Joe's Book Cafe 13

One of the first books that just knocked my over was Alice in Wonderland. The top two illustrations are by Lisbeth Zwerger, and the ones below by Robert Ingpen

Favorites from 2013

Top 5

1. Longbourn by Jo Baker
2. Benediction by Kent Haruf
3. Stones for Ibarra by Harriet Doerr
4. Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed
5. The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey by Walter Mosley

Second Five

6. The Greater Journey by David McCullough
7. Wizard of the Crow by Ngugi wa'Thiong'o
8. Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
9. Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
10. A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

Favorite Graphic Novel: The Nao of Brown

Three that were hard to keep off the list: Housekeeping, Song of the Lark, and How the Light Gets In

2014 American Author Challenge (kudos to Mark)

Willa Cather- January The Professor's House
Alice Walker- February The Color Purple
Cormac McCarthy - March The Orchard Keeper
Toni Morrison- April Sula
Eudora Welty- May The Optimist's Daughter
Kurt Vonnegut- June Cat's Cradle (re-read)
Mark Twain- July Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Philip Roth- August The Ghost Writer
James Baldwin- September Notes of a Native Son
Edith Wharton- October Ethan Frome
John Updike- November The Witches of Eastwick
Larry Watson- December Let Him Go

Life-changers

Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll - opened my eyes to so many creative possibilities, including wordplay
Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury - got me believing in school again after a soon-to-be favorite teacher assigned it
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White - took a typical self-centered kid out of himself and got me thinking about others; broke my heart for the first time, too
James Wright Collected Poems - midwestern poet caught me and fueled a lifelong interest in poetry
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - read it way post-college and got walloped; started lifelong Austen fandom

Dune by Frank Herbert - got me excited about the possibilities of science fiction, and thinking about environmental effects
Dr. Strange by Stan Lee and others - this hokey, mystical comic book was my favorite as a kid, and fueled my lifelong graphic fandom
Future Shock by Alvin Toffler - he took on emerging issues like economic disparities, overpopulation and pollution; trying to look into the future fascinated me
After the Quake by Haruki Murakami - my entry into his world that started me on lifelong fandom
Remember, Be Here Now by Ram Dass - matched my youthful hippiness perfectly, still working on some of its ideas

The Chosen by Chaim Potok - for the first time, got me enthralled by lives very different from my own
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki - what a mensch this man was; still the best on this subject I've read
Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder - made me a fan of both Paul Farmer and author Tracy Kidder, and got me involved with Partners in Health
T.S. Eliot Selected Poems - bowled me over, so I felt like a patient, etherized upon a table; got the complete works later
Thank You, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse - fueled my appreciation of the absurd and started a lifelong fandom for this author

2014 Books

January

1. Mad Mouse by Chris Grabenstein
2. A Conspiracy of Faith by Jussie Adler-Olsen
3. Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb
4. The Professor's House by Willa Cather
5. Fantasy in Death by J.D. Robb
6. Die Trying by Lee Child
7. The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
8. In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming
9. Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink
10. Japantown by Barry Lancet
11. View with a Grain of Sand by Wislawa Szymborska
12. Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch
13. High Heat by Lee Child

February

14. A Fountain Filled with Blood by Julia Spencer-Fleming
15. Boxers & Saints by Gene Luen Yang
16. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
17. Cress by Marissa Meyer
18. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
19. Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
20. Stone Cold by C.J. Box
21. The Martian by Andy Weir
22. Necessity's Child by Sharon Lee

March

23. The Orchard Keeper by Cormac McCarthy
24. Indulgence in Death by J.D. Robb
25. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
26. My Dungeon Shook by Danez Smith
27. Black Boy Suite Black Boy Sweet by Danez Smith
28. Mrs. Tim of the Regiment by D.E. Stevenson
29. Little Green by Walter Mosley
30. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
31. Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen
32. A Truth Universally Acknowledged: Why We Read Jane Austen, edited by Susannah Carson
33. Dream London by Ian Ballantyne
34. Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope
35. Treachery in Death by J.D. Robb
36. Our Friends from Frolix 8 by Philip K. Dick
37. Burning Girls by Veronica Schanoes

April

38. New York to Dallas by J.D. Robb
39. Refusing Heaven by Jack Gilbert
40. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
41. Sula by Toni Morrison
42. Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor
43. Celebrity in Death by J.D. Robb
44. William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back by Ian Doescher
45. To Darkness and To Death by Julia Spencer-Fleming
46. Vagabond Vol. 35 by Takehiko Inoue
47. A Symphony of Echoes by Jodi Taylor
48. Delusion in Death by J.D. Robb
49. A Second Chance by Jodi Taylor
50. A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra

May

51. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak (re-read)
52. The Optimist's Daughter by Eudora Welty
53. Calculated in Death by J.D. Robb
54. Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
55. Hexed by Kevin Hearne
56. The Woman Who Wouldn't Die by Colin Cotterill
57. Graveyard of Memories by Barry Eisler
58. Death Without Company by Craig Johnson
59. The Graphic Canon Vol. 1 by Russ Kirk

Are my eyes deceiving me, or has Joe's Café opened three new branches?

I see the same thing, Darryl I think LT might be the guilty part, here. I had trouble posting too an hour ago. Maybe Joe had the same thing going on.

Joe, is my LT account going crazy or have you really open up four 'Café 13'? Well, I wish you good luck in serving four Cafés at the same time :-D

Hopefully one of the cafés is located in Atlanta. I love going to the original branch, but the cost of traveling from here to Chicago is starting to add up.

I'm picking this one because I can see all the topper images here.

Happy New Cafe(s)!!

It's like waiting for a bus, you wait for ages and then three come along at once.
I haven't visited Joe's café in far too long, and when I decide to pay a visit, I am spoiled for choice!

I loved Alice and Through the Looking Glass as a child (and can still recite Jabberwocky). I know the Tenniel illustrations the best, but those are lovely.

Wow, Joe! How did you end up with four threads - evidently your prior thread has given birth to quadruplets! Congratulations!

Haha...Joe, are you franchising already??? :D

Sending best wishes (and oodles of patience) to Papa Joe!

Ah! The real cafe!!

Not sure how we managed to open four at once, but life is good in the multi-verse.

>3 kidzdoc: I couldn't believe my eyes when I returned from lunch, Darryl. I hope the other proprietors behave themselves.

>4 connie53: I did have the same thing going on, Connie. LT was acting very wonky. Now I see it was some kind of interdimensional universe thing going on.

>5 Ameise1: Barbara, I think it may be both - your LT account going crazy, and four new cafes. We're all in this together - can't wait to find out what it all means. If I open the door and am greeted by myself, this could get a bit tricky.

>6 kidzdoc: There may well be a cafe portal in Atlanta for all I know, Darryl. I'm new here myself.

>11 kidzdoc: Darryl, I love this photo even tough I'm happy that I never had own quadruplet.

>13 jnwelch: I think I know who is responsible for this mess.

LOL

>7 SuziQoregon: LOL! Thanks, Juli. Yeah, this one seems to be the most functional. Maybe the others are on its holodeck?

>8 gennyt: Twas brillig and the slithy tove
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe
All mimsy were the borogroves
And the momes wrath outgrabe.

That's as much as I can remember, Genny, and I probably screwed that up. Love that poem. Loved the frumious bandersnatch and the vorpal sword. What a book!

Maybe our multiple cafes have something to do with Adventures in Wonderland? We'll have to see who shows up and what happens. Glad your bus found us!

>9 Crazymamie: Thank you, Mamie. To my knowledge, there were no fertility drugs involved in creating the quadruplet cafes. All natural, but a natural that certainly was unexpected. This one seems to have settled in as the alpha cafe.

>10 jolerie: Ha! Good thought, Valerie. Can't wait for the virtual royalties to start rolling in. I'm wondering whether we've tapped into Librarythings from other dimensions. Maybe Dickens finished the Mystery of Edwin Drood and Austen Sanditon in this one?

>11 kidzdoc: LOL!! Thanks, Darryl. I'm going to need all the good wishes and patience I can find!

