Joe's Book Cafe Door 27

Art by Laura Callaghan

Welcome back to the cafe!

2017 Books

January

1. The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths by Harry Bingham
2. Bright Dead Things by Ada Limon (poetry)
3. The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
4. Love Story with Murders by Harry Bingham
5. Four Swans by Winston Graham
6. This Thing of Darkness by Harry Bingham
7. Tell Me by Kim Addonizio (poetry)
8. Lola by Melissa Scrivner Love
9. A Robot in the Garden by Deborah Install
10. The Dead House by Harry Bingham
11. Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance
12. Suspended Sentences by Patrick Modiano
13. Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
14. The Selected Poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke translated by Stephen Mitchell
15. The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

February

16. The Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
17. City by Clifford Simak
18. Eggtooth by Solia Carrock
19. The Black Moth by Georgette Heyer
20. A Lady of Quality by Georgette Heyer
21. Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
22. Binti Home by Nnedi Okorafor
23. Friday's Child by Georgette Heyer
24. The Dry by Jane Harper
25. I Will Have Vengeance by Maurizio De Giovanni
26. The Simple Truth by Philip Levine (poetry)
27. Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace!!!
28. Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty
29. Away with Fairies by Kerry Greenwood
30. The Sandman Omnibus Vol. 1 by Neil Gaiman*

March

31. News of the World by Paulette Jiles
32. My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris*
33. Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold
34. Nightmare in Pink by John D. MacDonald
35. The Last Detective by Peter Lovesey
36, There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyonce by Morgan Parker (poetry)
37. The Assault by Harry Mulisch
38. Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte
39. Scriptorium by Melissa Range (poetry)
40. World of Edena by Moebius*
41. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
42. The Girl, the Gold Watch and Everything by John D. MacDonald
43. Rolling Blackouts by Sarah Glidden*
44. Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
45. Lucifer at the Starlite by Kim Addonizio
46. Echoes in Death by J.D. Robb

April

47. The Deep Blue Goodbye by John D. MacDonald
48. I Contain Multitudes by Ed Yong
49. The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu
50. Tender: Stories by Sofia Samatar
51. We Are Legion by Dennis Taylor
52. The Nonesuch by Georgette Heyer
53. Just So Happens by Fumio Obata*
54. Wild Nights: New & Selected Poems by Kim Addonizio
55. I Must Be Living Twice by Eileen Myles
56. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
57. A Purple Place for Dying by John D. MacDonald
58. Lincoln in the Bardo by George Sanders
59. Sylvester, or the Wicked Uncle by Georgette Heyer
60. The Quick Red Fox by John D. MacDonald
61. Nutshell by Ian MacEwan
62. Orphan X by Greg Hurwitz

May

63. A Deadly Shade of Gold by John D. MacDonald
64. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
65. Eggshells by Caitriona Lally
66. Bright Orange for the Shroud by John D. MacDonald
67. Incendiary Art by Patricia Smith
68. Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami
69. Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer
70. The Sun is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon
71. The Someday Birds by Sally J. Pla
72. The Nowhere Man by Greg Hurwitz
73. The Toll-Gate by Georgette Heyer

June
74. Vicious Circle by C.J. Box
75. No Middle Name by Lee Child
76. 99 Poems by Dana Gioia
77. The Angry Tide by Winston Graham
78. The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomer
79. The Deepest Grave by Harry Bingham
80. Imagine Wanting Only This by Kristen Radtke*
81. By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder
82. Planetfall by Emma Newman
83. Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat
84. Czeslaw Milosz Selected Poems Revised
85. The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths
86. The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths

July

87. Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter
88. The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths
89. Olio by Tyehimba Jess
90. Turbo Twenty-Three by Janet Evanovich
91. Dr. Mutter's Marvels by Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz
92. No Matter the Wreckage by Sarah Kay
93. Room Full of Bones by Ellie Griffiths
94. The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
95. Robert B. Parker's Kickback by Ace Atkins
96. Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie
97. Crooked House by Agatha Christie
98. Never Go Back by Lee Child
99. Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor
100. The Te of Piglet by Benjamin Hoff
101. Leviathan Wakes by James S. Corey
102. Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
103. Arabella of Mars by David D. Levine
104. The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

August

105. Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
106. Brand New Ancients by Kate Tempest
107. The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui*
108. Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
109. The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjee
110. The Windfall by Diksha Basu
111. leadbelly by Tyehimba Jess
112. Selected Poems of W.H. Auden, selected by Edward Mendelson
113. The Obelisk Gate by N. K. Jemesin
114. Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil DeGrasse Tyson
115. The Jane Austen Project by Kathryn Flynn
116. Horse and Rider by Melissa Range
117. Silence Fallen by Patricia Briggs
118. To Siri, With Love by Judith Newman
119. Stag's Leap by Sharon Olds

September

120. Blind Justice by Bruce Alexander
121. Nest of Vipers by Andrea Camilleri
123. The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemison
124. Knockemstiff by Donald Pollock
125. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
126. Glass Houses by Louise Penny
127. Secrets in Death by J.D. Robb
128. Words Under the Words by Naomi Shahib Nye
129. Autumn by Ali Smith
130. Don't Call Us Dead by Danez Smith
131. The Miller's Dance by Winston Graham
132. The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye by David Lagercrantz
133. Why Buddhism is True by Robert Wright
134. Cousin Kate by Georgette Heyer
135. Electric Arches by Eve Ewing

October

136. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
137. The Legend of Light by Bob Hicok
138. The Western Star by Craig Johnson
139. Pale Gray for Guilt by John MacDonald
140. Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard
141. Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee
142. The Snowman by Jo Nesbo
143. Regency Buck by Georgette Heyer
144. Rain in Portugal by Billy Collins
145. Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
146. Whistling Vivaldi by Claude M. Steele
147. The Punch Escrow by Tal Klein
148. Giving Godhead by Dylan Krieger
149. Murder in Grub Street by Bruce Alexander
150. The Loving Cup by Winston Graham
151. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Stories by Washington Irving
152. Lightning Men by Thomas Mullen

November

153. Akata Warrior by Nnedi Okorafor
154. Reading with Patrick by Michelle Kuo
155. The Virginian by Owen Wister
156. Fort Not by Emily Skillings
157. Spinning by Tillie Walden*
158. Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan
159. Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudine Rankin
160. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
161. Midnight Line by Lee Child
162. Suds in Your Eye by Mary Laswell
163. Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
164. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
165. Precious and Grace by Alexander McCall Smith
166. Jane Unlimited by Kristin Cashore
167. Depression and Other Magic Tricks by Sabrina Bemain
168. Snowblind by Ragnar Jonasson
169. All's Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson

December

170. Provenance by Anne Leckie
171. Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
172. The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder
173. Barbie Chang by Victoria Chang
174. The Twisted Sword by Winston Graham
175. How to Stop Time by Matt Haig
176. Nightblind by Ragnar Jonasson
177. We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
178. The Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories by Agatha Christie
179. One on the House by Mary Lasswell
180. Buddhaland Brooklyn by Richard C. Moraisg

Graphic Novels and Illustrated Books

1. Jessica Jones Pulse by Brian Michael Bendis
2. The Singing Bones by Shaun Tan
3. Whiteout by Greg Rucka
4. Jane, the Fox and Me by Fanny Britt
5. Monstress by Marjorie M. Liu
6. The White Donkey Terminal Lance by Maximilian Uriarte
7. Paper Girls Vol. 2 by Brian K. Vaughan
8. Ms. Marvel Vol. 6 by G. Willow Wilson
9. The Flight of the Raven by Jean-Pierre Gibrat
10. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larrson and Denise Mina (re-read)
11. The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larrson and Denise Mina (re-read)
12. Radiant Child by Javaka Steptoe
13. Coward by Ed Brubaker
14. Bandette Volume 2 by Paul Tobin
15. Saga Volume 7 by Brian K. Vaughan
16. Criminal Volume 3: The Dead and the Dying by Ed Brubaker
17. Lazarus Vol. 3 by Greg Rucka
18. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest by Stieg Larrson and Denise Mina (re-read)
19. Jane Austen Cover to Cover by Margaret C. Sullivan
20. Cinnamon by Neil Gaiman
21. Strong Female Protagonist by Brennan Lee Mulligan
22. Black Widow S.H.I.E.L.D. Most Wanted by Mark Waid
23. Big Appetites by Christopher Boffoli
24. Lucifer Book Five by Mike Carey
25. One Hundred Nights of Hero by Isabel Greenberg
26. Vagabond VIZBIG Edition, Vol. 11 by Takehiko Inoue
27. Tales of Honor On Basilisk Station by David Weber
28. The Encyclopedia of Early Earth by Isabel Greenberg
29. Wonder Woman Volume 1 The Lies by Greg Rucka
30. Dresden Files Fool Moon by Jim Butcher
31. Dresden Files Downtown by Jim Butcher
32. Buffy The High School Years by Kel McDonald
33. Lazarus Volume 4 by Greg Rucka
34. Wonder Woman Vol. 5: Flesh by Brian Azzarello
35. The Adventures of John Blake by Philip Pullman
36. Roughneck by Jeff Lemire
37. Wonder Woman Bones by Brian Azzarello
38. Archie Volume 1 The New Riverdale by Mark Waid
39. Tokyo Ghost by Rick Remender
40. Guardians of the Louvre by Jiro Taneguchi
41. Sleeper Season Two by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
42. Batman Hush by Jeph Loeb
43. The Girl from the Other Side by Nagabe
44. The Girl from the Other Side 2 by Nagabe
45. Black Hammer by Jeff Lemire
46. Scene of the Crime by Ed Brubaker
47. Spill Zone by Scott Westerfield
48. Quest by Aaron Becker
49. Return by Aaron Becker
50. Stumptown Vol. 4 by Greg Rucka
51. Ms. Marvel Vol. 7 by G. Willow Wilson
52. Valerian Complete Collection 1 by Pierre Christin
52. Valerian Complete Collection 3 by Pierre Christin
53. Paper Girls Vol. 3 by Brian K. Vaughan
54. Surreality by Caleb King
55. Monstress Volume 2 by Marie Liu
56. Catwoman Volume 3 by Ed Brubaker
57. Fatale Volume 2 by Ed Brubaker
58. Birdsong: A Story by James Sturm
59. Valerian Complete Collection 2 by Peirre Christin
60. Jessica Jones Uncaged by Brian Michael Bendis
61. Fatale Vol. 5 by Greg Rucka
62. Lazarus Vol. 5 by Greg Rucka
63, Witchblade Vol. 3: Borne Again by Ron Marz
64. Fatale Vol. 3 and Fatale Vol. 4 by Ed Brubaker
65. Criminal: The Dead and Dying by Ed Brubaker
66. Lady Killer by Jamie S. Rich
67. Baking with Kafka by Tom Gauld
68. The Golden Compass Vol. 1 by Philip Pullman
69. The Golden Compass Graphic Novel, Volume 2 by Philip Pullman
70. The Wheel of Time Eye of the World Vol. 2 by Robert Jordan
71. Level Up by Gene Luen Yang
72. The Wheel of Time Eye of the World Vol. 3 by Robert Jordan
73. The Girl on the Shore by Inio Asano
74. Shade The Changing Girl by Cecil Castellucci
75. Giant Days Vol. 1 by John Allison
76. Louis Undercover by Fanny Britt
77. Everyone's a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too: A Book by Jomny Son
78. Shh! We Have a Plan by Chris Haughton
79. Secret Coders by Gene Luen Yang
80. In Real Life by Cory Doctorow
81. Pashmina by Nidni Chanani
82. Eye of the World Vol. 4 by Robert Jordan
83. Giant Days Volume Two by John W. Allison
84. Boundless by Jillian Tamaki
85. Poppies of Iraq by Brigette Fidakly
86. Girl from the Other Side by Nagabe
87. Park Bench by Chaboute
88. A Bride's Story Vol. 9 by Kaoru Mori
89. Happy! by Grant Morrison
90. Kill or Be Killed by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
91. Rocket Girl by Brandon Montclare
92. Uncomfortably Happily by Yeon-sik Hong
93. Monograph by Chris Ware

One from my youth - fictional, I tell you! Do you suppose I listened to Springsteen a lot?

High Road

Me and Dog stashed our liquor in the bushes
Got it back that night
Went singing down those dark roads
Raising some hell on the side

Up on that hill we found them
Janey with her hair flowing down
Legs to here, she's drinking light beer
While Beth Ann slides beneath the stars
Invites me to her boyfriend's car
So sweet, touch rising in the heat

Now the Dog's in Denver
Playing guitar in those new land bars
I found a lady I couldn't keep
From strangers under the stars
She took him in the back seat of my old Falcon
I left her far behind

I've been living promises I can't seem to break
Now there's no place left to go
The highway's cold but my heat is rising
Girl, you ain't pretty, there's no denying
But something inside me just keeps on flying
Lord knows I need your need tonight

So climb in the car, we got a ways to go
Just don't tell me 'bout all the dudes you know
I lost someone worth more than all your penny ante jokers
But it's you I'm taking tonight
We're both at stake tonight
Ain't nobody gonna make it all right
But we're taking the high road tonight

Happy New Thread, Joe. I like the Callaghan toppers. It is chilly out there but at least the sun is shining/

I know there is not a lot of love for A Farewell to Arms around these parts but I am enjoying the book, although there is no question, his writing style has not aged as well, as say Mr. Steinbeck, among others.

