klobrien2: I love Edward Gorey. My first book by him was The Epiplectic Bicycle and I have quite a few now, in addition to all 4 Amphigoreys.

Happy almost-*phew* day, Karen O.!

Sweet Thursday, Karen. I am back and slowly trying to catch up on LT. Hope all is well.

>126 klobrien2: I think I might request this tome. Looks like a good fit for the Warbler.

>163 klobrien2: Amphigorey: Fifteen Books sounds like a good one too.

Wordle 314 3/6 irate, grant, trash

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>166 karenmarie: Hey, Karen! I used your first word a few times, and I tried Richard’s, but always come back to my usual. I find it so interesting to see other people’s strategies with this thing called Wordle.

I agree with you about Alan Tudyk—he’s great. I wonder if “Resident Alien” was tailored to match his comic style. It seems like such a perfect fit for him.

And I’m becoming such a Gorey fan, too! I has never heard of the Amphigorey books, and I’m thrilled that my local lib has the remaining three, and that they’re on their ways to me!

Always great to see you here! Have a great weekend!

>167 richardderus: Hi there, Richard! Happy weekend.

>168 msf59: Welcome back, Mark! Your trip sounded fantastic (lots of birdies!)

The photography of Birds of the Photo Ark is fantastic. I bet you’d like the book if you can get your hands on it.

I’m finishing up The View from Split Rock: A Lighthouse Keeper’s Life and the writer often mentions the wildlife (including BIRDS!) of the Superior shore. What a life!

Thank you so much for stopping by to chat! Have a great weekend!

Don't mind me, I'm just waiting for the Friday Reading Roundup. I have a few magazines to catch up on, no rush.

>161 klobrien2: I really wish my local library had a copy of that one!

>162 klobrien2: Oh, it is a treat to watch "84, Charing Cross Road," isn't it? I love that movie!

>163 klobrien2: Edward Gore pulls me in every time! Adding the books to the BlackHole.

Have a fantastic Friday!

>173 richardderus: Oh, that looks lovely! And the Reading Roundup is on its way!

>174 alcottacre: Hi, Stasia! I'm thinking that there are political reasons why some libraries don't stock Jennifer (or, nee "Jim") Finney Boylan books? Too bad--this one was great! Do you have access to Interlibrary Loan?

Had you heard of the Amphigorey books before? I hadn't. I hope you like them if and when you get a chance to read them.

Have a great weekend!

104. The View from Split Rock: A Lighthouse Keeper's Life by Lee Radzak with Curt Brown



Split Rock Lighthouse is a treasured site to most Minnesotans; it's a small lighthouse on a tall cliff overlooking Lake Superior. It was decommissioned last century, but is a Historical Site, and is a common destination for tourists on the North Shore of the lake. It really is iconic to those in the state.

The author of this book, Lee Radzak, was the keeper of the site for 36 years, and he and his wife raised their two kids there amid the beautiful surroundings.

In this book, he and his co-writer, professional journalist Curt Brown, show us the history and make-up of the lighthouse, the North shore, and Radzak's family. The book is split into the four seasons, with lots of wonderful photographs, maps, etc., of each. Radzak spends time talking about the flora and fauna (even the human variety). And, get this--there are even a few recipes!

I've had this book out from the library, off and on, for months (ha!) and I felt no compunction to return it because there were enough copies to fill the other requests for it. I don't know why it took me so long, but now it's read, and it was a lovely read!

Friday Reading Roundup Time!

Why I do this "Round Up": Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (and do so much eBook reading), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly.

Karen's current reading (04/29/2022):

Actively reading

*Love in the Time of Bertie (44 Scotland St #15) by Alexander McCall Smith -- p. 131 of 276
*The Silent Speaker (Nero Wolfe #12) by Rex Stout -- p. 20 of 199
*Resident Alien Vols. 4, 5, 6
*The Red Demon by Larry Millett
Seven-per-cent Solution (the original) by Nicholas Meyer -- p. 65 of 253
The Lais of Marie de France -- p. 10 of 126
V for Vendetta by Alan Moore
The Greatest Invention: A History of the World in Nine Mysterious Scripts by Silvia Ferrara
Severance: Stories by Robert Olen Butler
Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio by Derf Backderf
Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor -- p. 68 of 299
The Wall by Marlen Haushofer -- p. 14 of 211

AAC (American Author Challenge) for May: 19th century American author: I'm going to read Selected Poems by Emily Dickinson by Emily Dickinson

My current Great Course(s): A Guided Tour to Ancient Egypt -- 6 of 24 lectures

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still-Want-to-Get-to-Them (so, these are readily available to me although I might not be reading them quite yet or may have had to return them to the library; some are my own books.

