Clam Devours Books & Shares Cheese ❂ 2023 ~ Part I ❂

Happy New Year, all! I will primarily be discussing what I am reading in this thread, but I also plan to share tastier cheese consumption updates.

I am about 14% of the way through Babel and I am toying with the idea of jumping ship. I realized that I am finding other things to do beside pick up my Kindle, and that is highly unusual for me. (I even read on the treadmill when the weather is bad.) Luckily it's an OverDrive loan, so I can bail and then go back later in the year if I decide to.

Happy new year and happy new thread, Clam! I like the “shared cheese” part too.

Happy New Year and happy new thread! May you read many books you do not have to DNF.

Happy New Year and happy reading!

Thanks, all.

I might just start this!



It's Brandon Sanderson's latest, and I got a digital copy early by joining his Kickstarter campaign.

Happy New Year!

>6 clamairy: I like the looks of that! Looking forward to your cheesy updates, along with all the other news of your reading. May it bring you much joy!

>6 clamairy: I just got the epub loaded to my Kindle :D I'll start in another day or two once I finish my current read.

Happy new year and happy reading (and nibbling). Keeping you starred.

Happy New Thread.

I am a great believer in abandoning a book if it is not giving you a positive vibe. I am also a great believer in cheese.

Hippo Gnu Ear: happy new thread!

>1 clamairy: I bailed early on that one and struck it from my TBR. It was super preachy (by author's design: academia, topics covered), so it was like being hit over the head with a bag of books—and yet also felt twee?

Anyway, too many book fish in the deep reading sea

Happy reading in 2023, and I hope you enjoy the secret Sanderson!

>13 libraryperilous: Not only did I find the corporal punishment hard to read, but the overt racism bits were just as difficult. I understand she was probably being very accurate to the timeline, but I figured I'd only glimpsed the tip of the iceberg and I wasn't looking forward to seeing more of that. I still may go back, but that remains to be determined at a later date.

I hope that 2023 delights, both bookwise and cheesewise.

Sharing a cheese I found at Costco around Thanksgiving. It's Artigiano Aged Balsamic & Cipolline Onion, and it's from Wisconsin.





Photos are from the website, to save me the trouble of staging my own photoshoot. :o)

>16 clamairy:
That looks good.

We received a gift of four cheeses(picture to follow). One was a balsamic red onion cheddar. It is very good. I suspect yours tastes somewhat similar which means it must be delicious.

>16 clamairy: That sounds delicious. How are you planning to use it? Part of a charcuterie board or something else? We need details!

>18 Narilka: Oh, it's about ⅔rds consumed already! The first ½ went onto a cheese board at a gathering, and I've been noshing on it sporadically since. Last week I served some of it with two kinds of smoked salmon, and crusty bread. (Keep in mind the Costco wedges are quite large!)

>19 clamairy: With salmon and crusty bread sounds amazing :)

Shared as a gift, so no paywall!
Cheese is good for you!
https://wapo.st/3GchS4W

>21 clamairy: Good news! Bring on the cheese!

>21 clamairy:
After your post last night, I got out of bed about 11pm and tried some of the Coastal Cheddar with Ale and Mustard that was part of the gift from my friend. Your talk of cheese reminded me that it was one that I had not sampled. It was very nice.

When I finished the cheese I had some Marabou chocolate. Have you ever considered the similarities between cheese and chocolate? For one thing, they both start with the same two letters.

>23 pgmcc: And end with the same letter! And both have been much maligned, and have turned out to be healthy(ish)!

>24 clamairy:
Our philosophies coincide in so many ways.

>24 clamairy: So you fired a cheese bullet? Well done!

>26 Narilka: Yes! The first of many.

>27 clamairy: Those could be particularly messy!

Best wishes for a new year that's wonderful in every way.

What a friend we have in cheeses.

Happy new Year! Wishing you plenty of reading and cheese!

babel 17 is quite good if you wanted a different one to talk about.

>30 reading_fox: Thank you! I'll keep that one in mind.

>29 reconditereader: Ha! After all the bad press it's gotten the last three of four decades I'm with you. Cheeses is my bestie.

Belated Happy New Year to you! I am looking forward to receiving many book and cheese bullets from you!

Happy new year! May it be filled with good books and delicious cheese!

>34 foggidawn: Thank you! So good to see you here, Misti! I hope your year is full of wonderful things, too!

Sorry I haven't been around. I am still enjoying the new Sanderson very much, but right now I am really only reading at bedtime, so I'm only about 2/3rds of the way through the book. I have just escaped out of the Mines of Moria in my Audible version of The Fellowship of the Ring, and I have to say Andy Serkis is my new favorite narrator/voice actor. I thought his version of The Hobbit was phenomenal, but this is even beyond that. I have no clue how he does it. I would swear I am listening to dozens of different boys and men.

I do have another cheese to share. It will be getting it's own post.

This is Brugge Comtesse. According to the website it is "the Grande Dame in the range of Brugge Cheeses. With its creamy texture, ivory coloured centre and fruity aroma it keeps on surprising." It's just amazing.

>37 clamairy: I don't think I've had that before but it sounds familiar. Sounds like one we'd like to try.

>38 Karlstar: It appears that Brugge makes quite a few cheeses. This is the first one I remember trying, but they all look delicious.

>37 clamairy: That sounds delicious!

The web site also suggests that it goes well with figs and offers a recipe for a starter fresh fig pie. Is that something you're apt to experiment with, clamairy?

Most cheeses go well with figs. And don’t forget the membrillo!

>40 Sakerfalcon: It's from a part of the world much closer to you! It might be easy to find.

>41 jillmwo: If someone else bakes it for me, definitely.