Happy new cafe thread.

>4 jnwelch: Beautiful!

>5 jnwelch: Yup.

>6 msf59: Hey, buddy. I'm glad you like the Callaghan toppers - me, too. We're taking it slow today, and haven't been out yet. We're going to that Steppenwolf play "The Minutes" tonight. It's been getting mega-buzz.

Isn't that intriguing - you're right, Steineck's writing has lasted beautifully, Hemingway's not so much.

P.S. Your reading Gangsterland made me think of >5 jnwelch:.

>7 richardderus: Thanks, Richard. Isn't that a cool piece of street art?

We don't all chew gum, you know.

Haven't chewed gum in decades. Comes from having broken caps and a bone-shaking terror of dentistry.



I love this.

Happy new thread, Joe.

>9 richardderus: - Amen.

Got my ebook copy of The Windup Bird Chronicle today from Overdrive - read the first two chapters over lunch. What is the deal with him and cats? 😁

>5 jnwelch: Yep, this would fit in well with Gangsterland. I enjoyed the book, plus it is partially set in Chicago and you might like all the Rabbi & Jewish culture references. Much of that goes over my head.

>11 drneutron:



^Excellent question, Jim.

>9 richardderus: Yes!

>10 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley. Ditto that Amen!

>11 drneutron: Oh, good, Jim. Looking forward to your comments, buddy.

Here, this'll help explain it.

>12 msf59: I'm still getting schooled on Rabbi & Jewish culture references, Mark. And now that Becca teaches in Catholic school, I'm picking up some Catholic, too. :-)

>13 msf59: Crap, visual not showing up for me. It probably solves everything, too.

P.S. It's showing up now. Great minds think alike!

Yet another thread, Joe? So close to year's end, too. A new port in these storms.

>5 jnwelch: I gave up the gum-chewing years ago. That's a fact. Whether or not I'm a gangster is opinion.

>9 richardderus:   

>10 jessibud2:, >16 weird_O: Yes LAWD, as the evangelicals would say.

>13 msf59:, >14 jnwelch: I **KNEW** there was a reason I disliked the man.

Happy new thread, Joe.
>4 jnwelch: Love that one!

Hi, Joe! Happy new thread!

I just read on the TOR blog that Old Man's War by John Scalzi is going to be a Netflix streaming movie. The movie version of the book has been in production for several years but it seems that the studio that was making it backed out with the movie partially done. Netflix has stepped in and purchased the rights to the film. Scalzi announced it on his web site, and he is going to be the artistic producer of the movie. It will be one season (I think it said 7 episodes) with the option to add to it, if ratings warrant. There are five books in the series and I just happen to be listening to Human Division which is one of the series. The good thing about the books are that you don't have to read them in order. It might help but it isn't imperative. I jumped in with Human Division and am having no trouble figuring out the story. Though at times it seems a little dated to me - and it was published in 2013. It is all those references to PDA's. But it is still an intriguing plot.

Hi Joe!

To answer your question from last thread, Edward Petherbridge was not young in Midsomer Murders.

He was 71 at the time. Born in 1936, the episode is from 2007. Same gentle voice, same dithery manner. A very good episode.

>16 weird_O: Word on the street is that, even though you don't chew gum, you're a card-carrying member of this club, Bill.

>17 richardderus: His cats often talk, too, RD. Your worst nightmare.

>18 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita. Isn't >4 jnwelch: great?

>19 scaifea: Hi, Amber! Thanks!

>20 benitastrnad: Old Man's War is a great story, Benita. It's been too long since I read it to remember dated elements, but PDAs - yeah, dated.

I'll look forward to the series coming out.

>21 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen. 71 is young, isn't it? Ha! No, maybe not. Thanks - I'll look for him.

I was saying to Madame MBH that getting on that show (Midsomer Murders) must be an actor's dream come true - they have so many quirky characters, and you can see what a good time the actors have playing them.

>22 jnwelch: Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies.

* spits *

* wipes spittle off chin. *

Happy new one Joe. Love the photo from the Latkes and Liquor outing on your last thread. I kind of thought that guy behind Madame MBH must have known the photographer.

Congrats on another new thread. 27!! Wow. : )

Happy new thread, Joe.

>3 jnwelch: Fictional or not, buddy, I enjoyed reading your road trip!

Morning, Joe!

Belated happy new thread - I was so focused on talking about Midsomer Murders and Edward Petherbridge that I neglected to acknowledge your newest.

>25 jnwelch: Well, 71 isn't that old - I'll be there in 7 years - but he does have white hair now and definitely looks like a senior. Just for fun, I was wondering if there's a list anywhere of all the actors that have been on MM, and found an interesting website created in 1999! It seems to be up to date, at least with the episodes. Here's the list of actors who've been on the series : Midsomer Murders Actors List

Hey Joe! Happy new thread!

>26 weird_O: Just don't crush a book in your tough guy paw, Bill. I know you turn rocks into rubble that way.

>27 Familyhistorian: Ha! Thanks, Meg. Yeah, that guy in the photo behind Madame MBH is our pal Keith, and he has met the photographer once or twice.

>28 Berly: Thanks, Kim! I'm guessing this is it for '17, unless we all take off on some topic. My wife and daughter are praying that, if we do, the topic isn't "beets." They still talk about how we all went on for days, riffing about beets.

>29 PaulCranswick: Ha! Thanks, Paul. It was a fun time of life, even the fictional parts. :-)

>30 scaifea: Morning, Amber! Happy Friday!

>31 karenmarie: Ha! No problema with the belatedness, my friend. Thanks.

Oh, thank you re the Midsomer Murders Actors List! We've got to leave soon, but I'll circle back and enjoy that.

>32 Carmenere: Hey, Lynda! Thanks! Good to see you in these here parts.

Morning, Joe. Happy Friday. It is chilly out here but not bad, plus no ice and snow are a bonus.

I'll be wrapping up the Hemingway and then I might go to another story collection. Honestly, I can not get enough of those.

>37 msf59: Happy Friday, buddy. Warmup coming! They say it'll be in the 40s tomorrow, which for December is pretty darn good.

Robert Coover's Going for Beer short story collection just got a rave review in Publishers Weekly, but it doesn't come out until February. I may even read that one when the time comes.

I'm reading the shorty We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi, and it's very good so far.

>34 jnwelch: Beets? Did we really go on and on about beets? They are a good vegetable, though and last for a long time in the fridge. Come to think of it I have a couple in there now.

Today's free online LiteraryHub has a lot of great entries, from the editor who first chose Conrad

to some very funny "panned" book reviews. Hope you can enjoy this one.

Happy New THread, Joe!

>39 Familyhistorian: Maybe some day you'll get to meet Madame MBH or Becca, Meg. Just mention Librarything and beets, and watch them go off like a bottle rocket. :-)

>40 m.belljackson: Not sure what happened here, Marianne. Should I go to the LiteraryHub and try to figure it out?

>41 ronincats: Thanks, Roni!

I'm hoping this works. If you want to see a really cool "Santa on the Couch" cake, go to Shelley's thread here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/273923#6281065

>31 karenmarie: Thanks again, Karen. So many actors listed! I already see Orlando Bloom and Henry Ian Cusick (Desmond on "Lost") in the list of those who've been on Midsomer Murders. And I wonder how many more we'd recognize without knowing exactly what their name is? Fun stuff.

>31 karenmarie: >44 jnwelch: And Imelda Staunton and Janie Dee from Follies!

I just finished the YA National Book Award winner Far From the Tree by Robin Benway. It's fiction and a bit unrealistic (ALL the adults are understanding and compassionate) but the story is from the pov of three teenagers who are biological siblings who find each other. At times I felt like putting it down but ultimately their stories grabbed me. The lump in my throat stayed for quite a little while!

Note: There are quite a few books titled "Far From the Tree" and they are all about adoption.

>42 jnwelch:

I've still got it on my email - what did you end up with?

If you do a search for Lithub Daily, you will get the same articles in a different format.

Oohhh... Cafe 26. I like the sound of that. Kind of trendy!

Nice digs here, Joe.

>43 jnwelch: Great cake. Very talented baker.

Morning, Joe!

Morning, Joe. Happy Saturday. Pretty darn nice out here. No, griping from me. Enjoy your day.

>36 jnwelch: I sent that very persuasive book cover to my sister the librarian.

>45 NarratorLady: Oh, Imelda Staunton and Janie Dee will be fun to see, Anne, thanks. I'll alert the Missus.

I wondered about Far From the Tree by Robin Benway. Sounds like it starts off a bit stiff, but is well worth it in the end?

>46 m.belljackson: Thanks, Marianne. For some reason I had trouble understanding what you wanted me to read - I thought there was a link missing. I did Google it, and read the interesting article on Conrad (how we almost did have his books!) I hope that was what you intended.

>47 lkernagh: Ha! Thanks, Lori.

We used to go to a Cuban restaurant in our neighborhood called Cafe 28. We're still in touch with its former owners, but really miss it. "Cafe 26" does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it.

>48 Caroline_McElwee: Isn't that a great cake, Caroline? If you want to see another great one, go over to Shelley's thread via >43 jnwelch:. I can't imagine how they do these so beautifully.

OK, we're off on errands. Back later.

Proprietor! We're celebrating! I didn't have surgery, the looney anti-caffeine doc has a great plan for treating my gout, and it's over 40° after yesterday's never-above-30°!

Veuve Cliquot all around on my tab!!

>49 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

>50 msf59: Morning, Mark. Happy Saturday.

I'm glad you got a pretty good day to wrap up the week. Enjoy it, my friend.

>51 ffortsa: Ha! Isn't that a persuasive book cover, Judy? I hope your sister the librarian gets a kick out of it.

>55 richardderus: Hurrah! No surgery, looney doc actually has a great plan, and it's practically beach weather! (I'm sure we're going to see Chicagoans in shorts today).

Veuve Cliquot all around! We won't even mention how long that tab is getting. Step on up - we've got plenty!

*clink*

Most satisfying all the way around.

*smothered belch*

>58 richardderus: Ha! The Roman compliment. Cheers!

We Should All Be Feminists is an adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's TED talk. It makes for a great short intro, 50 pages, to the subject. She talks about sexism growing up in Nigeria, and oppression of women/girls in a variety of contexts. A male friend says, "That's all in the past. Everything is fine now." But as we know, it's not. And she points out how wrong or unfair assumptions affect so many aspects of life.

Feminism is believing in the equality of the sexes. She does an eloquent, engaging job of explaining why we all should have that belief, and take action (including how we raise our children) to bring it into effect.

>60 jnwelch: I have never understood the idea that the genders aren't exactly and precisely equal in the eyes of the law. I do not comprehend the Equal Rights Amendment being in any way controversial or unnecessary, as it provides for male equality as well. As in, what makes it necessary to have paid maternity leave and not paternity leave? Granted that the biological process of parturition is more physically challenging and therefore should result in greater leave time being necessary, I still don't get the opposition to this commonsensical legal protection.

Barbie Chang Loves Evites

Victoria Chang

Barbie Chang loves Evites Paperless
Party Posts that host her

ego patch her holes she puts barrettes
on her heart so other

people will see her will hear her her
heart is made of hay is

disturbingly small held in its cage she
is never late when invited

always ready for mimesis ready to put
on her costume to

drink mimosas her heart smells like
moth balls jumps at

every broth bell her heart growls more
each day she trims it with

a number two it’s messy work missing
her aorta by a little bit

her heart is always sort of bleeding she is
always waiting for

invitations once she heard the Circle
planning a birthday party

for a daughter she stationed herself
sipped water for days

waiting for the Evite leaving her Kindle
on as a nightlight it

glowed a blue garden on the ceiling she
let her guard down it

never made a ringing sound when you
brush a child’s hair the

mother can also feel the pain she heard
the ice skating party

was a hit little girls going in figure
eights their breath

coming out in clouds shaped like
little white hearts

* "The Circle" is an elite group of "pretty slim mothers" at her daughter's school

* * * *

Victoria Chang uses a Barbie doll persona to explore a life of a single mother trying to integrate with and please others. She uses couplets and sonnets and internal rhyming to successful effect. Mr. Darcy is a recurring figure of longing, and men the cause of tears.

****

. . . . she wants to
be used she doesn't

want to be with you or you it is morning
again and she is already

mourning the men the night men who
never fight who never

write back she prefers to sleep on her
back so she can see the

eyes of her attackers in the morning
a bed with questions

with her depression on each side two
small holes from knees

* * * *

Chang has a style that snared me, and noteworthy formal skills. Barbie Chang's travails are shared by many, and I also felt the undercurrent of her being Asian in many of her experiences.

>61 richardderus: Agreed, RD. Why is pay lower for a woman in the same job as a man? It doesn't make sense, does it.