>13 jnwelch: You made it, Jim! I know you were first at one of the other cafes. Maybe with your background and experience exploring beyond our planet you'll be able to figure out what the heck happened. Am I going to be running around a lot, keeping up with four cafes, or are there three more of me out there taking care of the others?

I think we should place the kitchen here, so everybody knows that this is the place where you get served.

>14 Ameise1:, >16 Ameise1: Me, too, Barbara. This was quite a surprise for the proud papa.

>15 kidzdoc: LOL! This explains everything, Darryl. I knew there would be a rational Calvin and Hobbes explanation for all this.

>16 Ameise1: Good idea, Barbara. And that's a nice one. I can see why this cafe's doing so well.

So this is the one we go for!

I think we need to get Max & Co. from St. Mary's to slip back a couple of hours and clean this up. :-)

>20 connie53: This looks like it, Connie. I'll go gather Lori, who's sitting alone in one of the other ones, in a minute.

>21 rosalita: Ha! Great idea, Julia! Max and the gang from St. Mary's would know what to do about all this mixtuppled cafe craziness. Of course, she's got her own cliffhanger to deal with . . .

"Run!!" Seriously, is that any way to end a book?!

>23 rosalita: Ha! Well, it's got us greedily anticipating the next one, so that makes it harder to argue with her.

Calloo! Callay!
Oh frabjous day!

I've been wandering throughout the mirror images of the cafe, Joe, but found my way here.

ETA Of course, THIS one didn't automatically star, so I'm back to do it manually.

You are advised to shun the frumious bandersnatch, not to love it. This may be the root of the problem...

>25 ronincats: We chortled in our joy a lot in our house when I was growing up, Roni. I've always loved Calloo! Callay! Oh frabjous day!

Intriguing that this one didn't automatically star. Somehow it started being the favored one for everyone, and left the three other cafes in the galaxy dust.

>26 gennyt: Ha! You know how boys are, Genny. Being fascinated by and taking on the frumious bandersnatch is irresistible. You may be right, though - this may be how it all started.

This one did automatically star for me. Actually, they all did.

>27 jnwelch: Ha! I think this deserves a segment on Cosmos, don't you, Julia? Neil deGrasse Tyson could work this into a discussion of all the alternate universes that may be out there. If you had asked me to please create four cafes simultaneously and make sure they automatically star, there's no way I could have done it.

If only some big moneymaker had come out of this, like supposedly happened with post-its. It's hard to think of how to leverage multiple virtual book cafes out there in the real world.

Joe, I guess you must be very exhausted serving four Cafés, so I thought (and I hope you don't mind) I set up an appetizer buffet for the welcome

>31 jnwelch: *wipes brow* Phew! Good idea, Barbara. While people are sampling that, I'm just going to go locate the oxygen tank.

*snork!* Joe, you and new threads don't cotton too well together, do you? Although, to be fair, your cafe is successful enough to start franchising, for certain...

>33 jnwelch: I know, Amber. If I'm not getting the number of the cafe wrong, I'm getting the number of the cafe . . .s wrong. Thank goodness we have a forgiving clientele.

I'm totally bewildered----I followed the link at the end of the old cafe thread, and it took me to one new thread. How did people see the other 3? I got here from the link posted in the one I went to originally. OH, this is so confusing. Is this the one that's going forward? I'll never get sorted out. Oh, my ears and whiskers!!!

>29 jnwelch: I definitely think Neil deGrasse Tyson should be summoned — there may be some new cosmic entity at work here that has yet to be discovered. Not a wormhole or a black hole ... a JoeHole? CafeHole? Something.

>32 scaifea: Ha! Joe's Cafe is definitely an idea worth franchising!

>34 laytonwoman3rd: I think this is the ONE to visit, Linda1

*snatching some of the appetizers from the buffet*

>34 laytonwoman3rd: You have all my sympathy, Linda. It's been a confusing day. And I'm late - I really have to be going.



>35 rosalita: Not only that, Julia, but Barbara's students acted like wild beasts today. We think the two events are connected.

Franchising is a great idea, although I'm not sure about the applicable laws in multiple universes.

>36 connie53: The appetizers do seem to settle it, Connie. Thank goodness that Barbara thought of it.

OK, I'm departing, and going to a performance by my MBH, so I may not be back until tomorrow morning. I'm already wondering how many cafes there'll be when I return. Wasn't there a "The Trouble with Cafes" episode on Star Trek where they just kept multiplying?

I mentioned a Star Trek episode on one of the other three threads. I thought of the one where Dr. Crusher got caught in the time loop while playing poker with the crew.

I may have to go find a Star Trek episode in order to relax and get ready for my interview tomorrow.

Over the weekend I cooked an arugula stuffed leg of lamb. It as good but I didn't get the center of the stuffing done as much as I would have liked. however, the white wine gravy on it was excellent. Very good with the roasted carrots, potatoes, onions, and asparagus I made to go with it. I would be happy to share it with the other members of the cafe but didn't have enough left over.

Joe, I don't think anyone has ever managed to produce four new threads in one sitting and it couldn't have happened to a better chap. Makes me have to keep my eyes open wide for logging of stats anyway.

>11 kidzdoc: & >15 kidzdoc: hahaha well done Darryl. Joe is the Duplicator!

Callaloo? I'm in.

Happy New thread, Joe! it looks like you had some issues with the launch! LOL. I like the "Alice" toppers.

I finally landed an audio copy of Longbourn, after waiting nearly 3 months. I have a very busy audio queue at the moment but I hope to bookhorn it in somewhere.

Oh! Thank goodness you picked one thread! There's no way I could ever keep up with four! I think I need a little bubbly... of course I had to find the other three before I finally got over here. I think you should get credit for all the threads. That was quite a feat!

>11 kidzdoc: LOL

Love the toppers of Alice in Wonderland :-)

Blinkers! I finally found the One True Joe's Cafe!

Oh dear, I got lost in Joe threads. How did you manage to get 4 newborn cafes at once? :-)

Very appropriate thread toppers for the labyrinth of threads :) Found you though....

OK, then....I've X'd out the others. Don't nobody say nuthin' interestin' on any of them anymore!

>38 benitastrnad:, >39 benitastrnad: Great minds think alike, Benita. :-) Good luck with the interview. I'll have to find out more about what that's all about.

You are quite a chef! Hard for me to imagine arugula-stuffed anything, but I'll bet it was good. (I'm used to only having it in salad).

>40 PaulCranswick: I'm just relieved there weren't more cafes when I came in, Paul! I must hold the record for new thread stumbling in the 75er group. I've managed double posts in the past, which ain't easy, but this is a first for four new threads.

Duplicator is minor league stuff, isn't it? Don't tell Calvin, but I'm trying to qualify as a Quadruplicator.

>41 richardderus: O frabjous day! A Richard spotting!

We can callaloo as much as you like. Good to see you out and about. Mayhap a butterscotch Mamie?



>42 msf59: Ha! I like our Cheshire visitor, Mark. Yeah, I got the number of the new cafe right for once, and then I goofed up the number of new cafes. Can't wait to see what I screw up next time.

Hey, I meant to mention - I had a Revolution Brewing Cross of Gold the other night. It was a BYOB for one of Debbi's performances, and the Beermeister at our local store recommended that one. Very good! Last night I had a Delirium Tremens, an old favorite. Debbi was excellent, as usual. Now she's on hiatus until July, which is good, as she is working on greatly expanding a piece for a solo show.

Yay for Longbourn! I think you'll enjoy it and get a lot out of it. Caro surprised the heck out of me and Pearl-ruled it, but that seems to be an aberrational reaction.

>43 -Cee-: Hiya, Cee! Thanks - it was all very mysterious. LT went wonky and unresponsive, and then seemed to create the new thread. Turned out when we un-wonked we somehow hyperdrived into the multiverse, generating four identical cafes simultaneously. You'd think we get some doppelgangers with that, but for some reason I had to run back and forth between all four. So I'm glad we've settled on one cafe, too! Even with Barbara's help I was huffing and puffing.