>42 haydninvienna: Yes, they do, in all forms... fresh, dried and especially with fig preserves. I suddenly realized just how hungry I am.

>43 clamairy:
I have discovered a cheesemonger in the centre of Dublin that stocks Brugge cheeses. It is not far from Books Upstairs and I intend to visit Books Upstairs on Saturday. There might be a diversion to Sheridans. :-)

>44 pgmcc: Oh, lucky you! Does this place offer samples before you purchase? I'm dying to try this one, and would love your opinion. https://www.bruggecheese.com/our-cheeses/brugge-rodenbach

I did not know it existed until I searched for outlets in Ireland that sell Brugge cheeses. There are limited outlets and it looks like they consider themselves premium outlets. I shall report on the excursion.

>46 pgmcc: Try EVERYTHING!

Blessed are the cheesemongers.

>46 pgmcc: What clamairy said! We've yet to find a good cheesemonger here, unless you count Whole Foods and they are super expensive.

>49 Karlstar:
Given the number and location of the cheese-mongers stocking Brugge cheese in Ireland, I suspect they want to pander to the well off members of society. I suspect conspicuous consumption pricing.

>50 pgmcc: Uh oh, good luck. On the opposite end of the spectrum, when I googled 'Cheese shops near me', the first three on the list were:

A shop nowhere near me (more than 50 miles)
Dollar General
Hickory Farms (yes, they still exist!)

I did find a artisan grocery store in town when I searched with different keywords. I suspect the same pricing as you.

>51 Karlstar:
If I walk in wearing tweeds, hold my nose in the air and speak with a posh English accent, I am sure they would fawn over me, offer samples of all their most expensive cheeses, and offer me credit and to delivery any number of cheese orders to my abode. As it is I may be luck to be noticed in the corner of the shop.
:-)
We shall see.

Well, my hunk came from Costco in a multi-pack with four other cheeses. I didn't realize it would be so hard (almost impossible) to find here in the states. They don't even have it on iGourmet.com which has been my 'go to' for cheeses I can't find easily, like morbier. There are three cheese shops near me, but since my fridges are usually already overflowing with the stuff I don't visit them often. Most of my imported 'gourmet' cheeses comes from Costco.

Here's the label:

>53 clamairy: I'm heading to Costco next week! I will see if they have it here on the west coast. Even though I still have cheese from my trip in November.

>53 clamairy: When you first mentioned it I assumed it was a US cheese using Old World names for marketing purposes. It was only when I did a Google search that I learned it was Belgian and that I might have a chance of getting it here.

I am now wondering should I pull out my tweeds and hunting jacket or just go dressed like a tramp* to see how the shopkeeper treats me. :-)

*I am only joking. I do not have tweeds and a shooting jacket. I will just have to go as a tramp.

It appears from the website that one can taste the cheeses before buying. This could be fun.

https://sheridanscheesemongers.com/shops/south-anne-st/?_gl=1*itay3*_ga*MzM2ODYw....

>54 MrsLee: Good luck! I've tried four of the five so far, and was over-the-moon about three of them. The Pecorino Tuscano was not to my taste at all. It went out for the raccoons and the birds. I tend to adore sheep's milk cheeses, so I am not sure what the story was with this one. Too young, perhaps.

>55 pgmcc: The place looks awesome. I have never been in a cheese shop where I wasn't treated well no matter how I was dressed. Cheese mongers tend to have such a passion for their wares that they engage with anyone willing to taste and talk about their products. I suspect it will only be in issue if the place is packed and the staff is feeling harried.

Best of luck!

>57 clamairy:
The shop is in an expensive part of town, on the posh side of the river. I suspect there will be notions. :-) They are obviously strategically located for a specific type of customer. It would be different if it were a cheesemonger in an ordinary shopping centre. The businesses in proximity to Sheridans include a cosmetic doctor, several high-end tailors, expensive ladies' clothes shops, a rather sophisticated looking night club, a number of jewellers, and an art gallery. Not your usual collection of local shops.

I finished a book! I am surprised it took me so long, but there were some (political) things to watch on TV last week that took up a bit of my time. So I was not reading as much.



I received Tress of the Emerald Sea early, like a bunch of other folks in here did, because of Brandon's Kickstarter. I ponied up for the eBook, audio and hardcover. I will most likely listen to it at some point a few years from now. The hardcover is going to my daughter, but sadly it hasn't been shipped yet.

This was delightful. I will admit it was just a bit slow for me in the first quarter or so, but then... *pow* I really got sucked in. Brandon says he was going for a Princess Bride vibe, but if Buttercup had 'a bit' more to do besides being rescued. I believe he succeeded.

I am going to share a few spoiler-free bits, if I may. I have to share them as screen shots, because the book didn't come from Amazon, so I can't just cut and paste my notes. :o(





Anyway, 4.5 stars for this one!

>58 pgmcc: Well, I hope they surprise you by not having their noses in the air.

>58 pgmcc: Wear a smile and a friendly and patient look. That usually breaks down any barriers. Remember, the staff themselves are likely not posh, and probably tired of dealing with demanding and/or snooty people. :)

>59 clamairy: Oh, I loved the Princess Bride! I think I would really like this one. And I’ve never read Sanderson. This is would be a good place to start. :)

>59 clamairy: Love those quotes. In your view, is this new one by Sanderson as well done as The Emperor's Soul?

Edited because I wanted to add best wishes for a happy birthday today!!!

Hippo Birdie Two Ewe!

ETA: And, of course, much cheese. Especially of the ovine variety if you like it.

Happy birthday and much excellent cheese!

>63 jillmwo: Thank you, and the same to you!! And I would say it's not as good, being much more whimsical in nature.