Granting equal paternity leave was a big change where I worked. When our kids were born back in the Dark Ages, I was lucky to get a couple of days off. Our son is going to get 12 weeks. Much better.

>63 jnwelch: That is better. Hope he is able to take it all - according to some reports guys here feel pressured not to take as much as they're entitled to.

>63 jnwelch: My son was born on Sunday. I got Monday off. That was that.

>52 jnwelch:

Yes, the Conrad was a good one, but thought you would REALLY enjoy the "PANNED" Book reviews!

(As will Paul and anyone else with a solid offbeat sense of humor.)

I added a long poem to Paul's site today that you may also like.

>64 charl08: Agreed, Charlotte. Our son's at Google, and it does seem to be a more enlightened company. He plans to take the 12, and also his vacation days. They just care about his getting his work done well. We'll see how it goes, but we've been very pleased with the company and its policies so far.

>65 richardderus: Yup. Similar for me, RD.

>66 m.belljackson: Hi, Marianne. I did like that poem over on Paul's thread.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find the panned book reviews, even with Google's help. Every one I saw on LitHub was Rave, Positive or Mixed.

Happy new one, Joe. I am late to the newest cafe, but I see I have arrived in time for Richard's party! *clink*

>67 jnwelch:

Emailed both Lithub and BOOKMARKS (original source for panned) -
and will let you know if any good results...in the meantime,

IF you like Lithub (can be very fascinating), sign up, then see if you can get the entry for December 15th.

Hurray for equal baby leave time!! Now about that equal pay....

Happy Saturday. : )

I didn't get leave after the birth of my three kids but then again I was the boss downtreading his staff!

>66 m.belljackson: I do like reviews of books which get savaged. I know I shouldn't but I do!

Have a great weekend, Joe.

>68 Crazymamie: Cheers, Mamie! I'm glad you made it in time for the RD celebration - especially since it's going on his tab. Bottomless refills!

>69 m.belljackson: Thanks, Marianne. Maybe - I feel like I'm oversubscribed these days, but I did like what I saw at LitHub.

>70 Berly: Happy Saturday, Kim! Yeah, I'm happy about the baby leave, but let's square that pay up. And a whole lot more, right?

>71 PaulCranswick: I'm sure you had enough going on as boss that you stuck with it, mate. But do you wish you could have taken leave?

Actually, when I started managing our place, one of the first things we changed was making the maternity leave much better and putting in paternity leave like our son now has. So at least it was better for those coming after.

Hope you're having a great weekend yourownself.

Hope you have a relaxing Sunday, Joe.

>74 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. I hope you have a relaxing one, too.

We're off soon to see our daughter's little gremlin students in a Christmas Pageant.

A Christmas Pageant! How wonderful. Enjoy that.

Morning, Joe! Christmas Pageant! Adorable.

Morning, Joe. Happy Sunday. We are having a party to celebrate my FIL's 75th birthday this afternoon. I'll have to tell him that is a very important number in my little book world. Smiles...

Thanks for chiming in on the films. I left you a message about the great Fellini, over on my thread.

Enjoy your day!

Morning, Joe! Happy Sunday. The Christmas Pageant will be a hoot I am betting.

>76 richardderus: It was very funny and cute, RD. Lots of little kids singing and dancing, and trying to remember what they're to do. Stars, animals, wise men, and more.

>77 scaifea: Morning, Amber. 'Twas adorable. Plus we got to meet several of the parents of Becca's students. They praised her to the skies, which we loved to hear, of course. Debbi posted some pics on Facebook.

>78 msf59: Morning, Mark. Happy Sunday, buddy.

Enjoy your FIL's celebration of 75. Yeah, he should join our LT group!

I got back to you on your thread re Federico. A good day so far - I hope yours is, too.

>79 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! Happy Sunday.

The Christmas pageant was a hoot, all right. Lots of little ones in various versions of what was supposed to happen. Lots of joy and paparazzi parents. A couple of Becca's friends joined us, and we all had a fun time.

>72 jnwelch:

Yes, I also have Book Riots and a couple from Book Publishers, so I just have time to scroll quickly
down through LITHUB
and read any standouts. Conrad and the Panned books were the only compelling ones.

>82 m.belljackson: Gotcha, Marianne. My favorite right now is Goodreads deals - the $1.99 specials.

Just catching up, Joe! Sounds like you are having a good time.

Morning, Joe! Charlie's holiday music program is tonight, so it'll be Tomm's and my turn to be the paparazzi...

>84 ronincats: Hi, Roni! We're doing our utmost to have a good time, and we've had some notable successes. We're getting toward the end of Hanukkah, and then we need to get ready for Christmas in our dual track house. We leave for the family get-together in Ann Arbor on Saturday.

>85 scaifea: Morning, Amber! Oh, Charlie's holiday music program will be fun, I'm sure. Looking forward to the paparazzi photos!

At last!

lithub.com/the-most-savage-burns-of-2017

This should work.

The children's pageant sounds really cute, Joe. Good to hear that the audience enjoyed it. Happy first day of the work week when you don't have to go to work.

>88 m.belljackson: It did! http://lithub.com/the-most-savage-burns-of-2017/

Thanks, Marianne. You're right, the LitHub panned book reviews are a lot of fun. I liked, e.g. "John Cheever turning in his grave" over the failings of The Dinner Party and Other Stories. There are a lot - I'll go back and keep reading later.

>89 Familyhistorian: Ha! Please join me in celebrating not going to work today, Meg. I'm reading a Dame Agatha collection and a follow-up to Suds in Your Eye, called One on the House (Richard-recommended) to properly appreciate it.

Good morning, Joe!

I really enjoyed 'The Last Jedi'. Have you see it yet?

Hi Joe!

Happy non-work day. Which Dame Agatha?

Hi, Joe. It turned out to be a pretty nice day, after the light rain stopped and the sun made an appearance.

I am having a good time with Eleanor Oliphant. It can go very dark at times, which, of course I don't mind at all. That mother is a real monster. I should finish it tomorrow.

You read The Darkest Dark, right? I finally got to it yesterday. Completely endearing, and beautifully illustrated.

>90 jnwelch:

Yep, some fun reading and the first honest reaction I've read of Knausgaard's Autumn since Pearling it.

>91 brodiew2:. Good to hear, Brodie! I’ve been seeing lots of raves about The Last Jedi. Can’t wait! We plan to see it next week during the Christmas break.

>92 karenmarie:. Thanks, Karen. It was The Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories. It was fun - some very different ones in there, plus good Harley Quinn and Hercules Poirot stories. Our daughter, who knows all things Agatha, lent it to me.

>93 msf59:. Hey, Mark. The Darkest Dark is new to me. I’ll check it out.

I’m glad the rain was light, and passed, and you ended up with a pretty good day.

Go Eleanor Oliphant! Very different, and very good, isn’t it.

>94 m.belljackson:. I’ll have to get to the Knausgaard Autumn review, Marianne. That book sure isn’t on my WL.

Hi Joe. I can see my time here is going to be rather limited over the next week so I came by to wish you the happiest of holidays!

Cold in the nose. Feel crummy. Glad today was a good one, what with the Dame Agatha discovery.

Morning, Joe!

Joe--Happy Tuesday!! I hope I can see the Jedi, too, but I am thinking sometime between Christmas and the New Year. This week is a lost cause!

>97 DeltaQueen50: Oh, thank you, Judy. I appreciate your stopping by during this busy time of the year.

Happy Holidays!

>98 richardderus: Darn, hope the cold lets go of you quickly, Richard. The Dame Agatha wasn't one of her best, but it was very interesting, with some stories that weren't really mysteries.

How about some hot soup?

>99 scaifea: Morning, Amber! I'll stop by to see how adorning Charlie is going.

>100 Berly: Hiya, Kim!

Yeah, same for us - I think we'll see The Last Jedi the day after Christmas. Going to a movie that day has become a family tradition. Then we head back to Chicago the following day.

Cold is much, much better today, thankfully. I'm souped out. Coffee, OTOH, never wears out its welcome.

>103 jnwelch: Love it! So adorable. Creative.

Morning, Joe. Happy Tuesday. Another nice one out here. A good day for a stroll. I will be wrapping up Eleanor a little later on. Sad to see this one end.

>33 jnwelch: Just don't crush a book in your tough guy paw, Bill. I know you turn rocks into rubble that way.

I am the one turned into rubble, Joe. Took a dive Saturday morning whilst walking the pooch and really broke my right ankle. No baring of weight on the right leg for a couple of months. Good for reading, I guess, but a real challenge for just living.

'Twas a weekend I wouldn't wish on anyone. Oh, wait. I definitely would wish it on every Republican in America.

>106 weird_O: Don't forget to wish it on the non-voters too, Bill. Maybe more on them.

>104 richardderus: Isn't that adorable in >103 jnwelch: Richard?

Coffee it is. I just saw this one, and of course thought of you.

>105 msf59: Hiya, Mark. I know, I felt the same way about wrapping up Eleanor Oliphant. So good. I'm hoping that Honeyman does another book with her in it.

It's a nice one today, isn't it? We had a phone conference we had to do, but we're going to get out into it now. Happy Tuesday, buddy.

>106 weird_O: Ouch! I'd wish your broken right ankle on every Republican, too, Bill (unless they're anti-Trump and his like), but I'm sure sorry it happened to you. I took a spill, too, on Sunday, but didn't hurt anything. It is so frustrating when the legs don't obey the brain! (I tripped on stairs going up, because my right leg wouldn't raise high enough. Arggh). I'm sorry you had a lousy weekend, and you're laid up. A good excuse to read, yes, but I bet you could've found a better one that didn't involve pain and hassle. Heal up, buddy, and I hope it goes as smoothly as possible. You're a Tough Guy, I know, so that should help.

>107 richardderus: Oh yeah, I'm with you on that, Richard. Broken ankles all round for non-voters, unless they had a really good excuse (and "can't be bothered" doesn't qualify).

>108 jnwelch: LIKE!!

>109 jnwelch: Like "rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery" or "involved in a major accident" or "arrested on a felony charge." Anyone else, no excuse. And for those folks, why didn't you demand an absentee ballot weeks ago? Your duty as a citizen is to stir your lazy good-for-nothing ass once a year to earn your right to bitch by participating in the only activity that can *actually* change the world.

>111 richardderus: Ha! Agreed, RD!

Lol. I can think of other professions too...

Some of that soup would be great right now, Joe. We have some of that white stuff down but are using typical Vancouver winter gear - umbrellas.

>111 richardderus: Agreed, Richard. Sometimes I think I'm angrier at those who decided to sit out the election than the ones who actually voted for the Great Orange Blob.

Went out to dinner the other night with old friends who began to spout stuff that could only have come from their intravenous drip of Fox News. We all backed away before any damage could be done but it was a close thing. I imagine this sort of thing is happening fairly frequently.

>114 charl08: Yeah, I think this strategy in >113 jnwelch: could have wide applications, Charlotte.

>115 Familyhistorian: We had one of the classics for dinner tonight, Meg - tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Willing to share.

>116 NarratorLady: I'm with you and RD on this, Anne. The number of U.S. citizens who don't vote is staggering. And they could make such a difference. There better be a huge turnout in November '18 - we need it.

I know, the true Trump enthusiasts are a scary bunch, and some of them turn out to be friends and acquaintances - or, worst of all, family members (none in mine, thank goodness). They're also often fired up with false facts - like how poorly Obama responded to 9/11 (7 years before his presidency!) They don't want to hear otherwise, and they egg each other on in fantasyland. They can't remember anything, either - everything's Obama's fault, he didn't do anything in his 8 years - I get tired of listing all his accomplishments, including getting us out of the worst economy most of us have seen, and overseeing 8 years of economic upturn. Just for starters.

Can we ever return to the truth being important? I hope so. Anyway, you were smart to back away. There's no getting through to the hardcore ones. We gotta outvote them.

BTW, total digression: I'm near the end of One on the House, and I've been thoroughly enjoying it. Thank you for getting me starting on Suds in Your Eye, with strong support from Richard. I've now got Let's Go for Broke on tap (!) on RD's recommendation.

>118 jnwelch: I just got my hands on a copy of One on the House and am looking forward to it. Next up is Alice McDermott's The Ninth Hour about which I've heard good things.

>117 jnwelch: - Probably my all-time favourite comfort food. With a slice of tomato inside the sandwich. Sometimes, if I'm not having the soup, I must have a cold glass of chocolate milk with that grilled cheese. But one or the other, never both in the same meal.

:-)

>116 NarratorLady:

I wonder if those who voted other than Democrat via their "conscience" and so skewed the votes toward trump are happy with their decision.

>118 jnwelch:

There are also religions who do not vote at all, yet benefit when things turn out well.

I am always amazed at the amount of books your read. Incredible!

Morning, Joe!

>119 NarratorLady: Oh good, Anne. Have fun with One on the House!

I'll look forward to hearing what you think of The Ninth Hour. I know nada about it.

>120 jessibud2: Right, Shelley? Then we dip the grilled cheese sandwich in the tomato soup. Ah, yes.