The Good Kings by Kara Cooney -- p. 29 of 345
Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama: A Memoir by Bob Odenkirk
Tevye's Daughters by Sholom Aleichem (my own)
Billy Summers by Stephen King (my own)
State of Terror by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny (my own)-- 394 pages
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou (reread for me after watching "The Dropout"
Woke Racism: How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black America by John McWhorter
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
These Precious Days: Essays by Ann Patchett
White Noise by Don DeLillo
Gifts by Ursula K. LeGuin
Our Country Friends by Gary Shteyngart

>173 richardderus: I need this chair...

>179 ocgreg34:, >175 klobrien2: A mere thousand dollars and it can be yours from...whichever furniture company that was...already I've forgotten, isn't that sad.

105. Resident Alien Volume 4: The Man With No Name by Peter Hogan, illus. Steve Parkhouse





106. Resident Alien Volume 5: An Alien in New York by Peter Hogan, illus. Steve Parkhouse





107. Resident Alien Volume 6: Your Ride's Here by Peter Hogan, illus. Steve Parkhouse



Finished off "Resident Alien." Lots of differences between the book series and the television series, but that's okay. The books are enjoyable for their quiet looks at an amazing detective hero, and the TV show is enjoyable for its darker, scarier view at a more comic alien. Different views of the situation.

The authors of the books say that this might be it for the novels, but that they're leaving the series with a great ending, and will do more if they think of a really great idea why to do that. I'd love to see more of these lovely things.

After bombing out yesterday, I was really eager NOT to mess up today. I made my fourth guess, then left for a while to let it simmer. Came back to it later, and SUCCESS!

Wordle 316 5/6 irate, round, morph, sorry, forgo

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I stole this from karenmarie’s thread. Thank you!

#hewhoshallbenamed, an incomplete list
Stephen Collbert

A Man for all Treasons
Butternut Berlusconi
Clownigula
Collacolluda
Commander in Cheese
Covfefool *
Dick a L'Orange *
Dingus Con
Dolt 45
Drinks With Two Hands
Eric's Dad
Fatty Kreuger
Girth Vader
Hair Farce One
Jabba the Gut *
Jackass O'Lantern
King Baby Coward
Lex Loser
Lingering Orange Fart *
Madman
Mallomar Gaddafi
Mango Unchained
Mar-a-Lardo *
Marginally Sentient Spray-Tan *
Mayor McTreason
Mount Flushmore
Oaf of Office
Old Wack Donald
Ole Yeller
Penis Pumpkinhead *
President L. Ron Chubbard
President Sweet 'N Sauron
Racist, Sexist Pig
Scooby Coup
Scrooge McSchmuck
SCROTUS *
Shaved Grimace
Sir Eats-a-Lot
Sulk Hogan
Tangerine Ball Bag
Tangerine Palpatine
That Corrupt Motherf***er
That F***ing Lunatic *
The Big Lie-bowski
The Danger Yam
The Flag Fondler
The Floridian Fondler
The Fraud Father
The Lard Father
The Quarter Flounder
The Slob Father
The Turd Reich
Tidey-Whitey Bulger
Traffic Cone of Treason *
Vanity Manatee
Voldemoron *
Walker: Taxes Evader
Waxed Gritty
Winnie the Coup
Y-M-C-A-Hole *

I’m back!

Wordle 317 3/6 irate, round, story

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Husband got this in one! His normal starting word!

Wordle 318 3/6 irate, radio, hairy

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>185 klobrien2: I got it in 3 as well! Very pleasant, no?

>186 richardderus: Yes!

108. Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio by Derf Backderf



Thank you to whoever on LT brought this graphic book to my attention! It was heartbreaking to read, to be reminded of this time in our nation's history, and to learn the clear and vivid facts of the tragedy. But it's an important lesson to learn.

Backderf's style brings the reader deep into the facts, and the visual representation strengthens the words.

Two-fer Wednesday!

Wordle 319 2/6 irate, train

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109. Love in the Time of Bertie: 44 Scotland Street Series #15 by Alexander McCall Smith



I am a solid Alexander McCall Smith fan, and this latest "44 Scotland Street" number is lovely. AMS finally ties up a few very loose ends in very sensible and satisfying ways. Good book!

110. The Mystery of the Jeweled Cross: A Shadwell Rafferty Adventure by Larry Millett



I read this tiny chapbook years ago, and just reread as part of my Larry Millett "Shadwell Rafferty" read-a-thon. I liked it better this time around, I guess. I appreciate the short-and-sweet verbiage which still allows for lots of atmosphere and characterization.

>191 klobrien2: Interesting, I don't recall reading any Larry Millett stories ever. On the radar now, though.