>64 hfglen: & >65 haydninvienna: Many thanks!

Happy birthday!

Happy, happy birthday!

I hope your birthday celebrations are in full swing. Have a wonderful day.

Happy birthday! I will toast your happy day later when I break out the cheese - I tried a new one, called manchego - it is wonderful.

>67 libraryperilous:, >68 catzteach:, >69 pgmcc: & >70 Darth-Heather: Thank you! I had a wonderful day, and though my son had to leave today my daughter is staying for a few days.

>71 clamairy: Glad you had a lovely weekend, and many happy returns of the day to you!

>71 clamairy: Happy belated birthday! I'm glad you had a good weekend with your family!

>43 clamairy: I just googled "where to buy Brugge Comtesse London UK" and it brought up two fried chicken shops and the British Library!!!

>73 Sakerfalcon: This is what peak sales performance looks like. Give that salesperson a bonus! :D

Happy belated birthday!

>75 Karlstar: Thank you!

Sorry I haven't been posting much. My daughter is still here, so my LT time has been slashed.

I think I borrowed Lucy by the Sea because of a NY Times list of best books of 2022. I didn't realize it's the 4th of Elizabeth Strout's Lucy Barton books. I'd only read the fist one, but I didn't have trouble keeping up. Lucy is a difficult character to really love, but you do understand her. She's sharing a beach house in Maine with her ex-husband during the pandemic, and trying not to go crazy. After hemming and hawing I gave it four stars, but it really should be three and three fourths!

I think I'm reading Sea of Tranquility next.

>77 clamairy: Have you read The Glass Hotel? If not, you might want to read it first as events in that book inform the narrative in Sea of Tranquility.

That being said, each book stands on its own pretty well so reading SoT first shouldn't be too confusing.

>78 ScoLgo: Crap. I have not. I own it, but a few people in here said it wasn't as good as Station Eleven, so I just kept ignoring it.

>79 clamairy: I agree with those that feel The Glass Hotel is not as good as Station Eleven. That does not make it a terrible book. I have read all of Mandel's novels and only openly disliked one of them, (The Singer's Gun). Reading TGH and SoT out of order is probably fine. It's not like SoT is a sequel - it's more that it explores something from TGH from different angles. It's hard to say more without spoilers so I will leave it at that. I can tell you that once I finished SoT this past year, it made me want to go back and read TGH again - but I haven't yet.

>80 ScoLgo: Too late! I started The Glass Hotel last night. It's only 300+ pages, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem, even if I only like it but don't love it. Thank you for your input. I do prefer to read stuff in order.

Happy Belated Birthday :)

>82 Narilka: Thank you!

After a polite warning from >78 ScoLgo: I started The Glass Hotel. I ended up enjoying it, despite feeling lost a few times during the first half while the focus hopped from one character to another. I still didn't love it, but I ended up caring quite a bit about one of the characters, and I thought the writing was quite good. So I expect to start The Sea of Tranquility tonight, while this one is still fresh in my mind.



I also finished Andy Serkis' fabulous narration of The Fellowship of the Ring. I cannot recommend this one enough. I have already started his narration of The Two Towers.

Holy %$#&! I loved Sea of Tranquility. It's not perfect, but close to it. I am very thankful that ScoLgo suggested I read The Glass Hotel first. I think I would have been okay, but it was much better this way. I am not sure what to say about this one and have it remain spoiler free, so I won't say much. Except that given the opportunity you SciFi lovers should borrow this, or snag it when it goes on sale.

I have already started A Psalm for the Wild-Built and I am enjoying it very much. I have abandoned her Record of a Spaceborn Few several times, and I may just not try to finish that one and enjoy all of the books Becky Chambers has published since then. (I think I have bought them all!)

>85 clamairy: I need to get to this one soon.

I liked all of the Wayfarers books, but I do think Spaceborn Few might have been the weak link. The nice thing about those, of course, is that they're only tangentially connected, so you can skip that one and not miss anything in regards to other books in the series.

>86 foggidawn: You are one of several people that I trust who have mentioned that Spaceborn Few was not her best work. (My daughter being another one of them.) I may try to listen to the audio at some point in the future. But then again I may not. :o)

>85 clamairy: Nice! I'm glad Sea of Tranquility was a hit for you! I too thought it was excellent.

>88 ScoLgo: Thank you again for nudging me to read them in the order they were published. I had no clue there was so much overlap in the stories.

>85 clamairy: I really enjoyed Sea of Tranquility and have not read The Glass Hotel. In fact, I didn’t know it existed until it was mentioned in this thread.

I really want to read A Psalm for Wild-Built but just haven’t gotten around to it. I liked her others, although, I agree that Record of a Spaceborn Few was not the best.

>89 clamairy: There is even more overlap than I remembered. I got to thinking about it today so did a bit of online searching and ran across this W Magazine Article, (spoilers!), where they talk about character overlaps with not only The Glass Hotel, but also Station Eleven and The Lola Quartet. I had forgotten about the investment guy being in the latter novel so there is another one I need to re-read.

I did not get on with The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet so have not continued with any other Chambers. I did pick up A Psalm for the Wild-Built when it was a TOR freebie so may end up giving her another go. I'll be interested to read your thoughts when you finish.

>90 catzteach: I wonder if The Glass Hotel will make a more sense if you read it after Sea of Tranquility?

>91 ScoLgo: I don't have time to check out the link now, but I'll do so later. Thank you. Might I ask what you didn't like about that Becky Chambers' book?

There's news from Tor! A new Murderbot book is coming in the Fall!
https://www.tor.com/2023/01/24/cover-reveal-murderbot-system-collapse-by-martha-...