>121 m.belljackson: Me, too, Marianne. I understand wanting to vote positively for somebody, but sometimes you have to vote for something, like a functioning democracy that isn't racist, sexist and wealth-ist. I bet some of the voters for Jill Stein and other third party candidates are kicking themselves today. I hope they are.

Plus the email "scandal" for Hillary was a load of hooey.

>122 m.belljackson: I'm sure you're right about there being religions whose members don't vote, Marianne. I'm more sympathetic to that, even though they're enjoying the benefits of being here and our voting. Of course, our collective voting for President screwed them over, too, if they have any morals.

>123 Whisper1: Ha! Thanks, Linda. It's been another terrific reading year, thanks in many ways to LT pal recommendations like yours. I've actually got to remember to add a couple. I finished The Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories and One on the House, both enjoyable reads.

Our daughter, seasonsoflove, has read over 200 already.

>124 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

Hm. I've never understood the logic of 'skewed' votes. Maybe I'm just simple and don't understand our stupidly-complicated election system, but it seems to me that the people who actually voted for Trump are the ones at fault for Trump being president. Well, and the Russians, of course. This whole "don't vote for that guy because he can't win" business - what even is that?! Isn't that more bullying than anything else? Yoicks.

>129 scaifea: Yes, it is bullying and also factually incorrect. The "losing" candidate won the popular vote and 45 was installed based on manipulation of the 18th-century asininity called the Electoral College.

Also, may I point out, 45 lost the popular vote by fewer than 3 million votes. That's voter suppression at work, plus a candidate that (whether you want to admit it or not, Democrats) failed to inspire the electorate to get up and vote.

And that's on the candidate and the party that rigged the system so she'd be the nominee.

>130 richardderus: Richard: Yes. Agreed.

>129 scaifea: - Amber, I understand less than nothing about how the American system works, despite having had many smart people try to explain it. But I think having a 2-party system is a big part of the problem. Here in Canada, we have 3 major parties (and assorted other, smaller ones, like Green, for example). When I think of *strategic voting*, which I myself have resorted to more than once, it's done with a specific purpose in mind, that is, to keep (or try to keep) the party you don't want, out of office. For example, I tend to vote for the NDP, the most left-leaning of the 3 major parties because that is where my personal values fall. I would never ever vote for the Conservatives (our version of your Republicans), but sometimes, I have voted Liberal (=your Democrats) because I knew they had a better chance of truly defeating the Conservatives than the NDP would and getting rid of the Conservatives was more important than simply voting with my heart. We suffered far too many years under Conservative leader Stephen Harper before the general public finally registered their disgust by voting in Justin Trudeau. You better believe that I voted for Trudeau (Liberal)!

Maybe if the States had a viable third alternative, a nightmare like the one you guys are living right now, might be avoided. Easier said than done, I know!

Deleted a bit of a rant in the interest of maintaining my sanity.

Happy Wednesday, Joe!

>128 jnwelch: LIKE!

Morning, Joe. Happy Wednesday. Not bad out here, despite the chill.

Looking forward to visiting Spiteful Brewery. Maybe we can narrow a Sunday down in January?

>132 jessibud2: Thanks for that, Shelley. I don't see how we can ever get away from the 2-party system with that 'don't vote for the guy who can't win' mentality. Another sad thing: our democrats are honestly not really liberal at all; they're just less conservative versions of our republicans.

Also: I totally would have voted for Trudeau.

*grins and waves at Joe*

More awesome art to top off your not-so-new thread. I love the woman and the cheetah.

We. Must. Eliminate. The. Electoral. College.
"There better be a huge turnout in November '18 - we need it."
I am committing to dedicating some time with voter turnout in fall 2018. I have been feeling so helpless and so enraged, this feels like something I can do. We saw in Alabama the difference it can make. This tax bill has me seething, and honestly it's not just Trump. In this case it is the Republican establishment that is solidifying their wealth and power through a regressive and ultimately destructive tax overhaul. And they slipped that effing bit about drilling in the Arctic National Refuge, too, the a**holes. I am so angry I can hardly stand it.

Oh, books. I'm reading Smile, Roddy Doyle's newest novel. It's an odd little book, nominated for the Irish Book Award in 2017.

I've also started planning my January reading. So much for laissez faire!!!

>126 jnwelch:

Jehovah's Witnesses do not vote in the U.S. and number in the millions.

It is amazing to me that they would not see this most recent 'handwriting on the wall' after their horrific treatment by the Nazis.

>136 EBT1002: Ellen: Yes, I definitely agree that the electoral college needs to get the boot. And you're also spot-on about it not just being Trump. This republican congress is beyond frustrating and they're churning out such damaging stuff. Good for you for dedicating yourself to helping voter turnout - I'd love to hear what ideas you have there.

>129 scaifea: Right, Amber. The Russians - we know a lot, and we're going to know more. Other countries are now alleging Russian in their elections. It seems to be its new Cold War strategy. Trump supporters - the number of people in this country willing to enthusiastically support him was the biggest surprise to me. Even now that he has failed to deliver on all promises (he had a whole bunch of things he was going to do in the first 100 days, right, including defeating ISIS with his "secret plan"), his core support hangs in there at, according to polls, abut a third of the country. Really? In 2017? Crazy.

Don't vote for him, he can't win: we'll never know how well Bernie would've done. Maybe much better than Hillary. The extent of continuing negative views of her surprised me. The large numbers of white women who didn't - wow. That's what upset Darryl so much, and understandably so. Instead we ended up with a racist, sexist despot.

>130 richardderus: The Electoral College is asinine and outdated if it ever made any sense (not really). But I don't think there's ever going to be enough momentum to change it, even with the disastrous consequence we've just had with Trump. It's been talked about but nothing done for as long as I've been alive, I know that much.

The system was rigged for Hillary to be nominee, I agree, RD. Every report just further supports that. She still should have won electorally as well as by the millions of popular votes. I was looking forward to our first female President, and any failings she might have (and personally I think they're blown way out of proportion because she's female and a Democrat), they pale in comparison to the guy who got voted in.

>131 scaifea: Me, too, Amber.

>132 jessibud2: Three major parties has never caught on here, Shelley. We've always had third party candidates, but not "major." Some would argue that the Republicans have two parties now, extreme alt-right and just conservative. I'd love to see the alt-right split off and lose, lose, lose. But I doubt there'll be any major third party in my lifetime.

>133 katiekrug: Now I'm wishing I'd seen your rant, Katie. Please don't spare us next time. Those are some of the best posts. Darryl's an ace at rants, and they always inspire a lot of questioning and deeper thinking.

>134 msf59: Isn't >128 jnwelch: funny, Mark? I love these made-up book covers, as you can probably tell.

Happy Wednesday, buddy. I agree; not bad out there. I'm hoping we have decent weather for the drive east to Ann Arbor this weekend.

A Sunday in January for Spiteful Brewing sounds great to me. We're still trying to figure out our travel plans in Jan and Feb. Maybe mid-month for a beer safari?

>135 scaifea: Ha! I agree with you about the Democrats not really being liberal in the way we used to think of it - a lot of folks think of Obama as a moderate Republican, although I believe he took too strong an interest in traditional Democrat issues like affordable healthcare to really fit that.

Everything's moved to the right in our politics. My parents were moderate Republicans (who raised three Democrats!) who got more and more disillusioned in recent years, as the party got hijacked by the right. My mother let me know she voted for Obama over McCain; I wouldn't be surprised if Sarah Palin had something to do with that. That's where the Republican slide into ignorant posturing, authoritarianism and extremism began, IMO.

>136 EBT1002: Thanks, Ellen! I'm glad you're enjoying that Callaghan art up there. I really like that woman and cheetah one, too.

Yeah, I'm the same way about voter turnout in '18. I want to help with that - it's so key.

This bogus tax bill is so awful. I can't believe they're getting away with it. Their big accomplishment for the year is screwing the middle class and poor, and benefiting the wealthy. While worsening the deficit. It makes no economic or moral sense - but it will help Trump's businesses, and the investment portfolios of the Republicans, and that's what they're concerned about. Caring about our country isn't even in the list of top ten considerations, other than to give it lip service with disproven "trickle down" theories and vague assertions of benefiting the economy. Kansas knows what a disaster this is, right?

I'll look forward to your reactions to Roddy Doyle's book. I've yet to read him. Like Christopher Moore, I've thought about it a number of times, and I'm finally going to read a Moore book - his new one, Noir.

I'm currently reading Buddhaland Brooklyn, a novel about a Japanese Buddhist priest asked to head up a new Brooklyn monastery. Liking it very much so far.

>137 m.belljackson: Interesting point, Marianne. I didn't know there were so many Jehovah's Witnesses out there; how many are supposed to get into heaven? A lot less than millions, as I recall. Google says 144,000. Not sure how they all figure that's going to work!

You would think the rise of the Neo-Nazis would affect their thinking on voting, but that group follows its own agenda. I had a friend convert, and it was a big loss to those of us who were enthusiastic about enjoying life.

>138 scaifea: I'd love to see the Electoral College get the boot, Amber, and I also agree that it's not just Trump; this Republican Congress doesn't have the good of this country at heart, just their own shameful hides and benefiting the wealthy, the NRA, and the Koch brothers. We've got to survive until November, and get as many of them out of there as possible.

Mitch McConnell is about as loathsome an individual as Trump, and supposedly he's not popular in Kentucky - but everyone says he can't be dislodged by voters - they've tried. Really? He's not up for reelection until 2020, unfortunately. But let's at least have him heading up the minority party in Congress.

My rant had to do with Bernie Sanders not being a Democrat but expecting the party to accommodate his demands. He had years - decades! - to try to reform the party but he stayed outside the system until he needed it to make a viable run. And then cried foul when he failed to co-opt it. It's disingenuous, at least - and IMO that is a generous interpretation of his behavior.

ETA: And I say this as an Independent, not an establishment Democrat.

I agree with Ellen that this tax bill is loathsome. We can prevail - if we get out the vote and have a good candidate. Alabama proved that. The fact that there was a 47% turnout for a non-presidential election is amazing. The 96% black vote for Jones was uplifting. But if whites had gone out and voted the outcome would have been different. Blacks only make up 34% of the population, so even if they voted as a block the whites, voting as a block, would defeat any candidate they backed.

It is the Supreme Court decision regarding voting and the removal of Jefferson County (Birmingham) from court ordered federal observation and monitoring during elections that has motivated lots of black voters in that county. They believe they are living proof of a resurgence of segregation.

It is also interesting to note that Birmingham elected a new mayor. He is 25 years old and black. He ran on a platform of making city government work for the people instead of for "the City." (Read that the establishment.) He seems to be doing a good job, but has also ruffled a few feathers in the establishment.

I hope that the Pantsuit Nation, League of Women Voters, and the traditional black voting groups can continue to work together and ensure that they get out the vote in the 2018 election. That election might also bring about change at the state level and at the House of Representatives level. Changes there are as important as at the Presidential level. People have to understand that their vote does count. Voting is so important.

>144 katiekrug: If the best the Dems can muster is an old Socialist and an old Establishment Flunky, they deserve to fail.

My one and only hope for 2020 is that the Boomers are finally, FINALLY done, never to be seen as viable candidates for office again. Too old, too wrong for too long.

>145 benitastrnad: "They believe they are living proof of a resurgence of segregation."
Indeed they are correct.

Hiya Joe. Lively discussion hereabouts, as is usual. I love it.

Amber mentioned wanting to hear about any ideas I have about helping with voter turnout in November. I don't have any ideas yet, other than a vague fantasy about taking a week off to go where I'm needed, ready to drive, walk with, feed, and/or carry any voters who need help getting to the polling places in states where such still exist. And I'll share if I have any ideas. I loathe phone banking but if I have to do that, I'll do it.

One more comment about this whole thing. P has a colleague with whom she had a conversation very soon after the 2016 election. The woman (yes) said to P, "oh, are you one of the people who are upset about the election?" P said that yes, indeed, she was. The woman said "I'm not. I don't like Hilary." P responded with "well, I'm worried about my marriage and I'm worried about the supreme court..." to which the woman slowly shook her head and said, "I didn't really think about those things. I just don't like Hillary." To which P was speechless (and that happens about as often as I go speechless).

Your early comments about Buddhaland Brooklyn are clearly heading toward a fully-formed book bullet for me.

#147
I heard that remark, about just not liking Hillary, so often after the election and I just don't understand it. I finally confronted a cousin of mine and asked her what it was about Hillary she didn't like. She said she seemed so fake. I replied that she should understand Hillary because Hillary was just like her: long-term marriage (cousin married 40 years to same man), low reproduction rate (cousin has 2 children), career woman (cousin worked the whole time she was married and raising kids), and successful at career (cousin got state wide award for her entrepreneurship). My cousin got all sputtery and huffed off.

I just don't get the not liking Hillary thing. My guess is that at the bottom of it is mysoginy. Or whatever it is when women hate women. Many women just didn't want a woman to succeed.

>128 jnwelch: I'll just duck the politics for a while. I need to catch my breath before the 2018 push.

So, where are you finding these made-up librarian paperback images, Joe? My sister the librarian is eager to know.

eta: never mind. found it!