Aren't those Alice toppers well done? I grew up with the Tenniel illustrations, but I love what other artists have brought to the story.

Oops, forgot to get you that bubbly. Here you go:

>44 AuntieClio: Ha! You did indeed find the One True Joe's Cafe, Stephanie. Well done!

We tried to leave some subtle clues.



>45 wilkiec: I'm sure Darryl had something to do with there being four newborn cafes, Diana. It's some kind of pediatric/galactic thing.

>46 mckait: The Alice theme does seem appropriate for the labyrinth of threads, doesn't it, Kath? Maybe that's where this all started. I was thinking about down the rabbit hole and through the looking glass and pressed a button and . . . what the heck is going on?

Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

“But I don’t want to go among mad people," Alice remarked.
"Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad."
"How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, or you wouldn’t have come here."

Well done, Linda, >47 laytonwoman3rd:. I'll still go back and check the others periodically, in case we have any stragglers. But this one seems to be our new home.

I love the Cheshire Cat!

Joe, it looks like we arel settled at your new place and you can take it easier now. I hope you have a wonderful day.

Ah, I see, so this is the real cafe. The others are just decoys huh?

The Cheshire Cat is very funny. I have not yet read Alice in Wonderland, but it is on the list for this year.

Those aren't duplicates. They are franchises. And I demand one open in Minneapolis.

>53 Morphidae: But, the wonderful thing about Joe's Cafe has always been that wherever you are, there it is. No need for local offshoots. Everyone can visit the original and Eat at Joe's!

>50 gennyt: Me, too, Genny!

>51 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara. Your appetizer buffet helped get us through that difficult adjustment period. Looks like we're A-OK now. The day is being pretty darn wonderful. Hope yours is, too.

>52 Thebookdiva: Hadn't thought about the others being decoys, Abby, but this is the real cafe now. Maybe we can think of the others as cafe portals - a way to get from those alternate universes to the real cafe.

The Cheshire Cat is a scamp. You'll have a good time in Wonderland when you get there.

>53 Morphidae: Walk in the door of the cafe in Minneapolis and you'll find yourself here, Morphy. Centralized and decentralized all at the same time. We just ran it through the Quadruplicator and, Voila!

>54 laytonwoman3rd: Love it, Linda! I hadn't heard Suzy Bogguss do that one before.

Eternal blue neon, we're never closed.
When the world is asleep
Darling, come take a seat
You can always eat at Joe's.

And that doesn't even take into account our one-of-a-kind time jiggerer.

Whew! I've been running in and out of Joe's Cafes all day. Great to finally find the real one. I guess I need a cool drink and a shady corner to rest in Joe.

>56 DeltaQueen50: LOL! Glad you found us, Judy! I know the feeling. Cold drink and a shady spot to sit coming up. We're working on a new area out back; see what you think.

Ooooh....bosky!

>55 jnwelch: You're welcome. Wow, this >57 jnwelch: garden is gorgeous.

Oh gosh that is so pretty. I wish I could just lounge on that bench all afternoon with drink and book in hand. Heavenly! :)

>58 laytonwoman3rd: I think "bosky" also means, really cool, to interneteers, Linda, so you nailed it.

>59 Ameise1: Isn't that gorgeous, Barbara/ It's in the Cotswolds.

>60 jolerie: Me, too, Valerie!

Homemade Banana Shake:

>48 jnwelch: Bubbles!! bring them on!

>61 jnwelch: To me, it has always evoked the idea of a place cool and green. Also, I just love the sound of it!

>62 thornton37814: Yum! Thanks, Connie. We may have to have some more of those.

>63 connie53: You got it, Connie.



>64 laytonwoman3rd: Me, too, Linda. Cool, green, shady, lots of leafery. I came across the other meaning, and thought you got it both ways. "Bosky" does have a great sound to it.

Oh the perfect drink and the perfect shady spot to enjoy it in. Thanks, Joe.

^As you can see, I am still thinking about Alice & Co.!

Go Hawks!

Oh my gosh, after a few missteps I finally stumbled into the right cafe. Love all the Alice stuff going on here Joe.

Wow! Cafe mishaps lead to humongous threads. It's almost time to start a new one!

LOL, Alice in Wonderland as a thread theme has amazing results! Should we pin this all on the Mad Hatter? ;-)

>57 jnwelch: - I love the new area out back!

>57 jnwelch: Yes please, Ill go there..and a long island ice tea with honey would be perfect. I'm feeling not so well today and it's too warm for hot tea, so......maybe I'll bring a pillow..

Busy thread here !

OK! I found it. The Real Cafe.

I seem to have moved from a state of totally overwhelmed and painful hand to a new state of OK, I've got four days off in a row, the hand is working well, and the wheming has slipped on past! Way past!

Weather is wonderful in Seattle area, and I've got time to read today! Yay!

Hope the multiplicity of Cafe Joe means we will just have so much fun, and moving on into the best time of the year.

>66 DeltaQueen50: Ah, good, Judy. You're welcome. I think a few of us will quietly join you there. Makes me long to get back to the Cotswolds.

>67 msf59: Jeez Louise, that's a wee bit different take on the Alice story, isn't it, Mark? I wouldn't be surprised if that Alice also is a librarian in her spare time.

Go Hawks! Tough series. That Kane has a knack, doesn't he? Western Conference Finals, here we come!

>68 brenzi: Good to see you, Bonnie! Yeah, there's an Alice feel all over the place, isn't there, from our weird beginning on.



>69 labfs39: At least we didn't break any of the crockery in our cafe mishaps, Lisa. Just a multiplicity of doors.

Digression: crockery is another great word, isn't it? "We left the crockery in the bosky shrubbery".

>70 lkernagh: You may be onto something there, Lori. Who better to cause all the craziness than the Mad Hatter? Have you any idea why a raven is like a writing desk?

'Do you mean that you think you can find out the answer to it?' said the March Hare.
'Exactly so,' said Alice.
'Then you should say what you mean,' the March Hare went on.
'I do,' Alice hastily replied; 'at least — at least I mean what I say — that's the same thing, you know.'
'Not the same thing a bit!' said the Hatter. 'You might just as well say that "I see what I eat" is the same thing as "I eat what I see"!'
'You might just as well say,' added the March Hare, 'that "I like what I get" is the same thing as "I get what I like"!'
'You might just as well say,' added the Dormouse, who seemed to be talking in his sleep, 'that "I breathe when I sleep" is the same thing as "I sleep when I breathe"!'
'It is the same thing with you,' said the Hatter, and here the conversation dropped, and the party sat silent for a minute, while Alice thought over all she could remember about ravens and writing-desks, which wasn't much.

That's got to be the guy responsible!

>71 mckait: You got it, Kath. Isn't that a beautiful spot? I think I'll join you for a bit, if you don't mind, including with a long island iced tea with honey.



>72 maggie1944: Hiya, Karen! Nice to talk to you the other night. Hope you reached our young 'un.

Very glad you found the real cafe in your new state of OK! (Not Oklahoma, I know). And very glad to hear your hand is doing well. That was a nasty stretch, sounds like. Four days in a row off, with the whelming way back in the rear view mirror, must feel like a nice bit of heaven. What are you reading now?

Seattle with wonderful weather is near unbeatable - enjoy! I like your idea - let's multiply the fun along with the cafes. It is such a good time of the year - even my walk to the train in the morning is filled with greenery, blooming flowers and flowering bushes, not to mention bird song. Love it.

Morning Joe!

>75 Thebookdiva: Good morning, Abby! Hope all is well in the Pecan Paradisio.

Are you a fan of pumpkin chocolate chip muffins like your mom?

Yes indeed, I am! It's funny you mention it, because my mum and I were just talking about them.

>73 jnwelch: Love that one. Engrossed in reading even with all the things going on around her!

Good morning Joe! Your new thread reminds me that I actually haven't read the book version of Alice in Wonderland, although I've seen plenty of movie/tv adaptations. I need to read it sometime soon!