>92 clamairy: Yesss, Murderbot! I saw the news yesterday. Pre-order placed!

>93 foggidawn: I admit I squealed a bit when I read the news!

>92 clamairy: "Might I ask what you didn't like about that Becky Chambers' book?"

My somewhat snarky review.

The story was more twee than I expected. By the time I read it, the book was already being heavily lauded so my expectations may have been elevated. Also, setting aside the goofy science stuff that would never work in the real world, I guess the inclusiveness aspects that seemed to strike a chord with many readers came across to me as being rather clumsy and heavy-handed.

>95 ScoLgo: I hear ya. I think I read it pretty early in the game and had low expectations.

>92 clamairy: I’ll put The Glass Hotel on my TBR and let you know. :) And a new Murderbot! I really need to read all of them. I’ve read the first one and loved it!

>97 catzteach: Have you started borrowing Kindle books from the library yet? Hopefully you can just snag The Glass Hotel from there when you're ready.

Yes, you must catch up! The Murderbot books and novelas are just so much fun.

>95 ScoLgo: Your experience with that book mirrors mine.

>92 clamairy: Oh good, a full length novel, hopefully a bit more depth than the novellas.

>96 clamairy: Low expectations are magical! ;)

>99 MrsLee: Whew! Glad to hear I'm not the only one.

A Psalm for the Wild-Built was a lot of fun. I assume all of the books by Chambers are labeled SciFi, but I'm wondering if that is why some of you have trouble with them. They really are Fantasies, with many SciFi elements. Example: all of the humans Dex encounters in the book are pleasant and helpful. Don't laugh. Even the best of us can be unpleasant to be around on a bad day, but only Dex appears to have human foibles. That said, I still enjoyed it. I loved the robot Mosscap. I will be reading A Prayer for the Crown-Shy soonish. But right now I am reading Leigh Bardugo's latest, Hell Bent.

>98 clamairy: I have been borrowing books for the Kindle. It’s actually been handy the last few days. I’ve been sick and have been able to borrow the Mercy Thompson books from my recliner. Very handy. I’ll have to see if Libby has The Glass Hotel.

>102 clamairy: I so want to read Hell Bent. I hope it’s good.

>102 clamairy: Hah! I hadn't thought of that angle (pleasant and helpful). It was such a soothing book. Kind of like a visit to a tea monk in itself, now that I think of it.

>103 catzteach: Sorry you've been sick, but I'm glad you could borrow the books you wanted.

Even though I read Ninth House just a few years ago it took me a while to get my bearings.

>104 foggidawn: Indeed! There were multiple times I started craving tea while reading it. (Not the one with the Thyme twigs in it, though. LOL) We really could use tea monks in this era.

Sharing this with no paywall.
The Unlikely Bookstore of My Dreams https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/28/opinion/barnes-noble-amazon-bookstore.html?un...

>102 clamairy: I think her Wayfarers series definitely is sci-fi, it's just not hard sci-fi. The Monk and Robot books I've labeled speculative in my LT catalogue.

>107 clamairy: I've read a similar article on the subject recently: https://tedgioia.substack.com/p/what-can-we-learn-from-barnes-and
They're interesting (if very similar) reads, and from this side of the Atlantic it's interesting to hear about the resurgence of Waterstones as a precursor to Barnes and Noble's improvement. It's obvious what got him the B&N job, but I'm now wondering how he impressed Waterstones enough to go from running an independent bookshop to a national chain.

>109 nonil: Oh, thank you. Very similar pieces. (Except for the complaint about the coffee. LOL Every B&N with a cafe that I've ever been into serves Starbucks. Which I guess people either love or hate. I happen to enjoy it.) That said, a brand new B&N just opened about 12 miles from me, and there is no cafe. :( There aren't many comfy chairs either, which is one of the things I always loved about the previous ones I've entered. I think they were cramped for space, as they opened where a Pier One Imports used to be located.

One thing about the Waterstones dude I love is that he refuses to collect demographics on his customers.

The nearest B&N to me is in the suburbs and like yours, >110 clamairy:, there is no cafe or good seating. However, the floor space is substantial and therefore it always seems possible to discover new reading material. (Sadly, while there is a Panera in the same shopping center, there is no orc-run coffee shop as appears in Legends & Lattes.)

Never been quite persuaded by the demand for demographic data by retailers. I don't think it's nearly as indicative as may be claimed.

>107 clamairy: Thanks for sharing, that was great. The closest B&N to us is 15 miles away on a very busy road. It is one of the large ones with a lot of space and chairs. There's actually one .5 miles farther away too. We'll never have one closer, so we'll just have to live with the drive.

>107 clamairy: There is nothing like browsing books in a bookstore. I love it! The B&N I go to is about 3 miles away. In fact, it’s being there is one reason I knew I could live in Bend. Bend was only about 60,000 people when we moved here. Because it had a B&N, I knew I’d be ok with not having other things (like Target, which we now have). We also now have a very nice indy bookstore, which I also love to go to. Our B&N got rid of all their little chairs and reading spaces. It does have an attached Starbucks, though.

>105 clamairy: I read Ninth House when it first came out. It’ll probably take me a bit to remember characters and whatnot, too.

>107 clamairy: I used to love going to Barnes and Noble when I lived in Philadelphia. The one at Plymouth Meeting was my favourite. I would always find new-to-me titles there. I imagine it's even better since Daunt's reforms which have made each store reflect its location and market better. The improvements at Waterstones have been notable.