Serious talk around here, Joe! My two cents: the only way to save our electoral system (and it'll never happen) is a single transferable vote system. It let's everybody vote for whom they really want, while hedging their bets farther down the ballot.

Hi Joe, just want to thank you for the recommendation to To Siri With Love. It was enlightening. I think it would be a real challenge raising a child on the autistic spectrum. I liked the author's light touch for the most part but can see why there might be a controversy about the medical power of attorney. I might ask my friend who has a grandson on the spectrum who is reaching maturity to see what her thoughts are. I tend to think she will agree with the author.

>147 EBT1002:

1. To increase voter turnout for the 2016 election, I wrote to local newspapers, the county,
the local township, the NYT, Mayor, DMV, etc.,

to ask them to outfit a small DMV van with Voter Id photo shoot, printer, applications, etc.

Announcements for this VOTER ID VAN would appear in community centers, senior centers, churches,
grocery stores, malls, etc. to alert people to gather their information for the regularly scheduled times
to the adjacent parking lots.

No response at all.

2. To get the current administration to repeal this tax bill, a Plan of Action to STOP PAYING OUR TAXES would work wonders.
When they have to finance themselves on the earnings of the l/3 of the country that supports trump, the lights will dim.

Meanwhile, we just sit back and watch our hard earned money being squandered by these hideous rich freaks.

>144 katiekrug: Ha! I love it, Katie. That's the problem I had with Bernie. I'm sure he knew that running as an independent would go nowhere - but that's what he was.

>145 benitastrnad: Loathsome tax bill, agreed, Benita. Truly disgusting.

Thanks for the interesting insights into Alabama. Great to hear Birmingham elected a young, black mayor, although he'll need to show he's a good one.

I also agree with you about getting the vote out. If folks can't be motivated by our present cynicism, plutocracy (government by a small number of wealthiest citizens), dividedness, poor choices, rise of the alt-right, dumbing down, lack of moral compass and malfunctioning, to mention a few, there's something wrong with them.

>146 richardderus: I'm hoping for better candidates, too, RD. I like Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker right now, but I don't know whether either would go for it.

I'm not sure it's all a baby boomer issue - there are some good ones. I wish Biden had run. I am tired of old rich white guys making all the decisions (Biden at least thinks and acts like a regular guy). We need way more diversity in Congress and in the executive branch.

>147 EBT1002: I'm glad you're enjoying the discussion, Ellen - perfect for a cafe, right?

A resurgence in segregation - we've worked so hard to get out of that stupidity. These people drive me crazy.

Right, I'm with you on helping with voter turnout, and finding out the best way. There are organizations looking for people to help, including the ones Benita mentioned. We should all stay in touch on this.

Yeah, I read somewhere that even Hillary in her new book said she was surprised by how many people simply didn't like her. My own instinct is that a lot of that - even among women like the one P talked to - is because she's an assertive (and smart!) woman. Am I wrong? It sure seems that way, and it seems like strong, capable women trying to get into leadership positions in companies and organizations, or government, run into this problem all the time. She's "abrasive" when she does or says what would be accepted from a man. She's disliked by many (including women) for not being what's traditionally been accepted from a woman. You can tell me if I'm full of it.

I'll let you know about Buddhaland Brooklyn. So far so good.

>148 benitastrnad: Ha! That's where I come out on those people "not liking" Hillary, too, Benita. We want to change that mindset, but I'm not sure exactly how.

>149 ffortsa: Understandable to duck politics for a while, Judy. We actually go Friday night to Saturday night now without any - Debbi lights the Shabbat candles, and that's it until Saturday night. She needs the break, and I'm glad of it, too. What a stressful time for everyone.

Those made-up librarian paperback images - there is a site with a lot, but I've been picking them up all over the place. I get a kick out of them, and have started collecting them on Pinterest.

Here's a Hitchcockian one I got a kick out of:

>147 EBT1002: - That woman, Ellen, who caused P to go speechless, is precisely why trump got in. That's about the level of intelligence that he has, and that he attracts. Sadly, tragically, it worked for him. It's terrifying to imagine that there are so many of them.

As that old saying goes, "they walk among us"

shudders....

>150 majleavy: Hey, Michael. You'd have to tell me more - I can't quite sort out how that would work. But I agree change is extremely unlikely. We're flexible in a lot of areas, but not in politics, seems like.

>151 Donna828: Oh, glad to hear it, Donna. Isn't To Siri With Love well done? As I probably mentioned, I learned more taking care of an autistic child from her day-to-day travails (told with characteristic humor) than major nonfiction works on the subject.

Yeah, the medical power of attorney issue is a difficult one. As parents, we can understand her point of view, and she knows Gus better than anyone else. But I can see why many on the spectrum have been upset about that one. It also makes me uncomfortably think of sterilization programs in the past. But her POV, as I understand it, is he isn't capable of taking responsibility for a child.

I'd be interested to hear what your friend says. I'm happy this was a good recommendation for you! My former speech pathologist wife, who worked with kids on the spectrum, really liked it, too - and she has been critical of some parent memoirs involving autism. (I remember she thought The Reason I Jump was concocted hogwash, David Mitchell's enthusiasm notwithstanding).

>132 jessibud2: Hi Shelley, interesting that your voting strategy is much the same as mine, NDP by preference but Liberal i a pinch (yes, I voted Liberal last federal election). Even more confusing, the BC Liberal party is actually more akin to the Federal Conservative party.

It seems that things keep getting worse in the US with the recent laws blatantly favouring the rich, like the taxation law and quashing net neutrality. What happened to the occupy movement and the push against the upper 1%? Where are all those voices when they are needed?

Morning, Joe!

>152 m.belljackson: Nice idea for the Voter ID Van, Marianne. Let's hope some organizations pick up on that or something similar.

I worry too much about going to jail if I stop paying taxes, but I'm with you in spirit.

>156 jessibud2: Yeah, that wasn't exactly a thoughtful analysis by that woman, was it, Shelley.

They do walk among us. One of the tough parts about being human is you can't judge a book by its cover, and you can't tell what kind of person someone is by their appearance.

Of course, some of our worst societal problems come from people judging others by their appearance.

>158 Familyhistorian: Hi, Meg. Yeah, Canadian politics look way better than ours right now.

The Occupy and Resistance voices are still active - there's plenty of outrage. But right now Trump and the Republicans have the (slight) upper hand. There are plenty of predictions that this all is seriously damaging the Republican party going forward. But payback mainly has to wait for the November elections next year.

The whole hope was to minimize the harm they do to the country. I wish some moderate Republicans (there are a few) had stepped up to stop the tax bill. But as bad as it is, it fits their thinking. Which is why we need a Democratic Congress and a Democratic President. We've got Trump until 2020, unless Mueller or something else brings him down. But the Congress can change dramatically next November.

>159 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

Morning, Joe. Sweet Thursday. Light workload and decent temps, should make a decent day and then there are the books...grins.

Let me check the Sunday schedules, for Jan and get back to you. When do you go to MI?

>154 jnwelch: I do not think you're full of it.

>162 msf59: Sweet Thursday, Mark. Glad it's going to be a decent day for you. Ah yes, books . . .

Sounds good re Jan. We drive over to MI on Saturday.

>163 EBT1002: Ha! Thanks, Ellen. I wish I knew how to widespreadly change that.

Interestingly, I started reading Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity last night, partly because I have one direct-report with whom I feel I have not been as honest and direct as would be helpful. Trained as a psychologist, my approach to managing and motivating people has been largely positive reinforcement, honest caring, and articulating a clear vision in which people can invest. This has mostly worked but it's too indirect for some. I have decided that I need to give this person more direct feedback or it's not fair; how is she to know that I need more from her if I don't tell her that? (The flip side is that she has received feedback -- I did a 360 on all my direct-reports about 4 years ago and she managed to deflect almost every bit of criticism.) Anyway, I'm thinking about the dilemma of being a woman in a leadership position and how interpersonal interactions are interpreted through the lens of gender. It's an old story: that which is viewed as direct and assertive in a man is viewed as abrasive and aggressive in a woman. Women are still judged on their attractiveness and their ability to soothe others' egos while they are supposed to get things done. It's not that men aren't judged on their attractiveness (research still shows that tall men, for example, are thought to be more competent), but the window of acceptance is much wider.

I agree with you that Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker are my top choices to make a run for it in 2020 but I don't know whether they will make the required sacrifice. And a lot can happen in the intervening two+ years until campaign time. I think we have to focus on the mid-term elections and do all we can to send the message that this is not who we are and it's not the country we want.

I did a calculation via a link on the New York Times website and it estimated that I will see a significant reduction in my taxes in 2018. I have been worrying that this kind of short-term "gift" would actually help the Republicans stay in power. I suppose the good news is that working class and middle class voters won't see the temporary tax cuts aimed at them until they file in early 2019, after the mid-term elections.

I plan to send whatever tax benefit I gain to organizations working to save our National Parks and fight global warming. Honestly, I think it's too damn late to save our planet but I've got to do what I can.

What a world in which we live.

>165 EBT1002: What a world we live in. The curse of living in interesting times.

Thanks, Ellen.

It's an old story: that which is viewed as direct and assertive in a man is viewed as abrasive and aggressive in a woman. Right. That's it. That's gotta change. Number one, direct and assertive is good - much better than hide the ball passive aggressive. Number two, women shouldn't have to go through contortions to make sure it doesn't come across as abrasive and aggressive, while men get a free ride. Plus it's sometimes impossible to do that, and still convey the message. Number three, it shouldn't make a big difference in elections, which it just did.

I've no doubt your management style works well and is appreciated, but I understand wanting to get better, and to figure how to better handle a particular individual. When I ran the show at our place for six years, I tried to be Buddhist about it (part of why I got voted in (which was amazing, because I didn't put my name in the running) was I was perceived as not having a "personal agenda", i.e. not looking to benefit myself first). Kindness and compassion, listening, being fair, that kind of thing. Even though tough moves had to be made sometimes. I actually had one guy hug me after I told him he needed to go elsewhere, so it at least worked with him.

All right, here's my Best of 2017 by category, and then I'll figure out the Top 5 overall.

Fiction

News of the World by Paulette Jiles
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Ann Bronte
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

*The Windup Bird Chronicle would be listed, but it was a re-read

Poetry

Olio by Tyehimba Jess
Don't Call Us Dead by Danez Smith
Stag's Leap by Sharon Olds
Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine
Bright Dead Things by Ada Limon

Nonfiction

Why Buddhism is True by Robert Wright
The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Whistling Vivaldi by Claude M. Steele
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
To Siri with Love by Judith Newman

*Hard not to put Hillbilly Elegy, I Contain Multitudes, The Warmth of Other Suns, and Destiny of the Republic on this. Great year for NF.

Young Adult

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
The Someday Birds by Sally J. Pla
The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
Akata Witch and Akata Warrior by Nnedi Okorafor

Science Fiction

The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemison (conclusion of a trilogy)
Binti: Home by Nnedi Okorafor
Provenance by Anne Leckie
City by Clifford Simak
The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu

Mystery

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
Lightning Men by Thomas Mullen (is this a "mystery"?)

Lots of good series, like Fiona Griffiths, Eve Dallas, Longmire, and so on, but these two were the standout books.

Graphic Novels

My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris
One Hundred Nights of Hero by Isabel Greenberg
The Singing Bones by Shaun Tan (not really a GN, but amazing - featuring his sculptures)
Roughneck by Jeff Lemire (tough content)
The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui

*Hard not to include Baking With Kafka, Paper Girls (series), All's Faire in Middle School, Park Bench, Rolling Blackouts, and Sandman Omnibus

I’m glad to say I have some of your ‘best of year’ in my tbr mountain Joe. I just started News of the World and am loving it. Not sure how I missed this writer to now.

I didn’t get on with Lincoln in the Bardo, pearl ruled it as Linda would say, but I appreciate I’m in the minority.

>167 jnwelch: What great lists, Joe. I also loved News of the World and I recently used an Audible credit to purchase Eleanor Oliphant. Olio is possibly my all-time favorite poetry collection (not that I've read that many, but still), and The Hate U Give was a five-star read for me.

I'm pleased that Whistling Vivaldi made your top-five NF list; it was indeed a good year for NF. I would personally have put Destiny of the Republic ahead of Hillbilly Elegy but both were worthwhile reads.

I guess I could start perusing my 5- and 4.5-star books to see what my year ended up looking like.

>154 jnwelch: I know that the common wisdom is that women can be seen as more abrasive than men, but who could have possibly been more abrasive than Trump? I think his election showed that a large portion of the country wanted or needed to have their anger confirmed. Clinton, with her thought-out policies that didn't yield sound-bites, was in my view TOO mild, too unemotional. Think of the women who were powerful in history. Maggie Thatcher wasn't known for being nice, or quiet, or anything else that the current tropes associate with female. She was just knock-em-down powerful. I didn't like her or her politics, but her power was clear. I think we need a woman who isn't afraid to jump beyond the focus-group consensus and give people a powerful image to associate with. If Sarah Palin had a brain instead of just a mouth, she might have done well. (Again, not someone I would even want to be in an elevator with, but that's because of the brain part.)