>190 klobrien2: I lost my own interest in the stories when Isabel Dalhousie got her strange twist...something about Gratitude Lost? Just failed to connect with it again after that.

>189 klobrien2: ...odd...a completely blank space...

>192 richardderus: Hi, Richard! Millett writes Minnesota-based books, so they’re a big thrill for locals. This particular book was produced by Minnesota Center for the Book Arts, so now I need to learn more about them!

Not sure about the “strange twist” in The Lost Art of Gratitude…can you elaborate?

When I wordle (oh, no, I used it as a verb!),I use the high contrast mode. By “blank space,” do you mean the last letter? That was the only letter that was a complete miss in my guess.

Always nice to see you here, Richard!

>193 klobrien2: Oh, did you in fact Wordle today? I cannot see anything. At all.
Nothing. Zip. Zilch. Odd, isn't it.

Re Dalhousie I wasn't all that convinced by Jamie and Isabel having a child together.

>194 richardderus: That is strange! Let me know if you see today’s (which I will post very next thing).

And Isabel is always encountering people who don’t believe her and Jamie as a romantic couple. I can see your point.

Have a great day!

Wow, had to sweat that one out a little! One of those “template” words.

Wordle 320 5/6 irate, poker, sober, cover, homer

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>196 klobrien2: Oh look! I see you Wordled in 5/6! Makes that other blank one more mysterious, no?

>195 klobrien2: They don't seem to me to make any effort to *be* a couple!

Struggled with this one a tad…

Wordle 321 5/6 irate, alone, maybe, vague, badge

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111. The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff



Charming follow-up to 84, Charing Cross Road. Hanff is a wonderful traveler, a terrific correspondent on the trip she finally got to make to her beloved England. She has such a great sense of humor and of literature.

One of my favorite passages:

I'm always so ashamed when I discover how well-read other people are and how ignorant I am in comparison. If you saw the long list of famous books and authors I've never read you wouldn't believe it. My problem is that while other people are reading fifty books I'm reading one book fifty times. I only stop when at the bottom of page 20, say, I realize I can recite pages 21 and 22 from memory. Then I put the book away for a few years.

Thanks again to the LT peeps who brought this book to my attention!

112. Severance: Stories by Robert Olen Butler



Very small "stories," from the supposed minute-and-a-half of consciousness that remains after decapitation. The stories are so distilled and dense that they read almost as poetry. The voices come at us fast, as if the speakers know they only have a very short space to speak their truths. This was a distinctly different, exciting read!

I love the blurbs on the back cover:

"With Butler's signature mastery of language, Severance delivers a ghost chorus speaking with poetic urgency, and each of these finales leaves us shivering and breathless." (Amy Tan)

"Severance is a dazzling tour of history and humanity as told by those who have lost their heads. From the moment of death, we are given sixty-two perfect testaments to the joys of being alive. Robert Olen Butler has once again proven himself to be one of the most profoundly creative voices in fiction today." (Ann Patchett)

"In concept, Severance is brilliant. In execution, it's even better--beautiful, hilarious, horrifying, and humane." (Dave Eggers)

Thanks, yet again, to LT for bringing this book to my attention!

Friday Reading Roundup Time!

Why I do this "Round Up": Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (and do so much eBook reading), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly.

Karen's current reading (05/06/2022):

Actively reading

*The Silent Speaker (Nero Wolfe #12) by Rex Stout -- p. 32 of 199
*The Red Demon by Larry Millett -- p. 88 of 318
*The Windsor Knot by S. J. Bennett -- p. 32 of 238
Seven-per-cent Solution (the original) by Nicholas Meyer -- p. 65 of 253
The Lais of Marie de France -- p. 10 of 126
The Greatest Invention: A History of the World in Nine Mysterious Scripts by Silvia Ferrara
Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama: A Memoir by Bob Odenkirk
Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou (reread for me after watching "The Dropout"
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor -- p. 68 of 299
The Wall by Marlen Haushofer -- p. 14 of 211

AAC (American Author Challenge) for May: 19th century American author: I'm going to read Selected Poems by Emily Dickinson by Emily Dickinson -- p. 16 0f 312

My current Great Course(s):

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still-Want-to-Get-to-Them (so, these are readily available to me although I might not be reading them quite yet or may have had to return them to the library; some are my own books.

Tevye's Daughters by Sholom Aleichem (my own)
Billy Summers by Stephen King (my own)
State of Terror by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny (my own)-- 394 pages
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Woke Racism: How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black America by John McWhorter
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
These Precious Days: Essays by Ann Patchett
White Noise by Don DeLillo
Gifts by Ursula K. LeGuin
Our Country Friends by Gary Shteyngart

I recently watched the "Julia" series on HBOMax, and loved it. The show has the atmosphere and design of a "Mrs. Maisel," and I loved it.