>77 Thebookdiva: Well all right then, Abby! Here are some mini ones, and feel free to pass some onto your mum, too.



>78 connie53: Isn't that great, Connie? I had plenty of days as a kid when I was so engrossed I seemed to be in the book. Still happens. ;-)

>79 jolerie: Good morning, Valerie! The Alice in Wonderland book is well worth reading. So clever! What a mind he had.

Hi Joe- I am enjoying my day off. Taking care of a few things around here and relaxing. I am sure you will like Before I go to Sleep. I also read a good little GN, called Dreary & Naughty. It's slight but charming. It reminded me of Tim Burton's animated work, which I am fond of.

On the GN front, I am also reading Stuck Rubber Baby, a memoir, about a guy growing up gay in the Deep South. It is very well done.

If post #67, is a bit racy, for your "Alice" theme, I will gladly alter it. Grins...

I did like Before I Go to Sleep, Mark - over on your thread I urged you to get some midnight oil to burn while you're reading it.

No worries re the racy Alice - I just figured she must have librarian tendencies, too. You're well known for your appreciation of really . . . bright women.

I've read good things about Stuck Rubber Baby, and will have to take a look at Dreary & Naughty, which I'd not heard of. I'm still alternating between This One Summer and The Graphic Canon. I'm almost ready for volume 2 (of 3) of the latter.

LOL! Yes, everyone knows I am crazy about my "bright women"!

I have to keep focused on my GN reading. I have 5 lined up, including the latest Saga & Hawkeye. Remember, that GN list Caro posted a few weeks ago? That's where I've been getting several of the titles. It was a good list.

>83 msf59: :-) They're so smart they need less clothing than most, seems like, Mark.

I should revisit Caro's gn list. I know there were some good ones on there.

OK, this is from Becca (seasonsoflove), who was as confused as everyone else about where this cafe is:

*pops in*

The Three Piggy Opera is now at its end!!!

For those of you who don't know (probably everyone except my dad) I've spent the best month rehearsing a musical version of The Three Pigs story with my four and five year old students-we also made the scenery and parts of the costumes. Today both of my classes performed it for their families, and they did amazing-so cute! I am, however, extremely pleased it is over for the year as it is a lot of work and energy.

Hi Joe,
I admit to cluelessness about what happened to your thread(s). You had several and I just skipped to this one. I hope I'm in the right place for a mojito. Warm here in Seattle, you know.

>84 jnwelch: That's so cool! Charlie's class is working on The Three Little Pigs as their story-of-the-month right now, but nothing so elaborate as that, I think.

Morning, Joe!

You are such good company, my friend! Thank you for joining me in the cafe's retreat :)

>85 EBT1002: You struck gold, Ellen. Yup, this is the right cafe. I had a creative burst of energy, and somehow created four at once, but we've all now settled into this one.

Mojito? What a fine idea. Yeah, a friend in San Francisco said they were supposed to hit 100 F! I told him, ship some of it over here, as we're only getting into the 50s. For your warm Seattle, here you go:



>86 scaifea: Isn't that cool, Amber? Via video, we were able to see some of it. Hilarious, and what a bunch of cute kids. It was a ton of work for our Becca ("herding cats" came up), but well worth it. Now I'm hoping she can relax a bit.

>87 mckait: Excellent - my pleasure, Kath. You picked a beautiful spot to enjoy a long island iced tea, and I'm glad to have a chance to share one with my pal. :-)

Amazon needs to stop having so many awesome Kindle Daily Deals-just bought The Mad Sculptor, tried to resist but couldn't. Good thing for the tax refund and the raise I guess!:)

>89 seasonsoflove: That's our true crime girl! Looks like a good one. They got me, too - they had a John Rain thriller on offer for $1.99, and a new chapter for the terrific book Wonder.

Other than maybe treats for Sherlock, or gifts for your father, it's hard to think of a better way to spend your refund and raise.

>90 Morphidae: LOL! The Wolf in Becca's play had some powerful lungs, too, Morphy. Singing and blowing down houses. No doubt he would've massacred a birthday cake.

Rushing through waving!!!

*rushes after Connie waving and giving her to-go mini muffins for her busy day*

Yummie!!

>94 connie53: :-)

Hee hee! Yeah, Amazon has had some really good deals lately.

I want the warm weather back! Wah! I want to wear my shorts again! Wah!

Okay, enough of that! Hi Joe! Hope you had a good Thursday!

True Crime... I was working in that section yesterday :) We are switching our non fic section to BISAC and I think it's a great idea. We already have more people taking out non fic and we are only about 1/3 done. Actually, I was trying to guess where it would land up and moving the books 4-5 times... bt, ya know. Working :)

I am in the middle of a nice 4 day weekend with only a few "things to do" - today includes taking the venerable Greta Garbo (turned 10 on May 11) to the groomer. I'm going to ask them to try to work in the direction of making her look like a schnauzer again. She has been very fluffy with over grown dog "hair" for the winter but she now does not really relish going outside when it is warm; she needs a summer cut. I also am going to the dentist and we will be trying to lighten and whiten a front tooth which had a root canal years ago, and now is looking ugly. They have a new method of bleaching from the inside which we will try. Interesting. Crossing my fingers that it works.

So in short: we are spending today trying to be more beautiful!

And then we'll read.

Hope your Friday is excellent. And BTW, I sent tickets for the Seattle Storm opening game to your intrepid poet residing here... I thought I was going to be at Booktopia, so I planned on giving him a treat. I hope he enjoys it.

Howdy there Joe! Happy Friday.

Just finished Longbourn and enjoyed it mightily. Had a long wait for the library's copy, so can vouch that it is very popular here in the Northeast. Thanks for the arbling and putting me in the way of a lovely read.

Apropos of your homeless discussion: Lots of panhandlers here in Boston, but rarely if ever aggressive or nasty. About 15 years ago, instead of giving up swearing or chocolate for Lent, I decided to give a dollar to anyone who asked. Easter came and I just kept on doing it. I understand being concerned about being scammed or what would happen to the money, but I've just decided worrying about it takes too much mental energy. Many of my 'regulars' are now my friends. I've found they give back to me far more than what little I give to them.

I support the homeless newspaper and volunteer at a local shelter (staying overnight several times a year). I've learned there are lots of stories about how someone can end up on the street. For me, it truly is a case of "There but for the grace of God..."

Thanks for raising up this important issue and providing a place for people to discuss it.

>96 seasonsoflove: Amazon sure has had some good ones lately, Becca. I'm enjoying that John Rain thriller already, and I see lots of raves for the Wonder chapter from Julian's point of view. You read Wonder, right? Exceptional middle grade book. As it addresses looking different and bullying, I'm really pleased to see how many are reading it - it's a fixture on the NY Times bestseller list.

Hope you have a good end of what I'm sure has been an exhausting week. Your mom said even your students were tired yesterday, in the aftermath of the Three Piggy Opera.

>97 msf59: I know, Mark, let's get rid of this crummy weather! What a year it's been. My Thursday was fine; hope yours was, too, even with your unwanted sidekick.

Did you ever read any of the John Rain thrillers by Barry Eisler? Very well done, for those who like that kind of book. I just got one of the latest, and it's off at a gallop already.

>98 mckait: You know, Kath, Mark and others have said this is the golden age of nonfiction, and there's a lot of evidence to support that. So many good ones out there. I'm much more of a fiction reader, as you can tell, but I keep wanting to get back to the nonfiction, as there are so many good ones. My MBH is reading An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth, and really enjoying it, and our son loved it, too, so that may be next for me.

Working always has its tough aspects, of course, but working with books . . . ah, I miss that, and envy you that part.

>99 maggie1944: A day for beautifying - sounds most excellent, Karen. Our dentist told me that people's teeth in general (in the U.S.) are much whiter than they were 20 years ago, because so many use the available bleaches and whiteners. I told him he made me think of Stanley Tucci in the Hunger Games movies, the talk show host with the blindingly white teeth. Even today those are in a league all their own.