>168 Caroline_McElwee: Crap, Caroline. I know you just read Why Buddhism is True, and I forgot somehow to put it on the "Best of" list! What a dope! I'll fix that.

I understand the mixed reactions to Lincoln in the Bardo. I gave him bonus points for his creative approach. I was thinking, this was not my favorite year for fiction.

>169 EBT1002: Thanks, Ellen. News of the World is outstanding, isn't it, and I'm pretty sure you'll love Eleanor Oliphant. You're probably right in terms of quality for Destiny of the Republic versus Hillbilly Elegy. My NF picks were guided by impact on me, and Hillbilly Elegy had a lot of that after the election results, just trying to understand folks like that.

And I have to add to NF Why Buddhism is True! How I missed that one is beyond me.

P.S. OK, fixed. And wouldn't you know it, Hillbilly Elegy dropped off. :-)

Whistling Vivaldi had a major impact on me. So many truths, and well-supported. Many thanks for blazing the trail on that one.

>170 ffortsa: Ha! I'm with you on not being caught in an elevator with Sarah Palin's brain, Judy. You're right, she probably could've done well in politics if she had a better one.

In hindsight there were all sorts of problems with Hillary's campaign - she would've been better off trying to understand the basket of deplorables, for example, and to sympathize and connect with those among them who weren't alt-right - the discontent existed for a reason. Obama never would've said something like that. I wish she had more of a sense of humor as a candidate (in private, I think she does) - just turning and scoffing at Trump when he was stalking her in the debate would've gone a long way, as another example.

But I must say, I do believe a lot of the "I just don't like Hillary" reactions come from an archaic and wrong view of women. Trump's base thinks his abrasiveness is just great - an authoritarian's dream come true. Meanwhile, Hillary's strength and assertiveness turned off too many people, including many women.

>172 jnwelch: - I think her "deplorables" comment was aimed at the alt-right/white supremacist element among his supporters. She did not say all his supporters were deplorable. And Obama did have a similar moment when he seemed to dismiss a large part of the population as "clinging to their guns and God." Both comments, of course, were taken largely out of context.

And here we all are, dissecting and criticizing her candidacy when she still beat both Sanders and Trump in raw numbers, so....

>167 jnwelch: Thanks for this Joe! Always interesting to see which books are faves for both of us (quite a few!) and what I've missed... Whistling Vivaldi has been ordered from the library and the audio version of Born a Crime is in the car awaiting our Christmas road trip.

Not surprisingly, Eleanor Oliphant is my #1 choice for gift giving this year.

>173 katiekrug: You're right about her being the actual winner, Katie, by almost 3 million votes. We were all stunned by those Electoral College results.

I do think her "basket of deporables" comment was a sign of her failure to understand and connect with the Hillbilly Elegy-types - many of whom voted for Obama - and also, as you say, was taken out of context as applying more widely beyond the alt-right/white supremacists. Many of those chary of electing someone from the "liberal elite" who look down on them (in their minds) saw it summed up right there.

IMO, Obama's comment didn't have anywhere near that impact - and he leavened it with his well-known empathy and personal background, among other things.

>174 NarratorLady: Hi, Anne. Yes, you and I are definitely comrades in reading, no doubt about it. :-) Eleanor Oliphant is a terrific idea for gift-giving, and I wish I'd thought of that.

Whistling Vivaldi was an Ellen discovery, and so worthwhile. I can't wait to hear what you think of the Trevor Noah audio, with your professional background. Debbi and I can't even imagine reading it without his voice.

My audio for our upcoming car trip is The Tuesday Club Murders, aka The Thirteen Problems, a Miss Marple tour de force. It's old, and I'm not sure who the narrator is at this point.

Top 5 Books of 2017

News of the World by Paulette Jiles (beautifully told story of the old West)
Olio by Tyehimba Jess (what an amazing piece of work)
Why Buddhism is True by Robert Wright (pragmatic and convincing)
The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjee (remarkable, well-written, thought-provoking - where are we headed, with the powers we're developing?)
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (terrific and even-handed YA novel featuring of-the-moment racial issues)

I'm torn on Best Graphic Novel - My Favorite Thing is Monsters is so unusual and good, and I can''t wait for the second one coming out in the first half of next year.

But I have to pick Shaun Tan's Singing Bones. I didn't even know he did sculptures, and his are so cool.

I love Singing Bones Joe, I have you to thank for leading me to Tan. I did wonder about Why Buddhism is True, remind me what you dropped from the list.

>175 jnwelch: - It was only a sign of her failing to connect with the Hillbilly Elegy types if that was to whom she was referring. And we agree it was taken out of context and she was referring to a particular group of people with whom I am perfectly happy not to have a candidate or President understand or connect with. So really it was just a sign of (a) lazy reporting (as an aside, it's interesting to see some of the media people being caught up in the #metoo movement for bad behavior (at best) are also ones who helped to shape coverage of the first female major party candidate, but I digress...); (b) a predisposition to think the worst of her; and (c) a lack of critical analysis and thought on the part of a large swath of the electorate.

PS: You encouraged my ranting, so you have no one to blame but yourself ;-)

>179 Caroline_McElwee: Oh good, Caroline - I'd love to lead everyone to Shaun Tan. Wasn't Singing Bones great?

When I added Why Buddhism is True (after kicking myself), I moved Hillbilly Elegy down to the "hard not to add them" group.

>180 katiekrug: Ha! Thank you for the rant, Katie! I still think it was her responsibility - either effectively explain it (afterwards, if necessary), and show your empathy for those types, or never say it. Part of the problem was it was so catchy - I loved it when she first said it. But I didn't think through the ramifications, and I don't think her people did either.

Happy Yule Book Flood!

>182 richardderus: Thanks, RD. Bound to be the new favorite Hemingway book!

Heh. One hopes, since it doesn't really exist. The perfect favorite book by an unloved author: One they never wrote!

>184 richardderus: Best short story: The Short Merry Christmas of Francis Macomber.

>160 jnwelch:

Yes, the NO PAY TAX PLAN would not work if it was just me and Thoreau -
the 2/3 % now not supporting the monstrous racist sexist homophobic moronic freak
would have to join in!

Maybe a lot more people would have liked Hilary if she had dumped Bill? One cannot imagine Michelle putting up with any of that ----.

>185 jnwelch: Ha, gets my vote fer sher.

>181 jnwelch:

Many of us women waited in vain, finally turning the television off,
when Hillary did NOT call out trump and demand that the debates
stop until he ceased his deplorable PACING around behind her.

She came across as too weak to stand up to a real life in person bully.

I'm agreeing with so much being stated here; ultimately it's complicated.
*deletes a paragraph out of inability to draw any satisfying conclusions*

Adding Singing Bones to the wish list. Sigh.

And moving Why Buddhism Is True from the bookshelf to the bedside table.

>186 m.belljackson: Ha! Right, Marianne. Where is Thoreau these days, anyway?

Good point about Hillary's hubby Bill. I gotta say, times were good during his presidency, but his personal foibles and lying (or fudging, if you're charitable) have turned a lot of folks off. I have read that being married to him hurt Hillary in the election, too. (I know, there's some irony there, as we now have a sexist, racist, lying all the time scumbag of a President).

>187 richardderus: I realized it might be a tie for best Hemingway short story, RD, with "A Clean Well-Lighted Menorah".

>188 m.belljackson: I hated her failure to call Trump out on his debate stalking of her, too, Marianne. Some scornful humor would have been wonderful right there.

>189 EBT1002: It is complicated, Ellen, isn't it. The simple part, I guess, is we need to vote these yahoos out of office. Our Democratic/Independent voters have to be energized, or we're sunk.

No need to sigh over Singing Bones, although you know I have TBR sympathy. You'll see - it's a treat.

Yay for Why Buddhism is True! I look forward to your thoughts on it.

>190 jnwelch: LOLOLOLOL

>192 richardderus: :-)

>177 jnwelch: Joe, is there a site on librarything where people list their favorite books of 2017?

>194 NarratorLady: Hi, Anne. There is a Favorite Books of 2017 thread in Club Read. Here's that one: http://www.librarything.com/topic/277922#6288519

There's one in Book Talk, too: http://www.librarything.com/topic/278377#

I wouldn't be surprised if there are others. Maybe one of our cafe regulars knows.

>196 jnwelch: Yikes!

I somehow managed to miss your reading of My Favourite Thing is Monsters. Added to the list now.

>197 charl08: They don't mess around in that >196 jnwelch: library, Charlotte. Poor guy should've paid that fine. :-)

Oh good. I look forward to hearing your reaction to My Favorite Thing is Monsters. Like nothing else, that one.

>167 jnwelch: >177 jnwelch: I LOVE IT! No wonder, I like to hang out with you. Great lists! The only one I am not familiar with is Tenant of Wildfell Hall, but it's inclusion here, has my attention. Glad to see the Saunders make the cut. It will be included on mine, as well. Hooray for Bright Dead Things, Olio, Born a Crime, The Hate U Give & My Favorite Thing is Monsters. All top reads!

The one I NEED to get to is, The Gene. I have it saved on audio.

I will start working on my list too. You are definitely an inspiration.

Morning, Joe. Happy Friday. If I can get Bree moving, we will go for a hike with the dog and then we have the Star Wars film lined up for early afternoon. I will really have to try and bookhorn in some reading, later on.

>199 msf59: Ha! Great!

Yeah, we seem to have a bit in common, my friend. Looking forward to our January get-together. I'm glad you like those lists - can't wait to see what you decide are the tops. Agreed on all the ones you mention! Thank you for the push on Bright Dead Things.

One of my goddaughters was reading Tenant of Wildfell Hall, and was enthusiastic, so she got me onto it. It's a good 'un, and not a chunkster.

Yes, you'll be glad you read The Gene. Fascinating stuff.

Good to hear my lists were inspiring. Looking forward to yours!

>200 msf59: Happy Friday, my friend. Hope you got Bree moving - I love hikes. I'm envious of your seeing the Star Wars movie today. Everyone we know who's seen it has loved it.

I hope to bookhorn in some reading, too. We had our workouts canceled, so that opened up time, but we have to pack, and fill the car, and that kind of thing, so we'll see. I'm near the end of Danticat's Untwine, and it's been a good YA - very different from others of hers I've read.

>201 jnwelch: I did get out to do some hiking with Duke. A nice day for it too. We started at the dog park, so Duke could run around like crazy and there is a nice walking loop inside the park too, which we did and then walked another outside trail. A good workout. Not many birds though- Cardinals and Blue Jays.

Good luck with the packing.

Safe journeys, happy visits, and sweet homecomings, Joe and Debbi!

Hello Joe!

What? Christopher Moore has a new one and it's Noir? That could bring me back to Moore. I haven't read once if his since The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove. Off to put it on the hold list!

Safe travels to you and Debbi!

>202 msf59: Sounds like a great hike with Duke, Mark. Alas, we only got out to drive around today. We did get packed, and Christmas-prep'd, and car trip prep'd, so that's good. Becca's just arrived, and will stay overnight so we can leave early tomorrow morning.

>203 richardderus: Thanks, Richard. Our plan is to be safe, happy and sweet. Fingers crossed the snow holds off, so the driving isn't screwy.

>204 brodiew2: Ha! Doesn't Noir sound good, Brodie? I love the Lust Lizard title of the last one of his you read. I hope you have good luck getting the new one quickly.

Happy travels, Joe. And a good time to all

Still here, Joe. More of a lurker than ever.

Political discussion is good. I can't understand how anyone could continue any sort of association with the Republican Party. Our local US Rep has been the go-to moderate for the media. He's announced his intention to not seek reelection, deploring the GOP's conduct, yet he voted FOR the tax scam. He doesn't REALLY have a conscience.

Safe travels, Joe. Hope you have an enjoyable visit.

Morning, Joe. Happy Saturday! Safe travels to Ann Arbor. Enjoy your visit with Dear Pop!

>207 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley. It'll be good to get together with the family. Hope you have a great holiday.

>208 weird_O: Hey, Bill the favored lurker. Agreed; lots of good political discussion in the cafe recently. I know, why these retiring Republicans with nothing left at stake didn't vote against the tax scam is beyond me, too.

>209 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. Should be an enjoyable visit. I'm taking the laptop, so I hope to check in occasionally. I hope you have a great holiday.

>210 msf59: Morning, early bird. Happy Saturday, Mark! Thanks - no snow so far. Fingers crossed!

Looking forward to seeing dear Pop (it's funny, "Pop" is what we called his father. He's Dad for us). He's healthy and, as you may have seen on FB, playing the harmonica. So all signs are favorable.

I'll be checking in but, just in case, I hope you have a great holiday.

Lots of fun 3D sidewalk art

>213 jnwelch: - Good morning, Joe. And Wow!! Stunning stuff. Have you ever watched one of these artists at work? I did once, a local guy, not this calibre, of course, but still a delight to watch. It's heartbreaking to think that so much work is so easily susceptible to rain...!

Morning, Joe! Fun street art - my favorite is the boy with the dog.