So when I came across a documentary, "Julia," I got it from the library and watched it today. It was very good--covered more of Julia's early life, hewed more closely to the facts (it was a documentary, after all). The DVD is on Sony Pictures Classics, made in 2021. Lots of wonderful old footage, scads of interviews with family, friends, and cooking professionals.

Guesses 2 and 3 were big leaps, but they got me closer.

Wordle 322 4/6 irate, think, bitsy, midst

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Wordle 323 5/6 irate, pangs, fancy, candy, canny

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>204 klobrien2: It was a 3 for me...because I got amazingly lucky on guess #2!

Happy week-ahead's reads.

Wordle 324 4/6 irate,
smile, spike, shine

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This week's treasure trove from the library:

The "Amphigorey" books! (Amphigorey Again, Amphigorey Too, and Amphigorey Also)
Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman
The Return of Ulysses: A Cultural History of Homer's Odyssey by Edith Hall
The Stahl House: Case Study House #22: The Making of a Modernist Icon by Bruce Stahl
Mastering the Art of French Cooking Volume 1 by Julia Child
Planets by Jennifer Finney Boylan
Plaid and Plagiarism by Molly Macrae
Index, A History of the by Dennis Duncan

These books will percolate through my reading but first I need to finish a few books that are well on their way.

>176 klobrien2: Yes, we do have ILL, but the last time I used it I waited 3+ months to get the book, by which time I was no longer in the mood for the book! I had not heard of the Amphigorey books before.

>188 klobrien2: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation, Karen!

>199 klobrien2: I love that one and need to give it a re-read.

>207 klobrien2: Nice!

Have a wonderful week, Karen!

>200 klobrien2: Glad to see you liked that one, Karen. I bought it for Jeff at the end of last year and he was intrigued by it too.

>208 alcottacre: >209 PaulCranswick: Hi, you two! Thanks for stopping by! Have a great week!

Wordle 325 4/6 irate, bench, cello, gecko

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>210 klobrien2: I added a step, and needed a sacrifice word in slot #4 to get an urgently-necessary clue.

>207 klobrien2: Lots of exciting reading in there!

>211 richardderus: Hi, Richard! I struggled a little with today’s Wordle…

Wordle 326 5/6 irate, range, sabre, carve, farce

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113. Sherlock Holmes and the Red Demon by Larry Millett



Part of my Larry Millett read/reread. Hadn't read this one before, but it's a chilling, evocative story of the Minnesota timber industry in the 1800s, centering on the terrible fire that engulfed the central Minnesota town of Hinckley. Timber barons don't come off looking too good, but Holmes and Watson are the heroes.

A favorite passage:

I have often been asked to describe the nature of Holmes's mind, though I doubt that anyone could ever hope to understand such a magnificent creation in its entirety. Nonetheless, I have always thought his mind must be rather like some vast yet eccentric reference library, its sturdy shelves stocked with innumerable volumes of esoterica. In this great library the antiquarian or specialist would find many wonders, while the general reader would merely be baffled by the overwhelming oddity of its collections. That is because many ordinary things were quite unknown to Holmes, whereas he knew a great many extraordinary things, especially as they related to crime.

114. Amphigorey Again by Edward Gorey



Wonderful, humorous, (sometime a little scary!) drawings and words...another great assemblage of humor and wit.

Hi Karen O! I hope you're pleased with NOT getting the dreaded X today. It was indeed the embodiment of the word.

Happy Wednesday.

I like my tree shape, but would really like a three-fer!

Wordle 327 5/6 irate, mound, chunk, flung, slung

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Wordle 328 4/6 irate, stoic, midst, tipsy

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115. Amphigorey Too by Edward Gorey



Totally fun read, although I'm sometimes left scratching my head in puzzlement or even a little shock. Very, very funny!

116. The Windsor Knot: A Novel (Her Majesty the Queen Investigates, Book 1) by S. J. Bennett



Great new-ish series, with Queen Elizabeth II as a natural detective. The characterizations and environments are top-notch; the plot is a little iffy, especially towards the end isn't there a rule about not introducing the villian mere pages from the end of the book? I've got great hopes for the second book in the series, All the Queen's Men.

>219 klobrien2: re: spoiler, if not there oughta be.

*smooch*

>220 richardderus: I got a *smooch* from richardderus! *Smooch* right back at you! Thanks for stopping by.

Friday Reading Roundup Time!

Why I do this "Round Up": Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (and do so much eBook reading), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly.