It doesn't feel like I've been waiting two and half years for Leigh Bardugo's sequel to Ninth House to be published, but I realized just how much I'd forgotten in that time when I started Hell Bent. I got up to speed pretty quickly, though. I didn't have a choice as I got dragged kicking and screaming right into the action. This series is ridiculously fast-paced, but I loved it. (Even though I am sure my sleep was negatively impacted.) Lots of demons, ancient magical artifacts and skulduggery in this one. Now I have to wait for the third book!

>115 clamairy: Oh, I so need this one! Maybe I’ll give myself a book this weekend for surviving a horrible week.

>116 catzteach: Be prepared to lose sleep! I usually start to get sleepy after reading for about 30-45 minutes in bed. Not with this one! I would check my Fitbit and realize a couple of hours had gone by. Then I had to force myself to close the Kindle.

I have started reading A Man With One of those Faces and it is hilarious, with just the right amount of dark humor for my tastes.

>118 clamairy:
I am delighted you are enjoying it.

>119 pgmcc: I did have to use the Kindle dictionary for the term 'bog roll.' Hopefully I'll remember that one if I ever start traveling again...

>120 clamairy:
My goodness, you've never heard of bog roll? Are you one of these Three Seashells people?

>121 pgmcc: I might have heard it, and even discussed it, and then completely forgotten it. It's actually quite probable...

>121 pgmcc: and >120 clamairy: Okay, I'll bite. What is bog roll?

>118 clamairy: I think you will be hooked. :)

>123 jillmwo: Toilet paper!

>124 MrsLee: I think you are correct. :o)

>125 clamairy: Well then! Clearly a live-and-learn-moment. That is so far off from my original assumption! I'm going to start a new post at the end of every week -- Things I learned this week from hanging around on LT.

I never thought bog roll would appear on a key-learnings list. As >126 jillmwo: said, a live-and-learn moment.

I take it you all know about the Three Seashells.

>127 pgmcc: I do... vaguely. But when I tried to find a previous discussion on that very topic in here I came up empty-handed. Could we have discussed it in the GD Facebook group?

>126 jillmwo: I suspected that it might be TP only because of the context. I initially thought it might be a roll of Tums or something along that line. If I'd just seen the term by itself I would have thought it was a food item.

>121 pgmcc: Do you not know how to use the seashells?!? (giggles & smirks all around)

>127 pgmcc: I was silly enough to google Three Seashells. No. Just no. Just no to the gomph-stick too.

>130 ScoLgo: :oP
>131 haydninvienna: You must admit they make even the flimsiest of paper seem like a luxury item by comparison.

"Run away!"

Slightly more seriously, I lived for a good while in Arabia*. All the toilets there provide both TP and a water spray hose. That seems like a much better, er, solution. Most residential and hotel bathrooms of any quality also have a bidet.

ETA *Arabia in the general sense, which includes Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Not Saudi Arabia, which is only part of Arabia.

>134 haydninvienna: Agreed. It was warm water, though... Right?

>131 haydninvienna: So finally I have in and looked it up. No saving the planet here. Do you flush them and have to find three more? Do you wash and refuse them? In California that would be a waste (pun intended) of water. Why not leaves? We used to use those when camping. Nevermind, poor clammy.

>136 MrsLee: Not to mention the damage those rough edges could do!!!

>135 clamairy: Warm water: no. Just water, straight from the general water supply. I should add that I ever used them. Incidentally, I’ve seen such hoses in Finland too. Bidets normally have hot and cold taps.

>138 haydninvienna: I found the hoses in Saudi Arabia too.

Moving on...



A Man With One of Those Faces was a shameless point blank shot between the eyeballs from pgmcc, and thankful I am to be one of the many people he hit. This was hilarious, and aside from the term 'bog roll' I didn't have any trouble with the lingo. (I chalk this up to my having read all of the Dublin Murder Squad books. Just know you'd be totally banjaxed if you're caught without a bog roll when you need one.) It reminded me quite a bit of the Jackson Brody series by Kate Atkinson, except a smidge less serious. And the book Skinny Dip also comes to mind.

I will keep going with this series, but probably not right away. I've already started The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, which is also hilarious so far.

>140 clamairy:
I am glad you enjoyed it.
:-)

>140 clamairy: Will have to get around to trying his mystery series at some point. Having already devoured 2 books ofhis urban fantasy I already know I like his writing style so it's a no-brainer to pick this up at some point. Always good to see someone else enjoying his work too.

>141 pgmcc: So am I. Thank you, again.

>142 AHS-Wolfy: I tried to borrow this one via OverDrive and all they had was the audio. Then I found it for $2.99 on Amazon, so I snagged it. I didn't realize he'd written an urban fantasy! That sounds very interesting.

>140 clamairy: I read The Subtle Art … a while ago (do those words really belong in the same title?) a couple of years ago and recall thinking it wasn’t bad. But about that time I counted the number of books with titles including the F-word (or approximations to it) on the table of self-help books in some bookshop or other. I think there were about a dozen of them. Says something, but I’m not quite sure what.

>144 haydninvienna:
Says something, but I’m not quite sure what.

It probably means that a lot of people do not give two hoots.

>145 pgmcc: Does two hoots equal a single fork?

>143 clamairy:
I presume you noticed how I have turned a blind eye in the direction of the book bullets you nonchalantly slipped into >140 clamairy:, though I have read and enjoyed a standalone Kate Atkinson and have planned to try more of her works. Jackson Brody series you say? Duh!

>147 pgmcc: The Jackson Brody books are also filled with dark humor, though I'd say the balance is more dark than humourous, while Skinny Dip is more humourous than dark. (But when it does get dark it goes whole hog.)

Andy Serkis once again hit it out of the park with his narration of The Two Towers. I will definitely be listening to these again. I really cannot praise these enough. Even the slog through the Dead Marshes wasn't torture.