Those are great! I love the tiger.

>208 weird_O:, >211 jnwelch: They voted for it because they benefit from it. They aren't retiring, they're cashing out.

>213 jnwelch: WOW!! I love that kind of art, the trompe-l'oeil of the sidewalk.

Morning, Joe!

Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones.

MERRY CHRISTMAS and may 2018 be a good vintage for you and Debbi and the family Joe.

Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas, Joe.

Awesome street art!

>157 jnwelch: Hi, Joe. Little late getting back to you, sorry.

Single transferable voting involves letting voters make multiple, ranked choices for each position. First-choice votes are tallied first, and if someone gets 50% + 1, they win. If not, the 2nd choices of the lowest vote-getter are tallied, and that keeps happening until someone gets the requisite majority. This allows everyone to vote for the candidate they actually prefer, without "wasting" the vote - if their vote would've mattered, it eventually will matter.

I don't know how widely the approach is utilized - I first encountered it in The Republic of Ireland back in the '80s, and as I recall, Malta and London were the only other places to use it at them. I think that it is more widespread, now, but not certain. Anyway, in Ireland, where it was combined with proportional representation (each district having 3-5 members in Parliament rather than one), it kept turnouts at levels we wouldn't even dare to dream of here. Why not, since over 80% of the voters ended up being represented by someone for whom they had voted.

Oh - Happy Holidays to you and yours!
(Apparently I can only manage one thought per post.)

Hi Joe, stopping by to wish you and your loved ones peace, joy and happiness this holiday season and for 2018!

Happy Holidays, Joe!

Hi Joe. I can't add pictures but I wanted to add my best wishes for the holiday season to you and your family.

This is for you and Debbi and Becca.

It is that time of year again, between Solstice and Christmas, just after Hanukkah, when our thoughts turn to wishing each other well in whatever language or image is meaningful to the recipient. So, whether I wish you Happy Solstice or Merry Christmas, know that what I really wish you, and for you, is this:

Thanks, everyone!

The roads were clear and the trip smooth. We’ve been gathered around the hearth, yukking it up.

Grabbing some breakfast, and then heading over for more frivolity.

Happy Holidays! Word on the street is that Santa will be out and about tonight!

Morning, Joe! I'm glad to hear that you got there safe and are having a great time!

Happy Christmas, friend!

Morning, Amber! Thanks!

Hi Joe!



Stopping by to wish you and yours all good things this holiday season.

Yukking it up seems just right for this time of year.

Happy Holidays Joe!

Adding a street-art Santa to the collection of holiday graphics.

That's a great "Best of the Year" list, Joe. I'll post mine in a few days. I haven't read as many books as I normally do, but I've read a lot of good ones!


May the joy of the season continue into the New Year!

Dear Joe, Best wishes to you and yours at Christmas!

Wishing you all good things this holiday season and beyond.

Happy Holidays from Philadelphia to you and your family, Joe! I'm glad that I was able to share dinner with you, Debbi, Becca and Sherlock in September, and I look forward to spending more good times with all of you in 2018.

^I hope you are having a terrific time with Dad and the rest of the Welch Clan, Joe. Hugs and High-Fives to all of you.

Thanks, everyone!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Happy Holidays to you and yours! Its such a joy to be a part of this group, and I’m glad to call you friend.

Still a bit under construction, but here's the new group: https://www.librarything.com/groups/75booksin2018

Happy Boxing Day!

Happy Boxing Day!!

...Joe...?

Woo, we're back. That was a tough drive home. We went through several whiteouts (like sandstorms, with snow, as my niece said). Luckily, they were all relatively short in duration. Nonetheless, there were cars spilled off the road all over the place, and one large jack-knifed truck. We wondered whether they were going to run out of police to come help - they were everywhere, and must've had to roust out of bed or home anyone not already on duty.

I hope everyone had a good holiday break. My dad thought ours was "the best ever", and he was happy that his house was full of "comfortable users" (ha!).g

We have more celebrating to come, as son #1 and his lovely bride will be arriving in Chicago tomorrow. They went to visit her folks for Christmas in McAllen, TX, then flew back to Pittsburgh, then drove to Ann Arbor to see Jesse's granddad, then they'll drive here. Ah, it's good to be young!

>232 karenmarie: Hi, Karen! That's a beaut - thank you.

>233 ffortsa: Right, Judy? We also played a lot of games - my favorite one was probably that old one where you write one line, fold it over, and pass it on for the next person. We did a new way for me - each person (we had about 8) started one, so that 8 or so were all going at the same time. We came up with a lot of absurd and wonderful ones.

I hope you and Jim had a good holiday yourownselves.

>234 luvamystery65: Happy Holidays, Roberta! Our son and his wife were just in your part of the world, flying into Houston and driving to McAllen to be with her parents. He report 60 degrees F - as we froze our butts off in Ann Arbor. I think he's vying for the smart one in the family.

Hope you had a good holiday, my friend.

>235 rretzler: Oh, that's perfect, Robin, thanks. Happy Holidays!

>236 weird_O: Ha! Oh, Bill, you've got the knack. Street art Santa - thank you! Happy Holidays, buddy.

>248 jnwelch: - Hi Joe. Eek, driving in those conditions are THE WORST! Glad you made it home safely and all in one piece! I drove home from a friend's house in such conditions a few years ago and that was a mere half hour trip. I am not a happy highway driver under the most optimal conditions. I'd rather stay home than drive in whiteouts!

Happy rest of the year to you. See you on the other side! :-)

>237 laytonwoman3rd: Beautiful, Linda, thanks. Happy Holidays.

>238 Donna828: Peace, love and joy, Donna. I'm glad you like the Best of lists. I can't wait to see yours.

>239 AMQS: Oh, too bad, Anne. The internet Gods (Gaiman would appreciate this) wiped out your graphic. Thanks for the thought, anyway. Happy Holidays!

>251 jessibud2: I know, right, Shelley?

Believe it or not, that wasn't even the worst - we got caught in a whiteout in Ann Arbor a couple of days before that was almost impossible. Couldn't see hardly anything, couldn't stop for fear someone would ram us, nowhere to pull off, just had to keep on carefully chugging with what I could see. Scary stuff. We were right near my dad's house, an area I know well - but I couldn't see much more than the snow bank beside me. And it was a main drag (Huron Parkway) that a lot of folks use. Arggh.

>240 PaulCranswick: Thanks, mate. I know these ain't your holidays, but I hope you've been having a good time, even with your ladies away.

>241 kidzdoc: Darryl! Good to see your post, buddy. Amen to that. We always enjoy seeing you, including the fun of having you at our place this year, and look forward to more in 2018.

P.S. Love the Philly photo! Hope you're having a good time with your folks.

>242 msf59: High fives, Mark! We had a great time ("best ever" said the pater familias), and the only downside was the crummy weather that you can read about up above.

Hope you and the Freeburg gang are having a great holiday break - it sure looked like it on FB.

>244 mahsdad: Whoa, that's some cool image, Jeff, thanks. Amen to all you say, my friend. Happy Holidays!

Morning, Joe! Welcome home!

>245 drneutron: Thanks, Jim! I'll go check out the new digs. As always, more thanks to you than I can possibly give, for enabling all of us to have such a good time.

Hope you've been having a groovy holiday season, buddy.

>246 Berly: Happy Boxing Day, Kim! I first learned about that day when it turned out our favorite artsy store in Ann Arbor (A Peaceable Kingdom) was closed on it. How do we celebrate? Start boxing up things? Start sparring?

>256 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie! It's good to be home, I'll tell you. We had a great time, but the weather is nutso. We're about to head out to restock the larder.

>247 richardderus: Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night shall stay this 75er from the swift completion of his appointed posts. No, wait, that's our friend Mark. Well, anyway, we made it!

I hope you're having a good holiday season, buddy, full of most excellent reads.

If I missed anyone, please let me know!

I'm glad that you had an excellent Christmas with your father and family in Ann Arbor, Joe. We had a nice, albeit low key, Christmas as well in Philadelphia.

One of the most foolish things I've done in the past quarter century (other than driving myself to a local hospital when I had appendicitis as an intern (ouch)) was driving from Cleveland to Pittsburgh after a residency interview at UCLA Children's Hospital in my last year of medical school (it was far cheaper to fly from CLE to LAX and back rather than PIT to LAX and back, and the drive between the two cities is only two hours). I arrived at CLE late at night, at the start of a blizzard with lake effect snow blowing over Lake Erie. I had class the following day, so instead of staying in a hotel room for the night and possibly not being able to make the drive early the following morning I decided to drive in the midst of the blizzard. It took roughly six hours on the Ohio Turnpike and the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and for most of the trip on the PA Turnpike I followed behind an 18 wheeler, as visibility was near zero. At that time I owned a Honda CRX, a two seat small car that sat low to the ground. I think that there was an 18 wheeler behind me, and the only thing I could see outside of a few feet where the rear lights of the 18 wheeler in front of me. Fortunately he (or she) was a good driver, and I simply followed his tracks and kept a decent distance, knowing that if he had to stop suddenly or went off the road I was doomed. Thankfully I made it home safely early the following morning, but I was a nervous wreck, didn't sleep at all, and decided to skip class that day. I could easily have lost my life that night!

>248 jnwelch: Good holiday news; iffy on the whiteouts, though since you made it back safely with all unscathed let's count is as "yep, good nuff"; fun travels for Jesse and Mrs. Jesse, but as you say, they're young; and wheeeee you're home and dry, if not entirely warm.

>259 jnwelch: A couple of good, fluffy reads not needing reviews, at least so far. My roommate is back from rehab, oh joy, carrying his anxiety with him. Makes me crazy by talkingtalkingtalking to fill up my beautiful silence. Such are the trials of living in close quarters.

>261 kidzdoc: Hiya, Darryl. I'm glad you had a nice, if low key, Christmas with your folks in Philadelphia.

Oof, that sounds like a scary drive from Cleveland back then! knowing that if he had to stop suddenly or went off the road I was doomed. Oh man, I know that feeling. Squeezed in between two 18 wheelers - there's good and bad with that. Easier to follow the first one, but you're going to be mushed up Darryl in a can if the first one stops unexpectedly.

The good news on our drive is, as far as we could tell, the sidelined cars and 18 wheeler were all in one piece, with no one hurt. I don't know what they must have gone through with that truck - it ended up way off the road in a snowy hollow.

>262 richardderus: We're home and dry, Richard, and the larder is stocked. Madame MBH is throwing a brunch on Saturday for 17 for Mr. Jesse and Ms. Adri, full of their Chicago pals, so we've been bringing in the bags for a while now. Becca went with us, so she got stocked up, too, and we helped bring all that up to her third floor apartment. We're both ready for some R & R now! Muffins and coffee.

Oh gawd yes. Please some good muffinage!

I'll take some of the muffin...and a little coffee...ah! Much better!

The boxing day is simply my way of giving out belated holiday wishes. My boxes are still not put away and though I do TKD, no boxing. : )

Muffins and hot drinks...that's what's needed for sure. Bitter cold here in good old NE PA. But with comforting eats, books and a pretty view out the window, I can handle it!

>265 richardderus: Good muffinage is always important, RD, but particularly this time of year. I seem to remember that pumpkin chocolate chip worked well for both you and Mamie.

Ohhh yessssss

Pumpkin. Loves me the pumpkin.

>266 Berly: Right, Kim? I feel much better after some java and a muffin meself.

Ha! That's right - I forgot about your TKD skills. I'm sure that'd do in a pinch for Boxing Day. :-)

>267 laytonwoman3rd: Hi, Linda. Right, lousy weather is great for staying indoors and reading and eating favorite foods and quaffing hot drinks.

Glad you are home safe and sound, Joe!

Hi Joe!

Ditto on the safe and sound thing - especially with scary stories of whiteouts and chugging along 'cuz if you stopped you might be rear ended.

>271 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie! That was a wild one.

>272 karenmarie: Hi, Karen!

Thanks re the safe and sound. Mother Nature had a lot going on these past few days!

Welcome home, Joe. Glad you had "the best ever" Christmas celebration with Dad. Sorry, to hear about the treacherous trip home. Nothing like frying your nerves, on your way back. Glad you made it back safe and sound.

Hope your books are treating you well. I am loving Fools Crow but it is a slow read. Words need to be savored, not skimmed over. 100 pages left. I also just finished I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter. Another strong YA, that I can recommend. I think it is a good companion piece to The Hate U Give, with a Chicago setting. Talented poet and author.

Hope you had a good holiday!

Glad to hear that you made it safely back home, Joe. Take one of these and relax.

Glad you had a good holiday Joe, and are safely home now. Brrrr, not sure I like the temperatures you have. Read books set in warmer climes perhaps.

>253 jnwelch: Ah, Michigan winters - on Christmas Eve afternoon I had to drive from Hudson to Romulus during roughly the 3rd to 5th inches of the day's snowfall - almost nothing cleared by that point.

Glad to hear you had a good Christmas. I stopped by Ann Arbor for my usual three books from Literati and brunch at a downtown cafe I'd never seen before.