Karen's current reading (05/13/2022):

Actively reading

*Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman -- p. 118 of 228
*Sherlock Holmes and the Ice Palace Murders by Larry Millett -- p. 27 of 320
*The Silent Speaker (Nero Wolfe #12) by Rex Stout -- p. 32 of 199
*Seven-per-cent Solution (the original) by Nicholas Meyer -- p. 65 of 253
*The Lais of Marie de France -- p. 43 of 126
The Greatest Invention: A History of the World in Nine Mysterious Scripts by Silvia Ferrara
Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama: A Memoir by Bob Odenkirk

AAC (American Author Challenge) for May: 19th century American author: I'm reading Selected Poems by Emily Dickinson by Emily Dickinson -- p. 40 0f 312

My current Great Course(s):

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still-Want-to-Get-to-Them (so, these are readily available to me although I might not be reading them quite yet or may have had to return them to the library; some are my own books.

We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor -- p. 68 of 299
The Wall by Marlen Haushofer -- p. 14 of 211
Tevye's Daughters by Sholom Aleichem (my own)
Billy Summers by Stephen King (my own)
State of Terror by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny (my own)-- 394 pages
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Woke Racism: How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black America by John McWhorter
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
These Precious Days: Essays by Ann Patchett
White Noise by Don DeLillo
Gifts by Ursula K. LeGuin
Our Country Friends by Gary Shteyngart

>213 klobrien2: That one looks like a book I would enjoy. Into the BlackHole it goes!

I already have the Amphigorey books in the BlackHole or I would be adding them again.

Happy Friday, Karen!

>223 alcottacre: Hi, Stasia! I hope you like Sherlock Holmes and the Red Demon if you get a chance to get your hands on it.

Have a great weekend! and thanks for stopping by!

>224 klobrien2: Unfortunately my local library does not have a copy, so I will have to look further afield for the book.

>225 alcottacre: I was afraid of that—it’s one of those based-in-a-specific-locale books, maybe not available all over. Good luck in your search!

Fun one! Actually, I always find them fun!

Wordle 329 4/6 irate, stead, petal, metal

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>227 klobrien2: I was irked by my 6 today. Guesses 4, 5, 6 were just that: which word are they looking for? It stops being a puzzle at that point and I get annoyed by guessing games.

I'm glad you enjoyed where I couldn't. It makes me feel like the World's supply of good fun stays in balance.

>228 richardderus: Sorry about your Wordle—I know exactly what you mean about the annoyance with the guessing game. I wonder if that common-word-frame is something about how the English language has been built up from other languages?

Just remember, tomorrow is another Wordle-day!

>229 klobrien2: Hm. I think you're onto something there, given that language...or English, anyway...accretes like a pearl, not snaps into being like a crystal.

117. Amphigorey Also by Edward Gorey



So clever, so beautifully drawn, such a weird and warped sense of humor. I think I might need to get these Amphigorey books for my own!

118. I Need a New Butt by Dawn McMillan



Huge controversy when a substituting school administrator read this book to some kids. Silly book, but wonderfully drawn, and a book the kids would love. Tempest in a teapot!

119. Call Us What We Carry: Poems by Amanda Gorman



The author recounts the last few years for us: the pandemic, political unrest, social unrest. She has a real gift with words, but too often falls into what seems to me to be gimmickry (words in visual shapes, LOTS of epigrams) which draws attention away from the words. An unexpected "Karen" slur (p. 145) raised a stink in my mind, too. I'll certainly be watching for what she does next.

AUGURY or THE BIRDS

In ancient Rome, augurs were official diviners,
Their darting eyes interpreting
Omens & the inked stain
Of birds across the sky.
Their job was not to prophesy the future,
But to determine if their new-named gods
Approved of an action before it began.

The only way to correctly predict
The future is to pave it,
Is to brave it.
The breakage is where we begin.
The rupture is for remembering.
That is to say,
Here is where we hold our hurt.
We inaugurate our dreams at the injury.
We consecrate at the cut.
Under a suture of sun,
We sense ourselves stir,
Slowly, sweetly,
As if for the first time.
This nearly tore us apart.
Yes, indeed.
It tears us to start.

Aargh…finally got it. Played the guessing game at the end (you’re right, richardderus, it’s no fun!) but went with my first hunch.

Wordle 330 5/6 irate, bound, plied, wield, yield

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Hi Karen!

>222 klobrien2: I remember reading The Seven-per-cent Solution in my early 20s. I will say no more until you finish it. *smile*

>234 klobrien2: My starting word, the one I always use, was a great help today, and I got it in 3. I lucked into yield instead of wield, although I debated for a bit.

>234 klobrien2: See? See? Nasty things, guessing games. At least Wordle is perforce *honest* about the answer.