>149 clamairy:
I have not been used to listening to audiobooks, but the praise for Andy Serkis's narration of the Tolkein stories is the one thing that might tempt to dip a toe in audiobooks. I have really enjoyed his work in the films, and I have loved him in any interviews I have seen.

>150 pgmcc: Can you borrow audio files through your library? That way you can borrow the 1st book and determine if you enjoy it enough to try more of them.

I always thought Andy Serkis was brilliant, but this narration is above and beyond what I was hoping for. BTW, I may have mentioned this before, but I got to meet him when I attended the King Kong premiere back in 2005. He was one of the few celebrities freely mingling with us common folk, and we got to have a nice, if very brief, chat.

>150 pgmcc: >151 clamairy: You folks have definitely tempted me with this one and I keep thinking Trish would enjoy it too.

>151 clamairy: ...I got to meet him...

Very cool. That must have been fun. Was it the nice him or the nasty him, my Precious?

Now that I have my nice new library ticket I must investigate whether or not I can borrow audiobooks. Thank you for the tip.

>152 Karlstar: ... I keep thinking Trish would enjoy it too.

Yes, I use that sort of logic to justify my book sins too.

>149 clamairy: I saw audiobooks listed on the Persephone Books home page this morning and knew immediately that you should be made aware of them. Everything from Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day to Good Evening, Mrs Craven. You might want to see what they have that would be of interest (https://persephonebooks.co.uk/).

>152 Karlstar: I was playing FotR in the car (via Bluetooth) when my daughter was visiting a few weeks ago, and she went nuts she loved it so much. I ended up sending her the first audiobook book as a gift.

>153 pgmcc: It was nice Smeagol. Let us know if you can borrow them. I'm sure there is an app you need to download and then you will have access to everything.

>155 jillmwo: Thank you. I will check it out!

Hmm, I've never tried an audiobook, but the promise of making even the Dead Marshes bearable has me intrigued ...

>149 clamairy: My son just started listening to these, he hasn't read the books as an adult. He was 7 when the movies came out. I wanted to read the books to my kids before they watched the movies. He listened, but had to be hiding under a blanket the whole time. This time he's going to try it without the blanket, which is good, since he will be driving.

I couldn't believe how short the Serkis narration made the twenty some odd hours of each book feel.

>156 clamairy:
I will let you know.

>149 clamairy: I guess the question that I have for you (as you've finished listening to TTT) is whether the audio experience stimulates new thinking in any way about the story. You and MrsLee both seem to say that listening to the story rather than reading it made the experience move along more rapidly. Does that spark any new connections or thoughts about LOTR?

>160 jillmwo: Yes, it absolutely stimulates new thinking, but I would be hard pressed to articulate the hows and whys. I know I process things differently auditorily. If you hand me a map I am much more likely to find my destination quickly than if you tell me to drive two blocks to the traffic light and turn green. ;o) And yet, I have discovered that some parts of audiobooks just stick better than the written word.

One of the biggest things I've noticed during this listening experience (which I had also noticed when I listened to the other version) was just how much of Tolkien's dialog was used verbatim in PJ's movies. The passages might be in completely different spots (Gandalf's bit about pity staying Bilbo's hand in The Fellowship of the Ring is in Moria instead of the Shire) or by completely different characters (Gandalf's passages about the impending war in The Return of the King is actually spoken mostly by Beregond.) Also, I have noticed that Tom Bombadil really doesn't seem belong in this book. LOL

>158 MrsLee: Ha! Yes, the blanket might be an issue. I hope he enjoys them.

>159 pgmcc: You'll have time to investigate this soon, I think!

>161 clamairy: You clearly have watched the movies more frequently than I. In most instances, I couldn't tell you what got switched between book and script.

>161 clamairy: One of the biggest things I've noticed during this listening experience (which I had also noticed when I listened to the other version) was just how much of Tolkien's dialog was used verbatim in PJ's movies. The passages might be in completely different spots... or by completely different characters...

I noticed that too in my reread a couple years ago. It raised my respect for what PJ did.

I really need to download those audios by Serkis. They sound amazing. I loved his version of the Hobbit.

>163 jillmwo: Yes, I am sure I have. I have the screen versions, the extended versions, and the extended versions on BluRay...

>164 Narilka: Yes, PJ, Fran and Phillipa spent years working on the scripts.

Well, there was a good book in here somewhere, buried under too many personal anecdotes, and a fair amount of navel gazing. I am glad I read it, but I will take the advice in The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck with multiple grains of salt.

>166 clamairy: I listened to that one last year. Not a bad listen.

>167 catzteach: Yes, I think there was some very useful advice in there, mixed with a lot of personal info I'm not sure we all needed to know.

I have started Horse by Geraldine Brooks and I am enjoying it immensely so far.

I had heard nothing but good things about Horse, but I still was not prepared for just how incredible this book was. It is a great horse story, like Seabiscuit, but it's also about the role of slaves and free blacks in American horse racing before and during the Civil War... with a solid portion of anthropology and art history thrown in for good measure!! Parts of this were indeed painful to read, but it was so worth it.

Oh, and I got about 10% of the way into Reading in the Brain and I returned it to OverDrive. It reads like a college textbook, and I am not up for that right now. I have started The Dispossessed.

>169 clamairy: You winged me with that one. However with all I've got on Mt. Tooby, I might need a major shakeup before I get to anything new.

ETA I just looked and there are 96 holds on it.

>171 Jim53: So on the plus side by the time it's ready for you to borrow your TBR pile should be tidied up!

>169 clamairy: and >170 clamairy: I am intrigued by the Geraldine Brooks' book Horse because I didn't know the setting / context. So now I'm going to add that to the ever-extending TBR list that never seems to be reduced in length.