Happy Friday! I hope you have success and a good time. Yes, Jesse told us about the Storm tickets and is really looking forward to it. Opening night! Thank you for your thoughtfulness. I suspect he'll go with his new gal pal (who we like a lot); this will be a fun night out for them.

BTW, I followed your thinking on not going to Booktopia, and it seemed like a smart decision to me. Sometimes you just have to ease up on all the running around.

Hmm, what for starters today? How about some waffles with warm bananas and caramel sauce?

>100 michigantrumpet: Happy Friday, Marianne!

Oh, I'm glad Longbourn worked so well for you. You're very welcome - it was an impressive one to warble about. I'm still thinking about the ending - the contrast with the ending of P & P, with all the underlying elements, really was clever, I thought. In contrast to Lizzie, e.g., Sarah declines the joys of living at Pemberley, and marries purely for love, with no class or economic issues involved.

I'm glad you've enjoyed the discussion about the homeless and panhandling. I love it when we get off on important topics and get contributions from all over the map. I've often thought about doing what you do - simply giving money when asked. Funny thing is, I used to do that when I had no money, although I couldn't give much. Then I kind of got soured by the yarn spinners (con artists), and the thoughts of where the money too often likely goes. You're causing me to give it more thought. You must carry around a pack of ones - there are a lot of requesters in our downtown!, and I imagine that's true in Boston, too.

We also used to volunteer more for working at the shelters. You've got me thinking about returning to doing more of that, too. You're right, of course, about all the different ways folks can end up on the streets. Thanks for all your good thoughts on this.

Oh Joe -- I so agree about the ending to Longbourn! That struck me as well.

I understand when people are worried about being scammed, etc. If they want to help by supporting shelters instead, it's all good in my book. I just know what works for me. I figure if they ar scamming, that's a pretty hard way to make a living, especially in the really bad weather we've been having. I'm also sensitive to not being too paternalistic in a "I know what's better for you than you do ..." sort of way. If I were facing all the problems and fears of life on the street, a slug of whiskey might be exactly what I needed... Who knows.

Laughed at your comment about carrying a lot of ones. How perceptive of you! Seeing as I give out between $15 to $25 a week, I've been known to scrounge change for larger bills everywhere. Nowadays, my friends will actually save their ones for me to buy off of them.

Some friends were visiting from the midwest and they wanted to see Harvard. As we were walking through Harvard Square, I hear "Marianne! Marianne!" Yep, one of my friends was over there. Hadn't seen him in a while so we had a quick but lovely catch-up chat. Afterwards, our friends told my DH -- "Wow, Marianne really does know everyone!"

Met a young family recently. They had been living with her father in a rented apartment. He died suddenly and they couldn't afford the apartment without him. Coming up with first and last month's rent and security deposit on top of funeral expenses was just too much. So many people barely getting by day-to-day. A large medical bill, car accident anything can mean the difference between a home and the street.

I missed the discussion about homeless and "panhandlers" (I wonder where that word came from?) - but I think that judging people who, for whatever reason, are without resources is the height of arrogance. I am sure that is because I sat in so many AA meetings where I heard stories of people suffering from a real disease, physical, mental, and spiritual disease, often inherited from a family line of people susceptible to this disease. Making poor decisions and suffering devastating consequences is possibility for us all. So when I give a bit of money to a panhandler I do not care if they spend it on beer. I do not care what they do with it. All I care about is that the person is in need, and I can give a little bit of relief.

*climbs down from soap box*

I've been on the road the past few days, Joe, making my way to Boulder for Booktopia, so forgive me for being behind. I had to stop and say how much I love that painting up in >73 jnwelch: though — that's just how I like to think of books — you open the cover and all the characters jump out and start running around!

Happy Friday!

I have been so busy this week that I haven't had much of a chance to relax, but last night I spent the evening playing Dominoes with some women friends. I really enjoyed myself. Now it is time to get caught up on all the phone calls I missed over the last two days here at work, and get some of these things off my desk.

Today we have the annual Library Benefactors Luncheon and as acting department head I have to attend. I am not a big fan of these things, as I think they are just a way for rich alumni to congratulate themselves. But we do benefit from some of their activities so I will go and put myself and my library forward and hope to make points with them.

And then it is the weekend! I think tonight will be a nice glass of wine with a dish of asapargus mimosa to knosh on while comsuming that nice wine - probably a New Zealand Saugivnon Blanc.

>103 michigantrumpet: Oh good, I'm glad to have someone struck the same way by that ending, Marianne! I thought everything she did in the book was very clever, and it was so satisfying to have that carried through to the end. She writes beautifully, but her conceptualizing of the story really knocked me over.

I have a friend who liked it less than me because he didn't feel a strong enough affinity for the characters - he said he missed having more of the familiar characters from P & P. I wasn't sure how to respond to that - I think he was looking for a different type of book that somehow extended the P & P story. I got quite caught up in the stories of Sarah and James Smith, and Polly, and Mr. Hill, and so on, and greatly enjoyed the different perspectives she brought to P & P characters like Mr. Bennet and Mr. Collins.

Giving to the homeless - you are really bringing up memories, and making me rethink the present. I had the kind of friendly relationships you mention when I was younger. Love your Harvard Square story.

You're so right, with so many people getting by on a thin margin, a large medical bill, a car accident, anything can mean the difference between a home and the street. Thanks again for bringing these good stories and ideas to us.

>104 maggie1944: Well, you give me pause, Karen. Marianne makes the same point about not being too paternalistic and, maybe a slug of whiskey or beer is just what's needed at a particular time in the face of the difficulties of living on the street. As you say, "Making poor decisions and suffering devastating consequences is a possibility for us all." I like your bottom line: "All I care about is that the person is in need, and I can give a bit of relief."

It's probably a good time to tell my con artist story, and see what you and others think of that. This actually was in Harvard Square, Marianne! I was a young guy, and a nice-looking older man (white hair), in a windbreaker, came up to me, let me know he'd lost his wallet, and asked for $5 to help him take a bus home. I sympathized, and gave it to him. The next day, I was in the same area, and sure enough, this nice-looking older man approached me, had lost his wallet, needed $5 for the bus. I couldn't believe it. I said, "Don't you remember me?!" For the first time he really looked at me, and his eyes popped, and he turned and quickly scurried away.

I thought it was pretty funny, and it didn't turn me off from giving to people asking. But it did make me more alert to this kind of story, which comes up on a regular basis, and you've probably experienced it. What do you think? Should we give money to someone like that? I don't, and it aggravates me when someone pulls it. Should I look at it differently?

>105 rosalita: I've been getting a kick out of following your road trip, Julia. Good for you for adding that to your Booktopia adventure. Looking forward to hearing more.

Yes, me, too - that painting up in >73 jnwelch: expresses how I think of books, too - you open up the book, and you're in the midst of all the characters running around. :-) Plus it makes me think of those lazy days as a kid, when I'd lie on the floor reading and just get totally lost in a good book.

>106 benitastrnad: Our son would probably have loved joining you and your women friends playing Dominoes, Benita. He loves games of all sorts. I'm not as enamored as he is, but I do enjoy the socializing that goes with them, so I probably would've enjoyed it, too. I'm glad you got a break form RL busy-ness.

I'm not much for fundraising events, either, but "Library Benefactors" sound like a worthwhile bunch. Maybe there'll be some good book discussions? We've gone to our temple's fundraiser dinner for years, but are taking a break this weekend to instead see a musical produced by a friend of my wife's. I'm so much more looking forward to that than dressing up for a formal event!

Yes, the weekend! Can't wait, A nice glass of Sauvignon Blanc sounds most excellent, and Megan would appreciate the tip of the hat to NZ. Asparagus mimosa is new to me, but I imagine I'd like it. Sure looks good.

>107 jnwelch: The ol' I-have-to-catch-the-bus-lost-my-wallet story! Yep I hear that one a fair bit. I'll still give them the dollar as my contribution towards their trip. I would have given them that anyways. If they insist, I point them towards the info desk in the train/bus station and tell them to have them contact Travelers Aid.