>233 klobrien2: I don't find her impressive as a poet. But I don't know what would impress me in a poet.

120. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan



I made this a 5-star read, with no hesitation. This is a short novella, compact and gemlike, with the lilts of Irish language throughout.

"It is 1985 in a small Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man, faces into his busiest season. Early one morning, while delivering an order to the local convent, Bill makes a discovery which forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church." (from the inside front cover)

I'm adding a few books into the reading mix, gathered from this weekend's library runs. I've already finished two of the shorter books we picked up! (See above)

The Paradox Hotel by Rob Hart
Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalola
The King by Donald Barthalme
Racism Not Race by Graves and Goodman

>237 klobrien2: This was also a five-star read for me, Karen. It's one I will come back to.

>239 BLBera: Me, too!

Worked hard on this one. I was sure my guess would be wrong, but that’s Wordle!

Wordle 331 3/6 irate, clove, delve

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Wordle 332 4/6 irate, yield, weigh, being

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My Wordling went badly today...guesses #2, #3, #4 were all wrong despite my having EIN in all those cases. It comes down to "which one are they looking for?" and that ain't my idea of fun.

Sigh. Well, it's just a puzzle, no one's likely to die from it.

*smooch*

Wordle 333 4/6 irate, rough, flour, scour

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121. Silent Speaker (Nero Wolfe #11) by Rex Stout



Excellent story, well-paced. One of the draws of this series are the excellent introductions to the books, written by fellow detective writers. This tome has an intro by Walter Mosley!

Guessing all the way…

Wordle 334 3/6 irate, gland, glass

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Wordle 335 4/6 irate, grave, gears, gamer

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Got more treasures from the library:

The Last Bookseller: A Life in the Rare Book Trade by Gary Goodman
Let There Be Light: The Real Story of Her Creation by Liana Finck
Ocean State by Stewart O'Nan
Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala
The High House: A Novel by Jessie Greengrass
Remind Me to Murder You Later: Short Stories by Jennifer Finney Boylan

And, a new Great Course (brought to my attention by KarenMarie): The Story of Human Language by John McWhorter

Friday Reading Roundup Time!

Why I do this "Round Up": Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (and do so much eBook reading), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly.

Karen's current reading (05/20/2022):

Actively reading

*Our Country Friends by Gary Shteyngart -- p. 55 of 304
*The King by Donald Barthalme -- p. 80 of 158
*Plaid and Plagiarism (Highland Bookshop #1) by Molly Macrae -- p. 73 of 281
*Sherlock Holmes and the Ice Palace Murders by Larry Millett -- p. 42 of 320
*Seven-per-cent Solution by Nicholas Meyer -- p. 65 of 253
The Greatest Invention: A History of the World in Nine Mysterious Scripts by Silvia Ferrara
Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama: A Memoir by Bob Odenkirk

AAC (American Author Challenge) for May: 19th century American author: I'm reading Selected Poems by Emily Dickinson by Emily Dickinson -- p. 100 0f 312

My current Great Course(s): The Story of Human Language, 0 of 36 lectures

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still-Want-to-Get-to-Them (so, these are readily available to me although I might not be reading them quite yet or may have had to return them to the library; some are my own books.

We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor -- p. 68 of 299
The Wall by Marlen Haushofer -- p. 14 of 211
Tevye's Daughters by Sholom Aleichem (my own)
Billy Summers by Stephen King (my own)
State of Terror by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny (my own)-- 394 pages
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
These Precious Days: Essays by Ann Patchett
White Noise by Don DeLillo

>249 klobrien2: Ooo, good luck on gettin' the Barthelme finished soon!

>248 klobrien2: I'm so greedy. I've been savoring all the McWhorter books I have at the rate of a chapter a month because it's too much fun to rush.

>247 klobrien2: Excellent Wordle-ing! Happy weekend-ahead's reads, Karen O.

>250 richardderus: I finished The King this morning. What a great book! And I’ll start the McWhorter Great Course today. Have a great weekend yourself, dear Richard!

Pleased with today’s wordle-ing! This was a fun one.

Wordle 336 3/6 irate, scarf, scrap

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122. The King by Donald Barthelme



Loved this book! It does seem a little familiar, so I may have read it years ago (published in 1990); if that is the case, then I appreciate it much more in my older age. Wonderful writing, terrific parody, beautiful woodcut illustrations throughout. I love all things "King Arthur," so this book was just what I would wish. The compare/contrast of medieval v. post-modernism is funny and enlightening. I'll read this again, I'm sure, and I'll seek out other books by the fellow.

I believe it was weird_o who brought it to my attention; once again, thank you weird_o!