And I'm so glad you've moved on to The Dispossessed. The quote that intrigued you comes up in Chapter 4; I tripped over it today as I was doing some reading myself. I am doing this one very slowly this time around.

Well now. I have finished, but I will be re-enjoying these every few years, I think. Though my next visit to Middle Earth will be via the films, which I realized recently I have not watched since a marathon viewing session with my son and about a half a dozen of his friends back in the Summer of 2017. That's much too long.

The audio just tickles a different part of my brain, and I really do not know how to break it down for analysis. But I will say I cried while I was washing dishes listening to the end of the tale. I also listened to all 210 minutes of the appendices that are included. And I sobbed at this part:

“But Arwen went forth from the House, and the light of her eyes was quenched, and it seemed to her people that she had become cold and grey as nightfall in winter that comes without a star. Then she said farewell to Eldarion, and to her daughters, and to all whom she had loved; and she went out from the city of Minas Tirith and passed away to the land of Lórien, and dwelt there alone under the fading trees until winter came. Galadriel had passed away and Celeborn also was gone, and the land was silent.

'There at last when the mallorn-leaves were falling, but spring had not yet come, she laid herself to rest upon Cerin Amroth; and there is her green grave, until the world is changed, and all the days of her life are utterly forgotten by men that come after, and elanor and niphredil bloom no more east of the Sea.”

Yeah, that got me, too. Was it Serkis whose reading made it have such an impact, or is it that we are at a different stage of life and feel that more?

>175 MrsLee: Perhaps a little bit of both? I think I was more aware of Arwen's choice this time around... And the appendices were almost as good as the books!

Could it be partly due to Arwen representing the romantic presence? Not just in the ordinary love-story sense, but more in the heightened, imagined age of courtly love and chivalry?

>177 jillmwo: I think it's my age. At 14 the idea of giving up immortality didn't have quite the impact as it does almost five decades later.

>178 clamairy: It isn't the loss of immortality that got me, but the Torrance separation and loss of all those she loved, even the sacrifice of her child and grandchildren. Leaving them so that the world could move on.

>179 MrsLee: Yes, I suspect her life was tied to Aragorn's in some way other than just as a spouse, because it says "the light of her eyes was quenched." You'd think she would have hung around a few decades to be with her children, grandchildren and even great grandchildren. But it doesn't seem like she had that option.

Also, I was curious to know if anyone else wondered what happened to mortals who traveled to the Undying Lands. It doesn't sound as though they get to stay forever. Frodo was going to stay until he was healed of his wounds. And then what? He dies? Gimli accompanies Legolas so he can see Galadriel again. And then what? LOL (Google tells me mortals can stay there until they are ready to pass away.)

Feedback* by Dennis E. Taylor was a BB from Bookmarque, I believe. This is very short, but I enjoyed it immensely. I have moved right on to another of his audiobooks, Outland. The narrator Ray Porter is perfect for these (heavy-ish on the Science) SciFi books.

*I have to add that for some reason there are two versions of this short story listed, one by the actual author, and one by the narrator. I have used the narrator touchstone for convenience.

That was a bit of loopy fun for sure and Ray Porter is an excellent narrator for this kind of thing.

Oooooh, Outland by Dennis E. Taylor (as read by Ray Porter) was just what I needed. I whipped right through this SciFi tale. Yes, it's far-fetched that a bunch of college students (well, one brilliant one in particular) stumble onto the knowledge to build a portal into another earth in the multiverse, just as Yellowstone blows and North America is mostly uninhabitable. There's just so much great humor (think along the lines of, The Martian.) in this author's books that I swallowed it all up anyway. So our intrepid students gather as many people and resources as they can find and travel through their portals to the non-volcanic Earth. I had loved, and sadly finished, this guy's Bobiverse series, and assumed I was done with him. Behold, a new series, with the same awesome narrator!

Oddly enough it has been interesting listening to this book while I am reading The Dispossessed because it covers some of the same issues about possessions, societal structures and the fact that, if you have enough people, there are going to be cretins, no matter what the situation entails. Except this book does it with massive doses of humor. And though our heroes and heroines might get cranky under pressure, they remain good people. There's quite a bit of decent geology in this one, though I suspect a real geologist might beg to differ.

I'm still trudging through The Dispossessed on my Kindle, and I do not know what I am listening to next.

>183 clamairy: I enjoyed the Bobiverse, so I’m happy to hear about this book!

>184 karspeak: I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. It's the first in a new series. I'm not sure how many books they're will be in this one, though.

>183 clamairy: sounds interesting!

>186 NorthernStar: It was. This is my kind of SciFi. Very much like one of Scalzi's books.

>187 clamairy: I've liked his other books, so will have to keep an eye on this. Not available through the library at this point.

>188 NorthernStar: I listened to via Audible. My library doesn't have the ebook or audio available either. They do not have a paper copy.

Dennis E. Taylor is one of those authors who have an exclusivity deal with audible meaning any new releases appear there first with subsequent editions appearing later. From his FAQ:

Audible likes to have an exclusivity deal with authors. During negotiations, they will try for up to a six month gap before the text versions are produced. The inducements to the author are: Audible pays for the narrator, Audible pays for the cover, Audible does marketing, Audible offers a much larger advance. Audible is also responsible for about 2/3 of my total income, so they are by definition my primary publisher.

Fortunately my agent, who is a bit of a pit bull, has kept the exclusive period down to four months. So the text version (for the current contracts, anyway) will always come out 4 months after the Audible version.

>190 AHS-Wolfy: Yes, I've read a couple of his blog entries. It's an interesting process. This one came out last Fall, so there are paperback copies available on Amazon. I wonder if he's just not 'popular' enough for smaller libraries to acquire.