I have so many wonderful stories. There is a man I see regularly who took me aside and showed me a woman's diamond ring which appeared in his cup one day. My assumption was that some Miss was fed up with the fiancee and decided to put the ring to good use. The man, however, was deeply concerned the ring fell off of someone's finger by mistake. He was holding it for her 'in case she came back.' He was worried about his ability to keep it safe at the one shelter he went to. We agreed that he would wait for a week for her to come back. In the meantime, we went to the Jeweler's Building to find out what it was worth. I was afraid he would sell it to someone at the shelter for far less than it was worth.

The money from selling that ring meant new clothes, better shoes, and some good food for a while. His utter honesty and sincerity was inspiring and humbling.

Always thought it would the basis of a nice short story but never got around to writing it.

I actually haven't read Wonder yet but really want to-it sounds like a book I would really enjoy. I'm almost done with Allegiant, and just started Fatal Enquiry. I am completely exhausted-doesn't help that I caught a nasty cold, just like I used to do in high school and college right after a big show finished.

>109 michigantrumpet: Well, this is very helpful to me, Marianne. I have this instinctive reaction against people who con others, but you're opening my mind about it.

That's (the ring story is) another great story. Good for you for spending time with him and helping him get a realistic appraisal, and good for him for his concern about the giver. It does sound like the basis for a nice short story - including what went into the woman leaving it for him.

>110 seasonsoflove: Oh, I look forward to hearing what you think of Allegiant, and I can't wait for your take on the new Will Thomas, Becca. You'll be glad you did once you read Wonder, I can promise you that.

Sorry about the nasty cold. Yes, that's a family tradition - your bro has gotten sick after big performances, and I think even your mom has experienced that one. As a non-performer, I've had my own version after a stressful, energy-demanding work thingamagum. Pamper yourself to the extent you can. I imagine Sherlock would be happy to make you some tea when you want it, although he may need some help with the opposable thumb parts.

Just wanted to swing by and wish you a wonderful weekend. :)

>112 jolerie: Thanks, Valerie. Hope you have a wonderful weekend, too. :-)

Hi Joe- Hope you had a good Friday. The weather gets a bit better tomorrow and better on Sunday. We are going over to Bree's new place for a cook-out that day and it will also be a kick-off to a well-needed vacation. Yah!
I have not read the Eisler series. Good stuff?

The origin of the word panhandler is uncertain but here is the most common belief:

panhandle (n.)

"something resembling the handle of a pan," 1851, especially in ref. to geography, originally Amer.Eng., 1856, in ref. to West Virginia (Florida, Texas, Idaho, Oklahoma also have them). Meaning "an act of begging" is attested from 1849, perhaps from notion of arm stuck out like a panhandle; verb panhandle "to beg" is from 1903.

Origin: 1895–1900, Americanism; back formation from panhandler; so called from the resemblance of the extended arm to a panhandle

hi joe no right hand yet so hellooooooooing in lowercase

gotta love the left hand greetings! Happy Saturday!

>114 msf59: The books in Eisler's John Rain series are good page-turning thrillers, Mark. They're set mainly in Tokyo. John Rain has an American mother and Japanese father. He was in U.S. Special Forces in Vietnam, and has become a specialized assassin of wrongdoers. He's got a moral code, and is meticulous in going about his business. Not quite at the level of Lee Child's Jack Reacher books, but a similar central character in a number of ways. Try the first one, A Clean Kill in Tokyo, aka Rain Fall, and you'll know whether this is one for you.

Glad you've got vacation coming up. I'll check in on your thread, but what a lead-up to it you've had. BBQ with Bree sounds like a great way to kick things off.

>115 Morphidae: Hmm. Thanks, Morphy. I can see "the resemblance of the extended arm to a panhandle".

You caused me to look around. Another one I've seen is it's a reference to poor people from Oklahoma's panhandle during the Depression. Or to gold prospectors holding out a pan in a stream - panning for money. A third says, "beggars regularly approached people on the street holding a tin pan or cup with coins in it, shaking the vessel so that the money in it jangled and attracted the attention of passers-by." Another one similarly says, " the term probably originated in reference to beggars holding out kitchen pans into which passersby were encouraged to drop coins (since donors are generally thought to be more willing to drop coins into a pan or cup than to touch the beggar's hand)."

Nowadays we usually see cups being held out, not pans, but "cup holders" would sound a bit silly, right?

>116 richardderus: Hey, there's our guy. Good to see you in any case! As my right hand starts getting achier with the years, I'm starting to think about using my left more.

>117 maggie1944: Yes, indeed, Karen. We're grateful for any RD sighting right now, that's for sure. Happy Saturday!

I'm in for a bit of work, but should be out by lunchtime.

I could use some classical music this a.m. Here's a pic of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's space:

>118 jnwelch: Wow Joe the Chicago Symphony Orchestra has impressive digs.
SWMBO and I had dim sum for brunch and enjoyed it immensely.

Have a great weekend, buddy.

Hi Joe, I've been lurking the last few times, and now just realized I'd never even wished you a Happy New Thread! I know it's kinda late for that now, but the sentiment was there from the first time I lurked! I don't like to comment on threads from the ipad very much. Thanks for introducing us to Lisbeth Zwerger's work. It seems like really wonderful stuff. As you might know, I'm a big fan of illustration, so will gladly look up what the library has to offer by her, which is probably quite a bit, since their children's section is always very well stocked. I thought at first sight the top two might be the work of Stéphane Jorisch, a local illustrator I had the pleasure to work with long ago who's been up for all sorts of awards and also illustrates children's books.

eta: just reserved her Alice in Wonderland and Tales by Hans Christian Andersen

>119 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. Those digs help make for excellent evenings of music. Our last visit we got to hear German violinist Christian Tetzlaff play Dvorák and Bach, and he and the symphony orchestra were terrific.

Dim sum sounds good to me. I'll bet you and Hani enjoyed it immensely.



Have a great weekend, too, mate.

>120 Smiler69: Thanks, Ilana. :-) It's never too late for good wishes. I'm glad you like what you see of Lisbeth Zwerger. I really like her work, and I remember being quite taken by this Alice of hers when it came out.

I was able to find some of Stéphane Jorisch's work online, and can tell he's quite talented. Glad you were able to find some of LZ's work at the library. Are you a Shaun Tan fan? We just got his new one, Rules of Summer, and it's another beaut.

Yes, I'm a big Shaun Tan fan, and have a couple of his books, including The Arrival of course, as well as Tales from Outer Suburbia and Lost & Found. I also borrowed everything I could from the library, but haven't yet seen Rules of Summer. I'll check with the library if they've gotten it since last time I checked, otherwise I'll make a purchase request when I go over there this afternoon. Thanks for the reminder!

I keep looking for the LIKE button under the food pics... lol

Is that dim sum than I'm looking at? Yum!

Stopping through to let you know about a new thread called Friends of Nancy P.

Part therapy for for the completists in our group, and part a safe haven to blow off some steam about those books you want to throw against the wall. Kudos to Steve the Curmudgeon for setting it up!

It is strawberry season here and I have a hankering for a strawberry goat cheese salad. So cool for a warm humid day. If there were a fromagere close I would be headed there right now.

Hi Joe- Hope you are having a fine Sunday! I might be abandoning Stuck Rubber Baby. Sometimes a GN, even if it is well done gets overly wordy and I start to lose patience. Maybe I'll try it again another time, plus I have several others I need to get to.
Still in the early going of, the Confabulist. Lots of Houdini so far.

ETA- Thanks, for the Eisler info. I'll keep it in mind...

>122 Smiler69:. You're welcome, Ilana. Figgers you'd be a Shaun T fan. Happy to be a reminder about the new one. Our fave remains The Arrival.

>123 mckait:. There keep being rumors that the LT tech folks are creating a Like button, Kath, but it still hasn't appeared. Glad you're liking the food - we may open new cafés, but the chef and staff stay the same.

>124 NarratorLady:. Sure is, Anne. Doesn't that look good? Paul's dim sum adventure inspired us.