123. Mastering the Art of French Cooking (Volume 1) by Julia Child



I almost didn't add this to my official book list since it is a cookbook, but this is a very fleshed-out book, with lots of verbiage and background. I read this as part of my "all things Julia Child" splurge. I did not read recipes word-by-word, but browsed through, seeking the introductory sections, and the general flow of the book. I paid particular attention to the recipes for foods presented in the "Julia" TV show, and chuckled as I did so.

This is a great cookbook, and a great historical snapshot, and I'll be looking for a good used copy for myself. Whether I'll cook any of the recipes remains to be seen (!) but this was a very nice read, if nothing else.

>254 klobrien2: It is a brilliant achievement. It's also a good read.

>253 klobrien2: I'm so glad it still has the power to move you!

*smooch*

Yikes! Too close for comfort!

Wordle 337 6/6 irate, glued, woven, cones, honey, money

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>256 klobrien2: Yikes indeed! It had to feel very edge-of-the-cliff-y to use your sixth guess.

I'm glad it worked. I got it in three today, he bragged, so it was more a "sit-and-enjoy" than a "clench-and-sigh" day.

Monday's is my last political book review for the week. I'm getting really stressed out. Time to write about some story collections.

>257 richardderus: I’ve been so enjoying your reviews, and you are reading up a storm! Enjoy your break from the serious.

Congrats on the three-fer! I have to say, even the tougher guessing days are still a lot of fun. That’s why we stick with it, right?!

Thanks for stopping by…both times!

>253 klobrien2: So happy you took that bb. The King. I'm interested in reading Barthelme's Snow White, which was published in The New Yorker. I bought a multi-DVD package, The Complete New Yorker, at a library sale for $8 or such-like. The story is on one of the discs. But when I started loading the software, my old Toshiba went into coronary arrest. Have to see if my Mac can swallow it.

>259 weird_O: Aarghh! I hope you get your tech sorted out. I’ve added Barthelme’s Snow White to my TBR, and will now go try to find a copy. Thanks for the heads-up! And thanks for stopping by!

Wordle 338 4/6 Irate, voice, singe, hinge

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124. Let There Be Light: The Real Story of Her Creation by Liana FInck



Clever, hilarious retelling of the biblical book of Genesis, from a different point of view. The illustration is sweet and effective, and the humor is spot-on.

I do better when I’m patient — which makes me think of the old joke, “Lord, give me patience and give it to me right now!”

Wordle 339 3/6 irate, mambo, album

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>263 klobrien2: Given your choices, the jokes just write themselves.

And #2 is a word I swear I haven't heard said aloud or seen anywhere in decades!

Complete miss on my usually reliable first word, but got letters 2 and 3 with my second guess.

Wordle 340 5/6 irate, sound, cough, pouch, couch

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125. Plaid and Plagiarism (The Highland Bookshop Mysteries #1) by Molly MacRae



Comfortable, but a little messy, this first book in the series makes me want to read the next one to see if this will be a keeper for me. This one has a "cast of thousands," with four (!) protagonists, and a slew of townspeople all digging around the murder mystery.

But the setting is lovely, and there are books, tea, and scones!

>266 klobrien2: Four protagonists. Four. Nope.

>265 klobrien2: It took me five, too. Hoping your Wednesday progresses as pleasantly as is possible.

>267 richardderus: Thanks, Richard! I wish the same for you, as well.

Finished my read of The Selected Poems of Emily Dickinson, with an introduction by Billy Collins and commentary by Conrad Aiken. I read this for the May American Authors Challenge--19th Century Writers.



126. The Selected Poems of Emily Dickinson by Emily Dickinson



I'd come across many of the poems before in my life, but didn't realize how many of them dealt with time/eternity! My favorites were the poems dealing with love and nature.

Here's a poem from the "Life" section, number XXI:

He ate and drank the precious words,
His spirit grew robust;
He knew no more that he was poor,
Nor that his frame was dust.
He danced along the dingy days,
And this bequest of wings
Was but a book. What liberty
A loosened spirit brings!

Here's another from the "Life" section, number XXXII:

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

From the "Nature" section, number XCVII:

To make a prairie it takes a clover and one bee,--
One clover, and a bee,
And revery.
The revery alone will do
If bees are few.

I don’t get too 😁 many two-fers, but it kinda makes up for yesterday’s dismal bomb-out. My first word did the trick.

Wordle 342 2/6 irate, tiara

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127. Our Country Friends by Gary Shteyngart



Well, this book was *about* so much, and had so many characters (an extra, nasty, character in this book is Covid-19) that I'm not sure how to tell you about it. I really enjoyed the reading, and kept wanting to know what happened next (that seems like a good measure of how much I like a book). . The "friends" are all in residence at a country "dacha" owned by one of them; they are going into quarantine together, seeking safety and reunion with lifelong friends.