>190 AHS-Wolfy: That's a really interesting glimpse into how the market is working for audiobooks. It's not an area I've followed to any extent so...

Of course, when Amazon goes out to assume dominance in a particular space, they pursue the players with very practical incentives!

I finished The Dispossessed and moved on to Heartburn, which showed up on one of those NY Times lists as a book everyone should read. I have had this one on my radar for several decades, and I am finding it hilarious so far. It doesn't hurt that this it is very autobiographical, either.

Yeah. So much for the hilarity. I have bailed on Heartburn. I should have read it 40 years ago. I made it 28% of the way though, so not a lot of wasted time.

I have started The Gift of Rain, which I apparently bought eight years ago. I have read Tan Twan Eng's The Garden of Evening Mists, and it was wonderful.

>194 clamairy: I found the hilarity of Nora Ephron to last for one, maybe two books, after that I was less enthused.

>196 MrsLee: That sounds about right. Apparently I've read two and listened to one. I think I'm good.

>193 clamairy: >194 clamairy: That's so funny... I picked up Heartburn a couple of months ago and had a very similar reaction. I'm not sure I made it to the quarter point.

>195 clamairy: Both of those titles look good. And I am not sure why but I'm laughing over the fact that you checked to see how long ago it was that you'd actually purchased The Gift of Rain. Maybe I find it reassuring that we're all lagging behind a tad in reading what's on our shelves.

>199 jillmwo: It's easy enough to see the entry date here on LT. Of course it only works for books I've purchased/acquired since I've joined. Lagging behind is a very nice way to put it.

The Garden of Evening Mists is beautifully written, but very much on the dark side. I suspect this one will be the same.

I enjoyed Lock In very much. Scalzi is just sooo good at balancing humor with an interesting storyline. Wil Wheaton's narration was a big plus. The sequel was on sale via Audible, but it was narrated by someone other than Wil. I snagged it anyway thinking "How bad can it be?" :o( It just was not enjoyable. Part of the problem was that I had just finished the Wil Wheaton book, so this seemed even worse by comparison. And part of it was that I didn't like the different voices this narrator was using. So it goes. Audible let me return it, thankfully.

I'm now listening to Miniatures and laughing like a hyena...

>201 clamairy: I read both Lock In and Head On and enjoyed both. I've not tried an Audible yet, but I hear that Wil Wheaton does a great job.

>202 ChrisG1: I enjoy him. The first Audible book I ever listened to was Agent to the Stars. That was back in the days when you were allowed to give a free copy of one of your Audible books to a friend, and someone kindly sent me that one. I was impressed with Wil, and eventually joined.

I finished Miniatures* which is a bunch of John Scalzi's short fiction gathered together. I am glad I was inside the house when I was listening to this, because I am afraid I spent much of that time laughing loudly. My favorite short story was called 'The Other Large Thing' and anyone that has been owned by or is currently owned by a cat will appreciate this one.

I have started listening to And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle and so far it is simply phenomenal. But I am a huge Jon Meacham fan, and Abe is one of my personal gods.

* I am pretty sure this title is free to all Audible members.

>201 clamairy: I enjoyed Lock In, but I didn't enjoy Head On much.

>204 clamairy: Both of those sound very interesting to me. I see you've also read Team of Rivals, how do they compare?

>205 Karlstar: So maybe it wasn't just the narrator.

I own several copies of Team of Rivals (one signed by Doris!) but I haven't read it yet. I also used a credit to snag the Audible copy a year or so ago. I plan to listen to it 'soonish.'

The Gift of Rain is beautifully written, but it so difficult to make the details of a horrible era palatable. I gave it four stars, but there aren't too many people I would recommend this one too. Perhaps pgmcc, knowing how much he loves Haruki Murakami's books. There is a similar amount of (too-well) detailed torture in both this book and in The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles. If it had occurred earlier in the book I might have walked away, but I only had about a quarter of the book to go. By then I was heavily invested in the protagonist, Phillip. He is the half English, half Chinese son of wealthy businessman in Penang on the Malayan peninsula. He befriends a Japanese businessman who is renting an island from his father and begins to train in the martial arts. They form a tight bond, which is sorely tested when the Japanese invade. This was Tan Twan Eng's first novel, and it is a bit heavy on the dark foreshadowing bit. I preferred his The Garden of Evening Mists, which was also about the Japanese invasion. (And was apparently a BB from maggie1944.)

I've started something fluffy as a palate cleanser, Clammed Up by Barbara Ross. I think I snagged this one for .99 just because of the title.

>205 Karlstar: Ok, thanks, was wondering if it was worth reading another book about Lincoln. It probably is anyway!

>208 Karlstar: Always.

>209 clamairy: Count that as a BB for your collection, I've added it to my wish list. I thought Team of Rivals was excellent, BTW. The movie was loosely based on it and I thought it was good too.

>210 Karlstar: The movie Lincoln? Yes, I had heard that. I have watched it, but I really need to re-watch it after I finish listening to this book. I do hope you enjoy this. There is much about Lincoln's extended family and childhood that I had never read or heard before.

>211 clamairy: Now I know why this is seeming so familiar, I watched the History channel series on his life not too long ago. I'll still read the Meacham book when it arrives.

>212 Karlstar: Oh, I didn't know there was a series on the History channel. Thanks for the heads-up.

https://www.history.com/shows/abraham-lincoln.

Like the one on Grant and the one on Washington, I thought this was good. Not perfect, still good.

>214 Karlstar: Looks like I might be able to watch that on the Roku Channel. Thanks.

The Ides of March seems like an auspicious occasion to begin a new thread.