>125 michigantrumpet:. Looks like a good place to blow off book steam, Marianne. I haven't had one of those in a while. My ER book comes close so far, but I'm obligated to finish it. Instead of doing that, I read a John Rain thriller, and now I'm reading a Longmire mystery.

Hope everybody's having a good Sunday. We've got some beautiful weather here. We're out on our front porch enjoying it, after a visit with the divine Ms. Becca and her goofy pal Sherlock.

Go Hawks!

Hi Joe, just running in, reading the posts and leaving again. But I'm taking a few of those dim sum things with me.

>129 michigantrumpet: Nice win for the Hawks! What a beaut that last goal was, Marianne. Good start.

>130 connie53: Ha! OK, Connie. Good to briefly see you. Here's a bag for your dim sum things.

"Good" Monday Morning, dear friend. Busy 4 day weekend is behind me. Now, I'm initiating a new emphasis on physical fitness by doing 3 "enhance fitness" classes (for old people) at the local YMCA each week as well as 3 sessions of Tai Chi Chuan each week. I'm going to try out to be a "Jock" in my Old Age. (-: Still reading Gone Girl, too. Fundraiser on Sunday was successful - $412! Busy girl. Pretty normal for you.

What will you be up to this week?

Morning Joe! I think you missed me up there but I would never hold it against you, because I know you would never do anything like that with malicious intent. LOL.
Hope the work week goes quickly, for you. Do you work through Friday?

I filled out a purchase suggestion form for Rules of Summer on Saturday as I said I would. Now I just have to sit and wait. I'm fairly confident they'll get it, but it may be a while.

Running through the threads and leaving a quick hello.

How I love your opening images! I must seek more of this illustrator.

Happy Monday!

>132 maggie1944: Good Monday Morning, my friend. Kudos to you for going after that Jock status. Debbi has done the same, and can now bench lift me 12 times. That has some scary aspects, but it is true that she has me behaving better lately.

I believe you're referring to "chronologically challenged" people, of which I'm a proud member. Good for you for doing Tai Chi; I've thought about that, too. I did Kung Fu for many years, and got a lot out of it.

This week is going to be different for us. My bride is having some major surgery (which will be fine), so I've got two work days, and then I'll be at the hospital and staying home to take care of her. My goal will be to keep her as happy as possible while doing as little damage as possible to our home. She's got things pretty well organized, but we're talking about the guy who managed to breach the space-time continuum and create four cafes simultaneously.

>133 msf59: Hey, there's our guy! Did I miss you up there? Sorry! Criminy, I missed Benita, too. The marbles in my head tend to run around loose on the weekend. Let's get everything back on track.

>126 benitastrnad: Jeez, thanks for your patience, Benita. We've got the time jiggerer warmed up and some strawberry goat cheese salad ready for you immédiatement:



>127 msf59: How good to see you, Mark! *adjusts 19th century bifocals* I'm not going to rush to try Stuck Rubber Baby if you Pearl-ruled it. That's a rarity with you, I know. Yeah, there are plenty of good ones out there crying out to be read. Get a hold of Shaun Tan's Rules of Summer if you get a chance. Short, fun, great illustrations.

Yeah, Eisler might work well for you. I've read a bunch of his John Rain novels now, and liked this new one (Graveyard of Memories) a lot.

>133 msf59: Hey, Mark. Good to see you again!

Yeah, Malicious Intent isn't part of my make-up (I prefer Tangerine Orange).

As I mentioned to Karen, this is a strange week for us. I work today and tomorrow, then I'll be with my bride as she has some surgery and recovers. She can't be on her own for a few days, but seasonsoflove is going to help on the weekend. All will be well, it will just take a while.

>134 Smiler69: Sounds good, Ilana. I'm not sure how much of a lineup they'll have at the library for Rules of Summer. I went ahead and opened the wallet (a lot of moths flew out), because he's got me - I want to have his stuff nearby at all times.

>135 Whisper1: Oh, I'm glad, Linda. Lisbeth Zwerger is really good, and probably not as well known as she deserves. I've liked Robert Ingpen for a long time; he's more of a traditionalist. He did a nice Wind in the Willows way back when, too.

Happy Monday!

Have a fantastic week Joe.

>138 GeezLouise: Thanks, Rae. I hope you have a fantastic week, too.

Joe, best wishes for everything going easily and well on
Wednesday, and a swift recovery for your bride. (as for major vs minor suirgery, my father's definition holds in any case - if it's happening to you or your loved one, it's major by definition)

Jim and I and MichiganTrumpet and Chatterbox are planning a rendesvous in Boston over 4th of July weekend. No plans yet, but I put a thread up for the 75ers and also at Club Read, for those who wander back and forth. We have our fingers crossed that Caro can make it too (after all, she knows where the good food is!), and all in the area or passing through are welcome. Everyone can post their interest on one of the threads.

>137 jnwelch: One of the advantages of requesting books at the library for purchase is you are then first in line to borrow it, especially as it is at my local branch. I open my wallet for books a little too often (as in: daily), so always feel especially virtuous when I use the library system! :-)

Morning Joe, just passing through. I had a stressful time. Wishing you a lovely week.

>140 ffortsa: Thanks, Judy. Easily and well, with a swift recovery, sounds good. You're right, it's a bit scary, but all will be well.

Wish we could join you in Boston. I've never been there for a 4th of July, but I imagine it's got a lot of depth to it there. Combining it with an LT meetup should be a peach.

>141 Smiler69: Yeah, buying books is a constant pleasure and hard to resist, isn't it, Ilana? I try to balance it some with the library system, too - of course, if I like the book I borrowed from the library, then I keep an eye out for it at used book stores or sales, so I can still own it. :-)

I do find the library a good way to go when I'm not sure about the book - I want to give it a try, but I'm thinking I may not like it. It's sure a lot better to Pearl-rule a library book than a paid-for one.

>142 Ameise1: Hi, Barbara. Good to see you! Sorry you had a stressful time, but I'm glad you're able to say it in the past tense. I'll stop by. Hope you have a lovely week, too.

We're awfully lucky to have such easy access to so many books, aren't we? And they're a lot easier to handle than scrolls.



Is anyone watching Cosmos? I'm loving it, although some parts are stronger than others. DeGrasse Tyson was talking last night about how the invention of writing in what is now Iraq for the first time allowed a deceased generation to speak to future generations (not completely true, in my view, as it ignores oral traditions, but still a cool idea), and that Gilgamesh actually got the immortality he was seeking in that story, as people still read about him all these years later. Looking at it another way, we can "time travel" in books and other writings, now more than ever.

Happy Tuesday Joe. Comos? I haven't heard of it before.

Morning Joe! It's going to be a beauty today! It was warm when I went out to get the newspaper. How is Debbi? You mentioned she was having a procedure done?
I should wrap up the Confabulist today and I've been reading a nifty little GN called The Wrong Place, (also off that Best GN list). It is a social commentary, done in watercolors. Some of it is really beautiful.

ETA- I have also not hear of Cosmos. What's the deal?

>144 Thebookdiva: Happy Tuesday, Abby.

Cosmos is a science documentary about the history of the universe and our place in it. It originally was created in the late 1970s by Carl Sagan (who hosted and narrated it) and others, and now has been redone, with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson as the host and narrator. Here's the website: http://www.cosmosontv.com/. It's entertaining (often with gorgeous computer graphics) and filled with great nuggets about our planet, its life, the solar system, the Milky Way galaxy, and so on. A recent one focused on the discoveries of English "commoner" Michael Faraday about electromagnetism, electricity and light that changed everything, leading us to motors, generators, and other practical parts of our lives that we depend on, and creating the foundations the Einstein and others would build on. Einstein kept a photo of Faraday on his wall.

>145 msf59: Morning, Mark! Yes, we're finally getting into a stretch of great weather. It's in your honor, I think - Mother Nature knew you were deserving of an enjoyable week off.

Debbi's nervous but also looking forward to the surgery, which takes place tomorrow. All will be well, but there will be a fair amount of recovery time. We're getting her set up with dvds and so on, and the plan is for me to read to her at the start.