I really like Shteyngart's writing, and I need to read more of it. This book is like a time-capsule of a year, the year of pandemic, and deadly racism, and terrifying right-wing politics. But the book is also a chronicle of friendship and love, and hope for the future. Read it: I think you'll like it.

Friday Reading Roundup Time!

Why I do this "Round Up": Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (and do so much eBook reading), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly.

Karen's current reading (05/27/2022):

Actively reading

*Sherlock Holmes and the Ice Palace Murders by Larry Millett -- p. 42 of 320
*Seven-per-cent Solution by Nicholas Meyer -- p. 65 of 253
*Ocean State by Stewart O'Nan -- p. 61 of 226
*Scones and Scoundrels (Highland Bookshop #2) by Molly MacRae -- p. 13 of 305
*Too Many Women (Nero Wolfe #12) by Rex Stout -- p. 9 of 188
*The Last Bookseller: The Life in the Rare Book Trade by Gary Goodman -- p. 41 of 178
The Greatest Invention: A History of the World in Nine Mysterious Scripts by Silvia Ferrara
Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama: A Memoir by Bob Odenkirk
Remind Me to Murder You Later (Short Stories) by Jennifer Finney Boylan -- p. of 131

AAC (American Author Challenge) for June: John Dos Passos: Manhattan Transfer

My current Great Course(s): The Story of Human Language, 2 of 36 lectures

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still-Want-to-Get-to-Them (so, these are readily available to me although I might not be reading them quite yet or may have had to return them to the library; some are my own books.

We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor -- p. 68 of 299
Tevye's Daughters by Sholom Aleichem (my own)
Billy Summers by Stephen King (my own)
State of Terror by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny (my own)-- 394 pages
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
These Precious Days: Essays by Ann Patchett
The Marsh King's Daughter by Karen Dionne -- p. 11 of 228

>271 klobrien2: I need to hustle right past that. It's time to do my June Cavalcade of Queerness reviews. Thirty-three reviews, some Burgoines, my fingers are aching already!

>270 klobrien2: Two! How wonderful!!
I hate her so much it makes my nosehairs hurt
Aren't those days special and delightful?
life is unfair but THIS really hurts

I hit a book sale at an evangelical christian church in my neighborhood this noontime. Last year I got more than a dozen books there, including a Faulkner novel, Neal Gaiman, Sartre, Ross Macdonald, Gore Vidal. It was but a Bronx cheer for this year.

BUT...I did get a Jeff Smith book, Bone: Out From Boneville. The cover copy doesn't really confess that it's the first volume, though it hints at that, calling it a "Tribute Edition" and touting the inclusion of 32 pages be new stuff. I'm telling you this, Karen, because you alerted me to the existence of Bone. So I recognized it, and I grabbed it. I expect I'll like it. (Then send it to my Jersey Girls.)

>273 weird_O: That’s great about your book sale finds—and so funny that they were selling such “liberal” books! Maybe it was a one-time thing? But I’m sure you’ll love the Bone (it is, indeed, the first volume).

Karen O

Wordle 343 5/6 irate, trend, greet, crest, crept

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This was a tough one for me. I got to word three, then took a break and found the solution when I came back.

Wordle 344 4/6 irate,
Album, squab (!), bayou

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>276 klobrien2: Your word #3 is another one I'd've never ever pulled out of my brain! I keep a weird-Wordle document for when I'm really stuck, so I'll add it to that.

Cheers, Karen O.!

Wordle 345 4/6 I guess we’re doing geographical features! irate, match, float, atoll

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Wordle 346 3/6 irate, groan, manor

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>279 klobrien2: My pattern was very different, but I got there in 3 as well. Happy Tuesday!

128. My Butt is So Silly! by Diane McMillan



Silly and fun! Great illustrations. A kid would love this book!

129. The Last Bookseller: A Life in the Rare Book Trade by Gary Goodman



Excellent, eminently readable, humorous at times, a sparkling account of the author's years as a used and rare book dealer. Readers who like "books about books" will love this one (and I know that you readers are on LT!).

"As long as new books are printed and become used, second-hand, and rare books, someone is going to sell them. It is the process and the people that have changed. What I have tried to do here, in my limited way, is to present a picture of what the odd and glorious secondhand book business was like before the internet took over. And, okay, I'm sorry, I know I'm not the last bookseller, but if you mean a certain kind of bookseller, I'm probably pretty close."

>282 klobrien2: Oh, that sounds really good.

>281 klobrien2: My daughter's already got it for the twins. I'm so not surprised.

See you on my new thread! https://www.librarything.com/topic/342092#n7852277