>167 jnwelch: >177 jnwelch: Nice Best of 2017 lists up there .....

Awesome street art !!!!!

Have you caught Anansi boys on BBC radio yet ? http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09ghqjr

>274 msf59: It's good to be back, Mark! We continue the celebration tonight, when Jesse and Adri get here from Ann Arbor. They had a great visit with my dad, and will stop by to say goodbye to him today before heading here.

The books have been great - almost head-spinning in quantity, as my family of course knows I love to read. I'll post a photo when the Jesse/Adri celebration is done, but so far I'm digging into Andy Weir's Artemis, the second Sandman Omnibus, The Odyssey translated by Emily Wilson (really good so far!), The Deluxe Death (my favorite Sandman character after Dream), and the Black Panther GN (new series) by Ta-Nehisi Coates.

I just finished some others. Buddhaland Brooklyn was really good; I'll try to write a review. I'm a ways into the last Poldark, Bella Poldark. I finished Uncomfortably Happily - I'm on the fence on recommending it to you. Well done, and I enjoyed it, but is it worth the time commitment for you - I'm not sure. It's really long. Same with Monograph by Chris Ware. He's a genius, and it's amazing, but it weighs 9 pounds (!) and is very dense. You might look through it at the library (where I got it) - he's Chicago area, so they'll likely have it, despite its size.

We've been looking at and wondering about Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, so with your thumbs up I'll do it when I get clear of some of the holiday books. I'm glad you're liking Fools Crow; yeah, a slow careful read fits what I remember.

>275 ChelleBearss: Hi, Chelle. Thanks, we did have a good holiday - and in our usual family tradition, it continues, as our son and DIL arrive tonight for further celebration. We'll open some presents, and we're having a brunch for them tomorrow.

Hope yours was as good as possible - I'm sure the surgery made this an unusual one.

>276 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara. Oh, those look good. What a beautiful photo. I hope all is well on your end; what an end of the year you've had. We're relaxing some for sure on our end, although Madame MBH currently is preparing all sorts of food for a brunch tomorrow, while her husband goofs off on LT. I believe chopping duty is coming up soon for the latter guy.

>277 Caroline_McElwee: Hi, Caroline. Hmm, is the moon a warmer clime - well, indoors in Artemis it's okay. Cornwall and London in Bella Poldark - definitely warmer than here for when it's set. I hear the cold is even crazier low in parts of Canada.

I hope you're doing well, my friend, and enjoying hearth and book.

>278 majleavy: Hey, Michael. Yeah, Michigan in winter. That sounds like one heck of a Christmas Eve drive.

The snow is more of an issue there than in Chicago (since one mayor got deposed years ago for lousy snow clearance, it's been a priority), and the cold somewhat less of one - at least, off the lake coasts.

They were good on the snow plowing this time, in Ann Arbor and on 23 and 94, although it took an awfully long time for them to clear the main roads in Ann Arbor with the first big snowfall. There's a hill (on Glazier Way) that I avoid in this weather (too high to be sure we'll make it - once we didn't), even though the drive around takes a while.

>279 roundballnz: Thanks, Alex. I'm glad you like the Best of Lists and the street art! I'll carry over the Best of lists to the 2018 cafe thread.

Thanks for the Anansi Boys broadcast link - I hadn't heard it, and I'll look forward to giving it a go. Not among my favorites of his books, but still (of course) very good and hard to put down.

Hey there Joe, whaddaya know.

>280 jnwelch: I have Emily Watson’s trans of The Odyssey near the top of the 2018 reading stash Joe, glad to hear you are enjoying it.

>280 jnwelch: That's a lot of books to juggle all at once!! Have fun with them when your chopping duties are over. And tonight when your guests arrive!

>284 richardderus: Hey there, RD, just got back from Kokomo Kalamazoo.

>285 Caroline_McElwee: I'm excited about Emily Wilson's translation of The Odyssey, Caroline. So far it moves swiftly and feels very "new".

As I mentioned before, I'm sure, Stanley Lombardo's translation has been my favorite so far.

>286 Berly: Right, Kim? I'm surrounded by wonderful toys (well, books), and I want to play with them all right now.

Can't wait to see son #1 and the lovely Adri. She's really showing with Rafa, the new arrival due at the end of April.

Anne (NarratorLady) had asked about "Top 5 Books of 2017" threads on LT, and here's a good one in Book Talk: http://www.librarything.com/topic/278377#6299264

Morning, Joe!

Happy Friday, Mamie! (You can tell I'm a slowpoke today!)

Have fun with son #1 and Adri this evening!

Black Panther GN series sounds interesting.
And I've already added Buddhaland Brooklyn to the wish list without you even writing a review!

>291 EBT1002: Thanks, Ellen. Can't wait to see them!

Coates is doing much better with this Black Panther series of four than he did with his first standalone BP, in which I felt he was learning the ropes of the genre. This series is a kind of superhero comic, improved by the African setting and folklore, and the inclusion of social issues. Not a "must-read", but a fun read.

I'm glad you added Buddhaland to your WL. It really worked for me. Review coming up.

Buddhaland Brooklyn is the story of a Japanese Buddhist priest, raised in a strict monastery there, who is asked to head up a new Buddhist temple under construction in Brooklyn. Reverend Seido Oda had a tragic experience when young, with his mentally ill father and family. Through entry into the rural priesthood at age 11, he gains his bearings, particularly in creating and teaching Buddhist art. When many years later his beloved superior asks him to go to America, he feels he can't refuse, but he also doesn't feel he's qualified.

His experience in Brooklyn with the informal, tradition-scoffing Americans who are sect members is funny and frustrating at the same time (they like to call him "Rev" or "Reverend O"). He wants to teach them in the strict way he was taught, and they want him to be more "personal" and accessible.

I'm not a chanting Buddhist, but Morais makes it sound appealing (the Lotus Sutra is the principal source). This sect can marry and have sex, and those issues come up for the reverend. Maintaining his equanimity is a challenge. He learns a lot, and finds his new, chaotic locale actually brings him to a far greater understanding than his placid life in rural Japan.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

>293 jnwelch: This sounds fascinating Joe! We stayed in a Buddhist monastery in Japan last year (a wonderful experience) and the cultural dissonance for any of those priests making a home here would be pretty profound. Thanks for the rec...on to the list it goes!

>293 jnwelch: Glad to read that you liked that one, too. Happy weekend, Joe.

>294 NarratorLady: Wow, what a life you lead, Anne. We stayed in a Buddhist monastery in Japan last year (a wonderful experience) Not many can say that!

This sounds like a perfect book for you. You'll enjoy the cultural dissonance and his gradual coming to terms with his Brooklyn locale. The author also wrote The Hundred Foot Journey, which was made into a charming Helen Mirren movie.

>295 Ameise1: Hi, Barbara. I was wracking (or racking, for the purists) my brain, trying to remember who gave the nudge on this one. It was you - thank you! I did like it, as you can see.

They just don't make names like they used to.

>296 jnwelch: Ha! I did get a kick out of mentioning the first "exotic" thing we've done in decades. Don't be fooled: it was a pleasant blip in a life of working, baby sitting, dog sitting and currently snow shoveling! All good stuff (well, maybe not the shoveling) but not exceptional. You travel a lot more than I do my friend!

Hunkering down to read the sequel to The War that Saved My Life: The War I Finally Won.

Morning, Joe. Hope you are staying inside today. It is wicked out here.
Have a great visit with Jesse and Adri.

Happy family visit, Joe, and may the goddesses grant us a Trumpless 2018.

Skidsie - now *that’s* a name!

>287 jnwelch: Oh, you two have the new Odyssey! I'm very curious about it. Also, I haven't heard of the Lombardo translation - I'll have to look for it.

Hey, Joe. The year is drawing to a close, but I expect you knew that. Wasn't such a good year in so many ways. So buh-bye 2017...



Let's move on. Happy New Year, Joe.

I'll be trying this reading business anew in 2018, hoping to do better both in numbers (just...just...well, uh....a half-dozen more would be satisfying) and in being more social (getting around the threads, tipping the hat, sharing a smile). See you on the other side, my friend.

>293 jnwelch: Sounds like a good one!

Good morning! Happy last day of '17 - for us, a great year personally, and a horrifying year for our country politically, and kindness and compassion-wise.

>298 NarratorLady: Ha! Well, it's one heck of a good exotic travel story to be able to tell, Anne. What prompted the trip to the Japanese monastery? We plan to be normal and home ourselves for a while.

Please let me know what you think of The War I Finally Won. As you probably remember, I loved The War That Saved My Life.

>299 msf59: Hiya, Mark. We were inside for most of the day, although not all, as we had to walk to get some stuff for the brunch. Wicked cold. I'm glad you're not out there for a couple of days.

We're having a great visit with Jesse and Adri. Poor Adri is at 5 months, so there's discomfort, tiredness and occasional zinging hormones. But she looks great, and she hung in there for what turned into a long, happy party yesterday. They almost wiped out our food (and Debbi made a ton of it!), wiped out our coffee, wiped out our mimosas, and continued on to our wine, which we had enough of that they didn't wipe it out. Lots of J & A's friends, plus Jesse's "Aunt" and "Uncle" (longtime Chicago friends whom he's known his whole life, and who love him dearly), and some other pals of ours who know him (and now Adri) well.

We're going to go easy today, although we need to make a Trader Joe's run. I hope you get to kick back and stay warm!

>300 richardderus: Thanks, RD, and Amen to a Trumpless '18. Although I read that the end is not in sight for Mueller, so we'll probably have the Repugnant Orange Narcissist for a while yet.

>301 drneutron: Ha! Isn't it, Jim? "I'm Skidsie Mulligan" - who, hearing that, can keep a straight face?

>302 ffortsa: I'm loving Emily Wilson's The Odyssey so far, Judy. I can see why everyone's excited about it. Do find the Lombardo translation - it's also Amber's favorite, and she knows whereof she speaks a lot more than I do.

>303 weird_O: Hiya, Bill. I love that gif!

Your plans for '18 sound good, and I'll look forward to more of your dancing in the LT streets next year. I'd love to read a few more next year, too - there are so many good ones, and I got a bunch for the holidays that I can't wait to dig into.

>304 Berly: 'Tis, Kim. I hope you give Buddhaland Brooklyn a try.

We had a Zen priest at our brunch yesterday, and I recommended it to her, along with Why Buddhism is True. I hope she follows up.

Morning, Joe. Happy Sunday. Glad you had a good time with Jesse and Adri, despite the food massacre. Adri sounds like a real trooper.

Speaking of Why Buddhism is True, I am FINALLY starting it today. It is due back to the library on the 6th. I should get it done by then. It looks to be a good book to kick the year off with.

>306 jnwelch: Sounds like you had a fabulous evening, Joe. Happy Sunday.

<310 Happy Sunday, Mark. "Despite the food massacre" - ha! You got that right. Adri is a trooper, for sure. We're going to sit her down later (she's at breakfast with a friend) and let her watch her Pittsburgh Steelers beat up on the Cleveland Browns. She and Jesse got to see them in person beat up the Houston Texans on Christmas Day, courtesy of her father and mother.

Oh, I'm glad you're trying Why Buddhism is True. Can't wait to hear what you think.

>311 Ameise1: Happy Sunday, Barbara. Thanks - it was a fun time, and very loud!

Happy New Year fabulous people ....

Seems to be a buddhism theme going on here

Hi Joe!



Peace, Health, and Happiness in 2018

First purchase of the new year (only because I don't think I can pick it up today) is Lombardo's Iliad. My poetry group is returning to read epics, and the Iliad is the first one. We are reading from Fagles's translation, but I thought it would be interesting to read along as well in the Lombardo. Since we meet once a month, and read all work aloud, it will probably take us most of the year to finish, so I should have plenty of time.

>315 ffortsa: Nice, Judy! The Fagles is my #2 after the Lombardo. Looking forward to following your comments as the year goes along.

>314 karenmarie: Hi, Karen! Thanks!

Happy New Year!

>313 roundballnz: Happy New Year, fabulous Alex!

I'm hoping the world follows a Buddhist theme in '18. Widespread kindness and compassion would be just the thing.

view from Zürich's landmark mountain Üetliberg

>316 jnwelch: "Widespread kindness and compassion would be just the thing" just imagine if we all made that our personal central theme - world would be a better place IMO

>316 jnwelch: As long as it isn't the kind of Buddhism taking place in Burma/Myanmar!

>320 ronincats: - +1.

>317 Ameise1: Happy New Year, Barbara!

>318 Storeetllr: Thanks, Mary!

>319 roundballnz: Right, Alex - let's try it, buddy.

>320 ronincats: Right, Roni. I don't know how they can call themselves Buddhists. Horrible, and so contrary to that religion's tenets.

>321 katiekrug: Uh-huh, Katie.

All right. Hope everyone had a good New Year's celebration. I'll get to work on the '18 thread!

Happy New Year Joe. I'll be watching the 2018 thread but I suspect I'll never be able to keep up!

Thanks, Ron. Happy New Year, buddy. Just stop by when you can - always good to see you posting.

Here's the new one: http://www.librarything.com/topic/279781#6307571