Man, I'm glad your troving in that Best GN list and reminding me - I will look for The Wrong Place.

I assumed folks knew about Cosmos, so I'm glad I mentioned it! It's described a bit above. Really cool series.

Thanks for explaining, it does sound interesting.

We watched the original Cosmos with awe and loved it. Tried the new version, and just didn't get caught up in it (maybe it only works the first time). But it is clearly a marvelous production, and I highly recommend it to anyone who was too young or otherwise missed Sagan's version.

>147 Thebookdiva: You bet, Abby. My pleasure.

>148 laytonwoman3rd: Probably confirming your point, I didn't watch the first one, Linda - I didn't watch much tv in that period of my life. This one is a marvelous production, and I find deGrasse Tyson is very easy to take in big doses.

Hey, Ancillary Justice just won the Nebula Award: http://www.orbitbooks.net/2014/05/19/ancillary-justice-nebula-award-winner/ Good excuse to grab it and read it.

>143 jnwelch: Fourth of July is wonderful in Boston -- the Pops on the Esplanade, a reading of the Declaration of Independence from the Old State House, Old Ironsides being taken out for a stroll around the Harbor. All that on top of the generally wonderful things to do here. I do a good tour of Boston if you ever make it here!

>151 michigantrumpet: :-) That does sound mighty good, Marianne. I'm sure we'll be in Boston in the not distant future (in the past we've been there a lot), so we should get a chance to take you up on that offer!

Oh, my! I'd like to visit Boston again, and on the 4th does sound as if it would be excellent good fun.

Washington State does it again: Governor Inslee has appointed the first Asian to our State Supreme Court, and she is also openly gay, another first. Excellent demonstration of Washington State's ability to demonstrate progressive practices. Whoo hoo!

Please give your excellent spouse my best wishes for a perfect day on Wednesday with everyone performing to the height of their skill, and knowledge; and, the recovery being total and swift!

It's a day for good news. Pennsylvania's Defense of Marriage Act has been declared unconstitutional by a U. S. District Judge. In part, his opinion reads:

"Some of our citizens are made deeply uncomfortable by the notion of same-sex marriage. However, that same-sex marriage causes discomfort in some does not make its prohibition constitutional. Nor can past tradition trump the bedrock constitutional guarantees of due process and equal protection...

"Were that not so, ours would still be a racially segregated nation according to the now rightfully discarded doctrine of ‘separate but equal’...

In future generations the label same-sex marriage will be abandoned, to be replaced simply by marriage.”

>153 maggie1944: Thanks, Karen! I'll pass on your kind thoughts to my excellent spouse. I know she'll appreciate them.

Kudos on the appointment; you seem to have a wonderfully progressive state, and I hope it's contagious.

>154 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks, Linda! I saw that over on Richard's thread. Great news, and so right.

I've said the same to our kids - they're going to be telling theirs about how controversial same-sex marriage was when they were growing up, and their kids will have trouble believing it. One of my godkids, who's got an African-American dad and Asian mom, couldn't believe it when I told him the schools in our liberal city of Ann Arbor weren't desegregated until the mid-1960s (that's how his dad and I met). We're making progress, but looking back is still cringeworthy. We're not out of the woods yet on same sex marriage, but the change sure seems inexorable.

Hi Joe- I am sure you will be taking very good care of the DW, in the coming days. Will you be wearing a nurse's outfit?

>156 msf59: LOL! Wait until RD gets a load of that one, Mark!

It might cheer Debbi up if I did. I hear giggling a lot is supposed to be good for healing.

I thought that would bring you out of hibernation. LOL. Make sure you give Debbi a gentle hug from all of us, in that outfit, if possible.

Hi Joe!
I came here and was going to say something important, but I saw Mark's post and got distracted....

*Wanders off.....* ;)

>158 msf59: I'm not sure I still have an outfit like that, Mark (I was very young when I was a stylish and clothing-unencumbered nurse), but I'll be sure to give her a gentle hug from our cafe patrons.

>159 jolerie: I know, Valerie. I'm sure there's something about authors and important books we were going to discuss but . . . I can't remember a bit of it.

*decides to make more coffee*

>156 msf59: Wow. Just ... Wow.

I hope that Debbi's surgery goes well and that her recovery is swift and uncomplicated. Hugs to you both.

i understand there's nursing care available in this thread

i am weak and in need of beefing up

cough cough faint

We're getting ready to go. Thank you for all the good wishes. Richard, if the nurse doesn't show up soon, please contact Mark.

Good luck today, Joe! Best wishes to Debbi! We will be thinking of her.

Have you heard anything about The Julian Chapter? It's a short Kindle single from Palacio, that tells Julian's side of the story, from Wonder.

>164 jnwelch: Really lovely. I hope the beauty of the post helps to carry you through the anxiety of today. And, of course, the good wishes of LTers, including me.

You are both in my thoughts and prayers today.

All the best to your good wife, Joe. We think there will be plenty of volunteer staff to keep the cafe running while you're busy. Please don't worry about a thing.

Sending you all the best vibes for you and the Mrs., Joe!

Sending good thoughts and hopes that all goes well

Thinking of you and the Mrs. today, Joe. Adding my good thoughts to all the others that on their way to you.

Surgery? No fun, that. Healing energy headed your way>>>>>> for both of you! Being the one waiting is no fun either.

Hoping all has gone well today Joe.

All is well. She's sleeping. Long day, but a successful one. Thank you from both of us for all the good wishes.

She may get to go home tomorrow night. We'll see. But everything went really well.

Thinking of you and Debi, Joe. Relieved to hear that things went well.

Thanks for the update, Joe! Hopefully, she is getting a good night's sleep.

Yay! I am delighted to hear that "everything went really well". ***sending double whammies of total recovery***

Best wishes for a speedy recovery to your wife, Joe. Glad to hear everything went well yesterday. Here's hoping they spring her from the hospital today! :)

>173 jnwelch: So glad everything went well yesterday. Hope you both get lots of healing rest today.

>177 Cobscook: That's the term I use for getting folks out of the hospital. It's like getting someone out of jail and back into their home surroundings.

Hugs (especially gentle ones for Debbi).

Thanks again, MDG and everyone. Good news: We. Just got the all clear for Debbi to come home. Yes! The recovery is going to take a while, but she's looking good, and doesn't have a whole lot of restrictions beyond being smart about physical limitations.

Joe, I'm happy to hear the everything went well. Please, give Debbi my best wishes. I'm sure with you at her side she will recover soon. hugs for both of you. xx

That is great news indeed Joe. Send our well wishes to the Mrs. and I hope you guys have a restful time recovering. :)

Very happy to see the good news the Mrs. will be discharged soon for recovery. That is wonderful news!

Hip hip hooray! hip hip hooray! and around again for another.....

I hope Debbi is a patient soul who will be able to live happily with restrictions for the recovery! And that it be quick! And total!

Yah, for Debbi coming home. I am sure you will take splendid care of her, Nurse Joe! Give her a gentle hug from us!

I'm so happy to hear that Debbi came through the surgery well and is on the mend! Please give her a gentle hug from me, and another for yourself for being a good caregiver.

Wonderful news! Hoping for a fast and easy recovery!

Many thanks to Amber, Julia, Mark, Karen, Laura, Valerie, Barbara, and so many others. Debbi's peacefully slumbering at home. This worked out well - as some of you recall, we recently converted our son's old bedroom into a sun room overlooking our garden. It's got two comfortable beds in it. That's where our Walklover is resting.

Kath can't get in because Chrome is balking at one of the visuals. I can't figure out which one right now, so let's start a new cafe. See you there.

So, only one café this go round?

I'm glad to hear that Debbi has come out of surgery with flying colors. Best wishes to her, and to her DH.

>189 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl. Only one cafe - I hope some day I can beat the record of four.

We've hit a bit of a bump in the road with her reaction to some pain meds (she can't take Vicodin or codeine, and now Tramadol is giving her stomach problems. Ibuprofen is fine, but not enough by itself). We're figuring it out with the doc.